Elsewhere.

You need to connect with him again. There is more that we can take from him.

"I do not know. What will this gain? And how will it be to his good?"

Your power can draw out his suffering. You have seen how you helped him before. He is too much a child to do it on his own. And besides, you would get so much out of it as well.

"No. It's wrong. It is wrong. We do not do this. One should not be taken and discarded. He has experienced that already."

But it will only be in his mind. And he will not be discarded, will he? And you are so alone.

"No, I'm - "

Millennia spent in darkness. You deserved it, of course. So alone. Very much alone. No one to comfort you. None to stand beside you. Just for a moment.

"I was not myself. It's not who I am!"

There is so much of it in here. In the recesses. Even if you cannot find it. There is deep night in here. The black of the woods in deepest hollows. The screaming in the dark. The shriek before death. The howling to the moon. Now it has mingled with Me. And I can help you.

"We do not need help. Do we?"

Celestia does not trust you. See how she hides from you, and she will not share her councils. She would leave you out. In the dark. Again.

"No. No! She is my beloved sister! I am not Nightmare Moon!"

It will make no difference in the end. She will banish you again. See: the children still speak of you in fright. They fear you. Mothers still whisper your name to frighten their little ones into obedience. You are a myth of evil. They will all leave you. All reject you.

"N-n-no. Please. It can't be true. My mind. I can't understand..."

Then let me help. Show them how good you are. Go to him. Reform him. Didn't it feel good to touch him so intimately? To draw out such pain? Now relieve him of more. And this time, perhaps you can get something out of it yourself. After all...

"I have been so alone. It has been so long."

Yes. My words exactly. Now, think upon him. All of him. See what you can gain? How you can help each other? Go. Take from him. It will be fine.

"Oh. Oh we see what you mean. The image is clear. Yes. It is attractive."

Of course it is. When I tell you, we can go. It will be so good to see him again.

* * *

Looking back on the dinner, I have to assume the salad was good since I ate it all off the plate. But I cannot recall what it tasted like. My whole thought was bent on the mare across from me. It was difficult for me to not jump for joy inside, give myself a high five, or begin fantasizing of all kinds of good things our future held. Particularly the physical kind. But the rest of me - the cynical, bitter, cautious parts - held me in check. I still fantasized, but the thought was constantly interrupted by other thoughts. They ranged from: "Remember you've been hurt before," "You're only thinking of the good bits but you know what's coming," "You're too 'experienced' to think this will be easy," to other thoughts like "Run now before you break her heart," "You thought you had found The One before," and "What if you can go home? What then?"

This bounced around my brain for a few minutes, the butterflies in my stomach fighting with the wasp nest close to my heart. It must have seemed to Fluttershy that my salad was incredibly interesting to look at, judging by how my eyes didn't leave it. But when a soft noise made me look up, my inner conversation shut down.

Fluttershy was also staring intently at her food. Her face, however, was turning an adorable shade of pink and she seemed to be shaking ever so slightly. Her ears were back and her lips were smiling, but it was a trembling smile. It was as though she were holding back so much happiness and was trying to make sure it didn't burst out. At least, that's what I thought at first. The noise I had heard was a soft little "Mmm," she kept making when she was taking a bite. Every so often she shifted in her seat. It was this cute sight that enthralled me and turned all my thoughts to one voice.

I made her all flustered!

Perhaps it's stupid how proud I felt at that one moment. I was reminded of the first girl I'd ever asked to kiss me and how adorable she looked as she blushed, covered her face with a gasp, and tried to stammer out a response. I, who had never thought of himself as very attractive, found it amazing. Of course the girl then gave me a rather thorough, "No," but the moment stayed locked as a point of great confidence in my memory. Here, however, was something similar but I already had a "Yes."

Too bad it's not a kiss.

She might say yes if you asked.

No. I'll be lost then. No turning back. I can't take that chance.

Fluttershy was also so much more adorable than that girl had been. As a loose strand of hair fell in front of her eyes, she brushed it aside. The gesture was seemingly small, but my eyes followed every movement and thought it simply lovely. It also caused her to glimpse me out of the corner of her eye. She looked up.

There was a pause.

"Brendon?"

