The sun is already getting high in the sky when at last your muscles start to fail you. Your lungs are already on fire and parts of your hands and feet have gone numb, but you’ve forced yourself on as long as possible. The man is far behind you, and though you’re completely lost, you know you’ve gotten away. You’re safe from him, maybe, for now. But now the tingliness has spread up your limbs, and your knee buckles under Twilight’s and your own combined weight. With a feeble grunt, you tumble forward onto the ground.

Leaves crunch as Twilight flops out of your grasp in front of you. It doesn’t sound like a hard fall, but she doesn’t move right away either. You try to reach for her, but your arms don’t respond to your command and barely strain at your sides. You taste blood in your mouth and things feel fuzzy all over your body. Too many head injuries in the past few days, too much blood lost, not enough food or water. You've pushed yourself too far this time and your body is shutting down now, you can feel it all around you. Maybe you're even dying.

Things are getting white around the edges of your vision, like before when you were carrying Marigold to Twilight’s front door.

No, no not now! You can't faint again. You have to check on Twilight!

“Twilight, are you ok?” you mumble.

She doesn’t respond, and you’re too weak to reach out for her. You hope she’s ok. She has to be ok. You’re just so tired, and you’ve tried so hard to get this far. Maybe closing your eyes for a moment would help get you grounded, centered. Just for a moment, you tell yourself as you lower your head sideways onto the leafy ground. Then you'll take care of Twilight and keep moving back towards Ponyville.

Just for a moment.

Just for a...

Your eyes are closed, but you can feel somebody gently pushing the hair out of your eyes and off your forehead. Their touch is cool, calming, and tender against your sweating and feverish brow. Beneath you, you feel legs supporting your head and neck. You realize that someone has your head in their lap and is stroking your forehead in an affectionate, caring way. It feels more heavenly than anything has in a while, and for an instant you simply let it happen, unquestioning. You want to open your eyes, see who this kind soul is, but your eyelids resist.

Who are you? Why are you being so nice to me?

You think the questions, but you can’t make your mouth move to speak.

You reach up with a shaking hand and touch a cool, smooth cheek. You feel it move and imagine that this being must be smiling down at you. Your eyes flicker open, just a little, and you see a silhouetted figure bending over you with long hair rippling in some unfelt wind. She’s pressing your hand to her cheek and is indeed smiling. You try to focus, to make out who it is.

That long brown hair, pale skin. Occasional freckles. Those dazzling green eyes.

“Miranda?”

The word is so unfamiliar to your lips. You haven’t spoken her name to anyone in so long. In fact, you have even forgotten the lines of her face, you realize. You’ve forgotten the shine of her lips, the flush of her cheeks, the hollow of her throat. You’ve forgotten how beautiful she is. How much you wanted her to be with you.

“I miss you,” she says. “I wish you were still here with me, that I could still laugh with you and touch you. I just miss you so much.”

You’ve always wanted her to touch you like this, look at you with this kind of affection. But she’d never think of you this way. She was your friend. You kissed once, one stupid drunken night, but it was never anything serious like you wanted it to be. She wouldn’t hold you like this.

This can’t be real. No, You want this, all of this, but it’s not real. You know that, and a short pang of pain erupts in your chest, just like it did every time she smiled at you and you smiled back as just a dear friend.

You shut your eyes tightly and tell yourself this isn’t real, but the hand presses more firmly against yours. Is it fur you feel under your fingers now? Is it not a hand but a hoof pulling back your hair? You open your lids again.

The green eyes are the same, but it’s a pony now. A playful swirl of orange and yellow mane bobs above her brow, and pink fur glistens around the edges of her shape like the silver lining on a cloud. She looks so young, so frozen in time there. And she’s smiling so warmly and sadly at you.

Marigold.

The last time you saw her smile like that was on the hillside that night. There was this warmth then too, but more silly and drunken. Now there’s so much affection, not like that terrible dream before. Is this a dream too?

“You know,” she says, and her voice is distant and lilting like strains of music. “I liked you. My friends told me that I had to talk to you or they’d tell you about it.”

Liked you? Wait, as int he proverbial grade school Like-like? Marigold had a crush on you? Ponies are actually attracted to you? Too many thoughts are going through your head right now for you to think straight. You just blink up at her, searching for something, anything to say, should your frozen lips allow it. Marigold giggles to herself and releases your hand. It falls limply back to your chest without the aid of her holding it up.

“I was going to tell you that night. I know you’re too old for me and that I didn’t have a chance with you or anything. But I was going home soon. I wanted to give it a shot anyway, be more confident for a change. No regrets.”

Marigold sighs gently and leans forward towards you.

“You didn’t save me,” she says sadly. “I know, and maybe you couldn’t have. But in the end, it’s not your fault. And you saved Twilight now. I just wish I’d...I just wish...”

