“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”

― Joe DiMaggio.

Karn walked along the road back into town with this patient landlady (or pony he presumed) escorting him, with Apple Bloom keeping them company. The day for his re-birthday had arrived, it seemed. The strange metaphor of his advance into Ponyville for a birthday - 'tactical advance to battle' he humorously thought - being akin to the passage of a newborn child on its first day exutero.

"It's very kind of you to escort one so young to a public celebration, AJ," he managed after a few moments.

"Someone so young, Karn?"

"As the glowing and effusive Pinkie suggested some days ago, since I've not celebrated a birthday before, this then marks my first," he explained. He stood tall, raising his right arm across his chest, summoning the best dramatic pose he could manage under the circumstances. "Thus, AJ, I am officially turning one today. And I feel so much the better, lovely miss Bloom, to be accompanied by such a charming young lady!"

"Aw, shucks, Karn! That's mighty sweet of you!"

Applejack offered him an amused smile. "Well, Karn, ah must say yer lookin' mighty strange fer a critter that's one year old."

"Har!" he guffawed. He looked out over the orchard. Harvest had gone exceptionally well, and most of the trees were now bare. "I actually pointed out something similar to Pinkie at the time. I mentioned that for a one year old, I looked rather haggard."

"Well, ah reckon yer lookin' mighty handsome, Karn, if ah may say so."

"Such flattery, AJ! If you continue on, I am afraid I shall have to punish you with a dance! I should warn you - you may need to wear some puttees or such around your ankles. I have been known to have to render basic first aid following lessons with my long suffering teacher."

Applejack managed a small laugh. "Karn, it's ... well, it's lovely to see yew soundin' so chipper again."

"After what happened the other morning?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. I hope I didn't scare you none, when I grabbed you at the barn like that."

"Oh, AJ. If you'd left me to my own devices, we would be minus a barn door, and I would no longer have fingerprints."

"... Fingerprints?" she asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Of course, I forgot! You don't have .... well, fingers. Here! Take a close look at the ends of my fingers," he offered. They stopped on the track, and Applejack took a close look at the ends of his phalanges. After a little coaching from Karn. she could indeed ascertain the different shapes of lines on his fingertips.

"Wow! I guess ah'd never noticed that before!"

"Can I see, Karn?" asked Apple Bloom.

"My dear, the honor would be mine," he answered, kneeling and offering her the front of his hands. It took a little more coaching on his part, but finally the mystery of 'fingerprints' seemed to have succumbed to explanation.

"Well to be fair, AJ, the only time you had the chance to examine my hands so closely, I had a good deal of barn related debris jammed lovingly into my dermis. As my father would often tell me, 'lay not your head to sleep, until you have learned something that day'. Wise advice. Miss Bloom, make it a point to learn something every day, before you go to sleep."

Applejack smiled back up at Karn as they continued their walk towards town. Karn's usual high-speed gait had been reduced somewhat. He'd explained to her earlier that he didn't wish to rush. Not only was there a good deal of time before Pinkie's much anticipated festivities commenced, but he'd felt that a relaxing pace would help to calm his nerves.

The three wanderers had made their way to the town square. This did not prove to be a difficult task, as lit up as it was and with the continual background chorus of happy ponies chatting to one another. Scores of young fillies and colts raced around the outside of the square, chasing each other, and others imitated their chosen heroes. A magnificent looking canopy covered rows of tables and chairs, with each place wonderfully decorated. A barrage of colors, scents, sounds and joyous movement assailed Karn's senses. Balloons and streamers - far too numerous to count - filled the space within the town square.

Apple Bloom had of course leaped for joy and had trotted off with her other crusader friends, leaving just Karn and Applejack standing just outside the range of the lights, somewhat hidden in the shadows.

It was a vision at once beautiful and frightening. 'My God ... she arranged something like this ... for me,' Karn realized. He had not expected to be quite so moved at the spectacle, but this was a battle within which he'd become almost immediately combat ineffective. In awe, he continued to slowly gaze over the throng. They were all having so much fun, and clearly enjoyed the opportunity to be cavorting thus. His hands began to tremble ever so slightly.

Applejack had noticed this sudden change in his demeanor. She had made it a point to keep a very close eye on him, just in case he started to lose control a little. She was determined to help him enjoy this evening, whatever it took. She gently nuzzled the end of his hand.

Karn slowly rotated his head down to observe Applejack, his heart once more warmed by her gentle attentions. He wondered at the way she could be so careful, so gentle and mindful of the feelings of others, before using her incredibly strong hind legs to go beating apples out of trees. Kneeling, he gently slid his hand up to her cheek. "Thank you, AJ. You can never possibly comprehend how much your care means to me," he whispered. The two exchanged looks for a moment.

