Broken Wings

Chapters

Cutting Loose
Of Night Skies and Secrets
Helping Hands
Will Power
The Night Stands Tall
Death Toll
New Beginnings
Performances
Merry Christmas
Light in the Darkness
Bill the Oracle
Dreamwalker
Arnhem All Over Again
Family Grievances
Convalescence
Sonic Nightmare
The End
End Credits
The Heavens Weep
Interlude: Prophecies and Party Planning

Cutting Loose

The funeral for the late Big Macintosh didn't make it past customs when it arrived at the gate to my memory. All I remembered of it was that I had arrived and sat where I was supposed to, stood at the appropriate times, sang a few songs, and left. I do remember hugging Fluttershy, but that just because my voice kept getting on my case for it. You know you've been waiting to do that for a long time, Will.

I didn't go far from the monastery. I found a tree with lots of shade and sat down to lean against it, crossing my legs at the ankles. The tree wasn't wide enough to press against my wings and pin them to me, which would be painful, but it had loose bark that kept snagging on every feather I owned, making it a welcome rest under unwelcoming conditions.

I pulled out my spare two-way transmitter. It looked like an ear bud you'd use to listen to music. In the military, many times, especially during deployment, you get bored real fast. This leads to top-notch cleanliness in weapons, clothing, and berthing, as to pass the time you'd clean whatever looked even remotely dirty. But when that was done, you were left with nothing to do but closely inspect every piece of equipment you had issued to you.

Which was why I began examining the ear piece. It wasn't the first time I'd looked at it this way, but it passed the time and I thought it was interesting. It was matte black, with a serial number etched into it. The number was painted over in white so you could see it easily. It read 391-1038-5878-216. Quick, Will. What do they mean?

Easy, I replied. 391 was the category of equipment that was non-combat. 1038 was the subcategory of non-combat equipment titled “Personal Devices.” This ranged from nail clippers to portable power generators. 5878 was the subcategory entitled “Audio/Video transmitters.” 216 was the designated serial number for these two-way radios. Effective range.

Twenty miles. Rules of Use under Combat Conditions. Communicate with squad members, other squads, or higher chains of command if and only if squad-issued radio was disabled, destroyed, or inaccessible. Rules of Use under Non-combat Conditions. Practice operations, private communications between squads or platoons, communications between companies or larger is disallowed. Rules of Use for Communicating with Civilians. Only usable if, A, contact with civilians must be established and squad-issue radios are disabled, destroyed, or inaccessible; or B, when contact with civilians will prevent or lessen effects harmful to the well-beings of soldiers or other civilians in military circumstances. Good job, Will.

I felt relaxed for the first time in days. But that made me stop; what day was it? When was I due back to the company? I frantically attempted to remove my mission log from one of my uniform's pockets. Slow down, Will. Slow down. Taking several deep breaths, I slowly slipped the log out from my right breast pocket. Pressing the power button, my eyes met with a large timer at the top of the screen. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had a day and a half to go. And I knew from my time in the air over the Everfree Forest that my company was located well within a few hours' travel time using wings.

Rest easy, Will. That's an order. And, while you're at it, why don't you name me? As much as I thought that notion was stupid, I gave serious thought to it. Maybe personifying it would make it friendlier. I strived for that if for no other reason. Immediately I came up with a name. Bill. Yeah, REAL clever. Think yourself a creative person, do you? Don't answer that. I like it, Will and Bill. Two different names of the same person. I don't know why, but I was glad Bill liked his new name.

Hey, love bird. Hot tamale, four o'clock. Apparently naming him didn't stop my voice... Bill, from teasing me. I turned to look anyway, craning my neck almost until it hurt. I saw Fluttershy walking towards me, her wings tucked firmly by her sides, her head low, hair down, and feet barely leaving the ground. She really looked sad. Understatement of the week, Will. As she neared, she raised her head slightly. Seeing me looking at her, she let out a short eep, but continued trudging until she came to sit by me.

Her dress was a wonderful green, accentuated by floral decorations and patterns. Along with her teal coloured eyes, her outfit and getup matched and emphasized her natural beauty. Not trying to hide it now, are we Will? My, my, you are predictable. “Leave me alone.” I said aloud, which I instantly regretted.

“What?” Fluttershy looked at me in shock and sadness, tears already welling up. As she tried to get up and do what I asked, I quickly jabbed out a hand and grabbed her collar.

“Please forgive me, Fluttershy. I didn't mean it, and it wasn't meant for you. And I'm sorry for ruffling up your dress. I rather liked it.” And I did indeed ruffle it up. Surprisingly, just grabbing the collar wrinkled the dress in many places, and I began to question the designer's choice in stitch locations. “Please, please forgive me.”

I saw a couple droplets roll down her cheeks, which made my eyes water as well. I hated to see her cry. The day Big Mac died was one of the worst for me; I had to sit and comfort a bawling Fluttershy. It made my chest hurt and my heart felt heavy. As I tasted the salt of my own tears and still not having heard anything from her, I began to fear the worst. I was terrified of facing the possibility that I'd ruined our friendship with a single careless remark. So, you like her enough to admit it sometimes, but you still only call it a friendship? Will, she clearly likes you back. But I paid no heed to Bill at the moment.

After several heart wrenching moments, moments which racked my body with emotional pains, Fluttershy said a single word. “Yes.”

I didn't process the meaning of her word just then. I began analyzing. Was she forgiving me as I'd asked? Was she accepting my apology? Or could she read minds and was telling me our friendship was ruined? Careful, Will. Don't say or do anything yet. Maybe she'll explain. And she did.

“Yes. I forgive you. I'm sorry, when I heard you say that, I thought you didn't...” a barely stifled cry interrupted her sentence. “Didn't want to look at me anymore...” And when the thought was finished, the dam was breached and the tears gushed out at an alarming rate.

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy, please, don't cry. I hate to see you cry, please don't. It makes me cry! Please, stop!” I pleaded with her, not entirely sure if she could hear me over her outcries. Will, you'd better hurry. These pipes are ready to burst, and unless you work fast you're going to be weeping too. And I do NOT want to be seen crying in public. Got that? I took special care in making sure I didn't say this next thought aloud when I said 'Shut up, Bill.'

I wrapped my arms around Fluttershy, rubbing her back with my right hand. A single interjection from Fluttershy made me pull my hand away. She'd said “ow.” Now why would she say that? I then realized that I still held the transmitter in my right hand. Rubbing her back had pushed it into her, digging into her skin while not drawing blood. “Oh, god, I'm sorry Fluttershy. Lord, I'm making this worse, aren't I?” I tried to say with a laugh, but it came out as more of a nervous chuckle.

Despite her crying, Fluttershy managed to give a small titter. “Should I be, um, honest with you?”

Holding her out at arms length, I stared directly into her eyes, but thinking about it made me wonder who was doing the staring: her eyes were so mesmerizing, I doubted I'd be able to look away. Get it together, Will. “Yes, Fluttershy. You should always be honest with me. I trust you. I just... hope you can, um, well, trust me... trust me not to hurt you on purpose.”

“Oh, I trust you! I don't mind, whatever you want to do is fine.”

I smirked. “The problem, well, Fluttershy, comes when I know things. I know you didn't, um, particularly enjoy what I said, and I am truly sorry. But weren't you going to, well, say something?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. I, uh, guess I was.” She frowned in thought. “Oh, right. Um, well, since you want me to be, um, honest, you are, kind of, making it worse.”

I couldn't help it. We'd gotten too far off track for me to keep up with our original lines, so I'd forgotten why we started talking about honesty. But being reminded of it, of how I'd done something dumb to make someone else feel better... I couldn't help it. I guffawed, right there in front of a teary eyed Fluttershy. I started rolling around on the ground, which hurt my wings a bit, but I didn't mind much. You don't mind taking pain for those you love, do you, Will? 'Can it, Bill.'

But it wasn't totally fruitless. Seeing me laugh at the awkwardness of the situation, and seeing how carefree I was, ready to laugh or make bad jokes to comfort someone in need, Fluttershy couldn't help but burst out either. She started rolling on the ground, and to be honest I think we must have looked like a couple of fools. Hey, hey, I think you can “fool” around when- 'I said shut up!'

Well, if I thought our previous predicament was awkward, what happened next took the cake. Eyes closed, tears slipping past the lids, something really embarrassing happened. We bumped into each other. I opened my eyes, and I saw hers were open as well. We both blushed slightly, me feeling the heat flow into my cheeks. Seeing her blush, and being face to face and so close together... just made my cheeks flare up more.

Thinking quickly, I quickly scrambled away to somewhere less uncomfortable. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fluttershy do the same thing. I rapidly did a three hundred sixty degree turn to check for any onlookers. Every thirty degrees or so I snapped back to double check. Satisfied that I could see no one was watching, I turned back to Fluttershy, both of our inflamed cheeks still bright red.

I cleared my throat several times, saying, “Uh. Um. Yeah. Er, sorry... about... that...” You both like each other, if red is the colour of love. Go on, say it! Shout it to the world! Ignoring Bill, I shook my hair down to cover my eyes. With my last clear vision, I saw that she'd done the same. Come on, you two are even doing the same things! At the same time, no less! Tell her! I didn't know what had gotten into Bill, nor did I want to know. I guess thinking of Fluttershy this much overrode his own actionable will.

I didn't hear what Fluttershy said in response. She spoke in a series of unintelligible squeaks and eeps. It sounded like that time I tried playing the clarinet. I always was a trumpeter. “I-I-I'm sorry? Fluttershy? I didn't quite... catch that bit...”

She raised her voice ever so slightly and, I hope at least, repeated what she said. All I heard was something like “amporyimabeooucuterble.”

I shook my head. “I'm terribly sorry, Fluttershy, but I'm just not getting it.”

“I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable...” She said in her whisper of a voice.

I sighed. “It isn't your fault though. I should have been more careful.”

She looked at me as if she were about to say something, but apparently thought better of it. How are you gonna make it up to her, Will? 'I don't...' I was about to reply to Bill, but my eye caught the transmitter still in my right hand. 'I'll give her a present.' Good choice, but what'll she think of it? Is it too sudden? Think it through first. And I did.

On the one hand, we were trying to stay out of a relationship. That much was apparent. Awkward moments unsettled us. Neither of us were frontal characters. Something as sudden as a gift would probably be taken poorly. But on the other hand, it was blatantly obvious there was something between us. You think? A gift might be seen as something that starts it all. My problem was I didn't know whether to risk it.

This whole thing is a risk, Will. Might as well give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that she says no, right? 'But coming from her, it might have a worse effect.' How so? What makes her different than the other broads you've met over the years? 'She's different because she isn't some hooker looking to make a quick buck. She's something special.' So you see in her someone to spend your never ending life with? 'Yes.' Then you'll have eternity to patch things up. If she says no, give it time. At the risk of sounding clichéd, distance yourself. If you still like her this way after a while, you'll know she's the one. 'You seem to know a lot about what might happen if she says no.' The problem is that you won't take the chance. For all you know, she'd accept a gift. If she does, hooray. If she doesn't... well, we can't cross that bridge if you won't go through the woods. Bill had a point. I always do. I mentally sighed.

“Fluttershy... I... have, something for you.” I said hesitatingly, sickeningly nervous. Calm down, Will. Puking won't make this go any better.

“Like... like a present? Oh, no, I can't accept one. I don't deserve one. I made you uncomfortable!” She protested. Inwardly, I felt the barriers around a certain part of my mind weaken. I did NOT want that part loose. It'd end badly for me.

That wasn't a no, Will. That's normal. Press her a bit. “You know that wasn't your fault. If it was anyone's, it was mine. I want to apologize, Fluttershy. I want to say sorry, and I can't give you anything else other than this. Please, take it.” I stopped, but I added, “For me?”

She looked away then. I hung my head. 'Now I've blown it, Bill. I've ruined it.' Wait for it. Wait for it... there! Look! I looked up to see what had grabbed his attention. I took a step back. Fluttershy was hovering in front of me. “Fluttershy? What are you-” But I didn't get any farther. She put her hoof over my lips.

“Shh.” She said. “You don't have to say anything. I know how much this means to you. Could you show me what you wanted to give me?” And she smiled. Maybe it was what happened earlier, but her smile seemed to be much more beautiful than it was before. Her eyes were a warmer teal, and how that was possible, I didn't wonder about it. I knew my own eyes changed colours every now and then.

My mouth opened and shut, but no sound came forth. I brought up my right hand, still holding the transmitter even after all that had happened. “H-here.” It was all I could manage. I placed it on her outstretched hoof.

“What is it?” She asked, looking at it closely.

“It's a two-way transmitter. What it does is it lets someone else who has one talk to this one. Put it in your ear, let me show you.” She did as I told her while I fished out my other one. I put it in my ear as well. I pressed a small button on it. “Hello, Fluttershy, can you hear me?”

“Oh my gosh!” She said, evidently surprised but still in her whispery voice. “I can hear your voice coming from it!”

I gave one of my crooked smiles. “That's its job.” She looked at me and gave me a grin. “Well, go ahead, try it out.”

“Um, but I don't know how...” She said, the grin gone.

I shook my head. “Here, I'll show you.” I stepped closer to her to find the earpiece. I gently grabbed a hoof and brought it up to the button. “There's a button, right here. Do you feel it?” I leaned my head to look at her. She nodded. “Press it.” She did. I stepped back, saying, “Say something.”

“Um... hello, my name is Fluttershy.” She whispered, but it registered clearly through the radio.

I clapped. “Very good!” It was getting dark. I looked at my watch. It read half past seven. “Oh my, so late already? It feels that just five minutes ago we were mourning. Huh. Time flies when you're having fun, eh Fluttershy?” I looked back at her and gave her another crooked smile. She grinned back.

“Yes, it does.” She said. “So... I can keep it?”

“Sure. Don't lose it, though. My gift to you. I'll come up with a story later.”

“Story?”

“Well, I'm supposed to keep both of these. But, I'll say I lost it in a fight or something. It's nothing. I can't really be punished anyways.”

“Oh, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble because of me.” She began taking it out of her ear. “Here, take it back.”

I feigned a pained expression. “I'm hurt, Fluttershy. I give you a gift, knowing the chance I was taking, and you decline.” She looked very sad, and instantly I regretted pulling the act. “I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean it. I'm touched, actually, that you'd be ready to help me out. But no, keep it. I'm not one to accept returned gifts.” Assert yourself! Show her who's boss! 'No. If I'm going to make this work, I'm going to be on equal footing. Now, patch up that wall. I don't want to slip into there.' Sigh. On it, chief.

“Will?” Fluttershy's question broke through my thoughts.

“Yeah, Fluttershy?”

“Do you have a place to stay?” Oh, getting it on quick, are we now, Will? 'Shut up, Bill. You don't know that.'

“I have a tent I've been sleeping in. It's actually quite cozy. Well, it's better than sleeping on tree roots.” I said with a chuckle.

“Oh, well. Um, I was wondering because, um, I could offer you somewhere to sleep, if, um, only for the night.” She scuffed a hoof on the ground.

What did I tell you, chief? “That's okay, Fluttershy. I wouldn't want to impose.”

“Oh, no, it's okay! There's plenty of room, if you don't mind the animals. They're friendly, but if they aren't fed-” And she broke off. “Oh no! I haven't fed them today! Will, can you come help me feed them? There are a lot, and I can't do it by myself before it gets dark. Please?” And she widened her eyes, looking very much at me with puppy dog eyes. They glinted once. That's what broke my stance.

I sighed. “Fine. And I guess that since I'd already be there you'd want me to stay?” I asked with a small grin.

She looked at me sheepishly, her puppy act having done its job. “Well, maybe, if that's okay with you.”

I shook my head, saying, “You got me good, there, Fluttershy. Alright. But only for tonight. We'll see what happens later.”

She rushed up to me and wrapped her front legs around my upper arms, pinning them to my sides. This caught me off guard, which seemed to be happening a lot around Fluttershy lately. “Oh thank you so much, Will!”

I stood there, at a loss for words. With some help from Bill, I'd managed to form a few words. “Uh, no problem, Fluttershy.”

We both took to the skies and headed north towards her cottage. The sunset from high up looked absolutely wonderful. I noticed Fluttershy edge a bit my way. I passed it off as an effect of the day's events and the simple beauty of nature. It was a perfectly reasonable reaction in my eyes. You know she's doing it because she likes you, why do you try to hide it? 'Because I can.' What are you, four? Grow up, Will. 'Have you finished making sure that wall is structurally sound?' I actually heard Bill sigh this time, instead of saying the word. Just about finished.

In about fifteen minutes, and looking at my watch confirmed it, Fluttershy's cottage became visible in what little light there was left in this part of Equestria. It was a small yellow structure, with what appeared to be an animal pen next to a garden filled with vegetables, grown and growing. In the pen I saw what could have been a chicken coop, but there were definitely several birdhouses. Some were on the ground, but that was supposedly because I could see no more space for perches. I imagined there'd be more inside.

We landed outside the front door, by the road. We began walking towards the door when a chivalrous part of me took over. I quickened my pace to arrive at the door before Fluttershy. I opened the door and held it open for her, saying, “After you, miss.”

She giggled, placing a hoof to her mouth to keep herself from bursting into outright laughter. “Thank you, sir.” She responded. She walked inside, acting as if she were a noblewoman.

We must have ridden in a time machine. We seem to be in the “old times,” as I remember you putting it once. I think it was for a school paper, but I can't remember the grade you got for it... what was it? Oh yes, a C. And that was because the teacher liked your details. 'Go away, Bill.' No can do, chief. I'm a little stuck here in this trash can you call a head. 'I run a tight ship, Bill. My head is not a mess.' Believe what you want, Will. I say it's a dump. And we know I'm the more credible of the two here. 'Keep your thoughts to yourself for tonight, okay? I don't want to hear from you for a while.' I'm hurt, Will. But he stayed silent for the rest of the night.

“Uh, Will? Are you coming?” Fluttershy asked just as I finished with Bill. I hadn't realized I'd stood outside for so long until I looked at my watch, which told me I'd been outside in the cool night air for five minutes.

“Uh, yeah, Fluttershy. Sorry, just thinking is all.” I walked inside after her. “So, where are the animals?” I asked. I saw several birdhouses, as I'd predicted, but there also a few other wooden structures that looked like doghouses. Before Fluttershy could answer, a small white rabbit came out from the house nearest the door and walked up to me. There was a scowl on its face, which surprised me. It folded its arms across its chest as if in impatience, which freaked me out. This rabbit was using expressions I thought only usable to humans and ponies.

“Oh, hi there, Angel. Will, meet my friend Angel. Angel, meet my friend Will.” Fluttershy introduced. The rabbit... Angel, stuck his tongue out at Fluttershy when she said to meet me, and then he looked at me with what seemed to be impatience. He tapped his foot on the ground.

“Uh, hey there, friend. Wanna, see a bit of magic?” I asked, hoping to get by with showmanship.

It grunted in response, then sat down. Doing a quick bit of detective work, I spotted a pile of carrots by the door to his house. I began my trick.

To set up a distraction, I wiggled the fingers of my left hand and rose it above Angel's head, as if sprinkling something onto him. He looked nonplussed. While this was going on, I snatched out with my right hand and grabbed a carrot of the top of the stack. I slipped into my sleeve. I stopped moving my left hand and brought the two of them together. Interlocking my fingers, I proceeded to pop the bones outward, as one would do when doing chest compressions in CPR. Interlocking my fingers again, but this time facing me, I placed my hands close to my chest. Using the index finger and thumb of my left hand, I discreetly withdrew the carrot. With a bit of showmanship, I flashed it out as you see magicians do with flowers, and handed it to Angel.

His eyes opened wide, and he snatched up the carrot and ran inside. If he noticed that one was missing from the pile, he didn't acknowledge it. Fluttershy looked at me in awe. “I didn't know you could do magic, Will. I thought only the princesses and unicorns could do that.”

I grinned sheepishly at her. “I can't.” I lowered my voice, paranoid that Angel might overhear. “Look over at the pile of carrots.”

When she did, she gasped, then looked back at me, a mischievous smile on her face. “I didn't even see that go. You're very good at being stealthy.”

I playfully swiped at her shoulder. “It was nothing.”

“Oh, well, I think it was great! And I think Angel liked it too. He doesn't normally like visitors, but...” She trailed off.

My first thought was that the relationship between the two was a little strained. Well, I thought, if you didn't have anyone real close to be with but animals, you might go a bit loopy. And obsessed. But something told me Fluttershy could hold her own with other people and ponies. She must not always have been what humans would think of as a crazy cat lady. I laughed to myself. I could imagine Fluttershy being one.

“Well, I'm glad I made a friend. I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of your guard bunny!” I joked.

“Oh, no, Angel isn't a guard bunny. He's just-” But I cut her off, shaking my head.

“It was a joke, Fluttershy.”

“I'm sorry...” She said sadly, hanging her head.

My only response was to look at her dumbly. I imagine it must be the same look I'd used the first time I'd met Rainbow Dash, because when she looked up to sneak a peek at me, she giggled. I looked downward towards the floor, a very confused look on my face. I didn't want to try to puzzle out everything that was happening to me. I was in way over my head.

That didn't stop me from asking a question, though. “Fluttershy, why do you say you're sorry all the time?”

She took in a small gasp. “Oh, I'm sorry-” I looked up when she suddenly stopped. She was shaking her head. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-” She stopped again, and I saw her eyes widen. “This is going very badly. Not very good at all.” She said sadly, hanging her head.

My brain was working overtime to try and form words I could say, but in the meantime I was quietly looking confusedly at Fluttershy. Eventually, I managed to come up with four words, my mind then moving on to what I'd say after them. “Fluttershy, look at me.” She looked up, but slightly to the left, as if she couldn't actually bring herself to look directly at me. Getting a headache, I said one word on my own, sparing my mind with having to do more work. “Please?”

She visibly hesitated. She gasped ever so slightly, but then turned to look at me. She wasn't looking at me eye to eye, but at least she was facing my direction. “Yes, Will?” She said softly. Her voice wavered.

Like a batch of baked goods gotten out just in time, my brain pressed words into my mouth, which I then voiced aloud. “Fluttershy, it's okay. I wasn't thinking when I asked you that question. Don't hurt yourself over it. In fact, I, uh, kind of think, well, that it's kind of... cute, when you do that.” To which I pressed my hands over my mouth, afraid I took this train a little too fast around the bend.

She looked at my face just then, and seeing my expression, ducked down, but I could see her face flushing red. I blurted out, “I've made you uncomfortable, haven't I? I'm so sorry, Fluttershy.”

She squeaked, which I was taking as a confirmation. Changing the subject, I said to her, “Well, uh, how about we, er, go feed those animals!” And I put on my best smiles, which of course looked like my signature smirks.

She nodded, saying, “Um, s-sure. Could you feed the ones outside? It's chilly tonight...” She handed me a key.

“Say no more.” I said, preventing her from saying more. If she wanted a bit of alone time, I'd give it to her. Hell, I'd talk a bit with Bill while I was out there. I walked towards the door to the animal pen. Looking back, I noticed Fluttershy foregoing the animals downstairs and heading straight upstairs. 'Maybe she's like a housekeeper, you work from the top floor down.'

I stepped outside into the cool but not chilly night air. I always loved the night. I stopped to gaze at the wonderfully starry night, remembering that here in Equestria the night was allegedly controlled by the Princess Luna. I chuckled at the choice of names. Celestia controlled the celestial body of the sun, while Luna controlled the lunar body of the moon and its regents, the stars.

Setting my mind back to my job, I noticed that a locked box was sitting next to every dwelling. With a bit of detective work, I deduced that it contained the food for the animals and that they were locked so no midnight snackers could pilfer a bit. I took out of my pocket the key Fluttershy gave me and inserted it into the first box, which was next to a pen holding several chickens. It fit.

In it I found a whole lot of corn. I nodded. 'Bill, this world isn't so much different than ours.' True. So, had a bit of falling out with Fluttershy, Will? I'm sorry. Bill sounded sincere. I am. I'm a part of you. I know you want this, and to see it spiral before it has even started... He trailed off. Well, Will, you have forever to patch it up. Don't worry. It'll be fixed. Somehow. At “somehow,” he sounded less confident.

I opened up the chicken coop, darted inside and closed the latch. If the chickens behaved like they do on human worlds, then they'd be rambunctious and try to escape. I had no idea how much they got to eat, so I pulled about enough corn to fit a quarter of my hand and plopped it down in front of them. As I gave them the corn, they looked up at me, and by god, just like Angel, they showed expressions. Their eyes showed blatant thanks. “Uh, you're welcome.” I said to each.

Quickly leaving the coop, I set the box down and latched it. I proceeded to do the same with every animal Fluttershy had in her pen. The number of animals surprised me. I knew her job was to take care of animals, but the sheer amount of them that needed such care dumbfounded me. 'So many...' I thought to Bill. Yeah. She must have seen some pretty bad things by the looks of some of these animals. Look at that falcon over there. I looked. Reddish bandage on its torso. Must've had a pretty bad gash. Fluttershy's got guts, pardon the terrible pun. I knew no harm was meant, so I said nothing.

I had just finished putting the last box away when I felt an urgent tugging at my pant leg. I turned. It was Angel. “What is it, pal?” I said. Then I noticed his expression.

His eyes were wide, almost panic-stricken. He pointed to the house four times. Then he made a motion with his two paws. My own eyes went wide, and my heart began beating so fast I felt like I'd die right there. WILL! GO! GET IN THERE! HELP! I ran inside as quickly as I could, and, taking the stairs three at a time, ascended them.

Angel had made the motion of slitting his wrists.

Of Night Skies and Secrets

As my right foot hit the landing, I pushed off with it again, leaping towards the yellow lump on the ground. In the darkness of the room, I saw a dark pool of liquid near the middle of the body. There was no doubt in my mind about what it was. Don't mover her yet, Will. We don't know where she's hurt. I acknowledged his thought with a nod, and carefully but with great speed stepped around Fluttershy's still form.

I felt a sense of relief when I discovered that the wound was in her leg, not in her abdomen. But it went away quickly when I pieced together the sight before me. The cut in her hoof wasn't very large, but in contrast the pool of blood surrounding it was. That's a severed artery, Will! Pressurize it! I looked around in panic, but found nothing but the blanket on the bed. It'll have to do, Will! Grab it!

I grabbed, and folding it, I wrapped it around Fluttershy's hoof. It wasn't as thick as I wished it was, but it was all I had. I heard a gasp from behind, signaling Angel's presence. I turned to him without taking my hands of the blanket. “Angel! Do you know where there might be any towels? Thick ones! Hell, get me anything thicker than this sheet! Now, please!”

The bunny nodded vigorously. As he ran off, I heard the first sound from Fluttershy since I'd left to feed the animals. She groaned, and as I looked at her, her eyes slowly fluttered open. I could barely contain my joy. “Oh, thank the gods! You're alive, Fluttershy! I've never been happier to see your eyes!”

“What?” She said groggily. “My arm hurts a lot. Why would it hurt?” My happiness plummeted. She was delirious. Then she spotted the knife by her good hoof, a knife I hadn't seen. “Oh no!” She screamed. “What have I done?!”

Calm her down, Will. She's going into shock. Her breathing quickened. Now, Will! Before she hyperventilates as well! “Fluttershy, calm down. You're okay. I've got you. You're okay. Don't worry, you're safe now. I've got you...” I just repeated the same words over and over, in as soothing a manner as I could manage. Eventually she stopped trembling, which I hadn't noticed beginning. Her breathing slowed a bit, and while it wasn't as slow as I'd like, it was better than before.

After a couple of minutes of this, Angel returned carrying a big plushy towel in his too-small arms. He ran as fast as his floppy feet would allow while carrying such a big load, and stuck out the towel to me. Keeping one hand on the blanket, I accepted the towel. It even felt thick, which is what Fluttershy desperately needed. Without bothering to remove the blanket, as I'd reasoned that an extra layer would be beneficial, I wrapped the towel around her hoof.

Seeing Angel for the first time since she passed out, Fluttershy said to him, “I'm so, so sorry Angel. I don't what got into me. I felt so... sad, sadder than ever. I'm sorry, I just wanted to... run away...” She was crying now.

Angel padded over to her to lay a paw on her good shoulder comfortingly. Attempting to make a joke, I said to Fluttershy, “Hey, do you think you could cry over the towel to keep it clean?” Then I moved my face straight in front of hers so she see the weak smile I'd put on. In response she flashed me an even weaker smile, but actually did put her head over her covered arm. “Fluttershy, you don't need to do that. It won't hurt, but all it does is strain your neck. You need to save your strength.”

She looked slightly taken aback by this, but did as I asked. I turned to look at Angel, who still had a paw on Fluttershy's arm. “Angel?” He looked at me with panicky eyes that still managed to display a lot of sadness as well. “Could you fetch the fastest flier Fluttershy has under her care? I need something.”

Original expression gone, it was replaced by a look of steeled determination. Angel snapped a bunny salute, and rand back down the stairs for the third time this night. I looked back at Fluttershy. “How're you feeling? Be honest.” I asked her.

She was quiet for a few seconds. “I don't know why. I felt so bad about myself when you asked me why I apologize so much. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable...”

“Fluttershy.” I say, to grab her attention. It didn't work.

“I don't know what came over me. I knew I couldn't stop saying sorry. I thought the only way to do what you wanted was to...” She sobbed. “Was to... hurt myself...”

“Fluttershy.” I tried again, but like before, it didn't work.

“I don't know why! I felt the only way to stop making you uncomfortable was to hurt myself! Hurt myself so bad I could never do anything wrong again!”

“FLUTTERSHY!” I yelled.

She looked at me, startled out of her self loathing.

“GET A GRIP, GIRL!” I barked in a commanding tone, the militant in me pervading. “YOU WILL STOP THIS NONSENSE RIGHT NOW, OR I WILL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT!” I ended up sounding not like a commanding person, but a threatening one. Fluttershy could only whimper and cry out in response, and at that very moment I regained my calm. I feared I'd made it worse.

I started over, carefully making sure it would sound apologetic and gentle. “Fluttershy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I just lost it. I couldn't take it, seeing you beat yourself up. I just wanted you to stop feeling bad about yourself. Please, please, please forgive me. I truly didn't mean what I said... please, I'm... sorry... sorry... sorry...”

Fluttershy didn't respond except with more cries and sobs. WILL! THE WALLS ARE FALLING! DAMMIT, THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS! Composing myself as best I could, I tried speaking again. I managed a few sad croaks. Taking a couple of breaths, I tried again. “Fluttershy, I'm going to get you to a hospital. They'll fix you up. After that, we can go get some ice cream. That sound good to you? Then we can meet the rest of the animals, and then we can go eat out, then we can...” I said more, but what else I don't remember. I was babbling.

I do remember after I finished my incoherent rambling that Fluttershy nodded and began to quiet down. I must've said something calming, but as I was babbling, the exact words escaped my memory.

Just then, Angel returned with a hawk. I heard the flapping of its wings before I saw them, and this time I saw them flying up the stairs, Angel figuratively and the hawk literally. “Thanks Angel.” I called out. Turning my attention to the hawk, I asked it, “And you're the fastest?” It nodded. “Good. I need you to fly as fast as you can to the hospital in Ponyville. I need an ambulance here, understand?” It nodded again. “Great, now go, fly like the wind, I'll get you a treat when you get back with the ambulance.” It took off, creating a small gust of wind inside Fluttershy's bedroom. I looked back at Angel. “You did good, buddy.”

He looked smugly at me in response to my praise, but then saddened as he turned to look at Fluttershy. In an effort to comfort him, I said, “Don't worry, buddy. The hawk will be back. She'll be okay, Angel. Fluttershy will be okay.” In my mind I desperately hoped I was right. Severed arteries needed to be closed before the victim bled out.

Then I remembered something from Field Medicine training. “Angel, do you have a strip of cloth, about four or five feet long?” Angel nodded in the affirmative. “Get me one, please, as fast as you can.” He took off. Fluttershy looked at me questioningly.

“What are you doing, Will?” She asked in her whispery voice.

“Fluttershy,” I responded. “I'm planning on doing something that'll stop the bleeding, but it'll hurt a lot. I want your permission before doing it.”

She widened her eyes. “What do you want to do?” She asked, and I detected a hint of fear in her voice.

“I plan on tying a tourniquet. Do you know what that is?” She shook her head, which surprised me. I expected her to at least have heard of it, seeing as how she's taken care of so many animals. “A tourniquet is a bandage, but can be made out of strips of cloth or anything like that, that stops the flow of blood. They have to be tied very tight, so it can compress the vessels and arteries deep in the limb. Unfortunately, this is painful. It should only be used in dire circumstances, and because I can't see how deep you've cut yourself, I think this is dire.”

She nodded in understanding, her eyes betraying her fear. “Do it. I don't want to bleed out.”

I snarled, more to myself that to her. “Fluttershy, you are not going to bleed out. I'm going to make sure of that.”

She nodded once. She didn't look to sure, but there was nothing I could do to assure her. I couldn't even convince myself of this. Angel's back, Will. I turned to see Angel walking towards me, a scarf of thin cloth wrapped in his arms. I took it from him, thanked him, then brought my attention back to Fluttershy's still form. Will, you can do this. Just calm down. Steady, deep breaths. You're just tying a knot. A really tight knot.

I nodded. “Okay.” I said aloud. “I can do this.” Slipping the scarf underneath Fluttershy's leg, I started tying the knot. “I just want you to know, Fluttershy, that I'm sorry if I hurt you.” She nodded. Pulling the knot as tight as I could manage, I heard Fluttershy gasp in pain. “Angel,” I said to the bunny. “Get a stick or something for her to bite on. Please.” He snapped a salute, and I continued with the knot. I pulled a bit harder to make sure it was as tight as it was going to get, apologizing to Fluttershy in the process.

Angel returned with a dowel, and put it in Fluttershy's mouth. She clamped down onto it, hard, and grunts escaped between her clenched teeth as I tugged. Seeing I could tighten the knot no further, I began tying another knot to keep the scarf in place. The scarf was a long one, easily six or seven feet long. Using the long free end of the scarf, I tied a knot around Fluttershy's shoulder to keep the tourniquet in place. “Fluttershy,” I said. “Don't move your shoulder too much. I need the tourniquet to stay put. Understand?” She nodded.

I heard the wail of an ambulance siren in the distance. “Fluttershy, cab's almost here. We'll get you to the hospital real fast. You'll be okay. You're okay.” I said the last bit more to myself. Will, I'm doing repairs on the wall. Keep up the happy thoughts. Oh, and well. I guess, uh... good job. 'Thanks, Bill.' I mean it, Will. You did good. I was astounded. Bill was congratulating me for saving a life. He wasn't making a snide remark, maybe something to do with only doing it for Fluttershy or something. Bill had changed over the years.

With nothing to do, I pulled out my mission log to check how much time I had before I was due back to the company. Turning it on, it attracted Fluttershy's attention with the sudden light in the darkness of the room. She looked at it, and asked, “What is that, Will?”

I looked up from it, noting that I had only a little over a day left. “It's my mission log.” I told her. “It's what the army uses to tell people what to do.” I moved to sit next to her, holding the log so both of us would be able to easily see. “See, in the middle it says what I'm supposed to do. 'Scout surrounding area, identify threats, establish contact with locals.' That's my mission. Do you see the numbers at the top?”

“Yes. They're counting backwards. Why?” She said.

“They're counting backwards because it's telling me how much time I have left to finish. So, if you look at it, I have twenty six hours and nineteen minutes left to finish the mission.”

“You have more than a day?” She asked.

I nodded. “Yes."

“Then, why didn't you want to stay with me tonight?”

If she could see me, she'd see that I'd blanched. If I said the wrong thing, she could go into a suicidal spiral again. Choosing my words carefully, I said, “Because I need to make contact with the locals. That's you ponies.”

“But you've already met Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and me. Who else do you need to meet?”

“Sorry, it doesn't explain. By 'make contact with the locals,' it means to go to the nearest town or village and talk to the headmaster or mayor.”

The siren was getting loud now. It was close. “Okay, Fluttershy. I'm going to move you. Could you hold your injured leg above you? Yes, like that. Thank you. That should limit blood flow to your hoof. Could you flap your wings to keep your back legs from dragging on the ground? Thank you.” I had my arms underneath her front legs, about where the underarms were on humans.

I heard the sirens grow very loud, and soon after also heard a screeching sound. The ambulance had arrived. The door flew open, though not unkindly and not so as to do any damage. “Keep her hoof above her heart! It's keeping the blood from flowing!” I called out to the paramedical ponies. Unicorns again, they grabbed hold of Fluttershy and floated her to the rear of the van.

“Fluttershy!” I said.

“Yes, Will?” She replied drowsily. The blood loss was catching up to her.

“I need to get my things from my campsite. When I've got it all, I'm coming after you, okay?”

“Okay, Will. I'd like that.” She said, though it was more of a mumble. She was going under.

Turning to the two unicorns, I told them, “Keep her safe, got it?”

They looked at me as if I were crazy, but nodded. They climbed into the van after Fluttershy and closed the doors. Fishtailing into a one hundred eighty degree turn, the ambulance sped off towards Ponyville. I stood looking after it for several moments. Sighing, I turned to fly to my camp, but felt another tugging at my pant leg. Glancing down, I saw it was Angel. He pointed towards the direction of the ambulance.

“Are they going to the hospital?” I asked. He nodded. “Yes, Angel. They're taking Fluttershy as fast as they can. She's in good hands, she's going to be okay.” I said, doubtfully. I returned my gaze towards the direction of Ponyville. “I hope.” I added softly. I knelt down beside Angel and began scratching behind the ears. He leaned into my hand as if he were a dog or cat.

Getting up, I said, “See you later, Angel.” I saluted him. He returned it. “I' going to get my things, Angel. I'm going to go spend the night at the hospital, make sure Fluttershy's okay. Alright?” He nodded, pleasure evident in his face. He was glad I was going to keep his “owner” safe. I took off towards my campsite, not bothering with the drama of putting on a show for Angel. I just sped off.

During the flight, Bill spoke to me. Calm down, Will. I just now noticed I was shaking. And it wasn't because it was cold, because it wasn't. Staying tense will cause you to make mistakes. Unwind. Break out that bottle you have in your pack, you deserve a bit of medicinal bourbon after what's happened tonight. I wasn't much of a drinker, but I had to admit he was right.

In the last vestiges of light provided by the sliver of sunlight on the horizon, I found my camp. The tent was a dull green. To the casual observer, it wouldn't appear as anything special. But one who knew what he was looking for could spot it easily. Every thing I'd brought on this recon mission was inside; I didn't want to risk anything from being stolen.

Unzipping the tent, I pulled out my pack, which also served as my pillow. The middle pocket contained the bourbon. It was sandwiched between layers of clothes to reduce the chance of it breaking. I took a long drink. I must've gulped down a bit, because after I put it away I was swaying even as I knelt on the ground.

I folded the supports for the tent, then folded the tent, the support sticks laying in the middle to be contained within the tent itself. I orderly shoved it into my pack, and making sure I was leaving nothing behind, I beat my wings and rose into the air. Looking around for the lights that signaled the location of Ponyville, for I wasn't sober enough to remember which direction it was, I flew off, my back towards the millimeter thick line that was the last moment of day.

I don't remember much of the short flight, only that I had bobbed drunkenly, which was to be expected, and that Bill had told me a few things. He'd probably remind me later. I do remember landing in the center of town, and I would have fallen had purple unicorn with a dark, navy blue mane with a little purple and pink highlights magicked me upright. She looked me up and down.

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “You look like one of those humans sent to help us fight off these monsters. But you have wings, none of the others do. Who are you?”

Intentionally or not, I ignored her question and asked my own. “Which way to the hospital?”

She furrowed both eyebrows, as if debating on answering my question. After I'd swayed again, and my eyes lost focus, she magicked me still again and told me. “Go down four buildings, turn right onto the street. It'll be the second on your left.”

I nodded, and took off running in the direction the unicorn told me. She continued to stare after me, a quizzical look on her face. “Twilight, whoever he was, he's crazy.” She muttered under her breath.

I managed not to fall on the way to the hospital. I walked in through the front doors, unsure if there was an emergency entrance. I walked up to a yellow earth pony sitting behind a desk, looking over some papers. “Hello,” I ventured. “I need to visit somepony.”

She looked up from her notes. “Is this pony expecting you? What's your name and who do you want to visit?”

I nodded. This was a normal question. “My name is Will. The pony's name is Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. She should be expecting me.”

Moving aside the papers she was looking at, and I noticed she placed them underneath some folders, she pulled out another folder labeled “Patient List.” I spoke up. “It would be filed under emergencies if a pony came in in ambulance, right?”

She looked up from the folder, as she turned to the “F” section. “Yes, sir. Did she come in riding an ambulance?”

I nodded. “She did. I watched her being loaded on.”

She looked at me as if I were one of the dumbest people she'd ever met. I probably was. In this drunken state, I didn't remember or think to tell her first that Fluttershy had ridden here in an ambulance. She put away the folder she was currently looking at and pulled out yet another, labeled “Emergency.” She flipped to “F.” Placing her hoof on the paper, she scrolled down. “Ah, yes. Fluttershy. Admitted not ten minutes ago. Are you sure she's expecting you?”

I sighed. “Yes, I'm sure. I told her I'd get my equipment before I could stay with her.”

“Very well. She's in room 39a.”

“Thank you, ma'am. Have a good night.”

As I walked away, I heard the receptionist say under her breath, “The man is crazy. Very polite, though. I wonder how good he is.” I shuddered, and continued walking. With a little help from the nurses that were roaming the halls, I found 39a. I knocked on the door to be polite, then let myself in. “Fluttershy?” I called out in a stage whisper.

I was ecstatic when I heard an answering, “Yes? Will, is that you?”

I slowly walked in, closing the door gently to make little noise. “Yes, Fluttershy. It's me. I'm here, like I told you I would.” I smiled. “How're you feeling?”

“I feel a little light-headed, and my leg still throbs a bit, but other than that, I'm okay.”

Concerned, I asked, “When your leg throbs, does it hurt?”

She answered, “Yes, a lot. But it doesn't happen often. The doctors didn't say anything.”

I frowned. I stepped closer to her, and peered closely at her hoof. The new bandage the doctors put on her were soaked. I was about to say something, but a nurse walked in. She was a pink earth pony with a red cross as her cutie mark, which is what those tattoos were called, I remembered. I instead asked the nurse a question. “Excuse me, nurse...” I trailed off, not wanting to be impolite.

“Redheart.” She filled in tersely.

“Nurse Redheart. Sorry. Have you any news as to how her hoof is?”

“It's healing well. When I'm finished here, step outside with me.” She said in a dismissive tone. She began checking the bandage. She asked Fluttershy to look away, and she removed the gauze. My eyes met with a horrendous sight. The hoof was swollen, with several red lines indicating stretching and tearing. It was as if the doctors had let her hoof go untreated.

Nurse Redheart wrapped a new bandage on and I followed her outside. “Listen here, mister. She's severed two arteries. She'd barely managed to avoid the bones. All we can do is wait for the next shipment of sleep drug, which is soon.”

“No, no, no no no no. You have to do something!” I felt my temper flaring. Will, stay calm. Calm. Will! “You can't just sit back! You have to have some unicorns here! They can fix it!” Will, stop speaking through the alcohol! Get someone who can help! That purple mare you bumped into a while ago, that unicorn! I think I remember something about her being very good at magic. She might be able to help! Getting thrown out of the hospital won't help Fluttershy! Or yourself, for that matter.

I paid no attention to Bill at the moment. “You can't just sit there! You're nurses and doctors, for Christ's sake! YOU CAN FIX IT!” I shouted. WILL! A-TEN-HUT! I snapped to attention out of instinct. I noticed a wary look on Redheart's face. STAND DOWN, SOLDIER! GET A GRIP! YOU WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE NURSE, AND YOU WILL MARCH OUT OF THIS BUILDING AND LOOK FOR THAT UNICORN! DO YOU GET ME, DIRTBAG?! 'Yes, sir!' SOUND OFF LIKE YOU'VE GOT A PAIR BETWEEN THOSE LEGS! 'SIR, YES SIR!' NOW MOVE IT, SOLDIER!

Breaking out of my trance, I shrunk down. “I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to yell or insult you. I'm just worried sick. And with what you've told me...” I trailed off in sadness.

Seeming to accept the apology, Redheart said, “It's okay, mister. It's a perfectly understandable reason, and I'd be angrier if you didn't react that way judging by how much you care for her. Which... brings me to ask, why do you care so much for Fluttershy? You aren't related, that much is obvious. I mean, if you don't mind my asking.”

I didn't say anything for several moments, wondering whether or not to admit what I've been trying to deny this whole time. Will. Bill had calmed down. Say it. What could it hurt now? He had a point. “Nurse Redheart, unless you have my permission, which I'm not giving to you at this time, don't tell anyone else what I'm about to say. I have my suspicions that Fluttershy knows already, but I'm not sure.” Oh god, you liar. “I... I... well, I, uh... I, kind of... like... Fluttershy.”

Redheart looked at me blankly for a moment, as if not registering my words. Then it clicked. “What? That's it? Everyone likes Fluttershy, mister. Well, aside from some vets here in Ponyville, but aside from that everyone does. Why is that strange?”

“Well, ma'am, it's not like that... I... like Fluttershy. As in... er...” Say it like the man you're supposed to be! “As in...” And the last word came out barely above a whisper. “Love.”

Her eyes flew wide open. “You love Fluttershy?!” She asked loudly.

I made a shushing motion with my hands. “Quiet down, please!” I said. “Please, lower your voice.”

“You love Fluttershy?!” She repeated, but softer this time. “How can you love Fluttershy? You're a human! Admittedly, you have wings, but still! This is... this is...” She trailed off. I feared she was going to faint from shock.

“Strange? Unprecedented?” I offered. I was rewarded with a nod from Redheart. “Don't worry. As weird as it seems, I agree with you. I couldn't believe it. I'd fallen in love with a pegasus pony? But over time, as I spent more time with her, I began to warm to the idea. I saw that she was an intelligent pony, who had many things in common with me.”

Redheart looked at me incredulously. “Really? What things do you have in common?”

I gave a crooked smile. “I was told I hide behind my hair like Fluttershy hides behind her mane. I've also seen we like animals, though I realize she is a bit more... has a certain affinity with them.” I chuckled. “I've been trying to understand why this is true. I don't know why I have essentially a clone in the form of a pegasus pony. Then again, I'm sure Fluttershy must be thinking the same thing.”

Redheart shook her head. “Mister-”

“Will.” I cut in.

“Will... I know what I said earlier. I told you that there was nothing we could do to save Fluttershy. In part, I'm right. With two severed arteries, recovery is a slim chance, and a slimmer chance of a full recovery. But, for you, and I don't do these things often, I'll do my best to do what I can. I swear it, I'll try my best to save her... all I'm asking is that you don't count on it.” She sighed. “I'm sorry.”

I sighed as well. “It's all I ask. I'm still going to ask you if I can stay the night in there. I won't try anything, I'll keep my hands to myself, but I think that, with my limited psychological knowledge,” I'm hurt, Will! You have me to teach you these things! “It would be beneficial if Fluttershy had someone who was close to her by her side, even if only to hold her hand as she... as she...” I couldn't finish the sentence. I didn't want to say Fluttershy's name and the word “death” in the same sentence without the words “will never experience” in between them.

“I know what you're thinking, and I understand why you can't bring yourself to say it. I won't make you. And, of course, you can stay with her for the night. Nothing's going to stop you. I mean, even if someone said no to you, I doubt you'd listen anyway.” She smiled. Her smile was warm and kind. She winked. I took this as a compliment.

I had to laugh. “I guess you're right.” I shook my head. “I must ask you a question, and this only came to me recently. Would you allow a unicorn to come in and see what she could do?”

Redheart shook her head. “I've no problem with that. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind either.”

I smiled at her now. “Thank you.” I looked at my watch. “Oh, my. It's already midnight. I'll be retiring soon. May I get you anything?”

With a mischievous smile, she asked, “Is that a date?”

My smile faded and I looked on her in shock. Noticing my discomfort, she laughed. “I'm joking, Will! In answer to your question, no. I only want one thing from you, and that's your trust. I want you to trust that I'll do everything I can to help Fluttershy.”

I didn't even hesitate. “You have it, Nurse Redheart.”

She nodded and smiled. “Now go, your 'significant other' is waiting for you, Will.”

Bowing to her, I let myself back into Fluttershy's room. “Fluttershy?” I called in a whisper.

“Yes, Will?” She responded. I was both pleased and displeased that she'd remained awake. Pleased on one hand, because I wanted to talk to her until she was blue in the face. But I was also displeased because I wanted her to keep up her strength.

“Fluttershy, I'm torn.”

She looked at me sadly. “Why, Will?”

I wanted to smile, but I couldn't bring myself to. “I want to talk to you until we're old and tired. But I want you to save your strength. I'm opting with the latter; you're supposed to be recovering. You should be asleep.”

“Oh, okay, Will. Anything you want.” She complied, her voice already becoming sleepy. Soon after, she began breathing deeply in sleep. I noticed there was a window to the outside beside the bed.

I walked over to the window, and slid it open. I looked up into the night sky I was admiring only a few hours ago. Will. I want to apologize, for, uh, yelling at you. 'No, Bill. I needed some sense drilled into me. I should have remembered to keep my cool.' Yes, but simply calmly telling you might've worked as well. I've been doing that this entire mission. Why did I snap like that? I didn't have an answer.

I stared off into the night sky, at a loss for words to tell Bill. 'Beautiful night sky.' It is. 'Almost as beautiful as Fluttershy.' Bill was silent for a moment. ... Yes. 'I love her, Bill. I love her, and I can't tell her.' You'll find the courage to do so soon. You love her so much, it's a wonder I'm not telling her for you. I acknowledged that Bill was right.

I questioned myself. 'What do I do now?' Well, now, Will, you go to sleep. You need to rest. You haven't slept since the day of Mac's death. Get to sleep. That is an order. 'Yes, sir.' I closed the window with a sigh. I took out my blanket from my pack, both of which were a dull green. I sat down on the chair next to Fluttershy's bed. I looked at her sadly, wishing to god that she made a full recovery. I took in the reddening bandage on her hoof. It had only been less than twenty minutes, yet already the red bandage was darkening, already soaked with a first layer of blood.

I was surprised that Fluttershy could have so much blood in her, but I noticed that there were several blood bags laying on a counter, new, obviously for nurses to walk in and “feed” them to her. I looked back upon Fluttershy's beautiful face, and remembered what Nurse Redheart said to me: about how there was little that could be done. My eyes watered over. Now that I was alone, I didn't bother trying to hide it anymore. I'd had enough with hiding my feelings. I didn't care anymore.

I think I remained awake long enough to barely notice a nurse come in to change the bandage, but I was nearly asleep then. When sleep finally grabbed me, I was instantly thrust into dreams.

The first was one I hoped would never come true. I was standing in the hospital room, in front of the bed. Fluttershy's eyes were open wide, a very pained expression on her face. Blood was gushing from the wound in her arm; she was drenched from the stomach down. I cried out in emotional anguish.

I felt the shift of a new dream, but the same setting was in place. Only this time, Fluttershy looked at me, and spoke. “Will. Do you like me? I like me. I like how I look. Don't you?” Mind you, she was still the same blood-soaked pegasus from the previous dream. I thought this dream was horrifying. And understandable reaction, I'm sure.

Then along came another shift. The same details happened from the second dream. In my unconscious state, I realized the dreams were getting progressively worse. I remember the third dream coming shortly after the second, because in the third dream Fluttershy was just ending her speech about how she liked how she looked, blood-soaked and all. But this dream contained something I didn't want to let loose. There was a chance Fluttershy could be saved, this third one need not come round yet.

“Don't you?” Fluttershy finished. My dream self teared up, because the vision became very blurred. I felt my hand grip something cold and metallic. My fingers fit well into the contours of the handle. My grip tightened, and I felt a cold, metallic object press against my temple. The last thing I heard was a loud report, then everything went white.

I bolted upright from my leaned back position. Looking behind me, I saw the sun still had not risen. I looked at my watch. I'd only slept two and a half hours. Whether or not that was a good thing was debatable. Will, are you- Bill started before he was interrupted.

“Good morning, Will.” Fluttershy said drowsily.

My head snapped to her. “Fluttershy, you're okay!”

My words must have been stupid, for she answered, “Well, why wouldn't I be, silly?”

“I'm sorry. I just...” I trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

“You were having bad dreams. I heard you talking in your sleep. You screamed once, which made a nurse run in. She was worried sick. She was that nice Redheart pony. She saw you were sleeping and left you alone. I was scared. I didn't know what you were dreaming and I couldn't help.”

That threw me off. So, I apparently talk in my sleep, and when I dreamed of the scream... my scream... I must've screamed it aloud. Redheart bursts in, thinking the worst, but is met with an apologetic Fluttershy and a fitfully sleeping Will. She leaves, and Fluttershy is scared because I'd only scream like that in a bad dream and she didn't know how to help. Now that I'd summarized it, I could make sense of it.

“I'm sorry if I woke you up, Fluttershy. I was having a bad dream... three, actually, but now I'm awake and safe. And I'm with you. And you're awake. You're okay. That makes me so happy, I'd forget the nightmares if it weren't so soon after.”

“Oh, you didn't wake me up. I never went to sleep when you told me to. I wanted to see what you'd do.” I stared at her incredulously. “I saw you open the window and look at the sky. I heard you talk to yourself under your breath.” I stood shocked, afraid she'd found out my secret... and I wasn't talking about me loving her. “You said the night sky was beautiful, almost as beautiful as me. Then you said you loved me. You said, 'I love her. I love her and I can't tell her.”

“I'm sorry.” I said, afraid she was taking it badly.

“Sorry? Why?”

“I didn't mean to say that. I wasn't thinking.”

“Are you saying you don't love me?”

I stood there, silent. If I answered no, she'd probably get sadder and lose the will to live. If I said yes, I'd risk losing her friendship. Through my logic, I figured I could earn her friendship back someday. I couldn't exactly earn another Fluttershy. “... Yes.” I said, well aware Bill had said the same thing hours ago.

“Yes you do, or yes you don't?” She said, the hint of a smile on her face.

“Yes I do.” I said simply, breaking the news to her as simply as possible.

She looked ahead with a distant gaze, obviously thinking this over. She was quiet for a long time. Long enough for me to start dozing before she said anything again. “Thank you, Will. That's what I wanted to hear. Because there's something you should know.” I looked at her, eyes drooping from lack of sleep. I envied her energetic form; her eyes were open.

“I love you too.”

Then I plummeted back into sleep. And I dreamed good dreams.

Helping Hands

When I woke for the second time that morning, the sun was shining through the window. Groggily, I looked upon Fluttershy's now sleeping form. 'So she fell asleep too. Good, she needs her rest.' Yeah. Now, what's on the agenda for today, Will? I blinked to clear some of the sleep from my eyes. It didn't work. 'Don't ask me those questions before I've woken up. I can't think straight. And my head hurts.' Well, to be fair, you did drink last night. And there's a pot of coffee there on the counter. 'Thanks.' I didn't put it there. I sighed, and got up.

I walked slowly to the counter, almost tripping and banging my leg against Fluttershy's bed. There was a note by the pot. I picked it up to read it.

“Will,” it read.

“I brought you this pot of coffee. I know how much you humans rely on this stuff to be awake, and we just received some beans from your friends in the forest. Thanks, by the way, for what you brave men are doing. It means a lot, and we appreciate the help. Take this coffee as a token of my gratitude. Also, when Fluttershy wakes, give some to her if she wants. I hear coffee done right has caffeine, which I read was a stimulant that provided energy. She'll need it if you're bringing a unicorn in to operate. It'll take a lot of energy. Thank you, and you're welcome,

Nurse Redheart.”

I set the note back down on the counter, and went searching for a mug. Opening one of the cabinets above the counter, I found several mugs. I looked for some sugar, and as a secondary objective was looking for cream as well. I could drink black coffee, but I liked some cream in mine. Milk would do as well, so I ended up searching for that too. I found sugar, and in an ice box found some milk. I began to wonder why these things were there in the first place; it was as if it was made for coffee. I poured a bit, filling the cup about eighty percent; I filled the rest with milk and sugar. Stirring, I took down another mug in case Fluttershy wanted some.

I sat down in my chair-turned-bed, and placed the mug of hot coffee onto the nightstand. I must have spent ages, just staring at Fluttershy, thinking things over. 'She loves me too.' Was there ever any doubt, Will? 'Yes, there was.' Oh, right. Er, sorry. 'No no, it's alright. You didn't mean it.' Well, what will you do now? 'I think I'll wait to see if she wakes up soon. If she doesn't, say in the next twenty minutes, I'll leave a note and go look for that unicorn. If she does...' If she does? 'If she does, I'll offer her coffee. Whether she wants some or not, I'll tell her I have to go look for somepony.' Sounds like a plan.

I checked my watch after what seemed to be an hour. Only ten minutes had passed. Regardless, Fluttershy stirred and awoke. She wasn't facing me, but when she turned, I said to her, "Good morning, sleepyhead." And I gave her a very warm, crooked smile. She returned it.

"Good morning, Will. How did you sleep?" She asked, still not fully awake. Understandable, with a fissure in your hand.

"I slept well this time. I think you had a part in that." My smile held.

Unsurprisingly, hers did as well. "I'm glad to be of use, then." She sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

A little worried, I asked, "Does it smell bad?"

Her eyes widened a bit, and she said hastily, "Oh, no! It actually smells very good! Very, very good! What is it?"

Mentally breathing a sigh of relief, I told her. "It's coffee. It's a drink humans like that wakes them up and gives them energy."

"Could I try some?" She asked earnestly. Well, as earnest as one can be having only woken up quite literally a minute before.

"Sure." I got up and walked to the counter. "Now, I don't know what you like, so I'll just pour some on its own for now. You tell me if you want it sweeter or lighter."

"I understand sweeter, but lighter?" She wondered, confused.

"Well, to me, how dark my coffee is doesn't really affect how it tastes. For me, that is. It's purely cosmetic, really. Some people say it tastes better, but I'm not them; I can't agree."

"Oh." She said, and I guessed that she was accepting my answer even if she didn't fully understand it.

I poured a little bit into her mug, only about a large sip's worth, and brought it to her. She was about to grab it when I told her, "Be careful. It isn't piping hot, but it's not cool either."

She nodded, taking the mug gently in her good hoof. In a gesture of love, I kept one hand close by so that I could help her or catch the mug should she lose her grip. She took a very small, delicate sip from the cup, and shook her head. "It's very... bland... sorry."

"It's quite alright, love. Just needs a bit of sugar, then. Would you like some milk in it as well?" I asked, unaware of what I'd just said. I started pouring more coffee, about halfway filling.

"What... did you call me, Will?" She asked, eyes wide, but her lips were smiling. I almost dropped the coffee pot.

"What... uh... well, to be honest, I don't-" You called her "love." You said, "It's quite alright, love." 'Thanks, Bill.' Any time. "I called you... love, I guess."

"I know you did." Her smile grew wider. "I like it." Suddenly feeling self conscious, I started to shake my hair down, but Fluttershy stopped me. "No, don't do that. You might spill the coffee. And... I... like your eyes."

"Sorry," I apologized. I poured a bit of sugar in, about a spoonful. I walked back to Fluttershy while I stirred. I handed the cup back to her, and she took another experimental sip.

"Sorry, just a bit more, thank you."

"Again, it's alright. You don't have to say sorry, Fluttershy." I got up, and walked to the counter yet again. I didn't mind, though. I'd do just about anything for her. Anything, Will? 'Yes, anything.' So... if she asked you to, I don't know, lay down with her, you'd do it. I wasn't prepared for that question, and I almost dropped the pot a second time.

"Will! Are you okay?" Fluttershy called, worried.

"Yes... yes... I'm okay. I just... lost my grip is all." I poured my new special one a good cup of coffee and put in another spoonful of sugar. "Care for a bit of milk in your coffee, Fluttershy?" I asked, mostly to draw attention away from my mental mishap. Coward. Why won't you tell her about me? 'I don't know, maybe I want her to keep loving me? Honestly, since when have you seen schizophrenic-like people accepted widely by the general public?' Not even admitting to me that you've got mental problems just proves yourself a coward. 'Shut up, Bill. I've had enough of you for now.'

"That would be lovely, thank you, Will." I nodded, then brought the mug over to her. She took a sip from the now topped-off mug. She nodded and said, "Thank you, Will. It's very delicious."

I chuckled. "I'm glad you like it."

We sipped our coffee in silence, but a glance at my watch made me start. "I'm so sorry, Fluttershy. I have to go. I need to find the mayor, and another pony. I'm sorry to leave on such short notice."

"It's okay, Will. I don't mind. It's your job, you have to do it. I'll be okay until I can see you again." She said with a smile. "See you later, Will. I love you."

"I smiled back at her. "I love you too, Fluttershy. I love you too. Now, I must get going; the mayor will need this radio, and I must find that unicorn!"

Fluttershy looked at me confusedly. "What unicorn?"

Hastily, I replied. "Just a unicorn Fluttershy. A friend I made on the way here. I need her help with something."

"Help with what?" Fluttershy asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"Fluttershy, please, calm down. She won't take your place. My heart only has room for one pony, and that's you. I just need her help fixing something. I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise."

"Okay, Will. I believe you. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Fluttershy... wow, that was a long goodbye." I walked out of the room, leaving a half-worried, half-love-swept Fluttershy in her bed. I passed Nurse Redheart on the way out of the hospital. She waved a hoof at me in a gesture to follow her. I complied, heading into a storage closet. Her words she'd said to me last night still haunted me. "Is that a date?" I'll admit, meeting in a storage closet was kind of... unsettling for me. "Uh... Redheart..." I gulped. "What's this about?"

"Will, calm down. You look like some buxom pony just waved her exposed flank in your face!" She laughed, albeit softly. "No, I'm not here to steal you away from Fluttershy. But I need to talk to you about her."

Relief flooded over me. My cheeks became noticeably cooler, and my discomfort dwindled. But it was replaced with worry. In my experience, getting news in a closet during troubling times, and Fluttershy's severed arteries certainly counted as "troubling," was a bad thing, and only bad news could be heard. I prepared myself for the worst.

"For one thing, I asked around as nonchalantly as I could as to whether visitors could bring in outside sources for help. Good news, getting your unicorn here is a go."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't want to break into a hospital. Though, crashing through the window would have been cool... until glass shards ripped themselves into Fluttershy, in which case I'd pick one up and hold it up just above my collarbone- WILL! STOP THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT, NOW! I hastily complied. Letting go of my control wouldn't help Fluttershy at all.

"Secondly," Redheart said, completely oblivious to my mental storms. "The sleep drug, our next shipment, isn't scheduled to arrive until late this night. You have all day to do your best to save Fluttershy."

"That's such good news. If I, er, weren't... 'tied up' with Fluttershy, I'd kiss you. Of course, that'd probably make you uncomfortable, and then I'd have three frightened people to worry about... myself included."

Redheart smiled. "You're very... noble. I like that." Then she did something completely unexpected. At least, I didn't expect it. Bill did, though. And he was laughing his psychological ass around in my mind. Redheart leaned up, almost to the point of falling forward flat onto her face, and kissed me on the cheek. I just noticed how tall she actually was.

Will, she kisses you, and you admire how tall she is?! You have problems getting priorities straight. 'Whatever.' Redheart stood normally again. "Will... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

I shook my head. Whether I was clearing my head of Bill's presence or denying her apology, I didn't know. "As much as it makes me look like a bad... 'coltfriend,' I believe the term in Equestria is, I didn't mind. I've been on the receiving end of unintentional stuff this whole time. I've... kind of gotten used to it." Incredible! Will's said something I can agree with! 'I said shut up, Bill!' Okay, okay, sheesh. Don't get your knickers in a bunch.

"Oh... well... um... anyways," Redheart began, trying to bring the subject away from an uncontrollable moment of passion... I hoped it was passion. I don't like pity dates. "So, you're cleared for your unicorn, the shipment arrives late tonight. Oh! And one last thing, Will. While you're gone, I'll be by Fluttershy's side constantly. Aside from times I need to use the restroom. I'll be there to help her with anything she needs. You can count on me, Will." She said, with a determined look.

I nodded. I moved my hand to lay it on her shoulder. "I trust you, Redheart. Make sure she's okay when I get back. I'm afraid I may be gone for several hours, as I need to speak with the mayor first, but I will hurry back as soon as I can. I'll return with the unicorn, willingly or no."

"Will!" Redheart chastised, quite angrily. "I won't have you ponynap a unicorn so you can fulfill your needs!"

"Oh, no no no, nothing like that!" I tried to save myself. "I have a feeling this unicorn knows Fluttershy well, I simply need to convince her to come. If she doesn't believe me... well, I'd have to prove it, wouldn't I?" I asked with a mischievous grin.

Redheart smirked. "Oh, well, I wouldn't want somepony to ignore you. You have to have proof, and you have to show proof to be believed... alright, Will. You've got one thing going for you: You are a devil."

I gave Redheart a small hug. "Thank you, Redheart." I looked her in the eye. "I'll be back, I promise."

She nodded. "Now go! If we're found here, we'd be in big trouble!"

I stared at her blankly. "But you-"

She looked at me in mock anger. "I said GO!" She stage yelled.

I cringed either way, but did as she said. Checking to make sure nopony was around, I said to her, "Coast is clear." I began walking towards the exit. At least, I thought it was towards the exit. None of these halls had directional arrows.

"Will!" I heard Redheart call out. "Exit's this way!" I sheepishly turned to walk in the correct direction. As I passed by, I heard Redheart say, "Don't worry, Will. Trust me, I'll be with her for as long as it takes."

I stopped then, for a thought just came to my mind. "Why do you care that much for Fluttershy? I mean, I don't want to question you, and I am very grateful for your help, but I just don't understand. I mean, if it's alright with you."

She shook her head and chuckled. "You're perfect for Fluttershy. But... I care for her especially because... well, she's... let's just say that if we were humans, we'd have the same last names, and we're close in age." Good god, Will, she's almost as bad at admitting things as YOU are! But I ignored Bill for the moment. I was still processing what I'd been told. Meanwhile, Redheart continued on to Fluttershy's room, seeming to have forgotten all about me. But, if I could trust her, I knew she hadn't.

I managed to find the exit without much trouble. I nodded to the receptionist, who still hadn't been rotated out. She responded by batting her eyes at me. In response to that, I gulped and pulled at my shirt collar, suddenly feeling very hot and very uncomfortable. However, noticing the playful grin on the receptionist's face, I got over it quickly. I wanted nothing to do with her. At least, nothing more than I had to. I opened the doors to leave the building, putting my hand over my eyes to block out the burning glare of the sun.

And ran straight into Applejack.

I didn't recognize her at first, so I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, miss. Excuse me."

The sound of my voice, she realized who I was pretty quickly. "Will? What are ya doing here? Did ya get hurt?"

And, like her, her voice reminded me of who she was. "Applejack? What? Did I get hurt? Well... I guess you could say that. But... it wasn't a physical pain."

She frowned very slightly, sadness creeping into her expression. "Is... is it because of... mah brother?"

I shook my head. "No, it isn't. It's... it's... Fluttershy. She invited me to stay last night, and I said something awful..." Tears welled up in my eyes, and I felt like a pansy. "She cut her hoof... severed both arteries. I'm going to find help."

"Oh mah! That's terrible! Please, is there anythin' I can do fer ya, sugarcube?"

"Yes. Do you... do you know where I can find a purple unicorn? Dark blue mane with a pink and purple highlight?"