Say something, you idiot. Tell her you’re sorry, that you thought she was cute for a young pony, that you wish things had been different. Tell her that you did try to save her, and would do anything to save her even at this moment. But she’s dead now. This can’t be real either.

“Close your eyes,” she says suddenly. “Please. Just close your eyes. For me.”

You shut your already heavy eyelids and feel things get fuzzy all over your body again. Are you dreaming? Passing out? Are you sick and hallucinating or just so tired that your mind is playing tricks on you? Then you feel a gust of warmth against your face. Then a tickle of fur against your nose.

Then her lips meet yours.

Your body tenses as the unexpected kiss ripples through your being. She’s…she’s kissing you?Yes, Marigold is kissing you! The lips are warm, wet, smooth, gentle. Nothing like how you though it would be to kiss a pony. It tastes sweet and aromatic, almost like kissing flower petals. Before you’re ready or can even begin to really enjoy it, you feel her lips break away from. The cold air on your mouth feels unwelcome by comparison, and the scent of flowers instantly starts to dwindle. Open your eyes, you order yourself. Reach out and touch her, keep her here, say something. Don’t let this feeling fade away.

Don't go.

“Don’t go.”

Your eyelids open just a crack and you see a purple form above you, a shimmering light glowing against your face.

“Twilight?”

You see the face change from an expression of concern into a relieved smile, and again feel a sigh in the body that’s cradling your head.

“You’re alive,” she says breathlessly. “Oh thank Celestia, you’re alive!”

“Yeah...wait, are you?”

It sounds stupid, but you’ve just seen Miranda who’s far far away, and Marigold who’s dead. Seeing Twilight could mean that she’s dead too now, and that you’re dead too by that logic. Also, she looks much better than when you saw he last. There’s no sign anywhere on her face of her wounds, and she seems like she’s not in any pain. Maybe this isn’t real either, and you’re still dreaming. But she just laughs and shakes her head, only slightly messy lilac mane swaying.

“Of course I am,” she says. “Thanks to you.”

This is actually happening, you realize. She’s ok, she’s right here and she’s fine! You try to sit up, but you suddenly feel faint and slump back down against her chest. She catches you there with her hooves and hangs on, her horn still shedding a faint purple light down onto you. It's warm, like you have your face near a lit candle.

“Sorry,” you mutter. “It was a long run.”

“There’s no need to apologize Anon…you saved my life.”

“Only after you saved mine. A whole bunch of times. I was kinda due to return the favor.”

You make out through still hazy vision that she’s blushing.

“Well, um, you’re welcome then,” she says awkwardly. “Hey, are you starting to feel any better? I made a paste out of some edible plants I found to give you some strength back and I've been working on your wounds.”

Strangely enough, you find that you are feeling better. The haze is lifting from your eyes and mind, and the ache in your muscles is quickly subsiding. Twilight comes fully into focus now, and now you get a full look at how she’s doing. Miraculously, there’s not a scratch on her. Her coat is impeccably groomed, even if her mane looks a little unruly, and the heaviness of the previous days does not show in her face. Right now, she just looks relieved and happy.

You prop yourself up on one arm, going very slowly this time to see how much you can take. Twilight gingerly helps lift your torso up into a sitting position, and holds a hoof behind your back in case you get dizzy and fall back again. By the second, your aches and pains are falling away. You even feel less anemic than you have in days. You wonder what sorts of plants can do this much good for a person, and if they'd even be legal in your world.

You shrug your shoulder, shake your head back and forth, clench and unclench your fists. Everything seems to work and feel perfectly fine! You look to Twilight with a questioning gaze.

“How?”

Twilight just rolls her eyes.

“Oh Anon, don’t tell me all humans underestimate unicorn magic.”

“You did this yourself?”

She shrugs.

“Yes, well, I just waited until I had enough energy and then used magic and some local herbs Zecora taught me about to heal my wounds. Once those felt better, I felt stronger and could do even more to touch up my wounds and yours too. Finding water was the hard part, but there’s a stream nearby, so we’re lucky on that one. We’ve been here for a day or so, since yesterday evening.”

“A day?”

You now notice that the leaves have been piled in around you, like a bed. Sticks have been set neatly in a frame nearby, and you guess that’s where Twilight has been resting. It’s all very organized, for being int he middle of nowhere, but you would have expected nothing less from your companion.

“Yes, so you’ve at least had a little time to heal,” she says a little proudly. Than, more cautiously, “How does it all feel for you?”

“It’s amazing…I thought you were down for the count though.”

