The Time

Adam looked around him in the hut to see an older and painted versions of Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer standing as guards. "Do you remember anything from outside the dream realm?" Adam asked to an older Fluttershy covered in tribal paint.

"Barely...just that I was in love...about to get married..." she tried to recall. "But I've been in here so long...I don't remember..."

Adam journeyed far to finally get where he was now. "It was going to be a small outdoor wedding..." he told her.

"Oh...that sounds like something I would want..." responded Fluttershy.

The human thought back to his journey. How he found himself washed upon a different shore, of abandoned buildings being eroded away by the ocean waves. He walked the empty street, knowing he was in an inescapable realm.

Once he passed the city, he found himself at a grass field and in the distance, was a familiar sight from his dreams; a cliff overlooking the ocean. He visited that place once in his travels, England to be specific. There, he saw the usual figure that would be there. He walked towards the figure on the cliff, only this time, he actually got closer. He soon found himself just right behind her, in the same mauve dress she wore when she was killed. "Hello Mary..." he said to her.

She turned around to see Adam, she made a face of confusion at him. "Hello." she greeted as if she never saw him before.

Adam knew that it was not actually her, just his own projection of her. "I've spent nearly six years trying to reach you." he began. "And now here I am."

"Oh? What is it that you searched me out for?" Mary asked.

"To tell you that I have moved on." he explained as the cold ocean breezes blew. "I have finally found someone to be happy with, and I no longer have to waste my time getting you back."

Mary looked at him for a minute as she tried to comprehend what he said before a smile formed on her face. "Glad to hear, for it means I am finally free from standing here." her lavender eyes shimmered. "About time."

Adam smiled in return. "Thank you though." He then walked passed her and towards the edge,

"For what?" she asked confused, wondering what he was about to do.

He turned around with a smile of happiness. "Because without you, I wouldn't have met her." he grinned before he spread out his arms and let himself fall backwards off the cliff. He hit the water hard before everything went black.

Adam suddenly found himself back in the hut, slow dancing with an elderly Fluttershy. Due to the mare's arthritic hips and knees, she could not move around as much as she used to, but the human made sure that he was the one that did most of the moving, circling around her. "You make me feel so young." she whispered.

"I know." he whispered back as he saw the guards point their poison tipped spears at the two. "It's time Shy." he told her.

The mare silently agreed and nodded over to her three loyal guards to do what they were ordered to do. Pinkie, Rainbow and Starlight nodded in return before they lunged their spears at them.

Adam woke up with a loud gasp and shot up awake. He looked around to see that he was back in the library and his bed was surrounded by Spike, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and the zebra he encountered earlier. He was back in the real world. "Fluttershy?" he asked, looking around for his marefriend.

"Here..." said a soft and familiar voice. The crowd around his bed parted to reveal Fluttershy before him. She suddenly leaped up and floated over to the human to give him a tight hug. "Oh, thank you for saving me." she said, eternally grateful. He hugged her tightly back.

"Anything for you Shy...anything for you..." he assured her. He then out of the corner of his eye, sees Luna looking in on him through a window from outside, she made a serious face at him before teleporting away. He then looked around for the rest to see Pinkie, Rainbow and Starlight all slowly stir awake. Everyone was back from the dream realm safe and sound, with another mission accomplished.

The next day...

It was a rainy day as Adam quietly and calmly looked out his living room window at the wet landscape as he drank his tea. He looked over at his coffee table to see a modest stack of wedding invitations that needed to be filled. But then he noticed a blue coated pony on his couch, Luna. "Hello." he greeted.

Luna wasted no time in getting to the point of her unexpected visit. "Was everything you said back there true?" she asked with a serious look on her face.

"Well, I exaggerated some parts, but only because you needed to know the truth..." he explained as gently as he could. "...there was nothing you could've done to save her."

"Part of me still doesn't want to accept that, but part of me also knows that recognizing that fact will keep that...thing...away." she explained with slight shame.

