Lucky Strike

Chapters

The Walrus
The Eggman
Here Comes the Sun
Hey Jude
Come Together
Twist and Shout
I Wanna Hold Your Hand

The Walrus

Another day.

Another day, another paycheck.

Another day, another kickboxing lesson.

My life was a simple yet satisfying cycle of work, sleep, eat, and repeat, with kickboxing lessons interspersed thrice-weekly. Why kickboxing? Because I enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong; I’m no tough guy. Far from it, really. I just find kickboxing to be great exercise and a great confidence-builder. The self-defense aspects of it are more or less a bonus. I had no delusions of being a fighter, and I hoped that I’d never actually have to use what I learned; the short version is that I did it ‘cause I liked it and it kept me active.

On that note, the first thing I learned when I stepped in the gym for the first time was that I had absolutely no natural talent for it. In fact, I didn’t know just how uncoordinated I was until I emerged one hour later, gasping for even the smallest breath as every muscle in my body demanded to know what they’d done to deserve such punishment.

As I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street, I flipped on the radio and began a search for a decent station. Y’know, that rare one that doesn’t deafen you with crappy top 40s so-called ‘hits’; one that played real music, classic rock and the like.

“How would you like to spend two weeks in the most amazing vacation destination imaginable absolutely free?” a seductive voice asked over the airwaves. Ugh. It figures, I thought, rolling my eyes. The one station that isn’t playing pure shit’s gonna inundate me with some propaganda about winning a ‘free’ vacation. And here I thought Equis was a little more refined than having to resort to such an aggravating human marketing technique. Of course, I didn’t know much about the mysterious world that had appeared from out of nowhere thirty-plus years ago but still. Since when did we allow aliens to spam us?

“Yes, that’s right: free. Her Majesty Princess Celestia reminds you to participate in our 96.3 The Walrus phone-in contest, where the 1337th caller will receive a free all-inclusive vacation package to the one, the only, the fabulous…”

“Seriously?” I groused as the station suddenly became wracked with static. I shouldn’t have been too surprised, really; our city’s portal generator was notorious for wreaking havoc with everything from Wi-Fi to radio during busy hours. With more and more Equestrians and (human) people coming and going every year, such temporary losses of service were becoming more and more common. I mean, I had a Wi-Fi booster at home that mitigated the effects but that didn’t help my current problem of having nothing to listen to. With another 26 minutes to go until I reached my humble apartment, I was in for a boring commute.

First-world problems, I suppose.

A crack of thunder sounded overhead, momentarily directing my attention to the center of the city. I caught a whiff of air that smelled burnt, chocking that up to the lightning arcing around the portal generator’s twin peaks, giant towering structures that allowed travel between here and Equis. Well, that and a healthy dose of magical junk about which I knew nothing. Let’s just say that I didn’t make too many trips to Desultor Mundi, or “World Jumper”, as the massive glass and steel structure was referred to. In fact, I had never even been to the place; too occupied with Earth-based issues and life to worry about what the anthropomorphic ‘ponies’ of Equis were up to. All I knew for sure was that it was the central hub for interdimensional travel for our city and numerous surrounding small counties that made up the Greater Neo Capital area.

“Aha!” I exclaimed as the radio finally began to work again, only to follow up almost immediately with an emphatic “Damnit!” To my immediate dismay, my poor ears were beset upon by one of those awful auto-tuned top 40s pieces of rubbish that supposedly passed for music. “Great,” I muttered to no one in particular. “The only station that doesn’t usually suck and they start playing this crap?” I sighed and pressed the small button on the side of my hands-free, currently nestled on my right ear. “Call The Walrus.” I instructed. It wasn’t the first time I’d called in with a song request (which is why I had the station as a contact) but it was the first time I’d ever done so with the specific purpose of stemming the tide of noise pollution. I waited, not really expecting to get through, especially not at this hour.

“Hello there, caller!” an enthusiastic voice greeted, surprising me. “You’re live on 96.3 The Walrus! What’s your name, buddy?”

“Uh, Shawn Martin. Listen,” I began, taken off-guard. “Could you guys maybe play something that isn’t…y’know, what you’ve been playing? Like maybe some…” I winced as a series of sirens and other vaguely celebratory noises shrieked at me through my headset.

“Well, Mr. Martin, I hate to interrupt but do I have some news for you! You are caller number 1337! You’ve just won an all-inclusive, all-expenses-paid vacation to the newest and most fabulous resort in all of Equis!”

Wait…what?

I shook my head in disbelief. This had to be some kind of scam. I mean, why would a radio station be giving away a vacation, anyway? And to Equis? Besides the fact that setting foot on that planet was prohibitively expensive, taking a vacation there was usually reserved for the very rich, the very famous, or the very stupid (who were usually neither but trying to be both).

“Hello? Mr. Martin, are you there?” the voice asked, shaking me from my reverie.

“Huh? What? Yeah, I’m here,” I answered hastily.

“Well, how does it feel to know that you’ll be among the first few people from Earth to visit the most exclusive vacation destination in all of Equis?” The guy sounded like a quiz show host, which given his profession, wasn’t all that surprising. I still couldn’t help but wonder whether or not it was legit.

“Um…good I guess.” How was I supposed to react? I know that it sounds so easy to be bouncing off the walls with joy at good fortune like that but there was still real life to consider. When was this alleged ‘vacation’ supposed to happen? I still had to get the time off work, make arrangements with someone to check on the apartment periodically, water my cactuses, and so on, all whilst under the assumption that this wasn’t a load of BS.

“Glad to hear it! As the winner of our 96.3 The Walrus call-in contest, instructions along with a link to claim your electronic ticket will be sent via text message to the number you used to make this call. Just follow the instructions and let your dream vacation begin!” the voice instructed. “See you on the beach!” And with that, they were gone.

Well then.

“Okay, okay, I’m going!” I exclaimed as a couple of angry honks sounded behind me. Apparently, sitting at a green light while contemplating life’s curveballs wasn’t exactly the best way to endear myself to other homeward-bound folks, especially at this hour. “Sheesh,” I muttered as I got underway, my thought process rooted firmly in what had transpired mere minutes ago.

I started breaking it down in my head. Radio stations had goofy contests like this all the time, right? The Walrus must’ve struck some kind of deal with whoever was in charge of the new vacation spot. Maybe they got exclusive broadcast rights or something, assuming they’d invested in a trans-dimensional transceiver, still a relatively new invention. Maybe they were only able to strike such a deal if they fronted the cost to send a few human guests to check the place out and maybe bring some glowing testimonials back with them. But if that was the case, why wouldn’t they send someone famous, someone whose opinion would be heard by a lot of people? Maybe a politician or a movie star or something.

So why send an average Joe like me? But then again, it wasn’t the first time a regular person had been sent to the proverbial Garden of Eden for the Hell of it. Or maybe it was political; the more humans that visited Equis and had a good experience (and vice-versa), the better for human-equestrian relations. There, that had to be it! Politicians and famous people were less likely to be completely honest about their experiences for the sake of their images or careers. They must’ve wanted someone who would provide an unbiased opinion.

Well, if that’s what they were looking for, they’d found the right stiff for the job.

“Hmm?” I murmured as my phone suddenly buzzed in its clip on my dashboard. I double-tapped the screen and tapped the message icon, only doing so when I reached another red light. “Holy shit!” I exclaimed as my eyes beheld the message. Sure enough, there they were; instructions and a link to claim an e-ticket from a well-known travel website that I had used once or twice before, travelling back and forth across the country to visit my family. As much as I still doubted what had happened, it was starting to get difficult. It was then that I realized the only way to know for sure was to actually go to the portal center and get the ticket verified.

Which meant, if everything was green-lit, getting the necessary time off. My job as the assistant manager of a local electronics store wasn’t exactly flexible as of late when it came to hours; we had been low on staff for the past few months, not to mention quite busy thanks to a steadily growing economy, which made it difficult to justify taking a vacation, especially at such short notice. Just because I could use some time off didn’t mean I could just take off to another world on short notice.

I sighed as I pulled into my reserved parking spot at my modest apartment complex. I shut my vehicle off and sat, contemplating the events of the day. There was just no way I was gonna pull this off.

***

“Hey, watch it!” I exclaimed as someone pushed by me for the umpteenth time. Apparently, city council wasn’t kidding when they’d reported a dramatic increase in amount of traffic to Equis from Earth. “Ow, that’s my foot…hey!” As I stood in a line that I was fairly certain stretched to Venus, the gravity of the situation began to dawn on me. I was about to traverse…I dunno, the space-time continuum or something…just to spend a few days on some beach on a planet populated by two-legged ‘ponies’ (and according to the Official Equis Traveler’s Guide app I’d downloaded while in line, many other interesting beings).

But if the throng of people filling the Desultor Mundi complex was any indication, I wasn’t the only one who’d had some reservations, only to have them completely disappear the moment they’d laid eyes on the alleged paradise that was Equis. There had to be something to it if so many people were willing to spend so much time, money, and effort to experience it for themselves. Still, at least my expenses were paid, which made the sacrifice of standing in line for three solid hours a little less tedious.

And that was just to get to the ticket counter, if one could call the several dozen booths all lined up a ‘ticket counter’. It was a lot like a giant train station; heck, there were even three long trains taking people back and forth between Earth and Equis. BeingMaglevs, they rode on high-powered magnetic tracks that apparently extended into three of Equis’ major cities when the portal opened. Why Maglevs and not conventional trains or aircraft or submarines? While still new and rather expensive to build, Maglevs were (apparently) the only vehicle capable of traversing the gate between Earth and Equis, something about the lack of contact between rail and car better for magical conduction or something. I’m not an engineer.

Even so, as I gazed about and studied the complex, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the architectural style and workmanship. Like the rest of the building, the motif was primarily glass, stainless steel, and lots of interactive panels and screens, making me feel like I was on the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise. I watched as young children played with a holo-projector showcasing some of Equis’ more impressive vistas and destinations. I don’t know if it was the marketing or the anticipation but I could feel myself growing more and more excited. I had never thought much about Equis before (mostly ‘cause I was sure I’d never actually get to see it) but now that it was actually happening…it was enough to coax a small smile out of me.

Not to mention how easily I’d managed to get the two weeks off. My boss, bless his soul, had apparently noticed the lack of vacation days I’d used (which every employee was guaranteed) and had practically insisted I take the time off, mentioning something about “getting laid”. I had smiled and chuckled; sure, it had been a while but that wasn’t why I was going. I was going because…well, life told me I should. After all, who am I to argue with life?

Meh. Life, radio station, potato, potahto. Besides, banging an alien, even if they looked kind of like us? Yeah, okay. Not that I thought they were ugly or anything, far from it. It’s just that, well, that would be a huge step for anyone, don’t you think? A step that I wasn’t sure I was ready to take. But again, that’s not why I was going, so it wasn’t an issue.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the line began to move more steadily. They must’ve finished sending the last batch through the portal, which explained the accompanying low rumble of electricity as it sparked above us from tower to tower, signaling portal operation. I heard people oohh and awe over the spectacle as they stared up through the glass roof, marveling at the latest technological wonder humanity had to offer. Well, we’d had help of the so-called ‘magical’ variety but we still had to operate our side. Taxpayer dollars at work, I suppose.

“Mr. Martin?” a voice asked, shaking me from my thoughts (and internal monologue). I looked up to find a pretty young woman in a bottle-green Desultor Mundi uniform looking at me with a quizzical expression. “Your ticket, sir?” she asked again, prompting me to dig out my phone.

“Uh yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” I replied sheepishly. I really had to kick the habit of getting lost in thought at inopportune times. “Here, it’s an e-ticket.” I explained as she took my phone and scanned the code on the screen. I waited with baited breath as she checked her screen for confirmation.

“Oh, congratulations on winning the contest, Mr. Martin!” she exclaimed, giving me a smile. “I must’ve called The Walrus 100 times!” I felt a pang of guilt, which she noticed on my face. “Hey, it’s okay, there’ll be other chances. Besides, I’ve been saving up to go myself for almost a year now. Just a couple more months and it’ll be my turn.”

“Hey, that’s awesome,” I replied, giving her a congratulatory smile. “I hope you have an amazing time.”

“Thanks, you too.” she replied cordially. “Okay, you’re all set. Just head right on over to Gate 34 and present your ticket at the VIP desk just like you did here.” VIP desk? I liked the sound of that. “They’ll take care of you from there.”

“Uh, right on, thanks,” I answered, putting my phone back into my pocket and shouldering my backpack. “Have a good one and uh, good luck with your trip, too.”

“Thanks. Enjoy your time on Equis!” With that, she gave me a small wave, sending me on my way.

Per her instructions, I made my way over to Gate 34, a fair journey from the ticket counters. Fortunately, as with many large airports, there were copious ways to make the trip more manageable. Small courtesy carts carried the elderly and the lazy to and fro while large conveyor belts, which I dubbed ‘moving sidewalks’ performed a similar task, one that I was grateful for as I allowed it to carry me most of the way.

The first thing that came to mind when I arrived at Gate 34 was where is everyone? Given how crowded the rest of the complex was, I had expected this gate to be no different. Maybe it was for VIPs only or something, like those exclusive lounges in airports. I couldn’t help but grin at the notion that little ole’ me was now part of that. It was a little thing but hey, who doesn’t like to feel important sometimes? Not wanting to delay, I made my way up to the VIP counter.

“Um, excuse me,” I stated, prompting the clean-cut, extremely blonde man behind the counter to look up. “I’m Shawn Martin. I was told to come here. I have an e-ticket.”

“Ah yes, you’re the fellow who won The Walrus phone-in contest,” the man replied with a slight (maybe Swedish?) accent, putting on a pair of glasses. “Congratulations, Mr. Martin. May I see your ticket?”

“Thanks, just ‘Shawn’ is…is fine.” I replied as I handed him my phone, unused to being addressed as such.

“Well Shawn, your ticket checks out. We’re ready to go whenever you are.”

“Wait…what? How do you mean?” I asked, confused. “Isn’t there, like, a schedule or something?”

“Only for regular passengers,” the man informed me. “Since you’re the contest winner, we can leave at your leisure as long as it’s before 5:00 tonight.” Wow, I thought as I processed. Being a VIP sure comes with perks. I glanced at the time; 2:15 in the afternoon, as good a time as any.

“Well, I’m ready to go now if that’s okay,” I replied.

“Fantastic,” the man said with a smile, extending his hand, which I shook. “My name is Sven and I’ll be your guide for the journey there. If you require anything at all, just let me know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” I answered honestly, having no idea of what I was getting myself into.

“If you’ll come with me, we can get underway.” With that, he led me through the large double-doors marked VIP Platform, which actually made me even more excited. Sven seemed to notice the growing smile on my face. “It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” he asked as we made our way down a long ramp. “I’ve seen a lot of rich folks go through here and no matter what they have or what they’ve seen, they always come back with a smile. I don’t know what it is about Equis but there’s something about it that’s truly…magical.”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” I replied as Sven held a door open for me. “Still, not sure if I really believe in…magic…” I paused mid-sentence and stared at the incredible sight before my eyes. Sitting on a Maglev track was the mostextraordinary train I’d ever seen. I marveled at the streamlined chrome body of the train, admiring the forward-sweeping top part of the engine. It looked like the bow of a sleek and ultramodern ship riding the rails, slicing through the air like a hull through water.

“Mr. Martin, welcome aboard the New Harmony Express.” Sven introduced, and rather proudly at that.

“Whoa…” I murmured, taking note of the brilliant full-color Equis coat-of-arms adorning the very front of the train. As if in a trance, I walked over and gently placed my hand on it, feeling the contours and edges of the emblem, just appreciating the fine mechanical that I would soon have the privilege of boarding.

Well, suffice it to say that if I wasn’t excited before, I was now. If just the transportation was so refined, it was definitely a good sign. I shook my head to find Sven standing beside an open door on the lead car, smiling knowingly as if he’d seen this before.

“Whenever you’re ready, Mr. Martin.” he invited. “You know, you could always take a picture.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” I replied, taking a couple shots with my phone before boarding.

The odyssey continued the moment I’d set foot inside. Just like the exterior,the interior was something special. It matched the general motif but felt like the inside of a starship cruising the heavens. Large windows gave me a generous view of the outside while the spacious double-decker layout made the car feel like a mansion on magnets. Long couches, armchairs, mini-fridges, and television screens made up the simple yet modernly-luxurious décor. Again, simple yet elegant.

“Wow…” I murmured as I took a few steps inside, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my footwear before realizing how silly it was to worry about possibly scuffing the floor. After all, I was the VIP here, right?

“This is your personal car for the duration of the trip,” Sven informed me, taking me on a tour of sorts. “The New Harmony Express is comprised of seven cars, each designed to provide the ultimate level of comfort and enjoyment.” I nodded as he led me through a sliding door and into the next car.

Over the next few minutes, Sven familiarized me with the observation car, both of the restaurants (one serving human food while the other served a range of dishes from Equis), the lounge car, the game room (billiards, video games, pinball, among others), the three Jacuzzis and spa (yes, you heard correctly), and then the cargo car at the end, filled to the brim with goods undoubtedly meant for sale on both worlds.

“Oh, looks like we’re about to get underway,” Sven informed me as we made our way back to the forward car. “Once we’re through the portal, feel free to move around and enjoy what the train has to offer but until then, we ask that you remain seated. The trip through the portal can get a little bumpy.”

“Okay,” I replied, taking a seat on one of the long couches just as the train began to move. I almost didn’t notice it; Maglevs offered about the smoothest ride you could ask for, and the Harmony Express was certainly no exception. In fact the only indication that we had moved was the view. I turned and more or less pressed my face up against the large window as the train pulled out of the platform before coming to a stop about 50 feet from where we’d started. I glanced over at Sven, seated on the opposite end of the couch, who offered me a grin.

“Whoa, hey!” I exclaimed as I felt the train rise as if perched on some kind of elevator. I quickly looked out the window and watched as the New Harmony Express emerged from its own berth underneath the portal complex before finally sitting evenly alongside another considerably less fancy train, its front aimed directly at the circular portal’s center. I looked on as several sections of track lined up before us just as the towers on either side of the portal began sparking with electricity. Sections of the tower lit up in sequence from bottom to top as the electrical arcs focused on the center of the circular portal as if they were some kind of key.

“Hey Sven, why are we so far from the portal?” I asked, wondering why the actual gate to Equis lay about a mile away, yet still easily visible due to its titanic diameter.

“In order to make it through smoothly, the train has to reach 88 miles per hour,” he informed me. “I’m not sure why that is, to be honest. Someone explained it once but I can’t remember all the technical details. Magical physics aren’t really my specialty. Just watch; it’ll be our turn right away.”