'Karn, please don't be doin' this to me right now,' she thought firmly to herself. The feeling of his hand resting so warmly, so gently on her cheek, was almost painful.

He slowly roused himself, got to his feet and turned to face the town square. "Well, let us see if I piss my pants when I see the elephant."

Making their way towards the throng, Karn quite suddenly and reflexively threw himself backwards and initiated a hard right roll across the ground. A pink blur blew past the spot where he had just been standing. Vaulting back onto his feet, he swerved so quickly that the precise manner in which his muscles had facilitated this action could not be determined. He stood there, hands out, in a defensive posture.

Pinkie Pie came to a screeching halt having overshot her guest of honor. She was momentarily surprised that she had not in fact met Karn with all four hooves to give him the full body embrace she had planned to. "Hey!! I missed!!" she laughed. "I was trying to give you the biggest and best birth of a birthday party party hug! Why'd you jump out the way like that? I wouldn't have jumped out the way, I'd have run towards the pony who was trying to hug me so that you can both hug that much sooner ... "

"Pinkie, I'm sorry!" apologized Karn. "It's just that with this party, I'm still somewhat nervous and when you suddenly materialized like that ... well, I just avoided you out of instinct. It's a very old habit, I meant no offense."

"That's okay, silly!! Can I give you a hug now???"

"Well, that would be ... " he attempted. She was of course wrapped around him before he'd had a chance to continue on with the words and such that one would expect to find in a sentence.

"HAPPY BIRTH OF A BIRTHDAY PARTY PARTY, CLUBBY!"

Karn momentarily grimaced. 'Oh for fuck's sake. Et tu, Pinkie? Et tu?' "Pinkie ... did you just use my old nickname by any chance?"

"Absolutely! I love your nickname! A club makes me think of party games, so I thought that maybe a game involving a club and some apples, or a piñata would be great! I've got so many piñatas and they are all so full of candy, oh I spent so long making all these different types of candy and I made some special ones out of the drink I make that I know you love!"

His visual imagination for once helped to alleviate his stress somewhat. Taking the meaning of his old nickname and applying it to Pinkie's party games made for some curious scenes. He imagined the shocked and horrified reactions of the party patrons if he were to stand on his table, unzip his pants and proceed to use his endowment to beat a paper donkey to death. 'Huh, I suspect you would earn yourself a new nickname at least,' he chortled to himself, 'it's certainly not a fetish that I'd want to pursue on a regular basis ... a penile piñata party, in fact,' he laughed to himself again. "Pinkie, I am so grateful for your work and of course I live for your lovely hugs ... but I must implore you, please don't use my nickname? I earned it for certain personal reasons and it feels really odd to have you all using it."

"I'm sorry, Clubby. I'll make sure I never do it again! I made a lot of special cupcakes just for you, too! I hope you love your cake, I did think of making a large cake out of cupcakes, but then I thought maybe I could make the cake and then place cupcakes on top of it or even make several layers of cake with cupcakes holding each up, isn't it funny that somepony discovered how to make cakes from different layers? I thought I'd invent a ... "

"Pinkie, I am as always in awe of your cup-caking abilities," interrupted Karn. "Would you be so kind as to show Applejack and myself to our places?"

"Okey dokie lokie! This way!!" she cheered. Her bouncing resumed once more and the three headed into the town square.

Several of the ponies present had not really seen a great deal of Karn before, nor indeed had they really seen a human. Others had met him occasionally over the past two weeks. He greeted each familiar face along his procession, offering a few words. He was again touched by the friendship that many of them seemed to be willing to offer an outsider.

It was extraordinarily uncomfortable having so many pairs of eyes watching him and he fought hard to keep his reflexes in check. However hard he tried, he could still feel himself beginning to tense. That horrible, clammy sensation began to return. 'Not now, you bastard - and certainly not here,' he growled at himself, all the while forcing a gregarious smile and offering his sincere greetings to the members of the town.

There was that gentle nuzzle on his hand again. Looking around, he spotted Applejack once more. She looked up at him, the unspoken question there on her face. 'Are you doing okay?' she was asking. The gentle touch and the reassuring feeling of having a close friend nearby invigorated him. His parasympathetic nervous system momentarily took over driving, and he slowly calmed down.

Doctor Horse, the 'good doctor' himself, was of course in attendance. "Hello, Karn! It's great to see you looking so well!"

"Thanks, Doc. I've been feeling so much better lately. I've had many carers keeping an eye on me and seeing to my continued health and vigor."

"That's excellent to hear, Karn! If you don't mind, I would like to meet with you at the hospital tomorrow sometime, just to give you a checkup? You do seem very well, but I would still like to make sure that the wounds you sustained have healed properly."

