While Ponies like Golden and I were spending a lot of our time hard at work in the mines beneath Sundale Mountain, Wendelle was assisting Moonlight with setting up store displays. It was hard work sometimes, but Wendelle grew to like it a lot. Maybe it wasn't her special talent, (whatever her special talent really was) but Moonlight noticed that Wendelle had natural skill with tying ribbons, setting up flowers and other props, and just all around making the displays look good.

Eventually, she finally said something about it. "Wow, you're really good at this Wendelle. Almost as good as me!"

Wendelle smiled. "Thanks Moonlight. Art was one of my favorite classes back in school, and my teachers were always giving me complements on my art skills. I was planning on possibly going to college to earn an arts degree, but.........well........those plans kinda got derailed; both by me getting pregnant, and by my winding up here."

"Well at any rate, you don't need an arts degree for your work to show Wendelle, it's so amazing! And I'm glad that you like helping me, and that you like art like this. Plus, I've seen some of the things that you painted, as well as those little sculptures that you made, and now you can add some of those to the displays that we work on!"

Wendelle thought about that. A little while after her arrival, she'd bought a paint set so that she could keep expressing some of her artistic talent, as well as making little sculptures out of bits and pieces that she found lying around. She loved it, it was a great hobby, and now some of her small paintings and little sculptures were being used in the store displays that she and Moonlight put together.

"Yeah, and it's been a really nice hobby for me too. It helps you, Ponies like to look at them, and it's fun for me. Everypony wins!"

"Yeah." Moonlight then turned back to what she'd been doing.

A little while later though, she turned back to look at Wendelle. Wendelle was resting her hooves on the display that she was working on, but it was pretty clear that her mind was elsewhere. She was staring off into space with a faraway look in her eyes, and she was also blushing a bit, as well as sighing contentedly.

"Are you ok Wendelle?"

"Hmm? Oh......uh....yeah Moonlight, I'm fine. Just......eh, thinking about something."

"What were you thinking about?"

"N-nothing in particular." She then got back to work.

Moonlight smiled to herself. She didn't want to pry too much, but ever since Wendelle had met me, she'd seem to be lost in her own little world whenever she thought about me. Moonlight then decided to see if she could get answers out of Wendelle without being too obvious about it.

"Are you sure that it was nothing? It sure seems like something. But I guess if you say that it was nothing......"

"No, it was something." Wendelle then sighed a bit, before pushing a bit of her blonde mane out of her face. "I was thinking about Conner again. I haven't seen him in a little while, and I was just wondering how he was doing. It's hard, sometimes dangerous work working in those mines."

Moonlight agreed. "Yeah, it is. You worry about him?"

"Yeah, I do. He's a very dear friend of mine, and I worry about him."

"Eh....I don't mean to pry too much, but.....is because you worry for him the ONLY reason that you think about him?"

Wendelle started blushing, but she didn't say anything. Finally though, she did sigh. "No, it's not. I keep thinking about him........because I like him. He's SO different than my God-awful ex Michael, and he actually seems to care about me as a person........eh, Pony rather! He's so kind, caring, hard-working, and he's SO cute!" Wendelle then slammed a hoof over her mouth, and started blushing a lot. She hadn't mean to blurt out that last part!

Moonlight couldn't help but giggle when Wendelle gushed like that. "Tee hee! Young love is such a beautiful thing."

"Yeah...........and I did wish on a shooting star that one day I would fine someone who would always be there for me; someone to be my mate forever, but.............."

"But what? I've seen the way that you look at him Wendelle, and I've even seen him sneak a few looks at you when he thought that you weren't looking. I'm fairly certain that he feels the same way about you."

"Yeah, I know that Moonlight, but........."

"But what?"

Wendelle sighed, before gesturing down to her slightly swollen tummy. "But this. I'm pregnant with my ex's baby, AFTER he dumped me! What kind of a guy, or stallion, would want to be stuck with a soiled dove like me, or to be stuck with the responsibility of raising a child that isn't his? Why would Conner want me when he has SO MANY other mares to choose from? It's a nice thought of us being together, but let's face it Moonlight, it's little more than a pipe dream. No stallion would ever want me. Not after what that f@#king bastard did to me." Wendelle then clenched her hoof a bit in rage when she thought of Michael again.

Moonlight looked up at her again. At first, she didn't know what to say. On the surface, what Wendelle was saying seemed to be the truth. She was soon to be a single mother, and what kind of guy would want to deal with a child not his own? But then again, maybe that's where Wendelle was wrong. Moonlight had seen what kind of a stallion I was, and she was fairly certain that I would still take care of Wendelle no matter what; even if she was carrying someone else's child.

She then walked over to Wendelle, and hugged her gently. "I can see where you're coming from Wendelle, but maybe that's where you're wrong about Conner. What if I told you that I was willing to bet money that he would still stick by your side after you told him about your predicament, and he would raise your child as his own?"

Wendelle looked up at her. "Why would he do that Moonlight?"

"Well, I don't think that it was a fluke that he was spared from death that day in the Pacific Ocean. I think that he was spared, and then sent here to Equestria for a reason. What if that reason was to be in answer to your wish for a stallion to be by your side no matter what?"

"I'd like to think that Moonlight..........but........." She then sighed, closing her eyes. A few moments later, she opened her eyes again. "There's only one way to find out just what kind of a stallion Conner really is. One night soon, we should invite him over for dinner. After we eat, I'll take him aside, and quietly explain my whole situation to him. That should prove once and for all just what kind of a stallion he REALLY is!"

Moonlight was impressed. "Wow, that's a pretty good idea Wendelle. I can help you plan out that dinner if you want."

Wendelle looked up at her. "You will?"

"Of course. You live with Red and I, so I'd already help you there, and I also want to be there when you put Conner to the test, as I too want to see just what kind of a stallion he really is."

Wendelle agreed, and then she and Moonlight began to plan out the dinner, which would be that weekend.

Around this same time, deep beneath Lunar-Nova, it was almost time for lunch for us 1st shift miners. We were hauled back up the shaft in the elevators, and to one of several underground break rooms. Here we would wash up a bit, before setting down our tools, grabbing our lunchboxes, taking them over to one of a number of tables, opening them, heating up anything that needed to be heated in a nearby microwave, getting some water, soda, or coffee, and then sitting down to eat before we had to go back to work for the rest of our shift. 10-12 hours working in a mine is VERY hard work. Golden and I were part of the 1st shift, which meant that we got to work at about 8am, and worked until about 6-8pm before finally going back home! It was VERY hard, long, and tiring work, but somepony had to do it.

On that particular day, Golden and I arrived at the break room, and after cleaning up a bit, we got our lunchboxes, as well as some water and soda, (drinking a lot of water was a MUST for miners!) we sat down at a side table, hung our helmets on the backs of our chairs, opened our lunchboxes, and began to eat.