"When I got here...I never planned on being anyone's hero, savior or lover...I just wanted to learn, but events unfolded that left me no choice but to be those things." he explained as he sat down next to Luna on the couch. "I just want some kind of normality in my life right now." he looked distantly in deep thought as he drank his tea.

The princess stared at the human. "I can understand why they find you so fascinating." she explained. "But I don't care how selfish or entitled you are, because deep down, you have the most pure heart I have ever seen." she assured before looking out the window. "Now I know how Celestia must've felt after I was banished." she said to herself.

Adam reached over and brushed her cheek and face with his hands and fingers, Luna responded by nuzzling his hand in return. "Sorry it had to be that way." he said with shame.

Luna just gave a sigh or regret followed by a nod of acceptance. Without a word, she teleported out of the room, leaving the human alone once again.

In the Everfree forest, Zecora meditated in the rain, she was upright, forelegs in prayer, standing on only one hindleg. She did not budge an inch, even as the rain soaked her. Her ears suddenly perked up upon hearing the sounds of rustling. She opened one of her eyes to see what could have made that noise only to see an unexpected sight; a cloaked zebra. She quickly stopped her meditation, confused. "Hello Ze." said the cloaked zebra with a familiar voice.

Her eyes went wide with shock. "Beri?" she gasped with surprise as a hopeful smile formed. The cloaked zebra removed his hood to reveal that it was indeed who she thought it was. "Oh my goodness, it is you!" she exclaimed with joy. Normally Zecora would rhyme, but because she was so excited and because it was just her and her brother, she did not care. They both trotted up to each other and immediately pressed their foreheads together in a sign of affection.

"I promised you that I would reunite with you sister." he smiled with joy. "I missed you so much Ze."

"I missed you so much as well, I've been waiting for you for so long." she explained. "I assume you are now a master apothecary?" she asked.

Zuberi nodded. "I came here to not only be with you, but to fulfill a promise I made to my mentor to open my own practice in Equestria." he explained.

She nodded along to the explanation. "Come inside brother, out of this rain, we can talk more over tea." she motioned her brother inside her home and he followed.

Once inside, Zuberi removed his cloak and hung it on a nearby coat rack. He looked around the place as his sister grabbed some recently done tea. "You carved this all yourself?" he asked in amazement.

Zecora nodded as she trotted over with the tea. "Took me about 18 months." she explained. "Now tell me the real reason that you are here." she asked bluntly. There was only one reason why her brother would bother to be here.

Zuberi just chuckled, about time she asked. He then took a deep breath before breaking the news. "The storm is coming." he answered cryptically. "And I have a bad feeling that he'll probably go after the human." he explained. "I was sent here to safeguard the human, and make sure he does not get him."

"Do the Princess' know?" she asked.

"It's best not to tell them, nor the human, he might be monitoring him as we speak, and we don't want him to become suspicious, we must lull him into a sense of security, until then...we prepare." he stated.

"Oh Pinkie, your friend Twilight is here!" announced Carrot as he knocked on Pinkie's bedroom door.

"It's open!" she yelled from the other side.

"She's been there ever since yesterday..." he said with concern to Twilight before he trotted off downstairs. Twilight opened the bedroom door to see the entire place in darkness.

"Pinkie?" she said to the darkness as she cautiously walked inside. She struggled to find a light switch before she stumbled onto one. She flipped it on to see the room finally light up, but her face turned to shock upon seeing that the room, usually decorated in party decorations or bright fun things, was no empty apart from the bed. "Pinkie...?" she asked again, she saw her friend stand in front of the window, looking out into the rain. Her mane and tail straight, not a good sign.

"I'm sorry...the old Pinkie can't talk to you right now...why?" she said. She then turned around. "Because she's dead." she snarled as thunder boomed and lightning flashed outside.

Twilight looked at her friend stunned. "We can fix this...don't worry-"

"Fix this? You mean bring her back, the one who stole so many years of my life with the constant fun and parties?" she snarled with annoyance. "She's not coming back, and there's nothing you can do about it, the REAL Pinkie Pie is here to say whether you like it or not!"