Sure enough, after a couple of minutes, the towers were alight and Equis lay before us, a picturesque vista of green framed by the huge steel circular portal. I subconsciously gripped the couch harder as we moved towards the portal; Sven noticed my anxiety and gave a small laugh.

“Don’t worry, everyone’s nervous the first time. You’ll be okay, I promise.” As if backing up his claim, a seatbelt suddenly emerged from the couch and snaked around my waist before securing itself with a click. Awe man, are we on a train or a rollercoaster, I wondered as we began to pick up speed, and rapidly at that.

Even with the seatbelt, my hand still clung to that couch for dear life, and even more so as we reached our ideal speed, which over the course of a mere mile comes at you pretty fast. Smooth but still only mildly terrifying. We were almost there; just a few more seconds until I was officially on another world. I began a silent countdown, trying to ignore the arcing electricity dancing from tower to tower and occasionally sneaking close to the tracks. Only a few more seconds, I told myself as I took a deep breath. Almost there, just a few…more…seconds…

Three…

Two…

One…

***

“You can open your eyes now,” a familiar somewhat amused voice stated from somewhere on my left. I did so, slowly at first before realizing that I wasn’t dead, at which point curiosity got the best of me and my eyes flew open.

As exotic and foreign as Equis was reported to be, my first look out the window as we sped along didn’t report anything too exotic or foreign. Forests and prairies with the occasional lake passed came into view and disappeared just as quickly as we sped along.

“So what do you think?” Sven asked, looking out the window beside me.

“Kinda reminds me of home,” I replied.

“Mind if I ask you something?” he asked.

“Shoot.”

“What were you expecting?” The bluntness of his question caught me off-guard. I paused and thought about my answer. It was a good question; what had I been expecting? Castles and stables? Maybe I should’ve made more of an effort (or made an effort at all) to learn about our new friends from another world.

“To be honest…I’m not sure,” I replied honestly. “I mean, I’d heard a few things here and there but never followed up, I guess. I probably should’ve, though.”

“Well, you’re the only one I’ve met who didn’t do at least a little bit of research, even just to satisfy their curiosity,” Sven replied. “No offense or anything.”

“None taken. Must’ve been too caught up in my own little world to think too much about a whole new one.”

“Well, that’s fair. Still, I like to keep my mind open about these things,” Sven mused thoughtfully. “I guess I was always the one with his head in the clouds. Always hoping for something crazy or dramatic to happen. Good things, of course.”

“Guess you got your wish then, huh?” It was becoming clear to me that Sven probably considered himself the luckiest guy in the world. He was clearly chasing his dream and loving every moment of it.

Then what the Hell was I doing with my life? Sure, I had enough to keep me going and pay the bills but…

“Yes, definitely.” Sven agreed. “There’s something about Equis that just…I dunno, makes you think. How amazing would life be if we followed their example more often, huh?” He then raised his hands defensively. “Don’t get me wrong, I still love Earth and I’m definitely no misanthrope but I can’t help appreciating how they live, y’know?”

“Well, I’ll see if I can figure out what you mean when I get there.” I winced slightly inwardly, hoping that Sven didn’t interpret my response as rude or curt. I just had a lot to learn about Equis and began to hope that I could get as much out of the experience as Sven did.

“Just keep your eyes and ears open and they’ll teach you anything you want to know.” he assured me.

“I think I’d like that.” Why the Hell not? There was obviously something worth learning about Equis. I just had to find it.

***

I spent the next few hours exploring the train and experiencing every indulgence it had to offer. It was then that I began to wonder when I was to arrive at my destination, the supposed ‘crown jewel of Equis tourism’ or whatever they called it. Sven had been around, mostly to answer my questions, although he spent most of the trip reading in the observation car, which I had been fine with. I didn’t need to be babysat.

“Hey Sven, um…when are we supposed to get there? Is it much farther?” I asked as I re-entered the observation car.

“I’ll check for you,” he replied, looking at his phone. “Not much longer now. I’d say about 20 minutes.”

“Really?” I asked, looking out of the glass bubble that made up the roof of the car. “‘Cause it doesn’t look there’s anything out there.”

In fact, as far as I could tell, we were headed straight for the ocean.

And a cliff overlooking said ocean.

Wait…

“Um, Sven?” I asked. He looked at me quizzically. “Why are we heading for a cliff? Aren’t we supposed to be going, y’know, to the ocean normally? Like, not off a cliff?” To my surprise (and growing fear), he simply smiled and continued to read.

“Don’t worry. The next part gets a little…interesting but you’ll be fine, I promise. Just watch.” He spoke as if he didn’t want to spoil the end of some epic movie, and it wasn’t doing anything to allay my concerns about a fiery death.

“Uh dude, seriously, what the Hell’s going on?” I asked in a near-panic as the cliff loomed ahead. At this rate, we’d at least get some great airtime before plummeting to our deaths. Still, it wasn’t how I wanted to go and certainly not the time!

“You might want to sit down for this,” he replied, still reading. I did so instinctively.

“Hey, what?” I exclaimed as a seatbelt made its way around me like before, securing me to the couch. Oh man…

“Look out your window,” Sven suggested. “And watch the magic in action.” As if on cue, a calm woman’s voice asked all passengers to return to their seats, much like on an airplane.

“Watch the magic in action!?” I yelled. “What the Hell is that supposed to mean!?” He only smiled, prompting me to stare wide-eyed at the rapidly approaching cliff edge, despite my fears. It was like one of those things that’s terrible but you can’t take your eyes off it, ironically, like a train crash. So I looked on, praying to any deity that happened to be listening that this was all a bad dream and that I’d wake up safe and sound atop my memory foam mattress.

“What the…hey, what’s going on!?” I exclaimed as wing-like extensions suddenly emerged from beneath each car’s chassis. It was then that I felt the train pick up speed at such a rapid rate I could’ve sworn it was going into warp.

Uh oh…

“Hooooolllllyyyy sshhhhiiiiittt!” I yelled as we blasted over the cliff edge.

***

Imagine my shock when I opened my eyes a few seconds later to find us climbing rather than falling to our untimely demises. As Sven resumed his book, I braved a look out the observation dome.

“Oh my God…” I murmured as the train soared over the ocean. We weren’t flying at the altitude of most human aircraft but we were still high enough that I could see pretty far in every direction. I turned to Sven. “Dude…we’re fucking flying.”

“I know.” he replied calmly, still reading.

“In a train.”

“I know.”

“That can fly.”

“Welcome to Equis,” he said with a smile. “Not a bad start, huh?”

“Well, now that I know I’m not gonna die, it is pretty cool.” I admitted. Okay, if I hadn’t spent the better part of the last 10 minutes wetting my trousers (metaphorically, of course), it would’ve been the coolest thing I’d ever experienced by far. “How…how exactly is this possible?” I asked, unable to see or hear anything resembling an engine designed for flight.

“Like I said before, magic,” Sven replied simply. “The New Harmony Express is the latest in human-Equestrian technological hybridization.” He saw my blank look and went into further detail. “It’s not that complicated, really. We humans built the train according to Equestrian specifications, and they enchanted it. Pretty cool, huh? It’s going to change the entire transportation industry someday.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said ‘magic’,” I conceded, finally starting to admire the techno-magical marvel carrying us through the sky.

“And this isn’t even the best part,” Sven added, motioning for me to look out front. “Look out there. You can almost see it.”

“See what?”

“Your destination, of course.”

I narrowed my eyes and focused on the sky ahead of us. After seeing nothing but clouds, I turned to my guide for some disclosure.

“It must be behind that cloud. Just keep watching,” he practically urged me. And watch I did. Sure enough, as soon as we emerged through the cloud…there it was.

It was an island in the sky.

A series of giant golden rings with wide interconnecting bridges made up the island itself, dividing it up into several different sections, each with a distinct geological characteristic or, from the looks of them, vacation activity. Surrounding the island on the outer ring were about a dozen spires shaped like thin elongated triangles that curved slightly inwards over the both the top and bottom of the island, each with a large diamond-like jewel at the tip. Between each vertical spire lay a horizontal one, giving the island a distinctive sun shape, while huge waterfalls flowing over the edge of the island marked the island’s northern, southern, eastern, and western points. Numerous resorts made up the other structures on the island, each one looking like a small city.

I was beyond speechless.

“Shawn Martin, welcome…to Helios!”

“Wow…” I murmured, unable to come up with the words needed to properly do the sight before me justice. “This…this is the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I can imagine,” Sven replied, gazing out at it as well. “I remember the first time I laid eyes on her. I had the same reaction as you. I couldn’t believe something like this could exist and yet…” He gestured towards the island. “…here it is.”

“I’m starting to understand where you’re coming from,” I added. “About Equis, I mean. How there’s something about this world that’s unlike anything else.”

“Well, that’s the power of harmony for you,” Sven replied without missing a beat. I was sure he’d had this conversation with quite a few dumbstruck tourists.

“That’s for damn sure,” I murmured as we began our descent. “I just…I can’t believe I’m staying in a place like this!” I exclaimed as my dormant excitement began to surface. “I just…I don’t even know what to say!”

“Just enjoy yourself,” Sven said with a smile. “This is your time. As long as you respect the rules of the resort, you can pretty much do whatever you please.”

“Oh man…this is almost overwhelming,” I mused as we touched down in the island’s specially-designed sky-train berth with a soft bump. “There’ll be a place that I can get some info, right? I have a feeling there’s a lot to do up here.”

“Oh, absolutely. What you should do is download the Helios app. That way, you’ll have a handy quick guide to everything going on at the resort. Of course, there are also several hundred employees on the island, so feel free to ask them if you have any questions.” Sven recommended. “Once you check in to your hotel, they’ll go over everything you need to know about the island.”

“That’s great but which hotel am I staying at?” I asked just before disembarking.

“That’s actually up to you,” Sven replied rather casually. “You have your choice of any of the four hotels on the island. If you like, you can even stay in one for the first week and a different one for the second week.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Well, they promised you the ultimate resort experience, so that’s what you’re getting,” Sven answered with a shrug. “By the way,” he added, leaning close to me. “If you’d like to meet some nice single girls, I recommend the Astral Resort up in the north sector. That’s where I met my fiancé.”

“Wait, you met your fiancé here?” I asked. “There’s other…well, humans here?”

“Oh, she’s not human,” Sven informed me nonchalantly, so nonchalantly in fact that I did a brief double-take in surprise.

“You…you mean she’s…”

“From here? Yes, full-blooded Equestrian.” Sven confirmed, sounding rather proud. “We had just been hired to work for the resort, so we met during orientation. After that, we started hanging out and then we just…clicked. She works at the Astral Resort so if you stay there, you’ll probably meet her.”

“Um…wow, okay, I didn’t know that people…er, humans, and…Equestrians were getting together.” I admitted, trying not to sound too weirded-out.

“It’s becoming more and more common, and I suspect that it will only become even more so.” Sven informed me. “Don’t worry, though; there’s always plenty of human women around here too. If you do wind up staying at the Astral, just ask for a thestral named Evening Breeze.” A what?

“Your fiancé, I’m guessing?”

“You bet. She’ll be happy to answer any question you have, plus she’s really fun to hang out with. But don’t be getting any funny ideas, okay?” Sven finished with a look of faux severity.

“Hey man, don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll have lots of others to chase if I get the mood strikes.” I assured him, raising my hands defensively.

“I know, I know, I’m just teasing. Listen, I’ll be back in a couple of days for an employee seminar, so I’ll have an entire afternoon free. If you’d like to get together with Breeze and I, we’d be happy to show you around.” Sven offered. I thought about it.

“You know what? I’d really like that,” I replied, shaking his hand. “Listen, thank you so much for being such a great host. I can honestly say that I’m really excited about this trip now.”

“Glad to hear it,” Sven replied with a smile of his own. “Now go out there and have the time of your life!” I nodded and picked up my backpack.

“Will do. See you in a couple of days.”

“See you then.” And with that, I disembarked and took my first few steps onto the island of Helios.

Author's Note

Well, here we go, my first foray into an M-rated story here. It's not the first one I've ever written but it is the first I've ever submitted anywhere. Whether or not I continue will depend somewhat on reader reception but I really hope you all enjoy because I would like to continue it.

Quick factoid for you: it's actually based loosely on a dream I had the other night. When I woke up, I remembered about 40 percent of it, which I decided I had to write down.

Edit: okay, since this fic has received about 150 times the attention I was expecting...would anyone like to recreate the island of Helios? Maybe a drawing or Minecraft map or something? Just a thought.

Stay classy!

The Eggman

From what I’d seen from the air, I knew the island was sizeable but it wasn’t until I actually set foot on it and looked around that I was able to fully appreciate the sheer size and scale of the resort…er, resort collection. Then I looked at a holographic map just off of the platform and realized that it was even bigger than that. It was truly the most extensive vacation destination ever conceived. I realized that two weeks just wasn’t gonna cut it, not if I wanted to see everything. I knew I’d have to pick and choose my activities carefully, which meant consulting an expert.

Hmm, I’ll bet Evening Breeze would know all the best things to do around here, I thought as I searched for the Astral Resort on the map. It didn’t really matter where I stayed; every hotel was bound to be incredible, not to mention the fact that I’d likely be spending most of my time out and about anyway. Then again, his earlier suggestion regarding splitting my stay between two hotels/resorts intrigued me as well. What to do, what to do! There was almost too much variety! I hadn’t the foggiest idea of where to even begin…

Wait…

Who…was that?

I didn’t get much of a look, merely a glimpse before she disappeared into the crowd. However, that one glimpse was enough to damn near take my breath away, even with all the breathtaking moments I had already experienced over the course of the day.

A flash of pink and white, and a soft smile complemented by a pair of kind, light-purple eyes.

And with that, my mind found itself just a little more open.

I know it seems quick, premature, or even ridiculous. Believe me, if I hadn’t just accidentally won a radio contest then ridden a flying magic train to a gravity-defying island paradise on an alien planet populated by anthropomorphic ‘ponies’, I would’ve dismissed it as such. But enough had transpired in the last few hours that my mind, while still pretty attached to Earthly affairs, had begun to take another look around.

I guess if a train can fly, aliens can be attractive. I shrugged inwardly while grinning a little outwardly; why not? Besides the fine fur, tall(ish) ears, tails, and slightly-elongated muzzles, they were pretty close to what I was used to. Quite the revelation for someone who up until this point, couldn’t have given less of a fuck about Equis if he tried, huh? Sometimes, all it takes is the right subject to introduce a new and remarkably different culture for one to start appreciating it.

I shook my head; now was not the time to wax philosophical. I had a few decisions to make, the first of which being my accommodations. I made my way over to one of several large holographic maps in the large transit hub. According to the map, the Astral Resort, which Sven had recommended, was located at the northern portion of the island. Further reading revealed it to be a nightlife-themed resort designed for young adults like myself. It featured a suite of nightclubs, cafes, bistros, shops, beaches, and anything else someone my age might enjoy. The map wasn’t especially detailed regarding activities, sticking mostly to notable locations, but I was sure that the kind…thestrals over at the Astral would be more than happy to elucidate.

I guess that settles it, I thought as I shouldered my backpack. The Astral it is. I smiled as I made my way through the crowd in the direction of the northern resort. I can always check out the other places later; for now, I’d rather just rest. I’ve got two weeks, which probably won’t be enough, but I’ll do my best to do and see as much as I can.

As I finally made it out of the general throng of the hub, I found myself at a loss as to how to actually get to the resort. Of course I would forget to check the map like a stupid tourist, I thought, slightly annoyed. You’d think that with all the travelling I do every year to see my scattered family, I wouldn’t make such rookie mistakes. Guess that’s the difference between sitting half-asleep at an airport terminal and gawking in awe at one of the wonders of the modern age. Yeah, we’ll go with that.

“Attention all arrivals; all trams bound for Palacia Crystalia, Six Flags Equis, Thunderhead, and the Astral Resort are now boarding. All trams are now boarding.”

“Thanks,” I muttered to the cheery yet assertive feminine voice over the hub’s intercom. Well, that solves that problem, I thought as I made my way to the…okay, where were the trams, anyway? I looked about, unable to see very far ahead due to the crowd (and my slightly-below-average height), and wondered where…

Ah, there it is, I thought as a skyward glance revealed a sleek, shiny suspended monorail track running almost directly overhead. Now I just have to find a way on…

“Excuse me, sir,” a voice piped up behind me, prompting me to turn around. I beheld a young Equestrian mare possessing a light-blue coat and silver mane, dressed in a cream-white uniform with gold trim, leading me to believe she was one of the island’s many employees. “Are you looking for something?”

“Uh yeah, I am,” I replied, slightly taken-aback. I hadn’t expected someone to come along and offer assistance just out of the blue. Now that’s service, I thought with a small appreciative grin at my good fortune. “I was hoping you could point me in the direction of the monorail entrance? I’m heading to the Astral Resort, gotta check in and stuff.”

“Absolutely,” she said with a warm smile. “Just keep heading that way and you’ll see a large sign that says ‘Helios Xpress’. Follow the arrows and you should be able to board right away.”

“Perfect. Thanks a lot!” I replied with an appreciative nod. Smiling, she returned the gesture.

“It was no trouble at all. I just happened to be on my way to the staff village when I saw you looking like you needed a little help.”

“That’s an understatement,” I admitted. “This place is crazy. If I ever manage to learn my way around, it’ll be a miracle.”

“Just do lots of exploring,” she replied with a laugh. “That’s the first thing I did on my first days off; it’s a big place for sure but you’ll get the hang of everything.” she assured me. “Oh, you could also use the interactive map on the Helios App. I found that one of the best ways to start exploring to do an entire loop around the island on the Helios Xpress. It stops at a lot of different places and passes through every part of the island.”

“Yeah, I’ll definitely do that, sounds like a good plan,” I agreed, earning another laugh from my rescuer. “Hey, listen, thanks again for your help and I’m sorry for holding you up. I’m sure you’ve had a really busy day rescuing stupid tourists like me.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” she replied with a friendly laugh. “Everyone’s a little mixed-up when they get here. I can only imagine what it must be like for you and the other humans who come here.” She paused to take out her phone, checking it. “I’m sorry but I’ve gotta get going; I promised my friend I’d take her shift tonight so I have to get back to my flat and change again!”

“Gotta love those double-shifts, huh?” I asked.

“Yep! Anyway, have a great rest of the day and enjoy the rest of your vacation!” With that, she bid me a small wave and disappeared into the crowd.

***

“Cousin Fleur!” An excited greeting punctuated by an equally enthusiastic hug enveloped the mare the moment the hotel room door opened. “It’s so great to see you again!”

“It’s great to see you too, Coco,” the mare known as Fleur replied warmly, smiling down at her younger cousin. “It’s been what…a year now?”

“Since we last got together? I think so!” the younger mare agreed, relinquishing her pink-haired cousin, only to add another squeeze.