Once I did though, I noticed a small white envelope. "Huh? What's this?" I pulled the envelope out, and I saw that on the front was my name, with 2 pink hearts below it.

Golden noticed it too. "Who's that from? And how the heck did they get it into your lunchbox all the way down here?!"

"It's probably from Wendelle. She told me that she likes learning how to cook from Moonlight, so sometimes I 'outsource' my lunches from her. Basically, I give her the lunchbox on my way to work, wait a few minutes, and then she gives it back to me with a lunch in it. Sometimes she slips little good luck notes in with the lunch. This must be one of those, though I don't remember her using an envelope before."

Golden blinked a few times. "Oh yeah, duh. I'm with you most of the times you wait those few minutes for your lunch!" Then he heard what I said about little notes. "Ooh. Sounds like somepony has a crush on you!"

I gave him a "Bruh" face. "Really Golden? REALLY? We're just friends, if that. Plus, she doesn't really seem like the kind who wants to date." I then began to open the envelope.

"Why do you think that is Conner? You'd think that at least SOMEPONY would have asked her out by now, but they haven't. At least, I don't know of anypony who has."

I shrugged. "I dunno. It's not really any of my business, but........." I stopped.

"But what?"

"It's not really any of my business, but.........I have this..........weird feeling about Wendelle. I feel like............well........it's this weird mixture of feelings. Ever since I met her at my party, I've had these feelings. On the one hand, I feel like........almost like........there's something special about her; like she's meant for somepony. But yet..........on the other hand.............I feel like there's something that she's not telling me; something that she's hiding. Call it a hunch, but during my time in the Navy, I learned how to read body-language pretty well, and there's a few...........eh..........how do I put this...............I'll just call them 'gray areas'......that she keeps avoiding talking about. One of which is why she wished that she was somewhere else on the day that she arrived here. I don't know why, and I could be TOTALLY wrong about all of this, so could you PLEASE keep this between us?"

Golden shot me a series of really weird looks, but he did nod. "Yeah, of course Conner. This conversation doesn't leave this lunch table."

I knew that Golden was my best friend, and was trustworthy when it came to things like this, so I knew that the conversation wasn't going anywhere other than between us. I then remembered about the note, and I pulled it out of the envelope, and read it.

"What is it Conner?"

"Nothing too much. Wendelle just wanted to know if I could come to dinner with her, Moonlight, and Red on Saturday. It's been a little while since we've last done that."

"So not a dinner date, just dinner with her, and her kinda-sorta guardians?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's the gist of it Golden. It's nothing too fancy, and it's not a love-letter." (That wasn't quite true. I neglected to tell Golden about the line that read, "I have something VERY important that I wanted to talk to you about privately", or how she drew several hearts around her name at the bottom of the letter, but that was for the best!) I then folded the letter back up, and put it away.

After eating for a few minutes longer, an alarm bell began to ring.

We both sighed. "Well, back down the mine with us I guess."

I gathered up my trash. "Yeah, unfortunately so. 'Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go!'" I then put my helmet back on, and lit up the carbide light again.

Golden put his lunchbox back on the shelf he got it from, as did I. "Oh, and I was going to ask you Conner, what does that even mean?" He then grabbed his tools, and lit his light up too.

"Hmm? Oh. It comes from an old cartoon movie from back on Earth. It's called 'Snow White', and that's part of a song sung by 7 Dwarves who work in a gem mine."

"Oh, NOW that makes sense why you always say that!"

We both laughed about this a bit, before leaving the break room, and getting back onto the elevator that carried us back into the mine.

After I got off work that day, I told Wendelle that I really liked her letter, and that I was free for dinner that weekend. She responded by saying "You're welcome", and that I wouldn't need to bring anything. Dinner would be on Saturday night at 7, and we both couldn't wait for it.

Sure enough, once Saturday night rolled around, Golden and I got off work, and after getting home, I went upstairs to shower and clean up for the dinner. Once I was done, I brushed my thick mane and tail, preened my wings, combed my fetlocks, and then looked at the closet in my room. Inside hung my US Navy utility jumpsuit, as well as an extra pair of mining coveralls. My saddlebags were on the floor of the closet, but they, and a few other things, were the only things in the closet, and neither the jumpsuit or coveralls were appropriate for a dinner date, so I didn't wear them.

"My fur is enough, I guess." I still found it odd to only have to get dressed for work, but then again, most Ponies didn't wear clothes at all, so it was normal to be "naked". "I'll get used to it eventually I'm sure." I thought quietly.

Eventually I was ready to leave. Golden wished me luck, and he told me to enjoy myself. I said that I would, and was soon on my way to Red and Moonlight's house. Along the way, I did pick up a small bouquet of flowers. These weren't meant to be for Wendelle, but were in fact for the table.

"I hope that they like them". I thought as I walked. "I'm sure that they will." As I walked, I saw other Bat-Ponies flying. I then looked back at my own wings, and I flapped them. I'd tried to fly in the past, but I hadn't gotten the hang of it yet. I could get off the ground for a few seconds, but then my wings would cramp, and I'd hit the ground again. Golden was teaching me how to fly, but progress was slow, since both of us worked in the mine a lot, and were often totally exhausted after work.

"Well, at any rate, I'll get it eventually." Pretty soon I reached their house.

After walking up to the front door at 7pm, I could hear the sounds of Ponies moving around inside, as well as smell food cooking. I then held the flowers with my wings, and used one of my hooves to knock on the front door. Pretty soon I heard hoofsteps on the floor, and after the door was unlocked, it opened to reveal Wendelle. When I saw her, my eyes widened a bit in surprise. Her blonde mane hung down her shoulders, and her purple fur looked so soft. She looked like she'd just showered, and she looked really pretty in that moment. I then noticed that behind her left ear she had yet another Lunar-Halo Flower, and that just made her look even prettier.

When she saw me, her whole face lit up. "Conner! So glad you could make it!" She then reared up a bit so that she could hug me; a hug that I quickly returned.

"Hey Wendelle. And yeah, I'm glad that I could make it too. Thanks for inviting me to dinner."

Once she was on all fours again, Wendelle smiled. "You're welcome Conner."

I then remembered about the flowers I was holding in my wings. I then grabbed them with my hoof, and held them. "Oh, and before I forget, I brought these for........"

"For me?!" Wendelle then took the flowers, and held them in her own hoof. "They're SO BEAUTIFUL! Thank you Conner! These will be PERFECT for the table!"

I blinked in surprise, but since the flowers were still going to be put on the table, I was ok with it. "Well, I'm glad that you like them Wendelle. And something sure smells good. Is dinner almost ready?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it is. You can come on in Conner." She then stepped back, allowing me to walk inside. Once I was, she then closed and locked the door behind me, before leading the way to the dining room next to the kitchen.