"But-"

Before Twilight could protest, Pinkie interrupted her. "I am now free to pursue MY kind of fun and laughter, make-up for all those I lost to her to live my own life." she pointed to some packed-up bags in the corner of the room.

"Where are you going?" Twilight asked with concern.

"Anywhere but here." was all she said.

"How long will you be away?"

"I don't know." she said bluntly.

"Pinkie..."

"I don't need you damn sympathy!" she exclaimed with annoyance. "I'm a grown mare, I can do whatever I want!" Silence fell between the two of them as the clock in the room rang three. "I have a train to catch Twilight." she said before she picked up her luggage and made her way past Twilight and out the door.

"Be careful out there." was all Twilight could say, hurt.

"Good bye and good riddance." she mumbled before she trotted out the door and down the stairs. From the bedroom window, Twilight saw Pinkie leave the building as rain poured on her. Twilight sighed.

At the local bar, Starlight once again drank from her mug. She then notices Twilight sit right next to her. "Whiskey punch please." she ordered to the bartender before turning her attention to Starlight. "Drinking again?" she raised an eyebrow to her.

"Twi, I am not in the mood in hearing the 'drinking is bad for you' speech from a borderline alcoholic." Starlight rolled her eyes with annoyance. "Besides, what is there to do in this dinky little town aside from drinking to better take in what just happened yesterday." she explained. "If we ever need to be in such a place again, I'm skipping out."

"Okay yes, I do drink, but only when I just can't take the craziness that is my friends...which admittedly is a lot, but still." she defended back as her drink got served.

"Well, don't worry too much, I'm not planning on getting wasted and make a fool of myself like last time." she assured as she chugged down the last of her cider from her mug. "But then again, I am severely tempted to do so." she quietly motions the bartender to refill her mug which he gladly obliges.

But then, the bartender serves Twilight a mug of cider. She looks confused. "I'm sorry sir, but I didn't order that..."

"Well, he did." he pointed to the end of the bar to see a yellow coated, blue maned unicorn stallion eyeing Twilight.

Starlight saw that and quickly leaned over to Twilight to whisper to her. "Now's your chance to get with a stallion." she whispered.

"But I don't know him."

"Twilight, the only thing you should know about him is whether or not he's a good lay, now go talk to him." she urged as she gently nudged her towards him. "Now remember what I told you..."

"To never be smarter than him and to giggle and laugh every time he makes a cheesy pick-up line or joke." she said deadpan, she did not exactly looked forward to this, but reluctantly went along as she went over to the stallion while Starlight stayed back to observe from afar.

"You know, it's a good thing I have my library card, because I am checking you out." he said in a flirty tone, followed by a small growl. The pick-up line made Twilight internally groan, but she managed to fake a smile and small chuckle. "Never thought I'd catch the sexy town librarian down here." he continued.

"Well, it was so nice of you to buy me that drink." she said, trying her best to be nice and hide the fact that she was feeling uncomfortable, especially with how his eyes always seemed to wander down to her rump. "So, what can this librarian do for you?" she asked in the best flirty tone she could muster, but it was obviously amateurish.

"I was thinking that you and I could go over to my place where we can have a one-on-one study session and I could give a hooves-on demonstration of the love-making arts." he continued with the flirting.

Twilight quickly turned to Starlight, only to see her make the 'keep going' gesture at her. The purple mare just sighed and continued to play along. "Oh, sounds great, you seem like you are very knowledgeable in that subject." she giggled trying her best to not sound sarcastic. "I do really need a stallion that knows how to please a mare." she continued.

"Well...I guess it both our lucky days." he slyly chuckled as his horn began to glow. Twilight suddenly felt a force spank her on the rump and she let out a whinny in response. "How cute." he cooed.

Twilight soon correctly suspected that he used his magic to sexual harass her. That was the last straw for her as rage finally started to build. Her horn glowed and suddenly the stallion began to double over in pain. "If you think that will get you laid by doing that you have another thing coming to you!" she growled in anger. "I'm not the only one who can use magic mister!" The stallion looked at her with fear at the mare who was currently using her magic to squeeze his testicles, in a non-sexual way. "Now that I have you literally by the balls..." she snarled. "...I want an apology!" she tightened her magical grip around his orbs.