“I almost was,” she admits wryly. “I could barely heal the scratches on my forelegs at first. You really had me worried there too, you were thrashing back and forth, mumbling to yourself. I though your head wound might have become infected, and you definitely had a fever. I wasn’t sure my magic would be enough, or that you’d ever wake up.”

“Nah, just ran myself silly I guess.”

“Either way, you're ok now.”

There’s something more, something uncomfortable behind that last sentiment. Rather than let it go, you decide to push the topic.

“Twilight, is something wrong?”

She sits back away from you awkwardly, avoiding your gaze.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s obviously not nothing, what’s up?”

She glances from your feet then back to her own, rapidly. Then she chews the corner of her bottom lip a moment and shifts her weight from one side of her body to the other.

“A-anon?”

“Yeah Twilight?”

“Who’s Miranda?”

That sets you back a mental step or two. You blink, dumbfounded, at her as you try to process this unexpected twist in the conversation.

“How...where did you hear that name?”

“You said it,” she says. “In your sleep. You sounded really hopeful when you said it, like it was something really important to you.”

“She is,” you blurt out. “I mean, yes, she was.”

“Oh,” Twilight says, still averting her eyes. “That’s...helpful.”

There’s still that awkward and uncomfortable feeling behind her words. Perhaps it will help if you give a bit more detail than that, even though you're not totally sure why it bothers her. You sigh heavily.

“She was a friend of mine back in my world,” you explain. “A really close friend, maybe back all the way into childhood I guess. She was the last human person I saw, I think, until this new asshole showed up out of nowhere.”

“And you miss her?”

“Yeah, I really do,” you say. “I’d always hoped that we could have been together someday as more than friends.”

“So, you’re saying she was your very special somepony?” Twilight asks hesitantly.

She’s obviously not very good with these emotional sorts of conversation, as evidenced not only in her blushing cheeks but in her inability to meet your eyes. Her conversational skills are more suited to mathematics, science, numbers, concretes. In this line of talking, you can tell that she’s floundering very much like a fish out of water.

“Well, not quite,” you explain. “I felt that way about her but she really didn’t feel that way about me. I could have pretty much been her brother for all it mattered, and that was ok with me. It hurt sometimes, but I was glad to, you know, have her in my life at all.”

“Oh Anon, I’m so sorry,” Twilight says, and you can tell she genuinely means it.

She reaches out a hoof and places it consolingly on one of your knees. You look at it, then up at her. She looks almost sad, you decide, like she’s feeling some of that loss as well.

“Do you have someone special back home?” you ask, and immediately wish you hadn’t.

Twilight flushes deeply and she fiddles with the tip of her tail nervously. She also doesn't look any happier, and you think for a moment that maybe you’re the one who’s bad with these sorts of conversations.

“Um, once. A long time ago before I got to Ponyville. Sort of. Kind of like what you said. Look, if you’re feeling ok, maybe we should begin looking for a place to hide so we can recover fully before we head for home. You know, just in case that man comes after us again.”

“Yes. Good. We should do that.”

You jump at the chance to break the tension that you’ve so stupidly created. Twilight stands and you too try to find your balance. You sway on your feet, but you’re surprisingly steady. Even so, Twilight slips a friendly shoulder below your palm in case you need something to hold onto. You again notice how pristine her coat looks compared to a day earlier. There’s not even a scar or remnant of a scratch on her!

“That’s some good magic,” you say as she begins to walk out of the small clearing with you. “I can’t even tell you’d been hurt.”

Twilight smiles bashfully and shrugs.

“It’s a spell I’d been working on with Spike around the time you brought Marigold to me,” she says. “I’ve only used it a few times, but this sort of healing magic seems to come pretty easily to me.”

“That’s handy.”

“Yes, but I was very nervous about how it would turn out on a human.”

You wonder if your injuries are as invisible as hers. You reach up to touch your face and find pock marks in your skin, just little indents. Twilight looks up at you apologetically, and you can see guilt in her expression.

“Hey, it’s no big deal. Some people think scars add character,” you assure her. “Just how bad off was I anyway?”

Twilight looks away from you to focus on the path ahead of you and considers the question.

“You had gashes all over, a lot of dried blood. I counted seven contusions,” she says slowly and methodically, listing your symptoms one by one. “There was a laceration on your cheek that was still bleeding when I started healing it, and I found two broken ribs on your left side. You were also very warm to the touch, a high fever, though I couldn’t tell if it was from infection, exhaustion, or dehydration.”

You chuckle to yourself. It feels strange, and you wonder how long it’s been since you honestly laughed out of amusement. Twilight glances up at you.

“What’s so funny?”

“Just didn’t take you for the doctor type,” you say. “But you certainly seem to have a knack for it.”

“It’s simple categorization of symptoms and then process of elimination to find a cause and then a cure. Especially out in the woods like this.”