"Hmmm?"

"What is it?"

"What?"

"Do I have something on my face?"

You do. It's called cuteness.

"R-really?" stammered Fluttershy. "Oh my. I mean, thank you."

I blinked. I hadn't just thought that, had I? I actually said it.

Shit!

I checked myself. Here I was, leaning on my elbow, in the classic pose of the guy staring at the girl and completely lost in the moment. Not good.

"You-you're welcome."

Her ears flicked up and down and a soft rustling noise told me her tail was moving. From the sound of it she could probably dust the ground at the rate she was going.

"Ummm, do you want dessert?"

"Yes!" she said immediately. I blinked.

Yeah I could easily think of something I'd Very much want for dessert right now.

"Oh really? What would that be?"

Damn it! I did it again!

Trying not to panic, I took a deep breath and let it out slow. My impulse control must have been going nuts! I had to get myself under some kind of control, but those eyes, and that mouth and face and...everything.

Everything I've been holding back is flooding out! I can't let this happen! Fight it! And say something!

"Uh, well, you ponies wouldn't have in here. I guess I'm just a little bit homesick." I smiled in what I hoped was not a "please believe me!" kind of way.

"Well, tell me. Maybe we do have it in Equestria."

"Uhhh, well my favorite has always been Créme Brulée."

"Oh. No, I don't think we do have that."

"That's alright. No big deal."

"But I think I heard of Rarity having something that that in Manehatten."

"What?"

"Rarity. She ate -"

"No yeah, I heard that part. Where was it again?"

"Manehatten."

"Really?"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You said 'really.' Have you heard of it?"

"What? No. I mean, kind of. I mean - " I sighed deeply and then smiled. "- it's really nothing."

Fluttershy looked at me as though she must have disappointed me.

"We - we could try to see if she knows a recipe. Maybe we could try to make it at home."

"Your home?"

"Hmmm?"

"Well you just said 'home.' I mean - "

"Well - "

"Yeah, I mean I understand -"

She looked down for a moment, then her eyes found mine. The look she gave me made me want to hold her and comfort her. It was a struggle.

"Can't it be our home?"

I started. "What?"

"You - you could call it home. For now."

"Fluttershy..."

"I - I know you have a home in your world, but you can think of my cottage as a home. You can stay as long as you want." She paused. "You do want to stay. Don't you?"

For an instant I realized it would make it so much easier to sort out my feelings if we had some distance between us. Then I saw what I'd never really comprehended before: we'd be Living Together. Both with feelings for the other. This suddenly felt like a commitment. I had many reasons to say no, so i said:

"Yes. Yes, that sounds just...great."

What did I just say?!

No take-backsies!

Fluttershy gave a little gasp as she smiled, her eyes shining. A weight seemed to lift off her shoulders and she gave a shuddering sigh of contentment. She adjusted her mane, smoothed out her dress, and then just looked at me. I didn't know what to do with that look.

What's going on with me? I'm not thinking clear. For a different reason this time, I mean.

Because there's a Girl that Likes me! And it's been so long since I've felt...this. So much to look forward to. So many potential - (control the eyes, control the eyes) - pleasures ahead of me!

Yeaaaaaaah.

Legs, shoulders, lips, eyes, bosom, hips, thighs, soft fuzzy hands...

Think good do all the time so well cause ... ponies.

I sighed with a stupid smile on my face.

"So," said Fluttershy in a near whisper, her smile seemed nervous and I saw a brief shiver go through her. "Dessert?"

Stop. Think. Then answer.

"Sure, why don't you pick something for us to share?" I looked down for a second. Something else had been on my mind.
"So, random topic change, but if I'm honest I really don't know that much about you. I mean, I know about some of your adventures, but I don't know about your home or anything."

"Oh. Well what do you want to know?"

I scratched my chin in thought. "I guess, I'll start with your family. You have any siblings?"

"Oh yes, my brother, Zephyr Breeze. He's currently at mane therapy school. He's going to become a mane therapist."

"So, wait, he's like the head specialist?"

"What?"

"You said the main therapist, right? Like the central one?"

Fluttershy giggled. "No, as in manes," here she twiddled her mane in one finger, her pink hair curling around it. "He's going to work in a styling salon."

