Life, Love, & Magic

Chapters

Life Anew
Nemesis
A Place To Call Home
Party Time!
Foalsitting
Closer
An Offer To Die For
A (Not Quite) Killing Joke
One Hay Of A Night
Four Way
Demon Bunny
Rainbow Crashed

Life Anew

The steam whistle let out a loud squeal.

Frost slowly opened his eyes and looked around the cabin. A young mare, not much older than him, and her filly were sitting across the aisle. At the front of the car, a stallion was collecting all his belongings, getting ready for the train's arrival. Other than that, the cabin was empty. Frost looked out the window and covered his eyes. They hadn't adjusted to the sunlight yet, so he was stuck wiping his eyes of tears for the next few seconds. When the light no longer bothered him, he looked out the window and saw his destination - Ponyville. It was a small, quiet looking town, with numerous small specks that represented ponies walking around the town, going about their daily business. It looked like the ride would be less than twenty minutes now, so Frost gathered up the few things he had and prepared to leave. He thought back on the previous week, and still couldn't believe how so much could have gone so wrong in such a short span of time. The memories of what he had left behind, his little sister, the remains of his life, put him in a depressing mood. He almost missed it when the conductor called out his stop. He got up and headed for the door.

"Never again..." he whispered to himself before walking out the door.

_________

Ponyville was a quaint little village. Frost thought he could see the entirety of what it had to offer from the spot in the middle of town where he stood. There was a bakery, a farm not too far off, a few buildings and houses here and there, and a town hall in front of him. This would take some getting used to. Frost was used to living with the hustle and bustle and the rushed, always busy feel of Canterlot, having lived there all his life, and simply being in a place like this was... freeing, to say the least. He knew that he didn't have to wear his mane just the right way or wear the perfect clothing for each and every occasion anymore, and that was a strange thing for him. "Enough wasting time!" he thought to himself. "Now, first things first, I need to find a place to stay..." His train of thought was interrupted by the sight of a bright pink earth pony mare with a really...poofy mane trotting down the street, directly towards him. As she drew closer, he noticed that she wasn't actually trotting, so much as BOUNCING down the road. She landed directly in front of him, and just stood there, a massive grin plastered across her face. Frost was never really good with conversations, preferring instead to let others take the lead, but the awkward silence between the two was unnerving, so much so that he, for once, decided to make the first move.

"Err...Hi. My name is Frost Grey," he said in a slightly hesitant tone. "It's, um, really nice to me--"

"WOOHOO!!" The poofy pink mare exclaimed so suddenly that Frost nearly fell back on his haunches. "HII'm PinkiePieandyoumustbenewherebecauseI'veneverseenyoubefore*GAAASP!!*I'veneverseenyoubeforeandthatmeansthatyoumusthavejustgottenhereooohIhavetointroduceyoutoallmyfriends, ooohyou'reaunicornjustliketwoofmyfriendsyouknowthisremindsmeofthetimeImetTwilightbecausewewerestandingrightovertherewhenshesaidhelloandIwent*GAAASP!!*oohwaitthatsrightbeforewedoanythingelsetogetheryouneedtomeeteveryoneandtheonlywaytodothatiswithaPARTY!!!!"

Frost couldn't even keep up with half of what this mare was saying, aside from the fact that she said that her name was Pinkie Pie. Before he even had the chance to open his mouth, Pinkie Pie had dashed off just as fast as she had spoken, leaving him coughing in a cloud of dust.

__________

Frost levitated all his things with him as he trotted through the town. It was strange for him to see so many earth ponies and pegasi in the streets and skies, since Canterlot had a majority population of unicorns, especially in the upper class. It's not like he hadn't seen the other types of ponies before, it's just that he had never seen so many mixed together like this. As he pondered these thoughts, Frost forgot to look where he was going and slammed muzzle first into another poor pony on the street, falling back dazed.

"Uggh...oh! Oh, I'm so sorry," Frost said. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, and I just-- I-I-I..."

He stammered on as he saw the lavender unicorn mare sit up, rubbing her nose. She had a dark purple mane, with a lighter purple and pink making two distinct streaks through it and her tail. One of her eyes opened a bit, an Frost was able to catch the color of her deep purple eyes before she winced and shot up, turning around and grabbing all of the books that she had dropped in the collision. Frost immediately looked away, trying hard to find a way to distract himself. Her plot was aimed directly at him, and while he did feel compelled to sneak a peek, he exercised his willpower, knowing that other ponies were starting to look at the fiasco. The last thing he wanted was to be looked at as a weirdo or perv by others on the day of his arrival.

"U-u-mm," He managed to murmur out, "D-do you need some help? This was all my fault after all, and I think--"

Frost was cut off yet again as she swung her head around and looked at him with her wide eyes.

"Er, yes, actually. Could you please get that encyclopedia for me? I was taking these books down to the town hall, and I would appreciate the company, seeing as SOMEONE was apparently too "busy" to help me himself..."

Frost used his magic and grabbed the encyclopedia, picking up his own things as well when he had the chance. By the time he managed to gather all his belongings, the purple mare had already begun to walk towards the town hall.

He managed to catch up with her in a few seconds, considering she hadn't gotten too far ahead.

When she saw that he had caught up to her, she caught him off guard by asking him a question.

"So, what's your name?" She asked in a cheery tone.

"Huh?" Frost hadn't had much time to get his thoughts together since the crash, and having this stunning mare talk to him wasn't helping. "Oh, my name is Grey Frost. I mean Frost Grey! My name is Frost Grey!"

She let out a tiny giggle at his stumbling. "Nice to meet you, Frost Grey! I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Yeah, erm, likewise. So, um, what are we doing with these books again?"

Twilight stopped for a second and made a face as if she had forgotten something important. "OH! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to just drag you along with me like that. I'm sure you have something much more important to do right now..."

"Oh, no, I just moved here, and I wasn't doing anything particularly important, so it's no trouble."

"Oh. Well, I appreciate the help nonetheless."

As Twilight lead him through the streets back towards the town hall, Frost couldn't help but notice Twilight's rump. The way she walked with her hind legs was making her hips subtly swing, a fact that he definitely took note of. As they walked, he felt the heat between his legs grow stronger the longer he stared. He once again forced himself to focus on something else before his body took things any further. He thought about where he could possibly find a place to stay for the night, hoping that after he finished assisting Twilight he could ask her about any temporary places he could spend the night. With new focus, the rest of the trip to the town hall didn't seem to take quite as long...

Nemesis

As Frost and Twilight entered the town hall, they were met by an older-looking earth pony mare with glasses and a scroll for a cutie mark. After Twilight took the time to introduce Frost to "Mayor Mare", the two unicorns dropped off the pile of books and headed back to Twilight's home, the Ponyville Library.

"Wait, so you live in a library?" Frost asked. "You must have a lot of extra room."

"Not as much as you'd think. I have a lot of personal projects scattered around, and I always keep some spare room for a few extra ponies just in case company visits, so there's usually more than enough space for us."

Us? Frost's heart sagged in his chest a bit. He tried to see a silver lining on the matter by realizing that "us" could mean a roommate, not necessarily a... back to the matter at hand. "Ah. Oh, Twilight, before I forget, do you know anywhere I can stay for the night? I don't really have any place to go, and I don't know anyone here, so..."

"Hmm...Well, you could stay at the library with me and Spike! We have plenty of room, and you can stay as long as you need to until you can get a hold of your own house!"

Frost nearly stumbled and dropped all his things when he heard Twilight suggest that he live with her. Putting aside the fact that he really really wanted to for obvious reasons, Frost considered the idea. He had only met this beautiful mare today, and wasn't sure about simply intruding upon her personal home so abruptly. "R-Really? Um, I don't know, Twilight. I...wait, who's Spike?"

"Oh, Spike? He's a baby dragon, and one of my closest friends ever since I hatched him from his egg. He's also my number-one assistant, or he WOULD be if he had bothered to wake up and assist me today."

Frost let out a mental sigh of relief. "You have a baby dragon? That's something you don't see everyday. Another reason that you're quickly moving to the top of my list of 'Most Interesting Ponies I've Met Today'."

Twilight giggled a little, and Frost could swear that it was one of the most amazing sounds that he'd ever heard. It reminded him of his sister's laugh....and as much as it pained him, he tried to avoid dwelling on that fact. He felt like every time he thought about it, it became harder and harder to hide.

His feelings proved to be correct as Twilight pointed out,"Hey, are you alright? You look kind of sad. Is everything okay?"

Frost almost immediately burst out, "I'm fine! Nothing's wrong! Nothing at all!" Twilight's confused expression at his outburst gave him a second to compose himself. "I-I'm sorry. It's nothing."

This almost warranted further interrogation from Twilight, but luckily a yellow pegasus pony, one of Twilight's friends Frost assumed, flew up to the two of them.

"Hi, Twilight. Um, w-who's that?" She asked as she shyly pointed at Frost.

"Oh, I guess I should introduce you two. Fluttershy, this is Frost Grey. Frost, this is Fluttershy!"

"Uh, Hello?" Frost said cautiously. The shy little mare looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here, and it seemed to him that the best way to handle it was to be gentle.

"...u-um....hi..."

Frost couldn't believe that a pony could possibly be this cute. Sure, Twilight was one of the prettiest mares that he had ever met, but Fluttershy took the gold in adorableness. The way she nearly whispered every word and hid her face behind her long pink mane just made him want to give her a really big hug for some reason. He noticed a small white bunny hop out from behind her head and jump to the ground. It looked at him and gave him a fierce stare, as if saying 'If you lay a single hoof on her you won't be getting it back.'

Fluttershy followed Frost's eyes as he stared back at the creature. "oh, this is Angel. he's one of my closest animal friends. oh my, I think he's taken a liking to you. he usually only does that with me!"

The look in Angel's eyes suggested a collection of words best not repeated at this suggestion. The gentlest thing that could be interpreted from it was the phrase 'Not Likely'. If Angel was always like that with Fluttershy, Frost had to wonder who wore the saddle in that relationship. Given her seemingly submissive nature, Fluttershy didn't look like the type of pony to boss others around, and Angel's more aggresive take on things, though a bit much in Frost's opinion, seemed to help balance the two out.

"I...can see that." Frost didn't get along well with animals. He didn't like them, and they didn't like him. They always got jittery or rowdy when he was around, and he felt his...condition begin to act up whenever he was near too many of them. Even now, Frost knew that being near even a bunny was a dangerous prospect for him.

