With so many choices, it was hard to pick the first place to go. They put all the pictures in a basket and pulled one out without looking. Apple Bloom pulled out Terramar’s picture, so it was decided that they’d start their journey by heading south.

The train ride through the hot desert would have been miserable without magic cooling the train, and now they were stopped at Klugetown. They stayed on the train but watched out the window as a few ponies and other creatures disembarked. The town was much nicer now than it had been a few years ago, but it still had a certain shady side to it that it might not ever be rid of.

If the stop had been any longer, they would have went on their own little adventure through the city, but the train only paused to let off the passengers and unhitch some cargo cars. It would pick up more passengers and cargo on the way back.

Scootaloo ordered a daisy sandwich as the whistle sounded for passengers to Mt. Aris to begin boarding. A surprising number of hippogriffs boarded with the new group of passengers. A young hippogriff family entered their train car a moment later.

Two little foals ran playfully down the aisle until the young mother scolded them and made them sit stiffly in their seats. The stallion entered a moment later. He wasn’t the same colors as Terramar and didn’t look nearly as regal and strong, but looking at his muscular chest and wings gave Scootaloo a good taste of what she’d be seeing in person with her old friend once they arrived later that day. A hoof poked her in the side. It was Apple Bloom.

“I know you’re eager, but if you stare at that stallion much longer, they’ll probably think we’re being rude or strange.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I’m just nervous.”

“Just relax. It’s best to just let these things happen like they’ll happen.”

“But what if he thinks I look strange?”

“Come on. You train with Rainbow Dash all the time. You look perfect. I bet there’s not a young pegasus around that’s as sleek and fast as you are.”

They both blushed as they looked at each other.

“We could always do your mane,” Sweetie Belle said. “But I feel like Terramar will like you more if you just go with your natural style.”

Scootaloo fluttered her wings and smiled to break through her nervousness. She borrowed a mirror from Sweetie Belle to look herself over. Her wings were still small. She had worked so hard with Rainbow Dash to try to train them to fly, but the best she could ever do was some very fancy tricks while gliding.

She put her wings down before looking at the rest of herself more carefully. Her thick tail and messy mane looked fine today. She never really spent long on them. After what Apple Bloom said, she did notice her lean muscles standing out, especially on her flanks.

Terramar had looked very fit in the picture, so she hoped that’s what he’d like to see, too. It was too late to really change much, so Scootaloo just took a deep breath and tried to relax.

“I’ll be fine. Maybe… to pass the time, let’s look over the book we borrowed from Twilight’s school one more time.”

Apple Bloom pulled it out of her bag and flipped to the page on hippogriffs before handing it to Scootaloo.

“There’s also a page on what they’re like as seaponies,” Apple Bloom said. She hoofed to the next page to show Scootaloo.

“Really?”

Scootaloo blushed and tilted the book so other passengers would have trouble seeing it. A detailed sketch of a seapony stallion filled one page while a mare filled the other. Below the two was a drawing of their more intimate parts, but the drawings were pretty basic. Scootaloo sighed and tried to imagine what Terramar would look like underwater, but she was still having a bit of trouble picturing it, even with the book’s help.

The train started to pull away from the station. The winding coastline track led to the final bridge before the station at Mt. Aris.

Scootaloo shut the book. She didn’t want to get the seat wet by getting too excited. Instead, she still needed a plan.

“So, what should I do when we meet him?” she asked.

The rest of the short ride was spent coming up with the perfect approach. Even if things went horribly wrong, Scootaloo felt great because she had the best friends in the world to back her up.

Scootaloo stepped off the train first. She was feeling confident, and she wanted to show it. Apple Bloom followed on her left and Sweetie Belle on her right.

“We’ll take the luggage to the bed and breakfast and get settled in,” Apple Bloom said. “That should leave you plenty of time to find Terramar and see whether he’s interested.”

Sweetie Belle giggled and pushed the cart with a bit of magic. “We’re just a block away from Harmonizing Heights. This is going to be amazing!”

The two scampered off quickly. The long train ride had left them all with a lot of restless energy, and Scootaloo was feeling it even more now that she was so close. They had sent some letters to Terramar to let him know they’d be coming. He said to come find him at the docks when they got there.

Scootaloo’s wings fluttered as she became more and more excited. Her hoofs thumped on the solid wood of the docks. She looked around at the different boats anchored nearby. The waves crashing on the rocky shore made the air smell like salt. She was trying to decide which boat Terramar might be on when she heard a voice in the sky above her.

“Scootaloo! You’re here!”

Terramar landed in front of her a moment later. They both looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before he patted her on the shoulder and smiled. He was even better than the photos. His white plumage caught the sunlight as he stood tall. He was more than a head taller than Scootaloo, but she had grown into the lean, compact frame that most pegasi mares had. Terramar was much broader in the chest and shoulders, and the one good thing about being shorter than him was how easy it was to catch a glimpse of his fluffy sheath and balls hanging down between his back legs. She was very tempted to stare at them.