“I was paying you a compliment,” you say, chuckling a little more.

“I...oh. Then thank you,” she says, smiling sheepishly.

Ahead, you spot a large cropping of rocks jutting upwards through the trees. It’s not big enough to be a mountain or anything, but it’s significant enough to climb to try to get a look around. You nudge Twilight’s shoulder and gesture towards it.

“Think that might be an ok vantage point?” you ask.

She squints at the stone and then nods.

“Yes, I think that will do nicely.”

The two of you direct your steps towards the great gray crag of rock. It grows taller and taller as you approach, more forbidding and sharp in its spires. The trees fall away as you get nearer, giving way to blank brown earth and patches of exposed stone. Twilight stops and points towards a particularly spiny bit of the rock.

“I think I see an opening there. It could be a cave or at least offer some sort of shelter.”

“It could also have some pissed off animals sleeping there,” you say.

You don’t want to be the pessimist, but you need to prepare for the worst. There aren’t many resources out here, at least that you know how to use, and the last thing you need is a snakebite or bear mauling. Twilight swells a little with pride though and gives you a confident smile.

“Oh, no need to worry Anon. Fluttershy gave me a few tips on how to interact with animals so that they don’t attack or get scared right away.”

“Really?” you ask incredulously.

“Yes. Well, I never had too much luck with skunks, but what are the odds of it being skunks, right?”

You don’t tell her that it’s more likely skunks than bears or timberwolves, or something else less pungent. You just smile and gesture for her to lead the way. Better she get sprayed while trying out these techniques than you, she’d probably know how to magic the smell away anyhow.

The opening in the rock is hardly a cave, you notice as you approach. One slab of stone has broken off where it juts out of the ground, and has fallen sideways to rest against a tall, sheer rockface in a kind of lean-two. Luckily, because it’s small, you can see that it is free of any sign of wildlife. Twilight claps her front hooves together happily.

“See? I didn’t even have to try my new animal-friendly skillset.”

“Yeah, that’s a relief.”

Twilight cocks an eyebrow at you.

“Er, that isn’t to say you wouldn’t have been great at it,” you say quickly.

The last thing you need to do after Twilight has been so good to you is insult her abilities. But you can see in her still happy expression you haven’t offended her.

“Well, lets see if it’s comfy in there, shall we?” she says.

She easily walks under the low slope of the rock, but you have to duck down to get inside. Once in, you find you can’t stand straight up so you instead crouch down on the ground next to Twilight. It’s cramped, but big enough for you to stretch out to sleep if need be, and it does hide you somewhat. Twilight is examining the chamber with a satisfied grin.

“Yes, this will do fine,” she announces.

“Not exactly the Ritz.”

“The what?”

“Nevermind,” you say.

Sometimes you forget that ponies don’t know places and things from your world. Is there an equivalent perhaps? The Gilded Bridle or something like that? Not important now, you put it out of your mind.

“I should probably get climbing and see if I can get a baring on where we are.”

You stand, still ducking in the small space, and make a move for the mouth of your small shelter.

“Hey Anon?”

“Hm?”

You turn around and catch your cheek on a sharp bit of rock spiking out from the wall. You wince in pain and hold up a hand to your face. When you draw it away there’s a small streak of blood there. Twilight sighs exasperatedly.

“Well, I was going to say that you’re still recovering from blood loss, days of being dizzy and out of it, and that you should rest. I might even be strong enough to teleport myself up there so that you don't have to climb, if we’re lucky and I can remember the spell right. Now, though, I’m going to have to heal that cheek of yours, so sit down and rest yourself for a moment.”

“Is that an order nurse Twilight?” you say jokingly.

“Hey, if I need to order you around like I do to Spike, then I will,” she says “So sit, mister.”

“Yes ma’am!”

You sit down in front of her and she raises a hoof to your cheek. She examines the wound carefully, touching the edges of it with the tip of her hoof and smoothing the skin above and below it. You try not to react to the needlepricks of pain that flicker though your face when she does. Her horn begins to glow softly with violet light, and your cheek feels warm.

“Why am I always having to patch you up,” she mutters.

“Just lucky?”

“You’re the lucky one that I’m here.”

“I really am,” you say earnestly. “I wouldn’t be alive without you.”

She stops, surprised at your words, and again blushes. Her horn stops glowing, apparently finished with her healing work.

“Well,” she fumbles with her words. “I wouldn’t be here without you either so...I guess we’re even?”

“I don’t know,” you say, trying to turn all this into a big joke. It’s getting pretty serious a little too fast for your liking. “I think maybe you still owe me some, I mean I had to carry you, do you know how much you weigh? You’re pony, I should have made you carry me!”