The table was set for 4, and while Wendelle went into the kitchen to get a vase for the flowers, Red began carrying some of the food out to the table. He smiled when he saw me.

"Hello Conner. Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too Red. I'm glad that you invited me to dinner. It was really nice of you."

"Well, I appreciate the thanks, but it was actually Wendelle's idea. I just helped her and Moonlight set everything up."

"Oh. Well I'll be sure to thank Wendelle when I see her again, not to mention thanking Moonlight for the AMAZING food that I smell cooking!"

"You're welcome Conner." Wendelle said as she reentered the room with the flowers in a vase.

"And if you think that my food SMELLS amazing, just wait until you TASTE IT!" Moonlight called from the kitchen.

"I can't wait!" I called back.

Moonlight giggled, and soon the rest of the food was ready.

Once it was all out on the table, the 4 of us sat down to eat. Moonlight and Red were sitting on one side of the table, while Wendelle and I were sitting on the other. It was a nice arrangement, complemented by the AMAZING food! There was a LOT of amazing things to choose from. There was cooked ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, biscuits, some stuffing, and there was going to be pie for desert too! I was still a bit surprised that Ponies ate meat though. I thought at first that it was just the Bat-Ponies who did, but Red told me that other Ponies did too.

"We can all eat meat Conner. Granted, not all of us do, and some frown upon the practice, but eating meat is a common thing in Equestria. Ponies, like Humans, are omnivorous, and we need to eat both plants and meat to survive."

I was still a bit surprised. "Oh, well I guess that that makes sense, but I'm still surprised at it." I then looked to Moonlight. "And I don't know what you put in this food Moonlight, but it's SO DANGEROUS! Dangerously DELICIOUS that is! It's almost a CRIME to eat it!"

Moonlight giggled a bit at my statement, as did Wendelle. "Well, I'm MORE than happy that you like it Conner. Most Ponies that we have invited over to dinner in the past liked my cooking, and once Wendelle tried it, (with the same reaction that you had I might add!) she wanted to learn how to cook like me too!"

I looked over at her. "You did Wendelle?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Moonlight's cooking was so good, I wanted to learn how to cook like her. Granted, I already knew how to cook from learning from my mom, but I wanted to learn more. Moonlight was eager to teach, and I've learned so much from her."

"She's not kidding Conner. You should try one of her omelettes sometime; they're AMAZING! Wendelle's really good at cooking too. She'll make the PERFECT wife for somepony when the time comes!"

"Moonlight!" Wendelle was blushing pretty deeply. I could also feel her tail brush against mine a bit, as she was flicking it a bit nervously.

Moonlight giggled a bit. "Sorry Wendelle."

"It's ok."

I decided to change the subject. "Hey Red? What's it like serving at the garrison here in Lunar-Nova?"

He looked at me. "It's not the most interesting thing ever, but it does have its perks. The pay is good, not to mention the healthcare, family benefits, and being so close to home. I'm in the military full-time, though we're more like a local militia force than the regular army. We could be called up to serve if required, but that hasn't happened in a long time. It's been pretty quiet up here for a long time; a quiet broken only by first Wendelle arriving, and then you arriving a few weeks later Conner."

I thought about that. "Oh. Well, that certainly sounds like a nice career choice Red. I don't know too much about the Army, though I can tell you a LOT about the Navy, since that's where I came from. Well, the US Navy anyway. I probably don't know too much about the Equestrian Navy."

"And what made you decide to join the Navy?" Wendelle asked me.

"Well, I wanted to serve my country, well, OUR country I guess that I should say, and I'd always been fascinated by US Navy ships, so once I had a bachelor's degree, I enrolled in US Navy Officer School, and once I graduated with the rank of Ensign, that's when I was sent across the country to California, where I served out the rest of my career in the Navy to date. It might not have been much, but I got to work with the Foster, and see some pretty cool explosions from time to time."

"And........w-would you ever consider rejoining the Navy?"

I sighed. "Honestly, I can't tell you Wendelle. I've thought about it before, but when I have, the memories of what happened on the Foster come rushing back. All of the scars on me came from that day, and I don't like to remember it. Plus, what good would I be on ships like those here in Equestria? I was an engineer on the Foster, and her systems were all I would know."

"Well..........." Wendelle then stopped. She was going to say something, but when she thought about what I'd said about the incident with the Foster, not to mention seeing my still very visible scars from that day, she stopped. If I didn't want to rejoin the Navy, then I had every right not to. I'd been through enough trauma already, and she was ok with my new career choice.

I seemed to sense her thoughts. "Yeah, I could maybe learn the systems on the Equestrian ships, but I'm not sure if I want to go back. Sometimes I do, but other times I don't. I'll just leave it at that."

Wendelle agreed, and the 4 of us kept eating.

Eventually, once the main meal was over, as well as the equally delicious cherry pie that Wendelle herself had made, it was time to start clearing the table. I started to help Red and Moonlight with this, but Wendelle put her hoof on my shoulder.

"Conner?"

"Yeah Wendelle?"

"There's............there's something that I want to talk to you about. It's what I said that I wanted to talk to you about privately in my letter."

I was surprised. "Oh? Well, once we've cleared the table, then I think that we can talk about it."

Red shook his head. "No, Moonlight and I have this. You don't have to help Conner."

I looked at him in surprise. "Are you sure Red? I'm perfectly ok with helping."

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure Conner."

I reluctantly agreed, and Wendelle led me into the living room next door. Once we were there, I took a seat on a chair, and she sat on the couch close to me. For a while though, she just sat there in silence. She sometimes looked at me, and other times at the floor. It was clear that she was trying to say something, but just didn't seem to be able to find the right words to say. Finally though, she sighed, and then looked back up at me.

"Conner, we've been friends for a little while now, and as I'm sure you know, we seem to be a good match. You're smart, talented, and funny, not to mention cute, and I know that you must think the same about me, but the truth is..........I...........I haven't been completely honest with you."

"Huh? What.......what do you mean Wendelle?"

"It means that I'm not as pure and innocent as you think that I am Conner. The truth is, I'm a soiled dove."

I was about to ask what she meant by that, but she continued before I could. "The truth is, you're not the first guy that I liked. About a year ago, back while I was still in school in Tennessee, there was another guy that I liked. His name was Michael, and I thought that he was the greatest thing ever, but unfortunately, I was wrong. Oh sure, he said that he loved me, and would always be there for me, but he had ulterior motives........"

