A Broken Hourglass

“Gently… Gently… There!”

I stop, holding still. Applejack and Macintosh move behind me to unhitch the…

Cart? Not exactly. It is more like a shed on wheels. A shed filled with stuff, and it is remarkably heavy to move.

They get it off of me, and I turn to see it again. It is like a small barn, though it is white and half the size of an actual barn. Apparently, it is for the farming material. To help store the more rarely used things the ponies use in the orchard.

Applejack wanted it moved, and I had offered to help them do so. I am strong enough to move it without emptying it after all.

“Good job Kitty.” Applejack says, smiling up at me. I smile back.

“It is nothing.” I say.

“Ya’ll have only bene here fer… what, a week now? It ain’t nothin, it’s a real sign o your… good nature big guy, helpin out so quick and without even askin fer anythin.”

That is true, isn’t it? I have lived with them for only a week.

In that sense I have spent far too much time in the past. Years with Princess Platinum, but only a week with the ponies of the present. I don’t regret it, but sometimes they ask about Mirage’s growth spurts.

She is sixteen now, but these ponies know her as fourteen. Age is hard to keep track of between times, but I take some care to. As does Mirage, considering that she gets confused at times herself.

“I should get back to Mirage.” I say.

“How is… Ma… Mer…”

“Mirage.” I say again, enunciating the name.

“…Mu… how is yer pony doin anyway?” Applejack says, giving up on attempting to pronounce the name.

“Just fine Applejack. She should be assisting Twilight right now.”

“Assistin… ya mean organizin th library?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“Ya better get her a nice gift fer that one big guy.”

“…Why? It is only sorting books. It is not a hard job.”

“…Twilight kin get pretty… she kin take days organizin her books.”

“I am sure that they are done, and that Mirage is, even now, relaxing and waiting for me.”

Applejack still looks uncertain for some reason. Then she sighs. “Alright. Learn th hard way.” she mutters. “Ya’ll take care big guy!”

“I shall.” I say as I take to the air once more.

That makes two. To be specific, out of six bearers, I have helped out two of them. Technically only one of them, considering that I cannot fit inside Twilight’s library. Instead, I ‘loaned’ her Mirage’s aid.

I think that worked. I hope.

It’s only sorting books. It can’t be that bad. I left her hours ago, she must be finished and relaxing by now. Applejack has to be exaggerating.

It isn’t long before I land in Ponyville. The ponies around me scatter, but others from farther away come closer in interest. I suppose I am a bit of a notable pony. Or cat. Or whatever I am.

I head to the library, and listen, hearing little. Then I call, “Mirage?”

After a moment she opens the door. She seems a bit worn and tired, but smiles at… no, she is smirking at me.

“O.K. Twilight!” she yells, and ducks back inside.

I feel a familiar tingle, and after a moment, I blink to find myself shrunk down once again. About the size of a large stallion once again.

I should never have let Princess show Mirage that spell.

I see Twilight beaming with happiness, and I can see Mirage snickering beyond her.

“It worked!”

I sigh and head into the library. “Yes. Yes, it does, but can I know why you have chosen to do so?”

“Party curiosity, and party because Mirage asked me to.” Twilight said.

“Mirage.”

“Come on Kitty, it’s just a little joke... and maybe a bit of revenge for leaving me with Twilight, the crazy mare.”

“Hey!” Twilight yells, and I look around. The library is a disaster, and if anything, it is somehow worse than when I first arrived. What have they been…

Applejack was telling the truth, wasn’t she? I should have… well, there was no way for me to know, but now, I am in mood to apologize to her.

I head over to her and glare. She looks worried, but as she keeps staring at me, Mirage not much smaller than myself, she is struggling not to giggle again.

I sigh once more and glance back at Twilight who is taking far too much interest in my small form.

“How long does this last?” I ask her, and she snaps out of her daze.

“…I’m not actually sure.” she says, “But I suppose it can be somewhere between one to four hours if it behaves the same as other manipulative spells. It doesn’t have a permanent effect at all, but your… physiology is a bit unknown.”

“One to four hours.” I say. Well, Princess can dispel this. Twilight should be more than capable of doing the same. “Can you dispel this right now?”

I do not like that look on her face.

“…Well… not really.”

“What!?”

She startles at my yell. “It’s very experimental and doesn’t have any way for me to get rid of it! You’ll just have to wait for it to wear off on its own!”