Twilight doesn’t laugh. She’s staring into your eyes with a funny sort of expression, one you can’t quite name. You can feel her hoof tremble against your cheek and you reach up with one hand to steady it. Her face is still flushed and she looks as though she might cry. Is she ok? Did you go too far? Maybe she’s guilty, or sad, or all this stress is finally getting to her. You’re so inconsiderate, you should have picked your words more carefully. You run a thumb gently across the back of her hoof and lower your head to look her in the eyes, but she again turns them away.

“Twilight?”

All at once her face is moving towards yours. You sit, frozen by shock, as she closes her eyes and leans in. You feel her breath on your mouth, the warmth from her face. And then the curve of her lips find your unexpecting mouth. You sit, reeling, as you try to take stock of what’s happening. Even as your mind feels useless, your body begins to react. Your eyelids shut and your grip on her hoof tightens. Your other hand slips up to the back of her neck, drawing the kiss in closer, more intimately. You hear her and feel her moan against your lips at your touch, and you part them slightly, giving access to...

Wait. Wait what are you doing?

Your brain finally catches up with your body and you draw back sharply, breaking the kiss. You stare bewildered at a now deeply blushing Twilight. She tilts her head sideways questioningly, eyes flickering from yours to down at her hooves.

“Anon?”

“Twilight,” you say, not really aware of the words that are coming out of your mouth. “You don’t have to do that. I was kidding, you don’t owe me anything.”

“But I do,” she says softly, leaning towards you again.

You put up a hand to gently restrain her. Your body is yelling at you to let go, go back to that wonderfully sweet feeling it was just reveling in moments ago. But no, this isn’t right. This isn’t the time or the reason. Even though you maybe do want it. And…you do want it. When did that happen?

“No,” you say. “You don’t owe me. You shouldn’t feel like you need to kiss me or do anything with me to say thanks.”

“It’s not because of that.”

“You’re just reacting to this moment,” you try to tell her. “You’re just feeling this way because I make you feel safe, protected, and we're still in a scary place. We’ve been trying to escapee danger for, what, a few days now? You’re not thinking straight.”

“That’s not it,” she insists. She is starting to look frustrated. Suddenly she blurts out: “If that was it, then why would I have kissed you when you were asleep before and we were both safe?!”

She claps both hooves over her mouth and her eyes widen. You simply stare at her, not sure you understand what she is saying. That kiss, that warm wet velvet kiss in your dream...that was real? That was actually Twilight kissing you so sweetly? You feel a tightness in your chest and your mouth gets dry.

“You...kissed me?” you say weakly.

Twilight nods without taking her hooves off her mouth. You shake your head slowly in disbelief as a response.

“Why?”

It’s such an awkward question but it’s all you can think to say right now. Twilight lowers her hooves and stares downward. She proceeds to begin drawing circles and squares in the dirt of the cave floor.

“Well, because you looked so feverish, so upset. And you kept saying the name Miranda and reaching out for someone. I wanted to comfort you and I figured you were feeling alone and confused with that new human showing up. It just…seemed like the right thing to do. And you seemed to like it. Do you, you know, miss other humans?”

Her question catches you off guard. Since when are you the subject of this conversation? It’s so sudden that you momentarily forget about discussing this stealthy sleep kiss she apparently planted on you.

“I guess,” you say.

“You miss that special somepony you told me about?”

“She’s not...Ok, but yeah I do miss her.”

“Well I wanted to be there for you, to make you not feel so alone.” She sighs heavily. “I knew that feeling for a lot of my life before I came to Ponyville. Loneliness can be so cold, so endless feeling. And I didn’t want you to feel that.”

“I don’t feel alone when I’m with you,” you say.

She looks up into your eyes, and you can see the glistening of budding tears there. The memories of all that time alone as a filly must be so painful for her, even just talking about it sets her off. But she manages a smile for you now, ever the brave little pony.

“You don’t have to always think about me,” you say, resting a hand on her shoulder. “You should consider your own feelings too. Don’t ever do anything you don’t want to just for me.”

“Then, I should do what makes me happy first?”

“Yes,” you say with a relieved sigh. “That’s exactly what I mean.”

Twilight studies you, then again raises a hoof to your cheek. You try to stop her once more, but this time your body doesn’t react. She leans towards you, her lips parted. Your eyes begin to close and your hand again slips into the curve behind her head. You feel the need to stop her, but your body is just easing into the moment so quickly that it’s overwhelming.

“What about the man?” you manage to whisper.

“I don’t care.”

“What about-"

“I don’t care.”

“Twilight-”

“This is what I want,” the scarcely more than breathes against your mouth.

You lean forward and your lips interlock with hers. This time, you let your instincts take over and you hold her tight to you as you kiss her back. When she moans against your mouth you open it to let the sound into you. Your fingers interlace with her mane, feeling the soft warmth of her fur and her body. Now at last you can fully admit that you wanted this too. You’ve wanted this for a while in some way, though not this intensely until the last few days.