Wendelle then went on to explain more about how terrible of a person Michael really was, how he was only using her as a cheap lay, and how she even suspected that he was cheating on her behind her back. "I was SO STUPID to have fallen for him. He'd had MULTIPLE girlfriends before me; why would I be anything special to him? But that's not the worst of it Conner, oh no. The worst is still to come. The truth is.........I had sex with him one night at a party. He was pressuring me, and I didn't want to, but he eventually won me over, though he didn't use protection, and nor did he pull out. Then to top it all off, he left me there to find my own way home! Thankfully I did, but my REAL problems were only just beginning.

This past March, I found out that I was pregnant. PREGNANT CONNER!!! I went to Michael, thinking that he would be there for me, but OH NO!!!! He said that it was OVER between us, and he dumped my ass to the curb! That's when I FINALLY realized the full truth about him, and how he really was nothing more than a twisted son of a bitch! I was SO SCARED about telling my family about what happened, but luckily for me, they not only comforted me, but also spat HATRED towards Michael. My big brother Paul went to knock his lights out, but only got to punch him once before school faculty intervened.

1 month later, I was now 1 month pregnant, and was going to be a single mom. I had no friends, no boyfriend, no real life now, but I did still have my family, and they loved me. Unfortunately however, there were 3 who made my life Hell......." She then went on to explain about the 3 Bitches. "Doris, Phyllis, and Lois were the 3 biggest sluts in the ENTIRE school! They got laid by over HALF the guys in 12th grade, including Michael, and they NEVER got pregnant, meanwhile I have sex one time and have my life ruined! WHAT THE F@#K?!?!?"

Here Wendelle went completely off the rails. "AND NOW BECAUSE OF WHAT MICHAEL DID TO ME, I'M LOST FOREVER!!!!! NO ONE wants to be with a soiled dove like me, and now I'm doomed to be a single mom! Sure, I came to Equestria, and now Red and Moonlight take care of me, but I'm STILL pregnant, and I'll have to raise this baby all by myself! You must hate me SO MUCH right now Conner. You were SO nice to me, and all I did was lie to you. I HATE MYSELF FOR THIS!!!!" She then started sobbing uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, I was sitting in my chair, completely frozen in dumbfounded shock. I NEVER even FAINTLY suspected that Wendelle was now almost 2 months pregnant, nor that she had that kind of a backstory. I knew what most guys would do in this situation, but I was NOT most guys. Quietly, I got up, walked over to Wendelle, and after getting on the couch with her, I pulled her into a hug, and let her cry on me.

"Shh.......it's ok Wendelle. I'm here for you. Just let it all go. You can cry on me all you want. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to hold and comfort you while you cry."

Wendelle quickly realized that I was hugging her, and instead of being upset, was trying to comfort her. "W-why Conner? Why aren't you u-upset? Or b-better still, w-why haven't you left yet?"

"Because what happened to you was NOT your fault Wendelle. Michael was a predator, and he prayed on girls like you who didn't know any better. Some people call them 'sociopaths' though I just stick with 'predators'. I've run across guys like that before, and I do NOT take kindly to that kind of behavior. I once watched a guy get his lights knocked out in a sports bar after he got caught trying to drug a girl's drink. He TOTALLY deserved it for what he tried to do, and speaking of which, what happened to Michael? Did Paul ever get him for what he did to you?"

Wendelle shook her head. "No, but the Amtrak sure did!" She then explained about the Amtrak collision that sent Michael into a coma. "And even when he wakes up he's STILL facing VERY serious charges. I was going to sue him for child support, but then I wound up here. But I HAVE to know Conner, WHY are you not leaving? Most other guys would!"

I laughed a bit when I heard about the Amtrak. "Heh, he deserved it. And it's because I'm NOT like other guys Wendelle. I was spared from death in the Pacific, and sent to Equestria for a reason. Not long after my arrival, I bumped into you, and our friendship led to tonight. Call me crazy, but what if I was sent here to be with you; to be what Michael never was to you? I had this really weird feeling when we first met Wendelle. I had no idea why, but I felt that you were special. And now that I've heard your story, my mind is made up. I'm NOT leaving you, and you can rest assured, it'll be like I fathered your child, instead of Michael. I'll take care of you Wendelle. You won't have anything to worry about. You won't be a single mom anymore, because I'll be by your side every step of the way."

Wendelle looked up at me with shock in her tear-filled eyes. She could clearly see that I meant every word of what I'd said, and I had every intention of sticking by her side throughout her pregnancy. I then saw her smile, and to my slight shock and surprise, she pulled me a bit closer, and gave me a quick peck on the forehead, followed by another one on the nose! It was only for a second or so, but once she was done, Wendelle went back to hugging me, and I was so shocked that a feather could have knocked me down! Wendelle had actually kissed me!

"You......you have NO IDEA what this means to me Conner. I prayed to the Heavens that I could find a guy who would be there for me, and not care that I was pregnant by somepony else, even going so far as to wish on a shooting star, but then a few weeks later, you come into my life! You promise to take care of me, and help me raise my child, and I can see now that we were made to be together." She then hugged me tightly. "Thank you Conner. I.........I l-love you." She whispered softly.

"I know. I love you too Wendelle. You've been such a great friend to me, and you're such a joy to be around."

She then looked up at me. "And do you............eh..........w-wanna..........f-feel my tummy?"

I was surprised. "You.......you mean I can touch your stomach?"

Wendelle nodded, smiling a bit. "If you're gentle. I want my baby to know who their REAL daddy is!" She then let go of me, and leaned back a bit on the couch.

Her pregnant belly was exposed, and for the first time, I did indeed see that she was in the early stages of pregnancy. Her belly was indeed a little bit rounder than normal, and after reaching out a hoof, Wendelle guided it to her belly, and while still holding it, I began to gently rub her belly. However, when I did so, she was blushing, and let off a few little squeaks.

"You ok Wendelle?"

She nodded. "Y-yeah, I'm fine Conner. Your touch just.........feels SOOO good!" She then looked down at her belly as she held my hoof while I rubbed it. "Hey Little One. Do you feel that hoof on my belly? That's your Daddy, Conner. He loves you just as much as I do, and he'll take care of us like a Daddy should. He loves you, just as much as he loves me." Wendelle then leaned forwards again, and pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back, and we were both gently nuzzling each other. It was such a sweet, tender moment, and neither of us ever wanted it to end.

While this sweet, tender moment was happening in the living room, next door in the kitchen, Moonlight and Red heard every word of what we said while they washed the dishes.

"See? I told you that Conner would pass the test." Moonlight said quietly.

"I was hoping that he would Babe, and I'm glad that he did. Now he can be spared from a VERY painful ass-whooping that was heading his way if he failed!"

Moonlight giggled a bit. "Yes, thankfully! And while Wendelle isn't really our daughter, I've come to think of her as one. She's so much like a daughter to us, and I know that she thinks of us like her parents."