"Oh! How did I lose track of time like that?! I'd love to stick around Fluttershy, but we need to get back to the Library right now!" Twilight started stamping her hooves rapidly into the ground. She seemed extremely anxious, almost like she could... leave him right here, in one of the most awkward positions imaginable right now.

"Rrrright." Frost had no idea why Twilight wanted him along. He was just some stranger that she had run into and had help her with a simple errand. He figured that was a question for later, seeing how Twilight had already bolted off in the direction of what he assumed was the library.

"Well, uh, it was nice meeting you Fluttershy! See ya later, I guess!" Frost voiced in a hurry as he tried to catch up with Twilight.

"uhm, o-okay!" Fluttershy raised her voice just enough for him to hear as he hurried off. As he looked back, he noticed that Fluttershy was blushing lightly on the cheek that wasn't hidden from view by her flowing mane. She seemed to notice him looking back, as he noted that as she made eye contact, she averted her gaze and tried to seem aloof. Somehow, this made her seem even more adorable than before. It took Frost nearly three times the effort to resist running back and giving her a big squeeze. Before he turned his head back around, Frost caught Angel giving him one more icy stare before turning and leaping onto Fluttershy's tail as the two departed.

....

That bunny had a seething hatred for him. Frost got the feeling that, if given the chance, Angel wouldn't hesitate to somehow run him out of town with his tail between his legs. Well, the feeling was mutual. He hadn't known the bunny for more than five seconds before knowing that they were destined to be mortal enemies, entwined in a deadly dance of deception and bitterness with each other that would last until the end of days.

Then it occurred to Frost that he was in an unspoken feud WITH A BUNNY. Oh, how the once mighty have fallen.

A Place To Call Home

Twilight was galloping at full speed.

By the time Frost was able to catch up, they had arrived at their destination. Twilight headed inside without the slightest hint of hesitation. The first thing Frost noticed when he entered the library was how amazingly neat it was. Absolutely everything was spotless, and every book, from dictionaries to cure-all remedy guides, was stacked on the shelves in such a way that not a single paper was out of place. Twilight must have either been obsessive about this sort of thing, or had too much time on her hands. Judging from the way she was scouring every drawer and emptying every file looking for something, he was going to go with the former.

Frost may have been completely clueless as to what was going on, but that didn't mean that he couldn't help in anyway possibly could. "Uh, Twilight? What exactly are we looking for?"

"Where is it....where is it....oh, I can't find my schedule! I haven't got a clue as to where it could be! Normally, I'd leave it under 'S', but it's not there! I normally keep a backup schedule in case things like this happen, but I never got the chance to copy down the original! If I can't find it then I'll have to write a new one all over from scratch!"

"Um, Twilight?"

Frost tried to get her attention, but apparently, when Twilight rants, she RANTS. "Ohhh, where in the hay would I find the time to write up a whole new schedule?! I'm already way off track! I still have to re-stack all the books on the 'Modern Magics and Sciences' shelves, and then I have to get down to Rarity's Boutique to pick up those gems that Spike wanted..."

"...Twilight..."

"...and speaking of Spike, where is he anyway?" Twilight immediately ran upstairs, almost immediately finding who she was looking for after reaching the top room.

"SPIKE!!" Frost heard a loud thump, and a minute later, Twilight was descending the stairs, giving a stern lecture to the little dragon as he walked behind her, rolling his eyes.

"...And another thing," Twilight continued,"It's the middle of the day! You knew I would need help today taking those books to the Mayor's office, and you had me go all alone!"

"Hey, you managed! Besides, you found someone else to help you, AND you made a new friend! That's like, a double win or something, isn't it?" Spike replied, his eyelids still half closed.

"That's not the point! Spike, you're my number-one assistant, and if I can't count on you to help me get the job done, who else can I rely on?"

"What about Owlowiscious? He should've helped you too, but you aren't lecturing him!"

"That's because he was busy delivering my report to the Princess, since you were apparently soooo tired that you couldn't have possibly moved, let alone BREATHE!"

"Hey, I have a good excuse! I was up really late last night helping you sort the scrolls in the back, remember? And I was working all day yesterday to help you clean up around here, as usual. Besides, I'm just a baby dragon. I need my required sleep!"

Twilight gave him a scowl. Frost had been too absorbed in watching the argument to have interrupted, but now that they were finished, or at least taking a break, Frost cleared his throat.

Twilight swung her head at him, and immediately a slight blush crossed her face. "Oh, I...sorry. I guess I got a little carried away. Uh, Frost, this is Spike. Spike, this is Frost Grey. He's the pony I was telling you about."

"You mean that one guy who knocked you over? Really helpful."

Frost, looking back on the incident, saw it with a completely new perspective. He was a complete stranger, and if Twilight was so easily willing to just forget about the whole thing and even ask him to help her with something despite the fact that he could have been going about his own business, then the ponies in this town must be extremely nice. They had to be better than the ponies that lived in Canterlot, that's for sure. They were always so uptight... Frost once again buried those memories in the bottom of his mind. He knew exactly who was bringing them up to the surface, and reminded himself that Canterlot was a part of his old life. If he kept thinking about that place, it would only make it harder for him to live here.

Frost came back to reality in time to see Spike receive a quick hoof to the back of the head.

"Ow!"

"You know that's not what happened! Which reminds me, sorry about earlier, Frost. If I had been paying attention instead of thinking about where that schedule could be hiding..." Twilight trailed off. It was pretty obvious that she had begun to think about where that schedule could be hiding again.

"No, I think it's my fault." Frost's comment got both Spike and Twilight's attention. "I wasn't looking either, and if I had been then maybe the whole mess could have been avoided. Actually... now that you mention it, if we hadn't crashed into each other, we wouldn't have met, and I think that's something that I don't want to change. That also means that you wouldn't have offered me a chance to stay here, and that's something I couldn't have passed up!"

Spike reeled for a bit. "Wait...you what??"

"...Well, he needed a place to stay!" Spike gave her a look of disbelief.

"Auggh! That's just what I need - MORE ponies to clean up after! I swear, sometimes...." Spike continued to mumble to himself as he walked over to the other side of the library, fixing up some file drawers that Twilight had scrambled with her thorough efforts.

"So..." Frost decided to break the silence after Spike left the conversation. "Is he like that all the time?"

"No, he's just a bit cranky since I just woke him up. He is only a baby dragon, after all, no matter how much he wants the opposite to be true."

"Uh Huh. So, is there anywhere I can put my things? I've been lugging them around for most of the day."

"Yes, actually. The bedroom is just up the stairs. There's an extra mattress lying next to my dresser, and the frame is under the stairs in a small hideaway."

"Got it. Thanks!" Frost levitated the frame out of the hideaway Twilight mentioned and unfolded it when he got to the top of the stairs. He grabbed the mattress over by the dresser and lowered it down on top of the frame, making sure that it was secured in place. Now that he had set all his thing down, all that was left to find was a set of sheets, and Twilight would know where they were.

"Tw--"

Frost was cut off mid-sentence. He felt it. It was back.

'N-no....no....'

A familiar voice rang through his mind, it's seemingly unbreakable grip holding him in place, unable to even call for help.

'Hello Frost. It's only been days since our last little chat, and already you've gone and gotten yourself into trouble again. No, that's not it. It's a presence, but nothing like those filthy vermin you always seem to run into. Especially that bunny earlier. UGH. Ooooh, what's this? An element....and with such a strong aroma. This will be fun! It's just like last time, remember? When we almost got rid of that pesky little urchin? Hmm? Hmm? Oh, don't play coy! You know you loved that part! Oh wait, that's right, you couldn't have, because if you did, then I wouldn't have taken matters into my own hands. Oh the thrill of it all! This time you and I are going to have so much more fun. You do love my fun, don't you? Oh of course you do! Everyone does! The screaming and shrieking only means that the ponies are enjoying themselves that much more. But this time, I have an edge. This time, I can get rid of them, and my influence can finally spread. And this time Frost, you and I are going to paint the town RED.'

Not again.....

Not you again.......

Party Time!

Frost still didn't want to believe it.

"Why. Why? Why are you back?? WHY??"

The Voice gave a slight chuckle at Frost's naivety.'Oh, you clueless little pony. I never left. I'm always here, always ready to have some FUN. But enough about me. That other one....what did you call it? Twilight? She has managed to grab my attention. We're going to have...fun with her.'

Frost had been terrified up to this point, but it's mention of going anywhere near Twilight, for some reason, brought up a sense of rage. He had felt it before. It was the same rage that he had felt when it threatened...her.

'No.'

The Voice had little surprise at Frost's defiance. 'Oh no, you don't get to choose. See, I make the rules here, little pony. I'll get my way... when it's time. You'll be my tool. Gather them, so that I can have my fun all at once. Until then....'

The Voice gave one final chuckle, and then disappeared. Frost knew it wasn't over. He now knew that it could never truly be over. He knew what the Voice wanted, and he knew that it would not stop until it was within it's grasp. And yet, still, Frost decided to overcome his despair. He came to Ponyville to start a new life, and that's just what he was going to do. He had an opportunity here, and he was going to make the most of it... while it lasted.

"....Uh, Twilight where are the sheets? I can't find them."

"Did you look by the dresser?" Twilight called out from downstairs. "They should be with the mattress."

"Ok, thanks." Frost looked over behind the dresser, and quickly wondered how he hadn't noticed the sheets earlier. He should have been able to feel them while he was focusing on that area. Frost quickly decided that it was a question for another time. These aren't the kind of things he should be worried about.

"Oh, Twilight? Do you know anything about someone named Pinkie Pie? I...guess I met her earlier? I don't even know."

Twilight let out what seemed to be a slight chuckle. "Oh, I know her alright. She actually one of my closest friends. She's....definitely something else. You'll get used to it. And about her 'meeting' you....well, let's just say that you'll probably want to pay a visit to Sugarcube Corner before tonight."

"Er....Sugarcube Corner?"

"Don't worry, I'll lead the way. We can leave as soon as I find that schedule...." Twilight quickly returned to her increasingly frantic hunt. "Ohhhh, my entire month might be thrown off if I don't find it soon!"

Frost got that Twilight was obsessed with her scheduling. She was probably one of those types of ponies who couldn't really get anything accomplished without planning EVERYTHING in advance. He wondered what would ever happen if she ever missed a deadline, even for something insignificant, like a check-up or a letter.... best not to find out.