The stallion grunted in pain. "...okay..." he spat out in a high-pitched voice. "...sorry..." he gasped. That was enough to satisfy the mare who promptly let his balls go. The stallion fell to the floor and curled up into a ball in pain. "Sorry..." he said through the intense pain.

Twilight just got up and to go leave. "Come on Starlight, we're going home, I'm no longer in the mood..." she said, feeling violated. Starlight decided it was best to do as told and follow her out.

In the chambers in a far away land south of Equestria, a single table holding a crystal ball showed Equestria to its owner. A creature carefully picked up the ball and looked at it. "Beautiful...just beautiful..." he mused. "...and all ripe for the taking." he then chuckled before placing the ball back to its rightful place on the table.

"I thought you hated Equestria's aesthetics sir..." stated a cold voice.

"Of course I do Tempest, the whole place looks revolting." he confirmed. "I was talking about its magic and riches." he explained. "Although remind me to do some major redecorating while we plunder it." he stated. "I hate the saccharine pastel cutesy theme."

"Anything else sir?" she asked as her boss walked over to his personal collection of stuffed toys made in his imagine and picking one up.

"What did the zebra priests we captured say about humans? How much did they tell you?" he asked as he played with the doll.

"Well, after three weeks of repeated torture...everything." she answered.

"Anything important?" he asked again splitting his focus between the doll and Tempest.

"Humans become immune to magic when enough adrenaline courses through their bodies." she explained. The was enough to make him focus back on the unicorn.

"Immune to magic?" he reiterated. Tempest just nodded. A big grin formed across his face. "This human has become more valuable then we though." he laughed evilly. "How long until we become ready to invade at our current rate?"

"About a year." she said.

"Make it six months." he ordered.

"But sir...we are still short on anti-magic devices and funds-"

"Six months." he snarled. "I want us to be there by next spring, make it happen." he ordered.

The mare did not protest further, she knew full well it was pointless to change his mind now. "Six months...I'll break the news." she then turned around to leave.

"Who knows, maybe you'll find a way to restore your magic once we get there." he said as she was about to walk out. That statement caused her to stop in her tracks.

"We'll see..." was all she said before she walked out. She did not want her boss to see her emotionally falter from the thought. It was something she has always dreamed off since her accident. She truly hoped that the days of being unable to use her magic were almost over.

That evening, Adam arrived at Fluttershy's cottage, he was drenched in rain, but at least his coat kept him dry. "Smells good." commented the human as he could smell freshly cooked dinner coming from the kitchen. He walked over to the see the mare there putting the finishing touches on the meal. He then quietly and carefully wrapped his arms around her. "And looks amazing." he whispered into her ear before nibbling her neck.

The mare let out a coo, but gently pushed him off of her. "Hun, my parents and brother will be here soon and I don't want to be frisky when they're over." she explained.

Adam chuckled. "Yeah, I understand." he kissed her on the forehead before going to set the table. "I'm still kind of stunned that they approved of our marriage." he explained as he placed the table settings.

"Well, they kind of saw how much of a positive impact you made on me, how you are the first being where I can genuinely reveal my true self without fear." she explained as she brought in the candles to put on the table.

"Even your inner sexual deviant?" he joked.

"Oh hush you." she blushed with embarrassment. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "I'll go get it, now stay here and at least try to behave." she playfully ordered before they gave each other a quick peck on the lips and she floated off to get the door.

Adam popped the champagne bottle up, to the claps on the Fluttershy, her parents and brother Zephyr. He then serves a glass to everyone at the table. "My, my, Shy, you never told me your fiancé was such a charmer." chuckled Mrs. Shy.

"With good manners to boot." added Mr. Shy. He then turns to his son. "So, when are YOU going to find a nice mare and settle down?"