"So have I. And while I know that one day we will have at least a few foals of our own, Wendelle's good practice in the meantime. Thanks to her, now we have at least a general idea of what it'll be like parenting a teenage daughter!"

Moonlight hit her husband playfully. "Red! Don't be so mean. Wendelle is NOT like most teenage daughters! Aside from her not being a Pony really, or her "incident" with Michael, not to mention coming to Equestria, she's not bratty, a drama queen, and she actually has a personality, and a VERY sweet one at that. Her parents certainly raised their daughter well!"

"I agree. Though it's kinda funny to think that very soon, we could have a 'son-in-law' thanks to Conner, not to mention our first 'grandchild'!"

Moonlight giggled a bit. "Yes, yes it is."

Red then thought of something. "Perhaps we could convince the two of them to allow us to be the godparents of Wendelle's child, and their other foals if they have any."

"Yes, that is a nice idea, but remember, Conner 'IS' the father of Wendelle's child. You know how much she, (and now Conner too!) hates Michael; he doesn't even deserve to be ACKNOWLEDGED at the father! Wendelle told us that she was never going to tell her child the truth about their father, and now thanks to Conner, that's going to be SO easy! Conner is, and always has been their father. Why would they ever need to know otherwise?"

"Yeah, you're right Moonlight. They never would need to know otherwise. Conner is their father, and loves them very much. It works perfectly."

Moonlight nodded, and then she kept washing the dishes while Red dried them. Both of them were wondering what the future would hold for Wendelle and I, though they already knew that it was going to be AMAZING!

After the night Wendelle told me the truth, we began to see a lot more of each other. I would often visit her when I wasn't working, and on a few nights she was there waiting at the gates close to the entrance to the mine with other spouses to greet me. Before that night, word bounced around Lunar-Nova that we were a couple, though neither of us confirmed or denied it yet. Sure, we wanted to see each other as something more than a friend, but neither of us were sure how the other would react. After that night though, it was pretty clear that we were marefriend and coltfriend. Heck, even if you hadn't heard that we were a couple yet, whenever we were out together, we often had our tails wrapped together, so that gave it away pretty quickly!

However, even though things seemed to be going ok for us, we'd never been out on any dates yet. Why was this? Well, I wanted to ask Wendelle out, but the same thing kept stopping me each and every time I thought about it.

"I don't get it Conner. You and Wendelle like each other, you're most likely more than just friends now, she told you everything, and you even agreed to not only love her forever, but to also raise her foal as your own. Why can't you just ask her out on a date?"

I sighed as I lifted a shovel full of rubble, before dumping it into the minecart beside me. "Because I CAN'T Golden. I WANT TO, but the same thing keeps stopping me every time."

He gave me a strange look while he used a pick to break up the rubble that I was shoveling. "You came from a family that doesn't believe in dating?"

I shook my head. "No, that's not it. It's just................well..............I can't."

"Seriously Conner, WHY NOT?! What's stopping you from asking the mare who ADMITTED that she loves you out on a date?!"

I didn't answer right away. I kept shoveling.

"Talk to me Conner. I'm your best friend, and I've NEVER steered you wrong before. What's stopping you from asking Wendelle out on a date?!"

I looked up at him, a mixture of pain and anger on my face. "I CAN'T, because of her past!"

Golden stopped short. "Wait.......what? What......what does that mean?"

"Well, you know what happened because of her LAST 'boyfriend', and just how fresh the memories of him still are. I'm afraid that if I ask Wendelle out, she'll be reminded of........HIM......., flip out, and hurt me! THAT'S what's stopping me from asking her out!" (Both Wendelle and I agreed to NEVER say Michael's name ever again. We just called him "Him", or a number of other bad names).

Golden looked over at me. "So it's because of you being afraid of how her last 'coltfriend' treated her that you won't ask her out? You're afraid of bringing up bad memories? That's.........that's actually a fair reason I guess. But can I tell you why you're wrong in thinking that she'll hurt you?"

I nodded. "Sure, I guess. Shoot."

"Well, like I said before, not only has Wendelle admitted that she loves you, but she's said that you're SO MUCH better than 'Him', and that she wants to be with you. If she said that, then I'd take that to be a pretty clear sign that asking her out WON'T cause any harm to you. If anything, it might just make her want you more!"

"I can see what you're saying Golden, but how do you figure on that last part?"

"Well, doesn't every mare want to be desired by somepony? To want to be loved by another in a way that nopony else can? If Wendelle sees that you're trying to woo her, then that means that you're returning her affections, (not that you've not already been doing that!) and that you desire her! I know that she'd want you more then!"

I sighed. "Yeah, you're right Golden. I think that it's finally time that I did talk to Wendelle about this. It's time that I asked her out on a date."

"When do you think that you'll try to do it?"

I shrugged. "Tonight if she's available, and if I can work up enough courage."

Golden and I continued to talk about this for a while longer while we were working. I was going to talk to Wendelle that same night if I was able to, and he wished me the best of luck with whatever was going to come next.

Sure enough, that same night after work, I got all cleaned up, and I went over to Moonlight and Red's house to see if Wendelle was home. Sure enough she was, and I told her that if she was free, there was something that I wanted to talk to her about.

"Sure, I'm free right now Conner. You can come on in, and we can talk in the living room if you want."

I nodded, and she led the way in there. Once we were both seated on the couch, Wendelle turned to me. "So, what did you want to talk to me about Conner?"

I opened my mouth like I was going to say something, but in that exact moment, my courage failed me entirely. My fear of being mauled by Wendelle came rushing back, and I began to start sweating, and I was turning rather pale too.

Wendelle noticed this. "Hey, are you alright Conner? You don't look so good all of a sudden."

"I'm..................fine. I'm..........it's just....................I CAN'T DO THIS!!!!!!!!!"

"Can't............can't do what?"

"I CAN'T!!! You'd maul me for sure if I asked!"

Wendelle looked at me like I was losing my mind. "Um........what now? You're really not making any sense right now Conner. I'd maul you if you asked me what?"

I buried my face into my hooves. "I've wanted to ask you for so long, really I did! But I just couldn't! The fear............fear of what might happen arrested me each and every time I tried! And right now..................oh, it's the worst yet! I want to ask you, but if I did, who knows what would happen! I'M TRAPPED AT AN IMPASSE, AND IT'S KILLING ME!!!!!"

Wendelle blinked a few times. At first, she had no idea what I was trying to say, but then in her head, all of the pieces fell into place. As I was almost ready to start crying, I felt Wendelle gently pull me into a hug.

"Oh Conner, I would NEVER maul you unless you hurt me, and I know that you would never hurt me intentionally! You can tell me anything. I promise that I won't be mad at you, or hurt you. Trust me, you'll feel SO MUCH better if you ask me whatever you want to ask me, and then we can move beyond that 'impasse', and talk about it."