"Doc, I shall be there tomorrow at the first possible opportunity! You need not worry about the sutures on my chest, I removed those several days ago."

The Doctor offered a smile. "I thought you probably would have. You are one of the more stubborn patients I have cared for."

"Thanks, Doc. I will take that to be a compliment!" The two shared a brief laugh.

In the center of the town square was a round table, with eight places set. Pinkie somehow managed to materialize into one. Fluttershy, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Spike and Rarity were already seated, sporting party hats - with the exception of Rarity. She was instead sporting the most astonishing headwear.

"Rarity, it's a birth of a birthday party party! It won't hurt you to wear a party hat, just once!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

"Oh! I simply could not be seen here without at the very least wearing a hat of my own creation! Especially for an occasion as important as this one!"

The others took their seats. Karn once more found himself balanced a little precariously on a chair that was several sizes too small for him. He was moved by the preparations and steeled his nerves enough to pick up and place his party hat upon his head. Still managing a smile, he raised a party horn to his mouth and blew. Pinkie had her hooves around his neck before he could finish.

"That's the spirit!!! Oh this going to be so much fun!!!! Don't worry Karn, I promise this won't hurt you!"

"... Um ... promise that what won't hurt me, Pink ... "

There was a sudden, loud pop following by a shower of confetti and streams that blew over their table. His instinct now in complete command, Karn dived under the table and assumed as secure a stance as the low ceiling there would allow him.

"Oh my goodness!! Are you okay, Karn?" asked Pinkie Pie.

Karn lay balled up under the table, momentarily shocked. His heart was racing and his defensive instincts were now very much at the dashboard of his mind, their fingers eagerly hovering over the metaphorical "fight" button. He slowly began to reason that he was safe and recalled being at a party. His breathing eased, and he began to lower his clenched fists.

"Ah, yeah, Pinkie, I'm ... fine. Just a little shaken," he said. Crawling out from under the table he parted the layers of streamers overhanging it which shielded his vision somewhat. Pinkie was standing there, next to what for all the world looked like a classic cannon. It had a large bore, and the finish had clearly been polished expertly into a lovely silver. "I am assuming, Pinkie, that this would be the party cannon you were referring to," he said finally, having extracted himself from his bolt hole.

"Oh, Karn, I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to frighten you! I thought you'd love the streamers!" apologized Pinkie.

"No, it's fine, Pinkie. I just wasn't ready for the sudden noise. Please, fire away with your party cannon - not only am I fascinated with its operation, but it's clear that all the guests enjoy you putting it to full use."

He slowly returned to his seat, retrieving his hat in the process.

"Are you thirsty, Karn?" asked Applejack.

"Now that you mention it, AJ, my throat is somewhat dry? I could certainly use ... "

"ONE OF THESE!" interjected Pinkie Pie. An all too familiar glass containing that wonderful tasting, consciousness-altering carbonated drink of Pinkie's design, duly appeared. As always with Pinkie, it had appeared seemingly from nowhere.

"Pinkie ... how did you manage to prepare this so ... "

"I keep a few spares around!" she chirped. She reached under the table and somewhat magically produced a second drink. Karn was tempted to christen it the 'mind job' or 'pancreatic death' or such. Whilst these concoctions were lovely, they had a sweetness and a richness that his palette was unlikely to ever adjust to. He'd found that slow sips and taking his time was the key. He was always amused at the manner in which Pinkie consumed an entire glass of what was, as far as Karn was concerned, a psychedelic. She could imbibe the entire mixture before he'd managed to allow himself a single mouthful.

"My dear, you do look very handsome this evening," complemented Rarity.

"My lady, as I am currently fitted out with a most wonderful suit, I shall allow my attire to take the credit," he said graciously. "You should be aware, dear lady, that the clothing which I currently bare has been lovingly and most skillfully crafted by a true beauty, a brilliant seamstress and - I should hasten to add - the most patient dance teacher within the four corners of Equestria."

Rarity managed a blush. "Oh, really, my dear. I am delighted that you are so pleased! It suits you so much better than that silly uniform you insist on wearing."

Karn smiled, the mischievousness apparent through his expression. "My lady, one feels that you could take a weather worn hessian sack, and from thus create a garment of such astounding beauty, befitting even royalty."

Rarity appeared to be somewhat lost for words. "Oh, I ... well! Thank you, my dear!"

"May one suggest a toast?" Karn asked.

"Toast? Ugh, I forgot to prepare toast for the party!! I'll be right back in a jiffy with some toast ..."

"No no, Pinkie ... a toast. Do they not toast here?"