Zephyr rolled his eyes with annoyance, ever since his big sister announced that she was getting married, his parents would not stop bringing his love life up. "I would rather be single and free and do one-night-stands then get a ball and chain dad." he stated.

"There is no rush Zephyr, don't worry." Adam assured. "Love isn't something you rush." he sat down next to the young stallion.

"You know Adam, the first time our daughter came home after meeting you, she couldn't stop talking about you, which was impressive since it's hard to get more than two or three words out of her before then." Mrs. Shy explained.

"So, since I am assuming that Shy here will be staying at home being the homemaker, what career are you going to have to help provide for my daughter?" Mr. Shy asked. Normally he would not be so forward or interrogative with his questions, but this was about his only daughter's future.

"Well, I just got an offer to start teaching science classes at the local school, it has great pay." Adam explained as he drank his glass.

"And what about grandkids?" Mrs. Shy suddenly said, causing the human to nearly spit out his champagne, stunned. Fluttershy was also stunned. Zephyr was doing his best to hold back his laughter.

"Uh...dad..." the mare nervously began. "...we're different species...we can't have foals..." she explained.

"Oh...I'm so sorry to hear..." the mother said with pity for her daughter.

Adam saw Fluttershy trying to hide her look of pain on her face, this concerned him greatly.

The rest of the dinner went more or less uneventfully. Both Adam and Fluttershy were on the couch cuddling, the family has just left to go home. The couple was exhausted from entertaining the potential in-laws. But Adam could not help but notice his marefriend stare off into the distance. "You okay Shy?" he asked with concern.

"Just imagining the sounds of the foals we would never have..." she answered distantly.

He place his hand on her chin and made her face him. "I'm sorry I can't provide you that, I can provide you with everything except that..." he said. The most important thing a husband can provide, and biology bars him from doing so.

"Well, I always thought about hiring a surrogate father." she explained. "Or we can adopt."

"Hun, let's not worry about that for now, we have a wedding to prepare for next month." he assured before brushing her cheek with his hand. Fluttershy took his hand and suddenly began to suckle on his right index finger.

"Sorry if I worry too much." she blushed.

Adam smiled. "It's okay, as long as we're together, you'll have nothing to worry about." he nodded.

"Mind spending the night with me?" the mare then asked, letting his hand go, staring at him with her big blue eyes. It was something the human just could not resist.

He chuckled and shook his head with disbelief. "You know your bed is too small to fit the both of us comfortably Shy." he explained. "I had a knot in my neck for about a week afterwards last time." he explained. "And I'm not getting any younger."

Shy just gave a playful smirk. "Mmm, who said anything about sleeping in my bed?" she slyly said before leaning in and kissing the human. "There's plenty of room for us right here in the living room," she said between kisses. "just put down some blankets and light the fireplace, and we're nice and comfy."

Adam just chuckled even more. "You're an amorous little thing are you?" he playfully joked. "What will your parents think of that?" he then brushed her pink mane out of the way so he can see her entire face. "You light the fire and set the blankets, and I'll get the wine." he said.

Fluttershy agreed. "You better be nude by the time I finish setting up though." she pointed out.

"It's a deal." he agreed to the terms before quickly getting up from the couch and walking into the kitchen. The sound of rain gently tapping against the window, occasionally interrupted by the distant booming of thunder added a new romantic dimension to the night. He took out the wine from the high shelf in the kitchen, normally he detests drinking, but he always made exceptions when the right mood needed to be set. He briefly considered also taking out the wineglasses, but decided to just take the whole bottle instead. "Vintage 1479, your birth year I believe." he stated as walked over to the living room begin their romantic night of fire lit debauched fun.

"What makes you say that?" smirked Fluttershy who lounged in front of the fire as the human approached.

"Because every single bottle of wine I have seen in your possession is dated from that year." he answered as he began to unbutton his shirt and undress. "What other significance of 1479 is there?" he smiled as he gave the bottle for her to open.

The mare uncorked the bottle with her teeth, spitting it out, before taking a swig of it. The only time she would ever drink is when she's with her friends after much prompting, or when alone with the human. "Yes, that is my birth year, I just wanted to test if the old adage 'age like fine wine' is true." she explained.