Twilight slowly draws her face away from you, the sweetness and moisture of her kiss still lingering on your lips. You open your eyes to find her staring at you, with a sort of fear in her expression. Her lower lip quivers.

“You ok?” you ask, stroking the back of her head.

“Yes I just...I’ve never.”

“Never?”

“Never...you know...”

She raises a hoof and gingerly touches it to her slightly smiling lips. The implications hit you like a ton of bricks. Holy shit. Twilight’s never been kissed before. You’re her first kiss? When you were asleep, and then here? Now it’s your turn to blush.

“Well...I-I’m honored.”

It’s all you can think to say and it sounds so damn cheesy. She smiles.

“Have you...did you ever?” she mumbles.

“Oh, kissed someone? Yeah. I’ve done that,” you admit, almost boastfully. You’ve done more than that before too, but it’s probably not right to brag about it now. Twilight looks both hopeful and embarrassed.

“Then am I doing it right? I mean, if there’s a way I can improve or a different technique I should be using, please just let me know and I'll do my best.”

“Twilight.”

“I’ve only read about it in books and seen other ponies do it before so I don’t have any real experience in-"

“Twilight.”

“I’m just saying that-"

You pull Twilight to your body again and kiss her firmly on the mouth. Her words melt away into a sigh of relaxation and pleasure. The weight of her slumping against you tips you backwards unexpectedly, and you don't try to catch yourself. You fall onto your back with her prone form resting on top of you. She squeals into your kiss at the change of position, and you cant help enjoying the feel of her body shuddering in surprise against yours. She draws her head back.

“Oh, uh Anon, I think there’s a rock under one of my legs, could we maybe move over?”

You go to shift and realize with embarrassment that no, that’s not a rock under her leg. You feel your cheeks burn.

“Anon, are you ok?”

“Um...Twilight?” You try to find a way to put this. “Stallions around here...do they...um...anatomically speaking...”

At the scientific word, her ears perk up. She looks down at her hind leg, and you watch the wheels turn in her head. Then the lightbulb comes on. She goes from looking interested, to shocked, and then to looking just as embarrassed as you.

“Oh,” she says.

“Yeah.”

“I’m...sorry?”

“No, don’t be it means I like this.”

Your face continues to feel hotter with every word. Wow, you cannot stop saying idiotic things, can you? You clench your teeth hard and tell yourself to stop talking like such an awkward loser.

“Should I...move?” Twilight asks.

“If you want to.”

“And...and if I don’t want to?”

You look up into her face as a rush of nervousness and arousal floods your senses. Is she saying what you think she’s saying? By that look in her eyes, yes that's exactly what she means.

“You can stay then,” you murmur.

You draw her chin down to you and kiss her deeply. Her body moves sensually against yours, the inside of her thigh grazing your member. Now it’s your turn to moan into her kiss. As you open your mouth she presses her tongue past your lips and against your tongue. Has she really never done this before? You return the favor, drinking in her murmurs of pleasure, sharing the same breath she holds.

Your hand trails down from her shoulder to find the curve of her back and the gently rising slope of her rear. The fur is so smooth and soft here, the muscles so firm. You squeeze her there and she presses her hips forward against you. The sensation of her grinding down against your cock is so strong that you break the kiss to gasp for air.

“I-is that ok?” Twilight asks, startled by your reaction.

She sounds breathless too. You can feel her chest heaving, her shoulders quivering.

“…Oh yes,” you say."Keep going."

She grinds against you again and you muffle a groan through gritted teeth. She stops abruptly.

“I’m afraid I might...I think I’ve gotten your pants wet.”

You’re about to say that it’s probably you and that she shouldn’t worry, since you doubt she knows much about precum. But then you feel the warmth of moisture against your upper leg. That’s…that really is her. Damn, she’s getting just as turned on as you. The feeling of her juices leaking out onto your pants only makes you harder. You press your shrouded member up into her thigh and she moans softly, looking away from you and trying to stifle the sound.

“It’s ok,” you whisper, touching her chin tenderly. “Don’t be embarrassed. I like it.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, it’s normal to react this way.”

“Oh. Ok then, as long as this what’s supposed to happen.”

“Do you want to stop?”

“No,” she says quickly, almost desperately.

You smile and she bashfully averts her gaze from you.

“If you ever want me to stop, just tell me.”

“I will.”