"Yeah, Ah do. She's Twilight Sparkle, one of mah best friends. She's also a good friend a Fluttershy's, she'll help. What do ya need 'er fer?"

"I need her to see if she can fix Fluttershy up... the doctors... they... they said they couldn't do anything... and I don't want her to die, Applejack. Call me selfish if you want, I want Fluttershy to live..." Then I broke down.

Applejack raised her hoof to lay it on my shoulder, and she could do that because I sank to my knees. Giving it a couple good rubs, she said, "Don't you worry, sugarcube. Twilight's the best unicorn Ah know, and Ah'm not jus' sayin' that. She lives in the library."

"Could you tell me where it is, please?" I asked, wiping the still flowing tears from my eyes.

"Sure thing. Library's down two buildings to the right. Make a left at the intersection, then four buildings down thataway. You can't miss it; it's a large tree practically in the center of the square."

I put my hand on her shoulder now, saying, "Thank you, Applejack. Thanks. A Nurse Redheart is with Fluttershy now. She said she do her best to stay with her for as long as I'm gone. Say hi to her for me."

"Will do, sugarcube. Don't worry, Redheart's one a the best nurses in Ponyville. Fluttershy's in good hands."

I nodded, then got up. Bill put a determined look on my face. Remember, Will. Mayor first. Give her the radio, tell her how it works, answer five questions, then skedaddle. 'Good plan, Bill. Thanks.' No problem, lover boy. I walked out of the hospital, then followed AJ's directions. AJ, huh? You know, aside from calling her "love" once or twice, you haven't given Fluttershy a nickname yet. "No time," I said, but realized I said it aloud. A few ponies walking by looked at me strangely, as if I were crazy. To be honest, Will, you probably are. 'Yeah, you have a point.'

I turned left at the intersection as I'd been told. I noticed that there was a shop on the corner, aptly named "Sugarcube Corner." It looked like it had been designed by a culinary artist. It looked like a giant gingerbread house: frosting, gumdrops, lollipops, candy canes and all. There was a pink earth pony standing in the doorway shouting things out like "Come to Sugarcube Corner" or "We have the best sweets and eats a pony could ever wish for." I made a mental note to take a peek inside at some point, but continued towards the town hall.

It was pretty easy to spot, the town hall. It looked like a human establishment, to be honest. Large, wide steps heading into a row of pillars. Looked like a human courthouse, in my opinion. Which, of course, made me wonder. 'How did these ponies build these things, and why do they look like human structures?' There were some theories floating around in the government, Will. Theories about how this was a human colony and that some mutation occurred and they all got transformed into ponies. Load of bull, that, but people are asking around as well. It makes me look bad, but I was worried about the thought of human researchers just flowing throughout Equestria, ruining infrastructure and everything else in search for an "answer."

Taking the steps three at a time, which wasn't hard seeing as how the steps were made for ponies, not humans, I reached the doors quickly. I opened the doors, and was immediately ushered inside. I was taken to a room off to the side, without even a chance to say anything, not even to the receptionist. I was plonked down into a chair, and I heard a lock click. A single lamp was on overhead, which I thought was pretty clichéd. A single, gruff voice spoke up. "What do you want?"

Be careful, Will. Play along for a bit. We don't know who these ponies are. 'Good advice I'd already taken, Bill.' Sorry. "I'm here from the Space Army. I'm here to speak to the mayor."

"No one sees the mayor unless we say so." There was evidence of hostility in his voice. Really, Will? I would never have guessed. 'I meant more than usual. As if he isn't really a guard for the mayor.' Hmm... yeah, now that you mention it, it doesn't seem right. Did you see the receptionist's face when she saw them taking you? It looked like she was afraid of them. 'Yeah... Okay, playing along is a bad idea. They didn't tie me up. They have too much faith in themselves. I can take them, right?' Probably, but don't get carried away. We don't know how good they are. They might've left you free because they simply are that good. Be careful. 'Will do.'

Thanks to Bill, I knew... just knew there was one behind me. Like lightning, I pushed off with my feet. The chair flew backwards, with me still in it, and slammed into one of the ponies. I heard a grunt of pain, then stood up. I jumped over the table and caught the other with a quick right hook. I backed off into a corner. Most would prefer open spaces, but I liked to be in a spot where no one could sneak up on me. The one I'd punched recovered first. He leaped at me. With practiced skill, I dove under him, bending my right leg at the knee, which caught the pony around the ribs with my sharp-heeled boot. I heard him lose his breath.

When I landed, I rolled. It was then I was surprised at how large the room was. I drew one of my knives, a "contraband" one from my ankle. I crossed my arms in front of my face, the knife facing away from me and "resting" on my left arm. I took up a fighter's stance. It was at this time, before the other could make a move, that the door flew open with enough force I was sure it ran the risk of flying off its hinges. I saw who was charging in. The ponies who ran in were wearing suits with visible bulges in the chest area. They were wearing padded armor.

"Sir," The lead one called to me. "I'm going to ask you to put the weapon down and come with us."

"And just where am I being taken?" I asked, anger rising in my voice.

"Sir, we're taking you to holding for attacking officers of the law."

"Really now," I said, sarcasm dripping from my mouth. "Then explain to me why you guys are so corrupt? Because honestly, I don't see holding a sergeant of the Space Army will help your case at all. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if-" And as I said that, I jumped forward, doing a somersault over the two new contenders. I sailed over both of them and landed outside in the main lobby. I slipped my knife into its sheath, glad I didn't have to use it. I ran over to the receptionist. "Mayor's office. Where is it?" A frightened look was on her face. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "Don't lie to me, ma'am. I'm from the Space Army. I was sent here to speak to the mayor."

She closed her mouth, then reopened it. "To the right, head up the stairs to the third floor. There will be a pony at a desk at the top of the landing. She'll give you better directions. I just work down here."

I nodded. "Thank you, ma'am." Then I ran in the direction she'd said. Will, this is weird. You were very hesitant to break into the hospital to save Fluttershy, but now you seem to be doing something similar to the town hall. Strange. I ignored Bill's comments for now, wanting to keep my focus on the task at hand. I reached the third floor landing quickly. I stepped up to the desk. "Which way to the mayor's office?" I asked in as calm a voice as I could manage.

"Who are you?" the pony, a colt, asked.

"Sergeant Will of the Space Army. I need to speak to the mayor."

"Whatever. Down the hall, make a right. Pass one intersection, then at the second hang a left and you'll find her office as the fifth door on the right."

"Thank you, sir." I took off. In a combat running gait, I followed the directions. I nearly ran into a pony pushing a cart of concessions at the first intersection, but I jumped over it like an Olympic hurdle. I nearly slid on the smooth floor as I went around the corner of the second intersection, but made the turn. Will, there are no guards. At first, I didn't comprehend his words. But then it hit me. 'Why aren't there any guards here? I don't think they were all downstairs.' Be on your toes. I found the mayor's office, then opened the door and closed it behind me. I leaned back on it, sighing heavily. When I opened my eyes, I saw the mayor. At least, I think it was the mayor. It was a beige pony, a mare, with a white mane. She appeared to be sleeping.

"Ma'am?" I asked.

She was sleeping. She raised her head from the desk she was sitting behind. "Yes? How may I help you? Wait... who are you and what do you want?"

I sighed. "Sergeant Will of the Space Army. I was sent here to speak with you. But if I may ask a question, first?"

"What?" She asked, slight annoyance betraying her calm demeanor.

"Why were those guards down there so ready to detain me? And why were they violent? I told them who I was and what I was here for, but they stopped me anyway."

The mayor widened her eyes. "Oh, no! They shouldn't have done that! I'm terribly sorry, they must've seen you and thought you were an enemy. I truly am sorry."

"It's okay, they weren't a match for me. I didn't hurt them," I added quickly. "Well, I may have knocked the breath out of one and slammed a chair into another, but it was self defense!" I said.

The mayor laughed, which I didn't expect. "Don't worry, I believe you. Now, because you are in my care, they can't do anything to you. If they try to hold you up, show them this," She said, handing me a card. On it were the words of what I guess was a passcard. "They can't do anything now. Again, accept my apologies."

"No worries, ma'am. Now, on to business." I threw down my pack and opened it. I withdrew the radio, a grey box with an antenna sticking out of the top. "This here is a radio, ma'am. It allows people to talk to each other. I was sent here to deliver this to you, so my commanders can speak with you when they need to. I have a smaller one here, attached to my uniform." I pointed to it, a handheld radio. I moved towards the radio and handed it to the mayor. Really, I placed it onto the table. I switched to the frequency I was on. "Try it out. Press the green button to send a message."

She pressed the button. My radio beeped twice. She began to speak. "Hello. I am the mayor of Ponyville." Her words were broadcast from my radio, in a scratchy way. She removed her hoof from the device. "Wow, that is amazing. Thank you, Sergeant Will."

"It was my pleasure. Do you have any questions?" As I asked this, I set the frequency back to the company HQ's. "By the way, you have to be on the same frequency to speak to different people. It's like speaking to people face to face. You can talk to somepony in front of you, but you can't talk to one in another room." I took out a piece of paper and wrote down two numbers. "The top number is the one you're on right now, the Army's command frequency. This is the one you'll use the most. The bottom one is mine."

"Thank you, Sergeant Will. No, I don't have any questions. No, I do." She amended. "Why are you in a big hurry, if you don't mind me asking?"

I debated on whether or not to tell her. Will, being honest with her will gain her trust. Bill had a point. "I'm looking for Twilight Sparkle. I need her help to heal my..." I trailed off, unsure if I should tell her Fluttershy's relation to me. Oh, just say it, you pansy. "To heal my... 'marefriend,' I guess it's called here."

"And who is this marefriend?" She asked in an accusing tone. I could tell the thought of a "human" with a pony was preposterous.

I sighed. "She's a pegasus pony. Her name is Fluttershy."

I could see the surprise in her face. "Fluttershy likes you?! I don't see how that could be possible! A human and a pegasus, a strange combination, indeed!"

"Believe it or not, ma'am, I thought it was strange at first as well. But then, I gave it a chance. And... well, it kind of... escalated. We just started out as friends, but then Fluttershy... hurt... herself... and I let it slip..."

The mayor, calmed down, said, "It's alright, Sergeant Will. I was just surprised by the notion. I don't object, if the two of you love each other. 'Love who you will,' I've always said. Now, I can see you're in a hurry to help your special one, so go! And remember to flash the card if the guards try to hold you up again!" She called out, but I was already out the door.

I didn't run into anypony on the way to the stairwell this time around, and instead of running down the steps, I jumped down and used my wings to slow my fall. At the ground floor, I did chance upon several guards, most of which I'd met before. They drew into a half circle around me, but I had no time for that crap. I flashed the card I'd been given. "Sorry, boys, but I've been cleared. Now stand aside."

Thankfully, they did. They looked really upset by it too, as if they wanted to break their duties and gnash me to bits. I hurried from the town hall. It was then that I realized the truth of Applejack's earlier words. The library was very visible; the tree was easily seen from where I was. It wasn't right in front of me, but it was only a few blocks over. I hastily made my way to it. It wasn't even as far as I thought it would be. In fact, it was practically next door. Standing about ten feet from the door, I took a breath, nervous. You can do this, Will. It's easy; just knock on the door and ask her for her help. See? Easy. I wish I had Bill's confidence.

I walked up to the door. With a quaking hand, I knocked three times. I waited about a minute, and without a response, I knocked harder. Still not getting an answer, I tried the door handle. It was unlocked. Well, of COURSE it'd be unlocked, it's a bloody library, not a bank vault! 'Shut up, Bill.' "Hello?" I called out.

"I'll be down in a minute!" I heard a female voice call from upstairs. Through the ceiling, I heard several scuffs and scrapes, as if boxes and crates and hooves were being moved around upstairs. 'It makes a bit of sense, really, when taking the fact that Twilight supposedly lives here.' It does, doesn't it? I'm sure there's a door upstairs that she locks. 'Maybe.' My thoughts were interrupted with hoofsteps coming down the stairs on the opposite side of the room. The purple unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, emerged from the stairwell. "Oh, it's you," she said, seeing me. "What can I help you with? Checking out a book on manners?"

"Look, ma'am-"

"Twilight." She said tersely.

"Twilight... I need your help."

"Why should I help you?" She asked, her eyes narrowing. But my patience was wearing thin. The guards at the town hall must have taken it all.

"Because it's about your friend, Fluttershy!" I yelled. "She's hurt, and she needs your help!"

"What?! How did she get hurt?!"

"She was being nice to me by inviting me to stay at her house for the night. We got to talking, and I'm afraid I said something hurtful. She asked me to feed the animals she had outside. When I finished, Angel, her bunny, came out and brought me to her. She's sliced her hoof! AND EVERY MINUTE I SPEND HERE ARGUING WITH YOU IS A MINUTE WASTED!" Tears were rolling down my cheeks then. WILL! CALM THE HELL DOWN, SOLDIER! I unintentionally sank to my knees. "I'm sorry... sorry... sorry for yelling... sorry for saying that... I'm sorry, Twilight... sorry... I'm sorry Fluttershy... sorry, sorry, sorry..." The tears were now gushing out. WILL! I ASKED YOU TO CALM DOWN, NOT CRY LIKE A FREAKING BABY! GET UP! Sobbing, I stood. NOW, ASK HER TO COME WITH YOU! CALMLY! "Will you... come with me and help her?" I asked through the tears. My voice wavered with sadness.

Twilight, completely unaware of what was going on in my head, stood looking at me confusedly for several moments. "I don't... what... but..." She stammered. "Yes, I'll help Fluttershy. But what is it to you?"

Sniffling, I looked at her through my blurry eyes. "BECAUSE IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" I cried, both literally and in the verbal sense. My voice was hoarse, and I couldn't really scream as loud I'd have liked. I was ashamed. I went from tough soldier in the town hall to a crying baby in the library. I was a weak little baby.

"And?" She asked, as if I had more to say. Which, in truth, I did. "I've seen ponies do things and not care that what happened was their fault. What's your problem?!" I mumbled something unintelligible, which, unsurprisingly, Twilight didn't understand. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

"Because I love her!" I yelled hoarsely. "I love Fluttershy, okay? If you've got a problem, too bad! I don't care! I love her, and nothing will change that! I love her and she loves me back! Now, come on! She needs your help!" I turned to the door, and when I didn't hear hoofsteps following, I turned back to Twilight. "What's the matter?! Come on! Fluttershy needs you!"

"YOU LOVE FLUTTERSHY?!" And that's when, somehow, her mane erupted into flames, her eyes became red, and she growled at me.

Will, run!

Will Power

Twilight sped towards me. I dove under her, not lifting my leg as I had done to the guards at town hall. Hurting her would only worsen my case. "Twilight, what are you doing?!" I yelled, my earlier sadness forgotten, tears replaced with a fiery look of a mixture of anger and confusion. Frustration, I believe it's called.

Twilight barely skipped a beat when her front hooves met with open air. She wheeled around on her hind legs, as in a joust. She flailed her forelegs in the air, a clear indication of another charge. These ponies need to learn not to reveal their plans so easily. 'Point.'

"You're a human! How could Fluttershy love you?!" Twilight yelled as she began her charge, as if it were her battle cry. To avoid her, I dove to the left, and I lightly lashed out with my right leg, intending to trip her. It seemed I had struck with a little too much force, as instead of just falling over, Twilight flew into the air and landed on a stack of books.

"Oh my!" I cried. I ran over to the now messy pile of books and tried to dig Twilight out. I found a hoof, and started with that. I pulled on her hoof, which I was I unsure, and nearly fell over when she emerged. She shook her head, and looked at me in frustration, he rage calmed.

"Why did you help me? I'd attacked you!" She asked incredulously, as if being a good person or a gentleman were an alien concept to her. Since she'd spent pretty much the past few years pent up in this library, or so I've heard, it was a pretty understandable question. I mean, if you've never heard someone speak another language, speaking it yourself or hearing it for the first time would seem very strange.

"I helped because you were stuck. You needed help, and I was here to lend it. Did you think I wouldn't go and help someone who needed it?" I explained.

I heard her mutter under her breath, "You didn't help me with Fluttershy..." But I didn't question her or press her... yet. Instead, in a louder voice, I heard her ask. "When?"

At first, I didn't understand the question. It took Bill to explain it to me as if I were a five year old before I could answer. "When did I start loving Fluttershy, when did she start loving me, or when did I learn manners?" Under normal circumstances, I would have given Twilight a "are you kidding me" face when I saw her reaction, which I might add was to simply nod. So I answered as best as I could.

"I started loving Fluttershy right about when I accepted that I loved her. At first, I denied it. But, as I told somepony else, I gave it a chance, and it kind of.. grew from that point. She started loving me right about the same time. I can't say for sure; I'm not Fluttershy. And, to answer the final question, I learned manners when I was little. I didn't answer you last night, Twilight, because I needed to get to Fluttershy as fast as I could. I promised her I would be there for her. Now, come on. We're wasting time here talking and I'll answer anything else on the way."

I felt... her consciousness. I... pressed against it as gently as I could. I'd refrained from doing this kind of thing since landing on Equestria, but I needed Twilight to come with me. Twilight stood rooted to her spot, looking at me dumbly, which is not a good look for the scholarly types. Nevertheless, there she was, a blank look on her face, but recovered quickly. "Right, for Fluttershy!"

I muttered under my breath, "Gee, glad I count." You always count in my book, Will. 'Yippee.' "By the way, in answer to the question you asked me last night, my name is Will."

"Huh?" Was the "I read technical books, books on philosophy, and books of literature every minute of my life" response. I decided to spare Twilight the loss of dignity. As I stepped through the door, and Twilight soon after, I told her.

"Last night, when we first met. You asked me who I was. I didn't answer you then; I was too focused on finding the hospital. But now I'm answering: my name is Will."

"You mean... as in... the power of the mind?" She asked, analyzing everything, which I guessed was normal for her. Figures.

"You could say that." Not having used my... heh, "will power" in a long time, I'd forgotten how true that description of my "name" could be. I began to wonder... why hadn't my mind drifted off and thought about it since landing? No time? 'I'm not sure. With as much thinking as I've been doing lately, I'm sure I might've at least mentioned it at some point...' Drop it, Will. This isn't something you want to think about. 'I'm quite sure I want to know about this, Bill.' I mean it, Will. You don't want to go down this road. 'And what if I-' WILL. I am TELLING you, you do NOT want to know!

I stopped in my tracks, and Twilight almost crashed into me. "Will? Are you okay?"

But I payed no attention to her. "No..." I said aloud, but to Bill. I had no knowledge that I'd started voicing everything out loud for everypony to hear. "No, no no no no. You mean you've been hiding things from me?!" But if speaking what I was saying wasn't bad enough, Bill spoke through me as well.

"I told you you didn't want to know! I was protecting you!"

"PROTECTING ME?! How in God's name is lying to me PROTECTION?!"

"I wanted to make sure those walls didn't come down! That you TOLD me to do!"

"So you lied to me?! How does lying to me keep those walls up? How does it, Bill?"

"Because your parents didn't kick you out of your home."

"So leaving on my own was something you had to keep from me, is that it, Bill? Are you mad? I've just seen through your lie!"

"No. You didn't leave on your own. You fled. You ran away. From the law."

"So my wings were illegal? It that it, you son of a bitch?!" With very little knowledge of my surroundings of the moment, I didn't notice that there were lots of ponies staring. I did notice, however, that Twilight's face didn't show anything at the word "bitch." With the two percent brainpower not devoted to arguing with Bill, I deduced that it must not be a cuss word they know of here.

"No... no, that wasn't it at all. I told you, Will. This is one road you don't want to go down. You wanted those walls to stay up, I hid this from you. Don't push me."

"I will push you, Bill, until I get answers! TELL ME!"

"No..." Bill said through me, and it sounded as if he were pleading.

"I said, TELL ME!"

"No, no, you don't want me to-"

"TELL ME, DAMMIT!"

"YOU KILLED YOUR PARENTS! ARE YOU HAPPY, WILL?! I'VE TOLD YOU, NOW YOU CAN WITNESS THOSE WALLS COME CRASHING DOWN!"

And in truth, I did. I saw the barriers I'd worked so hard to keep up around a certain part of my brain crumble. And the thoughts within started coursing through my... "civilized" brain. But they weren't thoughts of violence. Well, technically they could be called that, but they weren't of violence to others. They were to myself.

Through me, Bill said one final thing. "Twilight, go to the hospital, visit Fluttershy. Do what you can. Tell her Will is sorry for not being able to come. I'll do my best to calm him, but if I can't stop him... this will be the last live view of him you see. Now, GO!" The little control I had of my mind left, I felt Bill pierce Twilight's mind and warp her thoughts to fit what he'd ordered her to do. She immediately took off running towards the hospital. But I didn't notice the last part. I was already climbing into the air. Climbing... climbing... I felt water and ice on my wings, then on my fingers, then on my face. I was climbing too high. If I blacked out, I wouldn't be able to recover fast enough -- then it hit me.

I was trying to die.

Will, don't do this. You don't need to do this. You're better than this. 'I killed my parents, Bill.' I tried to tell you, Will. I'm sorry... sorry... 'I know. But I pressed. And now I can't stop. I have to do this. I can't stop myself.' Yes, you can! You're Will! Strength of mind! Will power! 'Not anymore, Bill. Now, I'm splattered guts on the ground.' If you want to be that way, you're not there yet. You're more of a... icicle. But that isn't the point! 'I can't stop, Bill. Tell everyone I'm sorry.' Will you at least hover a bit so I can talk to you for a little longer? Unwillingly, I complied, and I just now realized that Bill was stronger than I'd first thought.

Will, you've done so much for the universe. You've stopped several assassinations, fought for the lives of children, saved women from death... all that, you have under your belt. I was there for all of that. I saw how much effort you put into all of that. You wanted to do nothing but the right thing. You even defied your commanding officer on Lineri because he ordered you to annihilate an entire town of innocents. And you won that court martial. Why? Because you were Will. You were the man who would do nothing his conscience would deem wrong or immoral.

'I killed my parents, Bill. That counts as wrong and immoral. Illegal, horrible, terrifying.' Not if it was self defense. That stopped me for a moment. 'What?' You killed your parents. That is, no doubt, what released your bad thoughts. But why did you kill your parents? Think. You'd just shown them your wings.

And so I thought. I noticed Bill was doing an amazing job holding back enough of my bad thoughts that I could have my own personal flashback...

I was standing in the living room. My parents were sitting on the couch, because I told them I had something to show them. I was sixteen. I told them to close their eyes. It was then I took off my shirt and extended my wings, which, at the time, were only about eight and a half feet long, as opposed to my eleven feet four inches of wings I had now. I told them they could open their eyes then. At first, they didn't do or say anything. They sat, staring at me with big eyes, in shock and surprise. I waited for their reactions first, a hopeful look on my face. But that all came crashing down when I saw my dad go into his room. When he came out he held a gun in his hands. My mom was crying and trying to get as far away from me as possible.

This was the first time I'd heard my voice say anything to me. Look out! Do something, or he's going to shoot you! And he was right. My dad pointed the gun at me, which I now remember was an older model of the M10, the M7. I noticed his finger pulling back on the trigger. I did what I did because I wanted to live. It was also the first day I'd used my mind to kill someone. Screaming, I lashed out with my mind, and felt my dad's consciousness. And I stabbed at it with my own. I saw through my eyes my dad fall to the ground, brain-dead. He'd die within minutes. My mom, even more scared than before, ran over to my dad and picked up the gun herself. She didn't look familiar with the weapon, but it isn't rocket science to point and squeeze, especially this close. So I did the same to her.

Scared that I'd get caught by the law, I took all the money I could find, most of it my own. I had a job, as did my parents, but most of their money was in a bank. I couldn't go there for fear of getting seen by cameras. That was when I remembered my dad flew shuttles to and from orbiting ships. I flew on my own wings to the spaceport. I remembered which was my dad's, as he used to take me on occasion. I found it quickly. I knew a little about how to fly; my dad had taught me how. I flew up to the nearest ship, which happened to be a Space Army ship, waiting to take recruits from its own shuttles. I remember telling the man who asked me what I was doing that I wanted to be a recruit. He thought about it for several minutes, minutes spent in the shuttle worrying. He'd said to dock with him. I told him I didn't know how, and he guided me. Once I was aboard, I heard the shuttle launch without a pilot, presumably back to its original resting place.

I took my in-processing aboard the SAS Laurel. I was a trainee in less than six hours. We traveled to the training world, creatively named "Boot Camp." In four months, I finished basic training. The next four months were spent training to be an infantryman, and I could have left when I was done with that. But at sixteen, I wanted to be a "super soldier" as so many do. I reapplied to other training courses, taking classes in piloting, gunnery officer, driver, sniper, reconnaissance specialist, artillery officer, radioman, and many more, pretty much everything I was accepted in. As the list of classes I passed in grew longer, my record did as well, and the instructors who looked at my record to see if I was a good candidate for their classes saw them. The longer I took classes, the more and more I took, eventually excelling in all of them. I was qualified for everything the Space Army needed. But, because my first training was as an infantryman, I was sent to the front lines.

Unfortunately, after a few years in the service, my parents'... murder... caught up with me. The authorities on my home planet investigated thoroughly the deaths of my parents, and found that I was the last to see them alive. They found severe brain damage, and their logic dictated that I'd poisoned them with a neurotoxin. A formal inquiry was pressed, and I found myself seated in a court room, a civilian court. I remember being asked why I killed them, and my voice told me to tell the truth. So I said that I'd killed them in self defense. They asked me why, and I pointed out that my parents were pointing a gun at me. They asked me how I killed them so quickly, and I told them I used my brain. They asked me how, and I said I didn't really know. They asked me to prove it, and I, gently, tapped the prosecutor's mind with my own and made him fall down. He wasn't knocked unconscious, and when he got back up, he said he felt like his brain was hurting badly. I told him it was me.

I was found not guilty but placed under watch. My handler, a Paris Lundein, followed me throughout my career in the Space Army, and even though he wasn't military, he proved himself several times when things got tough. I respected him. Eventually, I was deemed safe for the public, and Paris was recalled to take on another case. Lucky guy, I suppose, as the very next day my camp was swarmed with enemies. I barely escaped, along with seven other people. When we got back to HQ, we learned no one had survived. That was when I told my voice to keep everything hidden from me. I didn't want to be reminded of all the bad things that had happened to me and other people. I remembered.

Coming out of my flashback, I noticed my vision was very black around the edges. I was passing out due to lack of oxygen. But I couldn't control myself. My wings folded on their own, I began plummeting back to the ground, my consciousness already slowly fading. WILL! WAKE UP! WILL! I heard Bill screaming, but I couldn't. I honestly tried, tried my best to regain control, but it got harder and harder, especially since I began a chaotic spiral. I felt Bill taking over my body, which he'd never done before. I felt him struggle. I heard him say, Will! Open your wings! Without thinking, I managed to do as he said. The problem arose when I realized that it wasn't me opening my wings. It was Bill.

I felt Bill beat my wings in an effort to get me stabilized. Will, don't you go and die on me. I like living, and if you go, I have to as well. FLY! I felt some control slip back into me. I guess I needed some motivation. Motivation, huh? Think of this! You haven't said goodbye to Fluttershy! Live dammit, so you can speak to her again. I don't know how, but hearing this snapped me out of my depressed state. Thoughts of suicide were replaced with thoughts of seeing Fluttershy again, seeing her laugh, run... smile... I beat my wings in a furious attempt to stabilize, and I did better than Bill, seeing as how he doesn't control my movements.

Within moments I was righted, and I flapped as hard as I could to reach level flight. I did very quickly, and not a moment too soon. I ended up flying low to the ground, nearly hitting several ponies. "Sorry!" I called out, hoping that they could hear me. I gained altitude, and got a safe height to hover at. I noticed that, strangely, I'd flown in a big circle, and that I'd ended up hovering over the library. I let myself down, landing heavily, panting with exhaustion. That was a crazy ride, Will. Maybe sometime later, we can do that kind of thing again. That is, without the whole suicide thing going on. And before you ask, yes, I'm working on getting everything under control. 'Thanks, Bill. For everything.' Not a problem, Will.

I looked around, seeing faces of shock, fear, anger... and they all had the right. I was ready to fall to my death, and I was shouting to myself, I did interrupt them in everything... I readied myself for the worst, but I didn't get anything. I opened my eyes, without even realizing that I'd closed them. I looked at my watch in impatience, and found that, surprisingly, I had been up in the air for more than forty five minutes. I guess flashbacks take a lot of time. But it was what I saw when I looked up that scared me the most.

I saw Fluttershy. Her hoof was bandaged, but she was putting a bit of weight on it. By her sides were Twilight and Redheart. Twilight and Redheart looked at me in shock. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, looked at me in immense sadness. She must have seen you, Will. Be careful not to rush things. Fluttershy was the first to do anything. She ran up to me and, flapping her wings, hugged me while hovering. I could see tears forming in her eyes. Unable to control myself, what with what had nearly happened and with Fluttershy walking again, I began to cry. I hugged her back, tightly, yet not so tight as to cause pain. "Fluttershy," I began. "I'm so sorry." I cried more and more on her shoulder.

She rubbed my back with her good hoof. "It's okay, Will. It's okay. I forgive you, it's okay. Remember," she said through her own tears. "I almost did the same thing." And she leaned back so I could see her wonderful smile. I gave her my crooked smile as well, and I cared not that I was tasting salt. She leaned back into me, and I could see over her shoulder that while Redheart's shock was replaced with a "aww" expression, Twilight's was replaced with one of anger. It took me this long to realize just why Twilight was this way. When I did, my teary eyes widened.

For a few moments, nothing was said or done. Fluttershy did let go of me and flew back to her friends after a while, and I took this opportunity to walk right up to Twilight. I knelt down in front of her, and spoke in a whisper. "You love her." It wasn't a question.

"Yes..." she said, after a moment of silence.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. But... I can't help it. Love will choose who it wants to connect. I'm sorry if I sound uncaring. But I want Fluttershy to be happy, and if she's happy with me..." I trailed off, thinking. "If she's happy, I'm happy. If she's happy with me... then, that's a bonus. I just want you to know that I didn't pick this. It got picked for me. I'm sorry." And I stood up and walked over to Redheart, and knelt again.

"Hey there, hot stuff." She said with a wink. I took special care in making sure my playful punch to her shoulder was just that: playful.

"Hi, Redheart. Thank you for doing this. Staying with her."

"Not a problem, Will. Anything for family." It didn't surprise me, for as an unconscious thought I guess I pieced together that by "same last name," Redheart had meant that she and Fluttershy were sisters. The parents must have been a pegasus and earth pony. I stood up. An awkward silence followed. Fluttershy and I hid behind our mane and hair, respectively, and I coughed nervously.

I scuffed the dirt with my foot, unsure of what to do now. I'd avoided my own death, Fluttershy was healed, and we were all okay. Unable to contain herself any longer, though, Fluttershy zoomed back up to me and gave me another long squeeze. "Oh, Will! You're okay, I'm okay, we're all okay! And I'm so happy!" I staggered under her weight, and fell over backwards. It was quite... strange. But, it lifted the tense mood we were all in, and all four of us started laughing, Fluttershy and I especially. Our eyes truly met for the first time today.

Her warm, teal eyes shone happily, radiating her feelings of joy. Her mouth was holding a large smile, which displayed the same emotion. Her teeth were showing, perfectly straight and white, they were even shining in the sunlight. I was unsure if what happened next was random or if the fates or gods decided to tease me. A breeze began flowing throughout the town, and Fluttershy's mane billowed to my left. She was sitting on top of my supine form, preventing me from standing or sitting up. The gods were out to get me, of this I was sure, as the sun shone down on her. Elegant and beautiful. I heard Bill say. 'She is.' Jokingly, Bill replied, I meant the dirt.

I'm not sure what she saw in me, but her smile grew wider, her eyes shone brighter, her mane flowed more fluidly. I gave her my crooked smile, but the left side of my mouth was twitching. This caused Fluttershy to laugh, and I felt insulted. Bill chuckled. She's laughing at you, you dolt. She won't stop until you finish what you've started! Then he burst out laughing, and I felt bad for myself. I was being laughed at. 'Will puts on his sad face,' I thought. But my mouth kept twitching. I found it incredibly hard to believe how difficult it was for me to fully smile. Nevertheless, I managed it.

When I did, Fluttershy leaped into the air. "You did it! You smiled!" Then she began to gaily prance around the square. I was surprised by how few ponies were still present. My smile held as I sat up, allowing it to be seen by Twilight and Redheart.

In a joking manner, Redheart said, "Oh, good! I was afraid I'd be given that same half smile for the rest of my life!" And she smiled at me. Regardless of her current feelings and hatreds, Twilight gave me one as well. They were both better than mine. I felt jealous just then.

"I hate you guys. Smiling better than me, showing off in my face." This caused the two of them to laugh, and Fluttershy cackled, in a good way, not like a witch, as she bounced around us all. You have to admit, Will. They're doing a pretty good job changing the mood from the dark times that we were in about ten minutes ago into a joyous occasion. 'Point.' Which reminds me, I have what now? Twenty points? You need to catch up. I'm twenty points ahead of you. And Bill laughed, Making me the only one who wasn't making noise. 'Well,' I thought. 'It's either smile or laugh, I can't do both.' Oh, spoiling the fun. You are the ruining force here.

Coming to her senses, Fluttershy finally stopped. She walked over to the three of us, saying, "I know! I'll go get Pinkie Pie! We can have a party! We can celebrate two things today! We can celebrate me getting better and Will finally smiling!"

Chuckling, Redheart said, "Uh, Fluttershy, you can make that three things."

"Three?"

Then Redheart tried as discreetly as possible to point me out to Fluttershy. That didn't stop me from noticing, and Fluttershy's cheeks reddened. "Oh, and that... I mean, if that's okay..."

Dropping the smile, I told her, "It's alright with me. I like the number three!" Then I laughed. The sisters laughed in earnest with me, and it was only Twilight who laughed, in my opinion, out of politeness.

"Oh, goody! I'll go get her right now! She can meet you, Will! Oh, this will be so great!" Then she ran off, and I noticed that she was heading straight for Sugarcube Corner. Which made sense, now, since I'd seen the pink pony in the doorway. 'That must be Pinkie Pie we saw earlier.' Yeah, kinda fitting, isn't it? A pink pony named Pinkie Pie.

It was hard for me to believe, though, how much Fluttershy had deviated from her usual demeanor. The quiet, reserved pegasus pony I'd first known was replaced with a joyous, outward pegasus pony. I didn't love her any less, though, but it just stumped me. "So," I said uncomfortably. "Nice weather we're having."

Redheart popped a smile. "You would know." But I knew she was joking, and I didn't get on her case for it.

Twilight said, "Yes. Rainbow Dash does make the weather very well."

"Wait, wait, wait." I said. "Rainbow Dash is the one who does the weather here in Ponyville?"

Twilight gave me a "duh" look, but said, "Yes. She works hard. She's also very fast, and loves flying. I'm sure you two would get along very well." It seemed normal, but I detected the hostility in her tone. I decided to put her off.

"We do. Rainbow Dash is a good mare, good at her job, I suppose. She's also understanding. She was there when Fluttershy and I first met. I'd just saved the two of them from a hungry manticore. Fluttershy and I... well, we kind of had a misunderstanding, and we were pretty much blushing and trying to stay above "awkward." Heh, Ranbow was laughing so hard at us, I was surprised she had any breath left in her." Twilight looked at me angrily, clearly disappointed at not drawing my eyes away from Fluttershy.

"Face it, Twilight. I'm sorry, and I don't know how many more times I have to say it. But Fluttershy and I love each other. It's God's own truth. And there isn't a thing I can do to change it, not that I'd want to. Fluttershy is everything I see in the perfect person, or pony, I'd want to live my life with. I'm not letting jealousy get between us. I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do or say to make you feel any different, and I'm afraid if you don't invest in somepony else, you'll be sad and angry your whole life." I said, my voice staying straight and calm throughout. Not once did I say anything I thought was insulting or immoral. I felt proud of myself for that.

Twilight took it badly. She growled at me for the second time this day. She got up from her sitting position and ran towards me, her horn glowing. She jumped at me. It was a bad move, as I simply lied back down and she sailed harmlessly over me. I stood up, and turned around to face her. "Think about what you're doing, Twilight. I've done nothing wrong. I've simply pointed out a truth. If you attack me now, I simply have fuel to start an animosity between you and Fluttershy. Especially if she sees you."

But that didn't stop her. In her blind rage, which grew at the sound of my words, she became infuriated. She charged me again. Sidestepping, I grabbed her left hoof and pushed in the opposite direction. Her hoof remained in place due to inertia, but the rest of her body continued flying forward. She snapped to a stop and hung limply, though undamaged, from my hand. I dropped her on the ground unceremoniously. I knelt down beside her. "Remember, I've been trained to kill with my hands. I don't want to hurt you Twilight. But if you give me no choice and continue with these idiotic and thoughtless actions, I'll have to. So please, stop. For Fluttershy and your friendship if you don't care about yourself."

Again, my words had no effect. After recovering from the shock of being so easily taken down, she used her horn to magic herself a few feet away, standing upright on all four legs. Her horn glowing again, she started to pick me up. I tried something. I reached out with my mind and gave hers a gentle slap. I was let go, and I landed on my feet. She became frustrated at losing her concentration. She tried using magic again, instead picking up a fist-sized rock. I punched her mind this time. If she intended to do what I thought she was doing, I could become deceased. She fell over, dazed. "Stop, please." I began pleading this time. Redheart simply sat by, watching this thing unfold with a look of shock mixed with curiosity.

"Not until you let me have Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted. She stood, and while she wobbled at first, she remained standing. Her horn glowed again. Several rocks picked themselves up, each surrounded by a purple aura. Then I felt something press against my mind. She intends to keep you distracted until she can hurl the stones at you. 'Okay. Can you keep her busy while I work?' Plan taken. The pressing feeling went away, and I saw Twilight frown in frustration. She magically threw the stones in a blind fury. But once they reached a decent speed, she let go, making sure that I couldn't stop them. Many were the size of two hands put together.

I did my best to stop them. They weren't all going to hit at the same time, I thanked my lucky stars she didn't think to mass them first. The first I pushed aside with my left forearm. I did the same with the next one, and the third was pushed away with my right hand. I ducked under the next four. I jumped over an eighth rock. I sidestepped to avoid a ninth, and that was when I heard a voice cry out.

"TWILIGHT!" I could see the look on Twilight's face. It spoke several volumes of "Oh, Crap."

The Night Stands Tall

"How dare you!" Fluttershy yelled. "How DARE you!" Twilight kept backing away, a frightened look on her face. I stood ready, though, because I knew a cornered animal was a dangerous one. "How dare you try and hurt Will?!"

"I-I... b-b-but I... but... I... he..." Twilight stammered.

"I don't care!" Fluttershy interrupted. "I don't care why you tried to hurt him, I don't even care if it was his fault!" She was hovering by my left side now. "What I care about is that you could have killed him! And to make it worse, you know what he means to me!" With a sidelong glance, I saw tears of rage forming in her eyes. I prepared to jump forward. Good thing I did, too.

Fluttershy made to dart forward. She only got about three feet ahead before I grabbed her, pulling her back into a sort of affectionate bear hug. "Calm down," I whispered into her ear. "Calm down, Fluttershy. I'm okay; I'm not hurt. Calm down, please."

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but a loud voice boomed, interrupting her, "Twilight Sparkle!"

"Oh, come on!" I shouted before I could stop myself. "Does anyone else want to get involved? Anyone?" Will, look up! I did, and my jaw dropped. Coming down from the sky were two large pegasi, one with a white coat and the other with a dark blue coat. But that wasn't what amazed me. What did was their appearance.

I noticed their manes and tails weren't solid colours. The mane and tail of the white one looked like pastel rainbow colours. Those of the dark blue pegasus were an even darker blue, yet with an even darker blue center. Sparkles, like stars, littered the manes and tails of both.

Yet there was more. On the heads of each sat a tiara, golden on the white, black on the other, and they were held up by horns. That's right, unicorns with wings. Or pegasi with horns. On their hips were huge cutie marks. The white one had that of a sun, and the blue had that of a moon. Will... Overcome by the chivalrous knight in me, I released Fluttershy and knelt down, bowing my head.

"Ohmygosh! Princess Celestia! And Princess Luna! Hi!" The new voice startled me to no end, and I unceremoniously fell forward. Onto my face. "Oh, I'm sorry! Did I scare you? Here, let me help!" There was no sarcasm I could detect in that voice. It certainly was a lively one, that's for sure. I felt myself being picked up, but not by hooves.

"Hmm. A human, here in Ponyville. I know you were camped in the Everfree forest. Why are you here, human?" I heard a very regal voice ask, but not unkindly.

"Well, your majesty-" I began, but was interrupted.

"Please, Princess Celestia."

"Well... Princess Celestia... I was the man they chose to come here to Ponyville and establish communications. I've handed the radio to the mayor, and I was just... hanging around with friends."

"We know you're telling the truth. For the most part. But we saw all that happened just now."

I gulped. I didn't really want to say that I'd fallen in love with a pegasus and through that angered a unicorn to the point of murder. Even I was having trouble comprehending that. "You did?"

"Yes. And we saw this pegasus, Fluttershy, sit on you, laughing. Then she bounced up and bounced around the lot of you, happily."

I managed to sneak a look at the newcomer pony, the pink earth pony I'd seen before. She said, "Wait, that's what I do!"

"Yes, it is." Princess Celestia continued. "Then we saw Fluttershy go to retrieve you from your job at Sugarcube Corner. When she left, we turned our attention back to the three of you," she said, glaring, though again, not unkindly, at Twilight, Redheart and I. "And saw that while this mare was sitting patiently, you two were going at each other! At least, Twilight was throwing rocks! What have you to say for yourself, Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight looked down at the ground guiltily. "He made me mad, Princess."

"So because he angered you, you took the risk of hurting him physically? And by the reaction of Fluttershy, here, we think that if you had succeeded, we would have had to punish the both of you."

Fluttershy was the first to respond, saying, "I'm sorry Princess Celestia. Will wants me to be honest, so if I were to say that I didn't mean it, I'd be lying." I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

Celestia turned to me. Woah, woah, woah, Will, watch out! "Do you find this funny, Will?"

I gulped again. Thinking fast, I stalled. "Do you want me to be honest, Princess Celestia?" She nodded. I gulped for a third time. Will, stop gulping before you give yourself indigestion! I laughed at that. "Yes, Princess. I do find this sort of funny, in a strange way. That is to say, I don't find the situation we're in funny, but what's being said is funny."

Celestia just continued to stare at me. I said one last thing. "I'm making things worse, aren't I?" And then Fluttershy laughed. And, realizing what I'd said, I began laughing too. I'd said the same thing before, to Fluttershy, when I'd hurt her with the transmitter by rubbing her back.

We only stopped laughing when we heard Celestia say, "Enough!" But it wasn't loud, though it was stern. "Fluttershy, Will, Twilight, come with me. You too, Luna." The three of us "commoners" looked at each other in worry, but did as we were told. Careful, Will. 'That seems to be your catchphrase.' I wish it wasn't; I have to keep telling you to be careful. 'I've gotten it the first few times, Bill.' Right.

Once we were all out of earshot, the two Princesses turned around and faced us. "So," Celestia began. "There's something going on between you three, and I want to know what." Luna nodded. I just realized that she hadn't said a thing this whole time. Due to my amazing detective skills, I did however notice that she had not taken her eyes off of me.

Seeing that neither Fluttershy nor Twilight were going to be saying anything anytime soon, and because I tried to convince myself that this was just like giving a report, I spoke up. "Princess Celestia... there's no easy way to say this. I'd tried to deny it at first, and many were shocked at this. But all but one found the understanding and acceptance in them to go along with it." I took a deep breath. That's it, just let it out. Get's easier, telling the truth more and more, doesn't it? 'Why do I feel like you're a counselor now?' Dunno. "Fluttershy and I... well, to be frank, Princesses... we love each other."

I heard Twilight growl at that. The Princesses looked shocked, and Fluttershy scooted closer to lean on me, nuzzling my shoulder. "Just now, you heard Twilight growl. It took me a while to realize it, it took getting a rock thrown at me, actually, but Twilight also loves Fluttershy. The problem arose, though, when Fluttershy didn't return that love and instead chose me. To be honest, Princesses, if you try to separate the two of us, I doubt we'd comply willingly." I hastily added, "Not to say that we'd defy your rule, simply that, as the saying goes, 'love is inseparable.'"

The Princesses were silent for several moments. They simply stared at the three of us: Fluttershy happily leaning on me, Twilight angrily fuming, and me, hoping that they'd meet me with understanding as most others had done. So... how's the foot infection? 'Oh god, I have a-' Oh, calm down, Will, I was only joking. 'Thanks. I totally needed that right now.' Anytime, Will! After several more minutes, or what felt like minutes, Princess Celestia spoke again. "Well. This is... interesting, to say the least. I can see, Will, that you and Fluttershy care very much about each other. I can see clearly that you two love each other a great amount." 'Oh, god, she's gonna deny it, isn't she?' Hold, Will. You don't know that yet. Celestia continued. "I'm not one to come between two ponies, or in this case a pony and a human, that love each other."

I almost jumped with joy then. Fluttershy, however, actually did. "Yay! Will, we can stay together! Forever and ever! I'm so happy!" Then she hugged me around my neck, nearly choking me.

"Fluttershy... can't... breathe..." She withdrew.

"Oh, sorry." I laughed.

"It's alright, no harm meant or done." I hugged her and held her close, protectively, almost like I'd hold a baby. "Is that all, Princesses? I mean, I don't want to be rude or anything, but I promised that when Fluttershy got better I'd treat her to ice cream..."

"Then the matter is settled." Celestia nodded. "Twilight, you will not interfere with these two's love. It isn't fair for them to be punished because you got jealous. Not only that, they did not know of your love for Fluttershy, but I'm afraid that if this is to end happily, that too will have to end." Princess Celestia said scornfully, as if scolding a child. "Will, Fluttershy, you will not provoke Twilight into anger." Celestia then stepped away, flapping her wings and flying off into the sky, in the direction I guessed was Canterlot, the capital. Luna, however, hung back.

"Will," she said when Fluttershy and Twilight headed back to Pinkie Pie and Redheart. "Meet me here, tonight. I must speak with you. It is urgent."

"Princess?" I asked warily. I don't like the sound of this, Will. 'Neither do I.' Be careful. "Very well."

"Thank you, Will. Now, I believe there is somepony waiting for you." With that, she turned and walked away, and I heard her say something about a sun. Or it could have been "son." English was confusing. 'Does she have a son she wants me to meet or something?' Dunno. I still don't like this.

I walked back to my friends, the sun at noon. I walked to Pinkie Pie. "Hello," I started. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Will."

"Hi, Will! I'm Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy wanted me to meet you and then WOAH! Twilight was throwing rocks at you, and then ZOOM! The Princesses came down and up the fight, and then WHAM! Problem solved!" She'd said all that in one breath. Long winded. 'Yeah.'

"Nice to meet you. Now, do you mind if I take Fluttershy to Sugarcube Corner and get her an ice cream? I promised her I would when she got better..." I asked.

"Well, of COURSE, silly! It's a store, not a private estate!"

The use of the word "estate" stunned me. These ponies thrived on amazing me, I swear it. "Oh, right... yeah..." We all stood in an awkward silence for a few moments. "Well, come on, Fluttershy. Let's go get some ice cream. I mean, if you want to."

"I'd love some, thank you, Will." She replied, then walked up beside me.

"Oh! I have an idea! Let's all go together! Then we can-" Pinkie started, but I cut her off.

"I know you work there, Pinkie, but I think it would be a bit better if Fluttershy and I went alone." I saw her poofy hair deflate, how I don't know, and a sad expression came to her face. "It's not that I don't want to get to know you better, I do, and maybe we can later, but for now I want to be alone with Fluttershy for a bit." I added, "Maybe later."

She immediately perked up. "Okay! Later!" Then she bounced off. There's something wrong with that one. 'Isn't there something wrong with all of us?' You know what I mean.

Fluttershy and I said our goodbyes to Redheart and Twilight, then headed off. We didn't really speak much on the walk over. Bill and I talked, though. Well. That was an interesting first meeting with the leaders of Equestria. 'A bit odd. How did they know where we were?' I won't even guess. but I- 'Bill?' We're being followed. 'How can you tell? And do you know where?' I just feel it. In the shadows. Behind us. If you're going to look, do it as discreetly as possible. Pretend to drop something.

I fished into my pockets. I found a few half credits. I pretended to count them, then I "dropped" one. I took a few more steps, then turned around casually, giving no indication I knew of a trailer. I walked back to the coins, saying to Fluttershy, "Wait up. I dropped something."

"Okay," came the response. I heard her stop walking.

Bending over, I picked up the coin. I held it up to face, so I could look straight as I dusted it off. 'See anything?' No... wait a minute, there! Fruit stand, two o'clock. I looked at it cautiously. 'What about it?' See the cloaked pony? I did. 'And?' He keeps glancing at us. Before you say that everypony here is looking at you, this one just doesn't feel right. 'I'll take your word for it. Any suggestions?' Only that you be careful. I don't know who this pony is, but he's trying his best to remain unnoticed. 'Wearing a cloak in broad daylight?' Maybe a foreigner. 'Point.' Just keep walking. I'll keep an eye on this one.

I pocketed the coins. I hadn't really counted them. I knew exactly how much money I had on me: forty credits and sixty half credits. I knew here in Equestria, one credit was the same as two bits, but I hadn't gotten the chance to convert them. I'm pretty sure my friends back at camp got to, though. Not that they'd have many chances to spend it.

Which reminds me, Will. You've gotta be back by tomorrow morning. You can't spend the night with Fluttershy. Meet Luna, then hightail it outta here. 'Oh, crap. I'd forgotten about that. Thanks.' Not a problem.

I caught up in Fluttershy, and she asked me, "What did you drop?"

"Oh, just a little money. Wasn't much, just a bit's worth." I said nonchalantly.

"Oh. Well, you should probably hold on tighter to your money."

I chuckled. "I should, shouldn't I?" She laughed as well. We arrived at Sugarcube Corner in short order, even with the little stop I made, and as I opened my nostrils were assaulted by various scents and smells. There were scents of apples, berries, sugar, frosting, and more circling my nose, teasing me. Apple pie, cherry danishes, cheesecakes... my digestive tract instinctively started preparing itself for a heaping plate of sugary sweets.

I tried my best to quell this feeling as I asked Fluttershy, "I know I told you I'd get you an ice cream, but I think I've changed my mind." Before I could finish, Fluttershy looked at me with sad horror... if such a thing was even possible. "Let me finish!" I gave her my crooked smile. "Just tell me what you want."

"Really, Will? I don't want to impose or anything..."

I laughed. "Fluttershy, I think we're a bit past 'imposing' now, aren't we? But no, it isn't a problem, Fluttershy. As long as it isn't one of everything, we'll be okay." The other half of my mouth twitched. She smiled back at me.

"Well, if you insist..." I chuckled. "I want... gosh, I don't know what to pick..."

"If you do want ice cream just say so. I'm just giving you the option to have almost anything you want."

"Well, the weather's been very cold lately. I think it's officially winter right now, but I'm not sure."

"Oh gosh!" I exclaimed. I removed my log from my breast pocket. I turned it on and pressed a series of buttons. I was looking for a calendar. I gasped. The date, I wished I'd known sooner, was December 24th, local time. I had one day to get something for Fluttershy. And I was NOT counting this as a gift. This was a date.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"Nothing... nothing too important." Liar. "Have you decided?"

"Yes... I think so. I want the... apple danish with cream."

"That looks good. Alright. I'll go order."

"But aren't you going to get anything?" Fluttershy asked me, confused.

"I am, but I need you to go pick a seat." I replied, trying to throw her off.

"Oh... okay. Do you have anywhere in mind?"

"Fluttershy, I'd sit in a mud pool if you wanted me to. But anywhere would be fine. If you can find one outside, I'd be grateful. However, don't sit out there if it's too cold, okay? I don't want to have to take you to the hospital a second time for freezing on me!" And I smiled at her. Thankfully, unlike previous times, she took the joke this time and smiled back at me.

"Don't worry. I do have some sense in this head of mine!" Fluttershy walked away to find a seat for two. That's new to me! 'Bill!' JOKING! Joking, Will, honest! I'm sorry! 'Are we still being tailed?' Well, he hasn't come in here. My guess is he's waiting outside to see what we do when we exit. 'I'll be on my toes. I hope Fluttershy picks a seat inside. I'm afraid about the motives for this pony.' I'll warn you about as much as I can, Will. I'm trying. Honest. 'I believe you, Bill. It's all I can ask.'

I walked up to the counter. A yellow-orange pony with orange hair stepped out from the back room, carrying a tray of sweets in one hoof. "I'll be right with you, sir."

"Oh, no, take your time. I can wait."

"Thank you, sir." He said, as he set the tray down and wiped his forehead. He began putting away the sweets on the tray into their respective slots behind the glass display. "You sure you don't want to order now?"

"It's fine, honest."

"Thank you..."

"Will."

"Thank you, Will." He took his time putting away the treats, making sure he put them where they belonged. I didn't mind. In fact, I was amazed at the speed and deftness he stocked the shelves. For many things, he didn't even look at where he was putting it. It took about five minutes, but it was worth the wait. Soon, I'd be on a date with Fluttershy. I look forward to seeing what kind of thoughts find their way in your mind when that happens. 'Unless we're outside.' True. Don't think I was going to shirk from my duties, Will. That pony poses a possible threat to both Fluttershy and you. But remember, whether you like it or not, it's my nature to place you first. 'I know. And I don't like it. But I know I can't change you.' Glad we understand each other. And, Will, the man's been waiting a while for you to order. 'Oh, crap.'

"Sorry," I apologized. "You were working, so I lost myself in thought."

"Not a problem Will, you've been patient enough. What'll you have?"

"I'll need an apple danish with cream, and..." I looked at the menu. "A chocolate ice cream cone."

"Will you be sitting outside? It's pretty cold."

"I don't know where my friend has seated herself. If it's outside, I don't mind. I'm a winter person."

"Very well, Will. That'll be three bits for the danish, two for the cone."

"Alright." I fished into my pockets. I'd need two and a half credits. I whipped out two one-credit bills and a half credit coin. "Sorry they aren't in bits. I never got the chance to convert them when I got here."

"It isn't a problem, Will. We take credits. One credit is two bits, and you've given me two and a half. That meets it. Thank you."

"I was glad to. Thanks." He handed me the treats. I nodded to him, the plate of food in my left hand, as if I were waiting tables. I turned and looked for Fluttershy. Thankfully for her, she had picked a seat inside, but it was by the door. I guess she must have thought it was a compromise. I made my way over to her.

She had chosen a booth. Instead of sitting across from her as I'd seen lovers do in so many dumb, gushy love movies, I slid in beside her. "Hi there, Fluttershy. I have..." I set the plate down, and Fluttershy leaned against me affectionately. "Your danish, apple with cream."

"Thank you, very much, Will."

"Fluttershy, saying it was my pleasure would be severely understating it." With a casual, inconspicuous glance, I noticed that many of the diners here in Sugarcube Corner were looking our way. I decided to leave it be unless someone said something bad about it.

"What did you get, Will?"

"Huh?" I asked dumbly, drawn out of my thought. "Oh, I got a chocolate ice cream cone."

"In this cold weather? You're very brave."

"It's nothing. I'm a winter person. I like the cold. Probably because I have wings; they keep me warm."

"That's nice. But Will..." She trailed off, wanting to say more. I'm sure she was nervous.

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

"It's just that... I'm kind of cold..." Then she grinned at me. I would have done this anyway, grin or no. I extended my left wing and wrapped it around Fluttershy.

"Feeling better?" I asked, leaning my head down onto hers. Uh... Will? People are watching... 'I don't care. Not unless they say something of it. And even then, it has to be a bad thing. If they're saying we're cute together, I don't mind. It's when they say that Fluttershy is stupid for pairing with an ugly thing like me or some other harsh thing like that that I'd take action.' Very well, but I think that pony in the suit sitting next to the pony in the red dress may say something bad. He's giving you a pretty bad look. I discreetly glanced over where Bill said the suited pony was. Bill was right. 'We're inside. Keep an eye on him.' On it, Will.

"Very much so, Will. Thank you."

We ate the rest of our sugary goodness in silence, which surprised me. I mean, sure, neither of us were frontal characters, but I'd expected a bit more... conversation to take place. I finished my ice cream before she finished her danish. Actually, she looked pretty full. "You okay, Fluttershy? Think you can fit the rest in there?" And I, gently, poked her belly.

"No, I can't, Will. I'm so sorry."

I sighed. "Nothing to worry about, Fluttershy. I'd rather you get enough to eat than have you go hungry. We can save it. I'll go ask the good pony at the counter-"

"Mr. Cake."

"Sorry. I'll go ask Mr. Cake for a box or something so you can take it home and finish it later."

"You won't be coming with me?"

"I would, Fluttershy. Truly, I would. But I have to be somewhere, remember? I'm sorry. But I have my duties."

"Oh... yeah... sorry, I forgot..."

"Fluttershy, look at me." She looked up, disappointment clear in her eyes. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I won't let anything come between us. Nothing will get me. That's a promise. Besides," I tapped her right ear, where I could easily see the two-way transmitter I'd given her yesterday. "You still have this."

She felt where the transmitter was. "Oh! So I do! I feel better already. But my heart feels sad about you leaving..."

"Fluttershy, I promise you. I won't let anything bad happen to me. I promise."

Fluttershy was silent for a moment. "I believe you," she said after a while.

I got up to walk to the counter, and noticed the suited pony do so a fraction of a second later. We met about midway. "Oh, excuse me, sir." I said, politely. I made to step around him, but he stepped along with me.

"I need to ask you something." He said, a hint of terseness in his voice.

"Is there a problem, sir?" I asked, keeping up the facade of politeness. If he said one bad thing about Fluttershy and me...

"What is your relation with that young pegasus?" He asked, his tone growing more hostile. It still wasn't a mean thing, so I refrained from doing anything to him.

"Well... I guess you could say that... we are... together, sir."

He huffed. "With someone like you? Why wouldn't she choose somepony from her own species?" Unfortunately, it was pushing the envelope with this declaration, but it couldn't truly count as something hostile on its own.

"Well, to be honest, sir, I'm still trying to figure that one out. We... behave similarly, like similar things, and overall enjoy each others' company a lot. I can't really describe it, sir."

"But you are a human!"

I dropped the politeness. "Is there a problem with that, friend?"

"I would have hoped that pegasus would be close to a civilized species, not one of you humans! I know how your kind can be!"

"And how would that be, friend?"

"I know you humans desire nothing but the flesh! And don't call me 'friend!' Your kind are wretched and vile!"

"I'll admit, sir, that there are many people who care for nothing more than the flesh. But I, I can assure you, am not like that."

"Aren't you? You've already wrapped your wing around her! And you've been in contact with her the entire time you'd been sitting!"

"She was cold, sir. And we love each other, why wouldn't we be in contact? As far as I know, there's nothing sexual about leaning against her. I believed it was a simple, harmless gesture of love."

The pony huffed again. "Do you think me stupid? I know your kind! I know you will take her for yourself! It's only a matter of time before your vile, disgusting self does it!"

I raised my voice, my anger flaring. "I'll have you know, sir, that I have remained faithful to everyone I've met! And I would think it unwise, mister, to insult a sergeant of the Space Army!"

He growled. "You humans are all alike! Have a position that sounds important, and you all act as if you own us all!"

"Mister," I started, trying to keep my fury contained. "Sergeant is a command role! And I'll also have you know, that the Princesses themselves have accepted my love for Fluttershy! So I will ask you nicely, to please refrain from continuing these insults!"

He turned to his "friends," as if as an aside in a play. "Now he thinks to bluff me!" He turned back to me. "I am a successful business pony, and I will not be threatened by the likes of you military dogs! At "military dogs" he poked me in the chest. Hard.

"I'm warning you, mister, to please stop. I don't want to have to take violent action, but touch me again and I daresay I will handle you as if I were being attacked. I'll claim self defence."

"Ha! You wouldn't have the guts to, you wretch!" He jabbed me harder. I felt some of the breath get knocked out of me, and I heard Fluttershy gasp.

'Shall I, Bill?' Do it. You've warned him. You have witnesses. You're in the clear. "I said, don't touch me."

He growled again, and raised his hoof a third time. He made to stab me again, but before the blow could connect I grabbed the hoof with my right hand and twisted. I then pushed down and backwards, pulling the pony towards me. I then lifted my leg and bent it at the knee, having the pony land on my kneecap. I heard him huff, out of breath, but relatively unhurt. I let go and stepped back, holding my hands up in the air. "I warned him. He insulted me, and he injured me twice." I said, to clear myself.

I stepped around the gasping pony to the counter and Mr. Cake. "I'm terribly sorry for that, Mr. Cake. I didn't want that to happen the way it did."

"Hmm. Don't worry about it, Will. You're a good person. Patient and polite. And it isn't a problem. That pony needed to be taken off his high horse. He owns the company that sells construction tools to the workers across Equestria."

"Oh. Sorry. But, before I overstay my welcome, could I have a box or bag or something to put Fluttershy's danish in? She can't finish it."

"Sure thing, Will. Here you go." In a moment a box was in my hands. "Take care, Will. These stuck up ponies don't like being shown up."

"I'll be careful. But don't forget about yourself, there. You'll probably be a target for being a friend of mine."

"No one would dare try to hurt me, Will."

It was then I noticed a scar on his left cheek. It was thin and long, the scar of a knife or sword cut. "Sure. I'll see you sometime later, Mr. Cake. I'm sure we could share stories." I flashed him a grin. He returned it. I walked back to Fluttershy, stepping over the still-gasping pony in the center of the room. "Sorry you had to see that, Fluttershy."

"It's okay. Is that my box?"

"Yep. Just stick the danish in, and let's get outta here. I don't want to anger anyone else." She closed the box, danish inside, then we both walked outside together. Woah, Will. Instant view. Ten o'clock. The alleyway between the quill store and the quilt store. I saw the follower. Which was amazing in it's own self; the day had turned to night. I hadn't realized we'd spent more than six hours inside Sugarcube Corner. 'I see him. What do we do?' Hold on... Fluttershy's looking in the other direction. That pony's beckoning to you. Send Fluttershy on her way, then go over there. Be ready to fight. "Alright, Fluttershy, I've gotta head 'home' now. I'm sorry I have to go, but remember, I'll be okay. Nothing will get to me, and you've got the transmitter."

"Alright, Will. Just come back for me some time." Tears were in her eyes. I brushed them away.

"Don't cry, Fluttershy. I'll be okay. I've promised you that. I'll be alright. Now, go home, before you catch a cold!" Nodding, she nuzzled me one more time, and flew off to her home. I turned and walked into the alleyway. As I slowly walked down the dark passage, expecting an attack, the emergence of the pony in the cloak from behind a dumpster almost flew by me. "Who goes there?" I called.

"One would speak with you." A female voice said. I recognized it immediately.

"Princess Luna?"

"The very same." She magicked the hood away from her head, allowing me to see her face and mane in the night light. They were more amazing now than they had been in the day. "You came as I asked."

"I didn't want to upset you, and I wanted to know what you felt was important enough to share with me."

"Do you feel that what I must tell you is an unimportant matter?"

"Heavens, no, Princess Luna. I'm simply saying that I'm a lowly sergeant of the Space Army. I'm not even a commissioned officer."

"But you are Will. You are special. I know of your history."

This made me intensely nervous. "How much?"

"I know you killed your caregivers-"

"That was self defence!"

"I don't doubt it. I also know that you've qualified as an expert in everything the Space Army had to teach you. I know that you are here on a reconnaissance mission." She knew more about me than I thought. "How old are you, Will?"

Unsure of where this conversation was going, I said, "Why do you want to know?"

"It has nothing to do with age difference, if you're thinking I'm asking after Fluttershy. And your record didn't indicate your age."

Still confused, even more so, in fact, I told her. "I'm twenty four, why?"

"Twenty four and already with white hair." She looked at my wings thoughtfully. "Extend them." I did so. "How long are they?"

"Eleven feet, four inches."

"Interesting. Will, do you promise not to let anyone know about what I'm going to show you?"

Alright, I'm practically reading the instructions for a foreign radio written in semaphore code. "Yes, Princess."

"I want you to swear it on your life. I may or may not give you permission to spread the word at a later time, but for now I need to know I can trust you."

I knelt down and bowed my head. "I swear on my life, Princess, that I will not reveal to anyone else this secret you are willing to share with me."

"Stand tall, Will, for what you are about to see... You'll need to look it in the eye, and kneeling won't allow you to do that." I stood warily, slightly frightened by what might happen. I saw Luna's horn glow for a moment, then a blinding flash occurred. When I could see anything again, I saw a cloud of thick mist or smoke where Luna used to be. When enough of the smoke cleared, though, I saw that Luna still was. Only, it wasn't the flying unicorn that I'd seen just moments ago.

It was a human. With wings. Just like me. Only she had a horn.

"Oh... my... god..." I forced out, speechless.

Luna had the skin similar to a Caucasian. In reality, it was a strange combination of pale skin and tanned Caucasian skin. I looked at my own hands. They more or less matched, though my skin was darker, presumably from more time in sunlight. Her hair matched her mane. She had no tail. She wore clothes I'd attribute to a royal officer from the age of swords and bows.

She wore high black boots, with her leggings tucked inside. Her clothes were a similar blue to the night sky's. A black tiara sat on her head, held in place by her horn. She wore a black belt around her waist, with a white crescent moon as the buckle, though her dark blue overcoat prevented it from going through belt loops I'm sure didn't exist. It didn't look like her leggings were falling, either, so I guessed her belt still did the job fine. Both her overcoat and her cloak had a silver lining, literally, about three quarters of a centimeter wide.

On her hip, she wore an honest to god rapier. The pommel was a silver ball, and the cross-guard was a simple silver dome. I could see that in the guard were engravings of the moon in many of its stages. The sheath was a dark grey. Both of Luna's hands were garbed in slick, form-fitting black gloves. One gloved hand held the black leather hilt of the rapier. It looked like she was familiar with the weapon. I raised my eyes and looked at hers. She was looking at me, expectantly.

I had no words. I was shocked... stunned... petrified by what I saw. Luna was a human? I simply could not say anything. She, however, did. "Well? What do you think, Paracorn Will?"

The new word startled me into speaking. "Paracorn?"

Luna looked at me as if I were joking. When I said nothing, she explained. "You do not know what a Paracorn is?" I shook my head no. "Though you are one."

"Am I?" I asked. I truly did not know what she was talking about.

"You are. A Paracorn is, quite simply, a human who had advanced far enough genetically as it was developing in its mother's womb. A human who had developed wings for flight and a horn for magic."

"But... what? You're telling me that I was born something my parents were not?"

She didn't answer my question exactly. "It's quite rare. As far as I know, there are only three Paracorns here in Equestria. And Celestia is my sister."

"And you're saying that, while rare, this is a good thing?"

"Quite so. You see, humans... well, they are simple creatures. They are comparable to earth ponies, though they lack the innate magical powers even earth ponies contain within their bodies. Being born a Paracorn, Will, means that you've developed everything humans would need to survive on their own. You've got wings to travel or escape danger with."

"But what about your horn? You said so yourself that you were a Paracorn, but how can I be one without a horn?"

"You said you were twenty four years old, correct?" I nodded. "I did not grow my horn until I hit around thirty. It's quite normal, Will. Nothing is wrong with you."