“Awe, what’s gotten you so huggy?” Fleur asked, returning the embrace.

“Can’t a girl just be happy to see her family? You’re practically my sister!” Coco exclaimed, earning an appreciative giggle from Fleur.

“Okay, okay, I’ll give you that! And here I thought some cute young stallion had caught your eye!” she teased, waggling her eyebrows at Coco.

“N-no, nothing like that…” Coco replied, and rather bashfully. “N-not yet at least...”

“Well then, this is the perfect opportunity to change that, don’t you think?” Fleur’s suggestion only caused the younger mare’s face to redden further before she let out a laugh and let her cousin off the hook. “Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of time for that. For now, all I wanna do is throw myself onto one of those amazing-looking beds and take a nap! All that traveling has worn me out.”

“Oh…really?” Fleur couldn’t help but grin slyly at her cousin’s somewhat disappointed reply. She waited until the younger mare was practically standing right next to the bed upon which she collapsed before leaping up and crushing a very surprised Coco in a warm hug.

“Of course not!” Fleur exclaimed, relinquishing Coco before resting her hands on her cousin’s shoulders. “We’ll have plenty of time to sleep when we’re dead. Just give me a couple minutes to unpack and put my stuff away and then we’ll head out, okay?”

“Sounds perfect,” Coco agreed with a smile.

“Good!” Fleur chirped, towing her large wheeled suitcase into her room.

***

It wasn’t long before I found myself soaring over the island on yet another train, one of two that circumnavigated Helios. While it wasn’t exactly the adrenaline-fueled thrill ride of the New Harmony Express, the Helios tram was certainly no slouch. Like the New Harmony Express, the ride was perfectly smooth and provided an incredible view of the island, afforded by the fact that the sides of each tram were almost entirely glass. Believe me, while it was a little unsettling at first, swiftly became a feature I was grateful for.

“Attention all passengers, we are now arriving at Palacia Crystalia. Now arriving at Palacia Crystalia. Enjoy your stay at Helios’ premiere romantic getaway destination.” the same soft voice from before announced over the tram’s audio system.

As we drew ever-nearer to the first stop, I could see very clearly the reasoning behind its name. I stared up at the towering crystal spires and momentarily shielded my eyes from the brilliant light being refracted by the spires. Before I knew it, we emerged into a huge clearing reminiscent of a mountain plateau. Surrounded by massive gardens, canals, and out-of-the-way grottos and pseudo hiding-places (suitable for a romantic getaway, I assumed), a shimmering crystal palace stood tall and proud at the center of the plateau. Like the crystal formations surrounding the plateau, the palace itself looked as if it had been carved from one gigantic piece of crystal. However, its layout was what set it apart; rather than being especially tall, it was rather wide, the tallest part being the central keep.

Must get a lot of visitors looking for that perfect romantic getaway, I surmised as the tram began its approach to the crystal palace’s station. While it wasn’t quite at the top of my priority list to explore (mainly because of time constraints and the fact I didn’t exactly fall into its target demographic at the time), I still couldn’t help but stare in awe at its majesty.

Well, look at that, I thought with a small smile as I looked about from the tram car. Every third or fourth couple I saw seemed to be mixed-race; indeed, I was rather surprised to see so many human and pony pairs. Guess they really were getting more and more common. For a moment, I entertained the notion that maybe, just maybe, the universe was trying to tell me something.

It wasn’t long before the tram began to move again, derailing that particular train of thought. In fact, our next stop was already in sight before my mind had any time to process said train of thought.

Now, I had been to a few theme parks in my time, with notable ones like Disneyworld and Paramount Canada’s Wonderland among them. But as I realized the moment we emerged from the crystal peaks that kept Palacia Crystalia mostly hidden, I had never been anywhere like Six Flags Equis.

Which, given the circumstances, kind of goes without saying.

As the tram carried us over the sprawling park, it was clear that this was the island’s fun center; a place that had something for everyone, whether they were nine or 90. Towering rollercoasters of all shapes and colors dotted the sprawl, while countless smaller rides and attractions filled the massive gaps between their titanic brethren.

In all honesty, all I could think about as we cruised over the park was how badly I wanted to recreate it in Rollercoaster Tycoon.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed as our tram passed right through the center of a large rollercoaster loop. We shared a collective gasp as the one of the coaster’s trains roared up, over, and then blasted under us, blitzing through the loop at a breakneck speed. It was at that moment I decided to dedicate at least a couple full days to exploring this particular part of Helios. We waited for several passengers to disembark before continuing.

“Holy crap!” I exclaimed, nearly jumping out of my skin as a crack of thunder heralded our arrival to a…cloud city? Seriously, what was up with this world and floating buildings…or islands, for that matter? As we neared the tram station, I took in the awe-inspiring spectacle that was Thunderhead. A massive structure stood in the very center of the gigantic cloud and as we got closer, I noticed that the entire building (if you could even call it that) was composed of cloud.

The Parthenon-like structure seemed to climb to the heavens themselves, supported by titanic columns that would’ve been right at home in Ancient Greece. I didn’t need a tour guide to tell me who this place’s clientele was, considering how many flew by the tram, offering waves and various acrobatics, delighting many a small child or…I guess ‘foal’ would be the right word here? Several smaller cloud structures orbited the central one, and I could only guess that each offered a different type of flight-related recreational activity, which I fully intended to find out later.

After a brief stop at Thunderhead’s tram station, we were off once again, this time heading straight for the Astral Resort, my destination. I have to admit that, despite my excitement and desire to see the entire island as soon as possible, my tired body disagreed. I mean, I still had two weeks but…it was only two weeks. Based on what I’d seen during the rather quick tour I’d just about come to the end of, I’d need to be as efficient as possible in order to experience what I wanted to experience.

I shook my head; not worth worrying about at the moment, not until I had had a good rest and was truly ready. And in order for that to happen, I needed to check in.

***

I disembarked and made my way from the station into a sort of village, although it was more like a long line of clubs and chic cafes. Given that it was still late-afternoon, none of the clubs were open yet but I had a feeling that come the night, this place would be insane. And of course, as with everything else I’d seen so far, I did want to check it out…even though I wasn’t much of a nightclub kind of guy.

Which begged the question of what I was doing here. Based on what I’d seen of Palacia Crystalia, Six Flags Equis, and Thunderhead, I would’ve been more than happy to stay at any one of them (although I could give Palacia Crystalia a miss until I was actually married…or at the very least had a hot date)…so why pick this one?

Oh yeah, because Sven told me it was a good idea and that his girlf…I mean marefriend worked there and could show me the ropes. Usually, I wouldn’t be so quick to simply take someone at the word but he hadn’t steered me wrong yet. I mean, I was pretty sure I was gonna die a horrible death via falling train but he assured me I wouldn’t and…well, here I am. That’s gotta count for something, right?

I have to admit that upon entering the Astral Resort’s towering lobby, I wasn’t sure what to think…at first. The building itself was gothic in design, a huge fortress-like structure adorned with luminescent lines and sections. The resort/castle’s walls were solid onyx with each distinct section of the castle divided and categorized by such lines, each a different color to represent the different parts of the resort. I didn’t know what any of the colors meant but it was certainly an intriguing idea, one that was certainly growing on me.

Let me put it this way; aesthetically, it was the love-child of Dracula’s castle and Tron. With more shiny black rock.

“Excuse me, sir,” a light, somewhat husky feminine voice said, bring me back to the real world. I shook my head and focused my attention on the source of the voice. A young-looking thestral mare in a dark-blue uniform, much like the one from earlier at the train station, stood behind the large front desk, her large bright golden eyes regarding me with slight curiosity.

“Oh, uh, hi,” I managed to reply, still trying to come to terms with everything I was seeing.

“Can I help you with something, sir?” she asked politely, giving me a patient smile.

“Yes! I mean, uh yes, please. I’m actually here to check in. I, uh…don’t have a reservation or anything. I do have this, though.” I replied, taking out my phone and showing her my electronic VIP pass. She gently took it and scanned it some sort of device, which emitted a light beep and flashed a green light.

“Oh! You’re Shawn Martin!” she exclaimed. “The human who won the VIP trip.”

“Yep, that’s me,” I acknowledged, nodding my head.

“Well, it’s good to meet you, Shawn,” the thestral replied, holding out her hand. “I’m Evening Breeze, Sven’s fiancé. I’m…assuming he told you about me?”

“He sure did,” I said with a smile, shaking her hand. “He must be pretty proud if he’s comfortable enough to tell someone he’s barely even met that he has a fiancé from Equis. I mean…it’s not exactly super-common yet, is it?”

“You’re right, it’s not.” Evening Breeze agreed. “That’s actually one of the reasons I fell in love with him. He wasn’t afraid to tell everyone, including his family and friends, that he was marrying someone like…well, a thestral from Equis.” She sighed and her face quickly adopted a dopey grin. I couldn’t help but smile a little more widely.

What? It was cute. Sue me.

Unfortunately, all the feels in the world couldn’t prevent my tired body from voicing its displeasure, doing so in the form of a yawn, which seemed to snap the thestral back to reality.

“I’m sorry, it’s been a really long day,” I said quickly, trying to assure her that I didn’t find her boring. “A little overwhelming, actually.”

“It’s okay, I completely understand,” Evening Breeze assured me with a fanged smile.

Wait…fangs? What the heck did these people eat? Meh, whatever. Still, it did pique my curiosity, enough that I resolved to ask about it later if I got the chance. For science.

“On behalf of all of us here at Helios, I’d like to officially welcome you to the Astral Resort, home of Equis’ best nightlife and fine dining. If you like, I can show you to your room,” Evening Breeze offered, handing back my phone. I nodded again.

“Sure, if you wouldn’t mind.” She shot me a kind smile.

“Not at all.”

***

Evening Breeze and I had spent the majority of the journey to my accommodations getting to know each other. I had expected a slew of questions about Earth and humanity but was pleasantly surprised to find out that Sven had given her a very thorough crash-course. Her words, along with the emphasis on the words “very thorough”. This mare, like her husband-to-be, seemed to have no problem sharing the nature of their relationship. It was different from what I was used to but in no way off-putting. In fact, I found her rather charming and was no longer surprised that Sven had chosen her.

Truly more food for thought.

“…and this is your room for the duration of your stay with us,” Breeze added, opening up a large ornately-etched obsidian-black door with her key card. “Shawn Martin, welcome to the Nox Suite.”

It’s safe to say that the next few words spoken were something along the lines of “Holy shit”.

The room was…well, it wasn’t even a room. To call the opulent palace in which we stood a ‘room’ would be tantamount to blasphemy. The layout was essentially that of a large apartment or condo, only much, much larger and much grander. The main room (or ‘section’ maybe) was hexagonal and multi-tiered. Huge windows ran the height and width of the far three sides, which overlooked not only the entirety of the Astral Resort itself but also most of Helios as well.

There were enough couches, coffee tables, and recliners to host 30 and based on the number of additional doors that seemed to connect to the central section, likely sleep that many as well. There was also a large fridge and full kitchen and even laundry machines in an out-of-the-way smaller room, which Breeze explained was to accommodate guests staying for long periods of time who wanted their own personal staff on-hand at all times. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of it all but decided it wasn’t worth getting bothered over. After all, I was here to relax, not tackle socio-economic issues.

After walking me through all seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, observatory, library/study, and the pool room (swimming, not billiards, although there was one of those too), Breeze finished the tour by showing me the finishing touch; the enormous magical glass dome that made up the suite’s ceiling. A magnificent wrought-iron ‘web’ divided the glass dome into six sections, each section containing a different and uniquely intricate pattern within.

“It’s amazing…” I murmured, marveling at the workmanship.

“And that’s not even the best part,” Breeze added, walking over to a small panel perched on the railing preventing guests from falling down the center of the room to their untimely demises. “Watch this.” With that, she pressed a small button.

“Whoa…” I murmured yet again as the glass suddenly darkened, replacing the waning daylight with an animated night sky.

“As you might have noticed, this resort caters specifically to those who like the night the best,” Breeze explained.

“So…pretty much you guys?” I surmised. Breeze let out a short laugh.

“Of course! Why do you think so many of us thestrals wanted to work here? It’s basically the perfect environment for us. By the way, if you press that button at night, it enhances the stars and constellations. Perfect for stargazing, which is why there’s a huge telescope up on the third floor over there.”

“I…I honestly don’t even know what to say right now.”

“I don’t blame you. It’s a lot to take in.” Breeze agreed, checking her watch. “Well, I should probably be getting back to the front desk. I’m sure they’ll be wondering where I am. If you have any questions or requests at all, don’t hesitate to call the front desk and we’ll do our best to help. The number’s on the information sheet on the counter and on the app as well.”

“Thanks, I should be good for now,” I replied just as my stomach made an angry sound. I reddened slightly as Breeze smirked at me. “On second thought, where’s a good place to eat around here? I’m freaking starving.”

“Well, there’s a lot of great restaurants around the club district but if you want something a little quieter and closer, the Astral Lounge has really good food. Oh, and the hotel kitchens are open from 6 AM to 2 AM every day, so feel free to call concierge if it’s late and you’re feeling peckish.” Breeze explained.

“Thanks but I’ll try not to be that much of a pain in the ass!” I replied, earning another laugh from the thestral. “Anyway, thanks for being so patient with me. I’m gonna learn as much as I can about you guys and about this place. But for now, I’ve gotta eat. Would you mind showing me the way to the Astral Lounge?” I asked. Breeze nodded and smiled courteously.

“It’s no problem at all. Follow me.”

***

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said you were starving,” Breeze commented as I finished my plate of over-easy eggs and toast. Having finished her shift early, the thestral had elected to join me for dinner while waiting for Sven to finish his shift, which wouldn’t be much longer. “By the way, what is it with humans and eating breakfast for dinner?”

“You guys don’t do that here?” I asked, wiping my mouth. Breeze shook her head.

“Not really. Sometimes, I’ll have something like that for lunch but that’s about it.”

“Well, to be fair, not all of us do it,” I clarified before washing it down with arguably the best glass of apple juice I’d ever experienced. “Just those of us who like breakfast so much we’ll eat it any time.”

“Fair enough,” the thestral replied with a small shrug. “I just don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who likes eggs as much as you do, even when they’re super-hungry.”

“Just call me the Eggman,” I replied, not missing a beat. To my great surprise, Breeze burst out laughing. “Don’t tell me you got that!” I exclaimed.

“Are you kidding?” Breeze asked, wiping her eyes. “You know how much of a Beatles fan Sven is? We listen to them so much I swear I know the words to their songs as well as he does!”

“Ha, that’s awesome!” I replied excitedly, giving the mare a high-five. “Wow, so the Beatles are getting famous on Equis. John and George would be proud.”

Maybe this place wasn’t so different after all.

Author's Note

I definitely didn't include that last exchange just to make the chapter title a Beatles reference. Nope.

More coming soon!

Here Comes the Sun

I started the first official day of my surprise vacation in as cliché a manner as I possibly could. That's right; it was beach episode time, and I couldn't wait.

As you might imagine, there were a few reasons for my excitement. First and foremost was the novelty of the beach itself, magnified tenfold by the fact it was floating several hundred meters above the ocean on a supersized artificial island. Neo Capital, the sprawling metropolis I called home, was thoroughly landlocked, several hundred miles from the nearest coastline. Suffice it to say that I didn't exactly make regular trips to the beach.

The other reason, surprise, surprise, was the generous amount of tantalizing femininity I found myself in the middle of. While there were many couples and a generous helping of single-looking males of both species on the prowl, from what I'd seen so far there were more than enough females to go around.

Bonus points if you didn't mind wings, fur, or horns.

I know it sounds like one Hell of a night in Tijuana, but as I observed the women…mares…of Equis, I found them growing on me (insert lame & predictable 'growing' joke here). While I wasn't ready to hop in sack and do the horizontal dance with no pants with one at the moment, I didn't discount the possibility.

I think it was the colors. I'd always been attracted to unconventional hair colors and styles and as far as I could tell, Equis was full of them. I especially appreciated pink; it was uncommon to see (back on Earth, anyway) and always seemed to radiate feminine goodness. Other colors were great too, but pink seemed to stand out for me.

Maybe that's why I noticed that one mare with the long pink hair…mane…whatever, in the middle of the crowded arrivals platform.

I'll admit that while I was a little disappointed that I still hadn't seen her, it was hardly a deal-breaker. Instead of lamenting, I smiled and wandered about, exploring the beachfront Breeze had recommended. After thanking her for the information, I had invited her and Sven to join me as soon as they had some time off, an invitation she, and after a quick text message, Sven both accepted. While that wouldn't be for another day, I was more than happy to check things out solo for a while.

It wasn't long before I found myself stretched out upon a beach chair a little ways from the main beachfront, sunglasses perched upon my face as I soaked up the sun, trying to become less pale, difficult to accomplish given Neo Capital's cool and generally overcast climate. I breathed a peaceful sigh as guests of all ages and species frolicked and played around me in total bliss.

Presently, my stomach gurgled, prompting me to check my phone. I was surprised to find that it was already 1:00. I had spent two hours basking without even realizing it. Time for some lunch, I guess, I thought as I gathered what little I'd brought from the room, namely a towel, my phone, and a t-shirt, all tucked into my small backpack for easy transport. My waterproof VIP guest pass, a credit card-like object that fueled my stay, hung around my neck, relieving me of the need to carry my wallet (and risk losing some very important personal effects). Everything in the resort was purchasable with the card, a privilege available only to the very rich or very famous.

As I was neither, I felt a small sense of pride, like I'd beaten the odds somehow. That's what you get for having good taste in music, I thought with a smile.

"Now…where to eat, where to eat?" I wondered aloud, checking the app's built-in food find. Hmm…Seafood Sensations sounds good, think I'll check that out, I decided, checking out the precise location. It was a bit of a walk to the other end of the beach, shorter if I walked along the beach itself, seeing as it was just barely off the beach itself. I grinned at the thought of fresh beachside seafood and began my trek.

***

"I don't know about this, Fleur," Coco mumbled, fidgeting under her oversized white t-shirt as her cousin spread their beach towels out. They had stumbled upon a fairly secluded section of beach, nestled roughly halfway between the Astral Resort and Thunderhead. Unfortunately, even given their seclusion, Coco's shyness seemed to be in full-force. "What if somepony…" She gulped. "…sees me?" she finished in a near-whisper.

"But that's the point of a bikini," Fleur replied, returning to her cousin. "To be seen and to be…" She leaned down and playfully blew in her cousin's ear. "…admired."

"But…what if I don't want to be admired?" Coco asked. "What if I'm…I'm…"

"What if you're what, my dear?" Fleur asked gently with a small smile. "What's on your mind?"

"What if I'm not pretty enough to be admired?" Coco practically whispered, prompting Fleur to gasp.