"Ooooh," I said with a laugh. "I'm sorry, it's going to take me some time to get used to this."

"Oh, don't worry. It's absolutely fine. Really." She reached forward tentatively and took my hand again. I was amazed at the heat radiating off of her. I took a closer look at her. Was she sweating? How had I not noticed it before? Then again, I'd been too distracted by my own nervous neurosis to really look at details. And her "nervous" smile seemed to be getting... more nervous.

"Um, are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes! Absolutely!" she said, far too quickly.

"Okaaaay," I said, slowly. "Fluttershy, you know you can tell me if something's bothering you, too, right? If you're not feeling well we could just go home."

"No, no, no, I'll be fine. Really. I-I'm just not quite feeling alright, but it'll pass I'm sure."

The waiter came by soon and Fluttershy ordered a sundae for us. She also not-so-subtly asked the waiter to rush it out with the bill. The waiter gave me a raised eyebrow, a smile, and a wink before heading off.

Time for another topic change.

"So, have you always lived in Ponyville?"

"Oh no, I used to live in Cloudsdale with my parents. I eventually moved out when I realized how much I loved the animals on the ground and didn't want to stay stuck up in the clouds. It's where I met Rainbow Dash."

"Oh yeah, she mentioned she was your oldest friend."

Fluttershy smiled at the thought of her friend. "Yes, Rainbow Dash has been a good friend. She even tried to help protect me from... well... some bullies when I was little."

"Someone would bully you? But you're the sweetest pony I've ever met!"

Don't think about how many ponies you've actually met.

"Oh, well, um, thank you. But it's no big deal. I'm sure if I'd just done some things, you know, better, then they wouldn't have made fun of me. I was never a good flyer when I was very little."

"Hang on, hang on, hang on. Please, don't blame yourself for how others treat you. You aren't responsible for them, and I'm sure you didn't provoke them."

"Oh, I'm s-"

"-and don't apologize for being sorry."

That seemed to stop her in her tracks.

"Random topic change," I said again. "i noticed that you seem much more brave when you're trying to help someone else. I think it's more when you look at just yourself you seem to put yourself down."

Fluttershy looked at me in an odd way.

"Like, for example," I said, "Didn't you...um, didn't you tell me you thought your wings were too small? Or...uhhh... that you weren't very pretty?"

When was that again?

"Wait, Brendon," Fluttershy said with a rising excitement. "That was in the dream from last night."

"The ... dream?" Something in my brain felt like it was short circuiting. What was going on?

"Yes! We both had the same dream last night, I'm sure of it! I don't know how, but I only told you that in the dream."

"Wait, I don't know if I remember it that well. Give me a min - "

Fluttershy suddenly grabbed my hand in both of hers. Her eyes were intense but her face was shining. "I'll never forget that! You made me feel so special. I was so scared when you looked...in me. But you... you accepted me. You saw all of me and you weren't frightened away." She sniffed and I saw tears forming in her eyes. "I can't... I can't say what that meant to me. I can still feel it."

I was caught between thinking her mad and getting caught up in her passionate joy. My head did feel a little tingly and I was getting a massive feeling of deja vu. But if this was all actually true...

"I - I don't remember it."

"...what?"

"Sorry. I don't remember the dream that well. I remember it must have been very, uh, very good. But I can't remember all the details."

Fluttershy seemed to deflate a little at that. She looked embarrassed and I could tell that she had hoped I would have joined her in her excitement and remembrance. But I knew something was there. There was something inside, wasn't there? It begged me to take an inward look, and it had been calling out ever since I'd woken up. But I didn't realize it until that moment. There was an important message, too. Something about a Fall...

I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way. "I'm sure it'll come back. I can feel ... something there. Something special that must have happened."

"Oh yes, it did. That's why I was so surprised you looked so fearful this morning. I didn't understand what you had done that was so wrong?"

"But ... ummm ... you know that I ... uh..."

"...yes, Brendon? I was there. You can say it."

"I ... came on your bed."

"Oh. Oh my. I - uh - don't usually talk about these things but, well, so did I."

"Wait. You did, didn't you?"

She was very red, as I knew I must be as well.