"I've got wings and soon will have a horn, that's what's wrong with me! I grew up my whole life thinking I was a freak for having wings! Now you're telling me this is all normal in nature, and that I have to reestablish beliefs with myself because of this?!" Will, calm down! Don't get angry! Not again! In the middle of Bill's speech, I saw Luna stand straight, as if surprised. "Is... something wrong, Princess Luna?"

She shook her head, though it was as if to clear her head, not answer my question. "Please, Will. As long as I am like this, I'm not speaking to you as royalty. Luna."

"Very well... Luna."

"In answer to your question, I'm afraid I must answer with one myself." I gestured for her to continue. "Just now, did you hear a voice in your mind say something?" I froze up, both in surprise and fear. For her to have heard that, either she had to have some kind of detector, or she could get into my mind without Bill or me noticing. I hoped for the first one. How could she know about me? "There it is again, Will." Luna said.

She already knows, or at least has a very good idea. Just tell her. But be ready, I'm not sure if this is a bad thing or not. I mean, even I didn't know what a Paracorn was. This is as new to me as it is to you. "Luna... yes... that was a voice in my head."

She stood silent for a moment. "Does it know about what goes on around you, even if you can't see it?"

I was beginning to get scared now. "... Yes."

"Has it helped you through a crisis? You don't need to give me details."

"Yes."

"Has it asked for a name yet?" I simply nodded slowly. "Has its behaviour changed at all? Even slightly?"

"Well, he was sarcastic and insulting at first, but eventually, especially now, he's helpful and kind." I wouldn't go that far, Will.

"Interesting." Then Luna did something I didn't expect. She stepped forward and hugged me. After a few seconds, she stood back and held me at arms length. Looking at her face intently for the first time, I realized that, quite simply, Luna was beautiful. No, I wasn't about to become unfaithful to Fluttershy, but I was simply stating a fact. Luna was pretty. "Will... I suspect that you didn't just choose this name randomly. You have a power, don't you?"

I gulped. WHAT did I just tell you? "Yes."

"And this power has something to do with your mind?"

"Yes, I can affect the minds of others, even unicorns."

"How so?"

"Well, I can do stuff ranging from changing someone's mind to... killing..."

"Very good."

"Good?! I killed my own parents with that!"

And then Luna did something more unexpected. She sighed happily, for there was a smile on her face. "Thank the gods, Will. You don't know how glad I am to hear the word parent."

"What the hell, Luna?! I'm telling I murdered my parents, and you're glad?!"

"Will..." She paused, looking down, obviously in thought. She looked up at me again before speaking. "You don't know how wrong you are." She looked away. I heard her voice waver.

"I felt their minds! I felt them die!"

"No, Will, you don't know how happy I am to be able to say no to that statement. You felt caretakers die."

That stopped me cold. Cautiously, I asked her, "What do you mean, 'caretakers'?"

She completely avoided the question. "Would you like to spar?"

"Spar?" I asked, thrown off track.

"Duel. Lock blades. I saw one in your pack. I'll tell you what I mean afterwards. Think of it as an apology."

"I'll spar, but what do you mean by apology?"

"I'll tell you later."

I withdrew my blade from my pack. Like I said, I was trained in everything the military taught. This including sword fighting, both with thicker blades for large battles and with thin blades for duels and trials by single combat. My sword was of the old courtsword design. It was akin to the rapier, but was designed for better speed and versatility. I preferred speed over power, and in single combat, unless both opponents were armoured, armour was disallowed. "How much training have you had with the blade?" I asked earnestly.

"I've been training with it since the old age of 1437."

Holy crap, Will. She's more than one thousand five hundred years old! I think you may be out of your league, here. 'I knew that from the start.' "I've trained with it for about four years. I'm outmatched."

"Are you admitting defeat before the fight has started?"

"Never surrender without trying. Always find a foothold. That is what my master taught me."

"Your master knew his material. When you are ready."

I rolled my shoulders, rolled my neck, shook out my arms, and shook my legs. I took a few practise swings and thrusts with my blade. "I'm ready."

"We will fight three times. Winning means nothing, though for you I guess you could say you defeated a swordsman with a millennium of practise."

We stood opposite each other, swords perpendicular to the ground by our right sides. From my training, I knew I could tell much of a person's fighting style by how they moved in the first few seconds. I saw Luna raise her blade above her head, behind a bit, the point facing downward slightly. She intended to use many thrusts. I did not, however, base my style off of that completely. It might have been a ploy. I myself raised my blade into a similar posture as port arms. It was a neutral posture.

Luna made the first move. As I suspected, her first attack was a thrust, high, towards my neck area. I sidestepped to the left very slightly and flicked my blade to the right, deflecting her blow. She recovered so quickly I wondered whether I had stumbled her at all. Using the momentum from my flick, she made a u-turn with her rapier and brought it back to me in a slashing motion. I angled my blade so that the point was facing up and behind me, so that hers would hit mine and slide down to the cross guard, which was literally a simple cross.

I slashed my blade forward, diverting Luna's and also making an attack of my own. Luna broke off and made a horizontal parry across her body. She pushed on my blade. What came as a surprise to me was that she was very strong. I recoiled back two steps. She made to thrust high again, and this time I just sidestepped. She followed with another thrust, lower, into my abdomen. I had to flick my sword to the left to divert it.

This time, however, I didn't allow her to circle back. My swordmaster had taught me from the Book of Five Rings, an ancient text of combat. One point in the book was the "sticky blade." What it meant was that you should keep your sword locked with the enemy's. Like this, the enemy is focused on freeing himself and cannot effectively attack. So when I saw Luna start to double back, I threw my weight behind my sword as I slashed it against hers, stopping her attack and locking our blades.

At this point, my sword was closer to Luna. That is, hers was on the "outside," whereas mine was on the "inside." I flicked my sword to the right, and just before impact I turned it so I would hit her with the flat of the blade. I heard a light tap, and I found that I had connected. "Defeated," I stated. We both took three steps backward.

"Impressive, for a four year swordsman. Keeping contact with my blade was a genius tactic, one that, I admit, had slipped my mind. I will not forget it a second time."

"My admiration would be misplaced if you did." I shook myself all over. "Ready."

Luna prepared her sword similarly to the previous round. I, however, chose to keep my blade pointed down at the ground by my side. She again made the first move, this time to swing her sword in a circle around her head before bringing it down at a slight angle towards my neck. I hoped I would surprise her with my counter.

To avoid the blow, I lifted my sword to parry and got in close to Luna. Our blades locked together, and our faces were but four inches apart. I shoved her blade away and brought my own to her side a second time. "Defeated," I said again.

"Incredible. That round ended so quickly... I never expected you to do something like that. Never have I been defeated that quickly... you're killing my ego, Will."

"I'm sorry for that, Luna." Again, I rolled my shoulders and neck, stretched out, and lowered my sword. "Ready."

"No," Luna countered. "I hate to admit it, but you have bested me. Two rounds of three."

"Are you sure?" I asked, not moving from my ready stance.

"Yes, Will. I am sure." She hadn't taken up a ready position, so I slowly and cautiously slipped out of mine. "I am impressed with your skill. With only four years of training and practise, I am surprised you know so much."

"Thank you, Luna."

"In fact, there may be a few things-" Here she stopped talking and lashed out with lightning speed. I barely had the time to duck the high thrust she'd thrown at me before I had to parry a slash. Because my courtsword was double-edged and made to perform equally well with slashes as with thrusts, I opened a barrage of hacks, letting on that I had become desperate in reaction to the sudden attack.

I attacked in a predictable pattern, always left to right, right to left, and back and forth. When I felt this had gone on long enough, I stepped back and discontinued my assault. Luna, not expecting this, had already swung and had no time to recover when I stepped forward and tapped her belly with the point of my sword. "Defeated." I said proudly.

"No..." She shook her head. "That's just not possible! I don't know how you could have beaten me! I've had much longer practising and training!"

"Everyone makes mistakes, Luna. Your most prominent one was that you began each round with a thrust to the neck, or some other attack to the neck. It became easy to predict. Your next had to be falling into a routine, as in the last round. But you fought well. There were moments in all three rounds I doubted I would win. Especially the last round. I feared you would see through my obvious pattern and simply strike me down."

"But... but..." Luna stammered.

"Luna, look at me." She did. "There's nothing wrong with you. You did everything well. You just weren't expecting someone with my style or technique. It happens. In fact, three years ago, I nearly got my head taken off because desert swordsmen fight differently than those found in wooded areas. It's just that simple: you were facing something you didn't expect."

She still looked put out when she turned her head away, she said, "I promised you I would tell you what I meant by caretakers. It's an apology because it's been kept from you for so long."

When she looked back at me, I just realized that she had stepped back a few feet. Then I noticed her eyes. When they were originally strong and clear, there were now tears in them. A couple drops fell, leaving dark trails in her light skinned face. She said to herself, because I hadn't asked or told her anything, "I have to tell him!" She stood silent for a short bit, and her eyes wandered off to her left. "He's beating himself up over it! I have to tell him! I have to stop his suffering!"

I said nothing. I knew I talked to myself, and I also sometimes spoke to Bill aloud. I allowed her this comfort. Will? 'Yeah, Bill?' I think she has a voice of her own. 'Why would you think that?' She knows what I do. She knows about what I am. Now she's arguing with herself, like you sometimes do with me. I got nervous. 'You're right. But I guess all we can do is wait.' Yeah.

When her eyes snapped back to me, I stood ready for what she needed to tell me. I hoped it was good news; bad news at this time sucked to hear. Especially if it came from someone you'd known for about an hour. I had to wait a while, because Luna apparently couldn't find the words she needed to speak through the tears. But when she spoke the four words she'd waited so long to say, I froze stone cold. Holy crap, Will... this is... Hell, I can't describe it... 'Neither can I... think she's telling the truth?' Why should she lie to us? 'It may be sympathy.' Search her mind, but do it carefully. 'I'll try.'

I pressed my will against hers, and felt the barriers that she'd constructed open up. This I was afraid of. I hadn't learned how to do such a thing, wall my mind off from prying eyes, and she'd just let me in. The first thing I "saw" was the thought, "This is the truth. I've wanted to tell you for so long... and now I can say it, and I hope you can feel the same about me..." I withdrew from her mind and fled back into my own. Well, Will? Is she telling the truth? 'Yes, she is. She isn't lying.' Good god, Will... after believing you'd killed your parents for so long... I'm shocked. 'As am I, Bill... as am I...'

Her words changed my life forever. All these years, I'd thought I'd killed my parents. But now I knew at least one was alive, my mother. It was... shocking. I had no other words to describe it. As I flew back to the base camp my company was set up at, my mind thought long and hard over it. But my mind came to a conclusion: I'd accepted it, proudly. I now knew who my real mother was, and to know who she was... it made me joyous to no end.

The four words Luna had said to me were simple.

"Come to momma, Will."

Death Toll

My mother was alive.

And my mother's name was Luna.

And Luna was one of the two rulers of Equestria.

And Celestia, the other ruler, is Luna's sister.

I had family. I wasn't alone.

I had lived a full eight years of my life believing I'd killed my own parents. And now to learn that I not only had a mother, a real mother, but also an aunt? And possibly a father somewhere out there? I was both ecstatic and relieved. To know I was still a good person, that I still had a clean moral slate... my whole body was shaking. And it wasn't that cold to me, even if it was night out in winter.

Will! Look out! Drop! I did so instinctively. I just saw the contrail of a "Hurricane" anti-air missile streak by, close enough to feel the heat from the exhaust. I got on my radio immediately, checking that I was on command's frequency, I spoke. "Woah, woah! Red rover, red rover, let angels fly over!"

I heard a response almost right after I cut off. "Woah, Angel, is that you? Hold on, ceasing AA defences." I heard the same voice shout, "Get SAM sites to stop firing! That's Angel!" Speaking to me again, he said, "Sorry about that. We've had a few airborne attacks come in while you were gone."

"Understandable." I replied, the base coming into view. "Switching to radio tower."

"Roger, Angel."

I switched frequencies to that of the Flight Control Tower, which was, for mobility purposes, a collapsible wooden structure. I called the Tower using my callsign I'd use in my F-121 "Raven." "Flight Control, this is Echo Three One Actual."

"Roger, Echo Three One Actual, this is Flight Control."

"Flight Control, Echo Three One Actual requesting permission to land."

"Roger, Echo Three One Actual. You are cleared for landing pad G4. Come in slow and steady. Watch for personnel."

"Solid copy, Flight Control." I heard him, and I understood him clearly, but I wasn't going to come in "slow and steady." That was for Ravens. I was it. I rose into the air and flew over to hover above landing pad G4. I folded my wings to dive. I was at a safe height; I would be able to slow and stop before I hit the ground. About fifty feet above the ground, I opened my wings. I managed to land lightly on my toes, which I honestly didn't expect. I was really expecting to have to bend my knees to soften the landing. Lucky me.

The first man I saw was my infantry officer, Lieutenant Masterson. "Welcome back, Angel."

"Thanks, sir, but... I've been thinking..."

"This conversation will end badly." Masterson joked. That's why I liked the guy. He wasn't all work and no play.

"Very funny, sir. But seriously. I've been thinking about a real name for me."

"Well, if you want to put it that way, Sergeant, you do. Just don't remember."

"That's true, sir, but I've been thinking of one I know and can remember. Easy for everyone else too." I paused.

"Well?" Masterson asked after a moment. Pausing obviously wasn't the best thing I could have done at the time.

"I've been thinking about 'Will.' I completed the mission successfully, sir, all under the name Will."

"Huh. Oh well. Sure, no one's stopping you, Sergeant. Your team name's still Angel, whether you want it or not." He grinned at me.

"I expect nothing less, sir." I returned it.

Just then, 2 F-121 Raven aircraft did a flyby, followed shortly after by a C-13 VTOL "Stork" transport aircraft. The design of it was roughly based off of the old "Osprey" design Old Earth drew up in the 1990s, with today's tech put into it. Instead of props, It used slightly smaller versions of the pulse thrusters you'd find on a surface-to-orbit shuttle. The Stork had two, one mounted on each wing. Each wing could, in turn, rotate so that the thrusters went from facing down to facing behind the craft.

The Space Army had much improved on the old Osprey design. I mean, the Ospreys are still being used, but they're primarily found on worlds or regions that can't afford the latest and greatest. But, the Space Army had fixed most, if not all, the problems that made people doubt the design of the Osprey. For the ground troops, the biggest problem had been that the only exit from the troop hold was the rear ramp. That ramp also held the only gun on the craft, a huge problem, as it required the ramp to be lowered to fire.

Before I explain more, let me note that the Stork is about two times the size of the Osprey. The Space Army had managed to make it as big as practicality would allow. Now, the rear ramp could fit a T-86 Panther tank. That's what it was for. For the infantry, large, door-less hatches were situated at the front of the compartment. These, which were essentially just big holes, but hatch sounded cooler, could fit three men in full combat gear side by side. It didn't happen that way. There were two large caliber pulse cannons, one on either side, that blocked most of the space. Therefore, only one person could get through at a time. Which, of course, wasn't a problem for me. I didn't need a jump chute, courtesy of my wings, and all I did when dropping was jump out, with full combat gear.

All my gear was specially made to fit me and me alone. My pack was put on by loosening the straps as large as they would go, so I could slip it on fairly quickly. I set one wing in first, along with the arm of the same side, then kind of did this whole invertebrate thing where I twisted around to slip my other wing in. Uniforms and shirts were another matter, with me usually slipping it on over my head. Uncomfortable, to be sure, but I couldn't dilly dally over little things.

Though, with the news my mother... I can see you won't get tired of that. 'What?' Saying "mother." 'That's because I can finally say I have one. One I'm proud to have.' I didn't say there was anything wrong with that. I'm as happy as you are. Anyway, with what my mother, Luna, told me, I'd have to get a custom made helmet later on if I planned on staying in the Space Army past thirty. I might, after all, because I didn't have anywhere else to go.

You have Fluttershy. You have your family. 'True, but I can't let out my relationship to Luna and Celestia. That is a strict hush hush business. I might be able to get by with admitting my feelings for Fluttershy. Either way, it's a court martial offense for abandoning your unit to be with another without formally retiring.' I think we can make them understand. That thought chilled me, as I knew Bill was referring to my "Will Power," as he dubbed me. 'I don't want it to come to that. Why don't we see about that when we get to that bridge?' Whatever.

In any case, the Stork made for landing, rotating its thrusters downward. The landing pad, D3, was immediately cleared of all personnel, then the Stork almost unceremoniously dropped from the sky to land with a loud "clunk." The rear ramp fell down. An M-12 armored car rolled out, followed by personnel. There was only one thing that made me... feel... sad, for lack of a better descriptive word.

The men running out of the ramp weren't running alone. All the ones running were wearing the red and white armor of medics. And they were pulling along so many gurneys and stretchers. There were a few walking wounded, but most had to be helped along by medical staff. Those that didn't have a helper simply lurched heavily. I saw one or two fall over. That made me a bit sad. But what had a worse effect was what I saw next. In response to the men who fell, some of the other walking wounded, who I might add weren't far from toppling themselves, began to turn back and stoop to help.

That right there made my eyes water. Whatever these men had been through, I hoped I never encountered it. On the flip side, I'm sure they wouldn't trust me to be with them either. Combat did crazy things to your brain. This was one of them.

These men, later, would probably come to only trust each other and no one else. The reason for that was fairly simple. They came back from something that had really did a number on them. They fought and bled together. Now that it was over, they would all have memories of the horrors. But alongside that, they'd also have memories of the men beside them now, walking or no, who fought to protect them. The ultimate respect. It's why I liked my old handler, Paris Lundein. The guy was a psychologist, and a civilian, no less. But he'd picked up a rifle and started fighting alongside us. He had the respect of all who survived.

Within maybe three seconds of the Stork landing, medical personnel from the camp rushed out to help, and soon all wounded were inside. I did see a few lightly injured people, but they were maybe one in every seven people. Not a good ratio. I rushed over to help as well, but was waved off. "We've got this, Angel. I'm sure Captain Henderson needs to see you, anyways."

"Fine." I was a bit peeved at not being able to help, though I accepted that my mission at hand had priority. I wasn't a medic or corpsman, at least, not in prevalence, so infantry objectives took precedence. I turned and ran back to headquarters, which was the largest tent. I saw two soldiers standing outside that didn't fit in with the command element, and it took me a few seconds to realize that they were in my squad. One was a Corporal Davis, one of my gunners. The other was my senior, Staff Sergeant Mason.

He and I were pretty great friends. We'd both seen each other under combat, and in fact, he was one of the men to get out of the whole fiasco at Sangre del Toro with me alive. He could keep a cool head. And Davis... he got into a knife fight with three spearmen. And won. Unscathed. Add to that the fact that he's great at gunnery directing, and you've got a good soldier right there. "Hey, Davis! Hey, Mason! Good to see you guys again!"

They turned to me from their conversation. "Oh, hell, it's Angel!" Mason exclaimed. "Welcome back! Had enough of Recon's job?" He grinned.

I chuckled. "Not a chance, it gives me time to get away from you!"

Mason laughed at that. Davis spoke up. "Hey, Angel. How've you been holding up lately?"

I put my hand on his shoulder. "I've had three square meals everyday I was out. I slept in a warm bed, had room service, and even got to have fun with the locals!"

"Damn! Stop rubbing it in, you jerk!" Davis playfully yelled.

Mason spoke. "I hope you mean playing games with them, Sergeant."

I turned to him, a stupid grin still on my face. "Staff Sergeant, I'm not into zoophilia."

All three of us laughed. These threatening tones, serious attitudes... they were false. It was just how we greeted each other. It lifted the spirits. "Well, guys, I've got a date with the Captain, I'll leave you two out here."

"Wow, Angel, I didn't know you swung that way!" Mason said jokingly.

"And proud of it!" I shouted stupidly. I chuckled. "I'll be back. With weapons."

"If you didn't carry your piece with you at all times I'd have to chew your ass."

"You'd have to catch me first, Staff Sergeant!" I shrugged my wings.

"Just go report in."

"Yes, Staff Sergeant." I went inside. It wasn't hard to find Captain Henderson. He was at the rear of the tent, sitting behind a desk. I walked up to it, then cleared my throat to get his attention. "Had enough of the paperwork, sir?"

"Welcome back, Sergeant. And yes. I have. Gods, we have so much of the stuff. If it were up to me, we'd just bury the enemies in paper. Save ammunition and money."

"Sir, that'd be too simple. You know everything has to be complex. Which is why I had to eat frog's legs and puke up gold bars to land, and just to get inside this tent I had to put my foot in my mouth and have it come out of someone's ear."

"You better believe it. I won't have anybody who can't do that in my tent. Now, your report?"

"Alright. Made contact first day, two pegasi. Rescued them from a manticore, about two miles north."

"Hmm. That's closer than they should be. Go on."

"We all flew north to the local apple farm. Met the stallion of the house, but..."

"But?"

"He died of tetanus, sir. Cut himself on the plow."

"I'm sorry, Angel."

"I slept at the hospital in the nearby village, Ponyville, for about forty five minutes. The citizens and I held a funeral at a local monastery out of town for a good half of the day." I winced. "Sorry for delaying my primary mission so long, sir. But I didn't want to offend the locals, lose their support."

"It's fine, Sergeant."

"I tried to take a nap soon after, but was visited by one of the pegasi I'd rescued. She offered a place to stay, and after initially declining the offer, the devious mare tricked me into doing so... sir, may I ask a question?"

"Go ahead, Sergeant."

"May I... skip over... that night? I'd... rather not talk about it..."

"I want to hear the whole thing, Sergeant."

"But-"

"I said, the whole thing, Angel."

"Yes sir... Sir, I arrived with the pegasus at her house at night, about nine or ten. We exchanged a few words, but I said something harmful... Sir, I ask permission to skip over this... please..."

"Keep going, Angel. All of it, spit it out."

"Very well, sir... I hurt her feelings, and she asked me to feed her animals outside. After finishing, her rabbit, Angel, sought me out urgently... sir-"

"Out with it!"

"He ushered me upstairs, and I found a horrible sight. She'd cut her hoof, severed both arteries... there was so much blood..." I felt tears come to my eyes. "I froze and panicked..." Henderson's eyes flashed to my right hand, which was unconsciously brushing against my sidearm's holster. "I applied a tourniquet... had her rushed to the hospital..." I was silent for several moments.

"And? What happened next?"

"At first, the doctors said that there was nothing they could do... I was terrified... she was so sweet and kind..." An unintentional sob escaped my mouth, but I continued. "Then a Nurse Redheart came along... she said Fluttershy was her sister, and that she would do everything she could to save her..." I gave a sad huff. "I almost got drawn into a date with that one, sir."

"Keep going, Angel. I need to know everything that happened. Full report, those were your orders."

"I slept the night in the hospital room. I had fitful dreams, but after waking up once with Fluttershy at around two in the morning and having a few words of comfort, I slept soundly... happily..." I smiled. "You'll be glad to know, sir, that that morning, I went and established contact with the mayor. She has the radio, with HQ's frequency and mine."

"Good. Anything else?"

"I enlisted the help of one of the locals to heal Fluttershy, sir. After that... we hung around for a bit. I took Fluttershy out to a treat-" I clapped my hand over my mouth. I'd said too much.

"Angel," Henderson began calmly. "What is your relationship with the pegasus Fluttershy?"

"Must I answer, sir?"

"Yes."

"Sir... I... I... love her..." I croaked out.

"You realize you are in violation of several regulations?"

"Yes, sir..."

"And that it is a court martial offense to fraternize with locals while on duty, and to a lesser extent, off?"

"Yes." My voice came out as barely a whisper.

"Angel-"

"Will, sir."

"What?"

"Will. My name. I've picked Will."

"Will. I have no choice. I must detain you. Know that I'm not doing this personally. It's the law, and the law must be upheld. I'm sorry, Will."

"Sir. Am I allowed visitors?"

"Yes. You aren't being held for a 'serious' crime, so to speak. You haven't bombed children's schools."

"Thank you sir."

"MP!" Henderson called out for the Military Police. One came to him very quickly. "Corporal, this man is under arrest, for fraternization while on duty. Take him to holding. He is allowed visitors."

"Yes, sir." The MP turned to me. "Sergeant, if you'll come with me."

"Right behind you, Corporal." I fell into step in front of him, regardless of what I'd said.

"Oh, and Corporal?" Henderson called out as an afterthought.

"Yes, sir?"

"Confiscate his weapons. Leave other items with him."

"Sir." The Corporal saluted, then we both continued off to holding. "This ain't personal, Sergeant."

I sighed. "I know it isn't Corporal. I should have known better. I just... couldn't help it."

"If you don't mind me asking, Sergeant, 'fraternizing' is a very vague term. Would you care to elaborate?"

"I'll tell you once I'm behind bars, Corporal. Not when there's so many people around."

"Alright." The walk to the hold was uneventful. I didn't see any of my men out, I thanked my lucky stars... then I realized how ironic that thought was. Lucky stars. And both Luna and Celestia are family. 'That's double the luck for half the price!' I joked. I was shown into the first empty cell, which, to my dismay, was the very first one. The Corporal asked, "Okay. Wanna talk?"

I sighed again. "Sure. But don't judge me. Not that I really care what anyone thinks, anymore..."

"I won't. I'm an open-minded person, Angel."

"First order of business, Corporal..."

"Dickens."

"Dickens, my name is Will. I picked it a few days ago. I like it."

"Alright, An-... Will," he corrected.

"There's a pegasus out there, named Fluttershy. I saved her life."

"And is she the one you 'fraternized' with?"

"You could say that. I fell in love with her at first sight." I sighed. "Then I hurt her. She cut herself, Dickens. Severed both of her arteries in her hoof. There was a lot of blood and I..." I choked up again. "I was scared. She was the first someone in my life that meant something to me... someone I truly loved..."

"I'm sorry, Will."

"Oh, she's okay now. I had her rushed to the hospital, and after the initial 'we can't do anything' take, I had a unicorn, a friend of hers, fix her up."

"I can understand that."

"The day she was fixed up... happiest of my life. We had fun in the square, bouncing and dancing around. Then I took her to the local sweet shop for a treat. I'd promised her that much."

"Alright. So far, Will, I'm not seeing anything problematic."

"Well, there was an altercation in the sweet shop. Fluttershy and I had been leaning on each other. I also had draped a wing over her. She was cold. An arsehole from some big company got on my case about it and I laid him down."

"You didn't-"

"No, no. I didn't kill him." I hastily said. "I just toppled him. Flat on his face."

"Oh. So... I know this is a personal question, but have you..."

"No, Fluttershy and I haven't done anything yet. We haven't even kissed. We've hugged, but that's it."

"Hmm." He said, thoughtfully. "Well, Will. I'm a little confused about the whole 'human in love with a pegasus' thing, but I'm not going to hold you against it. If you love her and she loves you, then all's well." He stood to leave. "Need anything?"

"No... wait, yes." I corrected myself. "Could you... go tell the Flight Control Tower to allow a pegasus to land? The Skipper said I could have visitors, and he didn't say anything against them..."

"Sure thing. It's been nice meeting you, Will."

"Could you... come back and tell me how it goes? With Flight Control, I mean? Yes or no?"

"Absolutely, Will. Thanks for your time."

"That would sound much less insulting if I weren't being held behind bars at the moment." But I still laughed. After a while, he did too. He left. I sat twiddling my thumbs for about ten minutes before Dickens came back.

"Will, your pegasus is cleared."

"Dickens... if I weren't behind bars I'd hug you."

"Sorry, Will. I don't swing like that." And he flashed me a grin. I returned it. "Anyway," he continued. "Nice talking to you, but I've gotta scram. Too much time down here and they'll wonder if I'm conspiring with you or something."

I laughed. "Maybe we'd get to share cells! Hooray, slumber party!"

"Heh, heh. Good one. Well, see you later, Will. Maybe I'll get to meet your special one!" He said with a wink, then he was gone.

I quickly went to work. I activated the transmitter still in my ear. "Fluttershy? Fluttershy, can you hear me?" I was grateful to no end when I got a response.

"Will? Is that you?" I heard her say in her distinctive whisper. It was adorable.

"Yes, love, it's me, Will. Listen, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead. Anything for you, Will."

"Thank you, love, I knew I could count on you. Are you free today?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'd like you to come here, to camp, with me. Please? I'm in a bit of a bind and I kind of need you to help me."

"Where is your camp?" I heard her ask immediately. She really cared for me. I loved that.

"About three to five miles, south of AJ's farm. Think you're up to it? I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Oh, Will, that's not that bad. It's easy!" She replied, reassuringly.

"If you're sure..."

"I am sure, Will. I can do it, it's not that far."

"Okay then... see you soon. I love you."

"I love you too, Will."

I cut off the transmitter. Knowing how fast Fluttershy normally flew gave me a decent estimate of about the maximum wait time. She didn't fly very fast, and she should be here in around twenty minutes maximum. It was a boring ten minute wait.

An MP, a different one, came in to tell me. "Sergeant, a pegasus is here to see you."

"Could you let her in, please? Thanks." I said.

He turned away from me, facing outside. "Right this way, miss." He stepped aside to let her in.

Fluttershy... shyly walked into the building and came to stand in front of my cell. The MP remained standing by the door, well within earshot.

"Hey, there, love." I said to her from behind the bars.

"Will? Why are you..."

"Locked up?"

She hesitated. "Yes..."

"Well, apparently by being with you these past few days was against the rules of the Space Army."

"What?! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble!" Fluttershy immediately apologized, which I had expected. I sighed.

"It wasn't your fault, love. If it was anyone's, it was mine. I caused all this to happen... Big Mac, your hoof, my life... all my fault..."

"Will." Fluttershy said firmly. I looked up to meet her eyes. "Stop that. That's what I said before I hurt myself. You're going to as well if you don't stop. So please stop saying things like that."

I chuckled. "Yes, Fluttershy." I grinned at her. She returned it, which made me happy, very happy.

"Ahem." I heard a new voice come in. I leaned past the bars to see who it was, and low and behold, it was Captain Henderson. "Will. I see you couldn't refrain from committing the same action that got you into this mess."

I shrugged my shoulders. "What can I say, sir? Love is inseparable."

Henderson turned to Fluttershy. "And you, miss? What is your name?"

"Uhm... my name is... Fluttershy..." She whispered.

Henderson looked at her confusedly. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

I knew what he was going to say, so I cut him off. "Her name is Fluttershy, sir." The mare in question flashed me a thankful smile. "She's real nervous around strangers. On top of that, her normal voice is barely above a whisper," I turned to her, "No offense, love."

She shook her head. "I didn't mind, Will."

I brought my focus back to the Skipper. "This is the mare I've been with for the past few days, sir. This here mare," I said, pulling her closer and "hugging" her through the steel bars, "Is my love. And I am hers, in return. Say what you will, sir. I care not. I have Fluttershy to help me through my troubles, better than my own teammates."

"I see," he said, though I doubted it. "And why do you love somebody in a different species?"

"We love each other because we are so alike, sir. Neither of us are comfortable around crowds, we aren't very social, we love flying. And," I added, leaning my head against Fluttershy's. "She's the most beautiful pony in the whole universe, and I wouldn't have anyone else."

The Captain asked Fluttershy, "Do you understand that right now, his duty is to the Space Army, and to us alone?"

"Oh, yes, sir, I don't want him to get into any more trouble. I want him to stay safe and out of trouble, so if that means I have to be away for a while, I'll take it."

Henderson sighed. "You two aren't making it easy for me. I-" He was cut off then, for a scout entered to whisper something in his ear and give him a piece of paper. "Hmm. Will, it seems that there's a large force to the northeast. Here's a deal for you. I let you out of holding. You go and take care of this threat. When you get back, you won't be held any longer. Sound like a plan?" He handed me the paper the scout had given him.

I nodded, thankfulness clear in my posture. "Thank you sir. I won't let you down, sir!"

"I know you won't." He turned and left, nodding to the MP before leaving the building. The MP came and unlocked the cell, and the first thing I did as a once-again free man was run over and hug Fluttershy.

"I'm so sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean to get in trouble, but he asked me to tell him everything, and I couldn't lie... I'm sorry for making you come out here, taking time away from everything! I'm sorry..."

She rubbed my back in return. "It's okay, Will. Now," she said, holding me at arm's length. "You go do your job, and come back to me, okay? I'll be northwest, searching for some herbs I need to stock up for winter." She let go of me and flew out. Then I was reminded of something. I checked my log for the date. Christmas day. That blows on so many levels.

Regardless, I had a job to do. And I figured the best present I could give Fluttershy was being with her. So, I headed out and went straight to the barracks. "Rise and shine, Echo! We're heading out!" Echo squad assembled in front of me. The orders on the paper were to send a squad sized force, and since I was leader of Echo, and I was told to go out...

"Captain wants us to head northeast to intercept a force of monsters. Let's do this by the numbers, I'm sure we all have things we'd like to get back to as soon as possible." Mason stepped up to me.

"I'm coming with you, Angel."

"I can't ask you to do that, you know that. Orders were for me to go, and to send a squad sized force. I'm leader of Echo squad. I'm taking them out."

"What's one more man but one extra gun?"

Mason had made it tough for me to say no. So I didn't. "Fine, Mason."

He nodded. "Alright, Echo squad! I'm coming with you ladies! Let's get to the armored transport, we'll be dropping off about a mile from target location of interception." Everyone voiced an agreement; they were ready to go. We filed out of the barracks and loaded up onto one of the M12. As a testament to its speed, we arrived where we needed to go in roughly thirteen minutes. "Alright, Echo!" Mason said. "Fall out!"

We all exited the rear of the car. We took up defensive positions; there was no telling where and how many monsters there were out here in the woods. "Okay," Mason began. "We are zero point six three miles from intercept location. We'll head out now to establish field camp. Let's move." We all began the trek. I had Davis watch the rear. Mason and I led the squad from up front.

After about thirty minutes, as the forest was pretty dense, we reached a spot in the woods. It had plenty of cover, as it was a ditch surrounded by dead tree stumps, and it had a good view of the surrounding area. "This looks like a good spot," I told Mason. He nodded.

"Let's set up here, boys. No telling when we get to meet our friends." Field camp was set and ready within another thirty minutes, and the monsters still hadn't shown up. "Well," Mason said to me. "It'd suck if we set up in the wrong-"

"MONSTERS!" I heard Davis shout. Immediately afterwards, I heard firing begin. I didn't turn to help. They'd call for help if they needed it. Right now, I focused on finding monsters in my view. I did, however, turn when I heard two screams. I heard a thud land next to my head, to my right. I turned to see what it was and found a large rock. The monsters were using rock throwers.

"ROCK THROWERS!" I shouted. "GET DOWN!" Twelve of the thirteen remaining soldiers got down in time. The thirteenth didn't duck fast enough and his head exploded into a mist of red. I gagged. Suppressing the urge to puke, I crawled over to Davis and Mason. "How bad is it?" I asked.

"Horrible, Sergeant." Davis said. "There're so many of them! We barely got ten dead before they fired back! And it was as if they had a good leader!" That last bit surprised me. Most monsters wouldn't do well with leaderships. So to have a sentient being commanding this force... it would make things incredibly harder. So I did something stupid and popped my head to take a peek.

I saw ten hellhounds, and behind them were seven diamond dogs. They each held a rock thrower, and they looked practised with them. I gulped and ducked back down before I got my head taken off. I was almost too late, too. I heard a few rocks sail over my head as I sunk back down into the ditch. "VOLLEY FIRE, BLIND!" I shouted. Volley fire would mean we'd all fire at the same time, and blind meant that we would just stick our guns above the lip of ditch instead of actually aiming.

Twelve voices confirmed the order. I saw twelve guns raise to the top of the ditch. I did so with my own. "NOW!" I shouted. Twelve shots rang out, and I heard several yelps and cries. I chanced a look to see what kind of damage we caused. At first I thought we did pretty good, because most of the ten hellhounds and seven diamond dogs were down. But upon further viewing I began to despair. More were running around in the trees. "FIRE AT WILL, THEY'RE BRINGING IN REINFORCEMENTS!"

Twelve guns shifted from the blind fire position to the prone position. I waited a second. "GO!" We all raised our guns to bear with the enemy. Good thing we did so then; they were almost on our position. They had moved while we were checking wounds. They were under a strong leader. I got off four more shots before I saw that trying to keep them out of our ditch was hopeless. "FIX BAYONETS!" I shouted, giving fear to my squad mates and the enemies, those who could understand English/Equestrian, alike. I stabbed two hellhounds right off the bat.

And then my transmitter beeped. "Will! It's Fluttershy! Help me! There are monsters! Please, Will!" I heard her gasp. "WILL!"

My face went deathly pale. My duty forgotten, one thought remained in my head: Fluttershy was in bad trouble, and needed my help. "Mason! Take over!"

"What?!"

"Just do it!" I dropped my rifle on the ground, and with that, I took off. I tried talking to Fluttershy again. "Where?!"

I heard her voice, which made me glad to no end; she was still alive... I had time. "Three miles northwest!"

"I'm on my way!" Three miles northwest, whereas I'd gone three miles north east. I had a little over four miles to go, which I could cover in about a minute. I beat my wings as hard as I could, trying to go faster so as to reach Fluttershy in less than a minute. She maybe didn't even have a minute. I quickly threw that thought away, I didn't want to think of worst case scenarios at the moment. I got to the area in about thirty seven seconds.

I quickly scanned the forest for any sign of Fluttershy. When I didn't immediately see anything, I began to panic. I feared the worst, but a brief glimpse of yellow and pink quelled that fear. I zoomed down into the trees, weaving in and out to avoid branches and trunks. Ahead of me, there were several diamond dogs in chase of a yellow pegasus with a pink mane. I didn't bother with them now; I needed to get Fluttershy to safety first.

I sped past them, scooping up Fluttershy into my arms. "Hi there, love. Happy to see me again?"

"Will!" Fluttershy hugged me and snuggled into me. "You came! I was so scared, but I knew you'd save me!"

"Anything for you, love!" Then I rose above the treeline. That was a mistake. Several rocks flew up into the sky after me. All but one missed, but the hitter was a horrid wound. The rock tore a whole about three centimeters in diameter through my right wing. I couldn't fly.

I began losing altitude. As I got faster and faster due to gravity, the more the wind ripped into my open wound. The more the wind tore around in there mangled the innards of my wing even worse. I began spiraling. I tried furiously to right myself, but it just wasn't to be. After I'd accepted that I wouldn't get out of it this time, I closed my eyes, and just concentrated on landing on my back, keeping Fluttershy safe. That plan actually fell through.

Quite literally, it fell through on my right wing. Hard. And the ground just HAD to be rocky and bumpy. I was sliding along the ground, every pebble and root digging into my wing, widening it, enlarging it. I was probably going to bleed out soon enough unless I got a bandage on. But I had no time for that now; I had to get Fluttershy to safety... somehow.

But, unfortunately, I wasn't able to plan for very long. Through the trees behind me, several hellhounds and diamond dogs came crashing. "Run, Fluttershy!" I yelled. Not waiting to see if she did what I said, I turned to face this new threat. "Go find help!" With that, I drew my sidearm.

It wasn't standard issue. Standard issue was an energy pistol, firing twenty bolts of special shockers. These shockers were "maximum power," as these actually were meant to kill, unlike the shock bolts I had loaded into my M10 during the recon mission.

My sidearm, however, was an ancient design, modified a bit. Back in the ancient times of Earth, around 1955, a revolver was created. They named this revolver the "Colt Python." The original weapon chambered six .357 caliber rounds. I changed that. Going to a gunsmith who specialized in making and restoring antique firearms, I had him build a special variant of the Python. My gun came with a seven inch barrel. It now chambered .44 caliber rounds. But, instead of six rounds, my gun had a special number. It fit eight. What set if off from another revolver, again of Colt's make, the "Anaconda," was that the frame was indeed the Python's. I didn't like the way the Anaconda looked.

I carefully sighted the diamond dogs, which, with their rock throwers, I concluded were the present threat. I fired two rounds, killing two of them. I dropped a third before I had to switch to a hellhound that had gotten too courageous. With four rounds left, and no way to reload quickly, as I'd left my speed loader at the base, I carefully proceeded. I killed off two more hellhounds, and then with my last two bullets, I dropped two diamond dogs that were raising their rock throwers.

Now out of ammunition, I holstered my sidearm. I threw down my pack, then withdrew my courtsword. Seeing me put away my ranged weapon, the remaining two diamond dogs began chucking rocks and stones at me. Expertly avoiding them, I hopped, skipped, and jumped over and around hellhounds to take them out. I reached them quickly, with the only injuries I'd sustained was a hellhound nipping my foot. He took a stab to the face for that.

With two slashes, I slit the throats of the last two diamond dogs. I turned my attention to the hellhounds, and found that I could still see Fluttershy, albeit in the air. I gored one hellhound that had jumped up to bite at my face, and cut open the belly of another that had decided to do the same. There were still five hellhounds left.

I jumped over them all to get to the center of the meadow, where I had room to maneuver, as a swordsman should. The five hounds circled me, snarling. They all tried to bite at my ankles, and most were diversions so another could make a move. After killing two in this fashion, they ceased their efforts and just settled for making me uncomfortable by circling. "Fluttershy," I spoke. "Get help, now! Don't just sit there! You don't want to see this!" Circling with the hellhounds, I saw that she had done what I'd told her. I mentally sighed with relief.

Many people would wonder I haven't asked Bill for anything yet, but the reason was simple. He was in control of my danger awareness. I didn't want to distract him, as I could very well die if I did so. On the flip side, he didn't speak to me, as that would break my concentration, which could also get me killed.

Which probably wouldn't matter anyways, considering that the ground was shaking under the weight of something big. And it was coming right for me. The hellhounds around, all three of them, turned around and fled, tails between their legs. Will, careful! This thing is huge! I didn't respond to Bill's obvious comment. He was only doing his job. After about thirty seconds of agonizingly waiting around, the.. thing crashed through the trees and into the clearing.

It... was a big one. It looked like the minotaur of the ancient Greek mythology. It was about eight feet tall. It had the legs and head of a bull, but its body was that of a man. It carried a giant sword in its hand, making me instantly regret leaving my battle sword at camp. It was probably the only blade I had that could parry this monstrosity without breaking... yet even that was stretching it.

It took one look at me: a bloodied human with even bloodier wings. Then it roared, and charged. Instant plan of action: parrying was a death sentence. So I quickly made sure I would duck, roll, jump, bend, and twist to avoid this monster's blade while trying to get a few hits of my own in. I ducked under a swing of the humongous sword, which, if I hadn't, would probably have taken my head clean off. I was inside the minotaur's swing now, and I made two quick jabs at its torso. Thankfully for me, it wasn't armoured, and my sword bit deep into its flesh.

I did a combat dive and rolled to the right, as I saw it prepare to kick me. When I looked back at it, it was bleeding profusely from its abdomen, which made me believe I'd nicked it somewhere important. But I couldn't wait for it to bleed out; I didn't know how much blood these things had. I settled on it having "a lot." It made another swing, much lower this time, to prevent me from ducking under it. But that allowed me to jump over it, and again I got some hits in. This time, I slashed its arm and stabbed its leg. For all its sheer size, it wasn't very agile. That was the last time I'd get a hit in.

Roaring, it swung and thrust madly, putting me on a very desperate defensive. I did in fact, duck, roll, jump, etcetera to avoid the monster-sized sword. I made to jab at its leg, but it brought it back, as if to kick, and my thrust missed. I made to slash at its arm again, maybe hoping to disarm the beast. But it was not to be.

It swung its sword in response. I didn't have time to avoid it. The monster's sword hit mine, and the elegant blade shattered. I recoiled in shock, and because the blow had sent shockwaves lance up my arm. And thus, my luck ran out. Seeing me defenceless, the minotaur made a thrust toward my belly. I jumped back to avoid it, but I couldn't get out of reach in time. The wide blade bit into my stomach, penetrating about two and a half inches. I grunted in pain, and felt my eyes widen. Breathing became very hard. I could only manage short gasps. I heard Fluttershy's voice over the transmitter, but she sounded distant, as if she were yelling from afar. "Will! Luna's on the way! She's coming to help!"

The minotaur snorted in my face. I dropped my useless sword hilt, unable to hold onto it any longer. I felt the sword slide out of me, and the minotaur roared in triumph. It raised the bloodied sword high above its head, preparing to bring it down and cleave me in two. But, it seems, my luck returned.

From my position, I couldn't see what had done it. But the minotaur suddenly roared in pain, and it dropped the sword. I did see somethings come out of its chest, maybe two or three. It fell over sideways, eventually falling face down due to gravity. I saw several holes which had the distinctive pattern of flechettes.

Flechettes were special rounds, meant for taking down large biological targets. The head of the round looked like the tail fins of missiles, for cutting multiple sheaves in the flesh. These fins ran along the entire length of the round, growing in size as it went farther back. It was a horrible weapon, used only in dire circumstances.

When the minotaur had toppled, I saw what had killed it. Mason was standing, his M10 rifle still braced against his shoulder. Seeing me still standing, which was a surprise even to me, he lowered his rifle and ran towards me. He didn't get to greet me face to face, though. Before he reached me, I fell over backwards, landing on my back. My sight got dark red around the edges. "Angel!" I heard him shout, but it sounded... dim. "Angel! Stay alive, man!"

I blinked ever so slowly, and when I could see again, I saw that the red rimming was replaced with black. "Angel! Don't you die on me, man!" But a new voice caused me to attempt painfully to look, and Mason did as well. "My god..."

"Will!" I heard a very familiar female voice shout. It also sounded distant, but there was no mistaking it. My mother had arrived. When she entered my vision, for I had given up on trying to turn my head and settled for staring at the sky, my thoughts were confirmed. "Will, look at me!" My eyes rested on her face, which was filled with worry, sadness, and fear. "Will, stay alive!"

I had no intention of disobeying her, but I felt my eyes close for about three seconds before they slowly reopened. Most of my sight was filled with black now. "Will!" I felt Luna wrap her arms around me, and felt my head come to rest in the crook or her arm. My entire sight was filled with her now. "Will, please! Momma's here, Will! Momma's got you!" I felt tears fall onto my face, but I couldn't see anymore. My vision was all black. "Will! WILL!" Then I heard a cry, a cry I never wished to hear again. It was in my mother's voice. She had cried out a ten second long anguished shout. "Will! Will! Please, wake up, Will!" Her voice was riddled with cries and sobs.

"We have to get him to a hospital! We need to bring him back to camp!" I heard Mason yell.

"The healers in Ponyville would be better!" I heard my mother snap back.

"Ponyville's too far away! It's six miles! Our camp is but three! We need to get him there!" There was a pause. "Grab the M12! We have a severe casualty!"

"No!" I heard Luna shout. "I'll carry him!"

"Ma'am, if you carry him, you might jostle him! It might make it worse!"

"I don't care! I'll bring him back!" Luna said in a finality tone, her royalty showing. Then, I felt one of her arms slip my left arm around her, and the other continued to hold me under my head. When she was sure my left arm wouldn't slip off, she put hers underneath my knees. I felt us fly off the ground. I heard Luna beat her wings hard, trying to get me to safety as quickly as possible. I felt my consciousness slipping. Will! Stay alive! WILL! I heard Bill shout.

The last thing I remember was Luna saying, "Will!" My left arm slipped off of her, and I couldn't feel anything.

New Beginnings

I sat on the bench quietly; I was waiting for someone. There was no one currently around me, save for the man at the desk who was constantly writing; he hadn't even welcomed me or even said a word to me since arriving. I had nothing to pass the time, not even the old magazines that they usually place in waiting rooms. Then again, seeing as how this was a waiting room no one wanted to be in, I can understand why. Just then, a man walked in from a door to my right, but he wasn't the one I was looking for. Regardless, he sat down next to me.

The man was tall, at least as tall as myself. He had black hair that came down to just below his ears, and it was straight yet lanky, as if he'd been through something tough. He had dark circles under his eyes, indicating he'd been working hard on little sleep. His skin matched mine, which wasn't a big surprise. I had a pretty common skin tone. He was wearing a white dress shirt, a blue tie, and a vertically striped blue sweater vest over it all. His pants were blue dress pants, and his top was tucked in. On his head he wore a fedora, an honest to god fedora. Draped over his left arm was a black trench coat. I knew who this man was, but meeting him for the first time, face to face, was rather freaky.

His tone of voice betrayed his apparel. "How're you holding up, Will?"

"I'm... okay, Bill. But that actually scares me."

"That's pretty understandable. You know where you are, right?"

"Yes. I do."

"Good. I'm doing my job." And he grinned. Despite the circumstances, I did as well. Then, a man entered from another entrance to my left. This man I was looking for. He wore a white dress shirt, a black tie, and a black suit over it all. He wore black dress pants, and even black dress shoes. "Huh," Bill said, not loudly but loud enough for the newcomer to hear. "Makes me feel under-dressed."

The new man smiled. His skin also matched mine, but his hair was brown and went down past his shoulders. He took a seat to my left. "Are you alright, Will?"

I was silent for a moment, thinking. "If you mean me, right here, speaking with you, yes. But if you mean me, somewhere else... I hope so."

"You know why you're here." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, I do. And, no offence, but I don't really want to be here."

The man laughed. "No one does, Will. But once they step inside, they love it."

"I'm sure I would too. But I'm only twenty four."

"True. Such a young age."

The three of us were silent for quite a while, which, as Bill would know, made me quite uncomfortable. So, he bailed me out. "So... what happens now?" No one answered, and another awkward silence crept in, but Bill hadn't given up. "Nice weather we've been having. Sunny."

"Hmm," was the only sound that came from the man to my left.

"Hey, I'm just trying to lighten the mood for Will." Bill said, semi-defensively.

"Ah, yes. Bill. The second personality belonging to self-proclaimed Will. What do you do?"

"Well, sir, I keep him up to speed with what goes on around him. You know, watch his back."

"You've done a good job of that."

Bill was quiet for a few moments. "I failed him..."

"There wasn't anything you could do."

"I failed him! I should have told him to go left or right, not go back!"

I cut in. "Hey, can we stop talking about me as if I weren't even here?" That stopped the flow of communication. I felt self conscious, so I shook my hair down to cover my eyes. "Sorry."

The man on my left laughed. "It's not a problem, Will. I'm sorry. But honestly, Bill. It was a very strenuous time. Will had nothing to defend himself, and because he was desperate and on the verge of panic, you were as well."

Bill huffed and folded his arms across his chest. "I still should have done better."

The man to my left gave him a wise saying. "There's always room for improvement."

Bill grunted. "Not if that one mistake gets you killed." That stopped everyone from talking, and even the desk man paused in his writing for a second, but he quickly resumed.

I asked a question to bring the topic away from the dark subject. "So, I think Bill had a good question: what happens now?"

The man sighed. "Now... now we wait."

I frowned. "Are they doing anything?"

"They're trying, Will. They are trying their best. But I think we should stop talking so much. I hate being interrupted when I am speaking."

"So do I, sir, but Will loves it." Bill joked.

"Now, listen here Bill-" I began, but Bill interrupted me, the bastard.

"I like trains. They are such a good mode of transportation; too bad aerial vehicles negated their use." I swung my arm at Bill, catching him in the ribs. "Hey!" He exclaimed. That was the last word I'd heard from him for a while. From where I was sitting, I could hear a loud... shocking noise, and I felt a pain in my chest.

The first thing I heard was someone yelling close to my face. "We've got him!" A chorus of sighs was the second thing I heard, the third being a beeping noise to my right. It was a steady but quick beeping. "We've-" I heard the first voice start, but he cut himself off. "We're losing him!" Then I heard the beeping noise get faster. "Will, stay with me now!" But his voice sounded distant. Then, I heard nothing more.

I found myself in the waiting room again, but this time I ended up on the floor. Bill was on his knees beside me. "Will!" He said. "Are you alright?" I coughed.

"My chest..." I said, but couldn't finish the thought. I cried out in pain, because another shock went through my chest.

"We've got him again! Will, stay with me! Stay with my voice!" I heard the voice I'd heard last time yell again. My head was hurting because of it; he was right above my head. The beeping noise to my right kept speeding up. "Will!" The man shouted, again, the voice sounding distant. "Will! Stay alive, man!"

I heard a new voice. "Will! It's Mason! Come on, your buddy, remember! Come on man, do what the doc says! Stay alive!"

"Will!" The first voice shouted, but it was too late. I'd slipped under again.

I opened my eyes, I was still on the floor. But Bill was different. There were tears in his eyes. "Will! Are you okay, man? Come on..." He turned to the man, who was still seated calmly on the bench. "Do something!" He shouted.

"I can't interfere." The man said calmly.

"What kind of bullshit answer is that?! Help him!" Bill yelled, and I could hear a note of desperateness in his voice.

"Bill..." I said. I coughed heavily. "Bill, calm down..." Then all went dark.

"Will, I swear, you are the most stubborn man I've ever met! Stay alive!"

I tried speaking. It worked... barely. I felt like I was imitating Fluttershy, only in a "I just died" tone. "I've had enough of this..." I coughed, which relieved me. I could breathe... I could speak... "Where's my-" I began, but I choked up, tasting a lot of metal in my throat. I literally felt my eyes bulge. I rushed my arms to my neck, choking and glurking for breath. That made me feel both good and bad: good because I could move my arms, but bad because I was going to suffocate. But I felt a hand turn my head to the side, which I realized was "face up." I choked and coughed, feeling a warm liquid come spewing out of my mouth. It became a little easier to breathe then, most of what I knew was blood out of my airway.

"Where's... my... mother..." I gasped out.

"Will!" I heard a feminine voice yell out. Only... it wasn't my mother's. It was the voice of someone else I truly cared about, one I'd spent more time with.

"Fluttershy..." I weakly said.

"Will!" Fluttershy hugged me tightly around my chest, to which I grunted with pain. It hurt a ton to be hugged by Fluttershy... what kind of hell was I in? Oh yeah, the real world where people who just came back from the dead have chest pains from being incredibly shocked there. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Will!"

I hoped my ignoring her apology would be taken as an acceptance... sue me, I just died... several times. "Where's... Luna?" I asked, through clenched teeth.

"Will!" I heard the distinctive voice of Luna sound out.

I tried making a joke, but I'm sure its effect would be much greater were I not holding back tears and in pain. "Will anyone be able to answer... my questions before someone else... shouts?!" I heard Fluttershy, Luna, and even the medics and others in the room laugh politely, but they all sounded hollow. Understandably so. 'You okay, Bill?' I'm better. But I should be the one asking you that question. How're you holding up? 'Glad to be alive.' So am I... god, we sound so corny, don't we? 'I don't care, if it means I get to see her face... her smile...' Well, if you want her that badly, quit talking to me and get to it! 'Okay, okay! Jesus...'

"Fluttershy... Luna..." But then, because dying makes you an incredibly stupid idiot, I realized something. "Wait... Luna... you're... undisguised... what about... Fluttershy?"

"Oh, Will," Luna replied. "I called Fluttershy over here when I arrived. I told her everything... about how you'd thought you'd killed your own parents... but then I told her about us, even our relationship. She wasn't mad, she was happy. She was happy that you had family, someone to talk to... when she found out that she and I both nearly lost you..." She got no further. I heard her crying. I couldn't exactly turn my head; I was still facing to my left, with Fluttershy in my view. She had tears in her eyes, but she was smiling. I did something incredible and fully smiled back.

Her smile grew wider, and she told me, "You're doing it again! You're smiling! He's okay, there's nothing wrong with him!" She'd said that in a joking manner. I took the joke easily. I loved it when she smiled, I was too lost in it to focus on what she'd said.

"I'm so sorry, Fluttershy... Luna..." I said.

"What for, Will?" Luna asked.

I chuckled, though it hurt my chest. "For dying on you guys..."

"Will," Luna said. "You're alive now, and that's all that matters."

Then I remembered my rifle. "Mason, did you get someone to pick up my rifle?"

Mason responded. "Yeah, but it's worthless now. It's broken."

Hearing "it's broken" reminded me of something more precious than my rifle. "My god! My blade!" I bolted upright, only to fall back down in pain. Apparently fatal wounds take time to stop hurting. Stupid fatal wounds. "My blade, did anyone get my sword?" A long silence followed, confirming my fears. I let out a long moan. "My blade! Why didn't anyone pick it up?! Why-"

"Will, calm down!" Mason yelled.

"Mason! Richard made it for me! Richard!" I saw that Mason was taken aback by this. Richard was one of the many, many people at Sangre del Toro who didn't make it out. I watched him get ripped apart... one of the worst days of my life. Everyone liked Richard Loring, especially me. We'd become such good friends, and when I told him I was trained as a swordsman but didn't have sword of my own, he'd forged one on his own time to gift it to me. I watched him get ripped apart... and with the blade he'd made for me I avenged him... avenged him one thousandfold.

"Will," Luna spoke. "I'm going to heal you completely. The doctors here wouldn't allow me, at first, but we, meaning you and I, have important things to do."

This made Mason start. "Wait, what? You can't do that, he's a soldier, and his duty at hand is with us!"

"Staff Sergeant Mason, I believe it is?" Mason nodded curtly. "I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria. And right now, I am taking my son to Canterlot, where we can give him both proper care and the assistance he needs. Final." She turned to face me again. "You'll feel itchy, Will." Her horn started glowing.

"Do you... think you could, at least, let me keep a scar?"

Luna smiled. "Oh, you already have a scar. I'm going to be messing with your innards. There are some things magic can do better than technology." She spat the last word, a clear disdain towards advanced tech. "I honestly don't know why Celestia agrees to the stuff." As she spoke, I felt her working on my torso. She was right; I was itchy, but the feeling passed quickly. When it did, Luna's horn stopped glowing. "All done," she ended. "Go ahead, Will. Get up. I haven't got all day." But she was smiling.

I slowly, experimentally, rose into a sitting position. I felt no pain. I swung my legs over the left edge of the bed, careful not to hit Fluttershy. I smiled at her, my crooked smile she loved so much... at least, I think she did. She certainly enjoyed it when I could smile on both ends of my mouth. I thrust out my arms, but Fluttershy didn't need further invitation. She rushed into my arms, while Luna stepped closer, but she hesitated when I wrapped both arms around Fluttershy. Noticing this, I lifted my right arm and beckoned her over. She came over and sat to my right, and I draped my arm around her shoulders pulling her tight.

"I love you two." I murmured, lost in the pleasure of being part of a family, something I'd never truly been able to do.

"Oh, I love you, Will." Fluttershy whispered.

"And I love you as well, Will." Luna said.

Mason huffed. "As much as I love family reunions, if you're going to be off, then be off. This mushy lovey gooey stuff irritates me."

I snorted. "You don't have to be here Mason." I paused. "Though, you do have a point."

"Always do." Hey! He sounds just like me! 'Don't get any ideas.' What? I didn't do anything, I'm innocent! 'Sure. Whatever.'

"Mason is right Will. We must be off; there's so much to do and so little time with which to do it!" Luna spoke. She got up and headed for the exit, but I stopped her to ask a question.

"Is... is Fluttershy allowed to come?" I asked nervously.

"But of course, Will! Nothing's stopping her, unless she has any prior plans?" She asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, I don't have anything planned." She whispered.

I cut in. "Now, love, I believe you, but don't tell you don't if you do. We won't like you any less for saying yes. Remember," I placed my hand under her chin and raised her head so she could look me in the eye. 'Be honest.' That's what I said."

"I'm sorry-" she began, but I interrupted her.

I'd caught my mistake. I'd been rude. "No, I'm sorry. That was rude. Forget it, Fluttershy, I believe you. Come on, we'll be leaving soon." I walked outside with Luna, and told her, "I've gotta pick a few things up from my case. I'll be right back." I ran to Echo's tent. Locating my case wasn't tough, my name was stenciled in large letters across the top of it. I opened it up and removed a large case from it. It was a black, waterproof case. I went back out to Luna, who, during my foray, had been joined by Fluttershy. "Hello there, love. Are you coming?"

"Yes, Will. I haven't been to Canterlot in a long time, and I thought I might visit it again... with... you..." She said, trailing off in the end.

I laughed. "Love, you don't have to be nervous or bashful, I don't care who knows at this point. We are together, might as well stop trying to hide it."

"Oh... okay... if that's... what you want..."

"Quite the contrary, Fluttershy. I'd only do something if you wanted to. Would you like to come with me to Canterlot?" I held out my hand facing upwards, as if asking her to dance. Which, if I'd heard true about Canterlot and its large upper-class society, I probably would.

She took it. "I would love to, thank you, Will." She smiled at me, and I returned it with a grin.

Holding the case by the handle, I turned to Luna, still holding Fluttershy's hoof in my other hand. "Luna, we're ready. Let's head out. Canterlot's what? Thirty? Forty miles? We should get there in what? Fifteen minutes?"

Luna nodded. "That sounds about right. And since you've forgotten, don't worry about spare clothing. I'll get you outfitted when we get there."

That paused me. "Wait, I'm going to be there for several days?"

"Yes, Will. I'm removing you from your service from the Space Army, at least for a while. I need you in Canterlot, Will. If it makes the militant in you feel any better, some things we'll be doing there involve planning to end this whole war."

"Oh, I don't have a problem, Luna. I've been in eight years. I've grown tired of it, but I can't leave until my term is finished. Which reminds me," I pulled out my log and checked the date. Still Christmas. I turned to Fluttershy. Nervously, I knelt down beside her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, my own reddening beyond all repair. "Merry Christmas," I whispered to her, then covered my face with my hair. "Sorry."

I saw Fluttershy's cheeks redden madly. Will, what the hell have you done? You've ruined this, by doing that, you know she isn't an open pony! 'I don't know what came over me, Bill.' Don't apologize to me, you didn't kiss me. "Fluttershy," I began, hesitantly. "I'm sorry, so very, very sorry. Please forgive me, I don't know what came over me... please, I'm so sorry..."

"Shh, Will." Fluttershy told me, which surprised me. "It's okay. I'm more embarrassed than mad, Will."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that..."

"Will, don't worry about it. But... could you tell me one thing?"

I was silent for a moment. I didn't know what she wanted me to tell her, but it probably wouldn't be anything good. I was a little worried when I voiced out, "What?"

"What's... 'Christmas?'" She asked, and when she did I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. That, I could answer.

"Christmas... well, Christmas is a human holiday. It takes place in winter, on the human date of December twenty fifth. It was created to celebrate the birth of someone important in history, but today it's about being nice and giving others gifts and stuff. Well... today's Christmas, by my log, and... I thought dying was a pretty bad gift... so I... did, what I did just now to... kind of... make up, for it... I'm sorry..."

"Will." I looked at her. "That has to be the most thoughtful thing I've seen anypony do for me in a long time. I don't mind now that it was very embarrassing for the both of us. It was the nicest thing anypony's done for me in a long while, and for that, I thank you." She hugged me then, to "seal the deal" of her apology. After a moment of surprise, I returned it.

I looked at my watch then, and found that if we wanted to be in Canterlot before the sun goes supernova, we should be leaving. "Well, guys, we're all going to the same place. We can talk more on the way. Go on ahead, Fluttershy. Luna and I'll catch up in a short bit." She flew up, and I turned to look at Luna. "Mother... you take off next."

She smiled at me. "Are you getting nervous? Don't remember how to fly? Do I need to hold your hand?" She laughed.

I did as well. "If only it made that much sense. But no. You've been flying for much longer than I have. And... well, I couldn't see when you took off for camp earlier. Could I... see how you take off? My technique so far is to just flap as hard as I can to get into the air..."

"Well. That certainly is bad. This is how you do it, son." She flapped her wings moderately, as if she were hovering in the air. Then she jumped into the air right when she came to a down flap, and she was in the air like that. So little energy expended, and she rose up to Fluttershy quickly. I stood there dumbfounded. Why did she have to be so good and make me look so bad? You don't need help to make yourself look bad. 'Shut up.'

I did the same thing as Luna had done. I followed every move she had made, but when I jumped, I lurched to the left. I righted myself quickly, but it was still a problem. Rising to meet two of the three most important females in my life, I said to Luna, "Why did I stall?"

She smiled. "Will, you said so yourself. I've been flying for so much longer. About two and a half millennia, to be precise. All it takes is practise. You just have to know how your wings are beating. From here, even I saw that your right wing was flapping harder than your left, which is what made you lean. Just practise it, Will." All three of us, Fluttershy, Luna, and I, began flying to Canterlot.

Oh, you got served by your own mother. That has to hurt. 'Bill, I've got some drugs to mess with my brain.' No, no, it was wrong to say that. I'm sorry. 'I don't really have anything, Bill. Got you there. Point for me!' Damn, I hate you, Will. 'You know you love me.' Bill didn't say anything for a while, then said, I do. 'Marry me, Bill.' My love for you is brotherly, man, not romantic. 'Admit it, you want to have my love-children.' Will, is there something wrong with you? Do I need to get Luna to examine your head? 'You wouldn't!'

Bill didn't answer. When I next heard a voice, it wasn't Bill's. Will? Your voice said I needed to check out your mind.

I mentally stopped for a moment, dumbfounded. "Bill, you brought her here?! Are you mad?!"

Bill didn't get to answer before Luna asked, What's the problem? Will's acting strange! Just now, he asked me to marry him, and soon after he said I wanted to have his babies! Luna, I don't know what's gotten into him, please, help! Hmm... I felt Luna wander around in my mind. I didn't obstruct anything from her view, I didn't think I had anything to hide. After a few minutes, I heard Luna say, The only thing I can see wrong with him is that most of his thoughts are of Fluttershy. None of them are inappropriate, but they are all of loving her. I suspect these are influencing his actions. So... I'm stuck having to listen to him prattle about love and all that? Sadly so, Bill. Can I come live with you, Luna? I promise I'll be good! Luna mentally laughed. I'm sorry, but I only have room for one voice, and Helen wouldn't like moving out. Aw...

I felt Luna withdraw her presence, and Bill said to me, I got to peek into her mind when I asked her to come. 'And?' She's so... professional. Everything is organised, and all her thoughts are proper. I even met her voice, Helen. 'And what was she like?' Well, at first, she was pretty violent. She almost kicked me out before Luna told her to stop. 'Wait, you mean she took actual action?' Yeah. I'm as amazed as you are. I don't think even I could do something like that. 'Wait, you said at first?' Yeah. In my defence, I said I was with you. 'And?' Then she calmed down. Pretty freaky, really. I mean, she's never even met you and as soon as I say I'm yours, she gets all nice. 'Now, that's strange. Did she show any emotion?' Fear. No doubt. 'Now, why would she be afraid of you or me?' Maybe it's because we're related to Luna. 'Sure. Let's just chalk it up and leave it at that. I don't want to think right now.'

But my wish didn't come true, because Fluttershy said something. "Will," she started. "Why are you so quiet all the time?"

I felt my blood run cold. Woah, there man. Keep it cool. I remembered asking something similar to her... about her constant apologies. That's what had gotten us into the desperate times, and I never wanted to relive that ever again. Slow, Will. Take it slow and steady. "Well... I... think... a lot about things..." I hoped that answer would suffice.

It didn't. "What kind of things?" She had no idea what she was asking of me.

"Are you sure you want to know? My mind isn't the nicest of places..."

"I want to know, Will. I mean, sometimes, when you, uh, 'think,' I see your face get sad or mad, and I just want to help."

'I don't know what to do, Bill.' Tell her. 'About?' Me. 'Are you sure? So far, only Mason and Luna know. Are you sure I should tell Fluttershy? No offence, but you aren't someone I'd leave alone around kids, if you were physical.' I'm hurt, Will. Seriously. I'm just... laid back, is all. But yes, you should tell her. 'Why?' She'll trust you. Better practise what you preach, Will, and be honest. 'But what if she trusts me less, for holding back on her?' Will, this is one of the many times in your life you should just trust me on this one. I know what I'm doing. 'There's a surprise.' Tell her. 'Alright, if you say so.' I do.