"Not pretty enough to be admired?" Fleur asked in disbelief, hands on her hips. "Now where did you get a silly idea like that?"

"I don't know, I just…I mean, I'm not like…like you, or…" She paused as Fleur gently cupped her chin.

"Now you listen to me," Fleur stated soothingly. "I'm not even like me. Those mares that you see in magazines and films…that's not reality. You can't get down on yourself just because you don't look or sound or act like them."

"Well…I guess that makes sense but you do it and you're one of the nicest ponies I know. I mean…you're definitely real." Coco replied.

"That's true but my point is that I never allow that world to be my world. It's my job and that's it. I use what I earn there to gain new experiences in better places and with better ponies. Why do you think I invited you to join me here for a vacation, hmm?" Fleur asked with a small smirk.

"I…I guess that makes sense," Coco said with a smile of her own. "Thanks, Fleur. You really are the best."

"I try, my dear. Now, let's see how that suit looks on you!" With practiced expertize, she pulled the loose shirt up and over her cousin's head before the surprised Coco could protest.

"Fleur!" Coco gasped as her tasteful swimsuit was revealed to the salty air.

"The best way to boost your confidence is to push yourself," Fleur explained, laying down on her towel. "You don't have to pose for Playcolt but there's no reason you can't show the world you're not afraid." She leaned over and gently squeezed her cousin's arm. "You're beautiful, Coco, and I promise you I won't be the first or the last to tell you that."

"Thanks, Fleur," the younger mare replied with a smile and light blush.

"You're very welcome. Now, how about those guys we saw earlier? Pretty hunky, huh?"

"Fleur!" Coco admonished, trying to suppress a giggle. "They were…okay I guess…not really my type, though."

"Me neither," Fleur agreed nonchalantly, surprising her cousin.

"Really?" Coco asked. "But…you said they were hot. I mean…you spend time with those kinds of guys all the time." Fleur shrugged.

"Oh, I was just seeing if you noticed," Fleur stated with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, making Coco roll her eyes. "But yeah, you're right. Sure, eye candy is nice but when you're around as much sex appeal as I am all the time…you start to kind of…ignore it. The novelty wears off and then all of a sudden, they're just like everypony else to you. It's the ones who are genuinely different from what you're used to, different in a good way of course, that really become interesting." Coco watched as Fleur's expression became wistful, almost as if her search for that special someone was ongoing as well.

"They can…make their way into your heart and then before you know it, you're best friends. I guess what I'm saying is don't judge a book by its cover, 'cause you never know what you might miss." Fleur smiled as Coco processed what she'd been told, hoping that she would take her words to heart and make her cousin realize that she was a book worth reading.

"I'll remember that," Coco assured her with a nod.

"Glad to hear it! Now, shall we suntan?" Fleur suggested, stretching out on her towel, allowing the sun to bathe her lithe body and generous curves. Emulating her cousin, Coco did the same, sighing in relief as her muscles stretched and her shorter yet slim & trim figure embraced the day as well.

They couldn't hold back their smiles as the waves lapped at the shore.

Meanwhile…

Man, this is quite the walk, and in the hot sun, too, I thought, checking the map on the park app. According to the map, I was about halfway between the Astral Resort and my destination, the large collection of bistros and other eateries located just at the base of Titan, the mountain home of Thunderhead Park. So far, there hadn't been another soul in sight and I wondered if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I sighed and pressed on, hoping that the app wouldn’t lead me astray.

The unmistakable sound of girlish laughter reached my ear from around the next outcrop. I stopped and wondered if this part of the beach was, for some reason, private, which would explain the lack of anyone else around, Equestrian or otherwise. Maybe it was some rich chicks who wanted the entire beach to themselves.

Well, if that's the case, I'm sure they won't mind if I'm just passing through. If they do mind, I'll just take the monorail or something. With that in mind, I pressed on towards the outcropping, practically reaching it...

…right before tripping over something and falling (thankfully) into the soft sand. I heard a cry and leapt to my feet, my training instincts kicking in as I quickly scanned the immediate area. Presently, I looked down to find a young bespectacled Equestrian man…colt…whatever, maybe a couple of years younger than myself, rubbing the part of his head that had become forcefully acquainted with my the lower half of my shin. Off-white with a chestnut-brown mane and tail, he was a rather unassuming fellow.

I was wondering how it was that neither of us noticed each other until it was too late when I did notice something else: a small, easily-concealable pair of binoculars that, given the lack of anything ornithological around save for the seagulls, probably weren’t for birdwatching. In fact, judging by his position, it was clear that he'd been watching them for some time already.

Hmm… I thought as we simply stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Embarrassed face + binoculars + secluded beach + peeking on the girls right around the corner = !

"Oh no, you don't," I exclaimed, grabbing his arm as he leapt to his feet. "What were you doing here with those binoculars?"

"None of your business!" he replied in a slightly higher voice than mine, confirming his youth.

"Peeking on unsuspecting girls like a pervert is the business of anyone who thinks that's completely repugnant," I countered, holding him firmly. "Who do you think you are, anyway?"

"Who the Hell do I think I am?" the colt demanded, wrenching his arm free and rubbing it. "My name is Gizmo, and you're looking at the guy who designed this place!"

There was a pause as I considered what he'd just said, unsure of how to react or even if I believed him. After some deliberation, I replied as eloquently as I could, given the situation,

"…what?"

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter but here's hoping you guys like it anyway. Also, don't forget to check out my other stories and show them a little love!

As always, stay classy, FiMFiction.

Hey Jude

Author's Note

I know this chapter seems short but I felt that it worked well as a standalone chapter. I also highly recommend listening to the song I linked to in the story. It really adds to the experience and helps you get into Shawn's head.

My original vision for this story was very different from what you're seeing. It's gone much deeper than I planned, a lot more...in-depth as far as character thoughts and interactions are concerned. There will be naughty parts but they will be tasteful. Like I said in the description, this is a work of sensual fiction, not a raunchy clopfic. It was never intended to be but I really didn't envision going this direction either. Truthfully, this story is now writing itself and I'm allowing the characters to teach me about them. I'm just the guy writing down what they're telling me.

Anyway, hope you guys are still enjoying it and don't forget to show my other works some love too. Stay classy, FiMFiction.

Hey Jude

"Okay, let me rephrase that," I said, running my fingers through my air in exasperation. "…what?"

"Did I stutter?" the colt half-demanded, fixing me with an annoyed glare. "What did you think I said?"

"Look, I might not have graduated summa cum laude from My Little Engineering Camp but I'm not stupid," I retorted, growing impatient. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you designed this…magical floating island?"

"And the train you rode in on!" he added, folding his arms over his chest indignantly.

"And I suppose you can back this all up?"

"What does this look like?" the colt replied, handing me the pass hanging around his neck, much like my own.

"Lemme see this…" I muttered, scrutinizing it closely. At first glance, it looked just like mine; everything was in the same place…with one minor exception. Instead of saying "Guest" under the name, there it was plain as day:

Gizmo Widget

Chief Engineer, Head of Technical Design & Application

"Oh."

"Believe me now?" the colt known as Gizmo asked smugly.

"If you didn't mug anyone to get this, then yeah, I guess I don't have a choice." I admitted before shaking my head. "But that still doesn't explain why you were spying on those girls!"

"Would you kindly tone that down a few hundred decibels?" Gizmo asked in a hush, taking a quick look around.

"Why should I?" I countered. "You were the one sniffing around from the shadows like Batperv." I knew he wouldn't get it but I went for it anyway.

"No I…" he began before stopping with a sigh. Realizing that I had him, his shoulders slumped and his expression softened considerably. "…okay, maybe that wasn't the best way to endear myself."

"Endear yourself? You were spying on them, man."

"Okay, okay, I get it!" he finally conceded, throwing his hands up defensively. "Look, I swear I wasn't trying to "perv" on her or anything like that. I was…admiring."

"Yeah, well there's better way to admire than…wait, 'her'?" I asked, considering what he'd just said. "That was…awfully specific. Do you know them?"

"Of course I do!" Gizmo exclaimed haughtily. "I mean, I know one of them." I was about to inquire further when the sounds of someone approaching stopped me. Knowing what was about to happen, Gizmo and I exchanged worried glances.

Meanwhile…

Fleur cocked her head to the side, trying to tell where the muffled voices were coming from. Coco noticed the sudden silence and did the same.

"There it is again," Fleur observed, getting to her feet. "Guess all this privacy was too good to be true, huh?"

"Guess so," Coco said, nodding in agreement. "Where should we go now?"

"What do you mean?" Fleur asked.

"I mean…we can't stay here…" Coco replied softly.

"Why not?"

"Because…" Coco mumbled, her cheeks reddening. Fleur smiled softly and patted her cousin's hand.

"Coco, sweetie, I know you're shy but you have nothing to be afraid of. They're just other beachgoers like us. Besides, maybe they'll be really cute and fun to hang out with! Remember what we talked about earlier?"

"Never judge a book by its cover," Coco recited, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly! Now let's go see who it is, okay?" Seeing the trepidation on her cousin's face, Fleur gave Coco's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Look, if you don't like them for any reason, I promise we can go wherever you want. Just remember that one of the great things about vacations is the people you could meet, okay?"

"O-okay," Coco half-whispered with a small nod. "I…I'll try." Fleur smiled and helped her cousin to her feet.

"That's all I ask. Now, let's go see who it is."

Momentarily…

"They're coming!" Gizmo hissed.

"No shit!"

"Look, please don't give me away! I'm sorry!" he pleaded as quietly as he could. I was taken aback by his expression; for the first time since our initial encounter, he seemed almost…genuine. I sighed and relented.

"Fine, but this spying nonsense stops now, got it?" I hissed. He frantically nodded just as the subjects of our hasty pact emerged from behind the rocks. "Follow my lead!" I added quickly.

"Well, I don't know about you but this looks like the perfect place to hang out!" I announced, trying to make it seem like we'd just arrived. "Now all we need is…"

A flash of pink and white, and a soft smile complemented by a pair of kind, light-purple eyes.

It was her, the same mare that had taken my breath away on the platform the day before. And now here she was approaching us accompanied by a younger, slim, cream-colored mare with a short light-blue mane. While her companion was very attractive in her own right, my attention was focused solely on the curvy pink-maned beauty in the daring jet-black bikini.

You know, the one who'd made me consider things I never thought I'd ever consider ever.

There was a pause as we regarded each other; Gizmo tried (and failed) to look nonchalant and I tried not to shamelessly stare, while the girls looked at us curiously.

"Um…hi…" I said, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Hi," the taller one replied with a small smile. "Listen, not to sound creepy or whatever but we heard someone talking over here, so…"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry if we disturbed you," I replied apologetically. "My friend here was just telling me how this is the perfect place to…"

"Tan!" the colt blurted out.

"Yeah, that's right, tan!" I exclaimed.

"Fair enough," the tall mare replied with a shrug. "That's why we're here. As soon as we heard how much sun there was gonna be, my cousin and I just had to take advantage of it!"

"That's because the entire island is designed to rotate according to the position of the sun relative to the beaches," Gizmo suddenly piped up whilst adjusting his glasses. "Essentially, if one part of the beach isn't receiving enough solar exposure while another part of the island is, the island can rotate so that the beach always gets the specified amount of sunlight according to general guest preference." A moment passed before he realized that we were all staring at him, and promptly found every excuse to focus elsewhere.

"A-hem," I said, deciding to let him off the hook. "Ladies, I'd like to introduce my…friend…Gizmo. He's an engineer."

"Chief engineer," he reminded. I rolled my eyes.

"Right, chief engineer," I continued. "And I'm Shawn, on vacation from Earth." I extended my hand to the two mares.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," the taller mare said with a warm smile, shaking my hand without any hesitation. "My name is Fleur de Lis and this is my cousin, Coco."

"N-nice to meet you…" the shorter mare, Coco, said shyly.

"Nice to meet you too," I replied with a smile of my own before elbowing an equally shy Gizmo.

"H-hi," he stammered with a small wave, clearly out of his element.

In my head, I began to piece his story together; evidently, this was a colt who was more than proficient in the field of engineering but not socializing, and especially not with mares…even with one he'd known for several years, albeit from a distance. Gifted but at a cost; through no fault of his own, his life had taken a remarkably different path than most youngsters his age. Sure, he was a little strange but most gifted individuals were in some way. Instead of throwing him to the wolves, I opted to take that other path. Hopefully, I could get him to join me on it and good things would happen. After all, these girls seemed friendly enough and any practice was better than none.

It had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to get to know Fleur de Lis. There was something about her that fascinated me and no, it wasn't her physique.

Well, not completely.

It was her the look in her eyes and how she carried herself. Her posture and tone spoke of great self-confidence and kindness, while her willingness to shake my hand despite the rather remarkable differences between our species suggested something else: sincerity. Indeed, as she'd shaken my hand, her grip was firm and deliberate (yet soft and fuzzy), telling me that this was a mare who meant business. It was a lesson our kickboxing master had reminded us of time and time again; you can tell a lot about a person by how they carry themselves.

"Well? Aren't you going to shake his hand?" Fleur asked of her cousin. "We wouldn't want to be rude to these nice boys, would we?"

"N-no, of course not," Coco agreed, shaking her head before slowly approaching Gizmo. I was trying hard not to giggle as they awkwardly looked at each other before gingerly shaking hands and by the looks of it, so was Fleur. "H-hi, Gizmo. I'm, um…Coco. Coco Pommel."

"Um…Gizmo, Gizmo Widget," he said nervously. "It's, um, really good to meet you." I smiled; at least he possessed some sense of decorum.

"Wait…what's your last name?" Coco asked, surprising us as she suddenly took the initiative.

"Um, it's Widget." At that, Coco's eyes widened and her nervous expression transformed into a small smile.

"Gizmo Widget!" she exclaimed somewhat excitedly.

"Do you know this young gentlestallion?" Fleur asked, evidently as curious as I was.

"Fleur, this is Gizmo Widget! He was the one who helped me pass statistics last semester!" Coco said, causing Gizmo's cheeks to redden.

"This is the famous Gizmo?" Fleur asked with a smirk.

"Eep!" Coco squeaked.

"I'm sensing a story here…" I added from the sidelines.

"From what Coco told me, her business statistics class was giving her quite the headache until this fine gentlestallion came along and turned her C into an A+." Fleur explained, causing her cousin's cheeks to redden as well. She turned to Gizmo and sent a grateful smile his way. "Well, it seems like we owe you a thank-you. How about letting us treat you two to lunch? I think our mathematically-inclined friend here deserves it," she suggested. I nodded in agreement.

"I would say so."

"And, to be honest, I'd love to hear about where you come from," Fleur added, returning her attention to me, prompting my heart to thump in my chest. "I've visited Earth a couple of times but didn't get to see nearly as much as I would've liked."

"Sure. I'd be glad to help." I said with a nod. "Ready to go when you are. How about you? Feel like grabbing a bite?" I asked the colt at my side.

"Uh sure, I could eat."

"Me too," Coco added as they quickly looked at each other once again.

"Excellent," said Fleur, clasping her hands together. "Just give us a minute to grab our things and we'll be ready to go, okay?"

"Gotcha." With one last smile, Fleur ushered a flustered Coco back around the rocks to gather their belongings.

I may or may not have appraised Fleur's posterior as she walked away. For science.

"Hypocrite…" Gizmo muttered, still beet-red.

"Oh, go build a volcano, Bill Nye." I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Who?"

"Never mind." I turned and suddenly grabbed his shoulders. "Do you realize what just happened?" I asked.

"We're having lunch?"

"No! Well…not just lunch. We've been invited for lunch by two beautiful girls!"

"…Oh…" he whispered as the realization seemed to dawn on him. "I can't do this!"

"What do you mean?"

"I've never…I've never done this before!"

"Done what, had lunch?"

"No, not that, you ignoramus! I've never…had lunch with a m-mare before…" he admitted.

"Hey, I've never done that either," I said, trying to calm him down. "I'm from Earth, remember? I've never spent time with a mare either so we're both in the same boat here." It was technically true; while I'd had a few dates back on Earth, I had never spent time with a girl from Equis before. "Look, I've spent time with girls before but not Equestrian ones. I'll do my best to help you out but how things go is up to you."

"That's helpful," Gizmo groaned. "What do I do?"

"Just…be yourself but…polite and stuff. Like, make sure you show her that you're genuinely interested in her and what she has to say. Don't focus on yourself but don't be afraid to share things if she asks or it's relevant to the conversation."

"But…what if I tell her something she doesn't like and she stops liking me?" he whispered fearfully.

"That's just the risk you have to take," I said with a shrug. "Look, just be kind to her, take an interest in what she says, and who she is. Think you can do that?" There was a pause as Gizmo pondered my words before nodding slowly.

"I…I think so."

Meanwhile…

"Cousin Fleur, what are you doing?" Coco squealed as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Whatever do you mean?" Fleur asked innocently as she retrieved her towel and began rolling it up.

"You know exactly what I mean!" Coco said, grabbing her shirt and hurriedly donning it. "You were trying to set me up with him!"

"What?" Fleur asked. "I wasn't trying to set you up with him. While I do think you two were adorably awkward back there, I promise you that I definitely was not trying to set you up." She went over and put her arm around her cousin. "I respect your feelings, Coco, and I would never put you in a situation that would make you uncomfortable."

"But this is making me uncomfortable…"

"Look…if spending time with them is scaring you this much…we can do something else. I for one, think that after all the help Gizmo gave you, treating him to lunch would be a great way to show how thankful you were, don't you think? And isn't the fact that Shawn's from a completely different world fascinating? Aren't those good reasons to give spending time with them a chance?" Fleur reasoned, trying to coax her introverted cousin out of her shell.

"Well…he was really helpful…" Coco mused, her blush returning.

"That's the cousin I know and love," Fleur said with a smile, embracing the younger mare. "You'll have a good time, you'll see." I think we're in for a fun afternoon, she thought.

***

We wound up at a small but busy vegetarian bistro facing the beach and giving us a wonderful view of the horizon. Our walk to the restaurant had been full of small talk and general pleasantries, perfect for breaking the ice between the four of us. As such, upon arriving at the eatery, I felt as if we'd already established a bond. A small one perhaps, but a bond nonetheless.

I sure hoped so.

Fleur was…amazing. My assumptions about who she was were spot-on. She was every bit as kind and sincere as I'd hoped, greeting anyone we met with a friendly salutation or a wave, bucking every stereotype in the face. I know what you're thinking; she's smoking hot so she has to be a snob, right? Not even a little bit. It was clear that she knew exactly how desirable she was but not once did I get the idea that she was allowing such perceptions to define her. She simply took it in stride and treated everyone around her as if they were just as desirable, both physically and personally. That alone made her stand out in my eyes; the ability to make others feel as confident as she was simply by treating them well.

