(WARNING: Implied nudity at one point towards the end of this chapter. You have been warned!!!)

A few days after the battle ended, I was sitting on the roof of the work caboose again, just trying to collect my thoughts. I knew that another battle would happen very shortly, but I just didn't know where, or when.

"Don't think too hard there Stud," A voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts. "If you do, you just might turn into an egghead like Twilight!"

I turned, and sure enough, there was Dash. "Oh, hey Dash, what's up?"

"Oh, well 2 things. First of all, I came to say thanks for saving my life in that turret. If you hadn't thought as fast as you did, we'd both probably be dead right now."

I nodded. "You're welcome Dash. And what's the other thing?"

"Oh well, um, Major Don, as well as General Shining, are splitting us all up into groups for shore leave."

I turned to her. "Wait, what? Splitting us up into groups for shore leave, what does that mean?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Something about having somepony close to the train at all times just in case they're needed. Everyone, and everypony, was split into either Group 1, Group 2, or Group 3. From the lists, we're both a part of Group 2, which is off for tonight."

Dash then handed me a list of names of everyone who was a part of group 2. In addition to my name, I also saw Dash, Alex, Todd, Fred, Applejack, Pinkie, Twilight, and even Don.

"Huh. So I guess we're both free for tonight. Now the question is, what to do."

Dash smirked a bit. "Well, some of the guys were going to the beach. I wanted to go, so would you be willing to go with me?"

I turned to her, surprised. "What? There's a beach close by?"

"Yeah! It's a few miles from here, bordering the South Luna Ocean. I've heard that it's very beautiful, and a perfect place for couples!"

I put a hand over my mask. I could see what Dash was trying to do, and at first, I wanted to refuse, but when I heard on my coms that both Alex and Todd were going to the beach too, I relented, and agreed to go.

"*Squee!* Thanks Stud! I'll go grab my swimsuit!"

"Don't mention it." I muttered. I then left to find my own swimsuit.

"Gosh, do I even have one anymore?" I wondered as I searched my quarters.

It had been almost 5 years since I had last swum in a body of water bigger than a bathtub. I knew how to swim though, so I was at least covered there. Finally, after searching for nearly 15 minutes, I finally found my old dark blue swimsuit buried at the bottom of my closet. After taking a minute to put it on, as well as a T-shirt and old shoes, I also grabbed a towel from my bathroom, and made ready to go. I looked into the bathroom mirror just before I did. I was still wearing my Kitsune mask, and from the waist up, minus of course my wings, I looked like a human. From the waist down though, I looked like a wolf. I even had wolf legs and paws.

*Knock, knock.* "Are you ready Stud?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I'm ready."

I then went to the door, and opened it. Standing there, was Rainbow Dash, She was wearing an oversized T-shirt, and no shoes. She also had a towel draped over her shoulder.

"Well, I guess when you have hooves, you don't really need shoes." I thought.

Dash looked me over. "Seriously Stud? You're still wearing that mask? What's it going to take to get you to take it off?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. Get me in a game of Truth or Dare, and maybe, just maybe I'll pick dare."

Dash smirked. "Heh, I just might have to take you up on that offer Stud! In the meantime though, the beach awaits!"

Just before we left, I glanced at my clock. The time was 5:30pm. Once we were both out of the train, we took flight, and I followed Dash out to the beach.

When we arrived, I was very surprised. The beach was there, and it looked completely unscathed. If it wasn't for the crowd of both soldiers and Humans, I would have just assumed that it was a normal beach. The waves were rolling in from the South Luna Ocean, the sand felt soft underfoot, the sun was starting to set, it was nice and warm, and we were ready for fun.

"Wow, this is a really nice beach." I laid my towel down, and after sitting on it, I removed my shoes.

"Yeah, so let's have some fun!" I saw Dash then remove her over-sized T-shirt. Underneath, she wore a black bikini that fit her beautiful frame perfectly.

"Wow", I thought, "She's so f@#kin' hot!"

Dash did a little spin. "You like Stud?"

I nodded, but then I shook my head.