"We love toast! I love toast with honey, OH OH or covered in sprinkles, or with honey mixed with melted chocolate to .... "

"Pinkie, where I'm from, we have a tradition called the 'passing of the cup of friendship'. Essentially when the clans would gather together, the leaders of those clans would pass around a cup where each Kjanken would take a drink. Having taken that drink, the cup would be held in a raised fashion before the bearer, and they would repeat the words 'smiling and in peace I come, smiling and in peace may I go'. Obviously that doesn't mean a great deal here, but I'd like to at least introduce the toast. Would you like me to demonstrate?" he asked.

"That would be very interesting!" exclaimed Twilight. Her notebook again materialized onto the table. Karn was certain that if a tidal wave were to suddenly flood the party, she would spend her drowning moments detailing the sensations she was experiencing, on her way to the other side. "May I ask what a 'Kjanken' is?"

"Ah, well ... I guess you could say 'chief'. The Kjanken is the head of the clan, male or female."

She returned to her notebook and her mad writing. He marveled that the speed with which she used her quill did not actually ignite the paper.

"Right - well, to begin, I announce that I wish to make a 'toast'."

"What do we do?" asked Applejack.

"Once I announce a desire to make a toast, you only need to listen. So, having announced my desire to make a toast, I would stand," he explained, rising to his feet. "Once standing, I would make a statement with respect to the honor I have for a particular person or persons. In this case, I am not toasting one but seven."

His friends at the table glanced up at him, confused, but happy nonetheless. This exposure to other customs was something they all clearly found fascinating.

"My friends, " he said solemnly, "since my uninvited arrival here in Equestria, I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the dedicated care and company of some of the most amazing ponies I have ever met. Fluttershy - for your dear care and kindness, I wish to offer my solemn thanks. Twilight, my gentle inquisitor," he said, as a few of the ponies at the table laughed, "thank you for being so patient with me and for working so hard to ensure that my recovery progresses. Rainbow Dash! I thank you for your dear friendship and the selfless manner in which you have escorted me at times. Rarity, I thank you for the dear care and patience you have shown me, not only with respect to my wonderful attire, but the generous manner with which you have shared your time with me. Thank you for continuing my education with respect to dancing, and I apologize again for having caused you so much physical pain!"

"Oh my dear, it was worth it!"

"Applejack, my dear cousin, I cannot begin to find words to express the gratitude that I have for you and your family. You gave me a bed when I had nothing, offered me work when I was idle and ... " he stopped. The two shared a knowing look - the flashback from the other morning. "... well, for helping to keep me grounded when I was feeling somewhat flighty. Pinkie! My most wonderful, excitable, endearing anti-depressant! I thank you for all your work throwing me such a wonderful party. I thank you also for being there when my sadness would overcome me, bringing me back to the world of the contented just through your presence! You are truly an inspiration! I could not of course forget Spike, my comrade in humor. I thank you for your humorous observations, for they also lift me to better moods, when the world seems dark."

He raised his glass up in front of him. "Please, charge your glasses and be upstanding. A toast! To very dear friends! Cum tibi semper!!" He raised the glass to his lips and took a careful sip rather than the customary deep quaff. He lowered his glass again to notice everyone else sitting at the table and watching him. "Well ... when I say to 'charge your glasses', I meant to make sure they were full. As I say 'to be upstanding', you stand up and offer your drink in front of you, repeating the synopsis of the toast! So, you would stand up holding your glass and repeat 'To very dear friends! Cum tibi semper!' before taking a drink and then returning to your seat."

"That's very interesting. Where does this concept of a 'toast' stem from, Karn? Is that something you would do very often?" queried Twilight.

He sat back down again, cautiously on his pony sized chair. Dammit he really had to start work on his own furniture. Especially if he obtained permission to build his own house. "The toast is a custom at banquets and such, Twilight. Weddings and birthdays primarily."

"Hmmm," she mused. "What was the phrase 'Cum tibi semper'? Is that the name of a leader where you're from?"

"No, Twilight. Essentially it means, 'may you always find peace'. It's just an old language that is still used a lot where I'm from. In fact, most of our medical texts employ parts of that language to this day."

"Very interesting." Twilight said absently. She continued madly scrawling in her book. "And Applejack, he called you his cousin?"

"Yeah! Ah was talkin' to him earlier, and ah thought since we were so close, that kinda made him an honorary cousin."

Twilight was surprised, but nonetheless pleased. "Oh you two, what a lovely sentiment!" The mad writing in her journal continued.

Several of the townsfolk came by their table. They were all very gracious and offered birthday greetings, something Karn was entirely unused to. Sitting at the table with his friends as it was, his taut nerves began to relax a little. The sensation he felt from sipping away at Pinkie's patented 'mind job' also aided in his attempts to relieve the tension in his muscles.