While Fleur and I were getting along famously, Coco and Gizmo were another story. While Coco appeared to at least be making an effort, Gizmo seemed…reluctant to engage in anything beyond superficial chit-chat, despite knowing her from school. I frowned, wondering if there was anything I could do to help. Truth be told, the more time I spent with Gizmo, the more of myself I saw in him. In my youth, I had frequently felt misunderstood and different, even ostracized. Hell, teenage years are tough for anyone under normal circumstances. Gizmo…must've been under enormous pressure to live up to the potential everyone else saw in him. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever been allowed to have a youth, let alone a childhood.

Coco was another mystery. While she was clearly willing to get to know my brainy new friend, there was something holding her back. It wasn't to the same extent as what Gizmo seemed to be experiencing but it was there. There was no doubt in my mind that Fleur knew full-well and was doing her best to help her cousin get past it; another reminder of why I found the mare so fascinating.

I realize that I'm making a lot of assumptions here but something told me I was pretty close. It's like that feeling you get around certain people, that hunch that tells you what their words cannot, or have not because they haven't been said yet. Whatever the cases with my new friends were, I felt myself developing a vested interest in understanding why and if possible, helping them. I figured that all of this good fortune meant more than simply letting me live like a king for a fortnight. No, there has to be another reason and as we walked and felt the warm sand between our toes, I felt like I knew what it was.

Fleur de Lis.

Gizmo Widget.

Coco Pommel.

Shawn Martin.

We'd figure it out together.

But for now, lunch awaited.

Come Together

"So, Gizmo," Fleur began in an attempt to coax conversation out of the shyest members of our party. "Shawn tells me you're an engineer."

"Um, yes ma'am…" Gizmo murmured, trying to hide behind his glass of iced tea.

"Ma'am?" Fleur asked with false indignation, topping off her performance with a somewhat cross expression. "Just how old do you think I am?" I chortled to myself; Fleur was a troll, and a talented one at that. A cool, funny, sexy troll…

A-hem.

"I-I didn't mean anything…!" Gizmo exclaimed, waving his hands defensively.

"Relax, my dear, I know you didn't," Fleur assured him with a crafty smile. "I was just having a little fun. Now then, you were telling us about your work?" Nice one I thought. Way to catalyze the conversation. We'll get these two talking yet.

"I was?" Rolling my eyes, I discreetly elbowed the young stallion seated beside me. "Um, yes, o-of course." He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm an engineer, and right now, I'm in charge of design and application of all magical and technological cross-engineering here on Helios. My, er, official title is Chief Engineer." Fleur's eyes widened, Coco blushed, and I nodded appreciatively, glad that my new friend was finally starting to emerge from under his rock. To his credit, Gizmo looked up and surveyed the table, noting our reactions. "It's…not a big deal…"

Hmm, I thought. This isn't the same Gizmo who was bragging to me about his position an hour ago. Being around mares must send his mind into meltdown.

"Well, it sure sounds important, doesn't it?" Fleur replied, giving a blushing Coco a small nudge, much like I had to Gizmo. "I mean…to be able to imagine what it takes to build something like this and to actually pull it off…you must be some kind of prodigy."

Seeing Gizmo open up a little via Fleur's words and conversational maneuvering, I couldn't help but wonder what her line of work was. The conversation was still young, so we'd have plenty of time to get there but I still speculated. A spokesperson…er, spokesmare, for some kind of company perhaps? Maybe she was in advertising or marketing or something else that required the gift of gab. Or maybe it had nothing to do with her occupation and she was simply polite and adept at reading social cues. In any case, I decided to help.

"Didn't you say that you invented the flying technology on the train that brought me here?" I asked.

"Really?" Fleur said with a gasp. "Do tell!" To my surprise (and relief), the barest hint of a smile appeared on my shy friend's face. I knew it I thought. If he's gonna get anywhere with anyone, mare and otherwise, he's gotta be in his element, at least a little bit.

"Um…if you're sure…" Gizmo took another deep breath and continued. "The technology that keeps this island in the sky, as well as allows non-magical vehicles to fly, is an invention of mine."

"Wow, when did you come up with that?" Fleur asked.

"Um, when I was…nine…" At that, Fleur and I exchanged slightly worried glances. Was he on a level that would still allow him to relate to anyone, an important factor in any relationship?

"Wait…you were nine when you came up with this?" I asked in confirmation. "Who was your homeroom teacher, Pony Stark?" Ha.

"Who?"

"Never mind. Please go on."

"Um…okay. I had just turned nine when I had a strange dream. In this dream, I saw a formula and woke up in the middle of the night to write it down. I-I'm not really sure what made me do that but something told me I should." Fleur and I nodded in understanding. "A-anyway, when I woke up, I studied the formula but couldn't figure out what it applied to. Some of the symbols weren't even actual mathemagical symbols, so I had no idea what it meant, only that I couldn't get it out my mind."

"So how did you figure it out?" Coco asked, literally making the rest of us jump in our seats. "I-If you don't mind sharing, of course."

"N-no, not at all!" Gizmo assured her, his cheeks reddening as well. "Well, as the weeks went by, I kinda forgot about it. I mean, I didn't forget about it but I basically put it on the back of mind while I tried to figure out which university I wanted to go to. Then, I was studying up on the properties of stored magic and how it relates to this world's inherent magical field. That's when I had a brainstorm. I realized that by compressing and storing magic in specialized crystals, I could shift the polarity relative to the surrounding magical field!" By this point, he was speaking rather animatedly; realizing it, he simply cast furtive glances at our confused expressions.

"Okay, it's like this: this island floats in the air, right?" We nodded. "Basically, Helios uses giant special crystals to create a 'bubble' around the island. This 'bubble' is essentially a magical field with a different polarity than the surrounding magical field of the planet. It's like…placing two magnets beside each other. If they're both the same pole, they'll repel each other but by applying a magical field, the amount of pull, and push too, can be adjusted. It's the same thing with magic. By changing the polarity of the field, you can manipulate objects with it as long as the object can store the magic." Gizmo explained, even adjusting his glasses for good measure.

"So…by sticking magically-charged crystals on things, you can make them do things they couldn't normally do, like making trains fly?" I asked, feeling somewhat…insignificant.

"Essentially, yes," Gizmo confirmed with a nod.

"But you said that you also designed the human train that brought Shawn here," Fleur pointed out. "How can you apply magical technology to human technology?"

"It was rather simple, really. I realized that all I had to do was integrate magic-retaining crystalline fibers into human constructs, then connect that to a special interface I created especially for the task. It converts magical pulses travelling through the fibers into electromagnetic pulses, which are then read by a human computer. The computer can then send its own pulses back through the system, giving it operational instructions. The train you rode in on contains no less than 1200 magic-to-electromagnetic pulse conversion boxes, which is necessary for anything to work."

"So…if one or a few of those were to fail, then…what happens?" I asked, almost dreading the answer. Gizmo shrugged.

"It's not any more dangerous that any of your technology. Compared to a lot of human vehicles, what I've described is actually rather primitive. Anything is prone to failure, although the only danger to magic-electromagnetic conversion is the physical destruction or removal of the storage crystals. As long as they're intact, the system can't fail." I hoped he was right; he seemed to know what he was talking about but it was way over my head.

"Is that why…"

"Yes, that's why any vehicle travelling from Earth to Equis must utilize electromagnetic propulsion." Gizmo finished, correctly anticipating my next question. "If not, the portal wouldn't allow anything through it. Whatever comes through must possess a magical field that matches the frequency of the portal in order to get through. Tactile contact with the ground immediately breaches the field, so the only way to keep the field intact is for whatever it is surrounding to be airborne or at least suspended off the ground."

"But then…how did the original portal explorers get to Earth?" Coco asked. "I mean…they visited Earth about 15 years ago, right? If you didn't invent this technology until a few years ago, how was it possible?"

"I may have invented the formula necessary to manipulate the frequency of magical fields and apply it to objects and technology but that's the extent of my involvement," Gizmo explained. "You see, as Equestrians, we each possess an inherent magical field but it's within our bodies, meaning that we can step through the portal without a problem. That was relatively old knowledge; it was simply allowed to be forgotten because at the time, nopony knew there were other dimensions accessible by magical portal. Neither humans nor anything originating on Earth has that capability, which is why the rules that limit the nature of their access to Equis don't apply to us. Basically, in order to cross over, humans need something that imitates a magical field in order to traverse the portal, which is where my technology comes in."

"Okay, I think I understand," Fleur mused, nodding slowly. "So…that discovery must've made it really easy to get into university."

"I was granted a full scholarship to the Canterlot Academy of Arcane Design almost immediately after I published my work, which coincidentally happened to be when the engineering community was searching for a way to stabilize the portals that had begun popping up. Unfortunately, since I was considered too young to officially enroll in the Academy, I had to wait until I turned 14, during which time I provided consulting services for the arcane engineers and studied the human technology that started trickling through about two years later."

"I remember that," I interjected. "My parents talked about that a lot. I think pretty much everyone was at that time, though. Lending our technology to Equis wasn't something a lot of people agreed with."

"Let's just say that while I'd like to think that most of our 'acquisitions' were obtained through legally sanctioned means," Gizmo said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "We were far too excited to put much thought into how we got it. All we knew was that we were on the brink of an incredible breakthrough, both with my magical field theory and the world of Earth. The New Harmony Express is a testament to that kind of dedication and enthusiasm."

"So…how old are you now?" Fleur asked. Faced with a more personal question, Gizmo once again took on a tense persona.

"I, uh, turned 18 yesterday…" he answered nervously, prompting Fleur to smile and gasp.

"Oh? And what did you do to celebrate such an important milestone?" she asked with the hint of a smirk.

"Um…I, well you see I was extremely busy inspecting the primary core, so I didn't really…have time to…do anything." Gizmo finished sheepishly, prompting Fleur to gasp once more.

"You mean…you didn't do anything to celebrate your 18th birthday?" she asked incredulously.

"I-I guess not, but…"

"Well then, if you're willing, I have a proposal: why don't you let your new friends take you out tonight? It would be a belated birthday celebration!" Fleur suggested excitedly before glancing between Coco and I. "How about you two? Doesn't that sound like fun?"

"Hey, I'm game if he is!" I agreed, wrapping an arm around my friend.

"I-I suppose it could be fun…" Coco said with a shy smile.

"So? What do you think?" Fleur asked, her gaze settling on the blushing young stallion beside me. "How do you feel about spending a fun-filled evening with a couple of smoking-hot mares and a handsome alien?" While the 'alien' comment normally would've elicited, at the very least, a raised eyebrow courtesy of yours truly, the addition of 'handsome' simply made me smile, rendering me silent as we waited for Gizmo to render his verdict.

"I-I suppose that would be acceptable…" he answered after a few tense moments. Regardless of his apparent trepidation, Fleur practically beamed.

"Great!" Fleur exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Why don't we exchange mobile numbers so we can stay in touch and make sure we all know what the plan is? After we've made them, of course."

"Absolutely," I stated with a firm nod, placing my phone on the table. While it was useless as a phone in Equis (given the obvious lack of cellular service towers), Helios's Wi-Fi allowed guests to communicate via the messenger function of the official Helios app, much like how Skype can call a cell phone from a computer. We were basically making phone calls over Wi-Fi.

I made a mental note to ask Gizmo how that worked.

"Sure," Coco said, placing her mobile on the table next to Fleur's. Although seemingly reluctant at first, Gizmo eventually did the same. As we helped ourselves to each other's devices, Gizmo's reluctance was apparent; his list of contacts was all business-related. I might've been wrong but I couldn't see any contacts that looked like 'friend' contacts. They were all very formal and official-sounding, making me wonder if that was the source of his reluctance. Clearly, the majority of his life had been devoted to studying and making remarkable breakthroughs. Friend-making had almost certainly gone by the wayside.

I couldn't quite place it but the situation sounded familiar for some reason.

"Alright, do we all have each other's numbers?" Fleur asked, putting hers back in their beach bag.

"Sure do." I confirmed. Both Coco and Gizmo simply nodded.

"Perfect," Fleur said just as our food arrived. "We can discuss our plans after lunch. I'm starving!"

***

It wasn't until after we finished our lunches that talks regarding the evening's festivities began to manifest. Ever mindful of our guest's sensitivities, Fleur attempted to coax a suggestion out of Gizmo. Unfortunately, he wasn't very forthcoming with suggestions, and simply deferred to Fleur's expertise, stating that "he'd be okay with whatever".

"Well, I'll be sure to find something fun for all of us," Fleur assured him, patting his hand. "And if at any time one you're not having fun, just let us know and we'll find something you enjoy, okay?"

"I-I guess that's fair."

"I'm glad you think so," Fleur said. "Because I have an idea that I think we'll all enjoy. It's one of Helios' most famous attractions. It's actually so cool that I'd like it to be a surprise until tonight, if that's okay with everyone."

"I trust you," I replied with a smile. "I'm sure that whatever you have planned will be a great time."

"Cousin Fleur knows what she's doing," Coco agreed, smiling as well. "If anypony knows how to have fun, it's her." We all looked at Gizmo, who seemed to be weighing the pros and cons in his head.

"Sure. What've I got to lose?" he mused with a sigh.

"That's the spirit, buddy," I exclaimed, gently clapping him on the back. "I think we're in for an awesome night." Blushing, he simply nodded, just as his phone rang.

"Um, I've gotta take this…" he muttered, getting up and making his way just outside the restaurant. It wasn't long before he returned.

"I'm sorry to cut lunch short but I'm needed down at Core Control." Again, the change in tone made me take note. Business equaled confidence, while pleasure equaled anxiety. I hoped that whatever Fleur had planned for us that night might help to alieve some of that anxiety. He turned to leave, paused, and then turned back. "T-thanks for lunch," he added, audible only to Fleur, Coco, and myself. "I-I guess I'll see you all tonight."

"You bet," Fleur said with a nod. "How about meeting Coco and I in the main lobby of Palacia Crystalia at, say…7?"

"Works for me," I said with a shrug, trying to hide the excitement building inside me.

"I-I suppose that's fine…" Gizmo agreed.

"It's a date, then," Fleur confirmed. "See you later!" she called after a retreating Gizmo. To his credit, he paused and gave us a small wave before disappearing. "So…what do you two feel like doing in the meantime?"

"Actually, I was hoping to take a nap back at the room," Coco said as we got up to leave, having paid already. "I'm not used to all this heat yet. It's making me sleepy. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all, dear. Take as long as you need." Fleur assured her before turning to me. "In the meantime…how about a walk? I'd still love to hear about your life on Earth, if you wouldn't mind sharing a few tidbits." My heart immediately began to race as images of romantic beachside strolls danced in my head.

"Yeah! Um, sure, that would be great!" Oh, you smooth-talkin' lady-killer, you.

"Guess I'll see you later then?" Coco asked.

"Looking forward to it." I said, smiling at her.

"O-Okay. See you later, Cousin Fleur."

"Later!"

With that, we were off.

On a walk.

Just the two of us.

Hoo boy.

As we walked, it dawned on me how long it had been since I had last spent any considerable amount of time with a girl, especially like this. When was the last time anyway? It must've been during college at some point. I shook my head; now wasn't the time for such musing. I had a gorgeous Equestrian to regale. About my life.

Okay, I know I said "no more musing" but seriously; she wanted to hear about my life? As far as lives go, mine was pretty par for the course for a fellow my age. It wasn't bad, just average. It's a different world, sure, but surely there are similar positions in life on Equis and young people filling those positions. I made a mental note to ask Fleur about positions at some point.

Don't look at me like that, you know what I meant.

"So…that was something, huh?" Fleur began as we made our way through the bustling square, heading towards one of many walking/biking paths available to Helios guests.

"You can say that again," I agreed. "It almost made me wish I had the slightest idea of how physics and engineering work." Fleur nodded. "He's a nice kid, though." I stated. "I mean yeah, he's definitely not the typical 18 year-old but I think his heart's in the right place, even if he's a little…"

"Eccentric?" Fleur finished for me.

"That's one way of putting it," I said with a laugh. "It's amazing how someone can be so brilliant in some ways but practically clueless in others."

"Oh, I don't know about clueless," Fleur mused thoughtfully. "He's definitely out-of-practice but if there's anything I've learned through my job, it's that confidence is everything. Didn't you see how Coco was blushing around him? If he'd noticed early enough, it could've been them on a romantic stroll." Seeing my content expression fall momentarily, Fleur was quick to add, "Not that I'm not enjoying your company! I'm having a nice time with you. I only wish that Coco could experience that too, you know?"

"I'm with you on that one," I agreed, relieved that Fleur was enjoying her time with me thus far, even though it had barely been a couple of hours. "Everyone deserves companionship, right?"

"Absolutely." Fleur said with a smile.

"So…what is it that you do, anyway?" I asked after a brief pause. "I mean, for work. If you don't mind sharing, of course."

"Not at all," Fleur answered. "I work in the fashion industry. I'm actually a model."

That…actually made a lot of sense.

Jesus Jetfuel Christ, I was on a date…er, excursion, with a model.

"Oh, uh, wow," I stammered. It's weird, right? Four seconds ago, I was chatting her up like we had been best friends since childhood. "My Best Friend, Fleur", I thought with a small grin. Wouldn't that make for an amusing short story?

The simple fact of the matter was that Fleur being a model changed the context of the conversation. It's like when someone reveals that they're involved in something you don't know much about or is regularly sensationalized; it makes them seem a lot more 'exotic' (different species notwithstanding) which, quite frankly, can be intimidating. Add on to how models or really anyone in the fashion industry back on Earth is portrayed, and you've got a new monkey wrench in the works to deal with.

To my surprise, Fleur simply smiled and laughed.

"It's okay, that's almost half of the reactions I get when I tell someone," she said, trying to make me feel better. I wasn't pleased with myself; even if she was a model, that didn't make her any less human than anyone else.

Human. Equestrian. Whatever. You know what I meant.

"What about the other half?" I asked.

"Hey baby, how was heaven when you left it?" Fleur answered in as gruff a voice as she could manage. I couldn't help it; upon hearing such an outrageous expression, I doubled over with laughter, and it wasn't long before Fleur joined me. "And believe me, that was one of the classier ones!" she added as we finally started to settle down again.

"Fleur…I have to apologize," I confessed, finally down from my laughter-fueled high.

"Why?"

"Because of my reaction. I didn't mean to…" Fleur waited patiently as I searched for my words. "I didn't mean to make you feel awkward just for telling me what you do for a living. Truthfully, I think it's really cool. I don't know anything about the fashion industry so I guess I was just surprised. N-Not that you're not beautiful! I can definitely see how you're…" Somehow, I had the good sense to stop and try again. "I'm rambling and for that, I apologize."