"Fluttershy... I have something to tell you." I flew up beside her, looking at her. She looked back at me, expectantly. "I... My mind... it's very confusing."

"That's for sure," Luna interjected.

I ignored her. "There's something in my head that I've only told two people about. It's a voice, inside my head, that tells me things."

"What kind of things?"

"Well, his main job is to tell me about what goes on around me, you know, keep me safe." I heard Fluttershy say something under her breath, but I didn't inquire, instead moving on. "He also helps me out with everything in life. Things like teaching me stuff, or helping me with... relationships..."

"You mean he's been telling you how to be with me?"

"No, I wouldn't say that. That's been mostly me. But when things get tough... like what happened to you... he keeps me under control. I was ready follow you through the void, Fluttershy. But Bill, my voice, made me see sense, see that there was still something I could do to help." Canterlot, being built into a mountain, came into view over the horizon, the sun getting ready to set behind it. I could see the beginnings of red creep into the horizon, the sun just now starting to set.

"So... he tries to do what's right for you?"

"He tries. And most times, he succeeds."

"Most?"

"I'm stubborn sometimes. Those are the times I don't listen to him and I usually get into trouble because of it."

"So... when you... kissed me-" she started to ask, but I cut her off.

"That was all me. He didn't even know what I was doing. Frankly, neither did I. I just... did it. I can't describe it."

"Oh... okay... um, what's that in your hands?"

"Oh, this? You'll have to see later on... that is, if I have the chance."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"For that matter, why won't you tell me?" I heard Luna ask, and when I glanced at her, I saw that she had once again donned her disguise of an alicorn.

"Because, it's a surprise. Luna, is there a celebration or party or talent show or something going on in Canterlot?"

"Well, there is a music festival, why?"

Hoping that my answer would throw them off, I responded, "It'll have to do. That's all I'll say on the matter." We were all silent for several minutes, but we were at Canterlot before any of us could say anything. We landed in a courtyard, and almost immediately I saw a couple white pegasi garbed in golden ceremonial armor run up to escort Luna inside, while another two stood in front Fluttershy and me menacingly.

"Guards, these ponies are with me. Do not detain them." Luna spoke in a commanding tone, her friendly and motherly tone expertly dropped, adapting to the new situation.

"Are you sure, Princess Luna?" The brown pegasus in front of me asked gruffly.

Luna didn't get to answer before the doors they had come through, which had closed on their own, were flung open, revealing a white pegasus with a horn. A familiar tiara of gold sat atop her head, held up by the long, sharp horn. From where I was standing, I could see a large orange sun emblazoned on her rear hip.

Seeing the guards and Fluttershy bow, I followed suit, bending at the waist, holding my right arm across my waist, with my left arm extended behind me, in what I thought was a good old fashioned bow for humans. Don't quote me on it, though. "Arise, everyone." I straightened, and found that the guard hadn't taken his eyes off me. "Luna, it is good to see you again. Did everything go well?"

"For the most part, sister. But I would like to speak with you about it, with Will present. In private."

Probably a serious breach in protocol, I asked, "Is my companion allowed in on this conversation that I've been volunteered for?"

The brown guard raised a hoof to poke me in the chest. "You will only speak when-" But Celestia had cut him off.

"Of course, Will. That is, if she's cleared for what Luna has to speak about?" She looked at Luna expectantly.

She thought about it for a moment. "I don't see why not. She knows it all now, and before you object," Luna hastily added. "The circumstances kind of required it. And those circumstances will also be discussed."

Celestia nodded. "Very well." She turned to the guards. "I've got it from here. You may take the rest of the night off." She turned apologetically to Luna. "I'm sorry, but in your absence I had taken the liberty of raising the moon. Forgive me."

Luna waved a hoof at her. "There's no harm done. Do not trouble yourself over it."

The guards entered the palace-like building that Celestia had exited. That was when I asked, "Am I going to be disliked by all the guards in a similar fashion?"

Luna and Celestia laughed, and Fluttershy leaned into me. I don't know why. All I knew is that it was either out of sympathy or just an impulsive action of love. Sue me, I'm inexperienced in love. Nothing makes sense... some people make it look easy, and I'm not one of them. "Oh, Will. Believe me when I say that it was nothing personal; you just aren't a pony."

Cracking a joke, I said, "That's racist!" Luna and Celestia smiled, but Fluttershy looked me confusedly. "Sorry, Fluttershy, it's a human joke."

Celestia spoke now, saying, "Which reminds me," and she spoke to Fluttershy. "How are Twilight and the others?"

"Oh, they're, um, doing fine..."

"And how are you?"

"I'm... okay..."

Celestia turned to me now. She seemed used to Fluttershy's shyness. "And how are you, Will?"

I thought about what to say for moment. "Celestia... I just learned that I was royalty last night-" But Luna cut me off.

"He's fine, now. Will, save the rest of your story for after the festival."

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "That reminds me! Celestia, is it too late for me to join the music festival?" She shook her head, to which I sighed a big relieved breath. "Thank you, Celestia."

"Might I inquire why you wish to join the festival?"

"Well, I heard that music was popular here. Well, I heard that music that was loud and obnoxious was frowned upon while actual music was smiled upon, and I thought it my chance play the music I liked, music from the human culture. The songs I like are old songs, over one thousand years old. Nothing bad. Most of them were love songs or sad songs."

"Well, then, I look forward to seeing you perform." Celestia said.

"And I too," said Luna.

"Oh... and, um, me too..." Fluttershy whispered.

"You will. I only hope that our tastes are similar enough so that you'll like it. By the way, do you perchance have a grand piano?"

Celestia laughed. "You heard classics were well liked here, and you don't know if we have a piano?! Of course we do, silly nephew!"

"How many pieces are we allowed to perform?"

"Well, since you are a special case, and because you'd be going last, you can perform as many as you'd like. Though, I'd like you to keep it under ten. Sharing the fact that your cultures aren't all bad is very important, but many of these ponies have jobs to go to tomorrow. As for any help you need, you'll find Octavia to be a very good cellist, and Vinyl Scratch can help with synthesis. Also, two ambassadors were sent here, naturally, and you may find help from them. I suggest you find them before the festival starts, though. They'll be in the royal suite. If you need directions, ask one of the guards. Luna and I need to be elsewhere. Good luck, Will."

"See you later, family." I said. Not tiring of it yet? 'Never.' I didn't think so. "Come on, Fluttershy. Let's go find my friends... at least, I hope they're friends. Unless... you wanted to do something?"

"No, it's okay."

"Well, if it's what you want..." I said, unconvinced.

"I said it's okay, Will. I don't mind." Fluttershy said more assertively, and I was proud of her, and smiled my crooked smile.

"Okay, then. Come on, let's go find them." We walked for a while, but after ending up in the same courtyard again, I asked one of the guards at the door. "Could you tell me how to get to the royal suite?"

"Why would you want to know? Who are you, and what is your business here?"

"Where to start..." I started dramatically. "I'm here as a guest of Princess Luna, Princess Celestia approved my request at performing in the music festival tonight, and I need to speak to the human ambassadors that were sent here."

"Very funny. You're not getting past us."

"Please, sir," Fluttershy whispered. "He's telling the truth. Could you please show us where the royal suite is?"

The guard, for a moment, lost his determined face, but quickly reclaimed it. "We aren't supposed to."

But we were saved. Or, more accurately, the guards were saved. My patience was growing very thin. Two humans in business suits walked out of the door behind the guards, in the middle of a conversation. "-night is very beautiful, and those who say it isn't hasn't seen it." The one on the right said.

"I agree, there's just something about the night here that separates it from the rest-" The second began, but he looked ahead and saw me. "Woah, Angel? What are you doing here?"

The guards were obviously put off by this. "You know this man?"

"Why, yes we do, sirs. This here is Angel, the most talented soldier one could ever have. He's trained in combat, medicine, music, art, swordsmanship, anything under the sun! What are you doing here?" The first explained. Then I recognised them.

"Johnathan? Nolan? Sorry, I couldn't see you in the low-light. I'm here for the music festival!"

"Really? Are you here to watch or here to perform?" Nolan, the one on the left asked.

"Perform. I asked Princess Celestia, about ten minutes ago. I'm the last one in. I was wondering if you guys could help me out?"

Fluttershy asked, "These humans can play music?"

Johnathan, the one on the right, said, "Oh, sorry, miss. I didn't see you there. To answer your question, yes, Nolan and I can play. I play electric guitar, Nolan plays drums."

"Electra... drums... what are those, Will?" Fluttershy's confusion was obvious. I saved her.

"They're human instruments, Fluttershy. Drums are instruments that humans hit to make different sounds. The electric guitar is a guitar that you electrify to make a different sound than regular guitars."

"Speaking of guitars, Angel," Nolan asked. "Is that yours?" He pointed to the case in my hand.

I sighed. "It was supposed to be a surprise for Fluttershy, but yes, it is. So... can you guys help out? I plan on doing songs from the twentieth and twenty first century, to show that humans know things other than war."

Johnathan pished. "Sure, we can help." He turned to one of the guards. "When is the festival to start?"

"In fifty minutes, give or take."

"Alright, that's more than enough time to set up. Just give us the songs you want us to help you with. I suggest making us have to come on last, because I'm sure there are some other songs that don't have electric or drums in them. Hit up Octavia or Vinyl Scratch for those, and make them come up first."

"Will do, thanks Nolan, John." I nodded to both of them. "Point me out?"

"Through the doors, to the right. Big studio room, on the left. Can't miss it. Both of them should be in there, prepping. Catch both at the same time and it saves having to repeat what you said before. But, can I ask a question, Angel?" Nolan said.

"Sure."

"Why did Miss Fluttershy call you 'Will?'"

"Oh. Well, um, I was on a recon mission a few days ago, and they asked me what my name was. Thing is, Fluttershy has a pet bunny named 'Angel,' so I said my name was 'Will' and it stuck. Angel's still my team name, though."

"Fair enough. Well, let us help set up, then we'll be down with our gear."

"Thanks again, guys." They left, walking past us to a prior engagement.

But Fluttershy also had a question about my name. "Why did they call you 'Angel?'"

I sighed. I seemed to be doing that a lot. "In human culture, Fluttershy, there are divine beings who serve God, the human deity. These divine beings are commonly accepted as looking like normal humans with wings. See the connection?"

"Oh..." She said, glumly. I honestly didn't know why.

"Don't feel bad about it, Fluttershy. You couldn't have known. Now," I said, squatting next to her. "Would you like to find a seat in the hall, or would you rather come with me to the studio?" I paused a moment, and spoke again before Fluttershy could answer. "I'm asking a stupid question, aren't I?"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded, pulling me into a hug. That almost unbalanced me, and I ran the risk of crushing her by falling over. Luckily, it didn't come to that, and I kept squatting. "I don't want to leave you, Will. I'd almost lost you once, I don't want to lose you again."

I chuckled. "I'd only be in the studio, Fluttershy, not dueling a manticore or something!" But I wanted her to stay. I loved her presence. I loved her. Wanna say it again? I know you're itching to; I see it in your mind! 'Will it irritate you if I do, or if I don't?' Yes. 'I hate you.' Say it aloud at least. Tick off the guards, watch their reactions when Fluttershy says it back. 'Oh, you're a devious little bastard.' Before Bill could respond, I said to him, 'I'll do it.' "I love you, Fluttershy."

I noticed a look on the guards' faces that could be described with "what the hell," before Fluttershy answered with, "I love you too, Will." Then I saw that their faces became horrified, as if a human, or Paracorn, in the "black" community would know, being with a pegasus was a revolting idea. I didn't care if it was; I'd found my soul mate. I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but it's true, is it not? Asking yourself questions is a sign of insanity. 'Aren't I?' Bill was silent, then answered, Point.

We walked hoof in hand through the doors and past the guards, as Fluttershy had started flapping her wings so she could still move and hold my hand at the same time. We took a right at the first chance, and it seemed Nolan was right: I couldn't and didn't miss the studio doors. I opened them slowly, peeking my head inside so I could see if I could come in. Seeing no one in my view, I opened the door, calling out, "Hello?"

I heard a female voice call out in response, "I'll be there in a minute!" I heard some scrabbling in another room, possibly a dressing room, before a grey pony with a black mane walked out. "How may I help you?"

"I was told I could find an Octavia and a Vinyl Scratch in here?"

"Well, I'm Octavia. Vinyl should be out in a moment. Who wants to know?"

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

Before I could continue, though, a white pony with a blue, "punk rock" style mane walked out of another room. What unsettled me the most were her red eyes. Most ponies had blue, green, or brown eyes. I mean, Twilight and Rainbow Dash had shades of purple. But red? That was new. "Who are you?" She asked me in an arrogant tone.

I bit back a retort before saying, "My name is Will. I was told I could find Octavia and a Vinyl Scratch here?"

"That's us," Vinyl said. "What do you need us for?"

"Well, I was told I could go to you two if I needed help with instrumentation. I'm the last performance in the festival."

Octavia spoke now, cutting off something Vinyl was about to say. "I'm a cellist."

I nodded. "I could use a cellist. Do you play violin as well?" She nodded. "Good, good." I turned to Vinyl. "I was told you were a DJ and that you could also help with synthesizing?"

"Yep, I can do that." This pony earned a moniker from me: the Rainbow Dash of Music. Arrogant, but could, I hoped, live up to it.

"Thanks. Do you want me to give out what I have planned first?"

"Sure," Octavia said. "Now's better than when hundreds of ponies are watching."

"True," I concurred. "Well, I definitely need Octavia for my first piece. Hand me a blank staff sheet and I'll scribble what you need." She gave me a few, and I immediately used chicken scratch. Had no time for making everything neat. I handed the completed sheet to her. "Can you read this? Sorry, but my handwriting, or my doodle skills, for that matter, aren't the best."

"Sure, I can read it."

I turned to Vinyl, already scribbling down more notes. "This will be for the next piece. You can do it?"

She gave me a pony salute. "Sure thing, Will."

"Thanks, guys. Now, I'm sorry, Octavia, but I don't have any more pieces planned that need cellos or other orchestral strings."

She shook her head. "Not a problem, Will. Just happy to play."

"Glad you understand, sorry." I wrote down another score for the song to be played after the second. "Now, Vinyl. I'm afraid for this piece you'll have to play with other humans, not just me. You know the two ambassadors that were sent here?"

"Johnathan and Nolan? Yeah, they play too! We got to swap our music smarts. Electric guitars... now those are cool, man!" I love her lingo. 'Hands off.' You claiming her? 'She's her own pony. I won't have you influence anything.' Killjoy...

"You comfortable with 'em?"

"Sure, we played a bit earlier this week. They're cool."

"Okay, then it isn't a problem." I huffed in preparedness. "So, I have a sad love song first, another sad song, a victory spirited song, and a slow, sad piano piece... I need another..." I spoke up. "Do you have a trombone?"

Octavia laughed. "This is Canterlot. We have every instrument ever made!"

I smirked at her. "You sure about that?"

She snorted. "Well, every instrument a pony's ever made!"

I grinned. "Much better. Could I borrow it?"

"Well... let's say we don't have multiple instruments of every kind..."

"You mean, it's yours?"

"Yeah."

"Care to help?"

"Sure."

"You'll be playing with humans."

"I can manage, as long as I'm playing."

"Also have a trumpet? That's for me?"

"Those we have. Sure, I'll lend you one for tonight."

"Thanks, Octavia." I gave her a casual civilian salute. "That rounds it all out. Nolan can make his drums play marching bass and all that stuff. Thanks for your help, ladies, but I'll take my leave now and let you two finish preparing."

Before they could answer, I heard a familiar voice call out, "Will? You here?" It was Johnathan. "Nolan and I are here, we're wondering if you'd like to come give a few practise bars before the show. We ourselves aren't actually performing, so we can miss some of it."

Bowing slightly to the two musical aficionados, I said, "See you there."

"Nice talking to you, Will."

I called back to John. "I'm coming, John!" Walking next to Fluttershy, I walked with them to the practise area. Soundproof rooms... humans had traded more than I'd thought. We stepped inside, Fluttershy as well, and set up. There was already a set of drums and lots of instruments to choose from, including a piano. "Okay, guys, here's the playlist." I told them in order what songs were going to be done and who and when I'd do them.

"Sounds like a plan, Will." Nolan said.

"Fluttershy, could you step outside while we practise? It's not that I don't want you in here, love. But I want to keep these a surprise."

"Oh... okay, Will. Whatever you say." When she walked out, I nodded to the others and we began playing.

Performances

After three hours later, we'd practised a ton, and it was our turn to get onto the stage. Peeking through the double doors of the hall, I saw that all the instruments I'd need over the course of my performance were already up there, including Nolan's drums. John's guitar, and mine as well, were going to be carried on by their respective owners. I had mine around my neck now. I saw a seat between Luna and Celestia, and when they saw Fluttershy next to me, they waved her over. "Go on, Fluttershy. Sit next to them." She did so.

Nervously, I walked onto the stage. I pulled at my shirt collar, suddenly feeling very hot. "Uh, hello, everypony. I'm Will, and, uh," I paused to gulp. Come on, pansy! It's just like an audition! 'Those are where people mess up!' Imagine them in their underwear! I tried imagining what a pony would look like in boxers or... anyway, while I came up with some pretty silly looks, it worked and it alleviated some of my nervousness. "Uh, I'm going to be performing five pieces for you tonight, all from the selection of human music, with the help of some friends." I looked to my right, and saw Octavia waiting with her cello, ready to play. I nodded to her, and we began with this piece, but cut down a bit of the intro.

When the intro was done, I started the guitar part, and began singing:

"So I see you're still stuck on the ground,
Down there all warm and safe and sound.
I know what it's like to be down there,
Dreaming of the sky and open air.
One day soon I know you'll see.
Raise your head and smile for me.
Laugh about our history,
Learn just what you're meant to be.

One of Octavia's solos came up then, and she performed beautifully, not once missing a note.

You sigh and always try to play it cool,
But deep inside you still feel like a fool.
The world's so big, and you, you feel so small,
Wondering if you should try at all.
But tomorrow's not 'til today is gone.
Live the moment, don't take long.
Smile for impending dawn,
and forget the troubles you think on.

Insert Another of Octavia's solos here.

Is it time to break the mold?
Are you doin' what you're told?
Go ahead, you can be bold.
Live for living, don't be cold.
When your final days have come,
Smile at the miles you've run.
Oh, come on, have a little fun.
Spread your wings, your time has come!

Octavia had a much shorter solo this time, but it still sounded great.

Still hoping for the wings you've earned,
Silent as the fires in you burned.

The piece got intense then.

Brush away the dust and ash,
On your shoulders from the past.
Smile at the things that last!
Feel the beat, your dice are cast.
With luck, or fate rejoice!
Now you finally have a choice!
So prove them wrong, this much is true.
Just wait another day...
For me to say... I love you too.
Oh... ho....

I pointedly looked directly at Fluttershy and smiled at her after I finished the song, hoping that she would take the hint. I let Octavia finish the song with another solo, slowly fading away. We both stood silent on the stage, waiting to see what the crowd thought of it. The hall was silent for a long time, and I feared that no one had liked it. Then I heard Luna, Celestia, and Fluttershy start cheering, and eventually the other ponies joined in as well. And it wasn't in response to their leaders, I could tell their calls and hollers and cheers were sincere. I nodded to Octavia. "See you in a bit with the brass."

She smiled, and walked off the stage. I could see that already, Vinyl was waiting to come on and stand behind her table. I waved her on stage. She took her place, and I spoke to the crowd. "What you just heard was a song called 'The Wings You've Earned.' It's a sad love song. The next piece I'll play, with the assistance of this lovely pony," I pointed to Vinyl while giving a thumbs up to Fluttershy, hoping that she would understand I was just using a bit of showmanship. "Is another sad song, about a boat humans had built a thousand years ago. It sank, because it hit an iceberg, but the captain of the ship did his absolute best to get as many people off as he could." I nodded to Vinyl, who began the opening to this song. After a small intro, I began:

Das Radar hat's vorausgeseh'n
Das Echolot hat gewarnt.
Souverän füllt der Kapitän das Whiskey-Glas im der hand.
Bis zum Rand.
Auf dem Sonnendeck ist der Eisberg zu seh'n
Majestätisch
Bedrohlich und unheimlich schön.
Man spürt die Gefahr
Doch man kann sie nicht seh'n.
Terra-Titanic - verloren im Meer
S-O-S kommt nie an.
Leuchtsignale sieht keiner mehr
Endstation Ozean.

I noticed that the ponies were clapping to the beat... or, more accurately, stomping their hooves or clapping. It was a mixture of both.

Der Gigant bäumt sich stöhnend auf
Die Tänzerin bleibt zurück.
Explosion im Maschinenraum - das letzte Boot hatte Glück
Hatte Glück.
Die Ratten verlassen das sinkende Schiff
Doch der Käpt'n im Smoking beachtet sie nicht
Mit dem Glas in der Hand - und die Flut löscht das Licht.
Terra-Titanic - verloren im Meer
S-O-S kommt nie an.
Leuchtsignale sieht keiner mehr
Endstation Ozean!

I let Vinyl play the outro uninterrupted. It was one of my favorite parts of the song. As she played the final notes, I saw all the ponies rise up and cheer, especially my new-founded family. I was proud of myself: I performed a song in German and despite not understanding it, the ponies around me enjoyed it. Wonderful. I flashed a grin to Vinyl. "Good job!"

She chuckled and grinned back. "Thanks, Will! Look, here come your friends!" I turned to look at where she pointed, which was where everyone had entered or left the stage, and saw Nolan and John walk up to me.

I shook each of their hands. "Ready to play in front of hundreds of ponies?"

The both chuckled. "You bet, Will! Wouldn't miss it for the world!" John said, then turned to Vinyl. "Hey, Vinyl!"

She waved at him. "Hey, there, John!" She winked at him.

Taking the hint, I nudged him the side with my elbow. "Got yourself a lady friend, do you John?"

"Hey!" He responded in mock anger. "I noticed you and Fluttershy huggin' and stuff! So don't go bashing me!" Then we both laughed.

I turned to the assembled ponies. "Ladies and gentlemen, mares and colts, fillies and foals! The song you just heard was called 'Terra Titanic,' by a man named Peter Schilling. The language I was singing in was German, which is the original language. Now, without further ado, I present to you, Johnathan Lyle and Nolan DeFieres, ambassadors and musicians! They, along with our wonderfully talented DJ pony," I waved my right arm to encompass all three participants. "Will help me along our third song, which is, again, by Peter Schilling. However, I've taken the liberty to translate it into English or Equestrian, whichever you prefer to call it. Sit back and enjoy the song!"

Vinyl opened with the iconic synthesizer beat, and soon after John started his part, along with Nolan on his drum set. It wasn't long before my singing talents were required, as I stressed that we were going to do the original song; there were to be no extensions, on the fly or no.

Standing there alone,
The ship is waiting.
All systems are go.
Are you sure?
Control is not convinced,
But the computer
Has the evidence.
No need to abort.
The countdown starts.

I saw looks of wonder on all the ponies except for Luna and Celestia. I wondered myself why this was, but focused on the song. I was singing a song of space.

Watching in a trance,
The crew is certain:
Nothing left to chance.
All is working.
Trying to relax,
Up in the capsule,
'Send me up a drink,'
Jokes Major Tom.
The count goes on.

Most of the ponies now looked intensely interested. I couldn't blame them; this song was purely awesome.

Four, three, two, one,
Earth below us,
Drifting, falling!
Floating weightless,
calling, calling home!

Now I saw I had peaked their interest. They knew what Earth was, as that was the home world of the human race. What they were surprised about, I guessed, was that this song was telling them about a journey into space. From what they'd seen the humans could do now, they must seem pretty confused as to why a space voyage would be special.

Second stage is cut,
We're now in orbit.
Stabilizers up,
Running perfect.
Starting to collect
Requested data.
'What will it affect,
When all is done?'
Thinks Major Tom.

I noticed that at the second mention of "Major Tom," several ponies I took for as anti-humans looked upset. At least, I think they were anti-human. When I first stepped onto the stage, I took a good look at who I was performing for. I saw many ponies look at me with disdain, and these same ponies were frowning at "Major Tom." 'They must think I mean the military rank.' Just sing.

Back at ground control,
There is a problem.
'Go to rockets full.'
Not responding.
'Hello Major Tom?
Are you receiving?
Turn the thrusters on.
We're standing by.'
There's no reply.

I noticed semi-smug faces on the malcontents, and I thought they must think it a good thing that Major Tom had run into problems. I continued without breaking the beat.

Four, three, two, one,
Earth below us,
Drifting, falling!
Floating weightless,
Calling, calling, home!

Vinyl had her own rising solo here, so I took a minute to study the faces of the ponies in front of me. The Princesses and Fluttershy looked damned proud of me, Luna and Fluttershy especially. The others... about ninety percent of them looked amazed, surprised that a human, a soldier no less, could perform a fine art such as music. When the solo neared its end, I prepared to sing again.

Across the stratosphere,
A final message,
'Give my wife my love.'
Then nothing more.

Now I knew the malcontents were human haters, as their semi-smugness was replaced with full blown glee.

Far beneath the ship,
The world is mourning.
They don't realize,
He's alive.
No one understands,
But Major Tom sees,
Now the light commands.
'This is my home...
I'm coming home...'

I'd intentionally emphasized the words "he's alive" to see what those grouches would do, and their glee was replaced with more anger. I was tired of these ponies, seriously.

Earth below us,
Drifting, falling!
Floating weightless,
Coming home!
Earth below us,
Drifting, falling!
Floating weightless,
Coming home!
Earth below us,
Drifting, falling!
Floating weightless,
Coming, coming, home!
Home!
Home!

After the third "home," I pointed to the audience and shouted it again, prompting them to join. Most of them did. In fact, the only ones who didn't were the douches, but even then, some of them joined in, and they seemed to enjoy it. Human haters starting to like human music. How strange.

Home!
Home!

I let the crowd continue on for a few times, before, with a flick of my right hand, I had Vinyl draw it to a close with the outro. After the ponies quieted down enough for me to be heard, I began speaking. "That, right there, my friends, was 'Major Tom' by Peter Schilling, originally in German. What the song was about was one of the first manned space missions, where humans would go up in rockets to space to see what it was like. Well, as told in the lyrics, Major Tom, the person on this mission, stayed in space because he loved it so much. But he was sorry, because he was leaving behind his wife. I found it to be quite sad the first time I heard it, but then I took it as a good spirit lifter.

"Now... if I could ask my helpers to leave the stage for this next song?" They did so, and I spoke to the crowd. "This next song is a classic in human culture. It was composed for the piano in ancient, ancient times, by a man named 'Ludwig van Beethoven.' He was also German, but that isn't what surprises most people. He composed several symphonies. But still, that isn't what gets people. What does," I paused for dramatic effect. "Is that fact that Beethoven was deaf. Yes, this brilliant classical composer was deaf, yet his music is absolutely amazing. I'm here to play one of his pieces. There are no words, just listen to the music."

I sat behind the piano, and found that I couldn't see past it to the ponies assembled in the hall for the life of me. I'd be playing blind. I didn't mind, but it meant that I'd get less time to judge others. Yes, I'm a horrible person. Anyway, when I had enough time preparing, I began to play this piece.

I played the good six minutes of the piece, enjoying playing it every moment. Eventually, though, it ended, much more to the dismay of myself than the other ponies. I got up to address those in question. "Mares and colts, that beautiful piece, and I hope you think it was, was composed by classical composer Ludwig van Beethoven. This piece was called 'Moonlight Sonata.' And no, Princess," I turned to Luna and bowed semi-apologetically. "It has no relation to you, but it was created to admire the night of Earth. I thought it would make a wonderful tribute to the two of you, meaning Your Highness and Mr. Beethoven, on such a wonderful night. Thank you for this night, Luna."

I reached out with my mind to try and talk to Celestia. 'Celestia, it's Will.' What is it? 'I know you were the one to raise the moon tonight, but I thought it would make a good impression if I said what I did.' I don't mind, Will. But you said you had five pieces to perform, and you've only performed four. I suggest you get to it before these ponies get bored. 'Right, sorry.' I withdrew to address the whole hall.

"If I could be joined by the lovely Octavia and the two ambassadors Johnathan and Nolan?" I saw them walk up onto the stage, and Octavia handed me the trumpet she promised me. "Thank you," I said to her, then returned my attention to the hall. "The next bit of music is a march. It was used in a theatrical performance to announce the arrival of a 'bad' character, but I assure you, it is simply a march. Now," I said, more to myself. "On with the show!"

Octavia and Nolan opened up the march, and soon after, I sounded off, performing and joining in. Now, what was Johnathan's job? He was playing the flute. As it turned out, he was more resourceful than I'd taken him for and had asked Octavia for a flute. Smart man.

The march was over before we knew it, as it was only about three minutes long. I was a little disappointed, as I was getting into the groove of FEELING THE POWER! Dude, calm down, it's just a song. 'Huh? Oh... right, sorry.' Bill sighed. The jerk. When the march ended, I stood tall, and I made a different bow this time than I had done before. Instead of using my arms, I used my wings. Wrapping my right wing around my front and extending my left out behind me, I bent at the waist in a winged bow. I looked behind me and saw all the helpers I'd had tonight, even Vinyl who'd stepped up while I was looking away, bowing as well.

We were met with hundreds of cheers and whistles. The loudest were, naturally, Fluttershy and the Princesses. There weren't many who weren't cheering, mainly the majority of the racists. Jerks. Sweat and blood poured into this, and they hate it. Well... you certainly put sweat into this. 'What?' Put some deodorant on, man, this place sticks like Chef Marsson's so-called "beef." 'I love making you suffer.' You're a monster, you know that? 'I try.'

I turned around. "Thank you all for your help tonight."

Nolan spoke for the two humans when he said, "Please, it was nothing, Will! Glad to help a friend out, man!"

Octavia spoke next, saying, "It was my pleasure, Will. I enjoyed playing this human music. Ponies don't give it the credit it's due. I liked it, Will. Consider me a friend." She smiled at me, and I gave her a quick hug. Just between friends.

Then Vinyl spoke to me, and I noticed she had moved to stand next to Johnathan. "Will, it was cool and awesome to play that human music! It's just as great as the stuff John and I played a few days ago!" Then she winked at me, and my cheeks reddened. I shook my hair down to cover my eyes. But it didn't last long, as something attacked me from behind, strangling me.

"YOU WERE AMAZING, WILL!" Fluttershy yelled in my ear.

Naturally, my polite and sensible response was, "Ow, not so loud, Fluttershy, please!"

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

I laughed. "Joking. Thank you, love. I tried. Did you like my first one? I sung it just for you."

She smiled at me. "I know you did. I loved it, Will. And I love you."

I grinned and made a true joke. "Now. Just wait for me to say... I love you too." I smiled fully at her, passion taking the reigns. She returned the smile. We leaned our foreheads together and closed our eyes, just enjoying the simple contact. We remained like that for several moments, lost in bliss, until someone coughed rudely. I looked up and saw a white unicorn with a blonde mane. His cutie mark was that of a compass rose. "Hang on, love. I'll be right back. Someone wants to speak with me."

I stood up and followed the unicorn to a corner of the hall. "Yes?" I asked him.

"First of all, human, you will address me as Prince Blueblood. Are we clear?" He said impolitely. It was then I realized he was one of the stoic human haters I'd seen in the crowd, seated close to the Princesses.

"Sure thing, Prince Blueblood."

"Why are you touching that pegasus? Why are you controlling her?"

"Prince?" I asked confusedly. Well, it was a mask of confusion. I was really pissed at this. Doesn't enjoy my music, and then accuses me of mind control. Who did he think he was? He was also very pompous. I hated him already.

"No pony in their right mind would show affection to a human! Why have you controlled her to do what you want? Do you want a slave? Is that it, human?"

I almost decked the guy then. He was a total ass. "I haven't done anything to her, except save her life, and give her my love. What do I get in return? Her love and support."

"The both of us know you are lying!"

"The simple truth, Prince, if you even deserve the title, is that I've done nothing to her, and she's done nothing to me! Now, if you will be a gentlecolt and get your rear end out of my sight before I lose control of my temper, I would appreciate it!" I felt my anger bubbling, but strangely, Bill didn't say anything against. it.

"You DARE speak to your superior in such a manner?! I tell you, human, that I'll have Princess Celestia punish you severely! In fact, I'll do it myself, trash!"

He jumped at me, front hooves extended, a snarl on his lips. Effortlessly, I stepped aside and grabbed his left hoof as I'd done to Twilight the other night. I pushed against it, and he snapped limp in my hands, and I dropped him on the ground. I stepped back. I'd defended myself. He was in the wrong. Even if he continued his attack, I'd still be clear. And he did.

Growling, he stood. "You DARE harm ME, human?! I will teach you respect if I have to mash through your head!"

Calmly, I told him, "Respect is earned, not given. So far, you haven't earned my respect." That only angered him further. I took this as a sign that he was a horrible noble. The self centered jerk. He jumped at me again. I dove under him, lifting my right leg as I'd done on the guard in Ponyville's town hall. I knocked the breath out of him, and he sprawled on the floor. Now, I noticed everypony watching this go on, even Fluttershy.

"Prince, if you give up now, you may retain some dignity."

"Not until you learn your place!"

He was about to jump a third time, because apparently he hadn't realized that if the first two tries didn't work the third wouldn't either, but a commanding voice spoke. "What is going on, here?" I turned to look at where I heard the voice come from, and I saw Luna and Celestia. "I asked a question!"

Blueblood spoke first. "This human attacked me! Punish him!"

Celestia turned to me. "And your side of the story?"

I took a breath. "Fluttershy and I were... displaying our affection, Princess Celestia, by resting our heads together. Prince Blueblood drew me aside and threw accusations at me about how I'd controlled her mind or something. I denied it all, politely, but then he progressed to insult me. I admit, I lost some of my temper and verbally lashed out at him, and in return he attacked me physically. He did no harm to me, but I did humiliate him and knock his breath out. And for that, I apologize."

Celestia turned again to look at Blueblood. "Do you have any objections?"

"He's lying! I never said a mean thing to him, and I certainly never attacked him! He attacked me!"

Celestia was quiet for a moment. "I believe you, Will." I was surprised. And if I were surprised, imagine Blueblood's reaction.

"WHAT?! You believe this human over me?!"

"I do. And do you know why?" Before Blueblood could answer, she continued. "Because Luna has searched his mind previously for harmful thoughts and found none. On top of that, Blueblood, he is here as a guest of Princess Luna, and attacking a guest, much more a guest of a Princess, is a very bad mistake."

"What? But I... I didn't know!"

"That is no excuse, Blueblood. I've tried drilling this into your head many times. Being a Prince comes with responsibilities, and one of those responsibilities is to respect others. You have failed with that concept too many times now. You are now exiled from the nobility."

A silence spread around the onlookers faster than a fire on dry woodland. Blueblood broke it. "What?"

"You do not deserve the title 'Prince.' You are one no longer. You live among the common people and make a living on your own. I expect you and your belongings to be out of the castle by morning. Now go!" I haven't seen a mouse run to cheese faster than Blueblood scrammed the hell out of the hall.

But I didn't object, because I believed it was for the best. I wasn't about to go about contradicting Celestia, either. In my mind, what Blueblood got was what he deserved. I thought so myself; he didn't deserve to be a prince. Celestia turned to me. "You didn't say anything during his punishment. Why?"

I thought hard over something polite to say, and with help from Bill, I did. "Princess Celestia, I didn't have much knowledge on the subject. All I had to go on was this incident and your words." I added hastily, "And not to say I don't believe you, Princess. But if he were the image of a good prince, and I had agreed with your punishment, it would be bad on my part. If he were a monster, yet I disagreed with you, it would also look bad. I didn't know much about the situation, and seeing that you were one who did, I let you take the reigns."

Princess Celestia was silent for a long while. I started getting nervous, and I could see all the other ponies fidgeting. As the silence grew longer and longer, and my fear skyrocketed. Then she finally said something. "You've performed admirably, Will, in both the arts and public behaviour."

"Thank you, Princess."

But she wasn't finished. She stood next to me, facing the other ponies. She raised my hand with her hoof, and shouted to the rest of the assembled ponies, "Prince Will!"

Then I wondered why I was spinning and why there were gasps and then I wondered who turned out the lights.

Merry Christmas

"And... hang some streamers over the door. Yes, the red and green ones." I called out to a brown pegasus. I felt like I held myself much higher than anyone else. Maybe you do? But it wasn't like that. It isn't? 'Will you be quiet?' Bill did. I just wanted the best for Fluttershy. I had... lots... to make up for. The brown pegasus, I still hadn't caught his name, hung the streamers perfectly. "Thank you, good sir. Take a break, if you want. I shouldn't have been that coarse with you."

Unlike what most people, or ponies, would have done, the brown pegasus looked at me and said, "No, that's alright. I should have put two and two together and, seeing all the red and green, put those streamers up."

"Are you sure?" I asked. Dammit Will, why can't you leave well enough alone and let him do his work? 'Maybe because I was rude to him?' There you go, being a good person again. I'm telling you, life doesn't work that way. 'In Equestria it does.' Whatever you say, Will. Whatever. You. Say. Bill said, excruciatingly sarcastically.

The pony nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Don't worry yourself over it." He resumed setting up the streamers over the doors. He put them up in a rather quick fashion. Being a pegasus helped with that, I'm sure. You think?

Bill's behaviour made me pause for a second. 'What is your problem, Bill?' What do you mean? 'Before this morning, you were sociable.' What am I now? 'You don't hear yourself?' Honestly, no. 'You're getting pretty... you're starting to be a dick, Bill.' How so? 'Well, before this morning, your witty remarks were tolerable. Good-natured banter. Now...' Now? 'Now, you're moving on to insulting.' I am? 'You are.'

Bill said something that didn't fit his character: he apologized. I'm sorry. I don't mean to. It's just... well, with all the stuff going on I can't... I don't... Then I heard crying. Bill was crying. 'Hey, man. I didn't mean for you to cry.' I'm sorry... It was times I wished Bill were physical, so I could comfort him. Oh gods, I could hear it now: "Ew, he's hugging a guy!" Honestly, sometimes people don't grow up... and that's what does them in in the real world.

I was brought back to reality when I heard Luna call out to me. "Prince Will! Come here a moment, would you?"

I walked towards the blue "alicorn" that was Luna, still trying to mentally comfort Bill. "What is it?"

"How are the decorations coming?" She asked, looking around.

I did the same and gave her my opinion. "I think that they're coming along well. With a few balloons and, say, a streamer here and there... maybe a bit of confetti..."

Luna chuckled. "You are such a worrier. But... there was another reason I called you over."

I looked at her, confused. I could hear Bill's sobs in the background, almost white noise. "What's the matter?"

"I sense... Bill. He's... crying?" She asked, almost as if asking for confirmation.

I sighed. "Yeah. He's... broken down. As it turns out, my voice has a breaking limit. And he's reached it."

"That's odd. Can I ask why he's crying?" Luna asked, seriously but innocently.

"Apparently, there's been so much going on, and I asked him why he was starting to sound... rude, is the best word I can think of. I mean, before this morning, he was what I'd call 'sociable,' but lately he's been getting a bit worse. I asked him about it, and... he said he didn't even realize it until I brought it up. I found that strange, seeing as how he's the speaker. Anyway, he started apologizing and crying at the same time, saying that the stress of everything is catching up to him. Any ideas?"

"Actually, I do..." She trailed off and was silent for a while.

I waited a while in silence before asking, "Well?"

"I think... that maybe everything that's happened to you during your time here... maybe even your whole life... is catching up to you, bringing forth all the emotions that you felt or should have felt or might have felt."

"But... that doesn't really explain why Bill's experiencing it. I mean, usually when those things happen, he's an emotionless person, and that's great, because it helps, but why is he having emotion now?"

"I believe that's because he cares for you."

"Come again?" I asked. It didn't make any sense.

"What would happen if you were the one experiencing all of this?"

"Well..." I said. "I guess I'd be in tears right now. But what does this have to do with-"

"Does Bill want you to have a good time at this party, to be happy with Fluttershy?"

'Do you?' His answer was forced out between sobs. Yes, Will. I do. I know she means a lot to you, and... I withdrew before a new flood broke through. "He does." Luna looked at me expectantly. "What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Do you truly not see it?"

Now I was creeped out. What the heck was going on?! "No, why won't you just tell me?"

"Son..." She said quietly. From her tone I think she needed to get used to that as well, more out of the shock than anything else. "Bill is heaping all your feelings on himself."

I stopped cold in thought. "What?"

"Will... Son... Bill is taking all the emotions you would be feeling and putting them on himself. He's making sure you don't get randomly sad or angry during the party... he's trying to keep you happy... by hurting himself..."

My jaw hung limply from my face. 'Is that it?' Yes... I didn't want to tell you... I guess I'd hoped that you'd pick up on it on your own... Through his cries I heard him give a sad chuckle. But you're too much of an idiot to puzzle things together... I felt him give a sad smile. You need me for that, sadly, and I've been... busy... 'Bill... I'm sorry...' For what? You've done nothing. 'For making you cry.' Oh, please, Will. I was on the verge of tears anyway... Don't trouble yourself over it. Go have a good time... I'll be fine... 'I don't want you to be a hero, Bill.' What? And let you cry and shout in front of all the party guests? No, sir. Not letting that happen. He'd stopped crying, but I thought it best I not push him, lest he swing to the opposite pole and get mad.

I rested my face in the palm of my hand. "I'm so stupid." I looked up after a moment, though, as there was still a bit of work to do. I still needed a gift. "What would Fluttershy like..." I muttered to myself.

"I believe... I may know of something..." I heard a familiar voice behind me. But... it wasn't a voice I'd heard in Canterlot. It was from somewhere else... Ponyville... I knew who it was.

"Twilight Sparkle?" I turned around quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to meet with Princess Celestia, but I can't find her."

I chuckled. "I have an answer for that. As you can see," I waved my hand around to all the celebratory stuff. "I'm setting up a party for Fluttershy. It's supposed to be a surprise, so naturally I can't have her watching it all. Celestia volunteered to take her out on the town. Can't have her ruining the surprise, now, can we?"

"What's this party for?" Twilight asked, with what I could only describe as suspicion.

"Well. Yesterday was Christmas, a human holiday. It's a day where humans are nice to everyone and give each other gifts and care for each other, and so on and so forth. Well... as Luna can attest, I died yesterday. The docs over at my camp brought me back, after three tries, but still. When I remembered that it was Christmas, I wanted to give Fluttershy a present."

Luna spoke up. "Will's gift was... unintentional. It just... happened."

"I kissed Fluttershy on the cheek." I noticed Twilight's face turn red, and I could tell it wasn't from embarrassment. "I mean, it was just a quick peck, and the whole gift thing was ruined by my embarrassment at the whole thing. She was... okay with it, I think. I mean, she didn't get mad, thank the gods."

"You kissed Fluttershy?!" Twilight said, her voice rising in volume.

"Now, now, Twilight," I said, holding my hands up to her. "Remember what Princess Celestia said. I didn't provoke you; I've said nothing wrong. Don't get angry."

"How could I not get angry?! Every time I meet you, you steal Fluttershy away more and more!"

Luna saved my hide. "Twilight Sparkle! You will become calm this instant! I recall my sister's words very clearly, as if she had said them not moments ago, and it is you, not Will, who is at fault here!"

Twilight was immediately taken down several pegs. She hung her head low, defeated. "I'm sorry, Princess Luna."

"Now, I believe you'd said you may be able to help Will in finding a gift for Fluttershy?"

Twilight sighed. "Yes, Princess Luna." She looked up slightly, towards me. "If you'll follow me, I can take you to some shops that I think should sell things that Fluttershy likes." She turned and walked away, still sullen. I made to follow, but Luna stopped me with a hoof.

"Do not go without protection."

"Huh?" I asked, smartly.

"It's dangerous to go alone. Take this." Then she took my right hand in her hoof, and with the other she placed what looked to be a bracelet into my hand. The bracelet was of a very strange design, it appeared to be more or less entirely made of tiny shields.

"What is it?"

"It's... it was a gift... from an old human wizard. He creatively called it his 'shield bracelet.' It projects a shield in front of you, roughly a quarter dome, that stops physical objects. Put enough juice into it and you might be able to make a full dome."

"I need to be able to use magic to use this?" She nodded. "But.. I can't-"

"Oh, don't worry, Will. You have magic. You don't have a horn to focus it with, but that's the thing. My hu-... friend, the wizard, he didn't have a horn. In fact, he wasn't a Paracorn as we are. He was just an ordinary human, as were all his friends and acquaintances. At least, those who could use magic were human. He did have some shape-shifter friends. And he had a vampire for a half-brother. But, back to the point. He had no horn to use as a focus. Instead," She paused, and pointed to the shield bracelet. "That shield bracelet was one of his focuses."

"He had multiple?"

"Oh, sure. Remember: human magic is different from that of unicorns or Paracorns. He cast spells and enchantments on that bracelet specifically for defense. He also had a short stick, maybe only a foot and a half long -- it's been a while, I don't remember exactly -- that he used for throwing around fire. Called it a 'blasting rod.' He also had a staff that he carried, pretty much every where. He carved sigils into it to give it power. Aside from using it for magical purposes," Luna chuckled. "He bludgeoned things with it."

"He wasn't a bad person, was he?" I asked.

"Oh, no, nothing like that." I noticed Luna slip into a sort of... dreamy gaze? I didn't know what that was about. "He lived in the old Earth city of Chicago. He was pretty much the only big-time magic user there. Not that he advertised that specifically; he had a job to find lost things. You know, rings, wallets, that sort of thing. But..." I noticed from her right eye drooped a single droplet, as if the eye didn't want to let it go. "He also served as the city's protector from the 'supernatural.' Back then, demons, harpies, vampires, all that stuff, even wizards -- and I mean real ones, not stage magicians -- didn't exist. He did well. He was good at it. At stopping the monsters..." I saw the tear fall down her cheek, another already replacing it.

I rested my left hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a hug. "It's alright. You don't have to tell me, not if it's this painful for you... I won't have you crying at this party, okay?" I said, looking into her eyes, smiling.

Her struggle was obvious, but she managed a weak smile as well. "Very well. Now, Twilight is waiting for you at the door."

I turned towards to the exit to find that she was right. "I'm coming!" I called out, then followed my words with the action. Taking long strides, I paused mid-step, turning back to Luna. "Will you oversee the rest of the preparations, Luna? I'm not sure how long I'll be..."

She laughed. "Take your time, Will. I've done Christmases before, don't worry!"

I nodded, then followed Twilight out. She asked me a question as soon as the door closed fully. "Why do you call her 'Luna' instead of 'Princess Luna?'"

I fumbled. "Well, I... uh... well, much to my surprise, I, uh... seem to have been... inducted... into the nobility..." Which wasn't really far from the truth. Celestia did kind of spring it on me at the last second, it seemed.

"What do you mean?" There wasn't much hostility in her voice, which made me believe she'd calmed down.

"Well, after my performance here in Canterlot -- and yes, I played music, to the liking of many ponies -- Fluttershy decided to both hug and strangle me at the same time." I saw a tiny grin on Twilight's face, but when I chuckled at the memory, it faded. "After that, we simply sat together, leaning our heads together. Prince Blueblood caught sight of this. He pulled me aside and questioned me harshly. I had an answer for everything, though, and when he attacked me I defended myself. Eventually Celestia stepped in and stopped the fight -- which, I might add, was a favor for Blueblood, to be honest -- and cast out Blueblood from the position of Prince." I paused.

"What happened then?"

"Well, apparently there has to be a Prince at any given time, and I was right there, so Celestia raised my hand and shouted, 'Prince Will!' That's when I fainted."

"So you're a Prince?"

"Apparently so. I'm still coming to grips with it."

She changed the subject. Typical women. "So... why are you thinking of getting a gift for Fluttershy?"

"I didn't tell you?" I sighed. "Like I said. Yesterday was Christmas. As I'd said already, I died that day."

"How?"

"Well... I kind of got caught hugging Fluttershy by my commander, and my punishment was to take care of this monster threat near by. Well, I had given Fluttershy this radio that lets her talk to me, and while I was fighting I heard her scream for me. Leaving my buddies, I flew to her -- she'd told me where she was -- and fought off her attackers. A few hellhounds and diamond dogs. But then... a minotaur showed up."

"What's a minotaur?"

"You don't know what all lives in the Everfree Forest?" I shook my head. "It's a monster that has the torso and arms of a man, but the legs and head of a bull. Anyways, this one was carrying a big freaking sword, and all I had was my dueling sword. Before you ask, it's a blade that is very thin, more suited to thrusting at unarmoured opponents, usually one-on-one. So. I managed to nick it a few times, but it got a lucky parry and broke my sword..." I felt my eyes water very slightly. "I'm sorry, Richard..." I said, almost under my breath. "It stabbed me, then. A friend of mine killed it before it could do the same to me, but I was already down and going. I slipped under during the flight back to my camp, as Luna carried me. Died in her hooves."

"But that doesn't explain the gift."

"Well, it was Christmas. I felt that dying... three times was a pretty horrible gift to give her, so I thought that a party and an actual present would make up for it. So..." I said. "What kind of things does Fluttershy like?"

"Well," she said, and I could tell she was going to recite things from a mental list. "She loves things that are animal related. She likes music. Art, poetry. Essentially anything that isn't a big deal. No light shows, no loud noises, etcetera."

"Wow... that's... that's pretty much like me. I can work with that. Basing it all on what you've told me, I have something in mind."

"So where do you want to go first?"

"Is there a shop that sells stuffed animals?"

"Sure, follow me."

We walked several blocks. I was kind of surprised that the merchant area was so far from the castle. Then I realized something. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Well... don't take it the wrong way, but why haven't you... well, said anything... angrily, to me?"

"I'm doing this because I want Fluttershy to be happy. I'm not doing it for you. I'm not yelling at you because you'd tell her and then she'd be really mad at me."

"Oh." We walked a bit further before I asked her another question. "What kind of things do you like? I mean, aside from books and studying."

This caught her by surprise. "Er... um... well... I like poetry. Since you told me to exclude studying and books, that covers it all."

"Does poetry set to music, like a song, count?"

"I don't see why not. Why did you ask?"

"Oh, just curious, really." We walked for yet another distance before I stopped to look inside a store that sold art supplies. "Hang on, I'm going to grab a few things from here. Want to come in?"

"No, that's okay. I'll be fine."

I shrugged my shoulders and went inside. I browsed the aisles quickly but efficiently, and easily found what I needed. I'd picked up yellow, pink, blue, green, and red paint, with a couple brushes. As I walked up to the counter, the pony, an earth pony, said to me, "Oh, no. You don't need to pay, Your Highness."

I looked side to side, not quite understanding what he said. "Excuse me?"

"You're a Prince, I can't accept money from you."

I shook my head. "Do you get a lot of customers?"

"Well, not so much, here in Canterlot. Not many artists here. Now the clothing stores..."

I held out the credits. "Then take this. You need it more than I. And that's one time I could actually say that and it be the truth. I've got money practically flowing out of my ears. Anything I can do to help, I will, so take it." He seemed hesitant, almost as if he expected me to quickly pull back my arm at the last second and laugh at him. Considering the quality of the last Prince, I couldn't blame the guy. But, to speed things up, I grabbed his hoof with my left hand, as I'd stashed the paint and brushes in a bag already, and with my right I pressed the money into his hoof. I chuckled and grinned at him. "Usually, shopkeepers just take the money and run, but I sense honour in you. May you have a wonderful day."

I stepped out of the store, leaving behind a flustered shopkeeper. I spotted Twilight sitting on a bench. When she caught sight of me, she hopped up and walked over to me. "So, what'd you get?"

I ruffled through the bag. "I got... paint and brushes."

"What colours?"

"Yellow, pink, red, green, blue."

"Not hard to guess what you plan on painting."

"True, but I'm not shopping with Fluttershy, so I don't need to take many precautions in hiding my purchased merchandise."

"Oh." We walked for a little while longer, and we finally reached the store that carried stuffed animals. I stepped inside quietly. It didn't take long to find what I was looking for: a white bunny. It was one of the first things I saw once I got inside. Grabbing one, I walked to the counter, money already in hand.

"That'll be- oh! Sorry, Your Highness I didn't notice you. You don't need to pay."

If I had a free hand, I would have scratched my head. I had to ask Luna about this next time I saw her. Or Celestia. Whoever came first. "What is it with people refusing to take my money?"

"Well, you're a Prince. I can't accept-"

It was then I pulled a line from an ancient comedy cartoon. I didn't really even like the show, but some lines were too memorable to forget. "Shut up and take my money!" And I waved the bills to the clerk. "Sorry, I didn't mean to curse. I wasn't thinking."

"Highness? Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I cursed, thoughtlessly. It was a human joke and I should have known better."

"If you say so, but I really don't think I should accept money from you..."

"Listen. I'm trying to support this establishment. I'm trying to keep the bills paid. I'm trying to keep your family fed. Do Princesses Celestia and Luna pay whenever they buy things?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Then why is paying for my things so hard to do?"

"Well... Prince Blueblood used to take whatever he wanted for free. He said if we tried to make him pay, he would slander our companies, tarnish our reputations."

"Rest assured, good sir, I do not and will not do that kind of thing. That's pretty horrible. So please, take this money. Go buy something special, save it up, buy food, I care not. Just... let me pay for my things. And spread the word that I will pay for my stuff, whether store workers like it or not." I flashed him a grin, and thankfully, he returned it. I found Twilight standing outside, relatively patiently. "Twilight?"

She looked at me. "Yes, Prince Will?"

"First off: call me Will. I'm not into this whole Prince thing yet, and until then, I'm Will. Okay?"

"Alright... Will."

"Thanks. Now: do you know where I could find a poetry or literature store?"

"Right next door."

I looked, and low and behold, there was a book store. "I'm not the most observant of people without Bill."

"What was that?"

"Oh... nothing. Just talking to myself." I made to scamper off before she could ask any more questions, but a shout stopped me cold.

"There he is! There's the human!"

I spun in place to see four ponies, wearing what seemed to be homemade versions of what I saw the guards in Ponyville wearing. Two of them were unicorns, the others were earth ponies. "Twilight!" I yelled. "Get behind me!" 'Okay...' I thought, lifting the shield bracelet. 'How do I use this thing?' When Bill spoke, I found that he'd continued crying. On that note, Will, it's because a sad Bill is a lot more pleasant than an angry Bill. As for how to use it... Luna told you, but you weren't listening. Because you haven't developed what's essentially a "magic gland," as you're young in Paracorn standards, you need to take memories and bend them into magic. Easier than it seems. Angry memories for offensive, anything else for defensive. All you need to do is imagine it happening. Take the memory, get the feeling, the emotion from it, then imagine what you want done with it. Simple. Trust me. He'd said that all through tears. Tough guy.

So I did as I was told. But before I could, I saw the two unicorns magically pull two knives from their pockets. "Woah, gettin' serious, are we?" I had to do this right the first time, or I'd likely be dead. I ran through my memories to get something I could use. My mind immediately flew to the Everfree Forest. I'd just crashed with Fluttershy, but I held off the monsters so she could get away. Get absorbed in it. Let it fill your mind. I tried doing as Bill said, and surprisingly, it worked like a charm. I could feel the fire of protectiveness. I then tried imagining a shield forming in front of me. It wasn't working. I mean, I could feel a shield there, but it probably wouldn't stop more than specks of dust. Imagine the source lancing down your arm, through the bracelet. Imagine the shield being projected from the bracelet. I did so, and found that strategy much more productive. I could see a shimmering blue quarter dome manifest in front of me.

The unicorns had let loose too late. The knives flew towards me, and I had doubts, for only a second, that this insubstantial-looking shield would stop them. But I was proven wrong. As soon as the tips hit the shield, it flickered, and the knives bounced harmlessly off. The shield wavered for a second, before I took this recent memory and used its power to fuel the shield, and it became solid again.

I saw looks of fearful surprise come over the assailants' faces. "You guys have one chance to scram, before I take matters into my own hands. Go!"

They were practically falling over themselves to get out of the vicinity. Twilight scoffed in amazement, as opposed to scoffs in arrogance. "How... how did you do that?! And where did you get that?!"

I debated on what to tell her, but decided that the truth was safe enough to tell. "Luna gave it to me. She said it belonged to a friend of hers, and she wanted me to have it. I guess it must be her Christmas present to me. As for how I used it... I used memories."

"Memories?"

We started walking back to Canterlot Castle, the book completely forgotten. "Yes, memories. I was told that because I didn't have a horn, I could use magic by using my memories as sort of... power sources. I take a memory, absorb the emotion of the memory, and convert the emotion into power. Apparently, different emotions create different kinds of power. Anger has destructive properties, happiness and sometimes sadness gives healing magic. Love gives out protection magic, and sadness in general... well, I don't know about that one." I noticed the sun arcing down lower, and a glance at my watch told me it was around four in the afternoon. "Twilight," I began.

"Yes?"

"Can you teleport or find your own way back to Canterlot Castle? I need to get back as soon as possible to make my present."

"No problem, Will. Go on." I didn't detect any hostility in her voice, which I told myself was influenced by my recent actions.

I took off, and before I'd gotten too high I'd heard a gasp of amazement come from Twilight. The flight back to the Castle, and more importantly its grand hall, was quiet. Neither Bill or I spoke, which made flying boring. I wasn't even flying with anyone else, which added to my feelings of lonesomeness. While I was looking around, though, I spotted a particular store that I might be interested in. I landed right outside the door, which surprised a few ponies. I went inside, browsed the wares, and made a purchase.

As I left, I noticed two unicorns galloping straight for me, angry faces visible. 'Oh god, they're bum rushing me.' Getting a bit desperate, aren't they? 'Yeah.' I could take them on my own, but I wanted to experiment with something. I didn't know if I could use the power of a memory several times. You can. And remember: the clearer the memory, and the more... emotional it is, the stronger the spell.

Taking that into account, I drew forth the most recent protective memory, my defence of Twilight, and used it to create a shield in front of me. I raised my other arm, poised for a strike, because I didn't know if the shield would stop the ponies. Speaking of which, as they got closer, they lowered their horns, intent on goring me, apparently. I decided not to let that happen.

No need, though, as the unicorns slammed into the quarter dome or pure force. Again the shield wavered, but I scratched that off as me being new to the whole thing, and I stripped the last few seconds for more juice. That also wasn't needed, though, as when they recovered from their daze, they looked at each other and exclaimed, "It's true! He can use magic!"

To which the other replied, "Let's get out of here!" Then they scampered off.

I dusted myself off, then took off as if nothing had transpired, ignoring the mixed looks of surprise, amazement, fear, wonder, and reverence that I got from the ponies occupying the surrounding area. The rest of the flight was thankfully short. If I wanted to finish my presents before the party, I'd need every minute. I mean, I had several hours, five, to be exact, but my gifts would take a while.

I landed on the balcony of Celestia's and Luna's private room. I didn't know where I was supposed to sleep, so what the hell. I opened the windowed doors, finding no one inside. I flipped on the light switch, taking note that Celestia had in fact installed at least rudimentary technology, electricity, into her stateroom. I then remembered that everywhere else I'd been in Canterlot Castle had electric lights, so I guessed at the very least the Castle was under power.

I sat down at a desk in the room and laid out my materials. The stuffed bunny I'd gotten was good to go from the start, so I set that aside. I took a piece of white paper, which had the consistency of construction paper, from a stack that rested at a corner of the desk. I opened up the jars of paint, and sitting quietly, I thought of what to paint. Eventually inspiration hit me and I began.

I painted a blue sky, though it had to be a night sky as the blue paint I'd bought was blue, not a sky blue or something similar. I carefully left some holes in the sky, for use as stars. I can't believe I'd forgotten to buy white paint. I also left out a larger hole to serve as the moon. Next came a green field that covered about a fifth or so of the bottom of the paper. It was just a simple block of green for grass. I'm not a big artist. I mean, I could paint very well, but I was also on a time constraint and couldn't be very picky with details. The part I spent the most time on was the painting of Fluttershy. With Bill helping to keep the memory in place, I pictured her beautiful face in my mind, painting it with as much accuracy as I could manage. When I stepped back, though I really just leaned back in the chair, I thought I'd done a pretty good job. The painting turned out pretty well, and there wasn't a single smudge.

I set it aside and was about to start on my next gift when a hand gripped my right shoulder suddenly and a voice, feminine, said, "Boo!"

I jumped out of the seat and let out an angry cry. Sure, dimmer people would mistake it for an unmanly cry of surprise and fear, but it was definitely a fury cry. Sure. That was the problem with voices in your head. They could contradict you at every turn. My pleasure. "Luna?!" I saw it was her as I turned. She was busting out on the floor, laughing. That right there was a huge hit to my ego. Me, a twenty four year old man was being picked on and made fun of and laughed at by his millenia old mother. I didn't say that to her face, though. I didn't know if that was an insult to Paracorns.

"You should have seen the look on your face, Will! Gods, you looked like you'd seen a ghost!"

I harrumphed and turned back to the desk in a completely grown up fashion. "I don't have time for this, mother."

She stopped laughing and stood behind me, looking over my shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to write a song to sing to Fluttershy. So far, I only have the first two lines." My stomach growled. "And now I'm hungry."

But, as Luna was my mother, she came to my rescue and placed a plate of bagels, all warm, with egg and cheese inside. "I thought you might be, Will. I'd be a pretty bad parent if I didn't look after my child, even if he's taller than me." I heard a note of humour in her voice as she said that. She bent in and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "You'll do fine, Will. You'll think of something quick. I'll be back in a bit, I have to oversee the last bit of preparation. I still have to set up the food, for starters. You're mean on your poor old mother, Will, to leave me with all the work!" She said that playfully though.

"See you later, Luna." She gave me a hug and left. After the door closed, I said to myself, aloud, "Food. Must. Eat." Are you lapsing into stupidity? 'Shut up.' I picked up one of the egg bagels and took a bite out of it. It tasted delicious. As I munched on bagels, I struggled to make up a song. Contrary to some beliefs, songs are not easy to write. It takes time and effort to come up with one, and the amount of time and effort spent is in direct relation with how good the song is. Granted, there are some songs that the writers put so much into that turned out bad, but I hoped that wouldn't be the case with mine.

Again, as with the painting, inspiration hit me. I began writing down words, which I subconsciously hoped would turn into a song. I fell into a droning trance while writing, probably because I could feel Bill influencing my thoughts. I was so far deep in a subconscious state that I didn't notice my mother walk in. Luckily for me, I'd just finished before she said, "I'm back, Will. Are you ready?"

I looked around at the scattered and cluttered desk. The painting was dry, and I, through Bill, had photographically memorized the song. Unfortunately, Neither the painting nor the bunny were wrapped in any way. "Oh, god, I need to wrap these up." No sooner had I spoken, though, that Luna magicked around some wrapping paper and a box to wrap the bunny. She added a bow for a nice effect. The painting she placed inside a frame and sheathed in a canvas covering to keep it safe from the elements. "Thanks, Luna."

She laughed. "It was no problem, Will." She gave me a hug. "Anything for my son." Then she nuzzled my cheek. "Now come on, you've got to get to the hall. Somepony is waiting for you."

I jumped up and followed Luna out. It was all I could do to keep from bounding past her and charging headlong into the party hall. Despite my impatience, we made good time, arriving at the hall a decent amount of time before Celestia returned with Fluttershy. I ran up to hug her, which she promptly returned with honest happiness. "Hello there, love. I've missed you while you were gone."

She giggled. "Then why did I have to go?"

"Look around."

It was then I'd realised that she hadn't seen it all. As soon as she entered the room, her eyes, I'd noticed, were fixated on me, and me alone. I saw her twist her head around in different directions for the first time since coming in here, and I heard a big gasp escape her mouth. "Oh my gosh, Will. You... you threw me a party?"

I gave her a gentle squeeze. "Well, it's technically for everyone, but I had you specifically in mind. I know pretty much none of the ponies here will participate, understandably so, but it's you I wanted to focus on."

"I hope I don't draw too much attention..."

I thought it over. "While I know you don't do good with crowds, ponies will probably be paying attention to you a lot. But don't worry," I hastily added, hoping to keep her spirits up. "Celestia and Luna will literally be right there next to you, so they'll be right there to comfort you."

"But-" She started.

I cut in instead. "I'm sorry for interrupting. But if that doesn't comfort you, you can pretend that the ponies are all looking at the Princesses. Besides," I told her. "You'll probably be too concentrated on me to worry about the other ponies."

"Okay..." She said, softly.

I rubbed her back, nuzzling into her. "I'm sorry for putting you up to this, Fluttershy, but it's kind of hard to do what I plan to do if you aren't here. I'm sorry for upsetting you, if I did, but..." I trailed off. I hadn't really thought of what to say after that, and it seemed dumb to just repeat myself.

I got up, and stepped away from her. Immediately, Luna and Celestia took their places beside Fluttershy, just as I'd promised. I walked backwards, up to the table that Luna and I had set the presents down on. I could see Twilight lurking by the door, as if unsure of her welcome. I beckoned her in, then clapped my hands together. "Alright, everypony. This party is... just a little something I wanted to put together." I paused to see Nolan come in. Johnathan was right behind him, Vinyl by his side. "Now, I've done this a bit late. This party was to celebrate the human holiday of Christmas. It's a very festive and merry holiday, where humans are exceptionally nice to each other, sometimes giving gifts, sometimes receiving them.

"I'll tell you right now: with only three humans here, it's going to be hard to do that." I flash the two ambassadors grins. They returned them and gave me thumbs up. "So I'd like a few ponies to participate. By few, of course," I chuckled. "I mean all of you. I don't mean to force this upon anyone, but I want you all to be nice to each other. Not many of you, if any at all, will have gifts, but that's okay. I mean, I'm just now introducing the holiday. But we can all be nice, and polite, and caring, right?" I saw a few polite nods. "Now... I'd like to start this party off with food and merriment. Come on, ponies. Cast aside the strict rules and guidelines of the society you live in everyday and just... enjoy yourselves, if only for tonight."

With that, I stepped away from the table. Most of the ponies started moving immediately, and they started dancing ballroom. I strode over to where Fluttershy was standing. "See there, love? I've just gone through the first half of the party, and with a little filler dances and some food, the next half will be ready to roll. And you didn't even get any spotlight." I grinned at her. She grinned back. I held out my hand, the gentleman part taking over. "Care to dance, my love?"

"I'd love to... love." Then she giggled. But then I saw her face draw out in shock. "But... I don't know how to dance!"

She almost gasped, but I held a finger to her lips. "Shh. It's alright, love. Just follow my lead. Keep your hooves on my feet and there won't be any problems."

She complied. I can factually say that our dance wasn't so bad. It went pretty successfully, considering. I mean, sure, it was a bit awkward with Fluttershy standing on my feet, but I did a good, clean, accident-free round. I drew the waltz thing to a close, however, when I danced my way back to the Princesses to drop her off. It was then I noticed that they themselves hadn't moved from the spot. "I'm going to let you go here, Fluttershy. I'd like to steal away my friends for a moment, see if can, uh," I winked at her. "Relax the whole... strict vibe in here."

With that, I walked over to where Nolan, John, and Vinyl were standing. "Hey, guys. Why are you just standing here?"

Nolan spoke first. "I'm a lonely man, Will. I have no warm embrace of another." He trailed off in mock sadness. He even covered his eyes to add to the effect.

I gave him a quick "bro hug," I believe the term was. "There you go, big guy. Knock yourself out." We both laughed.

Next was Vinyl, who said, "I don't dance, Will. Neither does John." At "John" she nuzzled his leg.