"Will you go out on a date with me?" I suddenly blurted. I then IMMEDIATELY let go of Wendelle, slammed my hooves over my mouth, before turning a VERY deep shade of red, and burying my face in my hooves again.

When I FINALLY asked her my question, and then showed that kind of reaction, Wendelle immediately placed a hoof over her mouth, and she blushed a bit as she looked at me. "Aww, he looks so ADORABLE right now when he's embarrassed!" She thought. "I want to hug him SO BAD!!!"

She then reached forwards, and pulled me into a hug again. "I'd love to go out with you Conner. Does Saturday night at 7pm sound good?"

I immediately froze where I was. If my ears had just heard correctly, Wendelle had just said yes to me asking her out, and she wanted to go out that coming Saturday!

I couldn't believe it. "Wait, you're NOT mad at me for asking you out?"

She looked at me like I was crazy. "I've been waiting for you to ask me out ever since I invited you to dinner that one night Conner! Why would I EVER be mad at you for asking me out?"

"I........um........well............."

"Do you wanna go for a walk and talk about it?"

I nodded slowly. "Sure, if you want to."

"Ok." She then got up off the couch, and after I got up too, we walked out of the living room, through the entryway, and out the front door.

Once we were outside on the streets of Lunar-Nova, Wendelle walked close to me, and like she almost always did, she wrapped her tail around mine, and in response, I wrapped my tail around hers.

"Why did you start wrapping your tail in mine Wendelle?" I asked her.

"Well, because since we're both Ponies, we can't hold hands like Humans can, and we can't really hold hooves while walking, and I'm not sure how we would hold wings, so the best remaining option was for us to wrap our tails together."

"Oh, well I guess that that makes sense."

We walked for a while longer in silence, before we eventually exited Lunar-Nova, climbed up a bit higher on Sundale Mountain, and sat on a grassy knoll on top of the mountain. The sky was clear, the moon was bright, the stars were shimmering, and a gentle breeze was blowing through the trees and grass at times. As we sat there on top of the knoll, both of us were looking up at the night sky, and while our tails were still wrapped together, I gently extended my left wing, and wrapped it around Wendelle. She sighed, and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Now can you tell me why you were so scared to ask me out Conner?"

I sighed, and then told her all about how I was afraid that if I did ask her out, she would remember Michael, and because of what happened to her before, she would flip out and hurt me.

Once I finished my explanation, aside from shifting a bit, Wendelle didn't really react too much. "Hmm. Well, I can see where you're coming from Conner, and I can honestly say that yes, that is a fair enough reason to be worried. However, you are NOT Him, you're the COMPLETE polar-opposite! I know that you love me for who I truly am, just as I love you for who you really are. I was really starting to wonder why you hadn't asked me out yet, but now I know."

"Yeah, and now that I told you, and we've talked about it, (not to mention you saying yes!) I feel a lot better about it."

"I'll bet that you do." She then leaned close to me. "And just between you and me, you looked SO cute when you asked me out, and then were blushing with your face in your hooves. That was so adorable!"

I growled a bit, and I was blushing slightly, though I didn't say anything. Finally though, I did say something. "Not as cute as that Lunar-Halo Flower that you always wear behind your left ear. That's the cutest thing I've ever seen, short of you of course."

Now it was Wendelle's turn to blush a bit. "Aww, thanks Conner. That was really sweet of you to say."

"I have one if you want it." I held up a Lunar-Halo Flower in my hoof. Wendelle nodded, and I gently placed it behind her left ear. Her ear twitched a bit, and she was still blushing lightly.

As she sat there next to me, I gently reached out my hoof again, and began to stroke the left side of her face. Wendelle cooed a bit, causing us both to blush, but she reached up her hoof, and began to stroke my face with it. Soon, we both knew what we wanted, and we could tell that the other wanted it too. Slowly, gently, we both leaned in, and after rubbing our noses together, Wendelle took the leap of faith, and gently placed her lips onto mine. We were both blushing pretty hard with our eyes closed, and our wings outstretched, not to mention the fact that we were still holding hooves, but we were nevertheless still sharing our first kiss!

Once we finally broke it, leaving behind a small trail of saliva, we both looked at each other. Neither of us could say anything, but we could tell that the other was thinking the same thing. We loved the other so dearly, as they were our soulmate. We also couldn't wait for Saturday night, and once I did finally say something, I asked her if I could pick her up at 7. She said that that would be ok, and after sitting for a little while longer stargazing, I walked Wendelle home, and after saying goodnight, I went home myself. Neither of us could wait for Saturday night, and I knew that it was going to be a BLAST!

Sure enough, once Saturday night rolled around, it was time for me to get ready. I hadn't been working that day, though both Golden and I had been doing some work around the house. However, by about 6, it was time for me to start getting ready.

Golden looked up at the clock in the living room. "Hey Conner, it's almost 6. Shouldn't you start getting ready for your date with Wendelle?"

I looked up at the clock. "Yeah, you're right Golden. I'll go start that right now." I then went upstairs.

Once I was up there, I went to the bathroom, and turned on the water in the shower. Once it was nice and warm, I got in, closed the curtain, and began to shower. Maybe 10 minutes later I was done, and once I was out of the shower, I began to blowdry my thick blonde mane and tail, brushing them all the while to get out all of the knots and tangles. I then brushed my fur once it was dry, before finally taking care of my fetlocks. After this, I did a VERY careful preening of my bat-like wings, before taking the time to brush my teeth one last time, and once I was all clean, I went next door to my room.

Once again I opened my closet to see what I should wear, and once again, I saw my naval jumpsuit, an extra pair of mining coveralls, my saddlebags on the closet's floor, as well as my recently restored US Navy boots, though I couldn't wear them, as they were still sized to fit me as a Human. I looked at a nearby dresser, and I saw a US Navy shirt, and a pair of boxers and socks, but again, Human-sized. (This is what I'd been wearing under my jumpsuit while on the Foster).

I sighed. "Again, nothing to wear but my fur. I'm going on a date, my FIRST DATE, and I'm going on it NAKED!!!"

"Again, nopony cares Conner, because we're ALL naked!"

I turned around, and I saw Golden standing in the doorway. "Oh, hey Golden."

"Hello. And you never seem to have any problems with 'being naked' any other times, though if it makes you feel any better, Wendelle will probably be just as 'naked' as you are!"

I couldn't help but smile a bit. "Yeah, you're probably right Golden! Though a lot of it just has to do with me being a Human in a Pony's body. Humans always wore clothes, and Ponies don't, for the most part anyway. It's just something that I still haven't fully gotten used to yet."

Golden nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that Conner."