He looked everywhere for that schedule. Frost figured that Twilight probably had the shelves downstairs covered, so he focused his search on the upper levels of the library. He checked the bedroom, the bathroom, and even the balcony. Just as he was about to head back inside, he noticed something was... off about the leaves above the balcony. He searched it with his magic, and sure enough, a rolled up scroll was stuck in the branches. It was hidden well enough by the surrounding leaves that it could have been easily missed by anypony else, but he had always had a knack for noticing things that other ponies wouldn't have picked up. He wasn't exactly sure if it was what he was looking for or not, so he decided to read it, just to be sure.

' 1. Wake up.

Groom self.
Wake up Spike.
Spike refuses to get up.
Wait five minutes and then wake up Spike.'

This was one LONG schedule. It looked like Twilight has her days planned all the way down to the last detail. '42. Triple check the schedule to make sure all errands are still marked off after double checking the schedule.'

That's just overkill.

Frost immediately rushed downstairs after his inspection to show Twilight. She was.... well, let's just say that the word 'overjoyed' is an understatement.

She was bouncing around so happily that Frost just couldn't bear to interrupt the moment, even if he'd wanted to. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!! Now I won't have to reschedule the entire month! Ooooh, I don't know how many times I can thank you!!"

Suddenly, Twilight gave Frost a big hug. His body was not prepared for this, and he immediately felt his legs begin to go slack and his cheeks light up like Canterlot on Hearth's Warming Eve. She smelled like... well, a mix between the smell of a new book when you first open it up and the scent of lavender, like the streak in her hair. Frost could have stayed like that forever, but unfortunately he only had about 4 seconds to enjoy the moment, so he decided to do exactly that. After Twilight let go, he found himself wanting to be held by her again.... to smell her beautiful hair one more time.... to hold her tight, lay her down, andWHOADIRTYTHOUGHTS!!!!

Frost took a moment to clear his mind, and remembered what her was going to say. "I th-think that we should go see Pinkie Pie.....your friend.....now."

Twilight suddenly remembered. "Oh, that's right! I was going to take you to Sugarcube Corner, wasn't I? Well, there's no time to waste! We'd better get going. Besides, we don't want to keep Pinkie waiting. She probably has a 'surprise' waiting for you!"

"Surprise? What kind of surprise?"

"Oh, you'll see!" She answered cryptically. "Spike, me and Frost are going to Sugarcube Corner. Can you tidy up?"

Spike groaned. "Awwhhh, why do you have to go with him? Can't I take him? It'd be much easier for you to clean up."

"Yes, it would. But I've already run so many errands today, I feel like I need a good.... surprise." Twilight smirked a little. This was her way of getting back at Spike for sleeping on her all day, most likely. Either that or she just likes to torment him for the hay of it.

"Hooray, more chores." Spike complained dejectedly. Spike sullenly got back to cleaning up the shelves while Frost and Twilight left for Sugarcube Corner.

_______________________

"Ok, ok, we're here. NOW can you tell me what this is all about?"

Twilight let out a giggle. "Why don't you go inside and find out?"

Frost shrugged and opened the door. After all, what could possibly be so---

"SURPRIIIIISE!!!"

Frost instinctively jumped. He felt like he had almost had a heart attack! There, standing directly between him and a decorative wagon, was Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie?! You SCARED me!!"

Pinkie didn't look the slightest bit hurt or dejected. "Well, I hope so! Getting scared is really, really fun sometimes! But I didn't really scare you! I just STARTLED you!! And being startled is like being surprised, so if you're surprised, that means I startled you, and that means I was really surprising!!"

Frost could not follow any of that. He turned to Twilight, who just shrugged as if to say, 'You get used to it'.

"Ooh, ooh! I almost forgot to show you the Welcome Wagon! But that would've been silly! It's right behind me, so how could I forget it?" Pinkie pressed a button on the wagon, and suddenly it folded out into a ridiculous looking contraption that was probably more complex than it looked, judging from all the horns and cannons.

It started belting out an upbeat cheery tune, and before Frost could ask, Pinkie started to sing:

" Welcome, welcome, welcome, a fine welcome to YOU!

Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say how do you do?

Welcome, welcome, welcome, I say hip hip HOORAY!

Welcome, welcome, welcome to Ponyville TODAAAAAAAAY!!! Wait for it....."

Suddenly, the Wagon opened up, and a big cake popped out. The cannons on top shot confetti....right through the ceiling.

Pinkie actually looked distraught for a moment before returning to her normally unbreakable happy face.

"Uh, WOOPS! I guess that's why I shouldn't use this thiing indoors! I forgot what happened last time! Heeheehahah! Oooh, I had better go make sure the Cake twins are alright! They usually love the confetti, but I just put them down for a nap, so who knows what's going through those adorable little heads!"

Before Frost could even speak, Pinkie had dashed upstairs, Twilight was completely unfazed, and he was wearing a hat and very, very confused.

"Where did all those instruments come from? How did she know we'd be here? Where did she... How did she...."

"Pinkie Pie."

"Huh?"

"That's just it. You can't understand her, and if you try all you'll end up with is a headache and a lot of casts. Trust me, I KNOW. That's just the best way to describe her."

"But..."

"SURPRISE AGAIN!!!"

Frost knew he was probably never going to get used to Pinkie, that was for sure. He figured that out about halfway between the floor and the big hole in the ceiling.

When he landed, he tried to talk to Pinkie in as even a voice as he could muster. "Pinkie....PLEASE stop doing that."

"Okie Dokie Loki!!" She replied, her facade still unmoved. What Frost hadn't noticed before was that there were two little foals now riding on her back. One was a young pegasus colt, with a cream colored coat and a brown mane, the other was a unicorn filly with an orange mane and a yellowish coat, and both had tons of confetti and streamers draped around them.

"Ooh, I just remembered! We still have to have a party for you! I go set it up! You're with Twilight right?? Ok, I know where to go!! Could you two watch the Cakes for me?! Thanks!! It's time for a PARTY!!!!"

And with that, Pinkie dashed out the door, leaving Frost stumbling for words once again. "Wait, I....what.....HUH???"

Twilight looked at him, trying to suppress a snicker at his loss for words. He was stuck at Sugarcube Corner with Twilight, two foals, a.... Welcome Wagon, and a hole in the ceiling, while Pinkie went off to Celestia knows where to plan him a party.

..........

....It was then that he decided not to question the mystery that was Pinkie Pie.

Foalsitting

Years Earlier.....

__________________________

Frost couldn't wait. His parents had promised to take him to see the Wonderbolts perform when they had returned from their latest adventure, and they were getting back today. They were so cool! He didn't know any other colts who had a mom and dad that traveled on adventures around Equestria. They always brought something awesome back from their adventures, and he always got to be the first pony to see it before they decided to give it to some museum or something. This usually meant that he was home alone, but he was a smart little colt, and he could take care of himself well enough. The only real company he usually had was his younger sister. They used to play games together all the time, but ever since his parents had brought back that creepy necklace thing from their last adventure, she had been acting really strangely. They had let her see it first, and something about her had...changed. She didn't seem to want to play anymore, but sometimes, when Frost passed her room, he could hear her mumbling something to herself about "having fun" or something.

He didn't get it. Whenever he asked his parents about it, they changed the subject. He may have been young, but that didn't mean that he was stupid. He knew something was up.

Frost had been thinking all day. He knew that his parents were hiding something, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was. He decided that it would be best to ask them about it again when they got back. The afternoon train came and went. Frost was confused. They had sent a letter saying that they would be back by noon today. He was still too young to realize, to understand. The evening train came and went. Frost got tired and decided to come back tomorrow. Maybe they were late?

Frost came back the next day. They didn't come. He came again the next day. They didn't come. He came again everyday for a week. They didn't come. Eventually, as reality set in, Frost, still hoping that they would come home, that they would take him to see the Wonderbolts and explain why they were so late, began to visit the train station less and less.

Eventually, he just stopped coming.

____________________________

These foals were proving to be a real challenge.

Barely seconds after Twilight had told him who they were, the Cake twins were already dashing about. Pumpkin Cake was busy chewing on the tablecloth, and Pound Cake was flying around the kitchen, knocking over pots and pans. By the time he and Twilight had gotten them back together, they were already trying to get free again.

Frost tried getting their attention. "No! Bad Cakes! BAD CAKES!"

Twilight gave him a look. "Frost, you do know that they aren't dogs?"

Frost had no idea how to keep these kids in check. He hadn't really ever had to take care of his.... anyway, he didn't know how to watch these kids or keep them entertained. The fact that this was dropped on him as opposed to him getting instructions beforehand didn't really help the situation. "I know that, but it's not like I've ever gotten the opportunity to actually foalsit before. I'm lost here."

After that, whether it was Frost's demand for obedience or something else entirely, the Cakes started crying. And could they CRY.

After about 2 minutes of searching and listening to the screaming foals, Twilight found their pacifiers. "It's ok, I know what to do!" She nearly yelled over the twins' cries. She began to hum a bit, something that Frost could only barely hear, and the twins quickly started to settle down. However, before she could put the pacifiers in their mouths, they started crying again, this time louder than before.

"I thought you said you knew what you were doing!" Frost nearly yelled over the twins.

"I did! Or, at least I thought I did!"

Frost tried calming down the two by rushing to the kitchen and retrieving their bottles from the refrigerator. As he tried to feed them, Pumpkin's flailing had her smack him square in the nose. Frost reeled and stumbled back a bit from the unexpected blow, accidentally hitting the side of a nearby shelf. It wobbled for a bit before the bag sitting on top of it fell over, hitting Frost square over the head and breaking open, covering him from head to toe in flour. The twins almost immediately stopped crying upon seeing him, and began laughing with joy. Even Twilight looked as if she were trying to hold back a laugh. Frost, through the laughter, thought he could hear one of the twins utter "Pinkie" before Twilight took the opportunity to levitate the bottles into their mouths. So that's how Pinkie controlled these little foals. Frost had gained a whole new respect for her, starting to see past her silly, logic-defying exterior. When the twins had finished the bottles, Twilight and Frost both carried one of the two upstairs. They were going to lay the tired foals to sleep, at least until two distinct smells completely put that plan to rest.

"Ugghh... What IS that??" Frost asked.

"They...need to be changed. NOW."

They carried the two over to the changing table in their room, careful to avoid the hole in the floor.

"What now?"

"Well, we have to take off and throw away the dirty diapers, powder them, and get new diapers for both of them. Ok, I'll get her and you take him."

"Right." After a quick trip to the bathroom to wash off the flour (and pick the doughy bit's out of his mane) Frost returned to the changing table. He took off Pound Cake's diaper, only to be hit with a stench so foul it made his eyes water. He instantly recoiled his head, trying to focus on powdering him, when the sight next to him froze him in place.