John chuckled. "She's right. Almost. I can dance... spiffy, excitingly, but ballroom... ugh, no. That's almost why I couldn't become an ambassador. I was required to attend formal gatherings, which usually included dances, so my amazing dance skills weren't appreciated." We all laughed.

"I'm sorry, Vinyl," I began. "But I have to steal John from you for a bit." I turned to him. "You did bring it, right?"

He reached a hand into his suit and partially pulled out a record. "Yup. All three, like you'd said."

I nodded. "Great," I said, then turned back to Vinyl. "He's gotta help me with something."

She shrugged. "It's alright with me. I'll go talk to some other ponies, I guess." The dejection was painfully evident both in her voice and in her body language. At least, it was painful for John.

He tried comforting her. "I promise, Vinyl. I'll be right back. Besides, I think you'll like it. I'm pretty sure waltz isn't your style." She nodded, still not looking at him. "Well, what Will wants to do is change the atmosphere to something less... uptight, to something more upbeat." She looked at him now. "You'll probably like what we're going to put on. I mean, sure, it's human music, but it's still something in your area of expertise." He grinned at her, and, thankfully, she returned it.

"What do you plan on doing?" She asked. She looked at me while she did.

"Well," I said. "We're going to put on some dance music. And not waltz. Like... club dancing."

"Oh," she said, smiling. "I see now." She turned to wink at John. "I'll be waiting right here, then."

The three of us walked briskly over to the phonograph. Nolan just unceremoniously removed the waltz record from the device, and John methodically replaced it with the one I'd had him retrieve. By now the ponies had stopped dancing to see what was going on. John held the needle above the record, as if threatening to unleash its contents. "Okay," I called out to the confused ponies. "I asked for us all to unwind, to forget the high society we come from, as I said, if only for tonight. So, seeing as how waltz was the first thing to pop up, I assume I'm going to have to work for it." I nodded. "Drop it, John."

He let the needle fall onto the record, which, after a few seconds of the needle finding the grooves, found an immediately moving tune and struck it up. It was a bit scratchy, but it was allowable seeing how it was a phonograph. About one second in, when the intro "flared," Nolan, John, and I all started to move it. All through the song, we were tearing around a small area. Once, I rolled under Nolan and John as they did a back flip and front flip, respectively, over me.

As the song drew to a close the three of us stood back at the table and bowed. There were many cheers and a decent sized applause. "We will leave the rest for another time, unfortunately," I said, glancing at my watch. "Many of you must be somewhere tomorrow, so I would like to end this party with the favorite of all children and many adults: the gift exchange."

I turned to Nolan and Johnathan. "My gift to you two was the good time of this party. Go nuts." We laughed, and much of the crowd laughed as well, in earnest. Next, I turned to the crowd. "My gift to you was the party, which I hope you enjoyed, and the dance, also on my list of things you enjoyed." I flashed a grin to the crowd. To the Princesses, I said, "My gift to you two... I guess would be that I would be a good Prince. I'm still new to the ropes of royalty, but I will do my best and I hope to learn much." Luna smiled, and Celestia nodded. I turned to Twilight, who had moved from lurking by the door and upgraded to lurking by the punch bowl. "Twilight... we got off on a bad start. Part of it was my fault. My gift to you... is an offer of friendship. I want to start on a fresh slate." I walked up to her. I stuck out my hand to her and asked, "Friends?" She looked at my hand for a while, as if she'd never seen it before. Then, after a tense hesitation, she took it and we shook. "Thanks," I told her.

Finally, I turned to Fluttershy while simultaneously walking back to the present table. "Finally, last but not least, Fluttershy. As this party was made with you in mind, with you as my primary focus, I have actual gifts for you. Gifts I freely give to you, from the kindness and love in my heart. First off," I said, pulling the wrapped box off the table. I gave it to her. "Open it."

She tore the box self consciously, knowing that all the ponies in the room were staring at her, watching her every move. As she lifted the lid, her expression of fear and panic was replaced by something warmer, accepting. She withdrew the bunny I'd bought for her, and squealed. She hugged me very tightly, then. "Oh my gosh, thank you, Will! I've never gotten a stuffed animal before!"

I laughed. "It was truly my pleasure. But please, save the death hugs for later, after I've given you all your gifts!" I said the last statement loud enough for everypony to hear, and most of them laughed. I picked up the covered painting and held it up to her. Making sure that when I removed the canvas it would be facing Fluttershy, I uncovered it. Gasps from everypony in the room assaulted my ears. Fluttershy's was loudest of all.

"You painted a portrait of me?! And you didn't even have me around to use! Oh, thank you, Will! It must have been very hard!"

I chuckled. "I get by with a little help from my friends, Fluttershy." I tapped my right temple, and while the ponies and humans in the room didn't understand the gesture, my mother, my aunt, and Fluttershy all got it. "Right, now. I do have a couple more things. I'd like to sing a song for her."

I cleared my throat. "Now. I wrote this song myself, from my heart. It means a lot to me, almost as much as the pony I've directed it to. I call it, 'My Dear, Good Friend.'" I winked at Fluttershy, who blushed. "It took quite a while to write it, and yes. Many egg bagels were harmed in the making of this song." I got a mixed response; about half of the ponies laughed. I cleared my throat again, slightly self conscious.

So I see you still there under the street light.
Hoping against hope for that White Knight.
Rain is pouring down, and I see tears falling from your eyes.
But the falling rain does nothing to hide your cries.
Raise your head for me, my dear, good friend.
For with me, your fun will never end.

I chugged along the first refrain.

All I want in life is you.
So warm, so kind, so nice, so new.
You are like a beacon,
Drawing me close, drawing me in.
For with you, my dear, good friend,
My life will never end.

I was looking into Fluttershy's eyes as I sung the refrain. I saw love and sadness in her eyes.

Your beautiful hair flows in the wind,
As we fly along on wings of love.
Graceful flaps a stark contrast to powerful beats.
Stranger still are the different colours,
White by Yellow, flowing together, entwined forever, in a gentle tangle of love.
Throw back your head and laugh, my dear, good friend.
For with me, your fun will never end.

As I sung the next refrain, I made a visual sweep of the hall. Most of the ponies' expressions were of amazement. I saw some sadness in the mix, as well as awe and "aw."

All I want in life is you.
So warm, so kind, so nice, so new.
You are like a beacon,
Drawing me close, drawing me in.
For with you, my dear, good friend,
My life will never end.

There were tears in Fluttershy's eyes, and I could see hints of tears in the eyes of my mother and aunt. Several female ponies were crying already, and I saw a few stallions sniffle.

My dear, good friend, through many things we have been.
Through all this, we've lacked fear, found conviction.
Yet one obstacle does remain: a question must be asked.
Words will fail you, yes, I'm sure, but I don't want to take this fast.
Take your time with this, my dear, good friend.
For with you, my fun will never end.

I sung the last refrain.

All I want in life is you.
So warm, so kind, so nice, so new.
You are like a beacon,
Drawing me close, drawing me in.
For with you, my dear, good friend,
My life will never end.

I stepped closer to Fluttershy, and looked deeply into her eyes. She was on the verge of spilling tears of love and joy. She was smiling widely, and quivering, possibly with excitement.

What can I say, my dear, good friend?

I got down on one knee.

For you alone, does my love endure.

I reached into my left breast pocket and withdrew a small black box.

What do you say, my dear, good friend?

The box's hinges faced me, which was how I wanted it to be. I wanted to open it facing Fluttershy. And I opened it.

With you alone, my love will never end.

As I held the last note of the song, the gasps were made audible to me. I ignored them, though. I was focusing solely on Fluttershy's face. I drew in another breath and asked, "Will you marry me, Fluttershy?"

She stared at me and the box intently, obviously deciding on what to say. It was a long time before she said anything. I began to get worried. 'Oh God, what if I've gone too fast?' Just wait. 'What if she says no? I should have thought this through better!' Will, will you calm down? Hold the phone a minute. Look, she's teary eyed and smiling. Good sign, right? 'Maybe... but what if she's only doing it because it makes me happy?' Will, quit worrying or I will bring Luna in here and let her have her way with you. 'Sorry, sir.' Damn straight. Now wait for her answer. Things look good right now.

She started biting her lower lip, struggling in indecision. I saw her lower lip quiver underneath her teeth. She shivered, I didn't know why. Eventually, she stopped using her lip as a chew toy. What replaced that was a huge, warm smile. Her eyes, though overflowing with tears, displayed warmth, love, and happiness. I heard a single sniffle and sob from her, before she said to me one word.

"Yes."

Light in the Darkness

My heart soared. Fluttershy had accepted my proposal. Nothing at all mattered anymore. Well, aside from breathing and eating and the other useless things like that. I was thrilled. I would be by Fluttershy's side forever. I'm happy for you. 'Yeah, thanks, Bill. Couldn't have done it without you.' Shucks, it was nothing.

I threw my arms around Fluttershy, after carefully replacing the box in my pocket. "I love you, Fluttershy." I said, and though I am a man, a big strong man, I was fighting back tears. Real men don't cry. 'And what were you doing earlier?' I'm not a real man, I don't count. 'Damn you.' Point!

"I love you too, Will." Fluttershy responded and returned the hug. If anything, she was hugging tighter. She didn't have to worry about a frail frame or anything. It's unfair, I tell you.

Unfortunately, my happiness had to end at some point. As Fluttershy and I let go of each other, Johnathan, who had left to use the little ambassador's room earlier, chose his moment to burst in with bad news and horrible news. He didn't even have the courtesy to have some good news. It's a crime, I'm saying. "Will! We need you!"

Despite the environment I was in, namely a happy occasion with a bride-to-be standing next to me, I stood erect in less than a second. "What is it?"

"Camp Roanoke's been hit, sir! I've lost all comms!"

I started forward. "Hell," I said under my breath. "Just when things were getting good." I slipped past a few ponies and stepped onto the balcony. There, I unfurled my wings, but before I could take off, Luna stopped me.

"Wait. Before you go," she paused to teleport something from somewhere. When I saw what it was she had retrieved, my mouth had fallen. Floating in front of me was a simple wooden rod, about one and a half to two feet long. From my earlier conversation with Luna, I knew what this was. "Take this."

"The blasting rod? Why?"

Luna sighed. "Because even as fond as you are of your slug thrower, you'll run out of ammunition for it at some point. This, however... it's hard to run out of memories. Take it."

I gripped it with my left hand, my off hand. It was cool to the touch. "Based on your touchiness over the subject of its previous owner... this must be hard for you. But thank you, all the same." I hugged her with my right arm. "I must be off." I jumped into the air beat my wings hard. I flew off in the direction of Camp Roanoke. I hoped to at least find a trace of survival, and if so, where the survivors went.

It took thirteen minutes for me to see Camp Roanoke. To my dismay, however, there wasn't much left to see. Where there once was green, grey, white... now there was only black. Even the brown dirt was charred. The whole camp had been burned. Jesus Christ, what the hell could have done this? I thought about this. 'Not a monster. I know that much.' How do you know? 'Because... look at it. This wasn't something a dragon could do. This is something else.' Now that I look closer at it... you're right. Be extremely careful this time. I don't want a repeat of yesterday. 'Copy that, Bill.' Get to it, Sergeant.

We switched into military mode. This state of mind focused us and allowed us to concentrate fully on eliminating the enemy or enemies and stay alive as well. I slowly descended into the remains of the camp. When my feet touched the ground it was all I could do to stay on my feet. Pain lanced up my legs, numbing them. Bill quickly righted me, and I stood there for several moments. "What the hell was that?" I asked aloud. I don't know. It feels like... residue, from some big magic. 'Wonderful.' Just be careful here, Will.

I took one step and didn't feel any ill effects, so I took another. When I was sure that I wouldn't explode in a ball of flame, I began my sweep. With the condition of the camp, I didn't expect to see anyone alive. And it was true, scattered about the ground were bodies, some charred, some not. The scent of burnt flesh assaulted my nostrils, and I fought to gag. But that wasn't the worst of it.

In front of the medical tent, was a half-burnt lump. I drew my revolver, holding it above my right thigh as I slowly, cautiously walked over to it. When I got within fifteen feet of it, it stirred, which made me stop to raise my gun. The face was unrecognizable. I took a couple more steps closer, and that's when the face looked at me. After a second, I saw its eyes grow wide, and the mouth worked, but no sound came out.

It raised its right arm, which was nothing but blackened bone about halfway down the forearm. It pointed at my feet, and when I looked down I saw a pair of dog tags. "Yours?" I asked. Its eyes blinked twice: an affirmative. I bent over and picked up the tags. I flipped them over to read the name. The orange print glowed up at me. My eyes grew in shock, and I looked back at the lump. "My god... Davis!" I ran over to him and slid down next to him. "What happened?!"

It was a stupid question, of course. The evidence was all around me. But I didn't expect Davis to answer. "F... fi..."

"Fire?" I asked.

Davis nodded ever so slightly. "Ma... mah..."

"Magic?" Another nod. "Someone or something came and torched this place with magic?" Affirmative.

"G... gi... gif... giv..."

"Give."

"U... p..."

"Give up?"

"Y-y-ye-yes. Gi-u-A-gel..."

I widened my eyes. "Give up Angel?"

Davis blinked twice. "S-s-o-t-th-we-st."

"The enemy, or the rest of us?"

"En-e-my. U-s... g-go-gone... n-nor-to-f-fa-farm...

"Thank you, Davis." I gently placed my hand on his shoulder, and found his sidearm by his left hand.

Davis had one last thing to say, though. "P-p-plea... e-n-d... it..."

With a heavy and rapidly sinking heart, I knew what he was asking me to do. And it had nothing to do with the war. I holstered my hand cannon and gripped his sidearm. I held it firmly in my hand, itself shaking furiously. I flexed my lower jaw, ground my teeth. I didn't want to do this. My lower lip quivered. I'd known this man for several years.

I pointed the gun at his heart.

He had a girlfriend and a little boy, another munchkin on the way. Mary and Joseph. They hadn't even picked a name for the expectant one.

My finger tightened on the trigger. I squeezed it ever so slowly, wishing the moment wouldn't come. Tears clouding my vision, I turned away, without messing up my aim. A sob escaped my mouth, and a tear fell from my left eye. I shut them both and bit my lower lip. I heard a short sparking sound, and felt my finger touch the back of the trigger guard. I had done it.

Wishing to get as far away from this place as possible, I stood up and kept the shock pistol in my hand as I took off running for AJ's farm. On the way, I spoke to Fluttershy. "Love, get Celestia and Luna into their room. I need to speak with them about important matters." I waited several seconds. During that time I paused to sit down by a thick tree and let the tears fall.

"Will?" It was Luna's voice.

"Mother... Camp Roanoke is dead. From a survivor, I learned that there were others, that moved to Applejack's farm. But there's worse news."

"Good god, what news could be worse than that?"

I fought back a cry. "There's a new heavy hitter. Magic. Fire. Able to torch the whole camp."

Luna was silent for a few minutes. When I next heard someone speak, it wasn't Luna. It was Celestia. "You said something threw around enough magical fire to burn your entire camp?" Though she couldn't see me, I nodded and confirmed it. "Please, lord, let this be not what I think it is..." She fell silent. "If what you say is the descriptor for this thing... a demon."

"Come again?"

"Demon. You know, angels and demons? If this is what it is... Will, you need to get out of there. Where are you?"

"About three miles south of Applejack's farm. Why? What's wrong?"

"Demons are way out of your league, Will. Run!"

"I'm almost-" But I was interrupted with the snapping of a twig. My hesitation incited worry.

"Will? What's going on?"

I was about to answer when another twig snapped. I drew out the blasting rod, thinking that if it were the demon, bullets would probably have little to no effect whatsoever. I readied the memory of the charred Camp Roanoke. I didn't push the memory's power out then, keeping it on the end of the rod, which was glowing cherry red. Heavy trampling behind me made me whirl about. I wish I hadn't.

Charging towards me was a grey figure, about ten feet tall. It had two small, grey horns on its forehead, and bat wings on its back. In its hand was a ball of fire, but I didn't need any training to know that there was no conventional source. I let out a shout, and pushed the memory out of the blasting rod towards the demon. A lance of flame, roughly two inches wide, shot out from the end towards the oncoming monstrosity. With my free hand, I activated the transmitter and shouted, "Fire does nothing!"

Indeed it did not. When the bolt of flame hit the demon, it was as if I had spit on it. The flames sailed harmlessly over its grotesquely horrid body, showing no indication of damage. However, it threw the ball of fire at me, and I barely had enough time to erect a shield from the bracelet. The shield dissipated from the force of impact, but the ball didn't touch me. Unfortunately, no one mentioned that the shield only stopped physical objects. The heat from said flame assaulted me, singeing my clothes and scalding my skin. I heard Celestia say, "I'm on my way, Will! Hang in there!" But by then the demon had slammed me against the tree and everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a dark room, bound in chains to the wall. Standing in front of me was a dark-robed figure, of roughly human shape. It wore a hood and I could not see its face, if it had one. It knelt down and spoke in a evilly sharp tongue. "I see my visitor has awoken." It laughed in a evil way. "But not for long." It snapped its fingers. I saw a demon, the same from... before, come over to me. It unbound me. It was then I struck out with my foot.

I caught the demon in the ankle and it howled in pain, but I had only managed to stand when Robes snapped his fingers and I became paralyzed. Robes spoke. "You will not find escape here, Angel. You'd best comply, before I am forced to take... drastic measures." The demon recovered and forcefully brought me to a stone table in the center of the room. There, it shoved me down and clapped me in iron restraints.

Robes must love hearing himself speak. "Now, I will ask you a series of questions. Answer them truthfully." I spit at him, but he didn't even flinch. "What is your name?"

Remembering that he thought I was still called Angel, it gave me an advantage. "Angel."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty four."

"What is your favourite colour?"

"White."

"Do you know where you are?"

"No."

"Do you know who I am?"

"No."

With that answer he briskly stepped up to me and said, "I'm your worst nightmare, Angel." He stepped back and snapped his fingers. The demon followed Robes out the door, which was to my right. I couldn't have seen it from where I was sitting, chained. Before the door closed, however, Robes stopped and said in a menacing voice, "I'll be back in the morning. I know what you are, Angel. I know what you have in your head. But I will be changing that." Then the door closed.

Will, I'm not seeing anything damaged in here. I think it was just a bout of questioning. 'Good. I want to be in one piece. He certainly made it sound like he knows about you. But... his cryptic message at the end is freaking me out. Bill... I'm scared.' You aren't alone. I'm quaking in my psychological boots in here. Just remember that together, we can take on anything. Except demons, minotaurs, etcetera. 'Thanks for the pick-me-up.' No problem. Now get some sleep. This guy seems to be an asshole, so it's likely you'll need every bit of strength by the morning... wait, we were out a whole day? 'The sun was getting low in the sky when I set out for Roanoke.' Oh, true. Maybe Celestia and Luna made it night to give themselves an edge? Tia said she was on the way...

I passed out then.

I woke up to a slap in the face, literally. "Get up, worthless slob."

I tried to rub my face before I remembered that I was chained to the table. "Oh, hello, Robes. Nice to see you too."

He slapped me again. "What have you done?!"

"Huh?"

"Why hasn't the sun risen?! It's been six hours! What have you done with the sun?!"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I don't control the sun. Or the moon, for that matter." I looked at him crossly. "Don't tell me you don't know of the goddesses of Equestria."

He growled. "Those charlatans are powerless, cowering behind children's tales for protection. Hoping that someone like me won't see through their ruse." He pulled back his hood, but I saw not a fleshy face. It was an insubstantial mist of dark blue. It took me a while to piece together what I was looking at. But it did not help calm my fears to know it. I was staring into the "face" of the Nightmare. "I have true power. Power you will experience first hand."

"What are you gonna do, Robes? Breathe on me?" Will, what are you doing?! Control yourself!

"So you seek to taunt me, do you? Well," Nightmare rolled up the sleeve of her right arm. "I'd planned on doing this after I ripped you apart limb from limb and keeping you alive through the whole process, but I guess this would be a bit more... satisfying." The Nightmare grinned evilly.

"What are you doing?" I tried to keep the fear from my voice, but I was failing.

"Ah, fear. The source of so much power, and all of it mine!"

Jeez, Robes loves to fill the cliches of evil villains. 'It's almost depressing.' I find it funny. But yes, I know what you mean. Maybe we could cut a deal with her: get her a manual to original villainy, we go free. 'Just might ask that at some point.' Here she comes.

The Nightmare's right hand formed a pincer, as if she were going to pinch something. Then, she placed her hand over my forehead. "What's going on? What are you doing?!" Panic was evident in my voice; I wasn't even trying to hide it anymore. I just wanted answers.

"Just taking someone from you, very forcefully, and very painfully."

Helen's prophecy flashed in my mind. Someone will be taken from you... forcefully... painfully... Unfortunately, I picked today to be quick with my reasoning. The Nightmare knew of Bill, or at least claimed to. However, she was going to "take" something from me by taking it from my mind. The irony was not lost on me.

Without further ado, the Nightmare plunged her hand into my forehead without drawing blood. It did, however, feel as if someone were taking an axe and splitting my head open. I screamed in agony. Still, the Nightmare pressed deeper. The further she went, the more it hurt. Just when I thought my head was going to explode, however, she withdrew her hand, and with it came a milky white strand of... something. I saw it tense, possibly in tautness, before finally it snapped. I didn't feel much after that, as I passed out almost immediately afterwards.

I awoke sometime later, though exactly how much time had passed I knew not. One thing I did know, however, was that my head was going to split into four pieces. I screamed in agony. I heard another scream nearby, to my left. I passed out.

When I woke up, there was a commotion by the door. I heard blades clash. I heard the door fling open, and footsteps came running to me soon after. "Will? Will, speak to me!" I knew that voice...

"My head..."

"Don't worry, Will, I'll get you to safety soon enough. First, let's get you out of these chains."

Sadly, another voice had to make itself known. "I can't let you do that."

The first voice addressed the newcomer while continuing to undo my restraints. "Nightmare... but you're supposed to be-"

"Dead?" The Nightmare laughed. "Oh dear, you think the Elements of Harmony can kill me? Dear god, are you so naive?"

"I will defeat you here and now, as I should have done so long ago! This time, I will not show mercy and allow you life!" My rescuer left me to my own devices, after releasing my right arm and leg. My rescuer was already dueling with the Nightmare. I undid the chains holding my left side down, then stood behind the table, on the side farthest from the two forces. They appeared to be evenly matched, with neither having a distinct advantage over the other.

I couldn't exactly tell who was winning since they were going at paces I would have thought impossible. My rescuer held her rapier skillfully, but opposite her was the Nightmare, with a shadowy battle sword in her hand. I was surprised the rapier hadn't broken with all the parrying they'd been doing. After trading a few more blows I saw who was coming out on top: the Nightmare. I think my rescuer knew this as well.

She disengaged from the fight after a few more hits, stepping back about three feet. There, she stood calmly and erectly. She held her rapier up, perpendicular to the ground, point up, centered in front of her. Her eyes were closed. The Nightmare gave out a triumphant laugh. "It seems time has weakened you, fool. Now you will pay for your actions." The Nightmare stepped forward and, with one swift slash, cut a wound horizontally across her chest.

The rapier fell from my rescuer's hands, and she fell to her knees. She looked up at the Nightmare, a knowing smile on her face. The Nightmare knew something I did not, and reacted in fear to this. "No, wait! You can't!"

My rescuer spoke clearly, despite having been fatally wounded. "I have given myself to you in place of another. I have sacrificed myself so another could live. I am granted one gift. And I choose this: that you die, that you are ended so no harm can come to anyone else."

The Nightmare screamed and recoiled. She brought her hands to her face and screamed, but it did nothing. Radiant light poured from my rescuer's body. Of the beams that hit me, my headache was relieved. Of the Nightmare... she was dead. Nothing but a pile of the robes she'd worn remained left of her. It was then I ran to my rescuer.

"No! Come on, stay alive! Please!"

She looked at me and smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Will. I'll always be here for you. Right here, to be exact." She poked my chest.

"No, please! Tia, please don't die! Equestria needs you! Luna needs you! I need you! Please!"

Celestia chuckled. "Luna was always better at my job than I was myself. It was why I banished her to the moon. I was jealous of her power. I thought that if I couldn't be that powerful, I'd get rid of the person who could." She lay her hand on my cheek. "Sweet nephew. I love you, I love you as only I could."

My eyes were drainage pipes. "No! Tia!"

"I'm so proud of you, Will." She hugged me.

I returned the hug, continually repeating myself. "No, Tia, don't die! Please, don't die! Please!" I hugged her tighter, as if by doing so I could share my life with her, but it was not to be so. She breathed out one last, long breath, and with that, it seemed she had gained one hundred pounds. She had died in my arms.

The aunt I had barely gotten to know had sacrificed her life to save me. And she had died in my arms. Nothing was worse than that. Everything else seemed to be a trivial matter. Mercy killing Davis? Every Tuesday. Fighting a minotaur and dying? Every day. Having one of the two real family you have die in your arms after she sacrificed herself for you? Once in a lifetime.

I could mourn later, however. I couldn't stop the crying, but I could attempt to focus on escape. I turned to the wall I was originally chained to to find a black haired man. He wore simple adventuring clothes. His top was a plain jacket with a high collar and long v-neck that came down to his sternum. He wore, under that, a pure black shirt. I could not tell whether it was a long-sleeve or short-sleeve shirt. He wore simple pants, and simple boots. Black gloves were worn on his hands.

I stepped over to him, and knelt down in front of him. After a few minutes, he woke up, and looked directly at my face. His eyes were a pure, absolute white. There was no color whatsoever, and there was no hint of existing pupils or irises. I unshackled him and stood, holding my hand out to him. He took it and hauled himself up. The face looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. Nevertheless, I turned around and stepped over to Tia.

I picked up her rapier, laying cold on the ground. I tested the balance, then turned and flipped it so I was holding it by the blade, and I held it out the man. He looked from it to me, then back to me, and asked, "What am I to do with this?"

"Use it. We still need to get out of here." I faced Celestia's lifeless body again, and knelt down to her. I didn't wait to see if the man did as I told him. I gathered up Celestia into an arms carry and walked out the door. I took a look around and found that there were no signs, but instead an increase of decoration in one direction. I figured that important places would have lots of ornamentation, and that I could possibly find my way from there.

"Hold up," the man said. "Let me go first. I've got the sword, after all." He stepped in front of me and led me along. We came to an intersection, where the man stopped suddenly and pressed himself against the wall. He motioned with his hand for me to do the same. He held up the rapier at roughly neck height. Just as suddenly as he stopped, he struck out with the blade, but it never connected.

Quick as lightning, another blade knocked it aside, and at a disadvantage, the man stepped out into the middle of the hallway and pulled the blade back to parry another blow that never came. The reason? The wielder saw me, and I saw her. "Will!" She ran up to me and threw her arms around me.

"Luna! What... what are you doing here?" I stammered.

"When Celestia left, I was afraid... oh my god..." She saw what I was carrying in my arms. I honestly don't know how she missed it in the first place. "Tia!" She took Celestia from my arms and cradled her in her own. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Tia! Dear god, please, no! What happened?!" She looked up at me, face already red, two distinct lines of tears on her cheeks.

I shook my head. "The Nightmare happened."

"What?"

"The demon that attacked me captured me and brought me here. When I woke up, the Nightmare pulled something out of my head, and Tia arrived and sacrificed herself for me." Fresh tears replaced the old and dry ones. "She died in my arms."

Making the man set down the rapier, Luna handed him Celestia, and hugged me. I hugged her back. Celestia was important to both of us, but of course had a bigger "name," if you will, with Luna. They were sisters, after all. And as much as I was breaking down over my aunt's death, Luna had to be taking it worse, just hiding a lot of it.

Understandable, since were weren't out of the woods yet. "Will, Luna, we need to head out. It isn't safe here." The man said, sagely. His voice was familiar... but I couldn't place it. But he had a point.

"You're right, whoever you are. But rest assured, and I mean no offense, but I will have a few questions as to who you are." Luna said, gently. There was no hostility that I could detect.

'Bill? Bill, you up?' I wished Bill would come to. I needed him. Regardless, we followed Luna, with the man making up the rear, and I carried Celestia. Apparently, we weren't as far from the entrance as I thought we were, and it was a short order to see the moon out. "Ah. Glad to see the moon again. Glad to see trees, for that matter. Where are we?"

Luna answered. "We are at the Moon Castle ruins. It was once a grand castle, built for me, before I was corrupted by the Nightmare. When I last saw it, Twilight Sparkle and her friends were banishing the Nightmare from me. It was serviceable, for the most part, and that was a year ago. Incredible, that the castle still stands. I guess I was more revered than I thought at the time." She looked up at the moon for several moments before saying, "Will, do you still have your transmitter?"

I felt my ear. I did. "Yes."

"Could you call Fluttershy? I told her to go to Ponyville and warn the mayor."

"Alright." I pressed the activation button. "Fluttershy? It's Will, please answer."

She answered, and the fear and terror in her voice almost made me gush out tears all over again. "Will?! Oh thank Celestia you're okay!"

Hearing her say Celestia tipped me over the edge. "Fluttershy... I'm not okay. I'm hurt... on the inside... so much... look, where are you?"

"I'm at my house, why?"

"Luna said she sent you to warn the mayor?"

"I did, and she told me to hide in my house."

"Good. Don't come out until I come get you. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"You promised me..."

"What?"

"You promised me you wouldn't let anything get you!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Something happened!"

"I'm so-"

"Get here as fast as you can! Please!"

"I will. I love you Fluttershy, remember that."

She was silent for a moment. "... I love you too, Will."

"I've gotta go."

"Bye."

I lowered my arm. "I have to get to Fluttershy's house pronto. I know the fastest way out of here would be by wing, but..." I looked at the man. "You have no wings, and it doesn't sit right with me to leave you behind."

He opened his mouth to speak, but Luna interrupted him. "We could carry him together, Will. Come on."

I looked at him. "First off, I want a name, at least."

He stood staring at me in what appeared to be disbelief. "I am called Bill."

I nodded. "Okay, fine. Give me your arm." He did. "I'm pretty sure this will hurt, but if that was you screaming in that chamber, this will be bearable."

He chuckled. "Yeah. I understand." Luna and I both beat our wings, trying to lift off with a weight between us. It was simple and easy, once you got past lifting him. He wasn't as heavy as I thought he would be, though. He seemed to be about an inch or two taller than me, but seemed to weigh much less. Maybe it was because Luna was helping. We had him holding Celestia in his arms as we flew in the direction of Ponyville.

We flew over the apple orchard, where we stopped to rest. Davis was right, the Army had moved to Applejack's farm. We landed on a makeshift helipad, and I was greeted by Mason, who got up from eating slop. Probably wasn't missing much. "Will? Good god, you're alive?! When your pegasus friend stopped by here to rest, she'd told us that Princesses Celestia and Luna left Canterlot personally to look for you! What happened?"

I clapped him on the back. "Glad to see you, too. Demon. With a capital D. But..." I looked around. "Where's Masterson?"

Mason's facial expression turned sour and grim. "I'm sorry, Will. He was one of the first to go... but... any word on Davis?"

My face now matched his. "He was still alive."

Mason's face reached epic grimness. "Tell me you..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

I nodded. "He wanted me to. He was half-burnt."

Mason looked away. "I'm sorry. I just... I don't know how I'll break it to Mary. She always made the three of us that casserole... hell, I'm gonna miss Davis, and I can't even sound sad about it."

I looked down at my feet. "I'm dealing with my own loss right now. But I guess... I guess you should tell her the truth: Davis died buying time for you guys to escape." I looked back at him, a very faint smile on my face.

"Will!" It was Applejack. You're okay! Fluttershy told me about-" She looked past me. Before we landed, Luna disguised herself and Celestia. Applejack saw Celestia, and her mouth dropped. She looked at me, fire in her eyes. "Ah knew Ah couldn't trust you! You seemed so nice, but Ah saw-" she halted, but nothing physical stopped her. She'd seen the expression of my eyes.

I couldn't actually see them, but I could feel them. They felt sunken, red-rimmed, and watery. "She saved me, AJ."

"Wha?"

I tried to force a smile with little success. "I was gonna die right there on that table... then she came in... and the pain went away..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, AJ. I understand. But... I'm sorry I couldn't do anything sooner... I should have acted!" I shouted the last part to myself, but aloud. I dropped to my knees and finally began crying in earnest. I buried my head in my hands, and wished that everything would go away, and that I was peacefully living a wonderful life with Fluttershy, with no pain, no death, no monsters... but it all fell on deaf ears.

I felt a human hand lay on my left shoulder, and I took it, held in my own, and found it to be gloved. I looked up to see the man's face. He was smiling slightly, tears in his featureless eyes. "I still don't know who you are," I told him.

He shook his head. "Good god, Will... am I so different now than when we last saw each other at the gates of heaven?"

It was then that everything clicked. The familiar face, the familiar voice, calling himself Bill... this was my Bill, and that's what the Nightmare had pulled from me. "Bill?" I asked smartly.

His smile widened a bit. "The one and the same. And I have something to say to you."

"Huh?"

"Well, there's still a light in all this gloom and sadness. And there's something you should know."

"What?"

He smiled at me wider still, and stepped back. I stood and faced him, waiting for his "important" message. He leaned his head slightly to the side and forward. "Today's gonna be a good day. I can feel it in here," he tapped his head. "And in here," he tapped his heart. He turned to walk away, but stopped himself after a few steps. "Oh, and by the way," he said, turning his head to look at me.

"Your fly's undone."

Bill the Oracle

I looked down in panic, but found that my pants were secure. I looked back at Bill, red-faced, to find he was already talking to Luna and Mason. I made for them but was stopped by Applejack.

"Look," she said, scraping her hoof on the ground. "I'm really sorry about jumping to conclusions. That was definitely something I should have asked about first. I shouldn't have accused you, and instead I should be comforting you, but I've not done that. So..." She trailed off.

I knelt down beside her. I put my left hand on her shoulder and told her, "It's alright. Anyone might have thought the same thing. Because you're my friend," I chuckled. "At least, I hope you are." I flashed her a grin to show her I was joking. "Because you're my friend, I forgive you. Don't worry too much about it. Now, I've gotta go talk to Luna and Mason. Maybe later, I could stop by and say hello to the family."

Applejack nodded and smiled. "That'd be great. Thanks, Will."

I got up and continued towards the trio. As I drew closer, I could hear Bill speaking. "I am Bill, the voice who, until recently, made his home in Will's head."

Luna sighed. "I set out to teach Will everything he should know about this world... thinking that I would have my sister to be there to help..." She lowered her head. "But now I must teach two people everything, and I don't even have the comfort of having Tia here beside me!" She shouted at the ground. I heard her begin to cry, and she fell to her knees.

Bill knelt down next to her. "What kind of talk is that? She isn't gone, she's right here." He pointed to her heart.

Luna interrupted her own sobbing to look at Bill and yell at him. "YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE! YOU'VE NEVER LOST ANYONE!"

Bill silently stared at her for several moments. Luna held his gaze. Bill spoke to her then. "I've lost Will... I've lost myself."

Luna looked taken aback by this, and she dropped her gaze and looked back down at the ground, crying again. "It's not the same! If only I had gotten there SOONER!" She wailed the last word towards the sky, the sudden motion making Bill flinch.

"I'm glad you didn't get there sooner." Before Luna could protest, as she had already begun to do so, Bill held up a hand. "Let me explain. If you had gotten there sooner, Celestia would have been occupied trying not to hit you. It was a fairly enclosed space. The Nightmare would have taken this advantage to kill Will, rendering Celestia's sacrificial power useless. Then, the Nightmare would have killed the three of us as she wished. By not being there, you saved the lives of Will and I."

"Then I wish it was me, not her! I deserve it! I was corrupted by the Nightmare, not her! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME THERE, NOT TIA!"

Bill frowned deeply, his eyebrows furrowing. "Are you saying it was you that died?"

"YES!"

"Have you thought about what effect that would have on Will?"

"He would still live, if that's what you're asking!"

"That isn't it. What would have happened if you were in Celestia's place?"

"I would have sacrificed myself... for... Will..." Luna was silent for a few moments. "Dear god..."

"Exactly."

Luna's head swung around, looking in every direction. When she had spotted me, she got up and ran to me, crying even more now. "How much did you hear?"

I hugged her. "Enough."

"Will, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I'm sorry, so sorry!" She wailed and buried her head in my shoulder.

I rubbed her back gently, slowly. Like I said earlier, I am clueless as to how you should comfort a pony. Or in this case, a Paracorn disguised as a pony. "There, there." I told her. "I understand. I believe you. You weren't thinking straight. But it happens."

"I'm sorry! I can't take back what I said, and I hate it!"

"Luna," I pushed her out to hold her at arms length, and I looked into her eyes, after I lifted her face to meet mine. "Listen to me. It happens. Do you know what I had to do before I got captured?" She shook her head. "You remember that survivor I told you about?" Mason's face turned grim; he knew what was coming. Luna nodded. "He was one of my best friends. We'd been friends for years. We'd served together for six. You know how I found him?"

I continued before Luna had a chance to respond, verbally or by gesture. "He was a half-burned lump on the ground. Half his face was black and swollen, his legs were covered in blisters, half of his arm was gone." I noticed both Luna's and Mason's eyes grow wide. Neither knew the exact details until now. "Luna... I... I had to..." Though, for the most part, I'd gotten over my actions, retelling them made the thoughts and sights resurface, making it hard to concentrate. "I had to... put him down. He was in so much pain..." I moved my face closer to Luna's. "I had to mercy kill my own best friend. But you know what?

"I put it behind me. I took that memory, and shoved it into a box labeled "forget" and moved on. Why? Because I had a job to do. I still had things that needed to be done. And do you know what?" She shook her head, most of the sadness replaced with shame. "We still do. There are still things that need to be done, chief among them stopping this monster invasion."

Luna sighed. "You... you're right. I... should have set it aside to think on later. But... that still doesn't forgive my words earlier! I talked about leaving you without your mother!"

I slapped her, not too hard, though, knowing that I would pay for it later. I growled at her. "Pull yourself together, Luna! And focus! What's said was said, and I've forgiven you! Now get over it and focus on the task at hand!"

She didn't hit me back or magic something up for revenge. Instead, she slowly nodded her head, saying, "I know. God, I'm being stubborn and childish, and stupid, and I am ranting, aren't I?" She asked the question looking up at me, with soft, watery eyes, a small smile on her lips.

It was then that I remembered something, and I slapped my forehead. "Hell! Luna, I-"

Before I could finish, though, she silenced me with a hoof to the mouth. "I know what you are going to say."

Bill piqued in. "Hey, that's my job!"

This caused Luna to chuckle, further easing her away from being a mopey Paracorn to a somewhat cheery being. She continued. "If you think that these things are so easily lost, then you are very sorely mistaken." With that, her horn began to glow. It took several seconds of this, and many facial expressions conveying struggle, before she finished.

But it was what was floating in front of me when she did finish that astounded me. There, floating six inches from me without a care in the world, were the blasting rod and shield bracelet. "But... how?" I asked, amazed.

She smiled in earnest now. "Form a bond with something, and if that bond is strong enough, you can call it to you whenever you'd like. Because of who the previous owner was..." She sighed. "I'll have to tell you about him. I can't go on keeping it pent up anymore." She looked at me and palmed my cheek. "After coming close to losing you several times, I've grown afraid about death. What if I die in five seconds? Who will live to pass on the tales of old? It certainly couldn't be-"

She stopped herself. "No," she said sternly. "I will not dwell on that subject. Right now, I need to focus on the task at hand, as you've said."

Mason spoke his piece then. "Alright. If we're going to do this, it'd probably be in our best interests if we met up with Captain Henderson. He has the latest news about the ongoing situation." He spun on his heel without waiting for acknowledgement from us and started towards the command tent, Luna following closely behind him.

Bill and I looked at each other. He shrugged, saying, "Might as well." He took off after Mason and Luna, and I followed lastly, wondering what Luna's tale would contain. I followed the trio into the command pavilion.

As Bill and I took our places around the tactical map, Captain Henderson looked up from a field report he was reading. "Ah, Will, you've returned." He glanced at Bill, then back to me. "And you've brought a friend."

I saluted him out of formality; his behaviour these past few days was beginning to take its toll on me. I was starting to not like the guy. "Yes sir, this is Bill."

Henderson looked up and down at Bill, as if sizing him up. "He's not authorized to view this information. MP, get him out of here."

I stood too shocked to do anything. Not that I actually had to in the first place. The MP approached Bill cautiously, probably intimidated by the pure white eyes. But as the MP moved to seize Bill by the arm and drag him out of the pavilion, Bill demonstrated his melee combat prowess by lashing out with his foot, catching the guard on the arch of his foot, leaving the MP writhing in pain on the ground while Bill composed himself and dusted off his clothes, then returned his gaze back to Henderson.

The Captain simply stared in shock. MP's are some of the better trained infantrymen, so for Bill to disable one without any trouble at all sent a shiver up his spine; I could see it run its course from the small of his back to the base of his neck. He reached for a radio on his belt, while an officer began to draw his sidearm.

But Bill was having none of that. He held out his hand toward the officer, palm up, and made a fist. The officer stopped trying to get out his gun and grabbed at his head, screaming in pain. Bill turned his seemingly lifeless eyes to Henderson, who had the radio out and was millimeters away from pressing the button to speak. Bill swung the same arm he'd used to incapacitate the officer behind him, hand poised as if he were holding a ball.

Indeed, as his arm swung behind him, a small ball of flame formed in his grip. Bill then thrust his arm forward, sending the flaming ball hurtling straight for the radio. It stopped less than a quarter of an inch away from Henderson's hand, which naturally made him drop the radio. As soon as the device was out of Henderson's possession, the ball dissipated.

Mason raised his rifle and pointed it at Bill, who simply stared at him with empty eyes. I guess Mason became unnerved, because he quickly lowered the weapon. Bill turned back to Henderson, saying, "I will not simply be thrown out of here. Anything Prince Will is cleared for, I am as well."

Henderson's expression went to angry shock to angry surprise. "You're a prince? How the hell did that happen? Did you marry this Princess? Do I need to have you put down? Because you obviously cannot follow orders. Guards!" He shouted, then pointed to Bill and I. "Arrest these two men. The taller one with the optical birth defect is to be 'tried,'" I heard the sarcastic emphasis on the word "tried." "For assaulting an MP, two officers, and a CO. The butterfly is to be charged with severe breach of protocol, fraternization with local royalty, and association with the other accused."

Before any of the guards could touch us, Bill and I spun on our heels and walked out. I discreetly glanced at Bill, silently asking him a question. He nodded. Since we knew each other so well, heh, we could understand each other without having to speak. Luna was following us. Bill took a step in front of me, and, keeping in pace, I wrapped my arms around his chest, under his arms. Beating my wings, I took off, which seemed too easy considering how tall Bill was and how heavy he was supposed to be.

"Alright, Bill," I said. "When we get back to Canterlot, I'm sticking you on a scale. You are freaking light as hell."

"Well, without any food for thought, you'd done a pretty good job of starving me in there." Another set of flapping joined me to my right, and Bill jerked his head in greeting. "Hey, Luna."

"Hello again Bill." She greeted him, then spoke to me. "Do you need any help with him?"

Before I could answer, Bill jokingly replied, pretending it was he that Luna was asking. "Nah, Will's a handful, but I have another hand to help with the load." I could feel his grin.

Luna laughed at this, lightening all of our moods. But then she realized what direction we were flying in. "We're flying North. Canterlot is Northeast."

I reminded her of what I was doing. "Remember when we were standing outside of the Moon Castle? Remember what I said?"

Luna was quiet for a moment, thinking. "You are going to see Fluttershy."

"Yes. I was told, by her, in fact, that she was scared out of her mind when I was taken." My memories flashed back to that horrific night. "I hope it hasn't come to that," I told myself under my breath.

Bill, who knew what I was talking about, answered. "I know. I hope so too. That means we must fly faster."

I beat my wings harder, trying to pick up as much speed as I could. That is until Luna called out to me. "Will, slow down, you could hurt yourself!" She was quiet for a second, then said, "I sound like an over protective mother, don't I?"

I chuckled, as did Bill. "Yeah," I told her. "You kind of do. But you're right, of course. I'm just so eager."

Bill said, "Eager for what, good friend?" Snarky bastard.

I glared at him, knowing that if he still had all the abilities he had while he was in my head, he could see me. "Watch it, Bill. I'm the one providing your flight. And my arms are itchy."

"I was simply... referring to her soup... yeah, that's what I was talking about. You believe me, right Luna?" He looked pleadingly to her. Her response was to simply laugh and shake her head.

I saw Fluttershy's cottage come into view on the horizon; we'd flown faster than I'd thought. It didn't take long for us to stop right on top, where we then landed in the back animal pen. The animals turned their heads to look at the three of us, to which I knelt down and called softly to them. "Hello there, fellas. Do you remember poor old Will?" I held out my hand to them.

They cautiously crept over to sniff it. Finding the scent of the man who had fed them several days before, they stepped up their greetings, nuzzling my legs and such. But there was one animal who stared in shock. It was a white little bunny rabbit.

The other animals left to do whatever it was they were doing. I turned to Bill, intending to impress Angel a second time. "Bill, got a carrot?"

Bill smiled, catching on. Only, there was a difference between now and then. Bill didn't need to steal a carrot. He whipped his hand out in a showman's fashion, and in his hand was a good sized carrot. He gave it to me, where I began the impression... as if Bill's trick hadn't already practically stunned Angel. Using the shield bracelet, I conjured a horizontally flat "table" and placed the carrot on top. "Come get the carrot, Angel."

Angel came forward warily. He obviously didn't trust me. Smart bunny. As he reached for the carrot, I tried to do something with the shield. I attempted to move it to the left, just far enough so that Angel's outstretched paw would miss the carrot. He looked at me angrily. With my free hand, I rubbed the top of his head. "I'm sorry Angel. I thought you'd be impressed. I now have real magic!"

I picked up the carrot from the makeshift table and gave it to Angel. He took it hungrily, but before he scampered off, I had Bill magic up another carrot. "Wait, Angel. First, here's an apology carrot." He took it so fast my hand almost caught fire. "Secondly, could you go get Fluttershy? I don't want to startle her." Angel nodded, then went inside.

As Angel went inside, Bill turned to me. "You don't want to startle her? And yet, instead of going to her front door and knocking like a normal person, you go ahead and sneak into her back yard."

"Hey," I said defensively. "You didn't voice any objection before we landed, so it's your fault too!"

"It is not. I had no choice!"

"You could have said-"

"Will!"

I stopped my argument to look towards the cottage, and found Fluttershy standing in the doorway, the light from the living room shining against her back. I could see that she was teary-eyed, because the moonlight made the droplets glisten. Again thanks to the moon, I could see two distinct lines trailing from her eyes down to her cheeks, and they were a much darker colour than her fur. This could only mean one thing.

Frankly, though, I was glad it wasn't worse than this. "Fluttershy!" Totally not cliched. I ran up to her, and, sliding on my knees through the dirt, hugged her. Anything to show her that, for the most part, I was alive and well.

"You're okay!" She said, loudly. In my ear to boot.

"Now that I'm here with my favourite pony in the universe, I am," I said, smiling. "It's so good to see you again, love."

"Yes, it is," Luna interjected in a bored tone. "I'm afraid if you didn't show up any sooner, dear Fluttershy, these two would have bickered with each other until I died of boredom."

I thought that was a poor choice of dark humour considering the fact that Luna was still holding Celestia's body in her arms. I let her know that. "Luna," I said. "You've got a pretty sick mind."

She adjusted Celestia's weight so she could tap her head and say, "I think that was a given." I continued to glare at her, and she eventually sighed and grumbled, "But you're right, and I am sorry."

I looked back at Fluttershy standing next to me. Her eyes were watery, but now were also wide with evident shock. Her mouth worked, but no sound came. I didn't have to follow her gaze to know what it was she was looking at. I began to turn her around, gently, and as I did so, I looked at Bill and jerked my head at him.

He took the hint and grabbed Celestia from Luna. Carefully throwing the body over his shoulder, again defying the laws of physics by carrying something that was, or felt, at least twice his weight, he hopped the fence and withdrew into the forest. Luna followed him. When I was satisfied that the offending parties had been removed, I ushered Fluttershy inside.

She began to make some noises before I silenced her with a gently, quiet shush. I sat her on the couch and threw down my pack that I hadn't realized until now I was carrying. I sure was stressed out if I couldn't recognize a simple fact such as that. "Wait here," I told her. I went into the kitchen. I got some water going for tea, so that I could calm her down, then walked back out to find Fluttershy wasn't there anymore.

Fearing the worst, I ran upstairs into her room. All it took was for me to see something shiny glint before I jumped. I barreled into Fluttershy, knocking whatever it was to the ground; I heard a metallic clang as it hit the floor. I had Fluttershy pinned, and I was straddling her hips. I wasn't trying to make a move; I didn't know what she was going to do next. She looked up at me with sad, even scared, eyes. "Will," she said softly, her voice wavering. "What... what are you... doing?"

I almost cried to see her like this, but what had to be done had to be done. When I was sure she couldn't move, I looked behind me to see what was dropped. I saw a thin strip of metal, which only fed my fears. But what made me the most afraid was what I saw that the strip ended in: it was a small, round, and indented piece of metal.

I had tried to save Fluttershy from a spoon.

Immediately I jumped off of Fluttershy, backing away, eyes wide in fear, and my vision blurred. I tasted salt from some of the droplets. I had no idea how she'd react. I'd only heard stories of her rages and furies, and I wanted no part in that. I ran out of room when I bumped into a bookshelf, causing a few books to fall to the floor.

She got up slowly, then picked up the spoon. She turned to me, and against my will, heh, I flinched. She flew up to look me in the eyes, which only made me cower lower and lower. I made to apologize, but she stopped me with a hoof to the mouth. "Shh." I obeyed. I was in dangerous waters already, and I did not want to tip her over the edge. "It's okay. You didn't know; I would have done the same thing. Well," she amended. "Maybe I wouldn't have been as... frontal, as you were, but..." she trailed off.

Some gentle mind probing told me that even though I was completely in the wrong, she still wanted to be forgiven. Why? Because this scenario could have played out a lot differently, and she felt it was her fault I even had the idea that she would do something to herself. "I'm sorry," I sneaked in, flashing her a grin to show her I was trying to lighten the mood.

Her face remained the same, painful-to-look-at teary eyed face that had been present since my arrival for quite a while. But, thankfully, her mouth started twitching. The spasms grew more intense until finally she beamed at me with a very apologetic and thankful smile. She hugged me tightly, and glad that things were going to be okay, I hugged her back. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "I should have looked first."

"I told you it's alright, Will, please, there's no need to apologize. I should have told you what I was doing." She said over my shoulder.

I chuckled. "Okay, since it's clear we're going to blame ourselves over this, can we both apologize at the same time and be done with it?" I held her out to give her my crooked smile.

She returned it with a small smile, and said, "If it'll make you feel better... sorry."

"Sorry." We both stared at each other in an awkward silence. We didn't move until I realized I was hearing something. "Oh, gosh! The tea!" I let go of Fluttershy, without dropping her or anything, and ran downstairs to take the kettle from the fire, nearly burning my hands in the process. I set it to cool, and walked back out into the living room. Fluttershy was just taking her place on the couch.

I went over to my pack to look for something. Rummaging for about three minutes, I found what I was looking for. I withdrew the bottle and popped the top. I took a single sip before resealing it. I'd need the rest for the two of us, and if I drank it all achieving that goal would be rather difficult. "Will," Fluttershy asked. "Are you... drinking?"

I shook my head. "Not yet, I'm not. I intend to have some with my tea, however. I need my 'calm fix,'" I said while grinning at her. I dropped the grin and asked her seriously, "Do you... do you want a bit? I mean, I'm not going to have much myself, just gonna add a cap full, not a lot."

She looked a bit nervous, as if debating on whether or not to take me up on my offer. I reminded her, "You don't have to have some if you don't want it. I'd never make you do something you don't want to do." I got up to check the temperature of the tea, and found it was ideal for pouring. I'd left the bottle on the coffee table as a sign of trust. I'd hoped having the bottle in her view would alleviate any fears she might have that I was going to put some of it into her tea without her knowledge.

I poured the water into two mugs, and plonked a tea bag in each. "Fluttershy," I called out. "How much sugar do you like in your tea?"

"Three teaspoons," came the reply.

"Okay," I finished. I took out two teaspoons, one for each of us. I know we were betrothed, but I wasn't going to accidentally breach her trust. I put in three teaspoons for Fluttershy, and stirred for her as well. I myself helped myself to four, and I made a resolve to go out and get some more sugar. I picked up the two mugs, with the spoons still in them, and brought them out to the living room.

Fluttershy looked up at me as I entered; she had been staring at the ground. "Thank you, Will."

I gave her another crooked smile; I was probably running out of crooked smiles to give her, and should probably stock up on real smiles. "You're welcome, Fluttershy." I set the two mugs down beside the bottle of bourbon. "You know what," I told her. "Instead of asking directly, Fluttershy, as I know that makes you uncomfortable, I'll just leave the bottle open. If you want it, you can get it. I won't put the question to you."

Having said that, I poured about a cap-and-a-half of the golden nectar into my mug. I took one long sip, scalding my tongue. "Ow," I said. "I have to remember: cool enough to pour and cool enough to drink are two different things." I said this looking at my cup. "I forget small things like that. Heck, I'd forget my wings if they weren't attached to my body." I chuckled and attempted to make a joke. "At least, I hope they are. It'd suck if they were attached with Velcro or something."

Fluttershy took the bait and laughed. I myself smiled, for real this time, which served to make Fluttershy laugh harder. I was about to take another sip, having completely forgotten what had happened the last time I'd taken one, when I heard a knock on the door. I looked up at the window to find it was pretty dark outside. Fluttershy made to get up, but I stopped her with a hand to the leg.

I shook my head. "I'll get it," I told her. "You hide. I don't like visitors so late after dark. It's probably Bill and Luna, but I'm not taking chances." Fluttershy nodded wildly, and I feared I had just placed unnecessary terror in her. She ran quietly up the stairs, while I got up and turned to the door. With my hand on my sidearm, I opened the door so that I would have it between me and whatever was on the other side. Seeing who it was, I lowered the gun.

My visitor didn't take kindly to this. "Wow, Will. Do you greet every visitor with a gun to the face?" He grinned at me and strode past me. He'd brought a friend, and she followed him through. Neither even asked for an invitation, dammit. That was just rude.

"You're in here uninvited, so I guess that evens it out." I said grumpily.

I wondered if Bill even heard me. He took one look at the coffee table and said, "Wow! Bourbon! Don't mind if I-"

But I stopped him by grabbing him by the arm and pulling him back. "No, you don't."

He looked at me with mock sadness. "Aw, I just wanted a bit."

I shook my head. "No."

He humphed. "You're no fun, Will, you know that? I think I may prefer the inside of your head than the real world."

I humphed right back at him in a totally mature way. "Fine. Get back in." I shook my head. "Fluttershy," I called out. "It's safe. It's just Luna and Bill." I walked back over to my mug of tea and took another sip. With most of my taste buds fried by the first sip, the second didn't hurt nearly as much. Fluttershy slowly came back into the living room. "Sorry," I said to her. "For the scare. I didn't mean to."

"Oh, it's okay, Will. It's perfectly fine. I mean, you had good intentions, and good reason. So, I forgive you." She gave me an apologetic smile, regardless.

"Okay," I told her. "I'm just going to accept your apology before we start with that fiasco we had fifteen minutes ago." I smiled at her, and she smiled back at me. I looked back at Luna. She had Celestia in her arms; she must have taken her back from Bill in the woods. She lied the body on the couch. She sighed and turned her face. Bill, being the closest, threw an arm around her when she made an audible whimper.

Fluttershy was taking it worse than Luna was showing. "I can't... how did... why would..." She trailed off. Desperate for some comfort, she ran up to me. I knelt down beside her to hold her better.

I rubbed the back of her head, my hand going under her lovely mane. "I'm thankful," I told her. "She saved me, Fluttershy." I held her out to look at her. "She saved my life. She did it for me... she did it for her nephew."

"What?" Fluttershy asked. "You mean, she's like you?"

Luna, in the middle of crying, said, "Yes... she was..." Her horn glowed for a moment, and the "alicorn" was replaced with the Paracorn. To be honest, I don't know how Fluttershy could have missed Celestia's "true form" when she barged into the stateroom... oh god, what was it? Two days ago? Yesterday? I shook my head.

I reached over for Fluttershy's tea, and picked it up. I held it up to her mouth, and she took it and drank it down thirstily. She finished it all in ten seconds flat, and when she set the cup down, she went for mine. "Now hold on there, Thirsty McThirsty... pony... I don't know," I muttered. "I'm not good at that. Anyway, hold on!" I didn't shout, but I did say it a bit more gruffly than I had meant to. "Sorry Fluttershy," I apologized before continuing. "But my cup has some drink in it."

Bill snapped his head to me. "You were drinking?"

I can't believe he'd forgotten what he'd asked for a few minutes ago. I shook my head, saying, "No, but I put some bourbon in my tea. Calm me down a bit." I looked back at Fluttershy. "Are you sure you want it? If you do, I won't stop you, but I just want to be sure."

She thought about it for a bit, and nodded. "I want to be calm. But... how strong is bourbon?"

I looked at her in shock. She knew about alcohol content? "Well," I began. "We Army guys get to use this only when something really traumatizing happens, like an entire platoon being lost. I drank half of the bottle and could barely remember how to walk, as Bill knows first-hand. I'd say it's strong."

"Oh," she said, looking sullen.

"But remember," I said, trying to console her. "I only put in about a sip. I don't know how you react to alcohol, but it should be okay." I picked up the cup and gave it to her.

She took it cautiously and took a sip. Feeling no immediate effects, she gulped it down. She set the mug on the coffee table and leaned into me. Whether it was out of her love for me or the drink, I knew not, nor did I care. I unconsciously began scratching her side much like I would a dog, but instead of getting mad, Fluttershy leaned in even further. "Bill," I said. "Could you go and feed the animals?"

Bill stared at me with featureless eyes for a few seconds. "Alright," he said eventually, and his tone was simply emotionless. I don't know if that meant anger or not, but I thought it best try and stay on Bill's "good side" for a while.

"Do you remember how to do it?" I asked him, and I made sure I sounded as innocent as possible.

"Yeah. Remember: I may not have been the one doing it, but everything you did I learned." Then he stepped outside, leaving me alone with Luna and Fluttershy.

My fiance broke the silence. "Will... who's that person?"

I thought long and hard over what to say. To be honest, I knew what he used to be, but I'm not sure if he's changed since... that day. "Remember when we were flying to Canterlot?"

"To the music festival?"

"Yes, then. Remember what we talked about?"

She was quiet. "N-no..."

I sighed. "That's fine, Fluttershy, you were honest. I could care less if you forgot what you ate for breakfast this morning, as long as you told the truth. Anyway, you asked me why I was quiet so much. I told you it was because I had a voice in my head that helped me do things in life. Well... last night... or was it morning? Luna," I said as an aside. "You messing up the moon and sun schedule messed me up."

She chuckled. "Sorry."

I continued my ramble, er, I mean, my explanation. "At some point in the recent past," I said, grinning. "The Nightmare took Bill, my voice, away from me. I don't know how, but she did."

"Wait," Luna interjected. "You mean, Bill is your Oracle?"

"Huh?" I asked in a proper Twilight Sparkle fashion.

"Your Oracle... I thought you knew what those were!"

"I know what an oracle is: a person who could supposedly see the future by inhaling special fumes... I wonder if they ever figured out if those fumes made them stoned..." I got sidetracked.

"Yes, yes, but the Oracles. The true Oracles, can only be found in Paracorns and other special beings. Never in my life have I seen an Oracle as a living, breathing entity!"

Her tone made me fear she'd "pull a Twilight" and run off to do studies. "If the Oracles are the voices in our heads, then yes, Bill is mine. And that," I said, looking at Fluttershy. "Is the answer to your question."

"So the Bill that was standing there not moments ago was the voice in your head?"

I nodded. "It would appear so."

Luna waggled her eyebrows and smiled at me. "He's rather..." Her gesture and tone made me fear what she was going to say... and I was right to. "Attractive, don't you think?"

"Luna!" I said loudly, embarrassed; indeed, I felt my cheeks flare up.

"Oh, come, Will. I was only joking! Besides. He does seem a bit... small. Fluttershy, dear, do you have a scale or balance we could borrow? I'm afraid this may not be able to wait until Canterlot. My researcher needs her fix."

Fluttershy nodded, saying, "Of course. Lots of animals big and small come to me, and I usually try to help them. Lots of times, keeping them at their suggested weight does a lot to help, and to do that I needed a big scale. There's no problem with Bill using it." She walked off into another room. I didn't miss the fact that she automatically, but correctly, assumed we were going to weigh Bill.

She returned in short order, with Bill arriving shortly thereafter. He took one look at the scale upon entering before sighing and immediately taking off his boots. "I assume that's for me." His voice betrayed no emotion, despite the sigh just a moment ago. I nodded. He stepped up to the plate, no pun intended, if a bit reluctantly. The result shocked us all.

I was the first to voice my amazement. "You're at least five foot ten, and you barely weigh one hundred thirty pounds?! Good God, what's your secret, Bill, I'm sure everyone in the universe will want to know!"

He grinned at this. "I don't know. I honestly didn't know how much I weighed myself. I didn't even have a guess. So this is just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you."

Luna laughed. "Well, now that we've discovered that Bill is on the killer diet, I suppose we should find out how strong he is!"

I pouted, muttering under my breath, "You just want to see him flex."

She laughed even harder. "I told you, I was just playing around!"

Bill simply blinked his featureless eyes at this exchange, but went outside. We followed Bill, even over the fence, and into the woods. Luna spoke. "Okay. Will, you can go first. Take this branch," she handed me a sturdy branch about an inch and a half in diameter. "And hit it against that tree as hard as you can."

I stepped up to bat. The tree was a big one, but I was not deterred. I would best this tree in combat! Heh, lapse into childhood memories. I swung the branch as hard as I could. I hit the tree, but nothing cracked. Instead, my arms went numb from the shock. I totally meant to drop the branch at that time.

"Okay, Bill," Luna said, and I could see her smiling at my pain... she's a horrible mother! "Your turn. First, inspect the tree and the branch to make sure everything is up to snuff."

Bill walked by me and picked up my fallen log. "Neither has any problems." And with that, he proceeded to swing at the tree. At this point, I expected his arms to numb and the branch to survive. I may have even been okay with a crack in the branch.

But I was not expecting the branch to completely shatter, nor did I expect the tree to bend so far over, I swear if I had pushed it just a little it would have fallen over. Luna, Fluttershy, and I both stared in shock, our mouths agape, eyes wide. Even Bill himself couldn't believe it. "Damn," he said. "If I'd have known I was this strong, I might've tried to find a way out sooner." He looked at me. "This could have been useful in so many ways."

I nodded. "That minotaur would have been a cakewalk."

"I agree. But then... so many things wouldn't have happened." He pointedly looked at Fluttershy, then himself, then Luna, and finally at the cottage, presumably towards Celestia's body. "Either way, I'm glad we got that mystery cleared up. But... what are we going to do about-" He stopped suddenly, and craned his neck sideways so his right ear was higher. Returning to his normal pose, he said, "I was going to ask what we planned to do with Celestia and the Army. But monsters are fine too." With that, he drew my revolver, which was still holstered to my hip, spun one hundred eighty degrees, and began firing.

The cylinder emptied, and eight yelps and cries cut short indicated eight monster deaths. But now, even I could hear trampling of hooves, paws, and feet, and I began to worry...

What the hell are monsters doing so far up north?

Dreamwalker

Bill twirled the revolver in a proper gun-slinging fashion, then handed it back to me. Then, he drew Celestia's rapier, which he had belted onto himself. I myself took out my battle sword, which was a long, thin, and triangular shaped blade made for punching through armour, and Luna drew her rapier as well. We readied for battle, though Bill stood about seven feet in front of us.

Moments later, several hellhounds and diamond dogs burst through the treeline. They each made a beeline for Bill, being the closest. Not fazed by this at all, Bill simply stood calmly. When the first hellhound reached him, he stepped aside as it jumped and flicked his blade up to stab its heart. It fell instantly, but another was on the way.

Not that it mattered much. Bill swung his left arm and clocked the oncoming hellhound on the side of the head. By that time, his sword was free of the first and poised to attack. The hellhounds continued their assault. At this point, however, Luna and I had already moved up to support Bill, and the hounds went down pretty quickly. The diamond dogs held back a bit, possessing a gram more intelligence than a hound.

I called out to them, knowing they spoke Equestrenglish. "Dogs, if you value your lives, and I'm sure you do, you will leave now, in peace, and go back to the hole from whence you came!"

The dogs laughed, then took a step forward. I guess they figured numbers were better than training. Luna looked at me, and said, "Let me handle this, Will." She spoke to the dogs. "YOU WILL RETURN TO THE HELLHOLE FROM WHENCE YOU CAME, MUTTS, OR WE WILL SLAY YOU ALL WHERE YOU STAND!" That cut off the dogs' laughter, and several broke ranks, high-tailing, heehee, it out of the area.

The rest, however, were the dumbest of the bunch. "FORWARD!" The lead dog barked in a gravelly, scratchy voice. They all drew knives. 'Just knives?' I thought. 'Seriously? We're outnumbered two to one, yes, but honestly? We have three magic users, three well-trained swordsmen, three agile and strong warriors. What did they have?'

I took a moment to look them over, and I'm glad I did. These dogs were different. They looked bigger, but splendid. They were wearing armour suits lavished with expensive jewels and metals. They looked fair, but felt foul. I meant they literally felt foul; a chill went up my spine.

Bill didn't give them a chance to get real close. With his free hand, his made a fist and brought it to his shoulder. He then swept it in an arc, unfolding it into a hand with fingers outstretched and palm down. What did this accomplish? A wave of fire shot out from his hand, burning every dog in its path to a crisp. It sailed harmlessly by the trees and the grass, making it the most controlled bit of destructive magic I'd ever seen. Granted, I hadn't seen that much, but still. Point stands.

"Get Fluttershy inside," Bill told me.

I turned to find that she was, in fact, still with us, but cowering in terror. I slowly walked over to her, trying not to startle her. I knelt down beside her, her head buried in her hooves. "Fluttershy," I said softly. "Fluttershy, it's okay, you can get up now. It's alright, they're gone now. They can't hurt you. The monsters can't hurt you."

"But... there are still... three monsters here!" She yelled, raising her head to look at me with tear-filled eyes, racked with fear.

I looked around. I didn't see anything. "I don't see any monsters, Fluttershy. They're all gone. It's okay."

"You don't get it? It's you! You, Bill, and Luna!"

A severe pain shot through my heart. Without Bill to regulate the Wall, I felt it crack to the point of breaking. "W... what? Fluttershy..." I felt my eyes water. "How... how could you say that?"

"You just killed them! You didn't even give them a chance to run away!"

"Yes, we did. Luna and I both gave them a chance to run away. Thankfully, most of them took it. These... they were the ones that were either to proud for their own good, or, well, too dumb... but..."

"You don't even care, do you?! You just killed them, and you don't even feel bad for it!" She screamed, getting closer to my face.

I'd heard stories of her "Stare" that could apparently scare away even a cockatrice. So, I stared directly at her nose, ignoring her eyes... her beautiful eyes... "Fluttershy, they attacked first! And, and, you know what else we were doing?" I leaned my forehead against hers, not only hoping this would calm her, but also to avoid her eyes better. "We were protecting you," I said in a low voice, so that no one but her could hear me. "Ask them. They'll say you were in their minds."