You again push your hips upwards and hers down against you in opposition, taking the time to slide your cock against the warm wetness seeping through your pants. It’s hard to tell if you’re hitting her pussy or not, but the shudder in her body and longing groan tell you that you’re at least doing something right. You reach down with the hand that was resting on her ass, searching for her pussy. She fidgets nervously on top of you, but it allows you enough space to reach up under her with your fingers. The fur there is slick and wet, and it’s easy to navigate towards the source. Twilight lets out a squealing moan as you touch soft wet skin, and begin exploring it with your fingers.

“Nhhy, Anon...” she breathes in pleasure. “No one’s ever...mhnnn...”

You gently kiss her as you spread her warm, wet lips and probe with one finger for her hole. You find it, and your index finger slides easily in. Twilight tosses her head back and cries out in what sounds like surprise and pleasure. You pause. She's a virgin, so maybe this is hurting her a little more than you’d guessed.

“Twilight?”

“Don’t stop,” she urges, pressing down onto your finger.

You push your finger in deeper, feeling how intensely warm and soft she is inside. You feel her muscles twitch and her hips buck involuntarily as you curl the tip of your finger slightly against her inside. She covers her mouth to stifle a moan and blushes.

“S-sorry,” she says.

“Don’t be,” you assure her. “Relax, enjoy it.”

As if you’ve flipped a switch, Twilight collapses down across your body, her front hooves pressed against your chest and her muzzle resting beside your ear and neck. You can hear her panting, shivering breaths and soft whimpers of pleasure as they slip out of her mouth. It's heavenly to know that she can at last let go of her assignments from the princess, stress of the world, hardship of earlier, all simply at your touch. You realize that you've wanted to help her do this, that some part of you just wants to give her reprieve from everything. You've wanted to be her release and maybe you've even wanted her to be yours.

You pull your finger part way out of her then push it back in, trying to develop a slow rhythm. Her breaths begin to come in time with your movements and an occasional groan or restrained whimper floats to your ear. You can tell she’s in some small amount of pain, but that it’s totally overwhelmed by pleasure, and you feel her twitching harder inside as you pick up pace.

Your member is straining against your pants, aching to burry itself inside her now. You’re thrusting up against her in time with your fingers, and Twilight’s bucking hips tease the underside of your head maddeningly. You want her right now. Here. Like this. More than any person you’ve ever known, in a way that you can’t even explain. You know she’s a pony, that this is strange and awkward, but you just don’t care. Her fluids are continuing to spread over you, and you can smell a sweet hot aroma emanating from where it’s collecting.

“Twilight,” you whisper feverishly. “Do you...do you want to? With me?”

“Mngh yes,” she moans. “Oh Celestia yes Anon!”

In a flash you’ve grabbed her body and have thrust her down onto the ground beside you. Your body acts of its own accord, but now your mind supports it and urges you onward. You have to have her. You’re going to have her. She yelps in surprise as you draw your fingers out of her and roll your body so that you’re poised over her, your hands on either side of her head. You’re breathing hard and so is she, by the looks of it. She cowers under the shadow of your body, shaking all over and looking up at you with large and frightened eyes.

A feeling of tenderness overtakes you, blending with the lust. You lower yourself and kiss her forehead, her cheeks, her neck, then at last her lips. Her legs part and your hips gently push down onto her. She’s shaking so violently now, it’s a little unnerving. You pull back and look down at her affectionately, trying to calm her.

“I’ll go slow,” you tell her. “If it hurts too much, I’ll stop”

“I just...what if I’m not good at it. I’ve never even practiced this or read much about it. I really should have studied more.”

You smile warmly and caress her cheek.

“Twilight, it’s ok.”

She nods and shifts so that she’s flat on her back, legs spread apart. Slowly, she places her front hooves on the center of your chest and moves her tail sideways away from any potential mess. She gazes into your eyes and you see her take a deep breath and let out a long slow sigh. Her body stops trembling somewhat.

Wordlessly, you reach down at tug at your pants front to loose your hard and twitching cock. You catch a glimpse of the inviting pink of her pussy and your member slides free of your pants, almost on its own. Twilight is blushing hard at the sight of your exposed cock, but you focus is set on her body now, her perfect, wet, warm pussy. With an apprehensive hand you steady your cock in front of her opening. Her heat and wetness touch your head and a rolling wave of pleasure runs through you just at that simple pressure.

Twilight winces under you and you feel her lips twitch against your cock. With a moan you press against her resistant opening, hearing the slick squish of her skin against your skin.

“Mnh,” Twilight whimpers.

With a sudden slip your member pushes past her opening and you’re instantly deep inside her. Her body arches up into you and she lets out a sharp cry. You’re inside Twilight, you’re buried deep in her. The realization is an intense one, and you too can’t suppress an ecstatic moan. Her muscles clench, grabbing hold of your cock, and it’s all you can do not to cum right then and there.