Twilight had pulled her mane back into a ponytail while she was working on Pumpkin Cake, taking care to keep her face away from the baby's bottom while she worked so that she could more easily avoid the smell, something Frost had obviously forgotten to do. With the light coming in from the window on the other side of the room framing her face, she looked....stunning, to say the least. This time he didn't have time to admire her beauty, as she looked over to see how he was doing while he was enraptured. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers when she caught the expression that he had on his face while he was eyeing her. Both of their faces turned a shade of red, though Twilight's not quite to the extent of Frost's.

"....Frost? What are you...."

"N-N-NOTHING!! NOTHING AT ALL!!" Frost's head shot up like a bullet. His temporary break in concetration, however, was enough for the powder bottle hovering over Pound Cake's rear to tilt a bit.... just enough for Frost to accidentally hit him in the face with a cloud of powder. After a few seconds of delay, he started to cry again, with Pumpkin Cake picking up on her sibling's distress and joining in as well. The awkward moment was broken by the sound of the two foals bawling (thank Celestia), giving Frost an excuse to quickly dump the rest of that bottle of powder over his head. it wasn't a full coating, but it was enough to make the twins pause and begin to laugh again.

"So yeah Twilight can you take care of them I have to clean myself up again ok thanks bye!!!" Frost quickly spouted off before rushing back to the bathroom. 'What was that?!' he thought to himself. That was, quite frankly, a situation that he never wanted to be in again.

'Oh what's wrong Frost? Caught a bit off guard?' The Voice let out a mocking laugh. 'You should really pay more attention, you know. Something could happen. The tiniest little accident--- a flying brick, deadly hailstone strike to the head, choke on an apple-- and you wouldn't be of use to me any longer. It'd be quite a shame, you know. I do so enjoy the fun you and I have together. Much more than---'

"SURPRISE!!!" Out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie popped into the bathroom mirror.

This time, even The Voice seemed to be caught a bit off guard.

"Hiya Frost! Hiya creepy guy in Frost's head! I just wanted to drop by and ask: What kind of balloons do you want? Balloon animals, long ballons, regular balloons, or...you know what? I'LL JUST USE THEM ALL!! After all, who doesn't love all kinds of balloons? *GASP!* What if somepony HATES balloons? Oh no way, that's just silly! HeeHee!! Anyway, bye Frost! Bye creepy voice in Frost's head!" She disappeared from the mirror. And with that, another strange encounter of the party pony kind had ended.

'....You know what? We'll talk later, after your mind finishes processing what just happened.'

The Voice faded. That was the first time that Frost could ever recall The Voice being taken completely off guard like that.

...............

Pinkie Pie.

Closer

That was....an experience.

With his face clean and his mind still trying to piece together his last experience with Pinkie, Frost went back to the twins' room. He had no idea what to do now. What could he do? With every step, it felt like he was getting closer and closer to facing something that he didn't want to, something that he might not have the will to accept.

The truth.

He took a deep, shaky breath before entering the room. Hopefully the twins would still be awake and keeping Twilight distracted. That would give him some time to think about how he could best approach the sitiuation.

He walked in, only to see Twilight waiting for him and both of the twins soundly asleep in their crib.

Well, so much for that plan.

"...F-Frost...." Twilight stumbled over her words a bit. Frost had never seen her so flustered, but then again, he had only known her for a little over half a day. Despite all he had learned, or rather approximated, about her, he still didn't know everything.

"H-hey Twilight.....I guess you're expecting an explanation."

Twilight simply nodded her head a bit. She looked like she didn't have anymore experience with all this than he did.

"I-I, uh, guess that---" Twilight walked a bit closer to him while he spoke, carefully avoiding the hole in the floor. "I-I've been wanting to say something since earlier today, but I was afraid." Twilight kept walking. At this point, they were only feet apart.

"I've w-wanted to say something....something important."

She got even closer. By now it was inches.

"I-I.....I guess I'm trying to s-say...."

Closer.

"I......"

Closer.

"..............."

Their faces were now so close that he could smell her again. Now she smelled of powder, with the faint scent of lavender still present.

Closer.

They could stare into each others eyes, their mouths so close to each other's that he could feel her heat on his lips. He looked deep into those two clear purple orbs, and knew in a heartbeat that she felt the same way. So close. So close. So close. "................T-Twi....." his voice was quieter than a whisper now. Twilight was so close that it almost hurt him to not be with her. They knew so little about each other, and yet they were doing this. They were almost complete strangers, and yet, something was drawing them together. It was as if they had met before, so many times before, and yet were so far apart. She finally spoke. "I think.....I know what you're trying to say............Me too." She closed her eyes.

Closer.

It was the most blissful feeling that Frost had ever experienced. Their faces had met. Their lips were locked together, and he could feel her trying to explore his mouth. He allowed his tongue to interact with hers. His movements were not his own. The blush across his face slowly grew, and his body began to feel that feeling of intense desire that he had felt just a few hours ago, back when he had first met the mare. It was indescribable. He could feel the region between his legs grow hot, and the most honest part of his body began to stir. He wanted this. But she stopped.

Twilight pulled away. "....No. We can't, at least not here."

Frost's head was still spinning too much for him to really be thinking much about common sense. "Why?"

Twilight gave a look over to the crib. The twins were up and watching them with interest. Apparently the possibility of scarring two small foals for life hadn't really occurred to him. "Oh....right. But.....what does this mean? Are you and I...?"

Twilight looked away. "I....I don't know. How about we just.... take it from here? I mean, I guess I like you too, but we only just met hours ago. Don't you think we should take just a little more time?"

Frost didn't want to take his time. He wanted her. He wanted her now. But as much as his body pleaded, he had to agree with her. He sighed. "...You're right. We should take this a day at a time. You stay here for a bit and watch them. I'll go visit the library to see what Pinkie has planned and, hopefully, get her back here to take care of these two."

Twilight nodded. Apparently her schedule was the furthest thing from her mind right now, because she wasn't completely losing it over this unexpected development messing it up.

He left without a further word. While he was headed back to the library, a billion thoughts rushed through Frost's head way too fast for him to keep up with. Did she really like him? Did she think that was a mistake? Was this all going too fast? Should they be going faster? And why wasn't anypony walking around the streets, going about his

Frost arrived at the library. He already knew what was coming, so he took a deep breath and walked in. All the lights were off, and by the time Frost had arrived, the sun had started to set, so the only source of light was the fading orange glow emanating from the doorway. Frost tried to turn on the lights, only to have them all flicker on by themselves.

"SURPRIIIIISE!" Frost didn't think a library could've ever had this many people visit at once. Twilight would have been ecstatic. It looked like every pony in town was here. Well, almost every pon---

"SURPRIIIIIIISE!!!!!

By now, you could forgive Frost for being a bit desensitized. "Pinkie, you've done that about three times today ALONE. Don't you think that gets old?"

Pinkie giggled. "Oh no, I don't think it gets old! Only ponies get old, silly!"

Before Frost could even ask how Pinkie could so completely miss the point of what he was trying to say, a better question crossed his mind. "Hey, Pinkie, how did you plan and set up this entire thing? It's only been like an hour since I last saw you back at Sugarcube Corner."

"HeeHee, I think you're forgetting when I saw you and that creepy guy in our bathroom mirror, Silly! That was only about half an hour ago!" Frost had forgotten about that. Thinking about that further just made his head hurt, though, so he decided not to dwell on it. "I just went into town and told everypony about the party at the library! EVERYPONY loves a good party, and EVERYPONY is invited!!"

"Well, that explains that, but how did you decorate so fast?"

"Oh, that was easy! Whenever I leave home, I never leave my Party Cannon!! Wanna see it?"

Remembering the last time Pinkie showed him one of her contraptions, Frost decided against it. "Why did you throw this party again?"

"Well, I just met you today, and I've never seen you before, so I just had to introduce you to everypony in town! Ooh, That reminds me, I have to introduce you to some of my best friends..."

___________________________________

Nine Years Ago...

___________________________________

Frost and his sister had been living together alone for over a year now. It was the anniversary of the day that he had discovered the harsh reality of the world. It was no reason to celebrate. They had been able to continue living in Canterlot solely because of Frost's diligence in searching his parent's old room. He had found the slips of paper that his dad had used to remember a lot of things (He was always kind of forgetful), like the anniversary of his marriage, his children's birthdays, and even his bank accounts. Their parents were always very rich from all the money they had made with their various adventures. It was as profitable a job as it was dangerous. They would be able to live for years off of those bits, at least long enough for Frost to get old enough to be able to work and support the both of them. It didn't hurt that his sister didn't really eat or leave her room as often as she used to. She would stay locked up in there for hours, sometimes days on end. He never checked on her. He didn't want to know. He simply spent his days staring out the windows in his room, watching the ponies in the streets go about their daily business, learning how to interact with the world. He learned from the numerous books located in his mother's study, teaching himself about the intricacies of life and the different nuances of science, math, language, and magic. But one thing his studies of the selfish, vain, manipulating ponies of Canterlot taught him was something that he would take to heart, something that would affect the way he lived the rest of his life.

You couldn't rely on anyone. You had to live your life in your own way, without others holding you back or telling you how to live by their standards or laws.

You had to learn to live life alone.

And that's exactly what he tried to do.

An Offer To Die For

Five Years Ago...

_______________________________

Frost was finally ready.

He was now old enough to work, meaning that he was old enough to finally stop depending on his parents' legacy and live by his own code. He wouldn't need anyone to help him. He would finally be able to live without anyone's help.

It started out well enough. He used the remaining wealth of his parents to become a well known, anonymous benefactor to Canterlot society, known only to outsiders as 'Fancypants'. He spent the money in all the ways that he'd read about, paying others obscene amounts to gamble his money for him on races and casinos around Equestria. He had amassed quite a fortune, and began to believe that his luck would never run out. However, fate had different plans in store. An unknown representative of his betrayed him and took every bit he had stashed in the bank before disappearing. Frost had lost everything, and was reduced to living at the bottom of Canterlot's food chain. He did whatever he could to gain money, to support himself and his sister, now completely separated from the rest of the world, but never lost his dignity. He refused to lose faith that he could pull himself up, that he could return to where he had once been. One day, when he returned home from the menial labor that he was now required to do to make ends meet, his sister was waiting for him. That....that was impossible. She hadn't left that room in over three years. Something was happening, something he could've stopped, something he would've stopped, if only he had known.