Another explosion erupted from one end of the town square, as yet another party cannon demanded attention from the audience. Karn fought hard against his urge to dive for cover under the table. This feat was made easier by the warning that Pinkie had given him ahead of time. The loud pop of the cannon was still enough to momentarily make his blood run cold. Grappling with his inner demons once more, he reflexively clenched his fists as they rested on the table. To the amazement of all present, Pinkie wheeled in the most spectacular cake that Karn could possibly have imagined existed.

Amidst cheers and a good deal of lip-smacking, the procession of the mountainous confection continued, finally coming to a stop just in front of Karn's table. The one giant candle sat atop the mountain that Pinkie has so masterfully created, the flame lapping the wick and gently fluttering in the slight breeze. 'Jesus ... the effort this must have taken ... and she did this for me?' he puzzled. He remained transfixed.

"Well? Do ya like it? Do ya? Huh? I wanted to make the most amazing cake ever! It look a lot of work to make cupcakes that are strong enough to hold up different layers ... "

"Pinkie, it's ... it's ... "

"... and then I found a great recipe for the layers so that each one of them tastes a little different ... "

"Pinkie ... "

"... and then I thought why not use eight layers so that each layer represents one of us? So I used pink for the bottom layer, blue for the second one ... "

"The cake is just incredible, Pinkie, I don't know what to ... "

"... and of course white for Rarity with special sprinkles I found that are shaped like diamonds, don't you think they look great?? And of course yellow for Fluttershy, and then orange for Applejack ... "

"Pinkie, I am truly at a loss for words, I mean ... "

"... and then the next layer of course has to be a mix of purple and green for Spike, and then of course purple for Twilight, and then I added the final layer which is a light pink color. I hope that's okay? I tried to find just the right color for the icing so that it would look as much like you as possible, and ... "

"Truly a cake of the most incredible proportions, Pinkie, I ... "

"... and the candle was tricky, because most candles for foals are really small and since you're officially one but obviously not a foal, I had to find another candle that had a figure one in it and then cut that off to use it on the top! Well?? Do you like it? Ohhh wait until you taste it!!"

By this point, Karn had given up any attempt at interjecting. Clearly Pinkie was being particularly Pinkie today, and aside from some natural catastrophe, she was very unlikely to rise from the groove that she was in. He contented himself with a smile while he waited patiently for her to give him a chance to answer.

"Pinkie, I have never seen a confection as truly incredible as this," he said fumblingly, "I have never had the pleasure of being honored with anything akin to this ... I am ... I apologize, I am very lost for words," he said quietly. He was confused as to why the sight of a large cake would inspire such an emotional reaction from him.

"And now, we need to sing happy birthday!!! Oooooh, this is going to be wonderful!"

Karn was still stunned by this display of affection from people - or ponies - that he hardly new. To his amazement, the townsfolk joined together in wishing him a happy first birthday. The song was one he was not familiar with and so he assumed that the melody was a part of their celebratory culture. It was beautiful and moving, and each note and lyric that greeted his ears highlighted still further the wonderfully giving and friendly nature of the city. He felt very nearly moved to tears, fighting hard to keep his emotions in check. In this sweet moment, this completely unique experience, he turned around to see Fluttershy. She was singing quietly, but there was a strength in her voice. He met her eyes and she expressed shock for some reason, as if his seeing her was unexpected.

The melody coming to an end with a boisterous chorus of 'hoorays'.

Pinkie leapt onto his back, wrapping her hooves around him. "Come on, Silly!! Make a wish and blow out the candles! ... Well, candle!!"

He found the entire concept of 'wishes' to be absurd, superstitious nonsense, but this was after all a custom and a great display of friendship from them. He silently wished that he could be closer to Fluttershy once more. He gently lifted his right hand across to rest on the hoof that Pinkie had so eagerly slung over his shoulder.

Fluttershy, observing the way Pinkie was so at ease with Karn, felt that much sadder. Clearly he and Pinkie would make a lovely couple, if Pinkie was interested. She was certain that Karn wasn't interested in her. The sadness she felt for losing the creature she loved so dearly grated against her joy of knowing the two of them would be happy. It was the frustration she felt that was the hardest burden to bare. She longed to be able to just throw her hooves around him that way and snuggle up against him. She smiled at the happy pair, and yet tears loomed softly in the corner of her eyes, like rosebuds - just waiting for the right moment to bloom.

Karn blew as accurately and forcefully at the lone candle as he could, extinguishing it with the one attempt. There was a cheer from the ponies present, and Karn found himself very relaxed. He had not expected the evening to go quite so well. That was at least until he heard the band commence playing, while Mr. and Mrs. Cake began cutting the tower of Pinkie's creation so it could be served.