"And what are the findings so far?" he said playfully as he continued to undress.

"Seems to be holding up well so far." she answered. "And it seems to be holding up for you as well." she smirked upon seeing her lover completely bare. She then went over and kissed the human on the lips as her hoof rubbed his chest.

Adam moaned under his breath as her hoof made its way down his chest and stomach, his lips locked with hers. They soon broke the kiss to catch their breaths and so that the human can take a drink from the bottle. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you again like yesterday." he said before taking a swig of wine.

"Me neither." she responded in gentle yet sincere voice. "Now let me repay you for saving me back there." she cooed before she kissed his chest and started to run a line of kisses down. "I'll do most of the work this time..." she whispered before she reached her goal. She opened her mouth and enveloped his member in one swift motion.

"Mmm...that's my mare..." he muttered as he started to gently brush her pink mane out of the way.

Suddenly, the front door burst open. "Oh hey sis, mom forgot to give you this apple tea before we left and-" Zephyr walked into the room and his eyes went wide, seeing the human naked with his tool in his sister's mouth, both stared at the pegasus stallion like deer in headlights. "Uh...yeah..." he puts the teabags on a small nearby table next to the door and slowly backed away. "...night..." he blushed with sheer embarrassment and then ran out of the cottage, closing the door behind him.

Both Adam and Fluttershy stayed frozen for another minute. "Well...that ruined the mood." stated Adam, not sure what else to do.

"I can see that..." the mare began as she stopped her oral treatment, both no longer in the mood to continue, the sheer awkwardness of what happened shattered the romantic mood. "Now I know what he must've felt when I accidentally walked-in on him with a mare a few times." she explained, feeling guilty that her brother had to see that.

Adam just gently wrapped his arms around her to cuddle and comfort her. "You okay?" he asked with concern.

"Just embarrassed, flustered, ashamed he had to see that..." she said quietly as she leaned up to him closely for comfort.

He did not know what to say, except to suggest something he knew usually worked whenever Fluttershy needed comfort. "Want to cuddle and talk?" he suggested. She just nodded, knowing full well that she was more willing to vent when feeling comforted. Adam gladly obliged with a smile as he held her close, letting her rest her head on his chest.

At Canterlot castle, Luna walked down the long hallway, everything was quiet as her hooves echoed throughout the hall, the new castle, despite being a near-perfect replica of the old one, felt strangely bigger and more uninviting to her since the day she lost her sister. Everything reminded her of all the times she spent with her. As she walked she looked at all the stained glass windows, all recreated and restored with great care, like they never were destroyed in the first place. But one window, a new one made during the reconstruction, disturbed her every time she laid her eyes upon it.

"Celestia's Last Stand" the plaque next to it read. That was far from the truth as Luna saw the glass made depiction of her sister putting up a brave stand against the changelings, sacrificing herself in the process. Put the princess knew it was all a lie she concocted to protect her and the human. Guilt struck her every time she glanced at the work.

"Princess?" a guard yelled out with concern. Luna turned to see one of her most trusted guards trot up to her.

"I'm fine Gleaming." she assured. "Just taking time to organize my thoughts is all." she explained. She turned her attention back to the window. "First thing in the morning, I want you to tell the glass-makers to get rid of this window, I want it replaced." she ordered.

"But that commemorates your sister's final stand against the changelings and-"

"You have your orders." Luna interrupted him, serious.

"But what do you want it replaced with ma'am?" he asked nervously.

"Something more truthful." she answered ominously before she turned to leave.

The guard watched her leave, his eyes glowed green as an evil smirk appeared on his face. "Over a year on...and she still doesn't suspect a thing..." he hissed. "...soon, I will avenge the deaths of my brothers and sisters..and my Queen." he chuckled. "Sleep tight Luna..." he said before turning to leave himself.

For the first time, in a long time, during that very night, Luna finally had much deserved and peaceful slumber, free of Tantabus.

To be continued...