"Relax, I know what you mean," Fleur assured me, even giving my hand a quick squeeze. "The fashion industry is so far-removed from the average pony that most simply don't know what to expect or how to act when I tell them."

"That's…exactly what I meant to say."

"I had the feeling."

"So…what do you specialize in?" I asked, trying to salvage the situation. "Anything in particular? Jackets…hats…power armor?" I added with a laugh that even Fleur shared in.

"No, nothing quite like that, although I did get to wear Royal Guard armor for a special calendar photoshoot to raise support for the troops over in the Gryphon Territories." Fleur explained. "I actually don't have a specialization. I model everything from business suits to lingerie." Forcing any lewd thoughts back down into the depths from whence they came, I simply nodded.

"Cool. What's your favorite thing to model?" I asked.

"Anything loose and comfortable," Fleur answered. "A lot of clothes that I have to model aren't the most practical things, certainly nothing anyone would wear on a day-to-day basis, so any time it's something simple, that's when I'm happiest. I especially like pajamas! There's something about them that's…freeing, I guess would be the right word."

"A mare after my own heart," I replied without thinking, going red when the implications of what I'd said dawned on me. For her part, Fleur simply smiled and giggled. "Um, I was just saying that I really like pajamas too. They're super-comfortable and you can wear them almost anywhere and no one will bother you over it. Like sweatpants, I guess. And I totally get the 'freeing' part. Anything that restrains sucks, especially when it comes to clothes."

"I guess that's always been really important to me," Fleur mused as we walked, now in near solitude save for the occasional other guest. "Like, even before I started modelling, I always valued freedom and independence a lot." I wasn't 100 percent sure but I thought I saw her smile falter momentarily. "Anyway, that's enough about me. I'd like to hear about you."

"Sure. Where do you want me to start?"

"Hmm…" she thought, putting a finger to her chin. "How about the beginning?"

"Fair enough," I said with a shrug. "Let's see…I was born on November 5th, 1994 in a small town about two hours away from my current home of Neo Capital."

"Wow, you live in Neo Capital?" Fleur asked, sounding impressed.

"Yep, ever since I started university. Even though I was used to a small town, I really grew to like the city, so I decided to stay after graduating. Have you…been there?"

"I have, actually. A few times, in fact. As one of Equis' top models, I was selected to travel there as a "representative of Equis fashion and design", which was their way of saying "eye candy"." Fleur explained, finishing with a laugh. "I didn't mind, though. It was really exciting! I couldn't believe how big the city was, and when I saw all the lights in the night sky...the fact that none of it was because of magic was really hard to accept."

"I'll bet." I said with a nod. "I guess when you're used to something being there all the time, to go somewhere that lacks it completely must be pretty hard to take."

"Is that how you felt when you first got here?" Fleur asked.

"When we were hurtling off that cliff to take off, I honestly thought I was gonna have a heart attack," I confessed. "After that…it wasn't too bad. Seeing the island for the first time was trippy but it's got enough recognizable aspects of Earth that it didn't feel completely alien. I mean, it's got electricity and lots of Earth food and other humans around so it wasn't too much of a shock."

"Well, I'm glad that the experience has been positive for you," Fleur said with a smile. "I know that humans have travelled to other parts of Equis, and a lot of what they experienced made them really uncomfortable. Minotaurs, dragons…vegetarian options."

We both cracked up at that.

"It's been different but definitely a good thing." I assured her.

"So, Shawn from Neo Capital, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I'm actually a famous business man, kind of a tycoon, really. I decided to invest everything I have into building and running a large city under the ocean, free of anyone's rules and restrictions." I answered as seriously as I could. Unsure of how to react, Fleur looked at me incredulously. Finally, after a few seconds, I burst out laughing.

"You're terrible!" Fleur exclaimed, playing slapping my shoulder. "I almost believed you!"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!" I said, trying to calm down. "I'm nothing like that, not even a little. I'm the assistant manager of a local electronics store. I sell cellular phones and video games for a living."

"See, now I'm not sure if I should believe you…" Fleur teased with a smirk.

"Well then, here's my card," I replied, digging out my wallet and handing her one of my spare cards.

"Shawn Martin, Assistant Manager/Sales," Fleur read. "Cool. Mind if I hang on to this?"

"Sure, no problem, I've got lots." I said, surprised that she wanted to keep it.

"I guess my next question is, what do you do when you're not selling cell phones and video games?" Fleur asked after tucking the card into her bag.

"I hang out with friends, play video games, surf the net, go on drives," I listed. "I've found that when I have nothing to do, a drive around the city in the evening when the traffic's not insane is a great way to clear my head. Oh, I also take Muay Thai lessons three nights a week. It's a form of martial arts on Earth."

"Muy…Thai?" Fleur asked.

"Oh, it's a form of kickboxing invented in the country of Thailand," I explained. "It combines kicking and punching while using elbows and knees to fight."

"So…you like to fight?" Fleur asked a little nervously.

"Me? No, not at all," I assured her, raising my hands. "Sure, it's good to know a little self-defense but I like it because it's a great exercise and it gets me out of the apartment on a regular basis. Believe me, I'm not tough guy. In fact, we're taught to never use what we've learned except in competition and in dire emergencies."

"That's…interesting," Fleur replied somewhat hesitantly, as if still unsure of what to think. "Don't worry, I think it's great that it keeps you active, it's just that I don't know anything about that kind of stuff."

"It's fine, most people don't even where I come from," I said. "It's catching on but it's not exactly a household sport yet."

"What is the most popular sport on Earth?" Fleur asked.

"Quidditch." I replied without any hesitation.

"Oh shut up! No it's not!" Fleur exclaimed. I did a double-take.

"Wait…you know what that…"

"A book series about humans using magic? I don't think there's a foal in Equis who hasn't read those." Fleur said with a smirk. "Nice try, though. I'm not completely clueless about your world. And yes, I know what the 'internet' is. I spent time on it last time I was in Neo Capital, actually."

"Yeah, the internet can really be something," I said, nervously scratching the back of my neck.

"Yes, well, I may have run across a few…ahem, illustrations of myself after my first photoshoot on Earth…" Oh bugger.

"Oh dear…"

"Some people have very strange imaginations," Fleur continued as I inwardly cringed. "I mean, I wasn't really offended, Goddess knows when you're a model, certain things are bound to happen, but I certainly wasn't expecting the sheer amount of illustrations. It was like they just popped up overnight!"

"Well, all I can say is that it looks like you have a lot of fans on Earth," I replied, hoping that wasn't the end of our budding friendship.

"Yes, it would appear so," Fleur said with a small sigh. "Oh well, no harm done I suppose. I'll just…take it as a compliment."

"That's the spirit," I agreed. "If it helps, I can't draw to save my life."

"Don't worry, you don't really seem like the type," Fleur replied. "Why would you need to draw me when you don't seem to have a problem simply getting to know the real thing?"

"That…is an excellent point," I respectfully conceded. "I dunno, you just seem…really down-to-Earth…er, down-to-Equis."

"You mean I'm nothing like you were expecting, right?" Fleur asked. She was right, of course. As enlightened as I like to pretend I am, certain stereotypes still stick out for me. One thing was certain, though: Fleur was no vapid, stuck-up, self-absorbed model, as gorgeous as she was. She knew she was hot but didn't let it determine how she treated people.

"That's for sure," I admitted. "You're different, but in a really good way. And I have to say that I'm really glad to have met someone like you. It's made the whole trip so much better, and it's not even the second day yet."

"Awe, what a gentlestallion…I mean, gentleman," Fleur cooed, leaning up and kissing my cheek.

"Um, thanks…" I mumbled as my face heated up.

"You're welcome." Fleur replied. There was a pause before she continued. "In my line of work…you need to be a good judge of character. A lot of people get swept up in the glitz and glam of the industry and forget where they came from, what's really important, and how to treat people."

I listened with rapt attention.

"I was fortunate to have a great manager when I started off. He never tried to cheat me or use me to further his own interests, which happens to a lot of up-and-comers. He always tried to teach me what was really important and to stick to my values, even if it wasn't always easy."

"He sounds like quite the guy."

"He really is. Fancy Pants genuinely cares about everyone he manages and always tries to look out for us."

"I'm sorry…did you say his name was 'Fancy Pants'?" I asked, stifling a laugh.

"Yes, I realize how strange Equestrian names can sound to non-ponies," Fleur said. "But trust me when I say that even though the name suits him, the stereotype doesn't. You've said that I'm "down to Earth". He's the one who taught me the importance of living like that."

"I should probably send him a coupon for 20 percent off his next cell phone purchase then, huh?" I suggested with a smile.

"That's a nice idea but…how about joining me for dinner instead?" Fleur asked, making my heart skip a beat. "Fancy's always saying how I should hang out with ponies…people from all walks of life and backgrounds. Besides, I'm enjoying our time together. What do you think?" I smiled.

"Does Paul McCartney play the guitar?"

***

By the time we made it back to civilization, we had talked about everything you can imagine. In fact, Fleur had plied me with so many questions, she probably knew me just as well as my own mother. Even though our walk had only been about an hour and a half, we fit a lot of conversation into that relatively small amount of time. If anything could convince me that I wasn't crazy and that there was a connection between us, it was the great time we'd had.

"Phew!" Fleur exclaimed as we finally emerged into the bustling arrivals sector where I'd first arrived. Separated from the actual platforms solely by other walkways, we could see train after train arriving and departing. "I'm not normally this tired after a walk but then again, I don't do a lot of walking in this kind of heat. I love it but I can see why Coco decided to take a break from it."

"I'm with you," I agreed, wiping my brow. "How about finding a place to cool down before dinner?"

"What do you suggest?"

"Um…one sec…" I replied, retrieving my phone. I opened the Helios app and was just about to search for something relaxing when a familiar voice reached my ears.

"Shawn! Hey, Shawn!" I looked up to see Sven walking over to us, waving to catch our attention. I smiled and waved back.

"Sven! How's it going?"

"Excellent. One of my coworkers asked if he could take my shift today, so I decided to start my weekend early."

"That's great!" I exclaimed. "Guess that means you get to see Evening Breeze earlier than you thought, huh?"

"I was just on my way there, actually," Sven explained before noticing Fleur at my side. "Excuse me…but aren't you Fleur De Lis?"

"Why yes," Fleur replied, clearly surprised at being recognized by a non-Equestrian.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. De Lis," Sven said with a smile, shaking her hand. "I'm sure you get this all the time but my fiancé is a big fan of yours. In fact," he continued, taking out a magazine from his bag. "Would you be so kind as to sign this? She'd love it!"

"Why of course, it's no trouble at all," Fleur replied with a warm smile. "What's your fiancé's name?"

"Her name is Evening Breeze. She works the front desk over at the Astral Resort."

"Oh! So she's a…thestral, right?'

"She is," Sven confirmed. "Is that…strange?"

"I think it's adorable," Fleur assured him, signing the magazine with a large, looping signature. "That's the beauty of friendship and cooperation. It can lead to good things you never thought were possible."

"Well-put, Ms. De Lis."

"Thanks but please, call me Fleur. There's no need to be so formal, especially for a friend of Shawn's."

"I'll remember that," Sven said with a nod as he put the magazine away.

"Hey, I have an idea, if you're both okay with it," I piped up, seeing the opportunity to strengthen the bonds I'd created. "Would you and Evening Breeze like to join us for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, and they could join us for Gizmo's birthday celebration after!" Fleur added animatedly. "We'll ask him first of course, but I think it's a great idea!"

"Really?" Sven asked, his eyes widening with excitement. "We wouldn't want to impose."

"Nonsense, it wouldn't be an imposition at all," Fleur assured him. "Shawn and I can have dinner together another night, maybe tomorrow?"

"You bet." I said with a smile. How could I be disappointed? Not only was I still having dinner with Fleur, but two of the kindest people I'd ever met were joining us. This was shaping up to be one Hell of a night.

"Then it's settled! We're meeting tonight at 7 in the Palacia Crystalia lobby. Are you two okay with dinner at 5 at, say…the Crystalia Gardens? It's a rather lovely eatery just perfect for our group."

"Evening Breeze finishes her shift at about 5:30 but we'll hurry over as soon as she's done." Sven said. "Of course, when I tell her what's happening, she'll probably drag one of her sleeping coworkers out of bed to cover the rest of her shift just so she can escape early!" We shared a laugh.

"Well then, I guess we'll see you two between 5 and 5:30," I replied.

"Count on it. Thank you both so much."

"It was no problem at all," said Fleur, shaking Sven's hand once again. "Enjoy the rest of your day off!"

"Will do! Later, you guys!" With a final wave, Sven departed, heading north towards the Astral Resort with a spring in his step.

Author's Note

I felt bad for releasing such short chapters, so I decided to make it up to you guys. I know there's a lot to take in in this chapter but I was really pleased with how everything unfolded. I think I've finally nailed Fleur's personality (for this story, anyway), and things are starting to come together.

Funny story: During my second year in university, I became acquainted with an actual lingerie model. She was several years older than me at the time and decided I would be a good lab partner (I'm a terrible scientist, I just happen to look like one in a lab coat). We became friends and although nothing ever happened (which was fine, she was 7 years my senior anyway), she was very friendly and intelligent, and we got great marks on pretty much everything. So, the moral of the story is don't judge a book by its cover 'cause you never know.

By the way, Flammenwerfer, if you see this, you know what to do.

Also, Dudeler, let's do this, man. You're one of the premiere Fleur writers around, and if you'd like to work on something together, I'd be more than willing to.

Don't forget to show my other works some love too! Keep it classy, guys & girls.

Twist and Shout

Fleur and I parted ways upon reaching the front gate of the Astral's grounds, intending to give ourselves sufficient time to get ready for the evening's triple-date, with birthday festivities to follow. From there, I wasted no time, stalled only by an ambushing thank-you hug from a very excited Evening Breeze. After ensuring her that it was no problem and a pleasure to thank her for her and the hotel's hospitality, I finally made it back to my room.

Only to realize that I had nothing to wear.

I hadn't even considered needing any sort of eveningwear, never mind something a little more formal and appropriate for celebrating one's (belated) birthday. As I wandered about the palatial room, I realized what I had to do and made my way over to the phone.

"Hi, is this the front desk?" I asked.

"Yes sir, this is the front desk," a familiar voice replied. I recognized it immediately.

"Hey Breeze, it's Shawn," I said, surprised she was still at work and not at home, changing and otherwise preparing for the evening. "I'm surprised you're still here. I thought you were off-shift already."

"I just got off, actually," she replied. "Is there something we can do for you?"

"There is, actually." I said with a nod. "I just realized that I don't have anything appropriate to wear this evening…or even on a date," I added in realization. How could I show up to a date with a model looking like a fashion parody? My clothes weren't bad but certainly not well-suited for any special occasions.

"Well, you called the right thestral! I'll be there in a minute, okay?"

"You sure? I mean, I know you're technically off-shift and I wouldn't want to impose…" I began.

"Believe me, after what you've done for Sven and I, it's no trouble." She assured me. "Hang tight; I'll be right there."

And so, hang tight I did…for the next thirty seconds or so. Upon answering the door, an excited Evening Breeze practically pulled me to the suite's master bedroom. She sat me down on my bed before pushing a button on the far wall I had somehow missed (gold-gilded and framed with shiny onyx, no less).

As if I were suddenly thrust into a Richie Rich sequel, a set of wall panels slid open opposite the bed, revealing a walk-in closet that I was fairly sure could house rocket components. Composed of three levels each divided into several sections containing every type of garment imaginable (and even a couple I couldn't imagine). Dumbfounded yet again, I slowly made my way into the 'closet' down a small flight of stairs leading to the lower level. Aware of my limited preparatory time-frame through the haze of another "Is this actually happening?" moment, I took a rather hasty tour through the clothing emporium.

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. "Breeze, I'm gonna need a hand here, if you don't mind."

"Of course, I'd be glad to help," Breeze said with a smile, joining me in the room. "What were you thinking for tonight?"

"Um…" I had to think about it; what would look the best for tonight's festivities? Something light and suitable for the warm weather, yet classy enough to disguise me as a classy representative of humanity.

Fortunately, Breeze seemed to know exactly what was on my mind and wasted no time selecting several samples for me to wear. The speed at which she was able to collect said samples made it clear that she had taken this tour before, an experience for which I was swiftly becoming very grateful. In fact, it wasn't long before we agreed on an outfit; a pair of light formal pants (that she promised wouldn't boil me alive in the warm night air) complimented by a white leather belt, a silver button-up short-sleeved T-shirt, and a pair of black penny loafers. All in all, I thought it worked; fancy enough to distinguish myself yet benign enough to blend in with the other socialites.

Heh, me a 'socialite'. Could you imagine?

"Well, how do I look?" I asked, emerging from the closet as the doors closed behind me.

"Like a man looking for trouble," Breeze replied with no hesitation, earning a chuckle from me.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said, reaching for my comb, trying with limited success to calm my unruly black hair. After finally achieving some measure of success, I glanced at the time.

5:15.

"Oh crap!" I exclaimed, rushing to grab my phone and ID card. "Breeze, I'm so sorry I kept you! You should've said something!"

"Don't worry about it," she said with a nonchalant wave. "I'll whip something together. We might be a little late, though." It was either the guilt festering within me or a stroke of brilliance that prompted my next idea.

"Wait a minute…" I mused, catching her attention. "The closet…does it have women's clothes too?" It was a legitimate question; in my haste to find an outfit, I hadn't bothered checking.

"Of course," Breeze replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was thinking that since I took up your valuable time, why don't you pick something from the closet for yourself to wear?" I offered. To my surprise, she seemed taken aback. "What's the matter? I'm sure there's something in there you could wear."

"Really?" she asked.

"Of course! Is…is that a problem?"

"No! It's just that…those clothes are really, really expensive and I've…I've never had the chance to wear anything like that before…"

"That makes two of us," I said with a nod. "Fancy clothes weren't exactly a priority when I was growing up. We were more worried about keeping the lights on and having enough to eat."

"Sounds like us too," Breeze said as I pressed the button, revealing the closet once more.

"Really? Care to share?" I asked as Breeze disappeared into the closet.

"Well, I come from a big family," she began, muffled by the sounds of the thestral hurriedly rifling through article after article. "When you have five younger sisters, bits are pretty rare."

"Wow."

"Yeah. How about you? Any siblings?"

"Nope, only child."

"Yeah? How's that been for you?"

"It has its perks," I said as Breeze dressed herself using one of the closet's four fitting rooms. "No competition for affection, reasonable privacy, that kind of thing."

"Must be nice! I always felt so sorry for my mom. After my dad died, looking after five of us at once really stretched her thin."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Must've been tough."