Music - specifically, a tune that was most assuredly a waltz. He had heard these musical pieces many times over the past week, and was well aware that his moment of truth had arrived.

As if on cue, Pinkie suddenly leapt in front of him.

"Wooooo! Karn, it's time for you to pay me for the baking soda I gave you!!!!" she cheered.

Karn turned to face Rarity. "Well, my lady, I hope my performance tonight demonstrates that your effort and self sacrifice were not in vain!"

"Karn, my dear, remember to relax! It's just a dance! Enjoy the music, my dear! ... and remember! Relax! You cannot dance with a lady if you are as tense as the string on a cello, my dear!"

Karn turned back to Pinkie and offered as gracious a bow as space would permit within the town square. "Pinkie, may I have the pleasure of this, " and he struggled not to gulp, " ... this dance?"

"Of course I would, silly!!!!" She immediately leapt into a waltz stance, incredibly enough on her hind legs. He remembered being impressed with the way Rarity managed to achieve that. Taking her soft hooves in his hands and recalling the lessons that Rarity had gave him, he began slowly waltzing through the town center with Pinkie. He still felt somewhat tense and tried to focus on the rhythm of the music to distract himself from what he was sure was a comical spectacle. Gradually, with gentle breathing, he began to relax and to feel looser. He became a little more energetic in his dance, swinging Pinkie delicately around with style - a style that improved the more he kept moving. 'It's hard to admit, but ... God, I'm actually enjoying this!' he admitted to himself. His smile broadened, he looked down to Pinkie, who had been watching him intently. Their eyes met and they shared a warm smile. He felt her move a little closer to him.

Pinkie found herself surprised, which was not something she was used to. Looking into Karn's eyes and basking in his lovely smile, she suddenly felt warm. She felt safe, somehow. He was strong, yet gentle. Brave and yet sensitive. There was such kindness and genuine affection in his eyes. She suddenly realized that she was more fond of him that she'd been prepared to admit. There was no further opportunity for her to consider these thoughts, as the music finished.

Karn gently took a few steps back and bowed lowly. "Thank you, Pinkie. That was ... well, that was just lovely. I had never dreamed that a waltz would be so enjoyable."

She had to clear her throat for a moment. "Ahem, well I'm glad you enjoyed it! I had a very lovely time."

He offered her his hand, and in what he hoped was a gentle manner, lead her back to their table.

Fluttershy had watched the pair dancing and could see the way their eyes met. She felt such joy for Pinkie - if he were to be her special somepony, or some person she guessed, she knew he would make her very happy. 'I don't need to be here,' she thought sadly. 'I should go and let them enjoy each other's company, they don't need to be worrying about me.'

Fluttershy quietly turned and made her way silently towards the exit - as stealthily as she could manage so as not to attract attention. Her heart ached so badly that she felt very nearly physically ill.

Karn and Pinkie returned to the head table. Rarity was very impressed. "Karn, my dear!! That was absolutely lovely! See? I told you that with some practice, even a waltz would suffice! You were very relaxed and oh! What a joy to observe!"

"Thank you, my lady. I had of course the services of a very beautiful and talented dance instructor, though. Did I neglect to mention she is also very, very patient?"

Rarity giggled. "Oh, you do so flatter a lady."

"My lady, it is not flattery! It is merely observation," he said, as playfully as he could manage.

His courage now boosted somewhat, he thought of Fluttershy. His heart began to race at the thought of offering her a dance. 'Well, it's now or never pal. You won't get an opportunity to spend such intimate time with her, possibly ever again. Bite the bullet - ask her to dance,' he thought. He turned to her place at the table but she was not seated there. Thinking she may have risen to go and speak to another of her friends, he stood up and slowly scanned the room. Upon being unable to locate her, he began to feel anxious.

"Twilight, do you have any idea where Fluttershy went to?" he asked.

"Well, no, Karn, Fluttershy is right ... " she began, whilst studying the crowd. As she scanned over those present, she too realized that her kindhearted friend was missing. "That's strange, she was here just a moment ago."

"Has she seemed at all upset, or down to you this evening?" asked Karn, the concern in his voice bare and very nearly uncontrolled.

"Now that you mention it, yes. She has been very quiet this evening, even for her."

Karn felt his anxiety getting worse - and it was bringing reinforcements. Why would she have left so suddenly like this? He appreciated that she was quiet and somewhat shy, but for her to leave so suddenly without so much as letting her friends know? That was very out of character. The tactical center of his mind pondered these facts, and none of the conclusions it reached were very palatable.

"Twilight, would you mind if I made my apologies and went to make sure she's okay? She hasn't really seemed herself the past fortnight. I'm sure she's okay, but ... " he said, unable to expound further and leaving the open ended question floating there.