I growl a little at her, making her shy. It is infuriating, disorienting, and a little worse:

Princess only uses the spell for… special times.

And I am associating this size with that a little too much right now for my peace of mind. I might be a little angrier than I should have been at her.

“Kitty! Don’t growl at Twilight, I’m the one who convinced her to do it.” Mirage says.

I turn back to her, and she gives me a weak smile at my frown.

“I mean… well… it is kinda funny, seeing you so small. And Twilight has run me ragged! Book here, no, over there, no, I forgot, take it to the attic, wait! Get it back, I want it someplace else!” Mirage says in a bad imitation of Twilight’s voice before she huffs.

“I needed a little laugh and it is a perfectly harmless prank. Right? You’re not mad, right?”

“Twilight?”

“Kitty?” Twilight asks.

“What are you doing...?” Mirage murmurs fearfully.

“Does that spell work on ponies?” I ask, and Mirage blanches a little.

“Kitty, that really isn’t,”

“It might.” Twilight said, and I smirk, hearing the curiosity in her voice. And the slight desire to get back at Mirage for her comments.

“Twilight! Don’t!”

With a sudden glow, and a brief, dwindling yelp, Mirage seemingly vanishes. Then I look down.

She might be the same size as a mouse right now. A really upset mouse, but turnabout is fair play and she knows it.

“Alright, I get it.” she says, flying up to land on my head like she always does. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done it.”

“And… that wears off in an hour.” Twilight says, coming over to regard the tiny Mirage.

“An hour? Exactly?” I ask.

“Yes. Give or take a few seconds.”

I nod. Carefully. “You are forgiven Twilight. And you are as well Mirage.”

“Let that be a lesson about using Twilight to sate your sense of humor.”

“I’m sorry Kitty.”

“Using Twilight?” Twilight asks with a touch of indignation. I just look over at her and I suspect Mirage is doing the same thing.

“All it took was a suggestion Twilight.” I tell her.

“And it was really easy to convince you to try the spell on Kitty.” Mirage adds.

Twilight blushes a little and looks away.

“It’s just scientific curiosity!” she objects. “You can’t learn if you don’t try, right? I mean, it’s nothing harmful…”

“Only humiliating.” I tell her and she looks honestly regretful now.

“…Sorry Kitty. I should have asked.”

“What’s done is done Twilight. And I hold no anger. Did you learn anything?”

Twilight hesitated, thinking. “Well… You are around the same size as a stallion, and your cat features are harder to make out. You could pass for a stallion… a little too well honestly.” she tells me, whispering the last.

“Twilight, darling, I was just… oh, who is this?”

I freeze. Rarity has just entered, and is staring at me with mild uncertainty.

And this size, I can’t help but notice that she is nigh identical to Princess Platinum. I always noticed the similarities before, but now, she is… and I am…

This is bad. I can already feel the tightening in my wings.

“…I can’t help but notice the similarities between him and Kitty Twilight.” Rarity says. “Who is… Wait a moment…”

“Is that… Mir… age on his head?” she asks, choking a little on the name.

“Yes.” Twilight says. “And that is Kitty. I was using an experimental shrinking spell on the pair of them, and this is the result.”

“I see...” she murmurs, looking me up and down, and gaining a tiny smile. “You know… he is…”

She shakes her head, interrupting herself. “Whatever for Twilight?” she asks, turning back to her.

“Curiosity mostly.”

“Curiosity indeed.” she murmurs as if she doesn’t believe Twilight, staring at me. Then she leans to Twilight and whispers something in her ear.

Twilight turns bright red and Rarity blushes a little herself. I am blushing a little.

Mirage looks between all three of us, and simply says, “I don’t get it; why are you blushing?”

“You don’t have to understand darling, you’re too young yet.” Rarity says, while Twilight actively retreats from the conversation, heading past me. Still as red as a tomato and taking pains not to look at me.

“How long will that last Kitty?” Rarity asks me and I start a little.

“Twilight said one to four hours.” I tell her, my voice distant and a little weak.

“…Why don’t you come by my shop? I have a… customer, yes, who is just about your size, and you would make a wonderful dressmaker’s dummy for my purposes.”

“Yeah! You never get to wear outfits Kitty! Let’s go!”

“Of course.” I say with little to no conscious thought involved. When Rarity smiles, I find it a little harder to think.