She looked awful. She didn't look dirty, despite the fact that she probably hadn't cleaned herself in all that time, just shockingly...pale. Her coat had become a very light grey color, almost completely white, and she hadn't put on a lot of weight in all those years, but her eyes, those big, beautiful eyes, hadn't changed a bit, making her look as if she was the exact same filly he used to know in love, and her body had simply aged incredibly quickly, beyond her ability to keep up.

She just stood there, blank eyed, staring at Frost, for a good two minutes, before falling over. Frost had been paralyzed by her stare, and felt something....changing him, as if something other than his sister was behind those familiar eyes, holding him still while it did whatever it chose to his body, his mind. Almost immediately after his sister passed out, a pony was standing over her, watching Frost in much the same way. This was unreal. It was as if time had stopped, and this stranger and him were in their own little world. The stranger was wearing a dark red suit, and he had no tail or mane. His coat was a blank white, and his entire body looked smooth, as if he didn't have a coat at all. The most disturbing feature, however, was his face, or more accurately, his lack of one. Everything was in the right place, his pointed nose, his ears, but other than that, most of his face was missing. No nostrils, no mouth, and the only thing remaining of his eyes were two faint stitch-like markings. Aside from that, his forehead bore a stitch too, although this one was much more prominent. A similar stitch existed over his right hoof, enough so that Frost could clearly make it out despite the sleeves of the suit covering most of the stranger's forearms. Frost never knew how he spoke despite his lack of a mouth, but when he did, it left behind a faint echo, an echo that sounded much more sinister than his calm, soothing voice.

"Hello little pony. You called for me, correct?"

Frost was confused. "I-I never---"

The stranger was suddenly in front of him. "Don't plAy coy. You called me. I felt it. I came. Simple."

"But---"

"Don't interrupt me, little pony. I have a short fuse. Now, relax. I have a proposal that I believe you can't ignore."

Suddenly, the old fireplace lit up. That was impossible. No wood had been there even when his parents were still here.

"Now, I believe you have....something I want. It's nothing important. I just need you to give me what I ask for, and you'll have everything you want and more."

He waved his arm, and an image appeared in the air. It was Frost, dressed in a dashing suit, having the stallion who betrayed him arrested, with his sister, looking the way she should after all these years, standing next to him. He had all the bits in Equestria, and stood second only to the Princesses in fame and glory. But before Frost could grasp it, it faded away. "No, no give it back!! I NEED IT!!"

The stranger's voice took on a more sinister tone. "Of course you do. Doesn't everyone? But you - you could have it. Have it ALL. And all I need from you is a signature on the dotted line." A floating scroll appeared out of mid-air. It unraveled itself until all the small print and the large line for signatures was completely visible. Frost was no fool. He always read his contracts. But in spite of all the times he looked over it, there wasn't a single loophole that the stranger was trying to exploit. All he had to do was help him with his problem, and he got everything he had seen - everything. He wasn't actually completely sure yet, but his hoof moved on it's own, stamping the contract with it's impression. The impression instantly became seared into the scroll in a small haze of flame, and the contract disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

The stranger's face instantly gained a grim smile out of nowhere, stretching all the way from ear to ear. He appeared face to face with Frost, so closely that one could smell the smoke on him.

"Thank you for signing. Now, here's your *REWARD!!!!!*"

He dissipated into a cloud of red mist, and shot into Frost's eyes, nose, and mouth. Frost couldn't see anything, feel anything, for the next few seconds other than pain. He saw only red. He heard only white noise. And then he blacked out.

When he woke up, his sister was next to him, staring with curiosity. He tried to talk to her, tell her what had just happened, but she remembered nothing after the day of their parents' deaths, which shocked him. Her mind was the same, but she was different, physically older now.

When Frost got up to explain to her the past several years, a Voice spoke to him inside his head.

"Well, little pony, you've gotten what you wanted. Now keep your end of the bargain. I wanted a host so that I may manipulate the most powerful beings in this world.... but that will come later. It is of no concern now. When the time comes, I will approach you again, but until then... well, consider me nothing more than a Voice in your head, one to... guide you on the path that is now your destiny. You cannot break free. Don't even try. We are now one, and will be so until I dictate otherwise. Until then, little pony.... I await the day our funcan begin...." With that, The Voice disappeared, and Frost came to a horrifying realization.

He would never be able to live on his own again.

He was never alone.

___________________________________

Applejack led Twilight into the library. Nopony payed the two particular attention, save for the small group on the other side of the room. As they approached, Rarity began to scold Applejack. "Ugh, how disgusting!! Applejack, couldn't you have at least tried to tidy yourself up before coming here? You look positively filthy!!"

Applejack rolled her eyes. " Well excuse me, miss princess. Ah wasn't planning on staying long in the first place...."

This earned a dejected "Awww" from Pinkie.

"....but Ah decided that I just had to meet that new stallion you were goin' on about!" Applejack turned her attention to Frost.

"Ooowee! You are a handsome one, aren'tcha? Twilight sure knows how to pick 'em!" This earned a few giggles from the rest of the group and a massive shade of red for Twilight's face. "A-applejack!! Don't say that!! I-I mean, I---"

Twilight was interrupted by Applejack's hoof closing her mouth. "Now Twi, I doubt this is the time or place for you to be talkin' about yer relationships an' what not." She whispered just loud enough for Frost to hear, "Don't let 'em get away!"

That was enough to elicit a rare chuckle from Frost.

Once again, Applejack turned her attention to him. "Now then, what's your name? Pinkie didn't really mention it earlier 'fore she dashed off."

Pinkie chimed in. "Well duh! I had to hurry and invite everyone else in town!!"

Frost replied, deciding to ignore Pinkie's outbursts. "Well, my name is Frost Grey. I just moved here from Canterlot."

"Oh, one of them big city type ponies, then! Well, if you were lookin' ta get away from some of those snooty types, then yall've come t' the right town."

Frost knew he was going to like her. "Actually, that's exactly why I had to leave. Canterlot was getting to be a bit.... much, so I decided to start over."

This time it was Rarity who chimed in."But how could you WANT to leave Canterlot? The glitz, the glamour, the famous ponies! It's all so wonderful!"

"Pro'bly 'cause being around so many ponies who don't know the meaning of 'selfless' and wouldn't get off their high horses for five seconds to help someone out on the street got to be too much for 'em!"

"That is called 'refinement', dear Applejack, and it's something that SOMEPONIES in town are in serious need of!"

The two scowled at each other for a moment before breaking into laughter. Frost guessed that they had resolved their differences long before this, and the fact that they still managed to joke about it must've meant they truly did have a strong friendship. Applejack stopped laughing for a moment and asked a serious question. "Oh, Frost, have ya seen a pegasus named Rainbow Dash? That silly filly had the nerve ta challenge me to a cider drinking contest before flying off over here! Ah wouldn't be surprised if she'd fallen out of the sky on the way, what with all that she drank in her belly. Heh, I'll admit the girl can hold her cider, but she ain't an Apple!" Applejack obviously held her abilities in high regards. She reminded him a bit of Rainbow Dash.

"Uh, I wouldn't wake her. She managed to introduce herself to me before passing out, and she's asleep in Twilight's room."

Pinkie had a big smile cross her face, which, under consideration, actually was much more noticeable than normal. "Ooh, Ooh! I've got an idea!!" She dashed upstairs towards Twilight's room, while AJ and Rarity decided to take their conversation elsewhere. It wasn't until Frost turned around that he understood why.

Twilight was standing there, a small blush on her face and a smile crossing her lips. "I wanted time to talk to you alone. It's a private thing. I...I do have feelings for you."

A (Not Quite) Killing Joke

Frost couldn't be happier.

"W-wait, you do? I-I mean, I guessed you did, b-but I didn't know, I mean you did... y'know, earlier, and I had no idea if you did or not, I mean I was just confused, it was so sudden, and, I mean--"

Twilight put a hoof over his mouth. She was much gentler then Applejack. "You...should probably stop trying to explain.I-I'm no better at this than you! I-I mean, I've never really had a coltfriend before, and... and..." Twilight blushed a little. He realized how frustrating it must be for somepony like her, somepony who prided herself on her vast knowledge of the physical and mental planes of existence, to have to be forced to admit that she was still completely clueless in some regards.

To stop her from forcing herself any further, this time it was Frost's time to stop her. He placed his hoof over her lips. He could feel her breath touching him, her soft, velvety lips underneath. It was too much. Instead of just talking to her, he simply moved his hoof and kissed her. A fierce blush broke out across Twilight's face. She clearly hadn't been expecting that.

After he broke off, Twilight had been left speechless. "I...I....I-I just.....I....wow...."

Frost, now able to speak without sounding like a babbling idiot, could now clearly explain his feelings. "Twilight. I realize that you care about me. I...I feel the same way. And you were right. We shouldn't rush this. we should get to know each other better before we take things too far. I want to know you... the real you."

Twilight, not uttering a single word, nodded slowly, smiling.

They spent the rest of the evening talking to each other while the ponies around them partied like there was no tomorrow. Over time, both Frost and Twilight began to understand each other more intimately, as well as realize that the feelings they held for each other were much deeper. Both of them shared a lot of the same interests. Frost explained that reading was practically how he grew up and learned about the world, something that Twilight could relate to, and Twilight told him how alone she felt sometimes, despite her friends always being there for her. They were great friends, but sometimes Twilight couldn't help wanting....more. Frost knew what she was talking about. To have it all, and to have nothing. He had had it all given to him, everything that he'd ever wanted, but his needs, not his materialistic needs but his needs as a pony, forced him to give it all up. In a way, his need for something more brought him here, to the one thing he needed more than anything else.

By the time the party had started to wind down, Princess Luna had long since raised the moon. Everypony began leaving, and the mess the left behind was sure to keep Frost, Twilight, and Spike busy tomorrow.

After another few minutes, Frost and Twilight finally decided to go to bed. Upon entering Twilight's bedroom, they found Pinkie and Applejack on Frost's bed with Rainbow Dash, drawing on her face while she slept. Why it took so long for them to do something as simple as prank somepony else, Frost would probably never know. At least, not until Pinkie explained it to him in rushed detail. " Oh hi Frost! Hi Twilight! We were just messing with Rainbow Dash! It took us FOREVER to find a marker to use! First I had to run back to Sugarcube Corner, but I got an earful from the Cakes for leaving the twins with you guys! I mean, they weren't angry or anything! They just wanted to know why I left, and I told them all about my awesome party for the new pony in town, and they understood, because they know that when somepony new comes to town it's my responsibility to make sure that they have the best Welcome Wagon party ever! That's two things, by the way! First it's the Welcome Wagon, and then it's the awesome super-fun welcome party! So I got a pen, and by the time I got back, AJ was taking a nap, and--"

Frost had heard more than enough. "Ok, OK Pinkie, I get it. Just... Just stop, for a second."