"The way the dream ended was very ... nice." Fluttershy looked down with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Oh," I said. "With the two of us?"

She nodded, looking incredibly embarrassed.

"Uh. Was I - ?"

"Yes! Yes, you were! Very good!"

" - walking with you in a forest?"

"Oh."

Uhhhh...what did she think I was going to ask?

We stared at each other in silence as the dessert was placed between us with two spoons and the bill dropped off beside it. I don't believe either of us heard the waiter's voice, or much of anything at that point.

Fluttershy picked up a spoon and silently started eating. It took a second for me to join her. Before I knew it, we'd eaten the whole thing. Fluttershy had managed to wolf down well over half of it on her own. I chalked it up to her sweating sheen and that she must have had to cool off rather badly. She paid the bill (which still hurt a good portion of my pride) and we silently started for home. How had so much of the day passed already? Was it already getting to be evening?

Then I realized just how tired I really was. Today I had run hard and played hard. And been run over by a heavy cart.

But I've mostly run. Especially from my problems. But it really hadn't been a problem, had it? It had really been me. Why did I make it such a big deal? Was everything really that bad?

I stopped walking, looking down with wide eyes. Fluttershy kept going but quickly noticed.

"Brendon? What's wrong?"

"Maybe nothing. I just ... I think I just realized that every time I've worried something is going to go terribly wrong, it rarely ever goes as bad as I think it will. It's... it's been a theme for me. For a long long time."

Fluttershy smiled sadly. "Well, it's a good thing you know that now, right?"

I looked at her and smiled in return. "Yeah. But it might help if someone special could remind me every now and then."

"Someone...special?"

"Yeah. She might be the kindest pony in Equestria. And a very good friend."

"Th-thank you."

I started walking again and Fluttershy followed suit. I noticed she was keeping her distance, but that wasn't odd, right? Going up hill, I really felt how sore my legs were. At one point I stumbled in the grass and fell on my knees.

"Sorry," I said with a grimace. "I guess I'm a little wobbly."

Fluttershy rushed over to help me, but as she stood right in front of me, I caught a sudden rush of heat in my face. I looked up for the source and found my gaze directed right at her crotch. And then the smell hit me. There it was again: musky and it made parts of my brain go off like sparklers. Just like in the shop, but somehow so much better. Somehow it was sweeter. As I let Fluttershy help me to my feet, I found myself staring wide-eyed right into her face. We were inches apart. Little puzzle pieces were clunking into place. From the look on her face, I believe Fluttershy suspected what I knew. She bit her lip and trembled, but whether from fear or from something else I couldn't tell.

"Fl-Fluttershy?" I whispered.

"Yes?" Hers was a husky whisper.

"How long has this been going on?"

Her ears went back and her eyes became desperate, but she still tried a trembling smile. "I don't know what you mean. How long has what been - ?"

"Please, Fluttershy. It's alright."

"I - I really noticed it yesterday. I had to go see my friend, Zecora, to get some medicine to keep it...down."

"So you've been fighting this all of yesterday?"

"Fighting it...yes. It hasn't been easy."

"But, you never said it was your time of - "

"It isn't! Something ... something brought it on."

"What? If you don't mind me asking, I mean."

She whispered her answer so quietly I couldn't hear anything. I leaned in close. So close that it made us both very nervous.

"One more time?"

"You."

A lot of things went through my head in those long moments before I said anything. One of them was a mental fist pump. Another was a check list of my own inhibitions, which seemed to be failing in light of the present circumstances. The smell radiating off of her only made things worse. I gulped.

"I'm going to ask you one more thing. Okay, Fluttershy?"

She nodded. "Mmmm."

"What would happen if I kissed you right now?"

A rush of wind took me by surprise as Fluttershy's wings opened, flapped a few times, and then settled back down. Her tail refused to stop moving.

"I...think...it would be very...difficult...to keep myself...under control."

Oooooh, God that's tempting!

But did I really want to do that to her? Here truly was a moment where I could take advantage of her. Yes, I knew her feelings, but how would this be taking it slow? I couldn't justify it by saying it started with an innocent kiss. I smiled as I found the decision was easier to make than I thought it would be.