This is going to go horribly wrong. I just feel it.

Walking through town was, thankfully, not too bad. Nopony really cared about my new size, and the stares I got were no more than the stares I normally got. And I controlled my wings fairly well.

So, one good thing.

On the other paw, Rarity’s home and shop smells like her. And she uses the same perfume as does Princess, and is far, far too much like her. My wings are stiff, but I manage to keep them on my sides.

So several bad things.

I am nigh hallucinating the crown atop her head already, and I have only just entered.

Mirage flits from my head to fly about the shop. It is surprisingly well decorated. I prefer my cave, but I wouldn’t mind living in a place like this.

“Just this way darling.” Rarity says, and I suppress a shudder and follow her.

Stop it. I am not in the right time nor place. She is not Princess…

She leads me into a small room filled with a few dummies. Some with clothing, some without, and one with the beginning of an outfit.

Rarity picks the half made piece off of the dummy, and carries it over to a work table, covered in thread, cloth, and needles. She set it down, and regards a small paper, covered in markings that I am in no condition to really care about.

Rarity is like a glowing beacon, and I am a stupid moth.

Mirage flits past me and lands on the table, looking around.

“There’s so much!” she says, and Rarity chuckles.

Such a wonderful… stop it.

“Most of it is unfinished darling.”

“But look at it already! I never saw a dress like that! They’re all so pretty!”

“Thank you darling. In fact, why don’t you look around and find one you like? You can have one if you find anything.”

“Really?” Mirage asks with wonder and hope in her voice.

“Really.”

I almost beg her to stay, but that might be worse than anything else. As she leaves, I can only notice that Rarity and I are alone.

Rarity nods to herself and looks over at me.

“Darling, are you listening to me?”

I start again. I must have been…

“Yes.” I tell her.

“Then can you extend your wings, so I can,”

Rarity blinks as I relax my control and my wings pop out on their own. That feels much better now, and great luck;

Rarity seems to have no idea what that means. Her eyes are wide, but blinking, as if she is confused or slightly startled.

She shakes her head, heads over to me, and with a little struggle, gets the outfit on me. It doesn’t fit particularly well, and it chafes, but seeing as how it looks rough and unfinished, perhaps that is what she is trying to fix.

“Just hold still darling. This won’t take too long at all.”

She sets to work, and I try to focus my mind on something else. Before I do or say something regrettable.

Perhaps I should be thinking about the things I can do around Equestria. How to help out in this day and age. I am far freer to be seen and known nowadays at least.

I have grown used to fighting things, getting better at control myself as well. How to best use my fangs and claws to fight. For that matter, I do need to find a good food source.

Maybe that one wood still has boar within it, or I might be able to convince Applejack to give me a cow.

A cow sounds rather,

Her hoof brushes against my side and I tense, badly. I can feel her right next to me, my wing pressing against her, her scent so strong…

If she wasn’t humming, reminding me that she is working, I might have…

“Don’t move darling. I have to pin this.”

I hold perfectly still despite the fire raging in me. She wants to do… something about…

I don’t recall and it doesn’t matter. She asked, and I will hold still for her. For her, I will control myself until she releases me.

I am intently aware of her warmth next to me, and the slight chill of the needle as she works. It is bracing, a reminder of what I should be doing.

But even so, it grows difficult.

I give a soft whine, trying to tell her that I am distressed. A sound she knows.

“…Everything is fine darling, I only touched you. Are you afraid of needles?”

I would impale myself on that tiny piece of metal to reach her right now. I gently move my wing to press against her.

“Don’t move!” she yelps and I freeze again, feeling the needle against my wing’s base.

It is like holding back a river, but I must! She asked, and I shall do so.

For Princess, I would wait a year like this. I might not be able to, but I will give my very best.

Each second seems like an eternity as she keeps working. After a time, she moves to my other side, continuing to hum as she works. Her warmth right there, her scent, right there…

It feels like forever.

But then she gives a little huff, and moves in front of me. She smiles at me, and I see that she has left her crown behind, and has removed her finery.

“Perfect. Simply perfect.” she says, and I swell a little in pride.

“You can relax now.” she tells me.

I do so, relaxing and moving to her. She blinks at my forwardness, but she has asked a lot of me. I do not feel like the normal game of cat and mouse today.

This time, I will initiate it.

I press against her, and purr, deep and loud. My special purr, the one only meant for her. She starts for some reason, but giggles as my purr tickles at her.