I grasped her head in my hands and held it out to look directly at it. I didn't care if I got "stared." "Fluttershy, I love you. I love you so much, I would do anything for you. I want you to be happy. I want you to be safe. And to be safe, monsters that come so close to your house, and attack us, need to go. Peaceably or no, they need to go. And, I'm sorry, but they just won't go without a fight. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for scaring you. I'm sorry for making you go through this.

"But most of all," I said, fighting back the ready tears. "I'm sorry for me. I kill things, it's what I've been doing for eight years. I'm sorry. I've lost all emotion when I do my job. I'm sorry. The monsters are everywhere. I'm sorry. I want to protect you. I'm sorry. I have to... kill the monsters to do that. I'm sorry. I know you aren't a violent pony. I shouldn't put you through this. I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry." I couldn't hold back the flood anymore.

"Oh... Will... I'm..." Fluttershy stuttered, starting to cry herself. I picked her up, which elicited a gasp from her. I ran back to the house, doing my best not to jostle her. I beat my wings a bit to boost my hop over the fence, and opened the door, walking hurriedly inside. I set Fluttershy on the couch next to Celestia. I walked right up the front door and walked outside, taking a single step out. I left the door open.

I began crying. I'd just been called a monster to the mare I'd promised my life to. I'd been called a monster by the one mare in the world, nay, the universe that matters to me. Already I was assailed by thoughts of... bad things I shouldn't do to myself. I looked towards the moon, which was to my right. Anyone inside would see my profile. That's when I pulled out the revolver.

I stared at it for a few seconds. I knew that, under the circumstances, I was overreacting. But then, how could I not? Every solution to this problem that crossed my mind ended in this. Forgiveness didn't enter my mind at all. To me, Fluttershy was too mad at me to forgive me. I sighed deeply, exasperatedly. My hand trembling, I put the barrel underneath my chin. My finger slowly inched from its "safe spot" on the side of the gun to the trigger guard, then finally to the trigger itself.

I took one last deep breath, then gulped. This was it. Everything: the pain, the hardships, the war, it would all stop. No more sleepless nights. No more looking over my shoulder every time I left my shelter. No more getting yelled at. My finger slowly pulled back on the trigger. Three pounds of pressure, that's all it would take. No more wounds. I heard a faint click; just a little further and it'd be over. No more death.

No more Fluttershy.

My eyes widened. I tried to stop myself, but I was too late. "Will!" I heard a male, Bill, shout out. I heard heavy footfalls coming in my direction, from inside the house. Right before Bill hit me, I heard a second click. Bill heard it too, yelling, "No! Will, don't!" My finger and the trigger hit the back of the guard. It was then I realised the problem with my process.

The gun was still empty.

Bill barreled into me, knocking me to the ground. He wrested the gun from me and tossed it aside. I tried to break free, blinded by a rage that I was interrupted, but he had me pinned. He rolled me onto my stomach, placed a knee on my back, and twisted my right arm around and pinned my hand between my shoulder blades, immobilizing me. "What were you thinking?!" He yelled.

"Get off of me, Bill!" I shouted back, harshly.

He pressed my arm harder. "No can do, Will! My purpose is to keep you safe. I would be failing at my job if you killed yourself! Now snap out of it!"

"I said, get OFF!" I shouted, then twisted and rolled at the same time, while also kicking my leg up. As strong as Bill was, he still weighed nothing and lacked proper training. After all, he hadn't experienced the trainings in person. I knocked Bill to my left. He rolled into a crouch, but I was already on him. I backhanded him across the face. His head recoiled, but something else happened then.

My own cheek started stinging furiously, as if I had slapped myself. I stopped myself from continuing the slap with a punch to stare into space in shock. Bill knew what had happened, apparently. "Yeah. You feel that?" He said, wiping away the nonexistent blood from his lips. "It happens. It will always happen. I am tied to you, Will. My arm?" He flopped his right arm. "Hurts. It started hurting at exactly the same time that I pinned yours behind your back."

I had no words to counter this. "Don't you see, Will?" Bill said, as if knowing I was speechless. "Everything that happens to you happens to me. Right now, I am almost loathing Fluttershy for what she said. You are as well."

"I... no..." I stammered, still unable to form coherent speech.

"And now I don't." He said, right after I forgave Fluttershy. Now, I heaped the blame on- "Even better, I hate myself for putting her through all this." -myself.

By this time, my rage and fury had burned out. "Bill," I attempted to speak. "I'm... I'm sorry."

He actually found this a bit funny; he chuckled. "Yeah, I know. It's alright. No harm done." He rubbed his face, where I'd slapped him. "Well, no serious harm done. Come on," he said, getting up. He walked over to me and practically but gently pushed me through the door. I saw him pick up the revolver before entering himself, where he said, "Let's get this whole mess cleared up." He shut the front door.

Luna was inside now, trying to comfort Fluttershy. She wasn't saying anything, but instead was sitting between her and Celestia. She was holding Fluttershy's head close to her chest, stroking her mane. She looked up when I entered, and nodded to me, her own eyes glinting with the wetness of tears.

Fluttershy too looked up to me. Her crying was more evident. The faint lines of dried tears that ran from her eyes to her cheeks from a while ago were darkened with fresh tears. Her eyes had gotten a slightly reddish tint around the rims. Her body was shaking, apparently every time she gasped, blubbered, or wailed. "Will..." she said softly, but didn't add anything.

"Fluttershy," I said, walking to her. I knelt down in front of her, starting to cry again for the whatever'th time today. "I'm sorry. I should have gotten you out of there. You should not have to see these kinds of things. You are too nice to be subjected to the horrors that soldiers face. I'm sorry."

"No, Will." She said, placing a hoof under my chin. "It's my fault. I stayed; I didn't run away." She shook her head. "Don't cry." She wiped away some of the bold tears that started to charge bravely down my cheeks, only to be swept away by the mightiest hoof in all of Equestria. I chuckled at the thought of that. That caused Fluttershy to smile. "Do you see, now? It's my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you; I shouldn't have gotten mad. I should have remembered that a soldier's job is to... kill things... but I didn't. I was just... so mad that creatures were dying..." She shook her head more violently, as if to clear it instead of deny something. "It's me who should be sorry."

"Well," Luna finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence that had sprung up. "It seems we are at an impasse. I elect myself as moderator. Both Will and Fluttershy claim to be at fault. In keeping with their natures, I will judge: both are at fault. Say you're sorry, both of you, and let's get past this. I don't mean to kill the mood, but there are important matters that require our attention."

I gave her a crooked smile. Turning to Fluttershy, I held her hoof in both my hands and said, "I'm sorry, love. For everything that happened tonight."

She fully smiled, shaming me. "And I'm sorry too."

I hugged her, and she hugged me. All was, more or less, right with the world. I mean, aside from those minor details like the monster war. Those things didn't matter right now. "So," I began. "What needs discussing?"

"For starters," Luna replied. "What are we to do with Celestia?"

To be honest, I already had something in mind. "Well, we could always do this," I said, leaning in to tell everyone in the room my plans. I finished with, "And then I finish with Taps."

Luna and Bill nodded. It was Luna who spoke, though. "It sounds like a plan, Will. I appreciate that you would conduct such an extensive ceremony for my sister... your aunt... thank you." She hugged me. Glad to do so, I hugged her back.

"You're welcome, mother." I grinned over her shoulder at Bill. He simply snorted and slowly shook his head. "Ah," I sighed. "Things are finally being wrapped up."

I felt Luna nod against my shoulder. "They are, and I am ever glad for it."

I released her to sit back next to Fluttershy, who again leaned back into me. I idly stroked her mane with my free hand, while my right hand combed through my own hair. I realized just how tired I was. I hadn't had any real sleep for quite a while. I think it might have been a few days, but I couldn't be quite sure. Before I could voice my opinion, Luna asked a question. "Would you... would you like to hear the story of your father, Will?"

This was it. Ever since Luna hinted that she'd one day tell me who exactly my father was, I'd been waiting to hear it. For a chance to finally get to learn of my past, who had brought me into this universe... I felt ecstatic. "Of course... unless... there was something you wanted to do, Fluttershy?" I asked her.

"Oh, it's okay. I want to hear it to. If that's alright with you..."

"Well, if you want to hear it, you're welcome to stay. Just wanted to be sure I wasn't keeping you from anything."

"Oh, it's no worry. I didn't have anything planned for tonight except sleep... something you, if I remember correctly," she said with a smile and poked my chest. "Were lacking."

At this provocation, I yawned. It was rather embarrassing. I mean, my mother had just asked me if I wanted to learn who's past I came from, and I yawned. Bad P.R. right there. Oh well. "I think I can hold out until after the tale. I'm really excited."

Luna coughed. "Okay then. Here it goes. Your father was born under a Wizard, the real kind, and a stage magician."

Fluttershy interrupted. "Like that Trixie pony?" Her eyes widened as she realized she'd just interrupted the storytelling. "Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Luna laughed. "It's quite alright. But to answer your question, yes, like her. Rotten pony, that one, but I digress. His mother was the Wizard," she continued, undisturbed. "Her name was Margaret Dresden, sometimes called Margaret LeFay. She was a pretty substantial Wizard, if rather... unruly. She did not break any laws by the Wizards' standards, but came very close. Your grandfather, Will, was named Malcolm Dresden. Very nice man, or so I'm told. Your father never spoke of him much, only to say that he cared for him a lot, and was very upset about his death."

She paused to let this sink in. So my father was the son of a stage magician for a father and an honest-to-God Wizard for a mother. It seemed pretty tame compared to what I've been finding and discovering in this universe, but at least I was getting the one history lesson I wanted to hear.

"Your father... he was named after three famous magicians of the time. Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Named after Harry Houdini, Harry Blackstone, and David Copperfield. When his father died, he was eight, and was adopted by his uncle Justin DuMorne. After a while of teaching Harry how to use his magical powers, he tried to enthrall Harry. You do know what enthrallment is, yes?"

I nodded. "It's when someone places you under their complete control. It doesn't necessarily have to be by magical means, as far as I know."

Luna smiled. "Correct, very good. Justin tried to enthrall Harry, after already successfully enthralling his short-time girlfriend Elaine Mallory. Harry reacted violently, killing Justin with fire summoned by magic. That was against the first Law of Magic, as set up by the White Council, the ruling body of Wizards over Wizards. At his trial, and he told me he was lucky to get one in the first place, it was a slim majority that ruled it was self defence, and instead of outright killing him, placed him under what was called the "Doom of Damocles," which was essentially a harsh probation; failure to uphold it resulted in immediate death."

I huffed. "Jesu Christi," I swore. "That sounds freaking harsh. They really had a system like that set up?"

She nodded. "Eventually, it was lifted when he killed an evil sorcerer and in the process started burning down the house. A Warden, basically the cops and soldiers of the White Council, named Morgan rescued him from the fire." Her eyes glinted. "When I'd heard him speak of that Warden Morgan... he told me, 'Lu, Morgan was an ass. If he so much as heard something bad in passing, he'd try to find a way to incriminate you.' But... Harry came back from a meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland on Earth... and told me, 'Lu... Morgan... he's... dead... I mean, sure, he was a grade A dick, but... I mean, he's gone.'" Luna shook her head in obvious sadness. "It was one of the worst days of my life. He was so broken up about it..."

I got up, leaving Fluttershy on the floor. I walked over to Luna, and gave her a big hug. Just to show her that I cared and wanted to make her feel better, I told her, "Not sure how to cheer you up. I was hoping this would work." She chuckled and sniffled once. I grinned over her shoulder. "Mission accomplished, I'd say." I said, then returned to Fluttershy's side, who wasted no time in leaning back into me, nuzzling my chest.

"We could do this another time," I told Luna. "If it's getting too hard to retell it now, I can wait a bit. It's no problem to me."

"Well, it's a problem to me!" She snapped, catching me off guard. Everyone in the room, even Bill, flinched. Realizing this, Luna cupped her hands over mouth and gasped. When she lowered them after a few seconds, she said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sound so rude! Please, forgive me!"

I held up my hands defensively. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I forgive you, too, I guess."

"Figures," Bill chortled.

"What?" I asked him, confused.

"Ever heard of being sure of yourself?"

"What do you mean?"

"You only ever guess... you know what, just forget it. It seems my humour has fallen on deaf ears."

Luna snorted. "Whatever. Now," she said, turning to me. "Where was I?"

I cleared my throat. "You, uh... just got finished telling us about... Morgan..."

"Ah, yes," she almost forced those words out. "Harry was so broken up. To make matters worse, and this was before I met him, his special someone, his Captain, Anastasia Luccio, broke up with him the next day. She'd apparently been influenced by a traitor in the White Council into dating Harry to gain information on him. Essentially she became a spy, albeit unbeknownst to her."

So. Harry had a relationship with this Captain Luccio who was essentially his boss. Then he uncovers a plot of a traitor in the White Council. Morgan, essentially Harry's handler, dies somehow, and traitor either dies or escapes. Luccio, no longer under the effects of this traitor, no longer harbours feelings for Harry, and dumps him. Pretty messed up life, it seems.

"He later went on to find out he had a daughter..." Luna looked at my shocked expression. "I know what you're thinking, Will, but sadly, no. You don't have a sister. At least, not as far as I can tell. She was born under a Wizard and a half-vampire. I'm not sure about the rules for that."

"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted. "You mean to say that it's possible I have a sister?"

"Well," Luna said. "Technically, she'd be your half sister, but to answer your question, yes. It's possible. I don't know how likely it is, but maybe. I doubt she'd know you. I doubt she'd know me. You see, Harry knew he couldn't keep her, what with him getting into trouble all the time. There was a church near his home, Saint Mary of the Angels. The priest there, a Father Forthill, was a great friend of Harry's. Harry handed Maggie... over to Forthill, and told him to find a good home."

Luna smiled. "Harry later told me how he wasn't all too surprised to find that she'd been given to the Carpenter family, another close friendship. Michael Carpenter, the man of the house, used to be a literal Divine Sword, being one of the Knights of the Cross. They were three who were chosen to defend the innocent from evil. Literally: demons, Fallen Angels, faeries, you name it." She shook her head. "Until he was shot. Crippled.

"But I digress. Harry then went on to become the Winter Knight, the right hand man of Winter, Queen of the Winter Fae. Yes," she told me, smiling. "Faeries and faerie queens exist. Anyway, after a long service, Harry found a way to release himself from her. He wandered the United States, looking for somewhere to go, something to do." She chuckled. "That's when I stumbled upon him."

I felt myself, or more accurately, my conscience, being pulled towards Luna. It was Bill. Apparently, something was going on inside her head that I had to see. And I looked. And ho, did I have to see that.

Luna sped through the tall grass; the hellhound would not escape her. It had already eaten two babies and killed five people. This monster deserved a very slow death. How it managed to get here was beyond her, but the fact that it needed to die was at the forefront of her mind. Luna, it probably arrived when that earthquake happened. That was Luna's voice, Helen. She helped Luna out in dire straits. She also provided help in mundane tasks, and essentially was a "co-pilot." 'True. Natural disasters tend to be portals for monsters and other spawn.'

Luna was still running when a tower of flames erupted in front of her. She heard a terrified yelp, that of a hellhound, which then cut off with a whimper, then finally a last sigh of breath. A short while later, Luna burst into a clearing and found out what had caused the death of the hellhound. Standing across from her was a man.

The first thing she noticed was that he was incredibly tall; Luna was sure that if she stood back to back with him, he'd dwarf her by at least a foot. Next, she noticed what he was wearing. He had on a black shirt, blue jeans, and a black duster. He also wore a black, wide-brimmed hat. Around his neck hung an amulet, a pentagram within a circle, with a red pentagon shaped ruby in the center. In his right hand he held a staff. Along the staff were sigils, burning with an orange glow. Indeed, thin smoke wisps were spiraling from the sigils themselves. Powerful magic was at work here.

Luna poised her rapier, ready to strike should the need arise. Instead of reacting with hostility, the man said, "Oh. This wasn't your dog, was it?"

Luna slowly shook her head. "I've been hunting it. It's eaten babies and killed the parents."

The man looked down at the charred remains of the hellhound, then back up to Luna. "Huh. Glad I didn't kill someone's pet. But... what's a hellhound doing out of the Nevernever?" He shook his head. "Can only mean some bozo is running around opening ways."

"I don't think that," Luna replied, a bit cautiously. "There was an earthquake recently; it's possible a way was opened then."

The man looked at her, wide-eyed. "You know of the supernatural?"

Luna looked at him with a sidelong glance. "Monsters, demons, faeries, hellhounds, warlocks, Wizards, magic, vampires, and the like? Yes, I know of them. Why?"

"My reasons would depend on whose side you're on."

"What do you mean?"

"Are you doing whatever you're doing for your own gain, or are you standing up for the little guy?"

"If by doing whatever I'm doing you mean roaming around trying to fill in the power vacuum that's arisen now that there is only one Knight of the Cross left, then I'm doing it for the 'little guy.' If you mean hunting monsters, well. There's a certain fame aspect to gain from that."

"So. You're out for glory, and there's nothing that says you can't help people out while doing that?"

Luna shook her head. "I'd reverse that. I'm trying to keep the people safe. Gaining fame on the side is certainly good, but I can't gain fame if there's no one to spread the word."

"So you're saying you're protecting the people because you want people to worship you?"

"No, that's not it," Luna said, a bit impatiently. 'Lord, is this man incredibly slow?' "I want to save this town, hypothetically. It's under attack by a dragon. If I gun for the dragon without taking into account the people of the town, I end up with a dead town and a dead dragon. By a small drive to want to be recognised, I'm saving town after town, city after city, country after country."

The man's eyes widened more. "So... have you actually killed a dragon?"

"Four," Luna said without emotion.

The man whistled. "That's... wow." The man, looking straight into Luna's eyes, took a few cautious steps forward before moving his staff from his right to his left hand, and then stuck out his right. "Harry Dresden."

Luna looked at the stranger carefully, searching for any signs of evil intent. Seeing none, she slowly reached out with her own right hand, after sheathing the rapier, and took this Dresden's hand in her own. "Luna," she told him. "Now, might I ask what you are doing here?"

"Well," Harry said, almost looking embarrassed. In fact, he reached around to scratch the back of his neck. "I give you my word, I honestly don't know. I was, up until recently, the Winter Knight." At this, Luna herself stared at Harry in shock. "I got out of it... I don't remember how. Then I ended up here. Hmph," Harry harrumphed. "Mab didn't have the kindness to drop me off at home... not that I have one anymore."

"What... what do you mean? Do you not own it anymore?"

"No..." Harry looked down. "It was burned down. I mean, I guess I still have the houseboat, and maybe Demonreach... but..."

Luna guessed the latter part of his explanation wasn't meant for her. "That's so sad..." Luna looked down herself, for a different reason than Harry. 'He seems like a nice guy. He seems to work for a noble cause... he's even kind of... cute...' Luna, think about this, first. You've just met him. How do you know he's a good person? How do you know he won't try to kill you? 'Well... for starters, he's given me his word. For magic users, giving your word is pretty binding.' True. 'He also hasn't tried to harm me yet. I've put away my sword, and he still has his staff out, but hasn't tried anything.' True...

Luna carefully stepped up to him, and cautiously put her hand on his shoulder. This caused him to look up at her, but he didn't react in any other way. "You're welcome to come tag along with me," she said. "That is, if you'd like."

Harry looked at her for a few seconds. Finally, he said, "Well, I've got nothing else to do. Why not?" In a lower voice, Luna heard him whisper, "I might even enjoy this. She is kind of cute..."

Moving past Harry, he back to him, Luna smiled to herself. Her heart fluttered for a moment. She'd just fallen in love. Tia would be so proud.

The memory ended, and I found myself back in my own body. I found Luna to be sitting on the couch, crying, but smiling at the same time. She sighed. "It was the start of a long journey," she said. "One I will never regret taking." She looked down. "When it became possible to travel through space, one of the first, I think it was maybe the fourth, planets that could sustain human life was this one. I think it was called New Earth, because of its very similar features. Tia and I..." her voice got softer, more reverent. "Tia and I were the first 'humans,'" she smiled when she said that. "To set foot here. There, we were met with ponies who claimed it to be called 'Equestria.' Not surprising, since they were ponies and all.

"We befriended the leaders. They came to trust us, but told us they would be more comfortable if we looked like them. So Tia and I came up with the idea of the alicorn. We would still have the horn and wings of our Paracorn bodies, but we would look more equine."

"So I'll eventually be able to change my appearance?" I asked.

Luna laughed, which made my cheeks redden a bit. "You could do it right now; no technical limitations are stopping you. There's just the problem of focus. You need to be incredibly focused to cast the right spell. After it's done, however, no further effort is needed. It's just a one-time energy expenditure. Cast the transformation spell, and then you're home free."

My eyebrows raised at this. I could fit in now, as opposed to sticking out like a sore thumb. But Luna had one more thing to say on the matter. "I would not attempt to do this now, though. We have more pressing matters than your curiosity to attend to." With that, she lied Celestia's body on the floor by the couch, and lied down on it herself. "See you three in the morning," she said softly. Shortly thereafter very quiet snores could be heard.

I yawned again. "She has the right idea. Come on, Fluttershy, let's get some sleep." I led her by the hoof into her room. There was a smaller guest bed beside her own, so after setting her down on her bed I made my way there.

"Oh," Fluttershy interjected before I could actually get on the bed. "You don't have to sleep there. I could."

"Are you... are you sure, Fluttershy? I don't want to kick you out of your bed." I grinned.

She returned it, saying, "That's fine. You sleep here. You'll need the extra room anyways."

I sighed. "Well, if that's what you want..."

"It is. But... you don't have to if you don't want to..."

I shook my head. 'Heh. Even when she tries to be assertive she lapses into innocence and non-aggressiveness.' "Alright Fluttershy. I'll do as you ask. Thank you."

As she got up to get into the smaller bed, she told me, "You're welcome." She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Bill stood silent in the doorway for a minute before saying, "I'll keep watch downstairs."

"Good night, Bill."

"Night, Will."

I was sitting at the kitchen table. "So you see one thing and that's who I am?!" I shouted.

"I know what I saw, and I saw a monster!" Fluttershy yelled back.

Bill sat in the chair to my right; Fluttershy's left. He had yet to say anything in this argument, and didn't look like he was going to say anything any time soon. "So by protecting you, I should be classified a monster?! I thought you were a better pony than that!"

"Well," Fluttershy tried to rebut, but I didn't allow it.

"Well, clearly I was wrong! You're just some lonely pet mare, who was desperate enough to want anyone's attention! Unfortunately for you, I don't like that!"

Fluttershy came back hard. "I'LL WALK RIGHT OUT OF HERE IF IT'LL MAKE YOU HAPPY! WOULD YOU BE HAPPY IF THE POOR LONELY MARE JUST LEFT YOU? WOULD IT, WILL?!"

I faltered for but a moment. "FINE! GO, SEE IF I CARE!" I shouted, getting real close to her face. With that, I walked upstairs. I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. Because it wasn't working, I kicked at a dresser and knocked it over. That's when a thought entered my mind. My right hand felt around my hip until it found the metal device it was looking for. I drew it and stared at it for a few moments. I popped the cylinder to check if there were any unspent rounds left. Satisfied that the entire thing was full and ready to go, I closed the cylinder.

"GO ON, FLUTTERSHY! LEAVE, I'M GETTING READY TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER SEE THE BIG SCARY MONSTER AGAIN!" My voice grew hoarse, and I realized it was because I started crying. "GOODBYE, FLUTTER... Fluttershy..."

I heard footsteps pounding up the stairs; they were Bill's. Behind him I heard a set of hoofsteps; Fluttershy was on his heels. I pressed the gun to my chin. Bill started pounding on the door. "GO AWAY!" I yelled. I began to pull back the trigger, and the pounding increased.

I heard Bill's muffled voice say, "Aw, hell, he's gonna do it." The pounding turned into smashing as Bill threw his whole weight on the door.

I felt the pain it was causing on my left side, not the side I was holding the gun with. I pulled back even further. I faced the door to show the "audience" the whole deal. Finally, Bill managed to bust the door open. "WILL! DON'T!" He shouted.

But he was too late. My finger and the trigger met the rear of the guard. I heard an incredibly loud bang. My head snapped upward before lolling loosely, hanging down from my neck. It wasn't severed, but I could no longer control it; it was dead. With the last of my sight, I saw Bill's head snap upward as well, before following suit of my head and hanging loosely. Inertia prevailed and from the neck down his body continued in the air for a few inches before he fell flat on his back.

I landed on my stomach, facing the doorway. My vision was growing darker with every second. I saw Bill's body disintegrate, somehow, and the dust flowed along the ground towards me until it met with my limp head, and a tingling sensation filled the last of my living nerves as the dust "entered" my brain. I also saw Fluttershy run crying and screaming at the top of her lungs... downright terrified by what had just happened in front of her. "WILL!" She shouted, though unlike her previous tone, now hers was filled with terror, anguish, and sorrow.

I bolted upright to find someone hugging me tightly around the neck. "Ack," I managed to sound.

"WILL!" Fluttershy shouted. Due to the volume, I figured it was her who was choking me to death. I also went a little deaf in my right ear. Curses. She did let up, however, and I could finally breathe properly again. "Will, are you okay?" She asked, softer this time.

"I... I don't..." I stammered, but Fluttershy interrupted me.

"I heard you crying, and then you shouted 'goodbye, Fluttershy,' and that's when I called out for Bill."

It was then I noticed that indeed, Bill was standing at the foot of the bed, eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his face. "I saw what you were dreaming, Will."

"How-" I tried, but was interrupted yet again.

"He is a Dreamwalker," a new voice, Luna's, said from the doorway. I looked over and saw her walk up to the bed. "Oracles apparently have the ability to walk in other beings' dreams. He cannot interfere with them, however. And, strangely enough, I've found that Oracles never dream themselves."

"Wait," I said, slightly confused. "So when I saw Bill in my dreams-"

"That was not him. That was your dream. Dreamwalkers cannot be seen when walking in dreams. It is possible that when Bill entered your dream to see what dear Fluttershy was crying about, he may have trailed behind you, or followed you somewhere."

Bill nodded. "I followed you up the stairs, Will. You closed the door right behind you, yes, but Dreamwalkers are insubstantial. Intangible. I just waltzed right through it. Not that doing so lessened the effect of what you did there."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw what you did there, in this very room. And I wish I hadn't. To know that this kind of thing is still on your mind..." He trailed off, so Fluttershy saw it as her opportunity to speak.

"What... what did he do?"

I shook my head. "You don't want to-"

Bill interrupted me. That makes everyone in the room having interrupted me at least once this night. I feel wonderful. "He killed himself."

Fluttershy recoiled in shock. "What?!"

Bill continued. "I did a little digging for the reason this dream existed. You calling him a monster was fresh in his mind. I saw the arguing that he and you had at the beginning of the dream. It was full of shouting because you called him a monster, and before you say anything, Fluttershy, yes. He did apologise last night, but still." He shook his head. "He went upstairs after you threatened to leave him. He pulled out his gun. By that time, dream Bill was upstairs at the door trying to get through. Just as he broke through the door, Will does it. He dies; dream Bill dies. You scream and cry uncontrollably, because you followed dream Bill up."

I hung my head in shame; the truth, the horrible truth, was out. And Bill didn't even have the decency to say it in a soft or caring tone. It was just one monotone all throughout. "That... that's the gist of it..."

Fluttershy hugged me tightly, though around the chest this time, so it was less painful. Heck, I even believed my hearing was returning. "Oh, Will! I'm so sorry I called you a monster, I wasn't thinking!"

I patted her head and returned the hug. "It's okay, Fluttershy. It's alright. No harm done, I just had a nightmare is all. They happen. But I'm still here, alive, with you, and that's all that matters, right?" I said the last word while looking into her lovely eyes.

She smiled at me and nodded. "Right," she said before burying her face in my chest.

Bill, even with featureless eyes, somehow managed to roll them. Not that I knew at first; he had to tell me. "Okay. Now that we've got that taken care of, could we please get outta here? At least let's get to Ponyville; we need to warn the mayor that there are monsters up here in the north as well."

I nodded. "Very well." I swung Fluttershy around until she was on my back before I stood. "Come on, let's go do that hero-y thing that heroes do."

Luna groaned. "Harry would be so proud of you and your awful cliched lines." Then she chuckled, and followed us out.

Arnhem All Over Again

We had almost crossed the Ponyville city limits before Luna stopped us. "Bill," she said, turning to the man in question. "Here, take this." She handed him a strip of dark grey cloth.

He took it and looked at it for a few seconds. "What is it?"

"It's a blindfold," she replied. "Your eyes need to be hidden. Much like human culture, featureless eyes, and completely black eyes, for that matter, are not... socially acceptable, and you may even be attacked because of it. Nothing personal."

Bill nodded. "I understand." He tied it around his eyes. He did look like a blind man. "Strange."

"What?" I asked.

"I can still see. Perfectly clear."

Luna shook her head. "Will, your Oracle continues to amaze me. I wonder what power or ability he'll show off next."

With that, the four of us laughed and continued on our way. We had a job to do. We walked past the first few houses of the town before we met with a pegasus pony. She was grey with a dull blond mane. She crashed into the ground in front of us, which caused everyone in our group to rush to her aid. Surprisingly, she got up without help and seemed to be perfectly fine. Regardless, Luna, who was now in alicorn form, asked, "Are you alright, miss?"

The mare nodded. "Yup! It happens a lot, but it's okay." It was then I noticed her eyes. At first, they looked perfectly normal. However, every now and then one of them, her left eye, would roll around. Apparently, she could feel this, and said, "You must be looking at my eyes. Sorry, I can't help it."

I held up my hands defensively. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"Hey!" She exclaimed. "You're really polite! A lot of ponies just think I'm dumb or broken." She hung her head sadly.

"Hey, now," I said comfortingly. I also knelt down beside her. "I can already tell you're a fine pony, and I can safely assume that you're pretty intelligent as well, based on what I've heard from you in the past," I looked at my watch. "Three minutes." I grinned at her to solidify my claim.

She returned it, her mood brightening instantly. "Thank you! Oh, but I had something for you!" She dug around in her saddlebags, which were labeled "PEMS." "I brought you a letter!" She handed... hoofed?... me a simple letter.

"Thank you, miss... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, how silly of me! My name is Ditzy. Ditzy Doo. But the mean ponies call me Derpy."

"Well, thank you, miss Ditzy. And pay no mind to those mean ponies. They don't know what they're talking about. It was nice meeting you, and have a good day!"

"Thank you, and you're welcome, Will!"

"Wait," I said. "How did you know my name?"

She laughed. "It's on the letter, silly."

I looked at the letter, and what do you know. It was. I felt my cheeks turn bright red. "So it is," I said in embarrassment. Ditzy flew off after saying goodbye to everyone else. I opened the letter to read the contents.

Sergeant Will,

I trust you are alright. In your absence, we have posted several troops in Ponyville. Our satellites showed monsters far north, and we decided a military presence in Ponyville was necessary. Should you revisit Ponyville, it would be suggested that you link up to the commander of the forces there, one 2nd Lieutenant John Frost. I'm sure he'll have a few things to say to you. We'll keep Frost informed about what our satellites are seeing.

Signed,

Staff Sergeant Mason Valeral

P.S. By the way, I would suggest you stay in Ponyville as long as you can. I understand if duties and circumstances call you away, but try not to leave Ponyville if you can help it. It'd be nice to reliably know where you are sometimes.

I folded the letter in proper military fashion right after I finished it, despite it having a more personal feel to it. "Okay. So there's a contingent of soldiers in Ponyville. Not really anything to worry about. They've just seen monsters up north on their satellites, so they're being cautious. Perfectly normal."

Bill dipped his newly-blindfolded head. "I wonder whose side the commander is on."

I half turned my head so I was looking slightly to the left and a bit downward. "What do you mean?"

"Is he one of Mason's group, or is he one of Henderson's lackeys?"

"Why do you think there are two 'factions?'"

"Mason is torn. I glimpsed his mind. He is your friend, and trusts you. He sees Henderson's treatment of you and I as unjust and unfair. But he is under Henderson's command, and must follow his orders. That is why I believe there are two factions; the seeds of doubt have been sown."

I turned to face him in time for Luna to shake her head in my view. "So Bill now shows incredible insight and wisdom. Well, at least he didn't keep me waiting."

I sighed, and beckoned to Fluttershy. She came over, and I spoke softly. "How are you doing, Fluttershy?"

"Um," she started, keeping with personal tradition. "I'm... a bit nervous..."

I cocked my head to the side like a dog in confusion. "Why?"

"Well... those other soldiers seemed a bit mean... mean to you... I'm nervous because... what if these soldiers are mean as well?"

I gave her a half smile. "You don't need to worry about that. I can handle it. You just worry about staying beautiful."

She blushed deeply. "Oh... okay..." She scraped her hoof on the ground.

I laughed. "Trust me." With that, I turned around and continued on towards Ponyville. I apparently had a date with Lieutenant Frost. Not that I minded. My original plans weren't far from this anyways. Nothing much was said as we tore on. However, there was a point raised when we passed Sugarcube Corner.

"Ugh," Luna grunted. "I'm hungry. It seems I haven't eaten in quite a while. Will," she said, addressing me. "Let's stop for a bite."

I considered this. "We do need to make haste," I weighed the one option, but then my stomach grumbled. "On the other hand, I'm hungry too. Yeah, let's."

We walked inside and up to the counter. Mr. Cake was there, again, restocking the shelves. Beside him was a light blue mare with a red and very light pink mane. She was the one to address the party. "Oh, welcome to Sugarcube Corner! How may we help you?"

Mr. Cake looked up from his duty and spotted me. "Hello, there, Will." He continued working.

The mare looked on. "You know my husband? How wonderful! I'm Mrs. Cake, pleased to meet you!" She stuck out her hoof. I took in my right hand and shook.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Cake. Yeah, he was running shop when I visited here last, which was also my first. I-" Bill elbowed me, causing me to give out an "ow" involuntarily. "We thought we'd stop by for a bite to eat. We're pretty hungry."

To emphasize my point, all of our stomachs more or less rumbled simultaneously, give or take half a second. My eyes widened at the convenience and coincidence of it all. Mrs. Cake thought it was funny, because she chuckled. "I can tell," she said when she was finished. "What'll you have?"

Fluttershy immediately ordered the apple danish with cream, but ruined the action with, "Um, if that's okay with you..."

I laughed, saying, "It's alright, Fluttershy. Whatever you want, I'm okay with."

Bill ordered a rainbow cupcake. We couldn't see what kind of cupcake it was, since the icing and the paper covered it all. The paper was cyan, and the icing was essentially every colour of the rainbow. I ordered a doughnut that looked a lot like a Bavarian crème Bismarck, but was labeled as a "Super Sweetie Creamy Treaty." I could only guess as to who came up with the name, and I had a pretty good idea. Luna herself ordered half a chocolate cake. The description on the menu described it as "a three layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing gluing them together. Also comes with a single scoop of chocolate ice cream in the center."

After she finished her order, and as I was about to pull out the necessary credits, she stopped me. "I've got this, Will." She turned to Mrs. Cake and told her, "Please, dear, put it on the royal tab. Thank you."

Mrs. Cake nodded, and rung it up on the register. "Thank you for stopping by!" She said cheerfully. With that, we went over to sit at a table by the door. As soon as we finished, we needed to get going. Fluttershy and I sat side-by-side again, while Luna and Bill sat together. Bill was on the outside.

While Fluttershy tore into the danish, Bill unwrapped his cupcake. He looked at it from all angles from behind his blindfold. It looked pretty strange, to be honest, and those who didn't know he could see would wonder why a blind man was trying to look at something. He sniffed it once, before taking a lick of the icing. He then took a whole bite out of it, trying his best to get some of the actual cupcake in as well. He was only moderately successful. "This is..." he said through a mouth full of icing. He swallowed, then continued. "This is actually quite delicious."

"Thanks!" Pinkie Pie, out of nowhere. "It's my own super secret recipe! I'm glad you like it!" She even batted her eyes at Bill, which made him shrink away a bit. Unfortunately for him, this made him bump into Luna, who had not even started on the cake, by accident.

She simply looked at Bill who was only sort of leaning into her, when she looked up at Pinkie and said, "Sorry, Pinkie. He's taken."

Bill did an acrobatic flip into the booth behind him, which, thankfully, was empty. Before he did, however, I saw that his cheeks were red as an apple. "I don't have to deal with this!" He said defiantly. He even took his cupcake with him.

Unfortunately, now that he was in an empty booth, Pinkie could have her way with him. She bumped him to the inside, and scooted in herself. "How do you like the cupcake? Is it delicious? I know it's delicious because I MADE it! It's a secret recipe that I came up with myself! I even had Rainbow Dash help me make it! It was so... sweet of her!" Bill shrunk into the wall as far as he could, whimpering. It was kind of saddening. The badass who completely owned a monster raiding party with little to no help at all couldn't handle Pinkie Pie.

Luna came to his sort-of rescue, then. "Pinkie," she said softly. "I mean it."

Pinkie faced the ground in sadness, then pouted. She said, sadly, "I just thought that I could get somepony special like Fluttershy did. I mean, look at Will! He's a great man! He's nice, sweet, has wings!" She pointed to the objects in question. "I thought that since Fluttershy and Princess Luna were really cool, so this guy must be cool to hang out with Will! I thought... this was my chance."

"It's okay," I said, trying to comfort her. "But... I think you might want to take this a bit slower."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Bill isn't exactly the most outward of people."

"Like Fluttershy?" She asked, trying to make a connection.

"Kind of, but for a different reason. Fluttershy's just nervous around people. Bill... he's different."

"Different how?"

"Well, he's-" was all I could get out before I was interrupted before the door slammed open. I turned to see who it was.

It was that mailmare, Ditzy Doo, and alongside her was Rainbow Dash. They looked around and saw us, which was when they trotted, or rather galloped, to us. Ditzy had another letter. "Here you go Will! It's from the same person, that Mason, and he said it was pretty urgent."

I took it and opened it. My eyes widened in shock. I opened my mouth to speak, but Pinkie interrupted me. "Thanks for helping me with those cupcakes, Rainbow!"

"Yeah, no problem." She replied, managing to make her tone both sheepish and boastful at the same time.

"Guys," I said, to Bill in particular. "We gotta go." Bill hopped over Pinkie to follow me out. "Their satellites have picked up a huge force of monsters coming here, right the hell now. We gotta link up with Frost."

Bill nodded. "Right. Form a game plan." Luna got up and followed us out, Fluttershy in tow. The two pegasi tailed us as well, and I began to wonder if the whole town would follow next.

We tore through the town towards the town hall, where I saw a few soldiers standing. Panting, I asked them, "Frost inside?"

They nodded fiercely. It was then I noticed they weren't just standing around. They were in a combat stance, as if they expected monsters to jump out at them this very instant. They probably weren't far off. We dashed inside, and hung a left, where I saw MP's guarding a door. Due to my uniform, I got in pretty easily, but everyone but Luna had a harder time. "Lieutenant Frost, Sergeant Will reporting!" I announced.

The LT turned to face me. I'd already had a salute going, so he returned it and dropped it almost as fast as I could blink. "Glad you showed up. We need everyone we can get. Apparently, the satellites have picked up a force of one hundred and fifty monsters." He shook his head. "Our twenty men should hold them off, no problem." The sarcasm was evident in his voice.

"Has the mayor-"

"Taken care of. We've already patrolled every street and alley in Ponyville telling everyone to get inside the town hall. It'll be crowded in here, but it's better than having to rush all over town to protect individual houses."

"Understood. So... do we have a game plan?"

"Well," he said, pointing to a map on the center table. "Ponyville has the great advantage of being next to a river. This river flows out to form two sides of Ponyville's borders. That would leave two sides undefended, but there is a mountain range on the west side. Regardless, the monsters are coming from the north. Even with reports of intelligent and organised monster groups, I don't think these will be capable of strategising. I think they may be a brutish raiding party."

I nodded. "Good, good."

"There is a large stream on the north side of Ponyville, here." He pointed to it. "It's about twenty feet across and about ten feet deep along its width; it's more of a canal than anything else, but it leads nowhere. There's only one way to cross it: this bridge, here." He tapped the bridge symbol. "We'll hold there and wait for help from our buddies down south."

"Sounds good to me. Of course, if we concentrate all our forces there, regardless of the competence of this group, we'd be begging for an attack elsewhere."

"Naturally. That's why I'll only place fifteen at the bridge. The last five will patrol throughout the city to make sure all will be quiet on every front."

"Got it. How long do we have until they get here?"

Two booms of artillery guns were heard in the room before Frost could answer. With this, he said, "I guess that would be now. Get to it, soldier. I'm giving you command of Alfa squad."

I flashed a quick salute, then headed out. "Alfa squad!" I half boomed. I saw five men stand and snap to attention. "None of that," I said. "We haven't got time to waste. Let's roll."

Frost's voice came in through the radio. "Will, you're with Bravo and Charlie squads at the bridge. I have Delta out patrolling. Good luck, over."

I pressed the activation button and replied, "Hooah!" There was an MP at the door passing out rifles and ammunition, so I gladly took a rifle and several spare magazines, as I did not have my own anymore. I noticed the ammunition was all flechettes, an ammo type that was, apparently until recently, supposed to only be used on larger monsters. I looked behind me and saw that Bill had taken a weapon as well.

He sprinted to catch up to me, then matched my pace. "This is it." He said, cryptically.

"What do you mean?" I didn't follow.

"I just feel this is the turning point. One hundred fifty monsters for a, until recently, undefended village? Either they have so many troops at their disposal that there's no chance of our victory, or this is their last desperate push to get a foothold."

I didn't see any obvious or large flaws in that logic; it seemed pretty intelligible, actually. "You may be right."

His only response was to grunt. I let him lead us to the bridge, as I'd already forgotten its placement on the map. See? There were uses for his photographic memory. "We're here," he said when we arrived at a bridge.

If he hadn't said that, I still could have realised it was the right one. For starters, there were ten soldiers in combat positions. Next off, there were machine gun emplacements, and even a mortar. Granted, with two for each, it would bring our standard force to eleven, counting myself and Bill. I noticed there was a sniper camping out at the top of a bell tower, so I had to discount one more. The soldiers that would be doing the actual gritty fighting were mostly to my left, either behind sandbags or inside the building under the tower. "Alfa," I ordered. "Set up sandbags on the right. We gotta make sure both sides are covered."

"Roger," Alfa squad's leader spoke. He was a corporal. How he became the leader of a squad, I wasn't sure, but then again, it may have been that his sergeant had been killed. "Alfa, let's go do as the Sarge says. Sandbags, on the double!" They moved fairly quickly and set up a position in under ten minutes.

It was then I heard the sniper call down, "I see them coming! I see..." I could tell he was looking through the scope, ready to fire if he needed to. "Diamond dogs at the front... wait, there are a few hellhounds... I count maybe fifteen manticores, twenty minotaurs. Holy hell, I see some hydras in there!" I saw several soldiers ready their weapons with unease, obviously less optimistic with the thought of facing hydras.

"Gunners," I heard the lead gunnery sergeant call out. "Load explosive ammo! Dunlock! Get those weapons loaded!" An MG operator detached the boxes of both MGs and replaced them with ones labeled with "WARNING: EXPLOSIVE." "Get ready to fire on those hydras!"

The sniper called out ranges. "They are approaching one thousand yards! Nine fifty! Nine!" When he yelled nine, he fired. Through a pair of binoculars an Alfa soldier had handed me, I saw a manticore's head explode. The monsters behind it, minotaurs and a hydra, stumbled over the tumbling body. A minotaur lost its footing, causing another manticore to be taken down with it. The hydra at the rear of the column trampled over them. Whether it was because it simply couldn't stop in time or if it didn't care it trampled supposed allies, its reasons were unknown.

The sniper took another shot, taking out a minotaur this time. Unfortunately, this one seemed to be one of the march callers, and there were no monsters behind it to disengage. "Eight!" The sniper yelled, signifying that the monsters were eight hundred yards away. Easy range for the mortar and MGs.

The mortar was the first to let loose. "Hang!" The mortar officer yelled.

An operator, a private, placed a shell over the opening of the mortar, and yelled, "Hanging!"

A second later, the officer screamed, "Drop!" The private did so. Both the officer and the private ducked away from the mortar as the shell was launched. I looked through the binoculars and saw that the shell had fallen right on top of the diamond dog section, causing destruction and discord among the entire column. The MGs, heartened by the mortar's success, began pouring fire on the advancing monsters as well.

The sniper radioed in the next distance, as he could not be heard over the cacophony of the machine gun fire. "Seven!"

Within range of our rifles. "Ready!" I heard the other squad leaders shout to their men, so I did the same. I, however, was the first to give the order to fire.

"Fire!" Alfa squad, reinforced with Bill and me, raised themselves to look over the sandbag wall they'd built. After a moment's hesitation, everyone began unloading their steel presents on the hungry monsters.

The problem with automatic weapons at range wasn't recoil. It was the fact that so much ammo went into a single monster, effectively wasting ammunition. About ten rounds of a fifty round magazine would be spent on a single hellhound, another twenty to go into another hellhound or diamond dog behind it. With us using flechettes, it made using up all that ammo much more taxing. I radioed this concern. "Single fire, guys! Don't waste so many rounds on one monster! We don't have much as it is!"

Taking heed of my command, the rate of fire of the rifles slowed dramatically. Now, each soldier was picking off monsters using just the right amount of steel he needed. I found that hellhounds went down after two or three rounds, a few more for diamond dogs. Every soldier simply left the larger monsters for the MGs and the sniper.

Make that just the MGs. I saw a glint in the distance, and it seemed a minotaur was holding something in its hands. Seconds later, a bright flash and a smoke trail led from it to the bell tower. It erupted, raining debris on everyone. It was no challenge to guess what happened to the sniper who was until recently sitting up there.

Looking through the binoculars, I pinpointed the coordinates of the minotaur. I radioed them to the mortar crew, saying, "One of those minotaurs has a missile launcher! Coordinates Two, Three, Seven, Four, Six, Five, over!"

"Roger, Sergeant. Two, Three, Seven, Four, Six, Five, confirm."

"Confirmed!"

"Roger, over and out." I heard a very dim "Hanging... Drop!" I took another peek through the binoculars to see the effectiveness of the shell. It hit dead on, which elicited a radio-borne whoop of thanks from me.

But the fun was over by then. Angered by our continued attacks, the monsters had picked up the pace. They were but three hundred yards out when I set down the 'nocs and picked up my rifle. This, apparently, was close enough for the diamond dogs' rock-throwers, as I noticed quite a few sail overhead. "Look out!" I yelled over the radio. "Rock-throwers! We're in range!"

To my surprise, everyone got down before their head got taken off. At least, that's what I thought before my face erupted in pain. I dropped my rifle and clutched my face, screaming in agony. I looked over at Bill, whose head was snapped back as far as it could go before a normal body would have separated. A few seconds of remaining still was good enough for him, apparently, as he rolled his neck and shoulders before resuming his fire. The pain in my face also dulled much, signifying that he was dosing himself with a lot of mental pain killers.

Over the din of fire, I heard a bark that sounded more like a yelp. Yelps usually sound when surprise or fear is present. I deduced that the dog who made the noise was the attacker. This attacker probably saw that his rock had, from his perspective, no effect on his target, Bill. Several more yips sounded along the lines, but it mattered little right now. They had begun crossing the bridge in rows of five.

"Mortar crew!" I shouted over the radio. "When I give the signal, drop the piece and help us out! They're already on the bridge, and I'm not sure we're cleared for infrastructural damage!"

"Roger, Sergeant!" The officer responded. He proceeded to bring in his mortar incredibly close, just so that the bridge would remain undamaged.

Seeing that the first wave of hellhounds was already on our side of the bridge, I yelled out another order to the foot soldiers. "Switch to burst! Repeat, switch to burst! They're on top of us!" I followed my own order and proceeded to kill the hounds closest to me. I managed to down several, for all the good it did me. By now, many diamond dogs, all armed with rock-throwers, were halfway across the bridge, and they had increased their output of deadly flying minerals.

"Everybody, into the houses! Get into cover! Mortar crew, to me!" I shouted, then ran backwards into the house behind Alfa squad. I saw the mortar operator fold up the mortar while the officer readied a carbine rifle. The C13 carbine was designed and made for gun teams, whether they were MG teams, mortar teams, or artillery and anti-vehicle crews. It was compact but was more accurate and had a longer effective range than a sidearm. The two men began running towards the house Alfa and I recently began occupying, with the officer firing off one or two shots every now and then to try and suppress the enemy.

They hopped through an open window. The operator tossed aside the now useless mortar and readied his own carbine. The officer asked me, "What now, Sergeant?"

Thinking frantically, I grabbed my radio and called Frost. "Sir, we're kind of getting overrun! Where is our support?!"

He came back immediately. "I don't know! They should have been here by now! I've been trying to raise them for twenty minutes now and haven't gotten an answer!"

"Good God," I muttered, the leaned out an open window and took down two diamond dogs that had gotten confident. "We better have that support five minutes ago, or we aren't gonna last much longer." I ducked back into cover when several rocks flew towards where my head was moments earlier.

Luna landed by Applejack's farm. She looked from side to side, remembering where the tent was. She strolled confidently towards her target, but was stopped by Staff Sergeant Mason. "Ma'am," he said politely. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave; we're trying to conduct a war."

"Staff Sergeant," Luna retorted calmly but firmly. "I am here to request additional troops and support for Ponyville."

"Yes, Ma'am, I know it's under attack. I've tried to get the Captain to send more, but he refuses to. Says he isn't going to help if Ponyville is where Will is."

"So he would let a town die because of a grudge against one of his own men?"

Mason nodded grimly. "That seems to be it."

Luna pondered this for a moment. "What rank is that man you sent to Ponyville? The commander?"

"Frost? He's a Second Lieutenant, why?"

Luna nodded. "Come with me." She continued on towards the command pavilion, Mason in tow. She swept aside the tent flap and strode up to the sand table. "Captain Henderson," she said with slight, almost unnoticeable disdain. "I'm here to request additional military aid in Ponyville."

"What? You again?" He harrumphed. "Will's there. He can handle himself."

"He is losing ground every minute. He needs help."

"Not going to happen, princess. Now leave me be."

"You would let a whole town die because of an animosity?"

"I thought I told you to get out!"

'Okay,' Luna thought. 'Personal appeal is out, the formal request is out. Any ideas?' Helen answered, I only have the one that you planned on before coming here. Luna mentally sighed. She was afraid it would have to come to this. "Captain-"

But Henderson interrupted her. "God dammit, out! MP's, get her out of here!"

They moved to escort her out, but she held up her hand. "Not so fast." She lowered it. "Captain Henderson. You are shirking your duties in protecting an Equestrian town from monsters." Henderson made to make another, more hostile, remark, but Luna kept going. "In doing so, you have left me no choice." She looked at both MP's purposefully. "MP's, arrest Captain Henderson. He is unfit for leadership. Aggressively refusing to perform his duties because of one man is inexcusable."

The MP's stood there, dumbfounded. Had Luna really asked them to do that, or was it a joke? "I said," Luna repeated. "To arrest him. Now." She'd said it in a tone that clearly told them not to disobey. She turned to Mason. "First Lieutenant Mason, as a Princess of Equestria, I place you in command."

Mason had to work to pick his jaw up off the ground. "What?"

"I'm giving you command of this company. Now, what is your first order of business?"

Mason tried to form words, but none came out. After a while, though, he managed a few. "Well... Ponyville still needs help..."

"So what will you do?"

"I guess... send a Raven to pin down the monsters and a Stork for some more ground troops."

"Good, I expect nothing less."

Mason looked at her for a few seconds before shouting, "Okay! Echo, Fox, Golf squads! I want you in a Stork and in Ponyville five minutes ago!" Luna heard several soldiers scramble around outside the tent for a while. "Comms," Mason said to the radioman. "I want at least one Raven over Ponyville to provide air support for our guys there."

Luna nodded. "I must go now; I must see to it that everything goes as planned."

"I believe," Mason said, as Luna began to walk out of the tent. "It was an American general that said 'No plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.'"

Luna stopped just at the exit, and replied with, "I believe that same general said 'A good plan today is better than a great plan tomorrow.'" With that, she left. Mason felt a little down about being outsmarted by Luna, but then he perked up. He could have been wrong; the generals who said that may not have been American, and they may not have been the same person to have said that. Although, whatever elation he felt out of gaining the upper hand was lost when he realized that that meant he had slipped up in his military history.

Being the commander of Able Company might also have had a hand in that loss, but who could tell, right?

Family Grievances

"Medic!"

"Bravo's medic is gone, sir!"

"What about Charlie's?"

"He isn't moving! Oh god, he's not moving, sir!"

"Hell... run over and get Alfa's medic!"

"But that's across the street!"

"Live up to your namesake, Private, and go get him, dammit!"

Private Ronald Speirs hopped through an open window and dashed over to the house across the street. Not a single monster attacked him; I think they were too stunned by what he was doing. But that wasn't the amazing thing. The amazing thing was, after he got Alfa squad's medic... he came back.

I dashed across the street, firing off a few shots from my rifle as I did. Following the Private who got me, I jumped into an open window. "Medic!" I heard a call from farther back. I dashed over a counter and slid on my knees to a wounded man.

He was supine, blood covering his lower abdomen. "God..." I whispered. If he was hit by a rock thrower, he was a goner. I was surprised he was even conscious. "How did this happen?" I asked to no one in particular.

"He stood up to get inside," A corporal paused in his shooting to tell me. "That's when two rocks hit him square on."

'Hell,' I thought. 'This guy is dead.' "What do you want me to do with him?"

"Fix him up, obviously!"

I sighed. "Er," I said. "I don't think there's much I can do. Two rocks in the stomach? One would kill a man. Two..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "By all rights this guy should be dead now. I have no idea how he's even awake. My guess is adrenaline, but..."

"What do you mean you can't do anything? You're a damn medic!"

I ignored him, opting to lean closely by the wounded man's mouth. I asked him softly, "What would you have me do?"

Surprisingly, he spoke, albeit strained and almost inaudible. "I know I'm a dead man, sir. I took a biology major in the hopes of getting medic... the first rock hit my spleen and stomach... the second... hit my pancreas. By the feel of it, it bounced up and crushed my sternum..." He choked then, struggling for breath. When he composed himself, he said feebly, "Don't listen to the Corp. I know there's nothing to do. Nothing to do with a field medic. I'd have... to be put... in a hospital... for any chance..."

Before he could continue, I heard the scream of engines roar by over head. The metallic sound of machine guns firing could be heard. I looked outside to find that every monster in the vicinity of the bridge was mowed down. Frost radioed in. "Will, I heard you could use support. So here you go. A Raven and a Stork, just for you. You can thank 1st Lieutenant Mason for that."

'Lieutenant Mason?' Was all I could think before the tell tale sound of another strafing run arose. Over the cacophony of guns blazing, I heard engines power rev down, signaling the arrival of the Stork. I looked towards the bridge to see what was happening there, and saw several grenades land in the midst of the monsters. At first, I thought they would detonate, causing damage to both the monsters and the bridge, but instead they just poured out a pale green gas.

"Everyone," I shouted over the radio. "Masks on!" I myself pulled out my gas mask from my pack. Putting it on, I felt a bit lopsided at first, as the filter hung out the left side, but I quickly adjusted and became accustomed to it. Bill didn't have a mask, but I gave him the dying soldier's mask to him after he tried to give it to me himself. I tapped Bill on the shoulder when he had the mask firmly secured on his face. He looked at me behind black lenses. I pointed to the dying man, then to the general direction of the Stork. He nodded.

I picked up the man, and for all the good it did us, I said, "We'll get you to the Stork, soldier." I'm pretty sure it turned out something like, "Her hret hoo oo huh hort, hohher." I nodded to Bill when I was ready. He counted down from three with his fingers, and when he got to zero, he busted the door open and began pouring suppressive fire on the enemy. Thanks to him, I was able to run to the Stork in relative safety.

Key word being "relative." I had just about reached the lowered ramp of the Stork when pain exploded in my shoulder: my left shoulder. As in, the shoulder that, on Bill, was behind a wall. That could only mean one thing. I twisted around thanks to physics, but tried to make sure the wounded man ended up on top. Squishing him under me would be bad. "Sergeant!" I heard someone yell, and soon after I felt two sets of arms grasp at the two of us.

I opened my eyes, and saw two battle-clad soldiers, not medics. I heard heavy machine gun fire off to my left, and saw tracer rounds fly off towards the bridge. 'Wait a minute,' I thought. 'The Stork's guns can't fire at this angle.' I looked to my left and saw a jeep. "Delta?" I managed to say aloud.

"Right, sir. Here, we'll get you inside." I felt one of them lift off the wounded man, while the other brought me to my feet and helped me up the ramp. I looked towards the bridge after they set me down, but didn't see the other Delta squad member bringing up the wounded soldier.

"Where's the other guy?" I asked my helper. He simply shook his head. It was then I saw the other Delta member run up the ramp, sans the wounded man. "Where's-" I began to ask him, but he too shook his head.

"He saved your life, man." I stared at him blankly, not understanding. He continued. "Apparently, a rock was coming at you. He saw it, and tried to knock it away with his hand. He was only partially successful; as he was pushing the rock aside momentum was too much and plowed the rock and his hand into your shoulder." He took one look at my shoulder before whistling. "Man, that's gonna need some serious healing."

I looked at my shoulder for the first time since this incident, and found that I completely agreed with the man. It was visibly dislocated, and I could see that my uniform was soaked to the last fiber, thread, and stitch. "Eek," I said nonchalantly.

"Yeah," my helper, a corporal, said. "Eek."

"Well," the other said. "We'll leave you here so we can-" but he didn't get further. Two rocks came flying into the Stork, and they weren't aimed, but random. Strays. They didn't come in in an orderly fashion, they came in at different angles, and at a slow speed, probably ricochets. The first buried itself in the second man's head. Thankfully, he died instantly.

The second, however, impacted my right wing, shattering the top bone. I don't remember much of what happened after that. I remember leaving the Stork and running in a direction I could only vaguely guess was town hall. There was something I remember encountering on the street, though.

There was a diamond dog, standing triumphantly in the center of the road. It circled around, revealing a grey lump with a blond length of fur on either end. it growled ferociously, then pointed a rock-thrower at the still body. Everything moved slowly then. I remember raising my rifle and squeezing the trigger. Only one round left the chamber, as I must have had only one shot left.

I missed, but the dog felt the air being sliced as the round sped by. It turned and barked several times at me, pointing its weapon at me instead. Knowing I'd be too slow to reload and fire, I dropped my rifle, itself clattering against the dirt road. Tears came to my eyes, at the loss of the mailmare, Ditzy Doo, who was so kind and polite. At the loss of that wounded man whose name I never got. At the loss of that Delta member who risked his life to help two wounded soldiers in the middle of a battle.

At the loss of myself. This was it. There was nothing I could do. I closed my eyes, which forced a few tears to roll down my cheeks, and braced myself for impact. 'Goodbye, Fluttershy." It was my final thought. I winced in anticipation.

Nothing came. I heard a grunt of pain that barely stifled a cry of anguish. I opened my eyes, to find that the first Delta member, the one who brought me to the Stork, had jumped in front of me. He was on the road in front of me, gasping for breath. The diamond dog snarled, but the man, with a shaky hand, drew his sidearm and put several rounds into the thing.

I ran in what seemed like slow motion to him, kneeling beside him when I reached him. He looked up at me, sadly. "He... was my brother..." he said, choking for breath. I saw where the rock had hit him: right above his heart. His lung and heart both were probably crushed. "My brother... I told him I'd keep him safe... that if he... stuck with me... he'd be safe... and... he died before me... I failed him..." With that, he let out one final breath before his pulse stopped. He died with his eyes open.

I set him down gently. I closed his eyes for him, tears freely falling unhindered from my own now. I gave a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for his sacrifice... his selfless action. I got up, not bothering to wipe the tears from my eyes as I walked over to the unmoving lump. Indeed it was Ditzy, the kind, polite mailmare who just wanted a friend.

"No..." I said weakly. "Why... why can't anyone get through this mess without getting hurt!" I shouted, slamming my fist on the ground, as if that would return her. "Why..." I buried my face in her side, almost wishing that my tears would bring her back. "C'mon, Ditzy... get up... please, get up..."

"... Will?"

"What?! What do you want?!" I screamed through Ditzy's fur.

"Why are you crying on me?"

My eyes, tear-sodden, shot open. I snapped my head up, and looked at Ditzy's face, which had risen up to turn to me. "Ditzy..." I said, almost breathlessly. "You... you're alive!"

"Well of course I'm alive. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, if you're okay, then why are you laying out here in the middle of the road?"

"I said I was alive, Will," she said, rubbing a hoof against her head for emphasis. "Not okay. My head hurts a lot. I think I have a concussion."

"Why would you say that?" I asked.

"Well," she told me. "That diamond dog did kind of knock me out."

"What were-" I began to ask, but she interrupted me.

"Yes, there's a war going on. But the ponies still need their mail."

I said nothing for a while. Finally, I got up and helped her to her feet. "Here," I offered her my hand. "I'll walk you to the town hall. If for no other reason than to get your head checked out."

She exhaled. "Sounds good to me. I could use a rest right now."

Fate apparently hated me, though. After gathering up my rifle, I, with my left hand on her shoulder, began walking with her towards town hall. I had taken but one step, with my right foot, before my brain reminded me there was a problem with my wing. A big problem. I let out a barely stifled cry of pain and fell to my knees.

Ditzy, the kind mare, turned and asked, "Will, are you okay?" It was then she noticed my wings. "Sweet Celestia!" She shook her head frantically from side to side. She apparently had had an idea when she said to me, "Stay here, I'll go and find help!" She ran off towards the hall. Hopefully a medic was free for me.

Minutes later, help arrived. "Oh my," the helper said. "That's... very serious." She moved to me and gently flexed my wing in different directions. Thanks to my medical training, I knew this was useful to find which position a limb would be most comfortable in for moving. Several directions sent pain coursing through my body, but eventually a nearly painless position was found. By awkwardly bending the farther half of my wing forward while bending the half closer to my side back, I felt relatively painless.

"Thank you," I told my helper.

"Oh, it's no problem," she replied. "The only problem here is that I hate seeing ponies and people hurt."

I sighed and looked back towards the direction Ponyville bridge was. "So do I," I said softly. "So do I." My helper... er, helped me up, and took me away. I had a very slight discomfort when we went past the town hall, leaving Ditzy behind in the safety of its confines, but that discomfort was replaced with calm happiness when I figured out where we were going instead.

"Now, Will, mind if I ask how you managed to get so... messed up?"

I grunted, not out of disrespect, but out of... pain. "The fighting was going pretty badly. We'd already lost three men with another on the way. When the cavalry arrived, I set out to bring the wounded to safety." I sighed and looked down at my feet. "I almost did it, too." I looked up, focusing on the road ahead of me. "He was going to die. There was no stopping it. A rock was coming my way... and he sacrificed his hand to turn it away. Instead of hitting my spine, it gave me my shoulder injury." I rolled it with a little pain to prove a point.

"Then," I continued, our destination just clearing the horizon. "I was carried aboard our Stork by a couple buddies. Unfortunately for us, it wasn't as safe as we thought it would be. Two stray rocks came hurtling in. One crushed one of the guy's skulls. The other," I said, pointing to my injured wing. "Got my wing."

"I'm sorry, Will." My helper said. "Come. Let's get you back to the house as quickly as possible. You'll need to be taken care of fast."

"Don't I know it," I said under my breath. "Shame we couldn't fly there."

"What do you-" she started, before taking one look at my wing. "Oh, right... I can't... can't believe I forgot about that... I'm hopeless..."

I was surprised by the sudden change in mood. "What? No! No, you're not!" I sped up to walk next to her. "Don't you believe for a second that you're worthless! You know it isn't true! I forget things all the time! I forgot what I had for breakfast this morning!"

"Will," she said sadly. Her voice sounded like she was ready to cry, but not quite there yet. "You didn't eat breakfast."

I stopped dead in my tracks, with my eyes wide. "I-I-I..." I stuttered for a minute, before saying comprehensibly, "You see? I just proved my own point. Ow," I said, clinging onto my head with my right hand. "I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or not. Now my head hurts thinking about that."

My totally intentional tactic that I didn't accidentally commit to worked, and she laughed. "Will, you are very silly sometimes."

I chuckled along with her, and after most of it died down, I said to her, "I'm here to please. Here to serve."

We arrived at the house, and despite my injuries, I still managed to open and hold the door for Fluttershy. She entered, and I thought it was because she had believed the gesture was an insistance that she go first. Regardless of her reasons, she stopped just inside and to the side of the door to make sure I came in after her. When I noticed this, I sighed. "Fluttershy, I know my... recent actions... don't merit this, but could you trust me?"

"Oh... I'm sorry... Okay... sorry..." she said sadly. This time, I didn't apologize. I didn't refrain from it to be rude or mean. I simply couldn't apologize. The blood loss caused me to fall straight to the floor after taking but three steps into the house. The last thing I remember hearing was Fluttershy shouting, "Will!" The last thought that ran through my mind before I lost all consciousness was, 'God, that is so corny.' I felt bad for it.

When I awoke, I was laying in a hospital bed. I was in an actual hospital, not a clearing station or field hospital, so I knew I was currently residing in a pony-built and pony-used facility. I didn't know how I got there, but I wasn't going to complain if it was for good reason. That was when I remembered: I'd fainted due to blood loss. Frantically, I jerked my head to face to the right to check the condition of my wing. It was bandaged and it didn't hurt very much.

Someone entered the room; I heard a door open and close. "Ah, Will, you're awake," a familiar voice, a feminine voice, said. "I told Fluttershy you'd be alright."

I turned to face Nurse Redheart. "Hello, Redheart. How are you today?"

She laughed. "Will, I'm pretty sure I'm the one that's supposed to ask that question." She smiled warmly at me.

I furrowed my eyebrows in realization. "When is today?" I asked vaguely, but I hoped she would understand me.

She did. "It's been three days, Will."

The shock of it hit me hard. "Wh... What?" I couldn't believe I'd been out that long.

"I know," she said, reading my mind. "I don't believe it either. You'd lost a lot of blood before passing out. In my medical opinion, you probably lasted so long by running on adrenaline."

I nodded. "Makes sense." I paused for a minute, before asking about her wording. "You said in your medical opinion?"

"Yes, I did," she replied.

"Does that mean you have another opinion?"

She hesitated a bit before answering. "Well... yes, I do. It's a... rather... personal opinion." Seeing my surprised expression, she added hastily, "It's nothing bad, I promise. It's... well, I think it's because you wanted to keep Fluttershy happy for as long as you could. Eventually, though, and this is all just personal speculation, your body's needs overtook your wants."

I sat up and propped myself against the headboard. I sat there, silently staring at the foot of the bed, for several minutes. During that time, Redheart left to take care of another patient. When she returned, she had Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rainbow in tow. I had not blinked, and I did not move to acknowledge their presence. "Will?" Twilight took the initiative. I did nothing save furrow my eyebrows. "Will," she said, sterner. "We're here to see you."

It was only then did I turn my head to look at them. Though, my eyes remained fixed on their spot at the foot of the bed for a while longer, before they too swung to meet my visitors. Fluttershy and Rainbow both looked very concerned about my condition, while Twilight's face displayed no emotion. Not even a single hint in either direction. "Hmm?" I asked.