“Terramar! It’s been so long. You’re looking great. You’ve become quite the stallion.”

Scootaloo blushed at her forward comment. Terramar laughed nervously and scratched at the back of his neck.

“Um… thank you. It’s nice to be complimented by such a cute mare. Where are your friends?”

“They went to check in at where we’re staying. I wanted to see you again first. We could always grab them something for dinner as we walk up the mountain.”

Scootaloo turned and lifted her tail without meaning to because of her excitement. As she glanced back at Terramar, she saw his eyes drift to her exposed flanks. He looked away quickly with a momentary look of guilt.

“Ah your… I better go tell my commander I’m taking off. You get started and I’ll catch up.”

Scootaloo swished her tail back and forth a few times before putting it back down.

“Just don’t take too long.”

Terramar flew to one of the nearby ships. It was smaller and looked built for speed. Scootaloo cantered off toward the mountain path. Her little hints seemed to be working well so far. She made her way through the crowded market near the train station and started up the mountain path when Terramar caught back up to her. He landed and matched her stride.

“Ah, I’m looking forward to relaxing with you and your friends. I don’t get much time off in my new position, but it’s a great honor to be serving in the queen’s navy.”

“That does sound like it would keep you busy. You already heard about our trip to see old friends. A lot of ponies travel a bit when they come of age. We’ll be busy running our Cutie Mark Crusader stuff all across Equestria after we head home.”

“A trip sounds nice. I travel a lot with the navy. We sometimes have fun, but it’s mostly hard work. When I do have time off, I usually relax around here. Dad and Mom keep saying that I should be looking for a nice hippogriff mare, but I haven’t found the right one yet.”

Scootaloo accidentally bumped flanks with him as she stepped up the stairs. She blushed. He really was very solid under his fluffy feathers.

“Does it have to be a hippogriff? It’s not so bad to be open to possibilities.”

Terramar sputtered over his words. “Um… if you’re getting tired of the stairs, why don’t I fly you the rest of the way?”

“I’d appreciate that. Just don’t tire yourself out too much. We were planning on having plenty of fun with you later.”

“Don’t move around too much after I’m holding you.”

Scootaloo crouched low. She waited for him to stand behind her. She felt his feathers brush against her back and had to hold back a pleased sigh. She was tempted to lift her flanks and brush against other parts, but Sweetie Belle had said not to go too fast. It was better to make it seem like little accidents.

Terramar’s strong front legs wrapped around her and pulled her against his fluffy chest. She flicked her tail just enough to feel it brush against the sheath she wished she could rub her flanks against.

“Feeling nervous or excited? Try not to tickle me so much with your tail, or I may have to land for… well.. For propriety.”

He looked at her and gave her a little wink. She blushed and smiled. He was finally playing off her little hints. She tucked her tail down to avoid giving him a mid-flight erection. She gasped as he kicked off the ground and pulled her into the air. Even with her weight, he flew with ease. He spread his wings out and found a nice updraft to ride toward the top of Mt. Aris.

“I learned how to glide. When we’re high enough, you can let me go!”

Scootaloo had to shout to be heard over the wind. They circled above the mountain and Terramar loosened his grip before letting her go. She fluttered her small wings then stretched them out. It gave her just enough lift to glide. Terramar flew next to her. He stayed close enough to catch her if anything went wrong.

Scootaloo aimed for the main road as she quickly lost altitude. She came down fast and hard and had to land in a gallop before slowing down. Terramar landed behind her a moment later. She caught her breath as they walked through the crowded hippogriff city.

“We’re at the bed and breakfast by Harmonizing Heights.”

“I’ve heard that one’s good. If you had asked sooner, I could have tried to get you a room at the palace.”

“We wanted somewhere a little more quiet and private, especially since we might be up late if we can find something to do.”

“The stargazing from the peak is amazing. Maybe we could go there tonight.”

“I’d like that.”

“Just bring some blankets. It gets cold.”

“It’s a date… er, deal!”

They made a left before reaching harmonizing heights. Scootaloo scolded herself in her head for slipping up as they walked down the street. When she looked up, she saw that they were already at their destination.

The bed and breakfast was built around and in a tree. It had the elegant glass and woodwork that the hippogriffs liked in this part of town. The walls were painted in a nice green color with a little gold paint on the windows. One of the side doors opened and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stepped out.

“Over here!” Apple Bloom shouted.

“We ordered some dinner. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

Author's Note

So begins the fun with Terramar! Expect about 3 parts for him.

And if you'd enjoy seeing any characters that have a connection to any of the CMCs in future story sections, feel free to let me know. I have my own ideas for some fun pairings and situations, but I'd also love to hear your ideas.