“Kitty!” she laughs. She pushes at me weakly, objecting in that ‘I want you to continue’ fashion.

I find my voice gone, but I have always been able to communicate with her through my purr.

I purr louder, and press harder, announcing my intent. With some purpose, I lick at her neck, and she gasps and shudders.

“Kitty!” she whines, and I want to hear more of it.

Then I hear the door open, and I hear Mirage say, “Rarity, I,”

It is like a sudden frigid cold washes over me, and I act faster than I ever had. I leap away from Princess the moment she starts speaking, only to crash into the nearby… dummies.

Dummies? In the castle? Why are there…

A shelf filled with thread and spools tumbles over on top of me, and it all comes back to me.

The pain in my head is nothing to the grip on my heart.

I look up and see Mirage, still tiny and rather confused. I fear what might lie behind me.

I have really messed up. Really badly, and in two really bad ways.

First, Mirage should not be aware of that behavior, nor that purr. She is too young yet, and the purr is only for Princess.

Second. This is not the past, not the castle, and the unicorn behind me is not Princess. Meaning that I just attempted to romance Rarity in her own home. Very strongly.

What that might mean, I wasn’t sure, but I feared it. I don’t really have the strength to turn and see her.

“Found… a…” Mirage trails off as I stare at her. She blinks in confusion.

“Mirage.” I say, my voice a touch strained. Or a lot strained. She is simply staring at me, gently descending as her wing beats becomes slower. The normal reaction to her shock.

Dreading what I might find, but unable to not know, I turn to look at Rarity.

She holds herself perfectly normally, but her eyes are completely unreadable. The only thing I can tell is that she is thinking very hard and very fast. Of what, I do not know.

Then she takes a little breath and seals her emotions behind a wall and looks as if nothing has happened.

“You have found a dress darling?” she asks Mirage, her voice perfectly normal, and perfectly controlled.

“…” Mirage shakes herself and goes back up, recovering slightly. “I did, but what just happened? Kitty was purring and then he just leapt away from you.”

It is all I can do to prevent myself from just breaking down and hiding my face. She heard that. Rarity heard… felt that. I cannot speak at all.

“He was simply happy with my own happiness and you surprised him darling.” Rarity said, coming to my aid. “And he was feeling a touch tense from the needles touching him.”

“Oh… so… everything is fine?”

“Everything is just fine darling. Why don’t you show me the dress you found?” Rarity said, walking past me.

Mirage nods and flies out, and I can’t help but notice the spot where I licked Rarity. I also notice that she is pointedly not looking at me.

…Maybe I could go and bury myself alive just so I never have to remember this day.

“Kitty! Come out!”

I do not respond. And I am not going to.

“Kitty!”

I have returned to my den, slipping out of Rarity’s shop. And I have barricaded myself in the back cavern.

And I am never coming out ever again.

“Kitty! Speak to me!”

The spell hasn’t worn off either, and it has been more than two hours. That makes me a little tense as well; when it does wear off, I need to be in a large area. Like the one I am in right now, so that’s alright.

…Mirage has stopped calling. That’s good.

…I cannot believe that I was so consumed in habit and memory. One sight, one scent, and I was totally lost in time and space. Rarity was enough like Princess for me to somehow mix the two up and forget where and when I was.

And I… It is still humiliating.

She heard the special purr. The important one, the one I don’t give to anypony but Princess. I tickled her with it for Celestia’s sake.

I licked her, in the same way that Princess loves me to lick her.

If Mirage hadn’t come in right then, I would have…

It is mortifying enough to make me hide away. The next few steps would have made me just… go away, and never come back. It also might have meant Mirage would have seen…

Stop thinking about it. It’s bad enough without thinking about how it could have been worse.

I lay amongst the gems scattered in the back of my cave and sigh. Even the sight of those, normally enough to cheer me, is only a touch…

Rarity’s cutie mark is three gems. Now, I am reminded of that everywhere I look.

…I am stupid in more ways than one it seems, but I am not leaving anyway.

I hear Mirage come back, her hooves making a gentle clicking sound on the stone. I don’t say anything; she will understand sooner or later that I want to be alone.

She is spending an oddly long time in silence.

“Kitty?” I finally hear, the voice too familiar and soft.

Rarity!?

“Kitty, you are behind this, aren’t you?”