You take a deep breath and you’re able to keep yourself from cumming. You look down at Twilight and she’s panting hard, her hooves pressing firmly but quaking against your chest. There are tears in the corners of her eyes from the initial pain of penetration, but she doesn't seem to be hurting too much now. You wait till you feel her relax and then you begin to move. Your strokes are slow and deep at first, gentle like you promised. At first Twilight is still beneath you, but soon she rolls her hips up against you with every motion you make. You begin to form a complimentary rhythm with her, thrusting deeper and more firmly every time. Her cries, initially tinged with pain, now become long groans of pleasure. She feels red hot around your cock and so tight that every squeeze is intensified.

You begin to put more force behind it and you sit up a little straighter. You grab her just above her haunches to get more leverage, pulling her body down onto your cock in time with your rhythm. Her body is hot, sweating, writhing as you move. God, you’d never have though it would feel so good to fuck a pony, especially Twilight. You can hear the slap of your body hitting her wet fur and rear, and know she's still leaking juices all over you.

Even though it's her first time, even though you're no stallion and just some human, you can feel how much she loves this. You can see in her movements, feel from the inside that she loves having you embedded so firmly in her.

“Oh Anon,” she moans. “Yes, mynhhh.”

You'd hoped to last longer, but it's been so long since you've been with anyone, even kissed anyone. You can already feel the pleasure inside you building now towards an inevitable end. Your pace increases, your hips bucking wildly as you begin to fuck her in earnest now. Her legs squeeze your hips and ribs, pulling you deep into her with every stroke.

“Twilight,” you gasp out. “I’m getting close, I’m-“

“Finish inside me,” she urges.

Her head is thrown back against the floor, eyes shut, mouth open. You give her lips a swift kiss in thanks for that sweetest of commands before you resume your thrusts. The intense rolling waves that urge you towards release are building. They’re coming more frequently now, wracking your body harder every time they crash, and you can feel Twilight spasming around your cock more frequently now too. She whimpers, a desperate, needing whinny and you realize that she’s getting close too. God, you’re going to cum at the same time.

You thrust your cock into her with full abandon, plunging yourself as deep inside her as you can, and pulling her hard against you by her middle. You pump her almost violently, her chin and hind legs bobbing with your movements.

Tension is building. Muscles tighten, heat rises, your head swims.

“C-cumming,” you manage to warn her in a hoarse whisper.

She half shrieks half moans and arches her back suddenly upwards in response. You feel her clamp down on you hard with a rush of wetness, and that’s all it takes to send you over the edge.

You thrust deep with all your force behind it, holding yourself there as you spurt your seed into her. The orgasm wracks your body once, twice. Over and over, not releasing its grasp on you. Your body empties into her as she shivers all over, from her ears down to her tail. Inside she clenches around you again and again, milking everything out of you. Then she goes limp and you too collapse down onto her, completely out of breath and spent.

You try not to crush her under your weight, but it's so hard to move. You're dizzy, weak, gasping, and she's holding onto you, stroking your back with one hoof like she wants you there on her. You slip your arms around her and roll to one side, enveloping her body with your own and burying your nose and mouth in her mane. You can smell the sharp scent of what you've just done hanging in the air inside the cave and feel the grit of dirt on your palms. You breathe it in, tasting her and you intertwined, feeling it in every one of your senses.

Did this really happen? Are you dreaming?

No. You just had sex with Twilight, your mind tells you. This happened. This is real. And it was the greatest thing you've ever felt in your life.

You feel a trembling kiss on your cheek and turn to give her one of your own. With a soft shlik you pull your hips backwards and your member slides out with a drip and gush of cum. Twilight flinches, then sighs and nuzzles her head into your neck. You both lie unmoving there together, a mess of sweat, cum, dirt and exhaustion. But together. Alive, more alive than you’ve ever felt.

“I love you Anon,” she whispers in a trembling, reverent tone.

Those words linger in your head as you drift quickly and helplessly towards sleep.

Author's Note

And now I finally get to add the sex tag to this story. I did not do this before, because I don't feel like it's fair to say a story has sex a week and five long chapters before there finally is any. I may be cruel, but I'm not that much of a tease. So here it is...hope it does not...er...disappoint?

Oh, and for any of my regulars reading this: Why yes, I CAN in fact write sex scenes that are romantic, non-kinky, and consensual. Shocking, I know.

You may remember I mentioned the characterization of Marigold before, and you may seen what I mean now. This is such a drastic change from the previous dream she's in, and she's so tender now. Perhaps the previous dream was just Anon's guilt getting to him? Perhaps now she can be kind because his debt was paid by his saving Twilight? Perhaps I should keep better track of my intentions in writing? Yeah, probably that last one.

This is the longest piece by far of this story, so I hope you enjoyed going through that.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

-Pencil