Dash smirked. "I know that you're lying Stud. I know that you think I'm f@#kin hot, am I right?"

I didn't reply, and I was still SOOOO glad that I still had my Kitsune mask to well, "mask" my blushing!

Dash then reached down, took me by my hand, and gently pulled me to my feet. Once I was standing again, she also removed my shirt. Once I was wearing just my swimsuit like her, she hugged me.

"I said, no physical contact!" I tried to push Dash away, but like before, it was only a half-hearted gesture. Over the course of the past week since I'd arrived in Equestria, I'd actually begun to grow quite fond of Dash, even though I never showed it. I did hug her back, but only for a few brief seconds.

"Aww, you really do like to hug me! You just won't stop with the whole 'tough guy' act, will you? Well, I'm kinda the same way. At times, I'm a no-nonsense tomboy, however, I am still a girl. I enjoy being a girl, hanging out with cool guys, and just doing what a girl like me likes to do!"

"Which is?"

"Have fun of course!"

I shrugged. "Well, if that's what you want, then let's have a little fun!"

The next few hours were actually a very nice experience. Dash and I played Frisbee with Alex and Todd, I helped a few of the guys build a great big sandcastle, I wound up getting buried in the sand, and I even went so far as to head to the water's edge, although I didn't swim.

"What's wrong Stud, don't you want to swim?"

I shrugged. "It's been so many years Dash; 5, if the records are to be believed. 5 years since I last swam in a body of water bigger than a bathtub."

"Well, don't you want to start swimming again? I mean, you CAN swim, right?"

"Yeah, I can swim, but....I, just....." I tried to explain it, but I couldn't. I wanted to, but something, (most likely a really bad memory of something) kept holding me back.

For some odd reason, Dash also chose not to swim for the time being as well.

By the time that the sun was setting, more and more Ponies and Humans began to leave the beach. It was starting to get late, but some stayed on a bit longer. Eventually, I found myself with Dash, Alex, Todd, Fred, Applejack, and Pinkie.

"Hey guys, who wants to play Truth or Dare?"

We all looked at Alex.

"Sure!"

"I guess so."

"Why not?"

"Awesome!"

I hesitated for a moment. I knew that there was some reason that I didn't like playing games with Alex, but I couldn't remember what it was.

"Sure, why not?"

We all then sat down on the beach in a circle. It went Alex, Applejack, Todd, Pinkie, Fred, Dash, me. Since the game was Alex's idea, he started.

"Ok, Todd, Truth or Dare."

"Um, truth."

"Ok, is it true that you have a crush on a mare?"

Todd nodded. "Yeah, Fluttershy. You know that Alex."

Alex nodded. "Ok, fair enough. Your turn Todd."

"Ok, um, Pinkie?"

"Yeah?"

"Truth or Dare?"

"Ooh, ooh! Dare!"

"Ok, um...." Todd had to think for a moment. "I dare you to um, bury Alex's leg in the sand."

"Huh?" Alex was a bit surprised. But he was a good sport, and let Pinkie bury his leg.

"Ok, now it's my turn. "Um, Dashie! Truth or Dare.?"

"Um, well, I'm feeling pretty adventurous, so dare!"

Pinkie smirked. "Ok, well I dare you to kiss Leopard!"

"What?!" I was not liking where this was going.

Dash smirked. "Sure Pinkie, where do you want me to kiss him?"

"I'd say on his Human-lips, only he has his mask in the way! He'll have to take it off first!"

"Which he definitely will NOT DO!!! My mask stays on, unless of course, somepony dares me to take it off. However, if I get dared to take it off, then Dash forfeits her turn. So basically, I either take the mask off, or Dash kisses my mask. You can't have the best of both worlds!"

Alex smirked. "Oh really? Well then, how many of you guys want Leopard to take his mask off?"

Everyone but me raised their hand.

"Hey Leopard, Dare or Dare?"

I groaned. I knew that if I didn't comply, then they would most likely try and rip my mask off, which would most likely damage it. So, against my better judgement, I agreed.