…

Does it matter?

“…Yes.” I say.

A moment passes.

“I… wanted to talk to you. About what happened.”

I don’t say anything. I don’t want to talk about that.

“…I… I think that you’re hiding because you’re embarrassed. Mirage told me that you don’t normally purr that… deeply.” I hear her take a deep breath.

“So I want to apologize.”

“…What?”

“I learned how a pegasus’ wings work from Rainbow years ago. I should have known that yours would work the same way. I even noticed the similarity, but...” she trails off for a moment.

“…I have tormented you. So I am truly, truly sorry for that.”

“…You have nothing to apologize for.” I tell her, sighing. “It is my fault. I should have said no, I should have controlled myself, I,”

“Darling.” she interrupts. “Darling, I saw your uncertainty. I should have had second thoughts, and I…” she gives a large sigh. “I shouldn’t have lied to you.”

“…Lied?”

“There is no customer. I just wanted to… I wanted…”

“Darling, I don’t really know how to tell you this like a lady, but you are very… attractive when you’re pony sized.”

I am speechless.

“The… strength and… that look in your eyes, those pointed teeth, that muscular form and the mane, it all just…”

“I know Twilight was stunned by the sight. I certainly was, and I wanted to really get to know you better. And not intellectually either.”

“So I lied about having a customer, and since I’m being honest anyway…”

“I… might have… kinda, sorta…” she takes another deep breath, “been enjoying your reaction and doing everything I could to get you more excited and drawing out everything, so I’m the one at fault here, alright?” she says quickly. I can barely imagine the blush on her face, and the bravery that must have taken is...

“…Rarity…” I got up, and with a deep breath, removed the rocks in the way. I stepped out and looked at Rarity who was sitting down, blushing and worried, and pressing her front hooves together.

She looked at me with a weak smile.

“...Rarity… I… We are at fault here.” I tell her.

“Darling, I told you,”

“No. I will not accept that. We both set ourselves down this path, and we both led the other to this. I should have stopped it, you should have stopped it, and neither of us did.”

“I can only count myself lucky that Mirage stopped it when she did.”

Rarity looks very unsure still. “…I… I’m sorry Kitty.”

“You are forgiven. I am sorry as well.”

She manages to give me a real smile that time. “I forgive you.” She gets to her hooves, and hesitates a moment. I am hesitating, wondering if I should…

…To the sun with it. She already heard my special purr. And I want to know.

“…You really think me attractive?” I ask, and she starts, blushing a little.

“…Yes darling. I already told you that.”

“…You know… you look like Princess Platinum.” I tell her.

“Oh? Is that flattery?”

“She is perfect. And in… too many ways, you are just like her.”

She cocks her head in slight confusion. “Too many ways darling?”

I can do this. I already don’t have many secrets, and Rarity deserves to know.

“…Princess Platinum and I are… a couple.” I say, and Rarity blinks.

“She is the one who came up with the spell to shrink me, and it is… We meet fairly often. And she inspires the special purr, and I… we…”

I stop myself, blushing, and Rarity is slightly stunned.

“And you are just like her.” I finish.

“…darling… I… I never even imagined…”

She thinks for a moment, and then nods. “…Can I ask something?”

I nod.

“…Was it only memory that had you purring… or was it me?” she asks, looking at me.

…

“…I think that… it was memory, but that is not to say that… that you couldn’t… couldn’t deserve that purr.”

Rarity nods slowly. “We have only known one another for less than a day.” She tells me softly, and I nod.

“And perhaps… perhaps… no.” she lowers her head. “It isn’t right. You already have somepony, even if that somepony is… not here. I just have to accept that.”

“Rarity…”

“…May I just… hug you? For… for…”

I move to press against her, and she gasps. She stares at me and I smile at her. She relaxes, and then carefully grabs onto me, holding me.

“… I am sorry Kitty.”

“I know. I am as well.”

“… It… oh, ponyfeathers.”

She looks at me again with a slight determination.

“I want to get to know you better, the right way.” She tells me. “Meeting and talking and being friends. I want to… to deserve that purr one day.”

“That is acceptable.” I tell her.

“But… just one last time… can… can I hear it again? Feel it one more time?”

…

Ponyfeathers.

I nod, and she grips me a little tighter, waiting. It takes me a moment, but I… she really wants this. It would just be one last time. One last time, and then, it would be normal again. It isn’t so hard a thing to grant her.