I then looked at the clock next to my bed. 6:37pm. "Yep, I'd better get going. It takes a little while to walk over to Wendelle's house, as while I CAN fly a bit, I don't want to hurt myself!"

Golden laughed a bit. "No, no you don't! You'll get the hang of flying soon Conner, I know it."

"Thanks Golden." I then left the house a few minutes later.

As I was walking over to Wendelle's house, I unfurled my wings, and flapped them a bit. While I could get myself off the ground, fly forwards, and even hover for a bit, I couldn't quite figure out how to make a turn without flipping over, or fly backwards. The longest time I'd ever held myself aloft was only a scant 27 seconds. Even though I knew the risks, I did flap my wings, and tried to fly forwards a bit. My plan was to fly for a bit, land, change direction, take flight again, land, change direction, take flight again, and so on, until I reached Wendelle's house. Sort of "wing-hopping" if you will.

"I'll get the hang of it soon, I hope." I thought as I landed to change direction again. "I've GOT to figure out how to make a turn without crashing! Why is that so difficult?!" I didn't know, but I was hoping to FINALLY figure it out soon.

Eventually, after landing one last time, grabbing a Lunar-Halo Flower, and running for a block or so, I finally reached Wendelle's house at 6:58pm. I went up to the door, and I knocked. When the door opened, I was expecting to see Wendelle, though I instead was looking into the face of Moonlight.

She smiled when she saw me. "Oh, hello Conner."

"Hello Moonlight. Is Wendelle around?"

She nodded. "Yeah, she's just finishing getting ready. I'll tell her that you're here Conner." She then looked over her shoulder. "Wendelle, Conner's here."

"Just a minute!" I heard her call from upstairs. A minute or so later, she finally came down from upstairs. When I saw her, all I could do was stare at her.

Her blonde mane was draped over her shoulder, beautifully complemented by her red highlights. Her fur looked so soft and touchable, and her tail looked so fluffy. Like me, she was also "naked", though unlike me, she didn't seem to mind as much.

As soon as she saw me, Wendelle came over and hugged me. "Hey Conner." She said softly. "You look great."

I hugged her back. "Hey Wendelle. And you look really cute like that too."

She blushed a bit. "T-thanks Conner."

"Although it IS missing something."

"What?"

I smiled a bit. "This." I then took my Lunar-Halo Flower, and gently placed it behind her left ear.

"Oh, thanks Conner. And you're right, it IS missing!" She then rubbed her nose against mine for a few moments.

"Aww, you two look so adorable together! Can I take a picture before you go?"

We nodded. "Sure."

We then leaned against each other a bit, and I wrapped my left wing around Wendelle's back.

"So cute." Moonlight said as she snapped the picture. "This reminds me of my first date with Red."

"Yeah, it does." Red then poked his head out of the nearby living room.

I turned to look at him, though my smile quickly faded when I realized that he was holding a spear in his hoof!

He looked at me. "Now remember Conner, this thing moves a LOT faster after 10pm or so, or if Wendelle tells me that anything bad happened on this date!"

Moonlight turned to her husband. "Red! We talked about this! Conner would never even DREAM of hurting Wendelle!"

Red sighed a bit. "Yeah, I know Babe. It's just...........well, you know."

"You're not Wendelle's father, but you kinda feel like you are, and that prompts you to protect her in a fatherly way?" I asked.

"Yeah, pretty much Conner. Anyway, you two have fun on your date, and I'll see you when you get back!"

"We will Red!"

I agreed. "Yeah, we most certainly will!"

We both then said goodbye to Moonlight and Red, and we then went out on our date.

Our plan was to head over to the neighboring town of Brulee, catch a movie there, and then go out for a bite to eat, maybe sit on Sundale mountain and stargaze a bit, and then head home.

As we were walking to Brulee, Wendelle turned to me. "I know that I've dated 'Him' before, but what about you? Have you ever been on any dates, or is this your first?"

I shook my head. "No, this is my first date. Just as you're my first girlfriend.....eh.....marefriend I guess? And God willing, you'll also be my last girlfriend, only fiance, and final wife." I then froze. I hadn't meant to say that last part out loud!

Wendelle only giggled a bit though. "Conner, nothing in the world would make me happier than to grow old with you by my side. Plus, you kinda did 'knock me up', so you kinda have to stay with me now!"

I smiled. Despite her anger over what really happened, Wendelle had no problems joking about me being the one to knock her up instead. It made it easier for her to come to terms with it.

"I wouldn't have it any other way Wendelle." I then moved my tail a bit, and quickly wrapped it around hers. She responded in kind, and we once again had our tails wrapped together as we walked.

By about 7:30, we reached the town of Brulee. The town was about the size of Lunar-Nova, though it was located above ground on the bank of the Silver Shine River, and it was inhabited by more than just Bat-Ponies. As we entered the town, both of our legs were getting sore.

"Man, I REALLY wish that I knew how to fly better. Walking everywhere is such a pain in the flank!"

"Yeah, I agree Wendelle. I can keep myself up, but I can't figure out how to make a turn without crashing!"

"I can barely hold myself up at all. Red and Moonlight are teaching me, but at the same time, I don't fly too much, though this is due to my pregnancy. I don't want to hurt my unborn foal."

"And I wouldn't want you to either. You'll probably get the hang of it once our foal is born."

"I hope so Conner."

"It should only be a matter of time." We then began to walk over towards the local cinema.

Once we reached it, (which looked a lot like the local cinemas in our old hometowns) we quickly began to decide what movie to see. The movie theater had 4 screens; 2 on the ground floor, and 2 upstairs, so 4 movies could be shown at once. Currently playing were 2 kids movies, some (dumb) romance movie, and an action thriller/horror movie about sharks.

To my surprise, Wendelle wanted to see the shark movie, "Danger at Sea-Base Sigma".

"Really? You're into those kinds of movies?"

"Only the action ones. Movies like 'Jaws', 'The Shallows', and there were 2 upcoming ones that I wanted to see, but won't; at least, not for a while. One was called '47 Meters Down', and the other was called 'The Meg'. The first one is going to be about 2 sisters trapped in a shark cage 47 meters below the ocean's surface, and the second is going to be about a Megaladon Shark, and a team of scientists trying to kill it."

"Oh. Those both sound interesting. When did they come out?"

"Around 2017 I think, so about another 2 years."