"Yeah, you could say that," Breeze replied, emerging from the closet in a low-cut dark-green summer dress and matching sandals. "Well…how do I look?" she asked, throwing a little twirl for good measure. I smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Sven won't know what hit him."

***

Needless to say, we were running a little late. While I knew that Breeze's outfit would compel Sven to not only forgive her but possible worship her, I wasn't so sure that my ensemble would have the same effect on Fleur (although I hoped it would). We arrived at the lobby of the glimmering Palacia Crystalia at 5:40 exactly; I then scanned the area for the others.

A flash of pink and white, and a soft smile complemented by a pair of kind, light-purple eyes.

Breeze smirked as I stared wide-eyed at the mare approaching me. Dressed in a form-fitting black dress and matching heels was Fleur de Lis, Equestrian supermodel, and (somehow) my date for the evening. While not especially revealing, the dress accentuated her body's every curve, while a white tropical flower in her hair was the piece de resistance. However, perhaps the most surprising component of her outfit was the inclusion of a pair of black thin-framed glasses.

In a word, stunning. Her every movement radiated femininity, from the gentle sway of her hips, beckoning and provocative, to her expression, warm and welcoming. A perfect combination of sophistication and titillation.

"Hi Shawn," she greeted, clearly trying not to giggle at my expression.

"I…I didn't know you wore glasses," I stammered in the perfect response. My brain face-palmed as Fleur smiled and giggled, prompting me to take her hand and plant a light kiss on it. "I'm sorry. It's just that…you look beautiful, Fleur. I guess I'm just a little nervous. It's been a while since my last da…er, night out." Oh you Casanova, you.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about," Fleur assured me, taking my hand. "You look pretty fantastic yourself." I blushed and let out a small chuckle.

"Uh thanks, although I couldn't have done it without Breeze here." Then remembering my head, I continued. "Fleur, I'd like you to meet Evening Breeze." Fleur smiled and shook the excited thestral's hand.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person!" Breeze exclaimed, animatedly shaking Fleur's hand before apparently catching herself. "I mean…a-hem…it's great to finally meet you. I'm a huge fan!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Breeze!" Fleur replied, enveloping Breeze in a friendly hug. "I'm so glad you and Sven could join us tonight!"

"The more the merrier, right?" I added, force-feeding the conversation a heaping helping of cliché. "Oh, and speaking of…hey Sven, over here!" Waving, I signaled the young man with the very blonde hair (and snappy suit) to come join us.

"Nice to see you again, Shawn, Miss Fleur," Sven greeted. I cleared my throat and gestured to his marefriend (thestralfriend?), who promptly sent a radiant smile his way while holding her hands behind her back and leaning forward slightly.
"You," Sven began, taking her into his arms. "Are as radiant as the fullest moon that pierces the deepest night, and as mysterious as the beckoning darkness." Fleur gasped and smiled, giving my arm a gentle pinch.

"Wow, no wonder she said 'yes'," I murmured as the enraptured couple shared a brief yet passionate kiss. "I should probably be writing this down. By the way," I added, looking towards Fleur. "Where are Gizmo and your cousin?"

"Oh, Gizmo was already here when we arrived," Fleur said as we began our short walk to the restaurant. "I asked them to watch our table while I waited out here for you guys."

"You sure you didn't just want to give them some quality alone time?" I asked with a slight smirk, which Fleur returned, albeit more slyly.

"You know, you're pretty fly for a human guy."

Meanwhile…

An awkward cough penetrated the silence that hung over the young Equestrians seated at the reserved table for six. Visibly red, Gizmo adjusted his glasses for the dozen or so time since Fleur had flounced off, promising that "She'd be back in a jiffy".

That was almost 20 minutes ago.

Which meant that for the past third of an hour, the two had marinated in shyness and adorable social anxiety. Trying to work up the courage to take her cousin's advice and speak words to the young stallion sitting across from her, Coco was visibly nervous, fidgeting slightly in her seat.

On the contrary, Gizmo was more difficult to read. In fact, the only sign that he was nervous was his silence and near-constant glasses adjustments. A trained eye of course would know after a few small observations that the root of Gizmo's trepidation was the same as his female compatriot's. However, to Coco, he seemed merely…disinterested.

"Ahem…" Coco 'exclaimed', clearing her throat in a socially-awkward segue. "I, um…never did thank you for helping me with, you know…"

"Oh! Um, it was no problem, no problem at all…" Gizmo quietly replied.

"Seriously, there's no way I could've passed it…without you."

"It…was no big deal."

"…Well, it was to me, so…thanks a lot. I really appreciated it." Before she knew what she was doing, Coco reached over and gently patted his hand with hers.

The sudden contact seemed to startle the young Equestrians as they pulled away shortly…but not before going red and savoring the unexpected contact for just a few precious moments. For Coco, it had been an uncharacteristically bold move for her; it was almost as if her hand had moved on its own accord.

As for Gizmo…

When she finally worked up the courage to look at him again, Coco's eyes beheld a very red and clearly embarrassed young stallion. She opened her mouth, readying an apology…and paused as she took a closer look at the small, shy grin that had wormed its way onto his face. It was subtle and soon retreated but there was no doubt that he had enjoyed it.

Which in turn made her smile a little too.

"Sorry to keep you two waiting!" The familiar bubbly tone of Coco's cousin shook them from their thoughts. Coco quickly retracted her hand, flushing as Coco, Shawn, and their guests took their seats at the large round table. "Coco, Gizmo, I'd like you to meet some new friends of ours, Sven and Evening Breeze. They're going to be joining us for tonight's fun and games."

***

Dinner went well. I mean, it's not like I was expecting it to go badly, it's more like I was hoping that the sudden coming together of strangers would result in beautiful new friendships. Imagine my relief when that's exactly what happened. True, Gizmo had to suffer through a lot of birthday wishes (including a simultaneous playful kiss on both cheeks from Fleur and Breeze, sending us into fits of laughter as his face turned into a tomato), while Coco seemed to hang on for dear life. By the time dessert arrived in the form of a complimentary birthday cake for our resident wunderkind, both actually seemed to be loosening up.

Well, a little, anyway. There was still hesitation and shyness but maybe once we got up and moving, they'd work off some of that nervous energy they were clearly stockpiling.

"But what about you?" I hear you asking. Okay, I realize I've spent a lot of time introspecting about the youngest members of our mixed clique. The simple truth is that…well, I wasn't really worried about anyone else, least of all myself. I was having a great time with Fleur and even though I didn't know where we'd end up, I was determined to enjoy the ride until I knew for sure. Sure, maybe I'd be a little disappointed but regrets were not welcome on this vacation, the first proper one I'd had in many years.

Speaking of firsts in many years…

Yeah, the thought had crossed my mind one, two…dozen times. The time I'd spent with Fleur had been the first such time I'd spent in a good while. It wasn't really for lack of trying, I had just chosen to focus more on finding a job after I graduated. The recession made it impossible to leap right into the field I'd studied, so I settled for a position at a local electronics store. Over the next three years, the economy slowly recovered but still, I was hesitant to leave a pretty good gig. I was paid pretty well, had a chance for advancement, and actually liked what I did. Hard to walk away from that.

Anyway…

I think I became so focused on making a living and working on myself that girls kinda…went by the wayside. There a couple dates here and there but nothing serious. Even my first time had been a brief (albeit fun and slightly tipsy) rendezvous on graduation night with an old friend. Luckily, we stayed friends and have since come to terms with our encounter but as far as real, lengthy relationships went…there was no other way to put it. I was a noob.

As much as I tried to avoid stereotypes involving Fleur (all of which she had blown out of the water anyway), I couldn't help but feel that the score was lopsided. I knew she wasn't likely a virginal maiden but I wondered how much experience she did have. And what kind of experience? Passionate nights with other models, male or otherwise? How does one measure up to those kinds of experiences?

I was probably just overthinking things. Surely she'd proven that she was down-to-Equis enough to spend time with someone who'd never graced a magazine cover. Besides, she'd been nothing but sweet and open with me since we'd met. Heck, she'd even kissed me…kind of. So far so good, right? Hopefully the evening could shed some light on what she was thinking.

I chuckled at the irony of my thought, prompting Fleur to place a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, look, he's alive after all! We're ready to go!" she said, shaking me from my daydream.

"Sorry about that," I replied, shaking my head. "Got a little lost in thought."

"Well, I'm glad we found you," Fleur said with a smile, taking my hand. "'Cause the night is young and we still have a birthday to celebrate!"

"Speaking of," Breeze said, looking around the restaurant. "Where is the birthday boy?"

"Yeah, and our server," I added. "We should probably pay for dinner before we go." As if summoned by her question, he rejoined us, tucking his wallet into a pocket. "Ah, there's the man…colt…" They all looked at me expectantly. "…stallion of the hour!" I breathed a mental sigh of relief when they all nodded. "Ready to go?"

"Um yeah, if you guys are…"

"Perfect! We'll just hunt down our waiter and pay, then we'll be good to go."

"I, um…already took care of that…" Gizmo said, almost whispering.

"Really?" I asked, not sure if I'd heard right. "Not that we don't appreciate it but…why? It's your birthday. We should be treating you."

"Just…thought it would be a nice thing to do." Gizmo answered. I grinned as he shot a quick glance in Coco's direction.

"Well then, at least let me buy you a drink or something tonight, if that's what you wanna do." I offered.

"I just checked with our waiter," Sven said as we made our way out of the restaurant. "Apparently, everyone's bills have already been taken care of?"

"You can thank this generous guy right here," I exclaimed, giving Gizmo an affectionate slap on the back.

"I-it was no big deal, really…" he said, clearly embarrassed. A chorus of "Awe, you're sweet!" and "You sure?" made him blush as he nodded and assured us that it was no problem at all. It wasn't until we were gathered a short distance from the restaurant that he spoke up again.

"I…I'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight," he began, quietly at first but sounding more confident as he found his courage. "To be honest…this is the first time I've celebrated my birthday with anyone…for a long time." We waited silently, amazed that he seemed to finally be opening up a bit. "I'll be honest; I don't have a lot of experience with this kind of thing but…I'm glad you guys are here to…y'know, do this with me."

"That's what friends are for," I said, lightly cuffing his shoulder. "Right guys?" Nods and murmurs of agreement came the reply. In a surprise move, it was Coco who took it one step further, slipping her hand into his, much to the quiet delight of her cousin. Blushing, Gizmo looked up from their intertwined hands and smiled at Coco, who smiled back.

"Well, it's still pretty early," Fleur commented, checking the time. "What do you feel like doing tonight?" she asked, directing her question at Gizmo.

"Um, whatever you guys wanna do is fine."

"Hey man, you already payed for dinner, you get to decide what we do." I said with a nod.

"Exactly! Just tell us what you'd like to do and that's what we'll do." Fleur assured him with a smile and nod of agreement. We waited as he thought about it. I could practically see the gears turning as he weighed his options; as he said, this was all new to him so I could hardly blame him for diligently thinking it over.

"Well, there is a human band from Earth performing at Club Lunaria tonight…maybe we could all go to that?" he suggested, much to everyone's delight (and surprise).

Hey, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who foresaw an evening of video games and D&D (not that those things aren't great in their own rights). I think we were just surprised that he would suggest something that we were all likely to enjoy.

"That's an awesome idea!" Fleur exclaimed. "I've heard some amazing music from Earth!"

"Wow, dinner and a concert!" Breeze said enthusiastically, clutching Sven's arm excitedly. "You sure you don't do this often?" she asked, making Gizmo blush yet again. I couldn't help but smile; they were really trying to make him feel good.

"What band is playing?" I asked.

"Um, let me check…" Gizmo replied, checking the Helios app on his phone. "It says here they're a pop rock band called Maroon 5."

"Maroon 5, huh?" I mused, stroking my chin. "I wonder what they would've done that I would know."

***

"So…where exactly is this club?" I asked as we were led to a seemingly dead end. After weaving our way back to the Astral Resort and down a series of paths, we came to a stop at a large circular obsidian pad. Strange runes ran along the edge of the circle, glowing faintly in the dusk. Inside the circle stood a small obsidian pillar about waist-height; hovering over the pillar were two holographic arrows, a blue one pointing up and an orange one pointing down.

"Just give it a minute," Gizmo replied, checking the time. "Should be any moment now…"

"Look! Up there!" Coco exclaimed, pointing above us. Following her lead, I looked up…and was rendered speechless.

Appearing from the cover of darkness was another floating island. We murmured in amazement at the crescent-shaped mass overhead, admiring the neon-like dark-blue glow that followed the island's edges, drawing a perfect horizontal crescent moon in the sky.

"Do you…like it?" Gizmo asked after a few moments.

"This is…so beautiful, Gizmo," Coco replied, squeezing his hand (which she hadn't let go of since leaving the restaurant). "It's really amazing."

"That's for sure," Sven murmured, clearly in awe of the spectacle of magical engineering. "Breeze, have you ever seen this?"

"Only a handful of times and even then, it was from a window or something. I've never actually seen it up close." Breeze answered.

"I think my cousin said it best," Fleur said, taking my hand (yes!). "It's amazingly beautiful."

"I'm glad you guys like it," said Gizmo, sounding a little relieved. "Took me almost six months to design." At that, all eyes turned to the young stallion. "What?"

"You mean…you designed it?" Breeze asked in disbelief. "Are you like, a genius or something?"

"I'm actually Helios' chief engineer," Gizmo explained, showing her his ID card. "I designed or helped design most of the technology on this island." Still shocked, both Breeze and Sven looked at me for confirmation.

"It's just like he says," I said with a shrug. "Guy's just that much of a genius. He explained how some of it works but I'm still not sure I completely understand."

"So he's basically Pony Stark?" Sven asked with a slight grin.

"Ha!" I exclaimed, offering him a high-five, which he quickly accepted.

"I still don't know what that means…" Gizmo whispered to Coco.

"That's okay, I don't either. Must be an Earth thing."

"So I take it that's our destination tonight?" I asked.

"Sure is," Gizmo confirmed with a nod. "If you could all, um, step within the circle, we can…get going." We did so without hesitation, staying close to the center.

"So what happens now?" Breeze asked. "Is this like, a mass teleporter or something?"

"Not exactly," Gizmo answered as he stood before the small pillar. "Allow to demonstrate." With that, he pressed his palm against the blue arrow.

With a collective gasp, we felt the platform rise at a rather rapid but velvety-smooth rate. Coco gave a squeak of surprise as she braved a glace around, finding nothing but open night air around us.

"Gizmo, what the…" I stammered as we ascended.

"You guys, um, like it?" he asked.

"Yeah but…is it…safe?" Coco asked nervously.

"I wouldn't design anything that wasn't," Gizmo replied quietly but confidently as we approached the edge of the platform. He reached out and was immediately stopped by a deep-purple barrier at his fingertips. "See? There's no way to fall off and there's a lot of safety features in the unlikely event of a malfunction."

"Oh…okay." Still clearly nervous, Coco seemed at the very least, a little reassured.

"This is incredible!" Breeze suddenly exclaimed. I wasn't too surprised; she had wings, she was used to this kind of thing. Us landlubbers, though… "It's so fast yet so smooth! Amazing!"

"I have to concur with Breezy here," Sven agreed with a smile. "You've done a truly fantastic job here. It's actually really cool once you get used to it."

"It's like when my grandfather took me up the Sears Tower," I added. "Not quite like this but that's the closest I could think of." At that moment, I realized that everyone had weighed in on the magical super-elevator except the mare to my right. In fact, I could've sworn her grip on my hand had tightened. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked quietly as everyone ooh'd and ahh'd at the night sky around us. She sighed and gave me a strained smile.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "It's just that…I've never been a fan of…well, heights."

"Oh, I see," I said with a small nod.

"You must think I'm such a foal."

"No, not at all!" I assured her, squeezing her hand. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has fears, right? Besides, it's not like you're afraid of chocolate cake, right?"

"You haven't seen some of the things I've had to squeeze into!" Fleur said with a giggle. "There's nothing wrong with a healthy fear of chocolate cake, especially if it's fresh and you haven't eaten anything except nutrition shakes for three days."

"Ha ha, okay, bad example," I said with a smile. "How about…at least you're not afraid of…kittens?"

"Actually, I'm deathly allergic to cats."

"You're not helping my case here."

"I know," Fleur said with another giggle. "Don't worry too much about me, I'm a strong, grown-up mare who can handle a little…open air."

"If you'd rather do something else, we can." I offered, not wanting her to be uncomfortable in any way. "I'm sure the others would understand." Fleur shook her head.

"You're sweet for offering but I'll be okay," she said with a confirming nod of her own. "Just…give me a little time to get used to this, okay?"

"Of course." I said with a smile. Then, in an uncharacteristically bold move, I gently maneuvered around and wrapped my arm around her middle. I heard her gasp lightly at the unexpected move but she offered no resistance or protest. The idea was to make her feel safer but I worried that she would misinterpret my intention. She looked up at me almost curiously. "I was…hoping to make you…feel safer?" I offered, stammering under the perceived pressure. "Just say the word and I'll let go, I don't want you to feel weird or anything."

"No, don't," she nearly whispered. "This feels nice." With that, I felt her rest the back of her head against my upper chest. Trying to keep a shit-eating grin off my face, I took a quick glance around. I smiled as Breeze and Sven seemed to be in a similar state, holding each other close as we neared the island of Lunaria. Even Gizmo and Coco were engaged in a quiet yet active conversation, Coco no doubt plying him with questions. I smiled; that was Gizmo's element and I began to see the wisdom of why he had selected Lunaria as our destination. Still, there had to be more to it than simply wanting to show his projects off, even of that was where he was most comfortable.

"You're heart's racing…" she murmured.

"Can't help it," I replied honestly, if not a little cheesi-ly. "I've got a stunning Equestrian in my arms." Fleur smirked up at me.

"Not bad."

"Thanks. I try."

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, including our cuddle-filled magical elevator ride. The platform came to a gentle stop within a wide obsidian ring, also. As he disembarked, I took in as much of the remarkable island as I immediately could.

How could I not? All around us, other platforms arrived on their own rings from what I guessed to be other locations on Helios. We were soon joined by other creatures of the night, in a literal and figurative sense (Lunaria appeared to be a particularly popular haunt for thestrals). Chattering excitedly amongst ourselves (even Fleur, having found her nerve after leaving the magic lift), we joined the growing crowd of other guests making their way to a large building that seemed to perfectly cover the entire island. Curious to see if my guess carried any weight, I took out my phone and typed "Lunaria" in the app's search bar.

"Apparently, the whole island is one big stadium divided into several different venues to provide the ultimate nightlife experience," I said, paraphrasing the app's description of the island. "Everything from smooth jazz halls to dance clubs are available and of course, all range of dining as well." I put my phone away and looked at Fleur and the others.

"Gizmo, when does the concert start?" Fleur asked, prompting Gizmo to check his phone.