Slowly, I reached up, and after loosening the leather straps holding the mask to my face, I began to remove it. "Please remember guys, YOU asked for this! If my face is too gross for you, don't blame me!" I then finished preparing, and after taking a final deep breath, I removed my Kitsune mask.

I was fully expecting everypony to gag, or maybe eve faint, but I guess that I either underestimated my audience, or overestimated my injuries.

"So, I take it that you guys aren't so grossed out by my face?"

Using a magic spell, Alex created a sort of mirror, and I looked at myself. After pushing my hair out of my eyes, I saw my face for the first time in what felt like forever. You could still clearly see where I had been burned, and stitched back together, but overall, it wasn't as bad as I'd previously thought.

"Well, that's that I suppose, but do I really have to kiss Dash?"

Note to self: do not ask dumb questions that you are not prepared to hear the answer to!

"Yes, you have to kiss Dash, that was her dare from Pinkie!"

"Not a good time Alex!"

I was about to maybe get up to run, but before I could really do anything, Dash gently pushed me onto my back in the sand.

"Dash, come on, really?"

Dash then sat on my stomach. She licked her lips while smirking a bit at me. "Oh, I've been waiting for this, for a while now!"

She then put her hands on my shoulders, and leaned down to kiss me, but I turned my head at the last minute, and she got my neck instead.

"Ugh! Was that it?"

"Nope!"

I then felt my head get turned back facing up, and being held in place by Fred. I could also see that Alex had a camera, and was filming this.

"You know that both of you are now dead men walking, right?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah, and I don't like this any more than you do Leopard. However, a dare is a dare, and it's not really harming anyone, so do I have to hold your head, or can you just kiss Dash? I mean, she is your crush after all, isn't she?"

"Hmm, yeah, she....no! She isn't! I don't want to kiss her!" (It was also at this moment that I realized that while I was too busy looking at my reflection in Alex's mirror, Dash had actually put on blueberry flavored lipstick! I now had a dark blue kiss-mark on my neck!) "Oh Dash, that's gross! Is that lipstick?"

She giggled. "Sort of. It's kinda like a cross between lipstick, and lip-gloss. It's also blueberry flavored. Wanna taste it?"

I placed a hand over my face. "Honestly, no, no I don't. However, do I really have a choice in the matter? Tell you what, let me sit up, and I'll kiss you. This'll be our first kiss, so shouldn't it be remembered?"

Dash thought about that. "Sure, I guess so. I'll let you up, HOWEVER, if you trick me, you'll severely regret it!"

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. Karma's a bitch, I can tell you THAT from personal experience!"

Dash did let me up, and I got ready to kiss her.

"Alex, if that camera is not turned off in the next 5 seconds, so help me, I'm going to grab it from you, and throw it into the ocean! Is that clear?!"

"Yeah, fine." Alex fumbled with the camera a bit. "So you hope Leopard, so you hope!" He thought as he kept it rolling.

I then sat on the sand facing Dash with my legs out in front of me. She then sat on my lap, and after gently wrapping her legs around my hips, she wrapped her arms around me, just as I did for her. We both them leaned in, and after rubbing noses for a few seconds, Dash took the leap of faith, and actually kissed me!

For the first time in what I knew was almost forever, I felt the pressure of another girl's lips on my own, or mare's in this case. My wings also shot straight out.

"Wingboner! We've got a wingboner people!"

Dash responded by showing Alex how tall her middle finger was. I also did likewise.

For the next couple of moments, we just sat there, kissing. Eventually, Dash broke the kiss with a soft, wet smack.

"There, now that wasn't so bad, was it? I'm a good kisser, (I think!)" Dash was blushing, and biting her lower lip.

I was doing likewise.

Eventually Dash broke the silence. "Um, so you want s-some more Stud?" She whispered, "C-cuz if so, there's always more where that came from!"

I didn't say anything, but I did nod. A few moments later, we were kissing again, with both of us clearly enjoying it.

"Aww, they make such a cute couple!" Pinkie whispered.

"Ah couldn't agree more Sugarcube. It's high time that Dash found a stallion, but never did Ah ever suspect that her 'stallion' would be a Human-wolf!"