Fluttershy and Rainbow stole the spotlight, trotting up to me. "Man," Rainbow said, looking at my wing. "That looks bad."

I chuckled. "Should have seen it a few days ago."

Rainbow grinned. Fluttershy spoke now, saying, "Will? Are you okay?"

"Well," I began, hugging her with my left arm. "Now I am."

I heard Twilight grunt, obviously displeased. The two important mares, however, made an "aw" sound. "I love you, Will," Fluttershy said softly, nuzzling my chest.

"I love you too, Fluttershy. You too, Rainbow."

"What?" Fluttershy asked, more confused than upset.

"Yeah, what gives?" Rainbow said hotly.

"Well," I began, realizing my statement was a little... ambiguous, for lack of a better word. "Not the way I love you, Fluttershy. I love Rainbow in a friendly way. Make sense?"

The two calmed down and accepted my explanation. "Will," Twilight said. "We came to see if you were okay, and you are, so I think we should go. C'mon, girls."

Fluttershy, being herself, immediately did as she was told. Rainbow hesitated for but a second before turning away as well. I raised my left hand, palm out. "Now hold it there, Twilight." She turned back to face me, anger clear in her expression. "You may not want to see me any longer, but I know for a fact that at least one of these mares does not want to leave my side." She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "Especially since I've been out for three days. Kind of a lot of catching up to do, now."

"Yeah, Twi," Rainbow said, defending me. The ultimate wingmare. "Just because you don't like him doesn't mean we don't either." She trotted to stand at the foot of my bed.

I flashed a crooked smile. "Wow, Rainbow. I didn't take you to be a philosopher."

"Gesundheit," she replied. I sighed.

"Um, I'd like to, um, stay with Will. I mean, uh, if... that's okay with him."

I laughed. "Never a worry. I always want you with me," I told her, pulling her into a close hug. "I love you, remember that. No matter what happens."

"Oh?" Twilight asked, mischievously, deviously. "Then how would you feel if I told you Fluttershy went to a dance with Big Mac?"

I swung my legs over the side of the bed so fast I almost kicked Rainbow in the face. I took several long strides to tower over Twilight. Her smug smile was replaced with a fearful frown for a second, until it was replaced with an angry expression. "You dare defile Mac's memory with an attempt to goad me?!"

"Will," Rainbow said placatingly. "Calm down, no need to-"

I ignored her. "You just don't get it, do you?! I love Fluttershy; nothing will change that! She loves me, and nothing would change that either! Have you forgotten Celestia's orders already?! You keep trying to provoke me, only this time, you succeeded! And now, you dishonour Mac's good name in attempt to anger me!" I drew back my fist quickly, causing Twilight to flinch. "Tell me, right now," I told her, drawing out each word menacingly. "Why I shouldn't clock you."

For the first time, I saw Twilight's face display true fear. She realized her mistake; she teased the powder keg, now she dropped the match. She'd gone too far. "I... I..." she stammered, but couldn't continue.

"Well?" I asked, fist still poised to attack. "You've gone too far, Twilight." She was quiet for a good minute, when I let down my arm. "If you ever do this again, especially using Big Mac, I will follow through." I stormed out of the hospital ward then, turning myself to the exit. I rounded a corner that a sign indicated was the way to the lobby.

And ran straight into my mother.

"Will?" She asked warily. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" I ignored her and ran past her, afraid that I may lash out at her as well. "Will!" She called after me. "Wait, come back! Will!"

Fluttershy couldn't handle it anymore. Seeing one of her best friends trying to get her fiance mad was bad enough, but this time, Will actually blew up in Twilight's face. It was too much. She didn't like it when ponies fought, and the fact that these beings were very close to her in her life... it only made her feel worse.

But what drove the spike home was that they were fighting about her. She was the source of this animosity. Tears came to her eyes. Before her vision was completely impaired, she spotted an open window and flew out, crying, towards her home.

Rainbow Dash, being the friend that she was, made to follow after Fluttershy, but Twilight stopped her. "Leave her, Rainbow. Let her cry. If this is what it takes to see what kind of person she's being with, then so be it." Twilight let her words sink into Rainbow's mind before turning to leave.

Rainbow Dash thought about her "friend's" words. As the Element of Loyalty, she was taking it pretty hard. On the one hand, Twilight was one of her best friends. On the other hand, she knew Fluttershy since Flight School. She was also one of her best friends, and she wanted to see Fluttershy happy. Up until now, as far as Rainbow knew, she'd been happy with Will. Right now, however, Twilight had angered Will to the point of violence, and Fluttershy was really broken up. Rainbow Dash made her decision.

"Wait just one moment, there, Twilight." Rainbow zoomed up into Twilight's face as she turned around. "That was wrong, what you just did."

"What?" Twilight replied offhandedly. "I made Fluttershy see Will's true nature."

"No you didn't! You provoked him! You angered him so much, I'm amazed he didn't hit you!"

Luna stood outside the doorway, pressing her ear against the door. She was hearing everything being said inside the ward.

"If he had hit me, Rainbow, he would have proven me right."

"And what point are you trying to make, huh? That you're a viciously jealous mare? Sweet Celestia, Twilight, I thought that with all the lessons in friendship you'd been learning the whole time you've been here would have taught you something!"

"Rainbow!" Twilight raised her voice in anger. "You just don't get it, do you?! Will is dangerous!"

"I know that, Twilight!" Rainbow half-screamed. "He's a soldier! I know he kills things! It's his job! But you know what?!" Rainbow accentuated her question with a hoof to Twilight's chest for each word. "You're too blind in jealousy to see that Will is a sweet guy off the clock! He was really shaken up over Big Mac's death! And by the way, you using Mac as a tool to provoke Will was incredibly dickish!"

Luna was appalled at the use of the slightly vulgar human word. 'Where did she get that from?' She wondered.

"Will was right!" Rainbow yelled. "You ruined Big Mac's memory by trying to use him to despoil his relationship with Fluttershy! And now Fluttershy is at home, crying her eyes out, ALL BECAUSE YOU ARE A JEALOUS MARE WHO CAN'T LET GO! YOU CAN'T ACCEPT THAT YOU AREN'T THE CENTER OF THE WORLD!" Rainbow paused to take in a few breaths in. Twilight was stunned. She hadn't expected this reaction from Rainbow Dash. She had misjudged where Rainbow's loyalties lied. But Rainbow wasn't finished. As a final note, she screamed, "FROM NOW ON, FORGET OUR FRIENDSHIP!" Then she flew out the open window to try and find Fluttershy to comfort her.

Twilight stood in stunned silence. She was so disoriented, she didn't notice Luna enter the ward. "Twilight?"

Twilight spun around at the Princess's voice. "Princess Luna! What are you doing here?"

Luna narrowed her eyes and a slight frown crept upon her face. "I came to see Will. I saw him." Luna stepped around Twilight so she could face Twilight and the door simultaneously. "He was running out of the hospital as fast as his legs would carry him." Luna raised a single eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to know why that would be, do you?"

Twilight hesitated for a moment, before she sighed and hung her head. "Yes, Princess Luna," she said, defeated. "I do know why."

Luna waited a bit before asking Twilight, "Well? Are you going to tell me or not?"

"I provoked him into anger, and he almost hit me before he ran away."

"Good; you're telling the truth."

Twilight raised her head in confusion. "How would you know that?"

A smirk crawled around on Luna's face. "Because," she answered. "I heard everything you and Rainbow Dash said to each other, before she left." Twilight gasped. "I heard it all. It appears you've forgotten Celestia's ruling. But," she said in a semi-resigned voice. "I'd like to know why you keep trying to antagonize Will."

"But-" Twilight made to deny doing so, but Luna's glare stopped her. "Fluttershy loves him."

Luna snorted in anger. "So because somepony you had hoped to have loved loves another, you'd attack that other?!" Luna's eyes flared. "If you lay a hand or harsh word on my son again, I will personally punish you in whatever way I deem fit. Do I make myself clear?"

"What? Will is-"

"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"... Yes, Princess Luna."

Luna stormed past Twilight and into the hall. Turning herself towards the path to the exit, she heard a very familiar voice say softly to her, "That was a poor way of handling that situation."

Luna spun around and was confronted with an incredible sight. There, leaning against the wall, was Celestia in her human form. "Celestia?!" Luna asked in disbelief and shock. "You're alive?!"

Celestia smirked. "Not in a way I'd like."

"But... how? I felt no life in you!"

Celestia chuckled. "Lulu, there's a problem we have."

Luna sighed. "I know, but I'm only one Paracorn."

"Then get another. Or two."

"But," Luna objected. "Will's the last one."

"No, he's not," said Celestia. "Which is our problem. The Nightmare still lives."

"So your sacrifice failed?"

"Not quite. I limited its power. But..." Celestia sighed.

Luna knew this expression and what it meant. "Tia," she said, using Celestia's nickname. "What is it you're not telling me?"

"Will's Oracle is a fine being. Strong, smart. Just like my own..." Tia looked down at the floor. "Only Bill is morally good."

"What do you mean? What is it, Tia?"

"Lulu," Celestia mused. "You found Will to be a bit slow in the critical thinking process. Now I know where he got it from." She smiled. When Luna made to protest, Celestia held up her hands and said, "Peace, I meant it as a joke. But do you truly not see where I am going with this?"

"No, dear sister, I do not. Pray tell, what is on your mind? What is our problem that I might combat it?"

Celestia shook her head. "I'm still alive, as is the Nightmare." Luna shook her head in confusion. "I am the reason it still lives." Luna still did not understand.

"Out with it, sister! I need to know what we're dealing with!"

Celestia sighed again. "The Nightmare... Bill is not the first Oracle to be separated from his master's mind."

Finally, realization dawned on Luna. "No," she said, disbelievingly. "No, it can't be. The Nightmare, your Oracle?! It's... I don't believe it. I shan't!"

"Luna," Celestia began seriously, but her sister cut her off.

"You've played too many tricks on me, Tia. I don't believe you!"

"Search my mind, then! Find the truth!" Luna happily did so.

And the truth frightened her more than Death himself.

Convalescence

Life can get pretty hectic. It can throw an entire bucket of shit all over your fan. Sometimes, you can power through it; refuse to give up. Other times, you just want to curl up in a corner and die. Oftentimes such dramatic responses, such as suicide, are the result of an overload.

That's how Fluttershy felt, at least. She'd almost lost the love of her life, Will, to the Nightmare. For him to be in intensive care for three days afterward... it was tough on her. The only thing that made it worse was that Twilight kept trying to ruin her relationship with Will. Didn't Twilight know she and Will were betrothed? She was there at the party when Will proposed to her.

Fluttershy couldn't get over the fact that she was the root of the problems. None of this would be a problem if she wasn't around. After all, how could Will and Twilight fight over her if she wasn't around to be fought over? This logic made sense to Fluttershy. She didn't quite stop to think that... committing suicide would hurt everyone.

That is, until she almost went through with it.

She held the knife in her hand, the same knife she'd cut herself with several days ago. It was clean and shiny, as opposed to simply slick and reflective, as it was that night. She held the knife close to her body. Her mind was telling her that this was a bad idea, that she shouldn't do this. However... her heart, three times bigger than normal, was telling her that it was the only way for her friends to stop fighting.

She awkwardly gripped the knife in her two hooves. 'To be honest,' she thought. 'I don't know why I have utensils if I can barely hold them.' That thought was pushed out of her mind then, as she deemed it irrelevant to the situation at hoof. Slowly, she pushed the knife towards her chest, where she knew her heart was. She'd cared for enough ponies and animals alike to garner where in each species the heart was located.

When the cold tip touched her body, she shuddered at the temperature difference. "I'm so sorry, Will," she said aloud. "I love you more than anything in the world... but... I have to do this... so you and Twilight can stop fighting... I'm sorry..." she trailed off. She'd just begun to break the skin, barely, when she heard a voice.

"Fluttershy, the door was open so I let myself-" It was Rainbow's voice. Rainbow Dash was always nice to Fluttershy. When Rainbow said anything that could be considered hurtful, Fluttershy believed that it was just Rainbow's way of encouraging her to do better, to show everypony that she was not so weak and helpless as everypony thought she was. However, encouraging Fluttershy to do better was the farthest thing in Rainbow's mind when she opened Fluttershy's bedroom door to find her with a knife to her chest.

"Fluttershy!"

I was sitting on a bench, next to a large six story building. My head was in my hands. I was crying. My life was falling apart at the seams. Ponies and people were getting hurt and killed left and right. And... something else was... creeping into my conscious mind. Without Bill to keep an eye on my mind, several thoughts were roaming around in there.

I didn't want to deal with it anymore. I know I promised Fluttershy I wouldn't leave her, ever, but... how can I argue with myself? It's not like there was anything to argue about. My mind was set. I slowly got up. As I walked to the building, I noticed that word got around fast; ponies were bowing down to me... fools.

I pushed open the door to the building, intent on taking the stairs instead of flying. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I was somewhat hoping that I'd break out of this trance, out of this action. It didn't work, and I continued walking up the stairs.

"What should I do?" Luna asked her older sister.

"Go to him. I fear I know his type..." she sighed. "I'm afraid for him. I'm afraid he may do something." Celestia snapped her head to look directly at Luna. "Rainbow Dash is with Fluttershy. Will needs someone to be with him."

A thought struck Luna. "Where's Bill?"

"Will's Oracle?" Celestia asked rhetorically. Before Luna had a chance to confirm it, Celestia continued. "He is with the Army, cleaning house."

"You mean..." Luna trailed off.

"Yes," Celestia said with evident relief. "This war's almost over." They stood silently for a few moments. "Well," Celestia said with finality. "Go to your son, Lulu. I'll join you later. I must speak to my student."

"But," Luna objected. "I've... already told... Twilight that you were... gone."

"Hm." Celestia humphed. "Perhaps that is why she is so... offensive." Celestia hopped away from the wall and disguised herself as an alicorn. "I will have a talk with her. I know what to say." She took in a breath. "I've... done it often enough." With that, she strode towards Will's former ward.

Luna exited the hospital with as much haste as she could muster. Looking side to side, she stopped a nearby pony. "Have you seen Prince Will?"

"Yes, Highness," the pony answered. "He went in there." The pony pointed to a nearby six story building.

"Thank you," Luna said. She rushed over and ran inside. She saw, sitting behind a desk, a receptionist. She ran over and asked hurriedly, "Did you see Prince Will?"

"Yes," the receptionist mare answered. "He went upstairs, why?"

Luna thanked her but ignored the question, and ran into the stairwell.

The building had roof access, thank the gods. The stairwell was not well lit, and when I opened the door I had to shield my eyes from the sun. When my eyes adjusted, I walked over to the edge of the building, directly across from the stairwell exit. I looked out over the skyline of Ponyville for a few seconds before looking down over the low wall. Seeing many ponies walking to and fro down there, I leaned back.

I turned and sat down on the wall. I sat there, staring at the ground for a moment, before pulling out my revolver. This time, I opened the cylinder to empty it. I placed a single round into the cylinder, then spun it so that when I pulled the trigger... it would go off. I didn't really want to do it. I loved Fluttershy, Luna... I'd be kissing them goodbye, figuratively of course. But... my mind's logic was telling me that I was only getting in the way of Twilight. 'If I'm gone, Twilight can't exactly fight with me over Fluttershy. She can have her all she wants.'

I stopped in thought just then, before resuming on that point. 'Not that Fluttershy would want her. I'm sure Fluttershy would really dislike Twilight. She might even blame her for my death.' I shook my head. 'No. Fluttershy would think it her own fault. She'd probably let Twilight love her, just to be polite.' I gave a single chuckle. 'She deserves better. A suicidal killer on one hand, a jealous, aggressive mare on the other.'

My head hung lowly, eyes closed. 'I'm the cause of the jealousy and rage, though. It's me. All me.' Behind my lowered lids, my eyes started watering. I placed the barrel of the revolver under my chin. 'I don't deserve life. I've done nothing but kill. Day in, day out, out there, at... home...' I gasped involuntarily.

"Will!" A terrified scream was let loose. Instinctively, the grip I had on my gun was lost, and it slipped out and fell to the ground, clattering softly. I opened my eyes, but that didn't exactly let me see any better. My vision was so blurred with tears I could barely even see blobs of colour. "Will!" My mother called out again.

I wiped the wetness, or some of it, from my eyes. I could see moderately well. I looked up to see that my mother was slowly, or rather, cautiously, making her way to me. She, now unseen by any other pony, was in her bipedal form. I stood slowly, and she stopped a couple feet from me. Slowly, she extended both her arms and wings.

I knew what she wanted. She was hoping I'd go two steps forward and accept her hug. I did. When she wrapped her appendages around me, I lost it. The flood of tears I'd been holding back was loosed, and I lost the will to stand. I threw my arms around her, under her arms, and cried relentlessly into her shoulder. She rubbed my back with her right hand, and I gripped parts of her overcoat in my own hands. "I'm sorry," I forced out between cries.

"It's okay, Will. It's okay, it'll all be okay." From the sound of it, Luna was crying as well. Understandable. She'd just seen firsthand her son about to commit suicide. More or less a big deal. "It's okay, momma's here. Momma's here, and I always will be." She held me out, and I saw that, indeed, her face was red, especially around her eyes, from crying. "Please, never leave me." She choked once. "I don't want to lose you too." Then she did something I didn't expect her to do.

She did it apprehensively, very much so, but... she leaned towards my face and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Softly, she told me, "I lost your father. Losing you would... it would make me do things I'd regret."

My eyes tear-filled, and my voice hoarse with rawness, I told her, more croaked, "I won't. As long as I can fight it, I won't. I'd never leave you without... without fighting it."

She nodded, already beginning to cry again. "Thank you. But..." I saw her bite her lower lip, obviously debating over something. A steely determined look came over her face. Finally, she said to me, "There's something you should know. I think it will cheer you up to no end." She winced at unheard words. "Silence, Helen," she said aloud. It was possible she didn't realize she was speaking out loud. I know I would sometimes did that when I spoke to Bill.

"Will," Luna began again. "Celestia... Tia... she's... she's alive."

My jaw dropped. "But... how?! I mean, she was dead! I felt it! She had no pulse!"

"I asked her the same thing. Unfortunately," she said, wiping away lingering tears from her eyes. "That's also a problem."

"How?! My aunt... alive! I... I'm happy! Beyond happy!"

"She told me this: the Nightmare is still alive."

"What?" I couldn't believe all this. I desperately wanted to believe my aunt Tia to be alive, but I also stubbornly hoped that the Nightmare was indeed dead. "Mother, is this a cruel, sick joke?"

"No joke. Will... Bill is not the first Oracle to be separated from his owner."

She said it with such finality, I think she meant for me to glean something from that. I didn't. "Okay, and?"

"You know Bill cannot die unless you die."

"Yes, and what of it? Please, mother, stop dancing around the point and come out with it! This is serious, if you are to be taken seriously!"

"As long as Celestia lives, the Nightmare lives."

The realization hit me with the force of a speeding train. I literally felt my face recoil from the news. "This..." I stumbled over words; I couldn't believe. "I can't believe this. I don't!"

"I know. I said much the same thing when Celly told me." She shook her head and hugged me. "But it is the truth. She is alive and well, but the Nightmare roams free."

"But that means... the only way to kill the Nightmare... mother, I don't want to! I won't! I know you won't either! Please, there has to be another way!"

Luna hugged me again. "I know. I know. Neither of us can do this. I promise you," she said as she held me out. "As long as it is within my power, I will look for another way to destroy the Nightmare. A way that will... leave us with our beloved alive and well."

We sat there, embracing, for several minutes longer. Our cries had stopped, and we were simply enjoying the comfort the hug was bringing us. Every now and then one of us would gasp involuntarily to refrain from crying again. However, thanks to my luck, this quiet comfort could not last. For just as we were about to pull away, I heard someone exclaim in surprise, "Will?! Princess Luna?!"

Make that somepony. Feminine, and I'd recently got into a heated argument with her. Twilight Sparkle had found us. My eyes shot open, and I beheld a sight that completely blew my mind, and it didn't have much to do with Twilight. There, standing next to my enemy, was my aunt Celestia. She was in her alicorn form, but, seeing Luna and I kneeling on the ground hugging with tears in our eyes, she strode quickly toward us, dropping the guise mid-stride.

Twilight did not miss this transformation, but no one payed her any mind. Celestia, reaching us, knelt down beside Luna and I and joined us in a group hug. Because I was facing in her direction, I was the only one who saw Twilight faint. I was sure none of us would have paid her any attention regardless.

"Twilight," Celestia whispered into said mare's ear. "Twilight, my dear student, wake up."

Twilight's eyes opened slowly. She groggily looked around, analyzing her surroundings. When her eyes met mine, she narrowed her eyes menacingly but said nothing. Her gaze continued in a circuit around the room, and that was when she saw both Luna and Celestia in their true forms. "Oh my gosh," she exclaimed softly, tiredly.

"No," Tia answered an unspoken question. "You do not imagine what you see. I know it's a little overwhelming at first, but you get used to it."

"So you two... the Royal Sisters, the rulers of ponykind, aren't even ponies?"

"Yes and no," I told her. "Trust me. When I first found out, I was as shocked as you were. But... being what we are..." I paused to look and ask a silent question to my family. They answered with slow nods. "We are called Paracorns." Seeing Twilight frown at the odd name, I nodded. "Yes. I didn't believe it at first. But apparently, what a Paracorn is is a human that has developed all the traits of the different ponies: strength from earth ponies, magic from unicorns, and, most obvious among the three of us, wings from pegasi."

"But... why keep it from me?"

"My dear student," Celestia said kindly. "I know how well you can keep secrets." Twilight blushed in embarrassment. "If I were to tell you, all of Equestria and the surrounding lands would know by now. I simply could not have that happen."

"How did you come into power? Surely there were pony rulers before you."

"Easy answer," Luna spoke, and I saw a smile twitch on her face and her eyes gleam with playfulness. "But don't call me Shirley." I bust out laughing, as did my aunt, but the joke was lost on Twilight. "To answer your question: yes, there were pony rulers. About a hundred of them. You see, the ponies of old were scattered into tribes. There was no central government."

"So you two united them under one rule, under the guise of alicorns."

"Twilight," I said flatly; I didn't it to be taken hostilely or friendly. "Your tone makes me think you aren't too happy with this revelation."

"And what makes you the most joyous person, Will?"

Before my family could chastise Twilight for possibly starting something, I spoke up. "Well, for starters, I just learned that my aunt is, in fact, alive and not dead." Twilight's eyes widened with shock. It wasn't shock in that she didn't know Celestia was my aunt; she'd pieced together Luna's threat. It was in the shock that I cared. "This war's almost over, so Celestia tells me. The ponies will have little to fear from now on." I sighed, and my demeanor switched from upbeat to down. "Though... I... don't know how... Fluttershy is doing."

"Rainbow Dash is tending to her," my mother told me. "We'll go visit her when we are finished here."

"And," I asked. "What needs finishing here?"

Luna laughed. "We need to finish standing around and go to her."

I chuckled with her. "Well, then, let us be off!"

Luna and Tia donned the alicorn disguise, as to expediently get to Fluttershy's house, we'd need to fly over Ponyville, and then we were off. We left Twilight all alone on the roof of the building. "Serves her right," I muttered under my breath. We reached Fluttershy's home in short order, leading me to believe we had started our flight in the northeast corner of Ponyville.

When we landed in front of the front door, I saw immediately that the door was open. It wasn't wide open, but the space was wide enough for me to slip through. Worried, I ran inside and called out, "Hello?"

"Will!" I heard Rainbow's voice come from upstairs. "Thank Celestia you've come! Help me!"

Fearing the worst, I bolted upstairs, Celestia and Luna following close behind. Fluttershy's bedroom door was wide open, so I simply burst into the room. Right then, I saw an incredible sight; I couldn't believe what I saw.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were playing what appeared to be "Go Fish" with what seemed to be homemade cards. I noticed, to my fear and dismay, a bandage over Fluttershy's heart. The cause was plain to see in the well lit room; a knife rested on her bed, out of reach. "Thank Celestia you're here, Will," Rainbow said, obviously relieved. "I'm losing and I need your help."

None of us answered her. My immediate family and I could not believe what lay before us. We had a fairly obvious suicide attempt from Fluttershy, and a card game in progress. I couldn't explain that. The three of us stood there in shocked disbelief for several moments before Rainbow asked, "Well? You guys wanna join in? Fluttershy and I can restart."

I unconsciously went to sit down next to Fluttershy. When I looked back at my parental figures, I saw them exchange a glance. Luna and Celestia both gave a single sharp nod, and the reason for it became clear to me soon enough. Celestia walked over and sat next to me, while my mother sat beside Rainbow Dash. Their nods were the answer to an unspoken request: Tia will sit next to Will.

Fluttershy, despite the ongoing game, nuzzled me furiously. "I'm so sorry Will. I just... I just couldn't take it! I hate to see you and Twilight fight! You two are my best friends!"

Before she could say more, I interjected, "Well. We're a little more than that right now, aren't we?"

She blushed but nodded. "Seeing you fight made me so mad at myself."

"Shy, dear," Luna said soothingly. "You'll have no need to fear another altercation. I have made it perfectly clear to Twilight Sparkle that under no circumstances is she ever to do what she did at the hospital ever again."

"Hm," Celestia grunted. "Yes. Let us not forget how exactly you conveyed your point."

"What?" I asked. "How did she make Twilight stop?"

"I, uh..." Luna replied sheepishly. "I may have, uh... threatened... her..." She hung her head in semi-shame. I could tell she wasn't feeling completely ashamed, because her otherwise perfect posture did not indicate remorse.

"Good," Rainbow Dash said, and the way she said it surprised me. "She should not have done that. Not to you, Will, and not to anypony. It was absolutely revolting. She herself knows that she will find no welcome from me."

The ferocity of Rainbow's voice stunned me. If what she said was true, could I assume that Rainbow Dash had essentially cut off her friendship with Twilight? It didn't seem right to me. I'm sure that if Twilight had a real emergency Rainbow would take care of her, but by the way she was speaking now, Rainbow would not see Twilight over mundane or trivial things. It kind broke my heart, knowing that the two had been best friends since they first met, but I was strangely okay with it, seeing as how I strongly disliked Twilight at the moment.

Fluttershy and Rainbow pooled the cards together and dealt them to us all. We had played four games of Go Fish in relative silence until something I hadn't planned happened. I suddenly burst out singing, and I don't know why.

Cause in the chill of the night,
Once your love was my fire and my light.
Now I might as well be on the moon,
Cause there's no sign of life without you.

I self consciously looked around at the surprised faces. I shook my hair down to cover my eyes and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry guys," I half mumbled. "I don't know what got into me."

"Will?" Luna asked. "Do you like that song?"

"Er," I replied nervously. "Yes, I do."

"Do you like all of his songs?"

"More or less, yes. Why?"

"Sing the two of them."

I had no clue what she was talking about, and I told her as much. "I don't know what you mean."

"You've sung the chorus of its English version. Now sing both versions in full."

"Why? I mean no disrespect, but I don't see the connection here."

"Tia and I like the lyrics, and we believe Shy and Rainbow will as well."

"Yeah, come on, Will. Sing 'em for us!" Rainbow Dash encouraged.

"Um," Fluttershy began softly, as usual. "I'd like you to sing. I mean, if you want to, that is."

"Okay," I relented. "But only because Fluttershy's adorable voice made me do it." The four onlookers moved to comfortable positions facing me, while I began to sing. First up was the English version of the song I was just singing, called "Chill of the Night."

There's no warmth to hide in.
I've scanned this cold horizon.
I'm like a statue,
An iced man, I can't move at all.

Since you said you're leaving,
I'm wide awake in dreaming.
Time turns without me,
Like planets around me.

So far, I was doing pretty well. My voice hadn't cracked, and I hadn't gone off key. My audience seemed to be enjoying the song, even though I had no instrumentation to go along with it. Truth be told, though, I was more worried about the other version of the song. It sounded way cooler, but I also had a bigger chance of messing up.

Cause in the chill of the night,
Once your love was my fire and my light.
Now I might as well be on the moon,
Cause there's no sign of life without you.

For simplicity's sake, I had begun calling both Luna and Celestia my parents. They were the only parental figures I had right now, so I figured I could get away with that. There were smiles upon my parents' faces, and expressions of awe and amazement on my fiance and her friend. Rainbow was in more of a shock, as she, unlike Fluttershy, had never heard me sing before.

Look my hands are shaking.
My will is slowly breaking.
My dreams don't protect me,
They're all drawn directly to you.

Slow bound here with no plans.
This rooms a frozen wasteland.
I wait for a lifeline
And stare at the skyline.

Now, Fluttershy began to smile as she began to understand the lyrics. Not only did it warm my heart to see her happy but also it gave me the encouragement I needed to continue the song in confidence.

Cause in the chill of the night,
Once your love was my fire and my light.
Now I might as well be on the moon,
Cause there's no sign of life without you.

There was supposed to be an instrumental solo right here after this latest refrain, but seeing as how I did not have any instruments... I continued straight on.

Cause in the chill of the night,
Once your love was my fire and my light.
Now I might as well be on the moon,
Cause there's no sign of life without you.

At "life without you" of the final refrain I jumped up an octave. I hung my head with my eyes closed to signify that the song was over and I was done singing. The four of them clapped, but I got an extra hug from Fluttershy. It made me feel special. "Well, son," Luna said appreciatively. "You sang that version well enough." She leaned forward and continued in a slightly lower voice, "Care to show me how well you can do with the other one?"

Being the defiant slash arrogant slash confident person I was, I told her in a matter of fact tone, "Yes, I'll show you. And I'll give you all a good show." My mother sat back next to Tia. I caught my breath for a few seconds before jumping into the next, and final, version of the song, "Hitze der Nacht."

Tanz im Lichterspiel
Weiß nicht mehr was ich fühl'
Jeder Gedanke
Geht wie automatisch an dich.

Jahr und Tag und Stunden
Verrannen wie Sekunden
Nach uns die Sinflut
Verschworenes Herzblut.

Both of my parents nodded their heads approvingly, obviously proud that I could sing in another language without slipping up or anything. To be honest, I was also proud of myself. Though, as long as I didn't have to sing one song in German, I would be fine, because the pace of the song incredibly fast and there was no doubt in my mind that I'd completely mess up by the fourth word, if I even made it that far to begin with. Both Rainbow and Fluttershy looked immensely amazed. I had to remind myself that Equestria had all but two languages, maybe more, in the entire planet, so I could understand their shock at my "fluency."

Doch in der Hitze der Nacht
Hat der Teufel uns zwei angelacht
Tief in dir deine Tränen gesucht
Und mich aus deinem Leben verflucht.

Much to my surprise, both of my parents joined into the song's refrain to provide some somewhat necessary background voices. I wasn't the only one; both Fluttershy and Rainbow paused in their gawking at me to stare in shock at the Princesses. Regardless of everybody's reactions, I powered on, uplifted by all of their appraisal of me. Of course, it was physical appraisal as opposed to verbal, but I wasn't one to judge.

Grenzenlose Tiefe
Nie geles'ne Briefe
Ich jag' auf Kometen
Nach deinem verlorenen Planet.

Eisgekühlte Träume
Seit heut' wieder allein
Was gestern noch klar war
Ist heut' wie ein Trauma.

Everybody's focus returned to me, but I neither received any new reactions or expressions, nor did I pay much attention. Now that the "main" verses of the song were done, I focused on making sure I made the remaining refrains as awesome as I could.

Denn in der Hitze der Nacht
Hat der Teufel uns zwei angelacht
Tief in dir deine Tränen gesucht
Und mich aus deinem Leben verflucht.

Again, as in the English version, there was supposed to be an instrumental solo here, but, like before, I simply drove on, barely pausing to "signify" a solo. I also paused slightly to get my parents ready, because they seemed intent on adding their background voices to the refrains.

Doch in der Hitze der Nacht
Hat der Teufel uns zwei angelacht
Tief in dir deine Tränen gesucht
Und mich aus deinem Leben verflucht.

Something was also present in this version as well as the English version, which was the octave change on the last four syllables of the last refrain. So, I raised my voice an octave, as did my parents, on the words "Leben verflucht" in the last refrain. I signaled that I was finished with the song in the same way I did so for the English version, and all four of my audience members clapped. This time, however, I got hugs from all four as well, which would have killed me via cuteness overload. Yes, I am aware I just lumped my parents into the "cute" category, but hey. A compliment's a compliment, right? Right? Right.

"That was wonderful, Will," my mother told me happily. "I'm proud of you. You know, I listened to those songs, among Mr. Schilling's others, every day when I was younger."

I couldn't help but make a joke, "You were young at some point?!" I feigned shock.

This earned me a light slap on the shoulder, a playful slap, but Luna smiled. "Yes, Will, as surprising as it may be, parents were young at some point in the past."

"I listened to his songs as well," Tia said, changing the subject slightly. She more brought it back on track, but I still counted it as a subject change. "Mr. Schilling was a brilliant artist. I don't know," she said sheepishly and seemed somewhat embarrassed by admitting this. "His music just spoke to me."

"That was..." I began, unsure of how to finish. "Rather... poetic, I guess, of you to say that. I mean, the way you put it sounded poetic." A thought occurred to me just then, and I voiced it. "Hey, do any of you know where Bill is?"

"Well, he's off with-" Luna made to reply, but something else interrupted her.

It was me. Pain just... exploded in my chest, near my right breast. I fell backwards with a shout, and would have continued screaming had the pain not gone away within a few moments. I knew what had happened. Or, at least, I had a general idea. Bill must have gotten hit with something in the chest. The pain in my body went away when he must have administered his mental pain killers.

As I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, I noticed the four heads of my former audience pop into my view. Fluttershy was the first one to ask about me. "Will," she asked frantically, though her voice was still as soft and adorable as ever. "Are you okay? What hurts?"

I sucked in a lungful of air; I hadn't realized that the pain in my chest had caused me to exhale all of my breath. "Well," I said, warily. I had no idea when another attack could come, or even if another one would come. "I think I'm okay. But..." I said apprehensively. "it's Bill I'm more worried about."

"Ah, yes," Celestia interjected knowingly. "The tie between a corporeal Oracle and his master goes beyond that of relation. The bond between them is emotional, mental, and physical."

"So," Luna asked. "Whatever happens to Bill or Will, regardless of the medium of the event, it affects both?"

"Yes," Celestia answered. "If either Will or Bill were hit in the chest, the other would feel it. But it is not limited to pain. If either Will or Bill felt one way about a particular subject or topic, the other would harbor the same feeling."

"So," I said slowly. "Bill's out in who knows where, helping the Army take care of the last of the monsters' forces? And that's why he got hit?"

"One could assume that," Celestia said vaguely.

I sat up, feeling the last twinges of pain in my chest being suppressed. I sighed, then pushed myself up with my right hand. "Well," I put the question out. "I don't know where the Army is, and I don't think it would be practical to show up right when they're finishing up." I paused to look at every female in the room, see: everybody other than me. "What... what do you guys wanna do now?" They all chuckled, and we made to leave Fluttershy's home in search of some fun activity to pass the time slash enjoy ourselves for once.

Sonic Nightmare

"We could go to Canterlot." Celestia mused as she took her time descending the stairs.

"What kind of leisurely activities are there to do in Canterlot?" I asked. "I mean," I added rather hastily. "I've only been there once, and that was on a special day."

"Hmm," my aunt noised thoughtfully. "You're right. I doubt you'd want to look at gardens all day."

"With all due respect," I said with a grin on my face. "No. Garden gazing is not, I'm afraid, my passion."

Celestia chuckled. "I thought as much."

Luna jumped in. "Sister, if I recall correctly, you were going to host a flying competition in Cloudsdale. You were supposed to meet with the mayor in..." she trailed off, trying to remember the time. "Will," she said to me. "Could you check your log and see what day it is?"

"Sure," I told her. I pulled out my log and checked the date. It read December thirty-first. "December thirty-first."

"Dear," she said in a tone I could best guess sounded slightly worried. "Sister, you were supposed to meet with the mayor of Cloudsdale tomorrow to get the competition organized."

We exited Fluttershy's house, to find that the sun had begun setting. "Well," I intoned gently. "If I memorized the maps correctly, we could be in Cloudsdale shortly before midnight if we start now."

"You don't get it, Will," Celestia countered me, not unkindly. "Cloudsdale is a mobile city. It moves slightly with the wind, every day, and every now and then the citizens, all pegasi, of course, will push the city elsewhere." She shook her head. "I know," she said to me before I could say anything, as if she expected me to point something out. "It's rather arbitrary, but it's still a very beautiful city; I can allow them some leeway."

"Yes," Luna agreed. "They may be pushing the boundaries in what is allowed and what isn't, but they can do so because of the services they provide."

I nodded. "So... it's gonna be hard to find Cloudsdale?"

Rainbow, ever the braggart, spoke up. "No way, Will. I can find Cloudsdale in my sleep!"

Celestia nodded, knowingly. "It's said the pegasi of Cloudsdale can always find their way back. Now, it seems we'll have to put that legend to the test."

The five of us, Celestia, Luna, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and I, took off at once. Rainbow Dash took the lead while the rest of us metaphorically followed her blindly. She more or less flew in a straight line, which worried somewhat more than if she were banking left and right. I don't know, I guess it was just paranoia that told me that banking would mean correcting course and straight just meant lost.

A wind picked up, blowing to our left, and Rainbow banked slightly right in response. I understood the reasoning behind this; flying into the wind while also going in the general direction of our destination would allow us to arrive at our destination. The wind would cause us to drift to the left, but since we were flying somewhat into it, we'd still be on course. Unfortunately, the last vestiges of light provided by the setting sun were dispelled, throwing the five of us into complete darkness.

Luckily for me, though, the moon was already partially up, providing a little light by which I could make out Rainbow's outline. Not all of us could though, and Fluttershy, who was flying beside me, flew over and grabbed a hold around my neck from behind. "What's wrong, love?" I called back to her.

"Will," she began, her voice sounding slightly fearful. "I'm... I'm scared."

I quickly adopted a gentle tone as I spoke to her. "Whatever for, love? I'm right here."

"I'm scared... of the dark. I might get lost!"

"Shy," I said gently, using the shortened version of her name that Luna had used earlier this night. "I would never let you get lost. Never. You just need to stay near me, and I'll do the rest."

"I don't want to let go, Will!" She cried, literally, into my shoulder. She was burying her face in my shoulder. It was a little difficult flying with her on my back, obstructing some of the movement of my wings, but I felt small gusts of air hit my wings, which told me that she was also beating her own wings, and her putting forth the effort stopped me from even thinking about complaining. Not that I would have to begin with, in all honesty, but it's worth mentioning. I think.

Risking it being taken the wrong way, I chuckled. "Then don't, love," I called back to Fluttershy. "I've got you; I won't let you fall!"

My, playing the heroic knight, are we? My blood ran cold, and I missed a wing beat. I quickly corrected, trying to think. 'That isn't Bill's voice,' I thought. It sounded familiar none the less, a female, but with all that had happened recently, I couldn't for the life of me match it to a face. I sense your weakness. I felt a chill shoot up my spine, and from a quiet whimper from Fluttershy, I knew she had felt it too. I just have to embrace you, surround you, then you would fall to your death, and I would simply drift away, unseen and unheard. It spoke in a sing-song voice... confidant and self-centered.

Unfortunately for Fluttershy and I, I picked that moment to figure out who the voice belonged to. When I did, I violently shuddered, and if it weren't for my mother, Fluttershy and I would be hurtling to our deaths. "Will," Luna asked concernedly. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"It's..." I began, not sure if I should continue. I settled for speaking to her in her mind; I didn't want to speak aloud and frighten Fluttershy. 'Mother,' I told her in our silent exchange. 'It's the Nightmare. It's found us.' Are you sure? 'Positive.' Hell... Hang on. We'll wait and see what it does. 'With all due respect, mother, I have an objection or two to that.' Naturally, but I won't let anything happen to you. Remember what I said: I will find a way to kill the Nightmare... Luna was silent for a moment. I just need time to find it.

I withdrew from Luna's mind, half fearing that the Nightmare would be able to intercept my consciousness or something. With everything that I had seen in my life, I wouldn't put it past the Nightmare to have just that power at just the right moment... or wrong moment, I guess, from my perspective. Sadly, in my case, I didn't have Bill to fend off the Nightmare, which meant that I couldn't completely shove it aside. I could however, tune most of it out, and I did so to the best of my ability.

With that, I wondered what exactly the competition my parents had scheduled in Cloudsdale was. Seeing as how it was being held in a city that only pegasi and specially enchanted ground ponies could reside in or visit, I deduced that it had a ninety nine percent chance of having something to do with flying, but that's about all I could figure on my own. So I turned to my parents for help. Actually, I put the question out for anybody, but I was pretty sure only my parents knew the answer. "So what's this competition for?"

"To put it simply," Celestia answered. "There is a task all competitors must perform. It is a difficult task, yet it is not complex. The challenge is to perform a sonic rainboom."

I'd heard of those. Supposedly, according to local legend, sonic rainbooms were just that: legend. However, Rainbow Dash is accredited with performing it twice, and many of her social circle knew better than to believe legends. I guess I should have seen the boasting coming a mile away, honestly. "That's it?" She asked in an arrogant tone. "I could do one in my sleep!"

"That, my dear Rainbow Dash," my aunt said politely. "Is why, unfortunately, I don't want you in the competition. I have nothing against you, but I would like some of the participants to have a chance. The competition will only go on until somepony performs a sonic rainboom, and knowing your skills, the game would end as soon as you entered the field."

"Oh," Rainbow said sadly, her ears hanging limply. "I... I guess that wouldn't be fair..."

I hated seeing her like that, so I had to find a way to cheer her up. "Hey, Dash."

"Yeah, Will?" Her tone was still down.

"I could go in your place. You know, if I win, I'll be sure to shout out, 'I did it for Rainbow Dash!' Make sure I spread the word and stuff."

That seemed to cheer her up. Her ears perked up and her tone immediately went back to its sporty, lively setting. "Hey, thanks, Will! You're a good friend."

I chuckled. "I try, I try." Rainbow Dash suddenly banked left while also descending fairly rapidly. "Slow down, there, Rainbow," I called out to her. "I don't want to hit the ground hard."

"Afraid of a little pain?" She asked. I had a feeling she wasn't thinking when she said that.

"No," I answered. "But I've got a passenger here, and I'm afraid the jolt might hurt her." Whether it was in response to my words or not, Fluttershy hugged my back tighter.

"Oh," she said, in a way that said, "oh, right." She slowed down, as did we all. What surprised me was that I could barely see Cloudsdale. I mean, I was standing on it after another thirty seconds of downward flight, and still I could barely make out any features.

"Good god," I whispered. "Can't see shit, Captain." I wasn't talking to anybody but myself, but it was a quote, and you don't need to be speaking to somebody to quote something.

"Hmm," Celestia sounded. "It's very much darker than it normally is... even at this time of night. There are usually a few lamps burning..." her voice trailed off as she started forward. "Let's look for an inn. We can start the competition tomorrow."

Finding an inn wasn't hard at all, what with Cloudsdale being a major tourist attraction. After all, Cloudsdale was home to Flight School, the school that taught young pegasi to fly; the Rainbow factory, where the rainbows that appear after storms are made; and Wonderbolt shows and tryout auditions, where ponies watch the Wonderbolts perform, and a select few audition to become one themselves. So, in all, an inn was found quickly. The innkeeper kept insisting that our party inhabit the penthouse suite free of charge, with Celestia, of course, declining the offer just as stubbornly. In the end, though, Celestia finally relented with coaxing from Luna and I. It's not so much that we wanted to stay in a luxurious suite, although that may have had a hand in it, but we really just wanted some sleep.

There were only two beds, albeit large beds, in the penthouse suite, so we divvied them up as best we could. It was pretty much by unanimous vote that since Celestia and Luna were comfortable with each other, they would take one of the beds. Rainbow Dash simply flew out one of the windows and brought in a small cloud and fashioned it into a bed and slept in that. That left only Fluttershy and I, and I was inclined to sleep on the floor. It wasn't until a slightly red-faced Fluttershy patted the bed beside her that I slowly made my way over and took a side of the bed with her. I didn't sleep directly next to her; I was too shy to do so. I had no qualms with sleeping on opposite sides of the bed, and I could tell Fluttershy felt the same way.

I closed my eyes and waited for sleep, but it did not come easy. My mind kept filling with horrid thoughts and images of atrocities I wouldn't wish even on my worst enemy. When sleep did come, it was fitful; my dreams, or more accurately, nightmares, were of worst-case situations I wished would never come true. One was Fluttershy getting up as I slept and stabbing me repeatedly. I knew whose hand was in my fitful rest, obviously it was the Nightmare. I did as best I could to shove aside her presence so I could get some rest.

I was deep asleep, soundly or not, when the nightmares suddenly stopped coming. As I was unconscious, I couldn't tell why, nor could I know the reason for their stopping. It wasn't until I awoke, before anybody else, that I found out why I was allowed a sound sleep.

When I woke up, a horrifying situation presented itself. I'd gone to sleep on my right side, facing my parents' bed, away from Fluttershy. Waking up, I saw that I was on my left side, facing Fluttershy. One of the more shocking things was that Fluttershy had also turned in her sleep and she was now facing me. My left hand was acting as a pillow; her head was resting atop it. My right arm was draped over her, and her own legs were around my body.

I gasped, and I know not for the life of me why I did, involuntarily. Unfortunately, this was enough to wake Fluttershy, even when the cradling treatment she got from my sleeping body wasn't. Her eyes lazily drifted open, but when she saw how she and I were positioned, they shot open. Her eyes searched mine, and I could tell that she saw the fear and surprise in them. "I..." I began, somewhat sleepily as I had only woken up a few minutes earlier. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy..." I yawned against better judgement. "I... I don't know... know how this happened..." I yawned again.

She spoke before I could apologize or explain further. "It's... it's okay, Will..." her face reddened as she said this, which eased my rising tense emotions. "I... it's... kind of... comfortable..." She began smiling. An awkward silence, which lasted only a few seconds, crept upon us, until Fluttershy did something I would never have expected her to have done. She, hesitatingly, leaned her head closer to me. At first, because I was groggy, I didn't understand what she was doing. Frankly, I didn't know what was going on until she actually did what she was planning.

Her lips, gently, slowly, met mine. The first thought that ran through my mind, and I will never forgive myself for it, was that it was strange and awkward. Our facial structures were different, though not too terribly so, but just enough that I had to crane my neck to find a position from which to comfortably kiss her. After the initial shock of realization, I shoved aside the patronizing thought and instead focused on the kiss itself. It felt similar to when I kissed her cheek, only with the softer skin of her lips. If I had thought I had no idea what had gotten into Fluttershy then, I was sorely mistaken. She surprised me again, when her tongue gently pressed its way into my mouth.

I got scared, then. Not because Fluttershy was kissing me; well, not entirely for that... I had always wanted to since accepting her as my marefriend. I was scared because Fluttershy was taking this kiss very far. We'd already held it for longer than ten seconds, and she went the whole nine yards when she stuck her tongue in my mouth. Unfortunately, I couldn't cry out in protest; our lips were locked and her tongue was... good god, was she playing with mine? It was drowning out any moan I could produce.

Eventually, though, after about fifteen seconds of kissing, the fear passed away. I don't know why; it just did. All of a sudden I was perfectly okay with this. Our kiss had to end, sadly enough, after twenty seconds. It turns out, kissing takes more breath than simply holding it, and after twenty seconds of straight kissing, Fluttershy and I both were out of breath. We lay there, panting, staring at each other with half closed eyes. "Well," I said after a while. "That was... interesting."

Instead of Fluttershy answering me, though, much to my distress, my mother called out, "Having fun over there, you two?" Fluttershy squeaked, which caused Luna to chuckle. "I hope," she said. "Will, that you are wearing protection."

My eyes, against what I thought was possible, widened even further. I thanked the gods that the innuendo had gone over Fluttershy's head; if Luna kept this up she would get to know just what I could do when I was angry. "Mother," I said sternly. "Stop it. You're hurting Fluttershy's feelings." I tried as best as I could to inconspicuously signal to Fluttershy to be quiet and go along with my act. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

I could tell she wasn't expecting this. "Will, I was only-" she got out, before I interrupted her.

"I'm ashamed of you, myself. You know I would never do anything to Fluttershy she didn't want." For some reason, I winked to Fluttershy. She smiled back at me, and I continued. "Frankly, that you would even suggest that sickens me."

Celestia, who I had no idea was awake, spoke out to us then, saying, "Sister," I could tell she trying to hold back a laugh. "It seems your son has bested you." She could hold back her laughter no longer, and it filled the room.

I was tempted to join her, but Luna stopped me. She picked me up, magically, and made me face her. I was a little disoriented, floating in the air under her power. She was in her Paracorn form, and she had her hands on her hips. I tried something: I went up to her with my consciousness. I felt my way inside her mind, and tried to give her a tap to disrupt her concentration and let me go. Before I could do so, however, I felt Helen throw me out, as Bill had said earlier. "No fair!" I shouted to her from her vise grip.

"Oh?" I could see that her smile was miles long. "What isn't fair?"

I snarled. "I don't have my Oracle to help me!"

She chuckled. "You just have to say one thing, son, and I'll let you go."

I became wary then. "What do you want me to say? The sky is blue? Water's wet?"

"No, my dear." She chuckled again. "Tell me you love me."

"WHAT?!" I couldn't contain my anger, and I felt horrible for it. "That's it?! You're holding me for that?! I would have said it without the imprisonment, thank you very much! I love you, mother. I love you, as I love my aunt Celestia. Happy?"

She unceremoniously dropped the levitation spell, and I fell to the ground in a heap. She didn't even have the courtesy to drop me on the bed, the meanie. "Now you know how outmatched you are."

Celestia, from behind Luna, and thus out of sight, winked at me. I took the hint, saying, "I want a rematch!"

Luna gave me a crooked smile. "As you wish, son." She picked me up again, and held her smile. "What will you do now?"

I gave my crooked smile. I waited for Celestia to be right behind Luna before saying, "Nothing, mother."

Celestia wrapped Luna in her arms, giving her younger sister a bear hug. Her concentration was broken and I dropped to the floor, ready this time. "What?" Luna said in shock. "No fair!"

I smiled at her, beamed at her, really. "Now you know how my enemies feel when I lead my team against them."

"So am I your enemy?"

I chuckled. "Think of it as payback for that innuendo, mother. You really shouldn't have said that, joke or not." She stomped her feet in frustration. To which, in the best sing-song voice I could muster, I told her, "I love you mother."

Celestia released Luna. Luna walked over to me, standing directly in front of me. In a menacing voice, she told me, "I love you too, son." She hugged me, then, and from behind I felt Fluttershy wrap her legs around me as well..

When they all let go, Celestia said with finality, "Let's go get this competition started."

And that is how I came to be standing on the edge of a cloud, staring at the ground some miles down. I was up to go. It was my chance to perform the sonic rainboom that so many believed was only legend. I gulped, then looked across the gap at the other cloud where the spectators sat. My mother and aunt were sitting in the royal booth, smiles on their faces. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were sitting in the front row, ready to cheer loudly.

I looked back down. It was a long way down, to be sure, but being in space... and hurtling towards the ground at Mach 3, tends to alleviate fears of heights. I huffed in semi-preparedness. I took a few steps back, and got a running start. I flung myself off the edge, and folded my wings back along with my arms. After a few seconds I extended my wings to flap them... and I was mistaken to do so.

Out of nowhere, a black cloud the size of one of my wings shot up at me. But my face wasn't its target: it was my wing. It shot through my right wing, agitating and inflaming the already damaged wing. I spun from the impact, and because I wasn't far down, I could hear the collective gasps from everybody in the audience. I looked "down" at the cloud above me, seeing it come about for another run.

This time, though, I fought it. I conjured a shield, deflecting it from my path. I heard it hiss at me, and it was then I knew just who I was up against.

The Nightmare.

With a renewed vigor, it charged me again and again, too fast for even my mind to keep up with it, much less my eyes or hands. It hit my left wing, both of my legs. It would have gone straight for my head had something it didn't expect interrupt it. Honestly, I didn't expect it either. A form shot across my view, intercepting the Nightmare before it could decapitate me. The form began pounding the cloud as if it were tangible. I recognized just who it was.

Bill.

I had no idea how Bill could have gotten here, nor could I fathom what was going on. The Nightmare screamed, but I couldn't see what was happening then. Air friction caused me to spin in the air, and I started facing the ground I was plummeting to. Several seconds of this fight and falling passed before the Nightmare gave out one long shriek, which faded away into the wind.

Bill, arms by his side to reduce drag, moved next to me, where he began holding my hand. "Thought you could use a hand, Will," he shouted over the wind.

I was astonished. "How did you get here?" I did the same.

"I just thought, 'Will's in trouble, I need to be there,' and now here I am!" He shook his head. "Just wish I could fly. Sorry!"

I knew what he meant. If he could fly, he could get me out of here. But we were stuck there, falling to our deaths. A wingless being, and a being with broken wings. Not a good combination if you want to stop plummeting to the ground and terminal velocity. A sudden surge of air broke our hold on each other, and Bill drifted away. It wasn't for want of letting go, because he tried to grab at my hand, but gravity was a bitch. That same surge of air caused me to spin, so I was now facing up. And what I saw was amazing, shocking... frightening.

Fluttershy, like an angel with sun to her back, was hurtling towards me, her wings flapping furiously in an effort to catch up. A steely look of determination was on her face, and tears were streaming from her eyes, though it that was from crying or from the wind, I couldn't tell. An incredible thing happened then, and I couldn't believe my eyes. She was but fifteen feet from me when the air in front and around her started to bend. When she was less than a foot away, the bending air broke.

A loud bang assaulted my eardrums, and I felt Fluttershy's hooves, not with hostility, press forcefully into my chest before they wrapped around me. A beam of yellow, almost like a ray of sunshine, trailed in her wake, and I knew what had happened.

Fluttershy, my fiance, my love, my life, had broken the sound barrier and performed a sonic rainboom. My eyes teared up in this revelation. I was so happy for her... and I would have been happier for her, had I not been flown at Mach towards the ground. My downward flight, though, ended when she pulled up and began flying towards the spectator's cloud. As we flew back up, I saw just what she and I had left in our trail. The yellow beam of her flight intermingled with the redness of something I had been leaving.

My vision darkened around the edges and the sounds, what little I could hear to begin with, faded away. Everything went by with gusto, but the last thing I remembered seeing was the sky, with me on the cloud, and everyone important to me standing worriedly over me... even Bill.

I let the memory projection spell draw to a close. I spoke to the men in front of me and the men still in the orbital shuttle. "That's why I'm not going back with you guys." I shook my head. "I've given too much just to leave this all behind." Behind me stood Fluttershy, Bill, and Luna, and when I finished my second sentence they strode forward and stood beside me: Fluttershy to my right, Bill to my left, and Luna to his left. Had this situation not had so much gravity, I would have noticed the shocker: Bill and Luna... were holding hands.

One man strode out to meet me. My best friend and companion for the longest time. "Will," Mason said. "Don't go."

"I..." I began, chuckling and tearing up simultaneously. "I have to, Mason. I know we've been through a lot, but I can't let go of them." I gestured to Luna and Fluttershy. "They mean too much to me now." Mason was silent for the longest time before nodding. Taking that as my hint to leave, I took hold of Fluttershy's hoof and began walking through the forest toward her home. Bill was still beside me.

"Victor." I froze in my tracks, and everyone else did so as well. I turned, slowly. Mason was starting to cry as well. "Victor," he said again. He stifled an outcry of sorrow before saying, "Victor... good luck." He took three steps forward and embraced me. "I hate to see you go, but I'll miss you and wish you were still by me... goodbye, Vic." With that, he turned and walked back into the shuttle. He didn't look back.

I had not heard that name since Paris left me at Sangre del Toro. I had Bill hide it from me so that I could bury my past. Strangely, though, I did not react violently or manically when I heard it. In fact, it was... oddly relieving. It meant, from a philosophical point of view, that I had moved on. I was no longer caught up about my past. I felt happy. Luna was, as well. She smiled, and said, "I wondered when that would come up." She embraced me. "I hope I did good on the name."

I smiled sadly at her, and returned the hug. "Mother, I would have been happy with Billy-bob, as long as it was you who named me."

She gasped sadly, and placed a hand on the back of my head. She placed her head on my shoulder, and I could feel her tears drop onto my shirt. "Harry would have been so happy... I wish he was here to see this."

Several minutes of silently hugging and crying passed. During this time, the Army packed up their final things, and took off to fight another day, another world. It was the last time I would ever see Mason, or any other soldier from Charlie Company, 4th Battalion, 42nd Infantry Regiment. And, to my dismay, I was both sad... and happy to see them go.

Luna finally cut off the hug, and, holding my hand and Bill's, we turned away and resumed our trek to Fluttershy's home. We never turned our eyes to the sky for the rest of the night.

The End

Nive years have past since the monster invasion was stopped. Five years since Bill killed the Nightmare, Will had his first kiss, and Bill, to Will's horror, hooked up with Luna, Will's mother. Nine years... yet to Will they felt so short.

Within the first year, Bill had the most talented tailors craft the finest wool felt hat in Equestria. It was styled like a human fedora, but sat lower on the head. Its brim was about one and three quarter inches to two inches, and Bill wore it constantly. Those who saw him, even if only in passing, agreed to one another that it was the best hat in all of Equestria. Will was a little surprised that it still fit Bill's head it swelled so much.

Celestia and Luna, much to the shock of everybody, publicly announced that they were not who the Equestrian citizens thought they were. They dropped their disguises beside Will and Bill, and they were met with a collective gasp from the entire population. They told their people that while they had deceived them about their true identities, Celestia and Luna would continue to rule just as they had before with no change. Gradually, after several months, the unrest quieted down and ponies accepted Celestia and Luna for who they truly were. Celestia and Luna never donned the disguise of an alicorn since.

Will, taking up Fluttershy's promise to marry him, married her Christmas day. Bill stubbornly refused to wear his blindfold, and several ponies kept glancing at his pupil-less, iris-less, and featureless eyes during the wedding. It was a very festive occasion, combining the festivities of Christmas with the merriness of a wedding into one special event that was made even more special to bride and groom when the priest pony pronounced them man and wife.

With the words "you may now kiss the bride," Will and Fluttershy locked their lips together before the priest had a chance to finish. This event was met with several loud cheers and whoops and hollers throughout the crowd. When it came time to leave, Fluttershy, to the best of her ability, tossed the bouquet of flowers behind her.

And who could have caught it, none other than Luna, who, upon receiving the bouquet, nudged Bill and winked at him. Bill blushed. Will carried Fluttershy down the aisle, and as he passed by Bill and Luna, he saw them kissing. It was quite unsettling for him, but he dismissed it. 'If they're happy, who am I to intervene?' He thought. 'Besides,' he continued. 'Bill isn't really her son, so that ick factor can be dismissed.'

Will and Fluttershy spent their honeymoon period at her house. While it could technically be called a honeymoon, however, they did not spend their time partaking in actions newlywed couples usually commit. Instead, Will spent a lot of time installing a balcony on the second story window in Fluttershy's bedroom. They no longer felt awkward about sleeping in the same bed, though they never took their love past kissing. Will refused to, until Fluttershy felt okay with it.

A little while later, at the end of December, Bill and Luna announced that they too were going to be wed, and the wedding was held the day after, on New Years. The crowd was a little apprehensive at first, because they were unsure about a Princess being wed to Bill, who they did not know very well. Nevertheless, when the priest pronounced them man and wife, and when they went through the motions of kissing the bride, the crowd erupted into cheers.

The second year was spent idly, with nobody doing anything truly special. When the third year came around, however, Will brought his mother and aunt into his bedroom with Fluttershy and Bill to announce that Fluttershy had told him that she was with foal. Will's mother and aunt were extremely elated to hear this news, and they insisted they acquire the services of Pinkie Pie the party pony to celebrate that momentous occasion.

Will and Fluttershy reluctantly agreed, and the day after their announcement was passed with party time and celebratory games. Every one of Fluttershy and Will's friends came by to have fun and say their congratulations to the pair, and even Twilight Sparkle made an appearance, though she mostly kept to herself and only grunted a congratulations. Fluttershy and Will both agreed that Luna and Celestia knew what they were doing and that the party was a good idea all along.

Will went off to work at the hospital in Ponyville every day, and was a part of the local Royal Militia, and, due to his background, was given a commission and placed in charge of his own team. Fluttershy stayed behind at the house to care for the animals, but she also stayed behind because her pregnancy weakened her. Will had brought Nurse Redheart to the house when Fluttershy first stated that she felt lightheaded, but Redheart assured Will that it was perfectly normal. Thus, Will calmed down, though he constantly kept an eye on Fluttershy to make sure she was alright.

Several months later, Will took Fluttershy to the hospital for a checkup. They met with Redheart, who conducted them into an examination room. Redheart performed several tests on Fluttershy, including a newly installed ultrasound, courtesy of the human government. When the ultrasound images appeared on the screen, Will and Fluttershy just about jumped for joy. Fluttershy was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl.

A few months later, it came time for the babies to come out. When Fluttershy went into labour, Will freaked out and nearly had a panic attack. Bill, however, calmed him, and together with Luna they brought Fluttershy to the hospital to have her foals. Will, Bill, and Luna were not allowed inside the room while Fluttershy was giving birth, but they were allowed to wait outside in chairs. To their surprise, all their friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Celestia, even Twilight Sparkle came to see.

A doctor pony opened the door to the room and beckoned Will inside. When he entered, he found Fluttershy on the bed, cradling their two babies in her hooves. Will quietly moved next to his wife and knelt beside her, whispering gentle words to his kids. Fluttershy and Will shared a look of love, and leaned their heads together. They remained this way for a few minutes, until the doctor politely told Will to leave the room and let his wife rest.

When Will walked outside the room, everybody had remained outside, waiting the good news. "Guys," Will said happily. "I..." he began crying tears of joy. "I am... the proud father of two little foals." Everyone just about shouted their congratulations at the top of their lungs, though they were mindful of the sleeping babies in the room next to them, so they essentially shouted in whispers. Everybody spoke their congratulations for the foals a second time, and even Twilight was relatively ecstatic. Pinkie Pie was, of course, the hardest to contain, but eventually she calmed down.

The next two years passed by quickly. Will had watched his two foals grow up into little toddler ponies. They were both pegasi. For days after their birth, Fluttershy and Will deliberated over what to name them. They even accepted suggestions from their friends. In the end, though, the filly was named Moonshy, for Fluttershy and Luna; and the colt was named Victor, after his father.

On that note, Will continued to use the name Will, though his wife, mother, and aunt used his real name as leverage against him. Whenever they wanted to be stern or assertive, all they had to do was say his true name and he would bend to their wishes. Because they were responsible, though, they rarely did so, and rarely needed to. Will would do most anything for the three females in his life that mattered the most to him out of them all.

Will and party spent their days happily and, for the most part, idly. Will took time off from his job at the hospital and missed a few days of Militia duty to help Fluttershy care for the foals. Confounding to the two of them, Moonshy was the more rambunctious of the two, with Victor taking after his mother. As such, Will tended to care for Moonshy more often while Fluttershy cared for Victor more often. Will often had his hands full with Moonshy, and would often call Bill or Luna over to assist him.

The fun, however, had to end.

Will stood on the cliff side, looking out over Ponyville. The charred remains of the home he had loved could just be seen in the distance, the burnt wood and siding left undisturbed by the residents of Equestria. No animal remained there. He thought back to that fateful day, on December seventh, the day that would forever live with Will in infamy.

"Fluttershy," Will called out. "I'm heading off to work. Do you need anything? Milk, cookies, the sun?"

"No thank you, Will," came the reply, and Will could hear the laughter in her voice. "But could you please stop and get milk on the way back? You can leave the sun where it is."

Will chuckled, saying, "Sure thing, love!"

Just as he was ready to walk out the door, his two foals came stumbling towards him. "Ah you going to work, Daddy?" Moonshy asked.

Will's heart exploded when he heard his daughter's voice squeak. He knelt down and pulled the two of them into a big hug. "Yes, daddy's gotta go to work, my little ponies. I'll be back soon to play with you guys."

Victor spoke in just as adorable a voice as Moonshy when he asked, "Daddy, can Beel come over and pway wif us?"

Will, after his heart finished exploding for the second time, said, "Sure, I'll tell him to come over so you two won't be alone. I'll even..." he looked from side to side and whispered in mock secrecy, "I'll even tell him to bring cookies!"

"Cookies!" Moonshy and Victor shouted simultaneously.

"But you have to keep quiet," Will whispered. "And behave, or Bill won't give you any cookies!"

"We'w behay, Daddy, we pwomise!" They squeaked.

Will ruffled their manes. "Okay, see you guys later. Keep mommy safe, and stay out of trouble, okay?"

"Okay Daddy!"

Will exited the house and began his walk to the Ponyville hospital. Bill and Luna had built a house to live in in between Will's and Fluttershy's home and Ponyville, so on his way to work Will stopped by. "Power residence!"

Bill had kept the surname that he had tried to give to Will, "Power," as his own, and when he married Luna she adopted the name as well. "Yes, my son?" Luna called out as she moved to the anteroom to greet Will. "What can I do for you today?"

Will hugged his mother, and said, "I was just wondering if I could borrow Bill for today. The kids want to play with him."

Luna laughed. "You, my son, have been blessed with wonderful children. Of course Bill can go over." Her eyes hazed over for a second, which worried Will, but they quickly returned to normal. "I'll tell him to bring cookies with him," she said, smiling.

It was then Bill came to see Will. "Hey, Will," he said, embracing Will in a hug. "How are the little rascals?"

Will laughed. "Careful, Bill, those rascals are your kin."

Luna chuckled at this exchange, then turned to Bill. "Honey," she said sweetly. "Could you be a dear and go keep Will's kids occupied? It seems you are held in great esteem, and they want to play with you."

It was Bill's turn to laugh. "Sure, honey. Let me get my 'playpack' together, then I'll be right over."

As Bill walked away, his wife called out, "Take some cookies along as well!"

"Yes, dear!"

Luna returned her gaze to Will, and after a farewell hug parted ways. Will continued to the hospital without a hitch. As he passed by certain buildings in which his friends resided, he waved and greeted them in passing. They even gave him gifts. From Rarity, Will received a hat with an adjustable size strap; Rarity didn't know exactly how big Will's head was, so she wanted to be sure he could still make use of it. From Pinkie Pie, Will got a chocolate cupcake, and a rainbow cupcake to take home to Bill. From Twilight Sparkle, he got a book on the history of Ponyville, but only greeted her with a nod and a simple "thank you" for the book.

He stuffed these all into his rucksack and went on to his job at the hospital. The day went by fairly quickly. He was asked to look after a pony with cancer, and he was paired with Nurse Redheart to do what they could for the poor soul. Other than that, his work day was uneventful, and when the time came to clock out, he was utterly bored. He began his walk home.

If he was bored at clock-out, he was in for a surprise. On his walk home, whistling a merry tune, he was intercepted by a panicked Luna. "Will!" She shrieked. "Come quick! Your house! It's on fire!" If Luna weren't ahead of Will, he would have blown past her. As they ran to Will's home, Luna gave him the details. "Bill's there, trying to put out the flames! He can't get to Fluttershy and the kids; there's debris blocking his path!"

"How did this happen?!" He shouted back at her.

"I don't know!" She screamed, and Will could see tears streaming from her eyes. "Bill was on his way to play with the kids and he found the house in a raging fire!" Will put on an extra burst of speed when he saw the thick, black smoke over the horizon, and Luna fought to keep up. It was no use, though. Will nearly ran inside the inferno, and would have succeeded had Luna not held him back. "What are you doing?!" She screamed at him.