"About 20 minutes. We should hurry if we want to get there and settled in before it starts…unless you guys want to do something else?"

"No! I mean…I'd really like to watch the concert with you…" Coco replied, smiling bashfully.

"Count us in too," Sven said with a grin.

"Yeah man, like we said before, this is your birthday and a concert sounds perfect." I assured him with a smile.

"Absolutely." Fleur added, along with a nod from Breeze.

There was a pause as Gizmo seemed to be coming to terms with the reality of the situation. I could only imagine what he must've been feeling; after all, it's not every day that you make five new friends who genuinely want to show you a good time on your birthday, possibly one of the only ones he'd ever truly celebrated.

"…Thanks, you guys." Gizmo said with a small but genuine smile. "I…I can't imagine what I'd be doing tonight without you."

"It's our pleasure," Fleur replied with a warm smile. "Personally, I can't imagine what we'd be doing tonight without you!"

"Hey what am I, chopped liver?" I asked with a faux look of dismay.

"Sorry but he's the birthday colt…pardon me, birthday stallion." Fleur answered without a hint of remorse...before shooting me a sly grin and a wink.

"Fair enough." I said with a shrug.

***

"So, remind me how exactly it is that we have reserved box seats for this concert?" I asked as we took our seats in (you guessed it) our very own private box overlooking the sizeable main concert venue. Even though we had personally witnessed Gizmo show his ID card to one of the fellows at the main doors, followed said individual to our present location, and stood nearly catatonic in shock as he explained the perks of being chief engineer, it still hadn't really registered for me yet.

"Gizmo's got, how do you say…the 'hook-up'," Sven answered from his seat to me left. Fleur had eagerly taken the one to my right, while Breeze situated herself on Sven's left. As fate would have it, Coco and Gizmo had taken the row ahead of us, sitting directly in the two middle seats, giving us the perfect vantage point from which to observe their adorkable-ness.

Or we could always watch the concert. That could be fun too. Having said that, I don't think anyone would disagree if I said that the dynamic between Gizmo and Coco was just as (if not more) interesting than that of Fleur and myself. But I digress…

Now, I had never even heard of Maroon 5 even back on Earth. Heck, I had never even been to a concert before. Having said that, I don't think I'll ever see more live special effects in my life as I did that night. In short, the concert rocked. While I wasn't about to become a Maroon 5 groupie, they did have one song that kind of hit close to home (seizure warning!). So much so that I actually got up and, as succinctly as I could given the noise, asked Fleur to dance with me.

Moments later, there we were, dancing like there neither of us had a single fuck to give, grateful that the box was more than large enough to accommodate. In fact, it wasn't long before Breeze and Sven joined the frivolity and we were soon dancing as a group, laughing and showing off our individual dance moves (most of which were terrible but like I said before, not a single fuck was given). To my sheer amazement, even Coco and Gizmo joined us…kind of. We smiled as they found a spot of their own and awkwardly joined hands, gently swaying back and forth to the beat, taking turns smiling at each other and occasionally even making eye contact.

It was perfect.

And we were barely getting started.

Author's Note

Am I rushing things? Does anyone wish I would've gone into more detail about certain actions or places? I've been trying not to turn this into War and Peace but there's so much that keeps coming up that needs to be included. The original version was supposed to be maybe half this length, so...yay?

Man, writing short stories and keeping them short is hard.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

I hadn't stayed up that late in a while, not even when Fallout 4 came out. Well, maybe that one time but other than that, I generally retired to the comfort of my memory foam mattress between 11 and midnight. Can't be half-asleep when you're trying to explain cell phone contracts to impatient teenagers or old folks, after all.

Obviously, I had a good reason to be out past my bedtime on this most auspicious of nights. As said reason strolled by my side along one of several hundred lit paths that crisscrossed the island, I took a few seconds between conversational responses to reflect on what had transpired.

I know I do that a lot but bear with me; the whole thing was a lot to take in.

"…so then I say "That's what she said!"" Fleur said with a giggle, catching me off-guard once again in the most wonderful way.

"Are you serious?" I asked with an incredulous grin.

"Of course! You should've seen the look on Hoity Toity’s face! He sure wasn't expecting that!" Fleur said with a laugh, barely able to keep it together.

"Awe man, that's great!" I exclaimed. "Bet those stuffed shirts at the Gala never saw that coming!"

"And believe me, I could've done a lot worse!" Fleur continued, squeezing my hand. "I don't know if it was the champagne or the fact that I was literally surrounded by the biggest, most prudish snobs in the kingdom but I was ready to start a riot."

"Well, sounds like you got about seven tenths of the way there," I offered with a questioning shrug.

"And not only that but I had to make small talk with them," Fleur added, throwing her head back in disgust. "And all because maybe two of them were involved in the fashion industry."

"Well, as a wise Witcher once said, sounds like you were treated to a night of "vacuous conversation"." I replied, not sure if she'd get the reference (but no less proud of it).

Damn, I'm awkward.

"Oh, it gets better!"

"Do tell!"

"Take a guess at how many times some noble or his offspring propositioned me, drunk out their minds."

"Um…sixty?" I asked.

"Let's just say I stopped counting after the first 27."

"Yowch."

"Yep."

"Huh," I mused. "Guess it's not all it's cracked up to be, huh? The modelling thing, I mean."

"Oh, well, it's not all bad," Fleur conceded. "Actually, I usually enjoy it. That was just one of the sucky things about doing what I do: sucking up to ponies I've never even met or can't stand to be around." She paused and looked up at the night sky, never letting go of my hand. I did the same, throwing in a hand squeeze for good measure.

"It's worth it, though."

"Hmm?"

"All the bullshit I have to go through…when I look at the genuine connections I've made with ponies…the young fillies who tell me I inspire them…the charities and causes I've been able to support and bring attention to…"

"Makes it worth every second, huh?"

"Wouldn't change it for the world."

"I'll bet. Although, you did forget something else." She looked at me, the barest hint of a smile adorning her features. "You get to go on kickass trips and meet awesome aliens from other dimensions!" The smile rapidly turned into a genuine laugh, one I soon joined her in, unable to take myself too seriously.

"Yes, and what charming ones, too!" she finally exclaimed after regaining her composure.

"Don't worry, I'm not nearly that narcissistic," I assured her, holding my hands up. "I'm just kidding…mostly."

"Well…" Fleur began, taking my hands into hers again. "You're not entirely wrong…"

Whoa. When did the temperature jump 25 degrees?

"Well…I…" I stammered, taken aback at the slight blush on her cheeks as she looked up at me, shadows dancing across our faces courtesy of the small torches that marked our path. It was then that I realized how alone we were. We hadn't come across another soul since we started our walk, and I have to admit that as our isolation dawned on me, I became more than a little nervous.

"I've had a really great time with you, Shawn," Fleur continued, softer than before. "You're kind and genuine and…if I'm being honest, the way you took Gizmo under your wing like that and somehow got him and my cousin talking…like, actually talking…that's pretty impressive."

"Awe well, I can't take all the credit," I said, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. "I'm pretty sure they already liked each other. I just…I dunno, gave 'em a little push."

My next breath hitched as Fleur leaned up and pressed her soft lips against mine.

Stunned, I stood there like an idiot as she gently massaged my lips with hers, bringing my hand to her hips before running hers up and along my back. After a couple seconds of stationary stupefaction, I responded, gently bringing her closer to me until we were pressed up against each other.

In reality, the kiss wasn't as long as it felt but that didn't make it any less pleasurable. We separated slowly, breathing a little more heavily than a few moments prior, our gazes locked. Her eyes looked deep into mine, two pools of light purple I was sure had cast some kind of spell on me. A spell that, quite frankly, I never wanted to break.

"How's that for a little push?" she asked, her tone no louder than a whisper.

"I…I don't really know what to say…" I replied awkwardly. "It was…unexpected? Really nice though!" I quickly assured her. "More than nice, actually. Like, kind of perfect…" To my great relief, Fleur smiled and hugged me, resting her cheek against my shoulder before looking up at me again.

"Maybe you just need another push." she suggested, batting her eyes at me.

"T-that could work…" I agreed, tilting my head down and allowing Fleur to capture my lips with hers once more. Again, I become lost in the sensation of how incredible her lips felt against mine, a softness that I'd never known and underneath, a genuine feeling of…something I hadn't felt in a long, long time. I didn't want to make any assumptions but whatever the feeling was, I never wanted it to end.

It eventually did of course, as all truly wonderful things are wont to do, and we simply basked in the moment. I held her close yet gently, resting my hand on the small of her back as she did the same.

"It's been a while for me too." Fleur said softly, surprising me.

"How did you…"

"I just…had a feeling," Fleur said with a small shrug and a smile. "Besides, you do a lot of the same things I do when you're shy or trying to tell what a pony…er, person, is thinking."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I knew you were trying to figure me out, 'cause…well, I was doing the same."

"Was I really that obvious?" I asked, feeling embarrassed. "Look, if I was ever like, staring at you or anything, I'm really sorry. I definitely wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."

"Oh, believe me, the last thing I feel around you is discomfort," Fleur assured me, punctuating her statement with a quick kiss on my cheek.

"Ah. Well, that's really good to hear but…how can you be so sure? I mean, we haven't exactly known each other that long." I knew I was overthinking everything but I had to be sure.

"Like I said before, I learned how to read ponies…people…and trust me, you wouldn't believe how handy that is, especially in the fashion world. Knowing who's genuine and who's not has helped me more times than I can count." She paused and ran a soft hand along my cheek. "You're real, Shawn. There's nothing fake about you. I saw that in how you treat others. You're a special guy and I'm really, really glad we met." She pulled me in for another kiss, and a rather enthusiastic one at that. "But you know what the best part is?"

"What?" I asked, still hazy from the kiss.

"We still have two weeks to get to know each other." she whispered, gently peppering the side of my face with feathery pecks.

***

Meanwhile…

For the most part, it had been a fairly quiet walk, mostly due to general fatigue and not awkward silence. From what Coco could see, their fun evening had actually loosened their previously painfully-shy friend up, to the point where they could make small talk without turning into a blushing mess.

Gizmo was opening up…slowly.

If anyone had told Coco, even just a few days ago, that she would be the one taking the initiative to befriend someone, let alone a friend on whom she might've been crushing just a little bit, she would've scarcely believed them. How, here she was, taking in a romantic evening walk with an old friend, and a male friend at that. A stallion her age, shy, reserved (unless the conversation took an engineering turn), yet kind and generous. She reasoned, in silence as they walked, that nervous as he was, Gizmo wanted what so many others did and had: companionship.

At first, the notion felt presumptuous. However, as she thought about it, it became clear. Not only had he paid for their (very expensive) dinners, he had also suggested (and facilitated) a very fun evening of music and dancing. Sure, they could've all gone themselves, all being guests and all, but the important part was that they all went together. Factoring in what had gone on so far, there was no doubt in Coco's mind that he was ready and willing to, at the very least, explore the idea of having somepony at his side.

The same went for her, of course. In that way, they truly were an ideal pair.

Maybe cousin Fleur's right…

"Is…everything okay, Coco?" Gizmo asked, taking note of Coco's thoughtful expression and occasional glances up at the night sky.

"Oh! Yes, everything's fine," she assured him, her trance broken. "I was just…thinking about something Fleur said earlier."

"Ah, fair enough." Too polite to pry, Coco thought with a small grin. If he only knew…

There was a pause.

"I never saw you at graduation." Coco remarked.

"I…didn't go."

"Why not? If you don't mind me asking," Coco gently pressed on, softly rubbing his arm. "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. I was just curious. I mean, you were class valedictorian. You practically ran the place."

She wasn't far off; by the time Coco was starting her program, Gizmo had long completed his Bachelor degree and was steadily working on his Masters. He was also touted as the most gifted young engineer in several generations, which was pointed out by the department's dean at graduation before Coco's class received their degrees. In short, while both Coco and Gizmo each received a certification that night, only Coco had actually been present for the ceremony.

Another pause.

"It's stupid."

"What is?"

"My reason for not going."

"I promise you it's not." Coco assured him, squeezing his hand.

"It's pathetic, really," Gizmo nearly muttered. "Getting in early, doing my Master's while everyone else was working on their undergraduates…the work was all I knew."

Yet another pause.

"I was tired of it." Gizmo finally confessed. "Tired of all the attention. Tired of everyone talking about me like I was the next Sir Hayssec Neighton. I…I didn't want to be put on display again, so…I decided to skip the ceremony and get my degree mailed to me."

His genuine (and surprisingly candid) response left Coco searching for an appropriate response, something she could use to relate to him. Unfortunately, the situation was so surreal to her that try as she might, Coco simply could not find any common ground.

So, she opted to say nothing at all.

Gizmo's eyes widened as he felt her arms wrap around him, pulling him into a warm hug. His cheeks reddened as he felt Coco rest her head on his shoulder and wondered if he should return the gesture.

Coco grinned as she felt his arms gingerly hug her back, and expressed her approval in the form of a soft sigh of contentment. Although they had embraced very briefly while dancing earlier, this hug carried much more meaning. It said "I'm here. I'm listening."

It was unlike anything Gizmo had experienced thus far. The simplicity of the act, the sheer warmth that Coco's petite frame managed to radiate, and the intimacy of it all swirled around the young stallion's head as they simply held each other.

As often happens, it was at that perfect, serene, picturesque moment when the young stallion's enjoyment made itself known. Coco noticed it first as their hug had slowly tightened and although her first instinct was to run and hide, her cousin's words echoed and she chose a more subtle approach.

"Um…I-is that your phone in your pocket or a-are you just enjoying the hug t-that much?" she asked with as much confidence as she could, given the situation.

"Huh?" Gizmo asked before slowly following her gaze downward.

***

In retrospect, it's amazing that neither of them outright fainted.

They did apologize, however; Coco for drawing attention to it, and Gizmo for reacting naturally to a close-up and cuddly moment with a pretty mare. Fortunately, as they realized that the situation wasn't nearly as serious as they first thought, a few laughs were had on the way to Coco's hotel, a towering structure of crystal and glass, the aptly-named Palacia Crystalia.

"Well, um, that was…quite the night." Gizmo said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fun though, right?" Coco asked hopefully.

"Yes…yes it was," Gizmo confirmed with a small smile. "I've never done anything like that before."

"Would you be up to doing something like that again?"

"I would."

Silence reigned as they stood and smiled awkwardly, grateful that not none of the hotel's other patrons seemed to be out and about at such a late hour, giving them almost total privacy in which to stew in adorable awkwardness. Coco looked up as Gizmo quietly cleared his throat.

"Yes?" she asked, just in case.

"It's, um…it's nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I mean…no."

"Then what is it? You can tell me?" Coco assured him, taking his hand in hers.

"It's about…you know, doing things with everyone." Coco waited as Gizmo mentally searched for the appropriate words. "I like the idea but…if you want…" The wait felt like torture as Coco held her breath, hoping he was going where she thought he was going. "I…I'd like to do things…with just you." Coco gasped and smiled, wrapping Gizmo in a hug.

"I-I'd really like that," she whispered.

"Oh! Hey you two!" They both jumped and separated as a familiar voice broke the near-silence.

***

"H-Hi, cousin Fleur," Coco replied as she fought to get her breath back after the initial shock.

"Hello!" I chimed in, offering them a small wave with my free hand, the other happily interlocked with Fleur's. "Are we…interrupting anything?"

"No!" Coco and Gizmo replied in unison, shaking their heads vehemently.

"We were just…saying goodnight!" Gizmo exclaimed defensively. I glanced at Fleur and smiled as she fought to contain a knowing smirk.

"What a coincidence, we were just winding down ourselves," Fleur said as we too stopped just outside the lobby. "It's been quite the night and I don't know about the rest of you but I want to be well-rested for tomorrow's fun and games!"

"What's happening tomorrow?" Coco asked.

"Well, I was thinking about trying some aero sports up at Thunderhead tomorrow," I suggested. "I'd love for you two to join Fleur and I. Should be a good time. What do you think, Gizmo?"

"Um…sure, it's okay with me," he answered, glancing nervously at Coco.

"Sounds like fun," Coco said with a small smile, glancing back at Gizmo.

"Sweet! Tomorrow, Thunderhead!" I exclaimed, suddenly feeling pumped-up.

"Yes!" Fleur added with a laugh, squeezing my hand before heading to the door. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. Coco, I'll see you in a bit."

"Be right up," Coco replied, returning the small wave.

"Oops, almost forgot," Fleur said, suddenly running back to me. Her lips met mine as she practically threw herself into my arms and once more, the world faded away into the background. "I had a wonderful time tonight," she murmured.

"Me too. You're really something, Fleur." I said softly, hugging her just a little harder. "Have a good sleep and sweet dreams and I'll see you first thing tomorrow…or rather, later I guess, since it's been morning for a couple hours already." She smiled and kissed me again, slipping just the tip of her tongue past my lips before quickly retracting it and pulling away with a wink.

"Sweet dreams." And with that, she disappeared into the lobby.

As if emboldened by her cousin's actions, Coco suddenly wrapped Gizmo in a hug to rival ours, even planting a kiss on his cheek. Unfortunately, that's where her well of courage finally ran dry 'cause she blushed heavily and took off after her cousin.

But not before pausing to offer Gizmo a "Goodnight" and a smile.

"So…some night, huh?" I said after a beat.

"Yeah…some night." I glanced down at him…and smiled.

Gizmo Widget had the happiest, dopiest grin on his face. Whatever had happened after the six of us broke into couples and went our separate ways had left my friend nearly speechless with joy.

"So I take it things went well with Coco?" I asked, fishing for details as any true friend would.

"I hugged her and got a boner…" Gizmo replied somewhat wistfully, as if he couldn't decide whether to be proud or embarrassed.

I have to admit, I damn near lost my shit right there (even though I was guilty of the same thing).

What? She was cute. Sue me.

I suppose it was to be expected, though. This was a night of firsts for the young stallion, so he deserved a little slack…even if the news was just a little awkward.

"Okay…did she…mind?" I asked, genuinely curious. After all, Coco came across as fairly conservative and I hoped that spontaneously pitching a tent hadn't scared her off.

"No…she didn't. I mean, she was surprised but she wasn't angry or anything." I let out a sigh of relief.

"So she was a good sport about it, that's a good sign." I replied. "Say, I don't know where you're staying but do you wanna crash with me at the Astral? I've got room for 30."

"You mean…like a sleepover?" Gizmo asked.

"Exactly. We can chill, talk about the girls, maybe relax in the hot tub, that kind of thing."

"Sure, I'm on board."

We both slept like rocks that night.

Author's Note

I'm here to write fics and chew bubble gum. And I'm all outta gum.

Hope you like it! If not, I'm sure someone will be happy to flame it with you.