"Karn, I understand. I know how you feel about her, remember?" she reminded him. The pleading in his eyes all but screamed out to her to give him leave to check on her friend. "Remember, Karn - if you do find her, please be gentle? I don't know what's been wrong with her the past two weeks either, but whatever it is - remember that you promised me you wouldn't hurt her?"

He looked back at Twilight. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Twilight managed a sweet smile.

Hearing that he had permission to leave, Karn was already several steps towards the road leading to Fluttershy's cottage. "It would be easier for me to forget to breathe than to hurt her, Twilight. Oh!" he exclaimed, stopping suddenly. "Twilight, could you please let Applejack know that I may not be back at the farm this evening? I'll continue my search until I'm satisfied she's safe. Oh, and let Pinkie know I will be visiting her tomorrow to thank her for the lovely party!"

Twilight managed a sad sigh. If only Fluttershy knew just how much she meant to Karn. Here truly was a creature that would cross hot coals, fields of thorns, volcanoes, dragons and fire to come to her aid. 'You would throw your life down to save hers, wouldn't you?' she thought to herself. "Certainly, Karn. I'll let AJ, Pinkie and Dashie know that you're looking for Fluttershy and may not be back until tomorrow ... KARN!" she called after him, as he again commenced his traversal of the town square. "Please let me know how she's doing? If not this evening, then please come by and see me first thing tomorrow? And if you CANNOT find her, please come and wake me? I don't care what time of the night it is, I want to be sure she is safe!"

"My heart and my honor, Twilight!" he exclaimed, before turning swiftly on his feet and marching rapidly from the square and out towards the market row.

"Fluttershy, I will not rest until I know you are happy," he promised under his breath.

This was one of those moments when Karn had been very glad that he'd studied the town layout and made sure that he was able to get his bearings from almost any part of Ponyville, based on his view of the horizon at least. He made his way through the somewhat confusing market area of the town, to the bridge over the Bucephalus Brook that led to Fluttershy's cottage. He assumed this would be where he'd find her - the first logical place for him to look, at any rate.

He knocked on the door a few times. "Fluttershy? Are you home, by any chance?" The door opened, to once more reveal Angel Bunny - one of the very few animals he'd met that seemed to have a permanent dislike for him. "Uh, good evening, Angel Bunny, is ah - Fluttershy home by any chance?" Angel shook his head rapidly and remained standing at the door glaring at Karn, as if the absence of the pegasus was his fault somehow. "Oh. Well, sorry to have bothered you. I'll look .... " ... the door abruptly slammed in his face ... " ... elsewhere," he finished, staring blankly back at the wooden door.

He turned around, his hands on his hips and frowned, deep in thought. Where would she have gone, if she hadn't come here? Unless she was here and had given Angel instructions that she didn't wish to speak to him?

'Why would she do something like that?' He tried hard to think of anything that had transpired the past two weeks for her to have developed a sudden dislike for him. They'd been so close those first few months, yet since the planning of tonight's party she'd slowly become very distant from him. She was naturally very quiet, but she'd been especially so these past few days. 'No,' he remonstrated. 'She wouldn't have refused to see me outright that way, what could possibly have given rise to that?' She wasn't refusing to see him, he reasoned, she just clearly wasn't home.

He started to try to think a little more rationally. If she was upset and she hadn't come immediately back to the cottage, she'd have gone to see one of her friends. Since they were all at the 'party' there in the town square, the next best place she'd have gone would have been to one her many animal friends, but they'd be either getting ready for sleep or at any rate would probably have been here at her cottage. There were a lot of them scurrying around and still playing in the twilight around her house as it was.

No - if she was really upset, she'd have gone somewhere quiet. Somewhere that would have provided her with a place to be on her own, to be introspective. A calm place where she could spend time with her own thoughts, without being too far from her home.

It would be too noisy at the moment around town, and she wouldn't have ventured out to anywhere strange like the train station or Sweet Apple Acres (at least not this late, and not on her own). That really only left somewhere near her cottage, given the time of the evening. If he was going to find somewhere to sit and think for any length of time around here, where did he suppose would be the ideal place to do so? Somewhere near the cottage ... somewhere not too far away from the town ... obviously off to the southeast was out of the question, since that led off to the Everfree Forest.

That really only left the meadow to the north of her house, and along the brook.

Karn continued his search off in that direction. He tried his best to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible so as to hear around him effectively, but he didn't wish to appear to be sneaking. He didn't want to just happen upon Fluttershy and frighten her quite silly. He kept his eyes scanning across the meadow, at trees, at places that seemed likely for Fluttershy to be.