Struggling against her iron grip, he screamed at her to let him go. "I need to save them! I need to make sure they're okay!"

"Then help me put out these damned flames, man," Bill shouted behind him, trying to conjure enough water to douse the spreading flames. "The fact that this fire won't go out means an accelerant or magic was used! Luna, could you see if you can have any better luck finding out which one it is?!"

"I'll try!" She responded, then furrowed her eyebrows in concentration.

Will yelled at Bill, "Why haven't you gone inside to save them?! You can't die!"

His voice strained from the large amounts of magic he was literally pouring on the fire, he yelled back, "Because I need you alive to live!" Before Will could say anything, Bill continued. "It's called," he paused to suck in a breath. "It's called Sensory Overload, unrelated to the genetic condition. Your body receives so much pain that it literally just stops functioning. The heart stops, brain stops, stomach stops digesting, intestines stop movement, kidneys stop filtering waste. That's why I haven't jumped in." He sucked in another breath. "I wouldn't directly die, but you would. I would, then, die from that."

"I found it!" Luna shouted. She cast a spell, and suddenly Bill's efforts were working. "It was a water resistance spell, cast on the whole house!" She started adding her own powers to Bill's, which were almost nonexistent as he had drained himself up to now.

When Will decided enough of the flames were gone, he rushed inside, against protestations from Bill and Luna. He ducked under the collapsing doorway, then jumped over a beam that had fallen from the ceiling. Frantically searching side to side, he cleared each room of the home as he systematically went through them. Eventually he cleared the entire downstairs, which worried him. The stairs up had collapsed, so Will had to risk igniting his wings to get upstairs.

If his love and life were not upstairs, he would never have gone up. Smoke rises, and the smoke from the flames downstairs was rushing into the open door upstairs. The only reason Will knew it was open was that he could just barely make out the door frame through the thick black smoke. The flames were spreading, and were starting to find their way onto the staircase. He was coughing fairly uncontrollably by the time he coaxed his way into the upstairs bedroom. He got down on his hands and knees so much as to alleviate the pain from smoke inhalation as to look for his family.

No sounds from anypony scared the daylights out of Will. He desperately wished for some noise, a cough, a moan, anything to signify life. His eyes roaming around the floor, he found a small form in front of him, about six feet away. It took a couple seconds for him to crawl prone to the form, not that it would have done much.

The form, formerly a lovely sunshine yellow, was now a marred soot-grey shade. The white mane told Will it was his son Victor as opposed to his wife Fluttershy. Will gently placed his fingers around his child's throat to check for a carotid pulse...

And found none.

Will wanted to scream and flail in despair. This was his flesh and blood, one of the two apples that filled his two eyes. He barely contained himself. He did his best to make sure that no flames would reach the body, then continued his search. He knew that if he lingered over a lifeless body, he ran a greater risk of finding two more. Will took to circling the room at its boundaries, knowing that the other two might have tried escaping through a window or door. His strategy paid off.

He found a larger soot-stained yellow body on the ground in front of him and slightly to the left, towards the porch door. He crawled to it with the most speed he could muster. By now, the smoke was starting to make its way closer and closer to the ground, and Will was having a hard time crawling because he kept trying to lower himself further and further. He reached the body and checked for a pulse.

He was rewarded with a faint, barely existing pulse. His wife was still alive. "Fluttershy," he choked out. To someone else, they would not have been able to make out what he said because he was struggling to speak and breathe at the same time. Will knew this, so he tried again. "Fluttershy, come on, say something, love!"

Fluttershy's eyes slowly drifted partway open, and she said in a weak voice, "Will?" She erupted in a fit of coughs.

"I'm here, love, I'm here!" Will cried out desperately wishing Fluttershy to be okay. Were his eyes not scorched dry from the fire and smoke, Fluttershy's coat would have been cleaned from the tears Will would have been shedding. "Come on, get up, we need to get out of here!"

"Will..." she coughed some more. "Will, get the foals."

"Shy, I'm not going without you! Come on, I'll carry you!" His voice cracked. He knew what was coming.

Fluttershy stared as sternly and as coldly as she could at Will while being so weak as she was now. "Victor," she said. "Victor Power," she said with more force, using the surname Bill liked to tag Will with. "You will look after the foals."

"Fluttershy, love," Will began, but she interrupted him.

"Go."

"Love, stay with me, for the kids if not for me! Stay alive!"

"I'll wait for you, Will," she said in a weaker voice. She sighed, then rested her head on the ground.

"No, love come on! Don't go! Please don't go! We're supposed to be together forever!"

With her final vestiges of life, Fluttershy cocked one eye up at him, then said cryptically, "Then don't take long." With that, her eye lids closed and she let out one final, forced, raspy sigh. Fluttershy was dead. For the second time that day, Will was ready to become something he spent his whole life finding and killing: a raging monster. He got up, literally bordering insanity, and stumbled to where he thought he remembered the balcony door being.

He misjudged, and hit the right side of the door jam with his shoulder. Twisting in midair, he fell soundlessly to the ground, twenty five feet down. Pain erupted in him, through the wing he landed on, but he didn't care. His only drive was to find his last remaining filly. He stumbled to his feet and sucked in his first real fresh breath since entering the house. He turned around, ready to begin his search, but he almost wished he hadn't.

His search didn't take very long, for he didn't have to search far. His filly, white coat turned dark grey, pink mane ruined with smoke and ash, lay in front of him, seven feet laterally from the upstairs door. With little hope, he slowly made his way to the unmoving body. Moonshy was not breathing; he could tell that much as he walked to her. He knelt down to check for a pulse, and with cold apathy felt no reaction to find his daughter dead.

He removed his hand from her lifeless body, and stayed there, motionlessly staring at his late daughter. It is possible Will would have remained there for eternity had Bill and Luna not found their way to him. Bill was the first to speak, saying grimly, "Where are-"

Will's head snapped up to glare at Bill, who instantly shut his mouth in shock. "In there," Will growled with unhidden fury.

"Will," Luna tried, but was interrupted.

"I will find who did this," Will's voice changed. It was more guttural now. "I will not rest 'til I do. And when I do," he said, standing up fast as lightening. "And when I do," he repeated. "I'll kill him." Luna was about to protest, but Will cut her off. "And I'll kill anyone who gets in the way of me doing so." With that, Will bolted from the scene, his stride full of purpose. Bill followed.

Will shook his head. He recalled the rage and fury that coursed through his body during that time. Often times, Royal Guard ponies would be called to a scene to find Will surrounded by flaming flora. He would oft sit in the center of a field and torch his surroundings to vent his anger and frustration. Bill would stand nearby and prevent the fires from spreading too far.

It took several years for the arson to be found. It took at least a year for the summons to reach Will. To say the least, it did not take Will a year to arrive at the holding facility. Will was, at the time, searching Stalliongrad for any sign of an arson. Bill was assisting Will with the heavy objects and mind reading. Although Will desperately wanted to find his family's murderer, he was still a chivalrous man at heart, and refused to invade the mind of others. Bill, however, was under no such geas.

While he was crossing the street to another warehouse, Will was intercepted by a crashing mailmare. He recognized her as Ditzy Doo, and called out his greetings to her. She stopped to give him a letter of summons from Princesses Celestia and Luna, and also to give Will her condolences about Fluttershy and their foals. After a short thanks and a curt nod, Will took off towards Canterlot, where the letter said they had the arson in holding.

When he arrived, he was directed to the holding cells, but his path to the particular cell he sought was blocked by his aunt and mother. "Aside, please," he said calmly.

Celestia exited the hall via side door. Luna, however, remained where she was. It was because Will's voice was calm that she did not do as she was asked. "I want your promise that you will not harm the prisoner."

Will dodged the request. "Move aside mother." His tone had grown slightly hostile, and those who could pick up subtle clues about emotions and plans, as Luna could, would detect the change.

"I want your word."

To the surprise of everyone, Will drew his newly forged rapier. He forged it specifically for the purpose of hunting down the arson, but in Will's mind, Luna was a threat. His rage was causing him to think simply. Will pointed the rapier at his own mother's throat, saying, nearly growling, "I said, mother, to get out of the way."

"I can't."

Will stood silently for a moment, before saying, "I told you those years ago that I would get rid of anything that stood in my way to the arson. I see you as a threat right now."

"You wouldn't cut down your own mother," Luna told him with extreme confidence.

Will remained still for a moment longer before lowering his rapier. "You're right," he said, hanging his head. Only Bill could tell that Will was faking his defeated manner, but was powerless to stop Will's plan. Will turned, making to walk away, before he spun around and swung his arm at Luna.

Luna, who did not expect this, made no move to stop it. Will hit her on the side of the head with the basket guard of his rapier. She slumped to the floor, unconscious. "Bill," Will said. "Make sure she's okay. Then join me." Bill knelt beside his wife, disgusted with himself. He loved Luna, but also agreed with Will in the sense that Luna was getting in the way of something that had to be done. Will entered the cell that contained the arson, and his shock was evident.

Before him at the interrogation table sat Blueblood, former Prince of Equestria. The stallion looked up to see who had entered, and his disgust and hatred was also evident. "You," he spat.

Will, after recovering from his initial shock, sat down across from Blueblood and folded his hands on the table, glaring daggers at the murderer before him. "Me," he replied.

"What do you want, human? Come to assert your dominance?"

"Actually," Will said calmly. Before he could continue, Bill entered, causing Blueblood to leer in disgust. Bill moved to lean against the wall behind Will. When the commotion was over, Will continued. "Actually, I just want answers."

"Answers to what, human? Why ponies are superior to humans? That is a simple matter, I would think, trash."

Will's hands slammed onto the table so fast he stunned even Bill. "Dammit, you arrogant son of a whore! I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU KILLED MY WIFE!"

Blueblood, clearly unsettled by Will's sudden ferocity, scoffed, albeit unconvincingly. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Will stood up so fast he knocked over the chair that he was, until recently, sitting in. "DON'T BULLSHIT ME, BITCH! I KNOW YOU DID IT! YOU BURNED MY HOUSE DOWN!"

Blueblood was clearly frightened out of his wits, and he broke down. "Alright, I admit. I burned down your house in the hopes to kill you, human. What of it?"

Will closed his eyes and breathed deeply for twenty seconds, trying to calm himself down. "Tell me how you knew I lived there."

"I watched it for several years, how do you think I knew it was yours, human? Are you all truly this stupid?"

"So you knew my wife stayed at home."

"I don't-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME! YOU WATCHED ME HOUSE, YOU SAID SO YOURSELF! YOU KNEW MY WIFE LIVED THERE, STAYED THERE!"

"That mare was your wife?!"

"DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T KNOW! I KNOW YOU KNEW! IF YOU REALLY WATCHED MY HOME LIKE THE PATHETIC STALKER YOU ARE, YOU'D NOTICE THE PARTIES WE'D HAD!"

"I admit, I saw a few parties take place-"

"TELL ME, RIGHT NOW, WHY I SHOULDN'T KILL YOU, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!"

"Because... because that would be against the law?"

Will, to the horror of Blueblood and the surprise of Bill, laughed maniacally. "You are worthless to me, Blueblood," he spat between cackles. "And do you not think I am above the law?!"

"No..."

"You're right, of course," Will allowed. "It would be against the law." Will's face suddenly changed to look more like a psychotic killer. "Although, I'm pretty much finished with following rules. I'm not long for this world anyway, so why not have a little fun?" Will grinned manically. Blueblood gulped, and Bill simply stared in shock. He'd heard Will's statement, and while he hated to leave his wife behind, he completely supported Will in his notion. Will drew his rapier. "I made this myself, you know," Will told Blueblood as if he were explaining to an awestruck foal.

"What are you going to do to me?" Blueblood demanded in a panicked voice.

"Well. Since stone," Will began, indicating the stone floor and walls. "Doesn't burn, I can't burn you alive so that you could know what my wife and children felt while they burned to death in the fire you set for them." Blueblood's eyes widened; this insane human was talking of killing him! "I'll have to settle for... a slow death." Quick as lightning, the rapier snapped out and impaled one of Blueblood's manacled hooves.

He screamed in pain, but Will wasn't done. With deft precision, Will impaled the other. "There's an old story in human culture," Will said calmly. "A man named Jesus was impaled and left to die while being crucified on a cross." Will slashed both of Blueblood's cheeks. "I don't have a cross," Will continued, cutting the front ends of Blueblood's mane off. "I can't crucify you." Slashes across Blueblood's neck. "I guess I have to settle for impaling you."

"You're insane!" Blueblood shouted at the top of his lungs.

Will nodded. "Perhaps. If so, I'll be okay with it. Goodbye, murderer." Blueblood made to shout out frantically, desperate to call for help from anyone, even Bill, but before he could... Will thrust his rapier deep into Blueblood's torso. Will thrust so deep the rapier protruded out of Blueblood's back. Will unstuck his rapier and cleaned it with his cloth.

Bill, horrified at the gruesome sight before him, said nothing. Despite it being absolutely revolting, and the stench of oxidized blood was nauseating him, he was oddly alright with what had just transpired. Nevertheless, he followed Will out of the interrogation room. Will was about to head back down the hall before a voice cried out, "Will!"

It was Luna. Standing beside her was Celestia. Luna saw the blood on Will's cloth, and immediately figured out what had transpired while she was unconscious. "What did you do to Blueblood?!"

Instead of answering, Will bolted in the other direction. At the end of the hallway, opposite the conventional exit, was a large window. Bill made a break after Will. Will ran as fast as his legs would carry him, but it was still not enough. About halfway through, a magical aura surrounded Will, halting his motion. "Bill!" he cried out. Bill stopped to see the cause, and with a thrust of his hand the aura dissipated and Will resumed running.

"Will!" Luna shouted again, but neither Will nor Bill stopped.

Bill ran less than a foot in front of Will so that he could break the window and Will could carry him away. Bill covered his face with his arms and burst through the window. The glass stung his arms, but he thought it would be better to endure a few cuts than blind Will for an undetermined amount of time. Bill thought he could repair blindness, but he decided it was better not to take chances. Will had a slight problem adjusting for Bill's weight, but quickly corrected and flew away.

Luna and Celestia halted at the sill of the now broken window, staring after Will's retreating form. "Lulu," Celestia said urgently. "Get Twilight. I think I know where he's going."

"Where would that be, sister?" Luna asked as she turned to do as she was told.

Celestia didn't answer immediately. When she did, however, her voice was laden with grim certainty. "He's going to join Fluttershy." Luna automatically understood what her sister said, and a chill ran up her spine. "I'm afraid I may not be able to stop him in time. Now, go! Before I assuredly run out of that which we have none left!"

Luna hurried from the castle.

Will stood on the parapet of the twenty-story building. He thought it rather ironic: nine years ago he had almost blown his head off on a building much smaller than this. Now he skipped the pleasantries and was going to jump. Bill stood behind Will, on the roof, and to the right of him. He watched Will with anguished eyes. Bill did not want to leave his Luna, but he knew that this had to be done.

Will, looking outwards, said softly to Bill, "Well... probably shouldn't wait 'til Christmas." Bill simply nodded; his throat was too constricted for words. "I'm sorry I'm doing this to you, Bill," Will continued. "It's rather selfish of me."

Bill found words, though they were hoarse and weak. "Don't worry about it."

Will huffed. "Well..."

Before he could finish, though, a voice cried out, "Will!"

Will spun while keeping his balance, as did Bill, and they saw that Luna, Celestia, and Twilight had arrived. "What do you want?" Will called out.

Luna stepped forward. "Don't do it, Will!" She cried in a desperate tone.

"I have to; I have nothing!"

"Don't do it! You have us! Your mother, your aunt, your friends! Think about what you're going to do to them!"

Will sighed without taking his eyes off of the offending trio. "I have thought about it... and I'm sorry for them."

"Why are you doing this?!" Luna shrieked. "Why would you do this to me?!"

Will shouted hoarsely, "I don't have a wife or kids anymore! What better reason do I need?!"

"So you'd leave me without a husband or child?! Do you think I wasn't broken when Harry died?!"

"How stable were you before you met Dad, mother?" Will shot out a question. "Were you happy? Content?"

Luna answered cautiously, "I was alright..."

"Already," Will fired off. "You had it better than I!" He thrust a finger at Luna, and she flinched in anticipation of magic, but none came. "Since before I was even an adult in the eyes of humans, I've been through hell!" He sucked in a deep breath. "I've seen friends die beside me, over and over! I've seen soldiers gutted and hung by their feet, left to dry out by bleeding all over the ground beneath them!"

Twilight gasped in shock at the horrendous descriptions of the deaths. She'd never experienced death before, except for maybe Big Macintosh, and certainly not a death as gruesome as the ones Will was describing. Despite her constant and ever-lasting bitterness towards Will, she sympathized, thinking that no one should have to see their friends die... even her enemies. Will wasn't finished though. "I've been shot, blown up, stabbed, cut, burned, drowned, boiled! I've seen people who one moment would be perfectly fine, then to have their heads explode in a shower of blood and brains!"

Luna was taken aback, as was everybody there, except for Bill He'd experienced those events himself, and he knew Will was not lying. Luna's jaw worked up and down, but no sound came out. Finally, she found something to say. "So you'd let your poor old mother become not only a widow, but without a son?"

"I see no other way to make peace with myself," Will said, his demeanor becoming calm again.

"Death is permanent, Will." Luna's eyes were running with tears, and her voice wavered as she struggled not to fall to her knees and cry with impunity. "Please don't do this; we can get over this!" For a moment, Will hesitated. This was all Luna needed to step up her pleas. "I've survived thirty three years without my Harry, and I'm still fine! But with what you're going to do... I don't know if I can survive that. Please, Will, don't hurt me more."

Will stood silently for several minutes. No one said anything during that time, and the rooftop became more silent than space. Slowly, Will lifted his right leg in front of him, as if to step off the parapet. Luna's hopes soared, as did those of Celestia and Twilight. Despite her simmering hatred for Will, Twilight thought that killing himself would not be a good way to solve his problems. Bill suddenly stiffened in realization. In the years past, Will and Bill finally found a way to communicate through their minds, and Will and Bill had used that ability with abandon, especially during the search for Blueblood. Just then, Will told Bill something, and Bill didn't like it but followed his orders.

Without warning, with the exception of Bill, of course, Will thrust his leg behind him with as much force as he could muster. This action caused him to topple backwards, to the alarm of the trio of Equestrian residents. "Will!" Luna cried out in fear, and moved to stop him. Bill, however, keeping true to his word, intercepted her. He stood in front of her and gripped her arms in his hands. "Bill?!" Luna asked in shock. "What are you doing?! Stop him!"

Bill simply shook his head sadly. "I can't."

"But your duty is to keep him safe!"

"Not anymore more." At Luna's puzzled expression, he explained, "Now my duty is to make sure he dies."

"But you'll die with him!" Luna shouted in Bill's face. His ears rung, but he administered his painkillers.

"I know," he said. "I love you, Luna." With that, Bill pressed his lips against his wife's. Luna was resistant at first, but when she realized the situation was out of her hands, she sadly and reluctantly accepted her fate. Bill stuck his tongue inside Luna's mouth to grip hers. There, he held the kiss for several seconds. Luna never officially had the chance to break the kiss, though. Bill, instead, did so. Bill's body stiffened and tensed. Bill brought his head away from Luna's and looked directly into her eyes. "I love you, Luna," he said again. "More than anything in the universe." He was crying.

Luna had no words to say. Her own eyes were brimming with tears. Nevertheless, she saw what happened next. Bill stepped away from his wife, and in front of her very eyes disintegrated. From the feet up, his body reduced itself to dust. That dust flowed in the air and trailed over the parapet, down towards Will's still body. As the process reached his neck, Bill mouthed his love to Luna one last time.

And he was gone. Luna stood there, quivering for several minutes. Finally, she collapsed to her knees and let out an anguished wail. She fell forward onto her elbows and pounded the ground with her fists. While doing so, she continued to scream and shout. Listeners would not understand her, for her shouts were in a foreign language. "Quare?! Quare, Deus?!" She sobbed for a few moments, sucking in breaths, before continuing. "Quare dimittetis mihi, Will?! Et ego dilexi te, Will!"

Celestia slowly made her way to her sister. Kneeling beside her, she tried to comfort the crying Princess. "Erit bene, Luna. Erit bene."

Facing the ground, Luna responded in the, to Twilight, alien tongue. "Non erit ulla sorore! Iam perditum et duobus nupta unigeniti!" She resumed her attempt to flood the building, while Celestia absently rubbed her sister's back. Twilight simply stood dumbfounded, staring and wondering in shock as to what and why this had just happened.

And that was how Will came to be standing on the clifftop, overlooking Ponyville. His tears stained his cheeks and shirt from the memories that flooded his mind. He wiped them from his eyes when he felt the comforting touch of somebody to his right. Looking over his with his now-clear vision, he saw his wife laying her hoof on his shoulder. He took that hoof in his hand and absently rubbed it with his thumb.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and upon inspection, there stood Bill, providing his silent support. Looking down, Will found his children, sleeping soundly at his feet. His heart would have exploded for the third time, had it not been dead to begin with. He looked back over his former home in sadness. The five of them remained in that position until Will heard a gruff voice speak behind him.

"Hello, son."

Will turned slowly. The words used gave enough of a hint as to who it was, but he couldn't be sure. "Son" was used by old people addressing young ones, after all. There behind him, stood a man who was about six feet, four inches tall. His hair was unkempt, as was his facial hair. Around his neck he wore a keepsake in the shape of a pentagram, and in its center sat a brilliant ruby. The man wore a black leather duster, a black shirt, and blue jeans. Barely visible on his hip was a revolver, and a rod of wood was hanging loosely from a strap on the inside of the duster. In his right hand the man carried a staff which came up to about shoulder height on him, with runes carved into its surface.

"How're you, Victor?" The man asked.

Will couldn't answer. After a moment of regaining his thoughts, he stepped forward and threw his arms around the man.

"Hello, father."

End Credits

Hello there, Lt. Voss here. First off, I want to thank you all for reading Broken Wings. It means a whole ton to me, and I am immensely happy to see it received with such positive welcome. Seeing this story end has literally been painful for me. I had grown to love the story, its characters, and its purpose that doing what I had to do to end it tore me up inside. It really did.

Secondly, I want to thank those in my life that both inspired this story and helped me through everything. Special thanks to:

Kendra and Elsa, my case workers, for being there for me when I needed them.
Dr. Brown, my psychiatrist, for getting me the help I needed.
lilinuyasha, a writer here on fimfiction, and all his Facebook friends for stopping me from killing myself.
Micah, a friend of mine on Steam, who also kept me from doing bad things to myself.
Seth Jones, for pushing me out of the way of the car. R.I.P., Seth.
Michael Anderson, for giving me a shoulder to cry girly tears on (and like, 3 manly ones).
You readers, for loving this story, giving me incentive to continue writing it. Without you, this story would have no end in sight.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and Lauren Faust, for giving me a show I would watch just to keep myself alive.

Thank you.

Luna shifted through the burnt rubble and debris, looking for anything that might have survived the fire of Will's home. Remembering, not for the first time that day, that her son and her husband, Bill the Oracle, were dead sent shivers down her spine and more tears to her eyes. She had assistance from Celestia, and together they combed the wreckage. Even Twilight chose to help.

Moving upstairs, what was left of it, Luna, Celestia, and Twilight began their second search. Almost immediately, they found a box, lying on its side, on the floor. It appeared to be made of metal, as some parts of it were still shiny, though the rest was scorched black and burnt. The sisters stooped to open it, and found several papers inside. They did not expect the papers to contain what they did.

The first was a formal document, written in letterhead. At the top of the sheet, the document was clearly marked with large letters, "Will's Will." A ghost of a smile touched Luna's lips; she always thought her son's humour was rather simple. Reading through it, she found several articles describing what the ponies should do should Will be found dead. Included were articles as follows:

Will be buried beside Big McIntosh at the Sweet Apple Acres' cemetery.
All of Will's possessions be given to Fluttershy and their foals.
In the event that article II could not be completed, requisition the Royal Sisters of Equestria to take possession of indicated items until article II could be completed, indefinitely, if need be.

Luna's tears stained the paper, and she gave it to Celestia, who gave it a quick skim and began her crying as well. When the two could pick up another document without ruining the lettering, Luna did so. The second paper was almost completely blank except for three blocks of text in the center, with a single line after that. Somewhat separated from the "main" text was what appeared to be an acknowledgement. The text read:

Today a strange thing happened

I thought my life would end

But I had a helpful friend

Who had advice to lend.

Today was a stressful one

My thoughts were of a gun

But I gave the advice a run

And now the day is won.

I have survived the day

Bad thoughts are pushed away

There is not much more to say

But I have survived the day.

And I owe it all to you.

Written below the poem was a thank you from Will, with his easily identifiable chicken scratch cursive.

"Thank you, Luna, for stopping me. I really appreciate it; it showed me that there is still another day to live, another dawn to see."

Will

Special thanks to lilinuyasha. This poem I wrote the day after he stopped me from committing suicide. It is dedicated to him. Thank you, friend.

Luna could do no more to restrain her tears. Celestia barely snatched the poem from her sister before she ruined the lettering and destroyed it. Not that she fared much better; Celestia too flooded the room with her own droplets. She set the paper aside and hugged her sister. The two sat there, embracing and sobbing, for several minutes. Finally, Luna gained the courage to pick up the third and final paper in the box. She read aloud:

"Whoever receives this, know that you are only able to see this because... because I am no longer here. First of all, I want to thank those who have impacted my life for the better. Special gratitude, I show to:

First Lieutenant (Staff Sergeant was crossed out) Mason Valeral, for being my best friend.
Richard Loring, for forging my first sword.
Corporal Steve Davis for being there for me. (Written in a different hand, the line continues) I'm sorry, Mary, for losing him.
Applejack, for being honest and forgiving, teaching me that I could forgive others who have wronged me.
Nurse Redheart, for healing Fluttershy.
Twilight Sparkle, for reminding me that I should be considerate towards others' feelings."

At the mention of her part, Twilight tears up. She had hated Will since the moment he told her he and Fluttershy were in love. But now... now, Twilight could not find it in her heart to keep hating him. Even past all the amnesty, Will found it in his to forgive Twilight and thank her. Twilight simply could not keep the fires burning, and a tear rolled down her cheek. But the list went on.

"- Mister Cake, for defending me.

Pinkie Pie, for cheering me up.
Rainbow Dash, for keeping my spirits high.
Ambassadors Nolan DeFieres and Johnathan Lyle, for reminding me to be bold and seek friendship everywhere.
Princess Celestia, who was an aunt to me, the only one I had. R.I.P. (R.I.P. was crossed out, replaced with:) You taught me that being compassionate rewarded me greatly.
Princess Luna, my mother. You taught me how to forge, understand Equestrian literature and art, and so much more. You revealed to me that you were my mother and that I had not murdered my parents, and for that I am eternally grateful. I just wish I could be around to be with you forever. Know this, though: Though I am gone, I will continue to be with you in spirit. The gentle breeze that passes your cheek will be my soul. The whispers in sleep and in wake will be me, soothing you and calming you. It's the least I can do.
And finally, Fluttershy, my wife. My time with you has been wonderful. You have taught me so much about kindness and friendship, and what it means to be a husband. I hope that I have served you to the best of my ability, and that I will be in your heart forever. I just wish that I had more to say for you, my love, but words cannot describe or explain how I feel about you. The least it, I Love You."

Luna slowly set down the paper, and whispered so softly that Celestia and Twilight strained to hear, "Ego amare etiam, Will."

Ending Song:

"To those who are Lost," by Jeremy Soule, made for the Company of Heroes(tm) soundtrack "Songs from the Front."

End Song

The Heavens Weep

Author's Note: I do not own any aspect of MLP:FiM. I do not own any aspect of the song from which this story was derived. That's right, I literally dreamed up this story by listening to a song. Each chapter is taken from a section the song. I've expanded each section, or else you'd be reading an 800 word story. The song is a remix. Find it on YouTube under “Major Tom (Coming Home) Razormaid Remix.”

Author's Note Addendum: No. Do not ask me if my character in an angel. I didn't plan on him being an angel, just that he looked like a human and had wings, which in my mind did, in fact, look like an angel's. It's like Equestrian Physics. I just put wings on him, admittedly the first time I dreamed of this story he did have wings, so that I could make this OC/Fluttershy pairing work. When I make references as to the locations of landmarks (including cities and natural locations), I'm using the map of Equestria done by YoorPorick on DeviantArt.

The shuttle revved its atmospheric engines. The rest of my company was in it already, save for the platoon first sergeant. He looked at me, saying, “C’mon, hurry up!”

I shook my head no. I projected my memories of my time on the planet, showing him everything. Everyone I’d been in contact with during my time here knew my secret. Knew of my abilities. I, therefore, had no trouble or discomfort showing him. Many people in the shuttle came out to watch, because for all but one, this was new to them. Well, what I’d done here was new.

The first memory of note was the time I’d met two pegasi, one with a cyan coat with a rainbow mane, named Rainbow Dash, who was very outgoing and adventurous, and her shier and friendlier friend, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane by the name of Fluttershy.

I looked around cautiously, not knowing what hid in the forest around me. The local populace called it the “Everfree Forest,” which I guess is a fitting name. While it was dark, I hadn't seen anything that could be considered too much of a threat. Well, aside from roots that jutted out from beneath the earth.

I nearly freaked out and jumped out of my skin as I heard what sounded like two female voices that both sounded scared. Now, sirens were common on a few worlds I'd been on, so this put me on edge. I didn't know if this world, Equestria, had sirens on it or not. But as I drew nearer, feelings of edginess were replaced by fear. Heh, I made a rhyme.

There were two pegasi. One with a cyan coat, the other with a yellow coat. What scared me was the fact that there was a manticore growling at them from about ten feet away.

Now, I'd heard the tales. About a group of six ponies traveling a long way to defeat an escaped evil soul. On their way, they defeated a manticore, or more accurately, the yellow one subdued it using her charm. What differed from that story and here, I reckon, is that this manticore looked really hungry and really angry. Being the good person, I couldn't let them get injured or worse. “You two! Get down on the ground! Dive into a bush! Don't just sit there! GET OUT OF HERE!”

At the sound of my voice, the manticore turned its attention to me, which gave the two pegasi a chance to escape. They took it, and they both disappeared into a swath of bushes. When the manticore looked back at where its prey once stood, it turned back to me and roared in anger. It charged at me, its stinger posed like that of a lance.

I raised my M10 assault rifle. I drew a bead onto its forehead, and pulled the trigger. The darts hit it square between the eyes. The shock was almost visible. It was able to be seen when it arced from the manticore's left ear onto some venom that was dripping from its stinger. The manticore tumbled and fell into a heap two feet from me.

Then the yellow pegasus had a reaction I didn't expect. It came running out of the bushes it had run into, screaming at me the whole while. “YOU KILLED IT! YOU'RE A MONSTER!”

“N-n-no I didn't! I swear!” I stammered.

She didn't listen. “How dare you! How DARE you!” She lifted off with her wings and hovered just in front of my eyes, staring, no, scratch that, glaring at me with accusingly angry eyes. “You could have just scared it away! But nooooo! You had to kill it! MONSTER!” As she yelled that last word, she was no more than a centimeter from my face.

“I DIDN'T KILL IT!” I yelled back, but when I saw her shrink back, I knew that she was not only not expecting that reaction, but was actually not very comfortable in that situation. “I didn't kill it,” I said more softly. “I'm sorry for screaming. I just wanted you to know, and you wouldn't listen, and I got nervous, and I-” and I trailed off, knowing I was babbling. I had that habit. So sue me. I shook my hair down to cover my eyes, suddenly self-conscious.

She looked at me, from between partings in her pink mane which she looked used to hiding behind, and said in a soft voice, almost a squeak, “It's okay. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry I didn't ask for an explanation first. I'm sorry...” and then she trailed off too. Then she smiled at me.

Oh god, was that smile so beautiful. Her eyes had grown to the size of saucers, metaphorically, of course, and it almost seemed as if they were watering. Then I realized that they were. She was on the verge of tears. Unsure of what to do, I did what I thought you were supposed to do when comforting a pegasus.

I got down on my knees and gave it a hug. Not a big hug or a loving hug, just a hug that a friend would give to another. She lied her head on my shoulder and began crying. It came as sobs first, but then the floodgates, pardon the pun, opened. I was as clueless in pegasus comforting as I was in dating. So I said the only thing I knew to say. “There, there. It'll be alright. I forgive you. It's okay. Now,” then I hold her at arms length and look into her eyes. “Can you forgive me?”

“No, no, no. I couldn't forgive you! You did nothing wrong, and it was all my fault, and you shouldn't forgive me because I did something really bad and-” and I cut her off this time.

“You're wrong, there, miss. It's actually my fault. I should have told you what I planned to do. I'm sorry. You were in the right, you were right to get mad.” She tried to look away, but I put my hand under her chin and, gently, turned her head back to me. “Now,” I said again. “Will you forgive me?” I gave her the best smile I could muster, which I admit wasn't much.

She smiled her beautiful smile again, and said, “Yes. If it's what you want.”

I had to chuckle. The thought just ran into my head. So I voiced it aloud, so she could hear what I was thinking. “You know. I'm jealous.”

Her eyes widened in shock, and she said in a nervously quiet voice, “Jealous? Of what? Did I do something wrong?”

To be honest, her bahaviour kind of stumped me. I just couldn't understand this pegasus. But I did my best to hide my reaction, and continued. “I'm jealous of you, because your smile is, I admit, better than mine.”

Her look of shock remained, but her voice rose in what I could only describe as minor fear. Or shock. Maybe both. “Oh, no! Your smile is so much better than mine. Mine isn't all that special.”

I raised the proverbial eyebrow. I guess it was a literal eyebrow too, because her mood slightly deepened. “I beg to differ. I have more of a smirk. You...” I lost my will, then, because I saw the cyan pegasus come out from the bushes just then.

“Fluttershy! You're okay!” She took stole one glance at the manticore lying unconscious on the ground. “Oh my gosh! You monster! You killed that man-” but both Fluttershy and I cut her off this time, unintentionally interrupting each other.

“Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead, Fluttershy.” I said in a friendly voice, as friendly as I could manage.

“No, it's alright. You go ahead.” She said. She then blushed slightly and turned her head away, hiding behind her wonderfully pink mane.

Wait. I thought. Did I just say her mane was wonderful? I sat there with the goofiest and most perplexed expression on my face. I guess what both Fluttershy and I were feeling was obvious to the cyan pony. She burst out laughing, completely throwing out her previous anger. She rolled on the floor, and by god tears were coming out of her eyes. My expression only worsened, as I was growing more and more confused as to what the heck was going on. This caused the cyan pegasus to laugh even harder. How that was possible... don't look at me, 'cause I didn't know.

As it became too painful to laugh any longer, and after Fluttershy had blushed harder, and I looked so confused I was cross-eyed, she stopped her guffawing. After a few moments of catching her breath, she began to speak. “Oh, man, do you guys know how funny you look?! Fluttershy, you'd put Big Mac to shame, you're so red!” I didn't know who Big Mac was, but I now knew that he must be a very red pony. I still didn't know if he was an earth pony, no wings or horns, a pegasus, wings, or a unicorn, horns.

Then the mare, for her voice, while very... manly in the sense of an athlete or challenger, was that of a female, turned to me. “And you! You look like Ditzy Doo!” I also didn't know any Ditzy Doo, but when I focused my eyes, my brain put two and two together and decided that whoever this character was, he was walleyed.

“I'm... sorry?” I replied, dumbly.

“Your eyes were all 'woah,'” and she animated the action by rolling her eyes in a figure eight pattern. A good try, I'll admit, but not the real deal. “But then you focused. Darn.”

“I'm... sorry to disappoint?” C'mon brain! Catch up! You'll look stupid in front of Fluttershy! And then my eyes widened, almost to the point of pain. Why would I care what Fluttershy thinks? I mean, I just met her... My mind just ceased all function it was clinging to. Oh no... I didn't want to think that I'd just experienced love-at-first-sight with a pegasus. I mean, here I was, a bipedal creature with pure white hair, but I was still in my early twenties. And then there was Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus pony with a pink mane.

The cyan pegasus broke my train of thought. “By the way, name's Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in all of Equestria! Wanna race? I promise not to use my wings!”

“Huh?” I ask, dumbfounded. “How are you gonna fly if you don't use your wings?”

This caused a chuckle to come out of Fluttershy's mouth. “Well, um, you see, um, it wouldn't be fair if, um, Rainbow Dash used her wings, um, if you had to, um, run. She's pretty fast, you know. But, I mean, anything you want to do is fine...” She trailed off like she usually did.

Unfortunately, my brain slipped and I continued on. “Why would I have to run? Let's get into the air first.” I felt an uncomfortable pressure in my back then, then remembered who and what I was. But it was too late, I'd let it slip.

“What? You mean you can fly? How? Those arms don't look like they could hold you up.” Rainbow Dash said, doubtfully looking over my arms.

“Yeah, I mean, um, they look like, um, they'd work like our, um, hooves if we tried to, um, fly with them. But, um, whatever you want to do is fine.” I found it adorable when she trailed off. She reminded me much of, well, me. NO! I screamed in my head. She's a pegasus! I'm not! I can't love her, it's got to be a mistake!

But again, it was too late. I had to explain now, after not showing anyone but my parents. And they, unfortunately, didn't take it well. They're the reason I had to live on my own since I was sixteen.

“Well, I, you see, have something special. And, um, it's, I mean, I've kept it a secret for so long, for eight years now, and, well, when I showed my parents they totally freaked. I'm scared that if I, um, show you guys you'd freak out too. I mean, you have to have seen the others like me here. None of them are like me.”

Both of them, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, looked at me quizzically. Rainbow Dash, being the more forward of the two, asked first, “Well, if you're one of them, but not one of them, then what are you?” She shook her head. “Ow. That made my brain hurt.” I had to laugh a bit at that. Confused ponies. I found them almost as funny as I was to Rainbow Dash when I was confused. I think.

“I can't really say. I don't know what it's called. I can only show you. But, um, I'll have to take off my shirt, and I, um, don't want to offend anyone.”

Rainbow cut in. “Don't you mean anypony?”

“Uh, yeah, sure, that. You won't be offended if I take off my shirt, will you?”

Rainbow shook her head immediately, which made me wonder about what she did in her spare time. Sue me, I'm young. Fluttershy took a little longer, but with assurance and a few winks, which solidified my thoughts, from Rainbow Dash, she complied. Nervously, and again feeling self-conscious, I shook my hair back down to cover my eyes as I removed my now painful-to-wear shirt.

Gasps from both of them before I had pulled my shirt halfway off gave me fear. They're freaking, aren't they? I was suddenly scared to move, worried that motion in any direction would send them off running. I guess the shock and fear was evident on my face, as they both tried to say at the same time, “Oh, sorry, go on. We were just... um, surprised. Yeah, surprised.”

Still deathly nervous, I carefully took off the rest of my shirt, cautiously avoiding snagging it on anything. Fluttershy nearly fainted. She wobbled, sighed, and would have hit the ground. For all Rainbow Dash's bragging, I got to Fluttershy first, and I began to wonder why, yet again, I took so much care into Fluttershy. During the short distance I went to catch, my wings extended to their full length, the wingspan a full double my height. And I was five feet eight inches tall.

This amazed Rainbow Dash to no end. “Woah! They're so big! Even Princess Celestia's wings aren't so long!”

From the way she said it, I suspected that this Celestia character was the ruler of Equestria. I didn't really know how to take the compliment. Again, my mind was racing to and fro. “Um, thanks.” That's me, pinnacle of smooth.

Fluttershy woke from her half-faint, and looked up at me, as I was still holding her up. “Oh, no! Did I faint? I'm sorry.”

“No, no, it's quite alright. I guess it is pretty shocking, isn't it?” And I gave her another one of my smirk-smiles. Then, when she turned to speak to Rainbow Dash, she caught sight of just how long my wings were. They were partially hiding Rainbow from her view I guess, because she craned her neck to see.

It must have been a delayed reaction or something, because it wasn't until then that she said, “Oh my gosh! Those wings are, um, really big! And, um, they're-” I didn't hear the last word, as she squeaked at “they're.”

“I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I didn't quite catch that last bit. Could you, um, repeat it, please?”

“Oh, no, it wasn't, I didn't... say anything...” If she trailed off one more time, I'm afraid my heart may explode. I loved it. WHAT?! GET IT TOGETHER!

“Come, now, Fluttershy. You don't have to be nervous. I won't think any less of you for speaking your mind. In fact, I'd like you more because you'd be honest with me.” LIKE HER MORE?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!

“Oh, well, um, then if it's, um, okay with you... your wings...” She gulps here. “They're so... big...” That's it. Heart transplant. Stat. Right after I get over my self-consciousness. I hung my hair over my eyes.

Rainbow Dash broke in then. “Why do you do that? Hide behind your hair? You know we can see you, right?”

“Well, er, um... gah.” Smooth, man. “Well, um, it's kinda like what Fluttershy does when she hides behind her mane. I think...” Trailing off, winning right there, folks.

Rainbow Dash, thankfully for me, took this with no objection. “Well, how about that race?”

I had completely forgotten about that. “Oh, um, well, Fluttershy? Do you, um, want to join us?”

“Oh, that's okay. I don't really like races,” she squeaked out.

Rainbow Dash piqued an interest in our semi-one-sided conversation. “Don't worry, mister, it's okay.” She leaned in close and whispered, “She can't really fly very well. She's spent most of her life on the ground.”

I furrowed my eyebrows in thought at this, but if the other two noticed, they didn't show it. But then I got an idea. “Well, then why don't we, um, start off with a leisurely fly? Then, if you still want that race, we can have it later. Is that okay?”

Fluttershy, out of character, or at least what I knew of it, was the first to respond, saying, “Oh, that'd be lovely.” Which made me think. Who says lovely anymore? Unless... oh no. Ding, ding, ding!

Rainbow Dash, a bit down for not getting what she wanted when she wanted, I'm guessing, hesitated at first, but then agreed.

Rainbow was the first into the air, taking a short jump before unfurling her too-small, to me, wings and flying off. Very fast. I, however, waited for Fluttershy to get her wings open, which wasn't all that long. Her wings were similarly small like Rainbow's, but she too got up into the air and hovered by her friend. I, smiling at how graceful she flapped her wings, took longer to get into the air. This wasn't a fault of my wings or of anyone else's. I just stood there for a bit, admiring the two pegasi.

With two powerful beats of my monstruous sized wings, in comparison to theirs, I was off. I took my time, and I expertly noticed Rainbow's look of cockiness. She thinks this as fast as I can go, I thought. Just she watch, I'll show her!

As I joined them, I asked them, “So. Where do you guys wanna go first?”

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, and after a moment of silent conversing, they nodded and turned back to me. Rainbow was the one to speak. “Applejack's farm is the closest. She lives closer to this part of the Everfree Forest than Fluttershy does. She's closer to Froggy Bottom Bog. Applejack is closer to the Moon Castle Ruins. Let's head to her farm first.”

I shrugged my shoulders, then followed closely behind them, erring more towards Fluttershy's side. As discretely as I could, I slowly, painstakingly slowly, moved in between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Don't ask me why, because I wouldn't know. My best guess was to test her feelings.

There was no objection from Rainbow. If anything, she wanted this to happen. I noticed a foolish grin on her face before she caught a bad bit of wind and dipped to my right. I could tell she was faking, because the air was still today. Fluttershy, on the other hand, really did dip to my left. She was caught off guard by my subtle movements, and when I finally reached her side, she was startled. Quickly, I dipped with her and caught her with my left hand, holding her close.

“Woah, there, Fluttershy. Don't go falling down, now. That wouldn't be good for the wings. Or you.” I smirk-smiled at her, as warmly as I could, in an attempt to get her to calm down. It worked. She smiled back. After a few seconds of catching her breath, she began flapping her wings while still in my hold. When I was sure she would be off and up to speed, I let go.

She wobbled at first, but corrected it and we continued on with our airborne trek to this Applejack character.

There wasn't much talking between the three of us during the rest of the trip. The only things that came up were small talks, like Rainbow asking after Angel, who I guess is someone Fluttershy associates with. He'd better not be my competition. Here we go again, lover boy. Still thinking that you can make this work? Needless to say, the voice in my head isn't exactly the nicest of people. And he's the one secret I've kept to myself except on one very special case.

All the while, I was trying my best to study the details of Fluttershy's face sneakily, so as to find out what she was thinking. I'm not ashamed to admit that I saw her blush many times as she snuck her own peeks at me. If that wasn't a clue, I didn't know what was. I didn't act on it though, knowing Fluttershy, or what little I did know of her, she wouldn't like my being up front or frank with her. Better leave it to her, Will. That was the first time the voice inside my head said something supporting my pursuing of Fluttershy. But did it just call me Will?

The first sign I saw that we were nearing “Sweet Apple Acres,” as they called it, was the vast expanse of apple trees, bearing all three colours of apples: red, yellow, and green. Then, rising on a hill, I saw the farmhouse. Next to it stood a barn. When I saw Fluttershy and Rainbow start their descent, I followed suit, trailing behind Fluttershy.

In front of the farmhouse was a large open area. The three of us landed there, the two pegasi landing as they would from a jump; they just hit the ground on all fours. I, however, landed in a much slower fashion, slowing my descent with several strong beats of my wings, creating lots of upward thrust so I landed lightly on my feet.

A large red pony was emerging from the barn. There was a harness on his back, like one that would have a plow attached to it. Rainbow waved at him, calling out, “Hey, Big Mac! Is Applejack around?”

The stallion responded with a simple answer. “Eeyup.”

“Thanks, Big Mac! Where is she?”

“Inside,” came the reply. I started to like this pony. A man of few words indicated wisdom and intelligence. On the other hand, it could also mean stupidity, which I guess would be normal among farmers, as they wouldn't normally attend schools, but I kept my hopes up.

“Thanks again!” Rainbow turned to me. “Okay, wait here. Fluttershy and I'll go inside and get Applejack. Just sit tight, alright?”

I nodded. This would give me a chance to meet Big Mac. Without a further word, they both sped inside in search of their friend. I walked over to Big Mac, who was now struggling with, and I called it, putting on a plow. “Need a hand?” I asked. “It looks like that's supposed to be put on with help.”

“Nope, I got it.” He said. I frowned at him. When he dropped the straps for a third time, he sighed. “Fine.”

I stepped forward. Grabbing one strap, I attached it to one side of his harness. I stepped around him from behind, and grabbed the other strap. Attaching it to the harness, I chuckled. “There. That wasn't so bad, was it?”

He swiveled his head to look at me with, what I guess, was a slightly irritated look. “Hmm.” A sound of contempt.

When we walked out of the shed, Fluttershy and her friends were no where to be seen. So I continued walking with Big Mac. I could see ahead of us that there was a closed gate. As we neared it, a thought occurred to me. We did kind of get off to a semi-bad start...

I increased my pace and opened the gate for him. As Big Mac walked through, he dipped his head in a slight nod. A nod, I guessed, of thanks. Still unable to see my two new friends and my hopefully-soon-to-be friend, I stayed with him. I'd heard the tale of Zecora, a zebra. She'd come to Ponyville, the town on whose outskirts this farm stood, looking for supplies for her home in the Everfree Forest. All the ponies were scared at first. Applejack, I'd heard from Rainbow Dash on the way here, acted with hatred, or bordering that. To put it mildly, she looked on Zecora with contempt. That is, until she cured her and her friends' afflictions from a weed called “Poison Joke.”

My brain was working overtime all the while I was next to Big Mac. I'd put two and two together again. Applejack wasn't trusting of strangers unless she'd get to know them better. I'm guessing she'd want to get to know them from afar, because if that stranger was dangerous...

My mind snapped back to reality as I heard Big Mac grunt in pain. I looked around for him, and found him bleeding from a cut in the back of his right leg. The plow blade was at the base of his leg, a small amount of blood laying there. Looking at where he'd been plowing, I noticed a rock laying in his path. The plow must have caught on the rock, and as he pulled harder it must have broken loose and cut him. Will, hurry, before it gets infected... or worse.

I knew what my voice was telling me. He could get tetanus. That plow looked like it had a bit of rust on it, and most of it was around the blood. Then I realized my mistake. I'd left my bags, which contained my medical kits, by the shed. I knew what I had to do, but I didn't think I could do it. We'd come a long way from the farm, and carrying Big Mac all the way back seemed like a daunting prospect. Still, I don't see how Applejack could distrust me then. I chuckled inwardly, knowing that if I laughed out loud, Big Mac might take it as an insult.

I jogged over to him. “Big Mac.” I didn't get a response. “Big Mac!” I raised my voice. This time, he looked at me, though his eyes were distant. “Can you understand me?” He nodded slowly. “I'm going to carry you back to the farm. I need to get my medical supplies so I can treat this wound. Do you understand?” Again he nodded the affirmative.

I detached the plow from his harness, knowing it would severely hamper my ability. I got off the ground and hovered over him. “Okay, sir, this'll feel a little awkward. Don't freak out or squirm. It'll make my job that much harder.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist. For a second, he flinched, and I was afraid he'd bolt. But he relaxed, and I beat my wings after locking my fingers together on the underside of his chest. It was a struggle, but I eventually got him off the ground. I grunted with the effort, then turned back to Sweet Apple Acres. It was a long time before I got there. When I got back, I was drenched in sweat, and panting in exhaustion. As strong as I was, Big Mac was heavy.

I located my bags, and carefully set him down there. After I landed, I scrambled to find the bag that held my medical supplies. After fumbling the bags for a few seconds, which I might add felt like ages, I found the one holding all my medkits. I kept fumbling for the correct things, as I was in a hurry, but I found the disinfectant liquid. I forwent the cotton balls and just poured the stuff over the wound. Aside from a stifled yelp of shock from Big Mac, it was quiet in the yard.

After dousing it with disinfectant, I finally picked out a few cotton balls and started rubbing the clear liquid around, hoping to soak it through his pores in case any infection spread. After a few good seconds of that, I tossed the cotton away. I dropped about six bandages before finding one my fingers could hold on to. Delicately and with a deftness I didn't expect, I wrapped the bandage around his leg. Well, Will. Seems like qualifying expert in field medicine really did count for something, huh? Yes, it did.

I crawl-walked to face Big Mac. “Can I leave alone for a few moments?” After a grimace in pain, he nodded. “I want to hear you say it. I need to be sure you're okay for the moment.”

“E-eeyup.”

I nodded to him, then ran to the house. After struggling to open the door, my hands were shaking so much, I finally turned the knob far enough to push the door in. I didn't see anyone in the anteroom, so I called out. “Help! Anyone, help! Big Mac's hurt!”

Immediately I heard footsteps, and the first pony I saw was an orange pony. She had a blond mane, and by god she was wearing a Stetson. A look of determination was on her face, and I turned and ran outside so she wouldn't barrel into me. Unfortunately for me, turning around meant I couldn't see what she was doing. When I stopped a reasonable distance from the front door, I turned around to come face to face with an angry pony.

“What did you do to my brother?!” She screamed with a southern drawl.

“Huh?” I replied dumbly. You're getting good at being bad.

“What did you do to Big Macintosh?!” She screamed in my face, and it hurt my ears.

“NOTHING! I screamed back. It seemed like I was only raising my voice, anyhow. I guess I was temporarily deafened by her shouting in my ears. “He cut himself on the plow! I flew him back here to bandage him up, but can't do much more than that! He needs to get proper treatment! I DON'T WANT HIM TO GET INFECTED!” I screamed the last part because I was getting frustrated. All this time yelling at each other was time wasted in the effort to help Mac. So, you've known him for less than two hours, and already he's got a nickname? You still haven't given me one. Was it me, or did my voice just get... jealous?

She came to her senses, and finally spent the energy to look at her brother. Seeing the bandage I'd put on his leg, and the medical supplies I'd left laying around, she turned back to me. “We'll talk later.” She ran back inside.

From where I lay, I could hear voices being shouted. “Rainbow! Get to Ponyville and tell the doctors we need an ambulance here! Hurry!” I saw Rainbow fly out, a rainbow coloured contrail streaming from her tail. “Fluttershy! Get out here! I need you to see if your friend did anything wrong!” Then accompanied by the orange pony, I saw Fluttershy fly out to Mac. After a quick once-over, she shook her head at the orange pony.

“There's nothing I can see wrong, Applejack.”

“Ugh.” Applejack sighed. She turned to glare at me. “Come over here, stranger.”

I frowned, the only expression on my face, but complied. As I got nearer, she lowered her head and scuffed a hoof on the ground. “It seems Ah owe you an apology. I'm sorry.”

My frown lifted, but that was it. She stuck out her hoof. I hesitated, then took it in my hand and we shook. That seemed to take care of things.

“Thank you again, mister... say, Ah didn't catch yer name.”

Fluttershy looked up. “Um, yes, come to think of it, um, I didn't hear you say it either. But, you don't have to if you don't want to.”

It was becoming a routine. I shook my head to cover my eyes. “Well, um, I'm not sure what my name is. I haven't used it a very long time.”

The two mares gasped in shock. “How can ya not know yer own name?”

“The last time I used it or heard it was when my parents kicked me out of the house. And before you ask, Applejack, I'll tell you that story later. But if I had to use a name, I guess I'd use...” I trailed off, this time in thought. Will. Come on. Use Will. I like it. If that isn't enough for you, how about Will being the strength of mind? “Will.” Atta-boy.

Fluttershy was the first to say something. “I like that name.” Then she hid behind her mane and said, “It's nice.”

Applejack spoke next. “Will. Strength o' th' mind. It's a good name.”

Just then, Rainbow Dash came speeding along, and landed hard next to Applejack. “Ambulance is on its way!” She said, with a hoof to her forehead as if she were saluting. “It should be here any minute now!” She looked at me. “Oh, hey there...”

“Will.”

“Will. Nice name. Strong. I like that.” She said with a wink. My eyes widened and I took an instinctive step back. She laughed. “Oh, stop! I'm just kidding!”

In the distance I heard the wailing of an ambulance. Even though the orchards blocked all sight, we all looked in the general direction of Ponyville. A silence crept over the yard, aside from the occasional groan or grunt from Mac. Applejack was the first to break it, sighing. “Guess we'd better git Big Mac all set up.”

I walked with the trio over to Mac's still form. Cutting in front of Applejack, I said to him, “Mac, we're going to move you, okay? Try to move your leg as little as possible. We need to get you closer to the road.” Ignoring an angry look shot at me by AJ, I waited for Mac to nod. When he did I nodded as well, turned to AJ, and apologized. “I'm sorry, but I think I'm the most qualified in medicine here; I need to check up on him.”

She huffed but said nothing. With the help of Fluttershy and Rainbow, we carried Mac over to the front gate, where the ambulance was now arriving. The two unicorns who were riding in the back rushed out and magically grabbed hold of Mac. They floated him over to the rear of the van and gently laid him on a cot. Applejack rode in the back with him, while the two pegasi and I took to the skies.

“Well. We got off to a great start,” I said sarcastically.

“I'm sorry it turned out like that. The plan was to have you help Big Mac, but when he got cut...” Fluttershy trailed off from her apology. She looked like she was about to be in tears. When I heard sobs coming from behind me and to my right, I knew I was right.

We arrived seconds before the medical van, and the two unicorns laid Mac out on a gurney. Two earth ponies rolled him into the hospital, Applejack close on their hooves. After following them in, the three of us winged creatures got lost. After asking for directions, we found ourselves in a hall seeing AJ standing outside a window.

“How is he?” I asked.

“They haven't said anything yet. Ah've seen 'em shake their heads from time to time, but Ah don't have a definitive answer.” She replied. I didn't take her to be one of the more intellectual ponies. No offense to her, I mean, but farmers don't usually get the best educations.

I stood there for a few moments, looking in at Big Macintosh. I shook my head, my throat suddenly dry. Wow, Will. Know someone for a few hours and get sickly worried when they get hurt. I wish you'd treat me like that. I turned to look at Applejack, and saw a few tears already streaming down her cheeks. I knelt down beside her, and slowly put my arm around her. She quickly buried her head in my chest. I heard quiet cries come from her as she hid from her friends. I guess she was trying to save face.

A muffled shout from inside the operating room startled all of us. We looked inside, and saw Mac with his eyes open, a terrified look in them. But his mouth was still as stone, as were his legs. Will. He's got it. He's got tetanus. This is bad. I saw the doctors and all but one nurse leave the room. The straggler's eyes were overflowing with tears. In her magical grip she held a syringe filled with a clear liquid. I took one moment to piece together the expression and the syringe. I knew what she was doing.

Tetanus was a horrible disease. Most commonly contracted from infected cuts received with rusted things, it sometimes went unnoticed until it was too late. It spread fairly quickly, and what it did was horrible. It locked muscles and bones, hence the nickname "lockjaw," and prevented movement. From what I'd seen in Mac, his jaw and legs were hit. Since he had been cut in his rear leg, that meant it had completely spread throughout his body. It was only a matter of time until he slowly died from asphyxiation or lack of blood in the brain.

To be honest, when put in that perspective, I was glad they were putting Mac down. Sure, I'd known for such a little amount of time, but I didn't want anyone... or anypony... to die in severe pain. Going as peacefully as you could was the best way out. I wanted Mac to be able to go painlessly. But I saw Applejack intently watching the nurse's actions and expressions. It was obvious that she knew what was happening, because I heard her gasp.

Without thinking, I quickly but gently grabbed hold of Applejack and turned her around, burying her head in my shoulder as I did so. The nurse stepped closer and stuck the needle into Mac. Pressing the pump down, she emptied it. Then I saw Mac's eyes close. And after sitting outside that room for four hours, crying our eyes out, his never opened again. The last thing I heard before I slumped to the ground, too tired to remain awake, was I'm sorry Will.

Interlude: Prophecies and Party Planning

I was having the strangest dream. I was running in circles chasing an evil space bunny with laser beams shooting out of its arse. After a while it stopped and turned to face me. It said, "Wake up, Will!" I stopped running, but didn't wake. I didn't even know I was dreaming, to be honest. With all the weird stuff going on around me since landing on Equestria, an evil space bunny crapping out laser beams could very well exist. "Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP, WILL!"

I bolted upright, only to knock my head on someone else. I fell back down, groaning. "Good god, Will, you are the heaviest sleeper I've ever met! And I've met many people in my life!" It was Luna.

I heard Celestia's voice too. "Well, he had to get it from somewhere, sister." I couldn't see either of the two, what with my hands covering my face in pain, but I could feel the grin on Celestia's face. Then I realized that I'd banged my nose on a flat face, not a snout.

"You guys aren't disguised!"

Celestia laughed. "Why would we be? We are in our private quarters, there's nopony here to see us. Aside from Honour Bound, but he's been sworn to secrecy."

I had no words for this. In fact, I had no words for anything right now. That is, until I remembered what had happened last night. "Have you really cast out Blueblood?"

"I have. I adopted him, you know. His mother wanted to see if serving the Princess would teach him respect and duty. Well... you saw what good it did him. I couldn't get through that arrogant sod."

I was a little surprised at her use of the "human" words, but said nothing. "And I've really... replaced him?"

I looked at Luna now, who I found was sitting atop me, straddling my hips. If I weren't tied to Fluttershy... and if she weren't my mother, I'm pretty sure I'd have a new blade to spar with very fast, if you get my meaning. But Luna's my mother, and those thoughts right now were absolutely gross. Regardless, I felt really uncomfortable in this position. The young man in me wanted to show himself, but the mature soldier was holding him back, thankfully. "Uh... Luna, can you... get off of me? This is... awkward, to say the least."

"Oh... right." She hopped off. She went from on her knees to standing with a hop. I believe the old Earth saying was "I Jelly." I was probably the only person who even remembered that.

"So... I'm... Prince Will?"

"Right you are, Will."

I thought it over with Bill. 'I'm royalty, through and through. I don't know what to make of this.' I'd say something witty, but I'm not sure I can. I mean, we knew we were royalty when we found out Luna was our mother but... now the whole of Equestria knows it as well. And we don't even have nifty pony disguises to lift the... wrongness. 'I wish I could figure this thing out. First, we don't want to let anypony know of my relationship with the Princesses, then they go ahead and practically broadcast it to the world.' True, but remember: Celestia said she'd adopted Blueblood. Strange as it seems, it could be seen that she's "adopted" you. 'Too iffy for me. I don't like it.' What's to like?

My thought processes were interrupted when I heard a commotion outside the door, and I heard said door slam open, and shortly thereafter I felt something squeezing the life out of my neck. I'd have to invest in a collar if this keeps itself up, I swear. "Will! You're okay! I was so worried!"

My eyes flung open, and I would have smiled when I saw Fluttershy's face, but there was the whole suffocating thing. I would have said something witty, but again, that's hard to do if you're filling the role of a stress ball. I managed to glurk though, and that made Fluttershy loosen up a bit. A bit. "Hey, there, love. Mind not trying to kill me every time you see me again?" And I grinned, to show her very explicitly that I was joking. Much to my liking, she was learning my humour patterns, and took my swipe with dignity and sense.

It didn't stop her from apologizing though. "I'm sorry." But she grinned back, and to my horror, stuck her tongue out at me.

"Meanie!" I called out to her. "You're making fun of me!" That whole thing was said in a very childish tone. I humphed and turned my head to the left, but the act would have been much better had I been able to move my arms and cross them.

In response, Fluttershy honked my nose. I honestly mean, she placed her hoof on my nose and said "honk." Then she got up and ran off to a corner of the room. Meanwhile, Luna and Celestia were looking at me with obviously bemused faces. The cold jerks. I mean, their whole expression was that of "bah, children," and I felt really hurt. Deep down. Pansy. "You'll have to catch me!" Fluttershy called out.

I sighed, then got up as well. I faced Fluttershy and as quickly as lightning grabbed hold of her and hugged her. But before I could say anything I was interrupted. From the doorway poked a white head. Atop this head was an alternating black and grey mane, shortly cropped. Seeing the Princesses, a male voice said, "Sorry for the intrusion, Princesses. I tried to stop that pegasus, but-" Then he caught sight of Fluttershy and me. "I apologize, I did not see you there, Prince. I see you have detained the intruder. I-"

I cut him off. "Pardon me for interrupting, but it's quite alright. This is Fluttershy. She's a friend."

To which Luna said, "Hmph. A little more than a friend, Sir Honour."

"Oh!" He exclaimed, then his white face grew red. "Well... erm, I, uh... think... yes, that is Lily calling my name. I'd better, uh, go... before she gets mad..." Then he scampered off.

To be honest, I kind of felt bad. I mean, I hadn't meant to embarrass him. If only Luna had kept her mouth shut! Watch it, Momma's watching. 'What do you-' He's right. I know what you were thinking just now, Will. 'Oh, crap. Bill! You let her in?!' YOU keep her out then, since you know better than me. Go on, throw her out like you've been trained. Oh, wait, you haven't. Now. I believe your mother has something to say. 'What-' You are going to learn what a Prince does when he is punished. My eyes widened. 'Why do I get the feeling that I will suffer bodily harm in the near future?' Oh, no reason. No reason at all. I could feel the sarcasm dripping off of her thoughts.

Well, after several hours I returned to the bedroom, Luna right behind me. I was walking pretty funny, as I couldn't keep my legs together comfortably. If this was what Princes went through, I didn't want to be one anymore. I got to learn more about what I could physically do with my body than I ever wanted to in an entire lifetime. None of it had to do with my manhood, thank the gods, but my thighs, lower abdomen, even my neck were strained. Bill was blocking out most of the pain, but it still hurt like hell.

I collapsed on the bed, which was a mistake. Everything hurt more, and I suppressed a yelp with a sucking in of breath. Immediately Fluttershy came over to do what she could. I was a little nervous with her poking around down there, but luckily, for the both of us, nothing happened. I sighed, regardless, as simply massaging my body alleviated much of the pain. "Thank you, Fluttershy."

"I don't mind, Will. A lot of animals get hurt, and massaging them is one of the ways I help their pain." She whispered. She moved down under my shoulder blades, which elicited a moan from me. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" She asked, quietly but frantically.

"No, don't stop. That feels great." You just like it when she touches you. 'If I weren't relaxing, I'd smack you in the face.' I don't have a face. 'I know how to get you one.' Okay, okay. "So... what now?"

Luna chuckled. "Now, we get you broken into the role of a Prince. This includes lessons in geography, history, art. Not so much in music, as you've already proved yourself last night, but you will need to learn more of Equestrian styles. You'll also learn how to be an effective ruler, how to govern the land, and how to deal with ponies. As a side lesson from Celestia and I, from behind closed doors, you'll also learn the art of the blade." I made to say something, but I was cut off. "Before you voice your concerns, I realize you do not have one. Yet. It will be another of our secret lessons: forging and crafting. You will make your own sword."

"I have one." I said, more to defend myself than to make a point.

"You have a battle sword. Not much skill required there: hack and slash. No, you will make an elegant blade, fit for a Prince, when we are through with you." Luna said, darkly.

"You make it sound as if it'll be rough and painful..."

She laughed. "What makes you say that?"

"Just a feeling." Just then, Fluttershy kneaded between my shoulder blades, and I fell forward. I didn't want to get up. "Thank you, Fluttershy." Then I remembered what day it was. Local time, it was the day after Christmas. 'I did give her a pretty crappy Christmas celebration.' Now, now. I think dying was a pretty neat feat, especially when you came back. 'I'm serious. I have to do something for her.' Bill sighed. Why do you have to be such a chivalrous bastard? 'I was born this way.'

Luna spoke. "Sister, would you please take Fluttershy and give her a good time in Canterlot? There is something that Will would like to share with me."

Celestia nodded and chuckled. "I heard it too, Luna." She spoke to Fluttershy. "Come on, Fluttershy. I'm sure we could find something fun to do." She disguised herself as an alicorn again and left, right behind Fluttershy.

As soon as the door closed, Luna spoke to me. "What do you have in mind?"

"Is there somewhere I could rent out to use as a party? I was planning on having a surprise party for her very first Christmas. You know very well, first hand, that I didn't do a good job of it the first time around." Understatement? Quite so. I sighed mentally. 'Well, I see we all just invited ourselves to camp out in my head for a while, so why don't we-' Hello. Are you Will? I stopped cold.

'Who was that?' I am Helen. Woah, there. Who let you in? I let myself in. Helen, don't get into this. I'll- I need to tell Will something... important... 'Wh- What?' Don't listen to her, Will. Bill, get her out of here. What? How? You mean... you don't know? Will never taught you? 'I never knew myself!' Will. Someone close to you will die. 'What is going on here, Luna?' I don't know! Don't listen!

Do what Luna says, and don't trust this Helen. I trust Luna much more. Don't listen to Helen, Will. I really don't know what she's talking about. 'I wasn't planning on listening to her, guys. Have a little more-' Someone will be taken from you... forcefully... painfully... 'What does that even mean?!' Heed my words... Then I felt Helen withdraw from my mind, on her own. She was strong enough to completely ignore Luna... Will, I don't like this. I got all the wrong vibes from her. As did I... I'd say don't pay any attention to her, but when her words are this dark...Remember what she has said, but don't think much of it now. There's work to be done.

After a moment of silence, which really was about fifteen minutes, I shook my head clear of all distracting thoughts. That much I'd learned to do, with the help of Bill. Then, I leaned my head against Luna's, and began laying out the details of the party, as if I weren't just told that bad things of the worst variety would happen to me in the future. To be honest, I don't even think I remembered Helen's prophecy. Bill would quote her verbatum later on, though, so I wasn't too worried.

Believe it or not, we finished planning the party in less than forty five minutes. When we were done, we got up and left the room. We had a celebration to set up.