Dash kept kissing, and eventually, it began to make the others feel uncomfortable.

"Come on you guys, if you really like each other that much, get a room! Geez!"

We broke the kiss on that note, although Dash did continue to sit on my lap, with one arm, and a wing wrapped around me.

"Aww come on Alex! You're just jealous that AJ won't do that for you!"

"What?! What are you talking about?!" To prove Dash wrong, Applejack did kiss Alex, which provided just enough time for her to turn to me again.

"That was really fun Stud, and if you liked the previews, there's a lot more 'fun' that we can have later when we're alone!"

"Eh, I don't know if that's such a good idea Dash."

"Well, you may not think that it is, but if what's poking me in the butt right now is your dick, it sure does!"

"What?!" I then felt my boner poking Dash in the butt. "Shit!" I muttered.

Dash kissed my neck. "Don't be sorry Stud, I think that it's cute! It shows that you really like me. Plus, as Twilight would probably say, it's a perfectly normal reaction for a stallion to have when they see a cute mare. I take it as a compliment Stud, it shows that you really do like me!"

"Would you believe me if I said no?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that you were my brother?"

"No."

"Well then there's your answer Stud, I don't believe you!" She then giggled a bit as we got back to the game.

About an hour or so later, it was time for the last round. The sun was almost down, and if I was not mistaken, we were the last ones at the beach. Fred had just asked Alex if he'd ever had sex in public, (to which Alex admitted that he'd had!) it was now his turn to ask me.

"Ok, Leopard, last time, Truth, or Dare?"

I sighed. "Hmm, well, this is the last round, on our last bit of shore-leave, so what the heck, might as well go with Dare. I'll need something to remember this by."

Alex smirked. "Heh. Well alrighty then, have I got a good one for you! I dare you.......to take Dash skinny dipping!"

When Alex said that, I immediately remembered why I hated to play games with him; he would always try to pull a stunt like that!

"Oh, you have got to be F@#KING KIDDING ME!!!!!! There's NO WAY I'm doing that! I could get arrested! Plus, how do you even know that Dash would be willing to do that with me?"

"Um, do you really have to ask me Stud? Hell yeah I would! It sounds like this would be the first skinny-dip for both of us, and I wouldn't miss that for anything!"

I put a hand over my face. "Alex, you cheap-shooting son of a bitch."

Alex smirked. "Yeah, but you still have to do it!"

The others weren't so sure though.

"Um, are you sure that that's a good idea Alex?" Todd asked. "Aren't there laws against public indecency around here?"

"I agree with Todd." Fred put in. "I don't want anyone to get arrested."

Applejack shook her head. "Sorry to burst bubbles there guys, but we're outside of Las Pegasus. It ain't called 'City of Sin' fer nothin'! I've heard that stuff like that happens all the time. The authorities usually just look the other way."

"Yeah, but will Major Don?" Fred mumbled.

Eventually, I did agree to do it, on the condition that Alex's camera was confiscated, and everypony else stayed far away from the water, and kept watch. Once we were ready, Dash took me gently by the hand, and led me to the ocean.

"Why am I doing this?" I muttered.

"Aw, come on Stud, this'll be fun! I've never gotten to skinny-dip before!"

I shook my head. "At least Alex will be taking the full blame if this goes south."

"Yeah, so let's do it!"

"Hmm, fine."

Still holding hands, we both jumped into the ocean. (The plan was for us to get used to the water first, then remove our swimsuits, tie them around a rock I was holding, then pitch that rock up onto the beach, where AJ would come grab it to hold onto.)

"Woo! I forgot what it was like to swim in the ocean!"

"Yeah, so did I Stud!"

We paddled around a bit, and Dash was really captivated by the way that I swam. "Wow Stud, you're a really strong swimmer. You swim like an otter!"

"Wait, what? I swim.....like an otter? Is that a good thing?"

Dash giggled. "Yeah, it sure is. When you swim, you swim like an otter."

"Well, um, I guess that you.....um, swim like a swan, maybe?"

"What? Like a swan?!"

"Oops, um, b-bad analogy?"