.....

"Ok, so AJ was--"

"WAIT! What are you doing? I thought you were done."

"Oh, I wasn't done, Silly! You just said wait for a second, so that's exactly what I did!"

Frost slapped his face with his hoof. Pinkie Pie must have been the opposite of logic or... something like that. "Ummm...Ok, uh, how about this? Applejack, you take Pinkie Pie home, and we'll look after Rainbow Dash."

Applejack looked at both Frost and Twilight for a few seconds before an accusing smile crossed her face. The full severity of what she was insinuating didn't hit the Two for another few seconds. When it did, Their faces could have been mistaken for the biggest apples you've ever seen.

"W-WAIT!! It's not l-like we were---"

"Yeah!! And I-It's not like, uh---"

"Y-you see we were just trying to---"

"Well, uh, we weren't trying anything, and---"

"That's it!"

"YEAH THAT'S IT!!!"

Applejack looked as she were about to break into another laughing fit. "Now Ah didn't mean anything by it, you two. Ah was just teasin' ya'll." Her face took on another maniacal expression of suggestiveness. "Or were y'all afraid I'd found ya out?"

She whispered to the both of them, "And don't forget -*ahem*- ponies have tongues for more than just one kind of eating."

Only Frost got the gist of what she was saying that time, and he couldn't even respond to it. He just sat there, mouth agape. Applejack was more subtle than Rainbow Dash at this kind of thing (surprisingly), but she definitely got her point across just as well. Pinkie just giggled, apparently oblivious to all of Applejack's subtle hints. Twilight seemed to get it after another few seconds, and, combined with all the stress of earlier shocks, just fainted.

Applejack and Pinkie were instantly at her side, along with Frost. after a couple of minutes she woke up, and she seemed fine.

Applejack apologized for messing with the both of them like that. It was understandable. She never meant to cause Twilight any harm, and even though she didn't, Frost doubted she would have forgiven herself if something more serious had occurred and she hadn't been able to stop it.

Applejack sighed. " Ah guess Ah'm gonna hafta keep an eye on ya fer tonight. Make sure there aren't any...problems."

Applejack was a devoted friend. She'd protect her friends no matter what happened to them, but that stubbornness put her at odds with Rainbow a lot, Frost presumed. Two ponies with personalities like that, constantly clashing - it was a wonder those two hadn't torn each other apart yet.

Twilight groaned. "Really Applejack, I'm fine. It was just a little too much for me to process at once, that's all. I really don't need you watching over me."

"Oh, Ah ain't doin' this just fer you, Sugarcube." She pointed at Rainbow Dash. "Ah'm still waitin' to see that one's face when she wakes up, and Ah ain't leavin till Ah do!"

Pinkie rose up from between the three ponies. "Y'know what this calls for?"

Twilight and Applejack caught on almost instantly, while Frost was left looking for answers. "What, Pinkie?"

Twilight and Pinkie both said it at the same time.

"SLUMBER PARTY!!!"

One Hay Of A Night

You never know what to cherish until you no longer have it.

Frost had learned what that phrase really meant the moment the truth hit him square in the head.

He was at a slumber party.

With Applejack, Twilight, a not-quite-sure-she's-still-alive-over-there Rainbow Dash....

and Pinkie Pie.

That mare was an unstoppable ball of energy with a hyperactive thought process and an extreme addiction to parties.

Frost tried to cover his head with the pillow. No luck. Those mares were having a great time, no doubt about that, but that didn't make it any easier for Frost to try to get some sleep.

"Umm... could you guys ple--"

Big mistake. The moment he tried to take his head out from behind cover, Frost met with a pillow to the head.

"Ooph!"

Pinkie made what could be considered one of the most adorable apologetic faces ever. "Oopsie Woopsie! Sorry Frost!"

"Could you guys please keep it down? I just know I have a lot of work ahead of me tomorrow, and I want to try to get some rest."

"Aww, that don't mean you can't stay up just a lil' longer? Think of it this way Sugarcube-- you an' a couple pretty mares like ourselves, alone, at night... don't tell me you're plannin' ta sleep through that? Maybe Twi here ain't as traditional as she seems, cause Ah'm not quite sure there's a stallion here!"

Frost knew exactly what AJ was trying to do. She was trying to rile him up and trick him into joining in on the fun, thinking that he'd end up enjoying himself. Well her little plan wasn't going to work. Frost was too collected to let a mare rile him up like that. Challenging his stallionhood? Really? Nice try, but you'll have to wake up pretty early to try to slip psychology tricks past Frost GreOH HAY WHO AM I KIDDING NOONE CALLS ME A MARE ESPECIALLY NOT IN FRONT OF MY MAREFRI-- IT'S COMPLICATED OK?!

"Applejack, I better not have heard what I think I heard! Alright then, you asked for it!"

Frost levitated an absolutely ridiculous amount of pillows, all aimed right at the orange cowpony. What followed was a massive storm of flying feathers. When everypony could see again, AJ was covered from head to hoof in feathers.

Frost tried to stifle his giggles for a moment, but it was useless. He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and laughing his flanks off.

Twilight and Pinkie soon followed, and eventually, Applejack smiled and collapsed too.

Frost was so busy laughing that he didn't notice the three pillows hovering over his head.

"OWWW! Hey, watch it!"

He looked up to see two mares with pillows in their mouths, and one with five hovering over her head.

"...." Frost sprang up and quickly flipped his mattress, holding in the air as a shield, and ducked behind it before the onslaught began.

Frost took some time to think to himself while the pillows flew. 'Well...too late for sleep.'

________________________

One Year Ago...

________________________

He had finally done it.

Frost was resting comfortably at the top of the Canterlot food chain. Few others could claim to have his status, and even fewer could say they were higher. He still decided to stay away from the other members of the Canterlot elite, though. They had (indirectly) taught him everything he knew about other ponies, but that didn't mean that he actually liked being around them. The few he had met were exactly how he had expected them to be - snobby, vain, and selfish. But how could he judge them? His sins were just as bad, if not worse. He had retaken Canterlot by storm, stepping on lesser ponies all the way up to the top. The lucky ones could still claim to have something to their names after he was done with them. The ones who weren't...... well, they just weren't so lucky. But he never could have destroyed so many lives, taken so much and left so little behind, without the help of his... little friend.

As he took the time to head back to his room in his parents' newly renovated mansion, he stopped short. HE was talking to him again, for the first time in months. After they had finally reached the top, he simply went silent. Now that he was back, Frost had a feeling that he wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"..........Soon........."

'Wha- What are you talking about? Soon for what?'

"Soon, it will be time. I can sense it. The Elements have taken new hosts, and will soon be ready for me to collect. It is now simply a matter of time." He let out a small chuckle. "Only a matter of time......" and vanished.

Frost was more than a bit shaken when his sister found him sitting in the hall, staring as if he had just seen a ghost.

"Frost! Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, ye-yes, I'm fine."

The minute the words left his mouth, Frost knew what he was in for. His sister gave him a look, and he knew that he'd have to tell her eventually. He didn't say anything about having taken on her burden, her Voice, for fear of what the knowledge that it was still here and could return to her at any time could do to her mind. He tried to deflect the inevitable onslaught of questions with one of his own.

"Hey, something's been bothering me. Back when you still had that.... thing..... inside you.... what was it like?"

Her face lost it's curiosity and took on a cold, blank expression. ".......It... It was bad. I told you already, I remember touching that statue, then a few glimpses of you, and then there I was, staring at you on the ground, passed out. I really don't want to go into more detail than that."

Frost respected his sister's privacy, and decided not to pry any further, save for one more question.

"Ok, ok, I get it. But, can you tell me one thing?" His sister nodded silently waiting, for him to proceed.

"What did it want?"

As his sister remembered what the Voice had told her in her solitude, a look of horrified realization crossed her face.

"It said once that it wanted..... You."

_______________________

They were pinned down.

Frost and Spike, who had long since woken up due to the commotion and decided to work with Frost to give him a fighting chance, were stuck behind the mattress as the onslaught continued. That bed was the only thing standing between them and a feathery grave. Well, more like a feathery pummeling, but it would be feathery nonetheless.

They would have actually stood a chance against the mares - if Rainbow Dash hadn't woken up and if Frost hadn't accidentally hit her in the head with a pillow. It probably didn't make her hangover much worse. She had joined up with Twilight, AJ, and Pinkie, and they were hammering the only defense the guys had relentlessly.

Suddenly, the pillows stopped flying. Spike and Frost were confused and paranoid, and weren't about to look upon this ceasefire without suspicion.

Suddenly, Spike had an idea. "hey, frost!" he whispered, for fear of giving his plan away. "I have a plan. give me some cover by throwing down a few pillows. I'll sneak under them, and we can flank them on both sides."

Frost wanted to argue. It was too dangerous to send in one pon- er, dragon. "you know if you do this, you might not make it back."

"that, my friend, is a chance I am willing to take." Without another word, Frost nodded and silently levitated a small mass of pillows into the middle of the room to act as cover, a line all the way to Twilight's bed. Spike gave a valiant salute and dove immediately dove into the pile.

'There goes the bravest soldier I ever did see.'

And that's when Frost realized that they both might be taking this whole thing a little too seriously.

All was going according to plan, until, suddenly, the pillows he was levitating took on a soft magenta glow and were wrenched from his grasp. Even her magic was beautifIS THIS REALLY THE TIME FOR THAT?! Spike was revealed crawling along the floor, stuck halfway between both bases, with no cover in sight.

Frost cried out, "IT'S A TRAP!!"

Spike rose from the ground, a look of bold determination on his face. "Well, if I'm going down, I'm going down fighting!"

Spike turned to me, a single tear formed in his eye.

"rarity," he whispered, "someday you'll join me."

And so Spike charged.

He threw all the pillows he could find lying around, determined to give them a fight to the bitter end. Only a few got behind the bed before the retaliation began. The first one hit him square in the face. He stopped running, but kept standing, still determined. The next few gradually broke him down to the floor, until he was on his stomach, clawing for another pillow.

"Must..... continue.......on....."

Frost couldn't watch anymore. He galloped over to Spike, determined to get him back to base. The pillows all focused on him, but he didn't care. They were both making it out of there.