But I still have no idea how I got the following words out: "Then, maybe you should go on ahead. I'll follow in a minute or two."

"Oh. Yes. I see what you mean. Th-thank you, Brendon. I'm sure that for you it's -"

"Hard. Yes, yes it is. Very."

"-not easy - Oh. Oh my. I'd better go on. Ahead. Now."

She turned on one heel and walked - rather carefully I thought - towards the cottage. I stood for a moment watching her go. Her backside wiggled so wonderfully, or perhaps I had just noticed it for the first time. After a minute or so I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I then slapped myself on the face. Then the other side. Like a boxer about to go into the ring, I hopped up and down to loosen myself up.

"Okay, Brendon. That went well. Now go on in and just...go to bed. Tomorrow's a new day. And it's looking up."

* * *

Fluttershy was grateful that no one would see her as she entered her cottage. The instant the front door shut behind her, she ran upstairs to her room and grabbed at the little pink cake. She made a mental note to keep it with her at all times. It was such a sweet relief to feel so much of the tensions inside her relax as Zecora's craft did its work.

She was rather proud of herself. It had taken a seemingly impossible amount of self-control to keep herself sane as her heat got worse and worse. Especially when Brendon asked about kissing her. Kissing her! Sweet Celestia, how did she manage to get past that! Well, at least now she was calm.

She paused in mid thought. She had been getting ready for bed, and she was just in the act of stepping out of her dress when she stopped. She was calm now, wasn't she? He could kiss her now, couldn't he?

Ah, but how to do that since the moment had passed? Should she just wait outside his door and then, like Rarity, flutter her eyelids at him? Should she just say "I'm okay now?" and then pucker up? Or should she just go and kiss him?

"Oooooh. I just don't know."

Perhaps she was just being impatient. The right time would come along again. In the meantime, she did have the memory of his kiss from this morning.

She blushed as she put a hand to her lips. It had been so gentle, and though her eyes had been closed at the time, she had been starting to wake up seconds before. She had stretched and smiled as the sunlight hit her eyelids, and then rolled back over. Then a hand -his hand- had reached over and caressed her cheek. It has seemed so warm, so natural, especially after the night's dream, that she didn't even think it odd. And then she had felt a face move in on her, a brief brush of noses as he found the right angle, and then...

"Ohhh. One is just not enough."

* * *

Without fanfare, I had dropped off into my bed and drawn the covers over me. I was warm, so I was only in my briefs. The sheets felt nice on my skin and I drifted off to sleep, wondering what tomorrow would bring. I briefly pondered that I had done no packing for the camping trip, but as I had next to nothing anyway, I figured Rarity, or someone, would have things all set for me. With this oddly optimistic thought, I felt the world growing dark.

There was a noise. I sat up, feeling half asleep. Wasn't I in my room? But something was wrong. What was it? The door was open. And then I saw who stood in the doorway.

Fluttershy looked down on me from where she stood. There was a look in her eyes that I had never seen before. Was it eagerness? No. It was more intense than that.

I gulped.

"Fluttershy? Are you sure this is okay?"

"Yes. Yes, Brendon. This is what I want."

Author's Note

And that's where I'll end everything and tell you I'm giving it all up. HA! Not likely. Though I am sorry about the delay. The story continues.

Three things:

1) A huge thanks to all the fans who have contacted me and especially those who are suffering at this time - whether from depression, or life, or Corona - or all of the above. My heart goes out to you. Some of you deserve more specific thanks, but I that will come with the next chapter.

2) Okay, some of you took a side comment I made about "an audio version" and took it WAY too seriously. Now don't get me wrong, I know I have a great reading voice. No foolin.' But the thought of my sultry tones doing the females parts during the...sexy bits. Well, I have no illusions it'd crash any, uh, "joy" you'd get from the clop itself.

3) Finally, I can't draw for crap! No I don't have pics for certain scenes to enhance the moment. Use your imagination. If you want fanfic art, go buy it. I'm poor, and I just want to write.

Sorry to vent. This virus thing has hit me pretty hard stress wise. And though I can't yell at customers at my job, I can write in CAPITAL LETTERS at you wonderful people.

Seriously, though. You guys and gals are a joy. Have a great day!