He found her quite soon after commencing his search. He could see her sitting at the edge of the brook, just north of where her cottage was, more or less as he'd predicted. She seemed to be alone.

He made an effort to approach her carefully, but doing so in a way that would guarantee not to startle her. He still wasn't entirely sure what her state of mind was, given that she'd left the party so suddenly and without telling any of her friends why.

"Fluttershy?" he asked, walking casually up towards where she was seated near the bank. "Are you okay? We noticed that you'd left the party pretty suddenly there this evening - we were wondering if everything was alright?"

She sat there with her back to him and sighed. She wiped her hooves quickly across her cheeks - it was obvious without even seeing her eyes at this point that she'd been crying. "Oh, Karn ... I'll be okay", she whispered.

She'd 'be okay'? What the hell did that mean? "Fluttershy, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

"Nothing, Karn, I'm sorry if I made you worry," she replied again, very softly and a little sadly. Certainly not convincingly.

Dammit, something was obviously very wrong. His deep love for her, secret though it may be, was not going to allow him to leave her until either she ordered him to, or he determined the reasons why she was so unhappy.

"Do you mind if I sit down for a bit? The view across the brook here is actually rather lovely at this time of the evening - I wish I'd noticed it sooner!" he said softly. This was no feint on his part - he indeed found the view rather stunning. The slowly setting sun still gleamed across the brook, which was startlingly smooth as there was so little wind this evening. It was as if someone had splashed a large container of shimmering, golden paint down a pane of glass.

"Yes, it's rather lovely ... I often come here when I need time alone," she whispered softly. She was seated on the ground, her rear legs brought up to her barrel with her forelegs wrapped around them - looking sadly out across the brook. Given the majesty of their surroundings and that he knew her to be very sweet and sensitive, she should have been moved by the beauty of this sight. Since that was quite clearly not the case, it left him all the more concerned for her.

"Oh. I'm sorry if I interrupted your peace and quiet, Fluttershy," he said quietly, "I was just worried about you."

"Oh Karn ... I'll be okay ... I promise."

She promised? Now he was sure there was something that was a significant source of distress for her. There was something wrong and she was too afraid to tell him. Had he frightened her somehow?

"Fluttershy? I don't understand - you 'promise' you'll be okay?"

"Karn, please ... " she whispered tearfully.

He looked back across the brook toward the town, the agonizing sensation of heartbreak started to set in once more. 'Whatever you did, pal, you must've really fucked things up - she's clearly fed up with you, now', he scolded himself. "It's okay, Fluttershy, I know you want to be alone," and he stood up to prepare to leave.

"Karn, I just came here to be alone, I didn't want to be around you and be in the way!"

"Fluttershy, it's okay. I understand that you'd rather I wasn't here ... "

She began crying, "Karn, please, I ... "

He spoke as gently and as softly as he could manage, over his pain. "Fluttershy, my angel, whatever it is that I've done to frighten you, or upset you - I just wanted you to know that I'm very sorry."

She was now sobbing, "Sorry?!? No, Karn, that's not what I meant!"

"Fluttershy, I thought we were close - the past few weeks or so, you haven't wanted to come anywhere near me, " Karn said softly, "I must have done something to upset you? I understand that you mightn't want to tell me what it is, but if you'd rather be alone it's okay, I understand."

"No, Karn, please, that's not what I was trying to say!!!!!" she sobbed. The sound was so painful for him to hear, she sounded incredibly upset.

"Fluttershy, did I hurt you? Did I scare you?" he asked softly.

"Oh, Karn, I can't ... I just don't know how to ... "

Karn, taken aback by just how incredibly upset she had become so quickly, could only shake his head in confusion. "Fluttershy, I don't understand ... "

"Oh, KARN! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU, I love you ... " her sobs now making her words unintelligible. Karn stood there, completely in shock, unable to utter a word. In his defense, his guardian angel didn't give him a great opportunity to respond, as she'd leapt to her feet and still crying quite uncontrollably had flown back towards her cottage as fast as her wings could carry her.

Karn, standing on the ground near the brook, watched in astonished silence as the center of his universe flew crying from him.

"She loves me."

Author's Note

The ending to this chapter had originally been intended to be part of a larger combined one. As the dialog extended and various side arcs intervened, it was expanded out to this point instead.

Once more it is emphasized that whilst Karn is hinted at being very well endowed in terms of penis size, it is clearly something he is not keen to advertise (for obvious reasons). I'm trying to emphasize that intimacy and sexuality are things that he is very philosophical about. He would find it impossible to be sexually intimate with anyone for whom he did not share a mutual respect and genuine love.

2017-06-13 POST EDIT
I've removed some of the kruft, cleaned up the spelling, improved some grammar and tried to add a little more dialog into various places.