"Hold it together man! We're getting back to base, you here me?! Don't you black out on me soldier!!"

Spike chuckled. " I'm not.... gonna..... make it......game over..... tell Rarity... tell her......" and with that, Spike passed out.

"NOOOOOOOO!!" Frost cried out. He got up to gallop back, but a pillow hit him square in the back of the head. He fell to the ground. His vision hazy, he could see Twilight approaching him. She had a pillow levitated over her head, ready to deliver the final blow.

Frost coughed. This was it. The End.

....

Once again, Frost realized that him and Spike had taken this whole thing way too far at this point.

He sat up, completely unharmed. "Ok fine, you win. Can I just go to sleep now?"

Spike sat up, a disappointed look on his face. "Oh come on, It was just getting fun!!"

Twilight looked at them both with a smirk on her face. "Well, It is pretty late. I suppose that now that we're done with--"

"That SLAUGHTERFEST???" Rainbow Dash butted in. She immediately looked like she wished that she hadn't, as she began holding her head again, most likely from a combination of a pillow to the face and her hangover. She had a ring around one eye, a twirly mustache, and swirls drawn onto her cheeks, and noone had really thought to tell her about it yet, most likely because they were still getting over how funny it looked.

Twilight turned around and chuckled a bit at the sight of a confused Rainbow, still oblivious to her appearance as well as half the night. "--that, as Rainbow put it, we should get some sleep."

Frost was well ahead of her on this. He had already reset his mattress and leaped into it by the time Twilight had finished. He was out like a light.

However, the respite of his dreams could be considered less than restful.

Four Way

"Get up you miserable little pony."

Frost found himself inside of a blank white room, dressed in a blank white suit, alone with the Voice.

"Wha.... where are we? How did I get here?"

The Voice chuckled to him...itself a bit. Oh, it's nowhere. Literally. Right now, we don't exist. I've pulled you outside of your physical form in your sleep. We're in, what could be called, a mix between a blank slate, your subconcious, and the non-existence of another dimension. I'm sorry, am I going too fast for your simple brain to keep up? Too bad. Learn to keep up. We could have just gone to my place, my true place outside of this filthy pile of crap you call a mind, but I had a feeling you would be uncomfortable, what with the heat, and mental scarring would make my plans quite .....difficult.

Frost rubbed his eyes. "Ok then... I, uh, have a few questions for you...." Frost, free of the burden of having the outside world distracting him, realized that, in all the time that they had spent together, he had never learned the Voice's name. "Wait, here's one. Uh, what do I call you? What's your name?"

Despite the lack of features, the Voice's face took on a deep, sinister air, as if hearing a question that he loved to answer.

"I go by many names. Well, at least I did. You ponies probably wouldn't know them, or at least all of them. Ever heard of, oh, let's just say, The Being of Light? The Most Beautiful One in Paradise?"

Frost shook his head. The name seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't place a hoof on it. It was like a distant memory, something that was there, but it wasn't. It was hard to explain.

"Well then, allow me to educate your simple mind. There was once a great Being, one who was the Creator of the planes of existence as you know them today. Well, perhaps you wouldn't, but they do exist I can assure you. They are so much.... fun to play with, after all. I could never forget about them."

Frost took a moment to remember what the Voice meant by fun, shuddering as he did so. The so-called 'fun' that he had was something that shouldn't ever have to happen to a pony. He suddenly wanted to retch, remembering what he had done in Canterlot. That was more than enough reason to never go back.

"Moving on now, so keep up. The Creator was not happy. His conciousness, if you could call it such, was always fighting with itself. It was made up of two seperate entities within one body - The Peace and The Wrath. The Peace was the one who always wanted to create, to shape, to build life. But the Wrath saw differently. He didn't like the creation of the Peace, and sought out to destroy it, believing that nothingness was the truth of the planes. The two fought endlessly, one always building, the other obliterating, until one moment, or one year later, due to the time between planes..... it came."

The voice just stood there, stuck in contemplation for a moment, until Frost brought him back. "Wait, what came? What was it?"

The Voice kept a look of disdain on his face. "It was the Balance. Suddenly and without warning, the two entities were cast aside by a third party, one who believed that the balance of the planes had finally hit equilibrium, not needing the two any longer. The Peace got the physical body, but lost its spirit, it's essence and memories. The Wrath fought against the Balance, wanting to break the equilibrium, and in return, was allowed to keep his spiritual form and abilities, at the cost of being forced from the shared physical form. And, as if that weren't ENOUGH,the Wrath, that poor being, was split into a billion pieces. I have told you their names, and there are many more to be had for them. But they are of no concern. I have made sure of it. And as for my name? Well.... you can call me.... Scratch."

Frost's blood ran cold at the mention of this name. All at once, the memories started flowing back, but then they stopped. They were being.... blocked somehow. However he knew enough. He now knew where he had heard that name before.

It was because he was there.

"Wait.... so you're saying that.... I'm--"

"Oh, for your sake, I hope I don't have to spell it out. Considering these circumstances, I will. Yes, you were in fact, a part of that ancient Event, as am I."

Frost needed to sit down for a moment. This was all to much to handle. A week ago, he had been running, trying to leave Canterlot because of his... because of Scratch's.... deeds. A day ago he had just been a random nopony with a voice in his head, trying to start his life over when he just happened to run into the most beautiful mare he'd ever seen. Now, he was passed out in her home after a seriously over-dramatic pillow fight, and being told that he was in fact the physical reincarnation of a god by his dark other half.

He once again took the time to think to himself. 'How is this my life??'

"Oh, that's simple. We are who we are. There is no change. We don't get to decide destiny. We get the hand that we're dealt, and we stick with it. And do you know why that is? BECAUSE I WAS BORED. I was bored, and wanted an added element of.... surprise in existence.

And, as if on cue, that's when Pinkie Pie showed up.

But she wasn't alone. No, she had someone with her. This pony looked almost exactly like her, but slightly darker and with a long, straight mane, as opposed to Pinkie's. She had a perpetually calm look on her face, as if she somehow knew what would happen, and just how we would all end up. In fact, Frost would have asked her about the immediate future if he wasn't so sure she was completely mental.

"Hiya Frost!! Hiya pony in Frost's head!"

"Yes.... Hello." The other pony still had that wicked expression plastered across her face.

"Hello Pinkie. Why exactly are you in my dreams?" Frost didn't ask why- He already knew that the answer would probably give him a headache.

"Well, you sir are a pony with a problem, and I know the solution!"

Frost sighed. "Ok Pinkie, I'll play along. What did you want to tell me?"

Pinkie grinned. "The Truth!!"

At this, Scratch promptly took Frost out of the blank room and into what appeared to be a desert.

"Oh, we don't need her. She's insane. As long as that other one is with her, they can both stay in that void for all I care.

Before Pinkie could somehow reappear we swapped to the top of a mountain. It felt so real that Frost could literally taste the wetness in the air and feel the snow under his hooves.

"In any case, it's time for you to wake up.

They finally switched to the tallest tower in Canterlot, the tip of the Princess's Castle. Frost only had a moment before Scratch shoved him over the edge.

As he was rushing towards the ground, Frost couldn't even scream. He could only hear Scratch's voice.

"Oh, and about the Elements... you'll find out soon enough. As for now, enjoy your remaining time. Soon, we'll be able to have fun again."

"Because soon, after so long, I will once again be whole."

Frost hit the ground.

Demon Bunny

Frost shot straight up in his bed.

He felt cold, and his face was coated in sweat, as if he'd had a nightmare. But that couldn't be further from the truth. What he'd been told the night before was worse that a nightmare.

He still didn't know how to react to the fact that he was basically a god. If he really was a god. How could he know that Scratch hadn't lied to him? That he wasn't just manipulating him into doing his dirty work?

"Oh now's not the time to worry about me. I've told you the truth. You'll find out the rest as you go along. Now, I do believe that you have some business to attend to today. You'll know what I mean. It's all a part of the plan."

Frost definitely still had serious questions concerning those plans, but he had to admit that, just this once, Scratch couldn't have been more right. It was not the time for an interrogation, especially considering the mouthwatering smell coming from downstairs.

He trotted down the stairs, following the scent. It led to a small alcove in the back of the library, one he assumed was used as a kitchen. When he entered, he was met with a curious sight - Spike, bent over an oven and taking out a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls.

"Spike?" Frost was met with a sudden slight leap from the baby dragon. "Oh, hey Frost!"

As Spike turned around, Frost was able to get a closer look at what he was wearing - a pink apron with a daffodil design sewn in. Frost promptly covered his mouth to avoid bursting out into laughter. "Sp-Spike...why are you wearing a... that?" Frost managed to say past his stifled laughs.

Spike looked a bit confused, if not insulted. "Hey! There's nothing wrong with this! I happen to like it." Frost tried to sound serious, though the massive grin still on his face probably gave it away. "Spike, listen. There are some things that guys like us really shouldn't like.... like this."

Spike was not amused. "Yeah yeah, save it. I've heard it all before. It's not like I don't get enough of it from Rainbow Dash."

"Well if this is such an issue for you, why not just get a different apron?"

"Because I feel like I shouldn't have to change just to please others."

This unexpected answer caused the grin to fade from Frost's face. Spike's response gave him pause for thought. The silence was broken by a loud *DING!* from the timer on the oven.

A look of surprise crossed Spike's face for a brief moment. "My scones!" He rushed back to the oven, giving Frost the opportunity to take a seat at the small table in the middle of the alcove and reflect.

Shouldn't have to change to please others.

These words rang through Frost's head. Back when he was one of the most famous ponies in Canterlot, he had tried so hard to be accepted into their society. He knew he couldn't fail - Scratch had made sure of that - but that didn't mean that they couldn't have rejected him, leaving him with absolutely nopony, save for his sister.

His sister....

A strange sting traveled through his head for a moment. 'What was that?'

Frost didn't dwell on it for long. Another thought suddenly sprang to mind.

"Oh, Spike, do you know where Twilight is? I didn't see her when I came down."

"I think she said something about visiting Fluttershy. Don't know why though. She asked if I wanted to come, but I really didn't feeling like having to deal with Fluttershy's demon bunny today. That little guy is E-V-I-L, if you ask me."

The feeling was mutual.

Frost decided to go find Twilight, getting directions to Fluttershy's hut from Spike on the way.

After Frost left, Spike decided to start cleaning up. "Pfft, well who cares what he thinks? I can like whatever I want. I don't have to please anyone."

........