I purr, and she giggles at the sensation of it as I rumble. She sighs, nuzzling into my side, and I close my own eyes, just enjoying her embrace. After a few moments, I don’t have to strive to purr.

“…One day… one day, this will be mine.” she whispers, quietly enough that I am fairly sure that I wasn’t meant to hear it.

I don’t comment. Maybe…

Maybe one day it will. Just not today. Not anytime soon either... or…

…

Is it cheating to have two partners separated by time? Princess is long dead now, and Rarity is not existent in Princess’ time, so…

Something to ponder I think.

I slow and stop, and Rarity gets to her hooves. She smiles at me and I smile back.

“That was… wonderful Kitty.” she tells me.

“I enjoyed it as well.” I tell her.

“…Why don’t we meet again tomor…” she pauses, and one ear twitches.

Then she looks at the cave entrance, as I do the same. And we both freeze.

Mirage is in the front, mouth gaping open and eyes huge. Just behind her, with entirely different expressions, are the other bearers.

Twilight is bright red and is unable to tear her gaze away. Pinkie has a massive grin, for what reason I never want to know. Fluttershy just has a blank look about her, Rainbow is blinking, but is rapidly smiling, far too much like Pinkie is. And Applejack has this… frozen look about her, much like Fluttershy.

“…I… um… it is completely… I…” Rarity stutters, trying and failing to find some easy explanation.

I find an easier way to handle it. And why not be generous while I’m at it?

With a simple motion, I grab onto Rarity, and duck back into the back cave, and bury the entrance before any of them have a chance to react.

“Kitty!” Mirage yells. “Not again!”

“Rarity! What happened, I have to know!” Rainbow yells, and I can hear her, and the rest of them, on the far side of the rocks.

“What th hay happened!?”

“Maybe we should leave them alone…”

“Come on! Juicy details!”

“What is a juicy detail?”

“Rainbow, Mirage is right there!”

“Oh, right sorry. But she wants to know too.”

“Rainbow!”

I look over at Rarity who gives me a thankful smile.

“How long do you think they’ll be there?” I ask her, speaking over the ongoing yelling.

“I think that you are going to have to dig a new way out of this cave Kitty.” She tells me.

I nod, and sigh.

One week, barely knowing any of them. One day, trying to find out more, and offering my aid.

And less than three hours, and now I am hiding from them all.

Sometimes, life just doesn’t…

Rarity yelps as I grow abruptly, knocking her over.

“Kitty!” she yells, before we both notice the sudden silence on the far side. As if an entire group of ponies is being very, very quiet so they can hear.

“I can’t hear anything.” I heard, whispered, but still audible in the sudden silence.

“I heard a yell.”

“…Kitty!?”

…

Well, they can sit there and wait and wonder. I’m not coming out until I am ready to look at those faces again.

…Maybe I can spend a week or two in the past, where I won’t get ponies staring at me like that.

…I can probably snatch Mirage with a time stop, and escape before they come after me.

I roar, and rush, smashing the wall, and grabbing onto Mirage.

She can barely gasp before I roar, and with a faint blur, the cave is empty once more, the rocks missing from their place, and Mirage looks at me.

“Kitty?”

“I am… Princess is going to explain any question you have, but first things first:”

“If you ever, ever tell anypony else about this day, I am going to tell them all about how you wet the bed.”

“That was once!” she yells, blushing hard. “One time!”

“Do you understand?” I ask, staring at her.

She huffs at me. “Yes. I understand. Secret forever and all that.”

“Good.” I say, relaxing. Mirage relaxes as well, and thinks.

“What about Rarity?” she asks me, and I groan. I forgot her.

…I’ll make it up to her. Somehow.

One stupid week, and one stupid day, and already I am fleeing form the present.

At this rate I’ll end up asking Celestia to stone me again after a month. I have to get it together, and stop messing up so badly.

later on though. Not now.

Now, I get to recover, and relax. And then I’ll face my actions, and douse the fires of gossip. And maybe get Rarity some flowers, wait, no, no flowers. I will apologize, and fail to do anything that might suggest something.

…

Maybe I’ll go back a little sooner. Look them in the eyes and tell them that nothing happened, and that they were all imagining things. Be a stallion, and be brave even in the face of Pinkie’s grin.

…

I never should have ran.

I steel myself, take another breath, and roar once more.