I nodded, and after I bought our tickets, as well as some popcorn and sodas, we found our seats, (the theater wasn't too full) we waited for the movie to start. To my surprise, it was actually a lot better than I thought that it was going to be. The movie was set in and around a deep-sea research base in the South Luna Ocean called Sea-Base Sigma. It was dedicated to seeking out and documenting rarely seen and undiscovered creatures that lived in the ocean. However, one day a hurricane trapped the mixed crew of divers and scientists, as well as a group of tourists inside Sea-Base Sigma, where they were then stalked by what appeared to be a giant shark, which turned out to actually be SEVERAL giant sharks! The scientists and divers had to work together to protect themselves and the tourists, fend off the sharks, and keep them from damaging the base. There were other deep-sea creatures too, (such as a giant squid, whales, and other lesser sharks) the acting was very well done, most of the special effects were Practical Special Effects, there were a few plot-twists that nopony saw coming, and the ending, while good, left it wide open for a sequel.

"Wow, that was AMAZING!"

"No kidding Conner! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And can you believe those plot-twists?"

"No. I NEVER saw those coming. My favorite was that scene where it was shown that the base commander was NOT a bad guy. The whole movie they led us to believe he was, and then BAMMO!!!! He's actually been helping everypony the whole time!"

"I didn't see that coming either. I actually really hope that they make a sequel to this movie. They most likely will, and I think that we should try to see it if we're able."

"Yeah, I think that we should too."

We then went over to grab a bite to eat.

We ended up eating at the small burger joint there in Brulee. It was a hopping little place, and to my surprise, the food was fantastic. Yes, the burgers were 100% beef, but then again, Ponies did eat meat at times, so that was to be expected. I ordered a double cheeseburger with pickles and no onions, Wendelle ordered a double cheeseburger too, though she only wanted ketchup on hers. We also both ordered fries, lemonade to drink, and we also both got chocolate shakes for desert.

"This brings back so many memories of home. There was a local restaurant in Trimble, Mike's Kitchen, that had food just like this. It didn't look like much on the outside, but inside it was themed like the backwoods of Tennessee, and the food was PHENOMENAL!"

"Wow, that does sound good. Back in Idaho City, there was a diner called Little Idaho, and they had it all; from burgers, to seafood, to a huge variety of breakfast items, all cooked to order, and at such a reasonable price. EVERYONE in town loved Little Idaho, and it was a hit with those passing through on their way to somewhere. In my opinion, the best thing there was the Miner's Breakfast. 2 Belgian waffles, or a short stack of pancakes, 3 eggs cooked to order, sausage, ham, hashbrowns, and a biscuit, or 2 pieces of toast. All that for only 8 bucks!"

Wendelle looked at me. "Whoa. All that food for only 8 bucks?! That's a killer deal!"

I laughed a bit. "Yeah, it really is! My family ate there sometimes when I was growing up, and I would always stop in on my way back to California, and when I was coming back from California. And yes, I ate there one last time before my most recent, (and final to date) deployment with the Foster." I was unsure of what to say after that.

"Wow, that.........that must have been...........really nice, but yet really sad now that you think about it. I'll bet that you really want to eat there again, just as I want to eat at Mike's Kitchen again."

I nodded, though I didn't say anything. We looked at each other, and it was pretty clear that we were both thinking the same thing. We wanted to return home to see our families again one day. We weren't sure how it was going to happen, but we had every intention of making it happen. And even if we couldn't make it back home, we were going to let them know that we were ok; somehow.

After we were done eating at maybe 10pm or so, we began to make our trek back to Sundale Mountain. On the way there, I showed Wendelle my "jump-flying" skills, and she showed me how she hovered for a little bit. It was a little bit more practice for both of us, and I almost made a complete turn without hitting the ground.

Eventually, we both found ourselves sitting on top of the same spot where we'd talked about why I was so scared about asking her out on a date a few days prior. We were lying back on the grass, looking up at the night sky. There were so many stars to be seen, not to mention the many constellations, and the Moon.

"So beautiful. It's just like the sky back home, but yet so different at the same time."

"Yeah, it really is Wendelle. My friend Golden told me all about it. His special talent is astronomy, and on some nights we're out here with his telescope, and he's telling me all about the constellations, the Moon, and what the constellations mean. I've really learned a lot from listening to him."

She looked over at me. "Wow, that's pretty amazing Conner. Golden seems like such a nice stallion. I'm glad that you're friends with him."

"Me too Wendelle. He was the one who found me, and we've been friends ever since."

"I'm glad. Thanks to my working with Moonlight, I've gotten to know other Bat-Ponies who're friends with her, and some of them have girls close to my age that I'm friends with. I have more friends here than I ever did back home. It's nice to finally be appreciated as a person by those other than your family."

"I can imagine. I didn't have too many friends until I joined the Navy, though this was because there weren't really all that many kids in Idaho City. It was kind of a bummer growing up there because of that. Thankfully this changed when I joined the Navy, and I got to know guys like Bob Mullens, and the 10 others in the crew that I worked with on the Foster."

We continued to talk about this, as well as other things for a little while longer. Eventually though, we did have to head home, and after sharing a tender kiss, we began to walk back to Lunar-Nova.

"Tonight was really fun Conner. You should ask me out again sometime!"

I laughed a bit. "Yeah, after what happened tonight, I most certainly will! I don't know why I was so scared to ask you out before!"

Yeah, me neither Conner!"

We continued walking back, completely unaware of what we'd been so close to. Far below the top of Sundale Mountain, on the bank of the Silver Shine River, hidden under a grove of trees, something was sitting. It was somewhat sunk into the bank and the river, but it was still there. It had been sitting there ever since May 11th, the same day I'd arrived in Equestria. However, while I'd been found, it had yet to be discovered. It was a shattered and broken mess, not to mention hidden under a grove of trees, and partially sunk into the river, but it was still there, silently waiting for someone to find it. And one day soon, it finally would be found. What was this "something", and what would happen when it was found? Only time will tell........

Author's Note

And, that was Chapter 4.

I'm SO SORRY that this took so long to get out, but I've been EXTREMELY busy with my job, and I was having a number of technical issues as well. But nevertheless, I persevered, and despite it taking a LOT longer than I thought that it was going to, I finally finished Chapter 4! I REALLY hope that you all enjoyed this one, as while it was pretty long, it was definitely worth the read!

So what did you all think of it? Now Conner and Wendelle are a committed couple, and Conner has agreed to raise Wendelle's child as his own. He also got over his fear of dating, and asked Wendelle out on their first date. But now the question is, what's going to happen next? How many more dates will Conner ask Wendelle on before he considers proposing to her? When will Wendelle find out the gender of her unborn foal? When are she and Conner going to get married? Will there ever be a sequel to "Danger at Sea-Base Sigma"? And what was that "something" hidden on the riverbank close to Sundale Mountain? Could it be the SDTS ex-Paul F. Foster? Or is it something else? And if it is the Foster, what's going to happen to it? Well, you all know the drill, stay tuned and I'll tell you!

In the meantime, as always, comments, feedback, questions, as well as spreading the word about this story are always appreciated, and I'll see you all again in Chapter 5!

ScarFox out for now!