It took Frost about half an hour to make it to Fluttershy's. It would have been sooner, but he - literally - ran into a mailmare on the way there. She had dropped her mailbag in the collision, and he had decided to stop and help her for a moment.

After helping her clean up her mail, he was rewarded with a peck on the cheek. Frost blushed a little at the memory. She was cute, but she wasn't like Twilight. Twilight was different.

As he came to the hut, Frost was stopped outside by none other than Angel, the demon rabbit.

Frost was irritated by the rabbit's apperance as much as Angel was irritated by him, but he tried his best to keep a straight face.

He failed miserably.

"Ok, look," He started. "I don't like you and you don't like me - we've established that already. But that doesn't mean that we can't get along a little, right? Sort of... I don't know, look the other way when the other guy happens to be nearby? So? What do you say?"

Angel responded by throwing a half-eaten carrot at Frost, hitting him in the side of the head.

"Ow!" Frost fell over, his hoof holding the part of his head where the carrot had impacted. Vegetables are much tougher than they are given credit for, apparently.

"Why would you do that?! I'm trying to be nice!" Angel hopped up to Frost's nether region. Before he could react, Angel's foot had connected with the most delicate area of his body.

"AHHHGGGGHHH!!!" Frost was curled up in pain. He decided that he had had enough of this little guy. He focused through the pain and lifted the evil little creature up and over his head. While Angel struggled to break free of the levitation field, shooting a furious frown at Frost while he swung, Frost moved him over the small creek near Fluttershy's hut and dropped him. Angel hit the water with an audible splash, and Frost managed to get up and walk towards the hut, not terribly concerned seeing as how the water only looked to be about 7 to 8 inches deep.

Frost walked up to the door. However, just as he was about to knock, he heard a few strange gasps coming from within. Unable to stifle his curiosity, he placed his ear to the door to try and make out what was being said.

"ahh..... twilight....." Frost could barely make out the whisper of Fluttershy's voice. "um, twilight, that's..... not very good. here, try it like this."

"Oooh, that's good!"

"see, if you do it just right..."

"Oooooh, I REALLY like that one!"

Frost was a bit confused as to what he was hearing. Part of him was inexplicably happy to know that Twilight was here, part of him was curious as to what she and Fluttershy were doing, part of him was afraid to know what she and Fluttershy were doing, and part of him was..... slightly aroused by what he thought she and Fluttershy might be doing.

Frost knocked on the door, waiting patiently until someone came to answer it. It was Twilight, and he swore that he had never been more refreshed by the smell of lavender than now, at this very moment.

"Hey Twilight. Hi Fluttershy." Frost waved his hoof at Fluttershy, who blushed and covered her face with one of her wings a bit as she waved back, hooves covered in clay. He wondered how in Equestria she could possibly be so cute.

As Frost walked in, he noticed two pottery tables, each of which had a small hoofmade bowl sitting atop it. One looked like it was sculpted by a professional, and the other, was..... something, to say the least.

While he studied Fluttershy's abode, Frost saw her eyes as they looked directly out the door. He followed her gaze to see an angry, soaking wet bunny standing in the doorway.

"Oh my goodness! Angel bunny, are you ok? You look awful."

Frost could only barely stifle his laughter as the bunny glared daggers at him.

Rainbow Crashed

Twilight sure did have some interesting friends.

Frost had never seen a pegasus fly like that before. She was so fast he could barely keep up. He had thought, for a moment, that she was one of the Wonderbolts, visiting Ponyville to practice her flying in peace. That guess was proved false when Pinkie called to her from the window and she came speeding in. Frost quickly learned that she wasn't a Wonderbolt from the the lack of recognition. He knew who all the current Wonderbolts were, and instantly knew that she wasn't one of them, or at least not one of the more recognizable ones. With a mane like that, she'd be really hard to miss. The most obvious tip off, however, was the way she dove into the window and crashed into him headfirst. Some of the Wonderbolts were a bit wild, sure, but they did practice constantly. None of them were THAT reckless.

Rainbow actually chuckled a bit, "Heh, uh, sorry. That was my bad. So Pinkie, this is that new guy you were telling me about earlier, right?"

"Yep! He's brand new, and I just knew that I had to introduce him to everypony! Everypony in town deserves a party, and Frost is no exception!!"

"Frost, huh?" Rainbow looked back at Frost. He had been watching the conversation without realizing that Rainbow Dash hadn't moved yet. He wasn't sure if he should be excited about this. After all, he was a gentlecolt, and it felt wrong for him to heat up at the touch of other mares, even though he wasn't quite sure of the status of him and Twilight's relationship. Still, his body couldn't ignore the sleek, athletic body resting on top of him, so he settled on a sort-of-kind-of state.

Rainbow Dash gave a seductive grin. " Hmmm...I'm guessing that you've finally noticed who's sitting on top of you! Well, it about time! I'm kind of a big deal here, you see. Maybe you've heard of me? You're under the one, the only, Rainbow Dash!! No no, no applause is necessary!"

Everypony around us went on about their partying, not giving us a second thought. Apparently, this kind of thing coming from Rainbow Dash was pretty common.

Pinkie giggled. " Oh Rainbow, sometimes you're just so silly! Ooh, stay right there Frost! I want to introduce you to another friend of mind, if I can find her! Rainbow, you invited ?"

"Sorry Pinkie, but she couldn't make it. She said that she had to help Big Mac with the apple bucking because they're falling behind or something. Y'know, if I were there, we would've been done in a minute, tops. Now I know that AJ and Big Mac can't possibly hope to compete with my speed, but I'm sure they'd be done eventua--"

"Awww..." Pinkie's ears drooped for a moment, but the frown on her face was almost instantaneously gone the moment she had another idea, which took all of two seconds for her to think up. "But that's fine, I guess! A party missing only one pony is still a party, after all! I'll go get Rarity!!" The moment Pinkie dashed off, Frost began to notice how uncomfortable he was.

"Uh, Rainbow, could you--"

His sentence was interrupted by a cyan hoof on his face silencing him. " Oh, I know what you're gonna say. 'Oh Rainbow, could you not move so much please? Your firm, athletic body is too much, too much!' Normally I wouldn't think twice about pulling myself off of you, but it doesn't hurt that you're kinda cute and don't seem too jerky, at least not like some of the other stallions in town..." It was at this point that Rainbow Dash had started rubbing herself against his belly, right there in plain view of everypony present. Nopony was looking, and Rainbow Dash looked like she was beginning to want to go further. Frost was surprised, but refused to get completely excited. He still had another mare to think about, and he refused to even think about any other mares while they had their focus on each other.

"Rainbow Dash, quit it." The demand made her abruptly stop. "Let me guess... it's Twilight, isn't it?" Frost was flustered. "Wai-wait, how did you...?!" Rainbow Dash looked proud of herself, which really didn't differentiate from her usual look. But, then again, Frost had only known her for about five minutes before she had started to try to excite him, so he couldn't really make out how she normally was. "It wasn't that hard. You look like the kind of pony that she'd be into. all right, I'll back off."

Rainbow removed herself from Frost's abdomen, allowing him to stand up properly. Without the shadow obscuring her face and her dominating position over him, Frost could see a faint blush on her cheeks. She also wobbled a bit on her hooves before she started hovering in the air.

"Rainbow Dash, I think you've had too much cider."

Rainbow shook her head. "Hey, if you ask me, I haven't had enough!" Frost got it now. She wasn't always this way - or maybe she was - with others. He'd probably be seeing a sober, embarrassed Rainbow Dash later, but right now she needed some sleep.

"Maybe you should take a nap. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"Ha! Whatever! I feel like I... could go... for dayssss....." Rainbow passed out in mid air and hit the floor with a thump. She was out cold. Frost guessed that she'd had more than a few cups of cider.

He levitated her into Twilight's room, where Spike was sleeping soundly, apparently having had enough of these ponies for today, and laid her down on his bed. She'd have quite the headache tommorrow, and he wanted to see her face when she remembered how she'd acted tonight. He wasn't even sure she would remember, but it was going to be entertaining nonetheless.

Leaving Rainbow Dash, Frost went back to the main room, where the party was still in full swing. He saw Pinkie across the room, chatting up a white unicorn mare with a beautiful, royal purple mane. When he approached, Pinkie saw him coming and took it upon herself to introduce the two. "...and here he is now! Rarity, this is my newest friend, Frost Grey! Frost, this is Rarity!"

Rarity introduced herself, speaking with a tone that reminded Frost of the ponies in Canterlot. "Well hello there! I am Rarity, and you are... much more handsome than Pinkie described you to be!"

Were all the ponies in this town aiming to make him blush? "Oh, we-well I'm flattered. It's not everyday that I get complimented like this!"

"What's wrong? Haven't you ever had anypony ever called you handsome before? Quite shocking, considering your frame, your mane, your coat, are all so perfect! You should stop by my boutique sometime, darling. I have a few outfits that I believe you would look magnificent in."

Pinkie Pie jumped in. " Rarity's a dressmaker! She owns that big boutique in town! You can't miss it!"

Rarity decided to continue the conversation, as if Pinkie just jumping headfirst into a conversation was a normal thing. Considering all that he'd seen her do today alone, it probably wasn't that uncommon. " So, er, Frost. How has your stay in Ponyville been treating you?"

"Oh, it's really nice here. It'd be a good, quiet place for me to settle down, especially compared to all the hustle and bustle of Canterlot."

Rarity's eyes lit up when he mentioned that he was from Canterlot. Considering her profession and her obviously cultured nature, Frost knew that that was a topic of particular interest to her. "Oooh, you're from Canterlot? A stallion of refinement as well! Oh, Pinkie, you do know how to find the most spectacular ponies, don't you?"

"You betcha! I'd introduce you to another friend of mine Frost, but she couldn't make it. Oh well, we can meet her sometime tommorrow! I'm sure she won't mind us dropping by the farm!"

Suddenly, an orange earth pony mare walked in the door. Her hooves were coated in mud, and her blonde, ponytail mane and tail were both filled with small leaves and twigs. She had a distinctive face, with white freckles on each cheek and slight bags under her eyes, most likely from overworking and lack of sleep. Her most distinguishing feature, however, was the light brown cowpony hat she was wearing, covered with dirt and dust from working outdoors. She tracked a muddy trail into the library, and following her, cleaning up after every step, was none other than Twilight.

"Howdy Pinkie!" She called out in a slightly thick southern accent. "Mighty sorry Ah'm late, but at least Ah was able to make it this time! Look who I picked up on the way here! Now, where is this new pony that y'all wanted me to meet so badly?"