"Nah, I like it. 'Swims like a swan', I really like that. Thanks, Otter."

"You're welcome, Swan."

after a few minutes though, the time had come. We were both so nervous, that we never took our eyes off of each other. After removing our swimsuits, I tied them around the rock, and pitched it up to AJ. I saw the others come close to the ocean as well, so as to verify our dare.

"I can't believe this Stud, our first date ever, and we're at the beach, in Las Pegasus, and we're SKINNY DIPPING!!! What more could a mare ask for on a first date?"

I shrugged. "For a tomboy like you Dashie....er, um, Dash! I guess not much!" (Way to go genius, way to go!")

Dash blushed. "Aww, you wanna call me 'Dashie'? Well, for a handsome Stud, like you, I guess that you can."

Now it was my turn to blush. "Well....um....I don't know what to say to that......T-thanks, I guess."

Dash then swam over to me, and pulled me into a hug. "Mmm, you're welcome Stud."

This time, I really tried to push Dash off. I mean, hugging on land was one thing, now we were skinny dipping, awkward, just took on a whole new meaning. Unfortunately, this time, I couldn't get Dash off! Her grip was tight, and I didn't want to accidentally hurt her. So I did what only a human-wolf with severe PTSD and anxiety issues can do, I hugged Dash back.

"Hey Dash?" I whispered.

"Yeah Stud?"

"Um, d-do you think....t-that we could maybe....do this again sometime? G-going on another date I mean."

"Sure Stud, I think that that could be arranged. I really do enjoy spending time with you."

"Just as I enjoy spending time with you." I whispered.

Dash kissed me gently on the mouth. "And that's one of the reasons why I love spending time with you. You're so sweet, even when you don't try to be."

I blushed, but I didn't say anything.

All too soon, it was time for our little adventure to end. We had both gone through with the dare, and had skinny-dipped in the ocean. AJ tossed us our swimsuits back, and once we had them on, Dash and I got out of the water, and did a quick flight to fully dry ourselves off. Then, once we were dry, we gathered our stuff, I put my shirt and shoes back on, Dash put her over-sized T-shirt back on, and then we all walked back to the train together. Alex and AJ were holding hands, Todd walked by Fred, who was also joined by Pinkie. Dash and I were at the front, and were holding hands.

"Hey Stud?"

"Yeah Dash?"

"Um, I'm going to try something. I know that you're a guy, and so you should be able to carry me."

I was a bit confused. "Huh? What now?"

Before I could really ask any further questions though, Dash was already behind me, and had climbed up onto my back!

"Whoa, whoa Dash! Careful back there!"

Dash then got settled in. After wrapping her arms around my neck, and her legs around my waist, I grabbed her legs with my arms.

I sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll carry you Dash, but only because I like you.......oh....." I didn't want to finish that sentence.

Dash however finished it for me. "Hmm, I know that you do Stud, even if you won't admit it!"

I rolled my eyes a bit, but I kept walking back to the train, while carrying Dash piggy-back, and the others followed behind, teasing me all the way about how cute Dash and I looked together. I could only suck it up, and deal with it.

"I mean, after all, this is as far as it goes, right?"

Oh, I was wrong. I was so horribly, horribly, (well, maybe not so horribly!) wrong.

Author's Note

Phew! That took WAY longer to write than I originally believed that it would! I thought that it was going to be up within the hour of the last chapter. Nope, it took a bit longer than that! But at any rate though, here it is, so I hope that you enjoy. This is the 3rd of 3 parts to Chapter 9, all covering a very interesting story arc.

If this kind of thing isn't your cup of tea, and you prefer battle scenes and the Imperial Alliance having their asses handed to them, then don't fret. Just skip over the EXPLICIT Chapter 9.5, and go straight to Chapter 10 when it gets written. That's where the action really picks up again, and the romance hits the floor for the time being. There are still a number of battles to be fought, territory to regain, and more story to tell, so stay tuned!

Meanwhile, as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as sharing this story, are always appreciated, and I'll see you all again in Chapter 9.5, or Chapter 10 if you skip that!

ScarFox out for now!