Creation’s Folly

Today’s the day of promises! After my little extra effort applied at the farm, I’d freed myself up for some well deserved R&R come Thursday, which worked out perfectly for both Applebloom and I. We were presently lazing peacefully under one of the many trees that filled SAA. Well, I was at least. Bloom sat beneath the limb I laid out on, crouched down and watching a trail of ants go about their business.

With nothing to do but wait for Friday to roll around, I thought I’d spend more time today on getting to know the girl I was going with. I rolled over the edge of the limb and tucked my legs, rotating underneath the limb and locking my legs around it so I could hang. Just barely in reach of my fingers was her hair, which I batted at to grab a strand.

“You know, you have really pretty hair,” I said, finally grabbing a lock and feeling it between my fingers. “Do you put some oil in it or something to make it glow so?”

She looked up, stifling her laughter. “What’re you talkin’ about? You use the same shampoo Ah do.” Applebloom rubbed her cheek in her blush.

“I’m being serious. It’s nice and…” It was just long enough to bring up to my nose. I breathed deeply. “Sweet. You smell like apple blossoms.”

She took her hair from my hand and snickered. “Yer goofy today. Do ya find it funny sayin’ all those things to make me blush?”

I chuckled, still hanging from the tree limb. “Maybe. It’s kinda fun seeing you get all flustered like that. You wear it well.” I gave her a playful grin, my eyes meeting hers upside-down.

She glanced up to see if I was still right above her, then back at the ants. She refused to look at me for more than a second. “Ain’t used to bein’ complimented like that. Makes me feel all jittery and shocky.”

I swung myself and landed gracefully next to her. “And the crowd goes wild as he sticks the landing! Cheers all around! Aaaah, SShh, aaaaaah!” I pretended to bow before the imaginary crowd, earning a laugh from my lone spectator.

Applebloom brushed some of her hair behind her ear, which twitched at being touched. “Yer too cute to be funny. Stop tryna make me laugh more.”

I stuck my tongue out at her and morphed it into a hotdog shape, and rapidly flicked it against my upper lip. “Blelelelleleleleel.”

She, of course, slapped my arm playfully and took to walking off over to a nearby swing hanging from another of the trees. The rope looked aged, frayed only the barest amounts, obviously seeing its fair share of use. Bloom sat daintily and gave me a snarky look.

“Push me, pleaaaase?” She said in an antagonizing tone. “Mah poor hooves are achiiing~.”

I rolled my eyes. “Suuure. You know, you don’t have to ask me to put my hands all over you,” I said, not thinking. She stammered and blushed. “Wait fuck, not like that. I didn’t mean… oh you snark!”

She laughed at me, feigning her embarrassment. “Ah’m kiddin’, Ah know you was just jokin’. Now push me please?”

I obliged, swearing I’d get back at her. Back and forth, she swung in the air, enjoying the breeze and what remained of the warmth from the past summer. Despite her shorter size, she weighed more than her two friends, easily matching my own hundred and sixty-two pounds (roughly seventy-twoish kilos for non-freedom unit users). I attributed that to her earth-pony genetics, since their bones were denser, stockier. We stayed like that for a better part of an hour, as the temperature dropped. I playfully asked if it was my turn a few times, but like a princess, she said she wasn’t done yet.

I decided it was time for a little payback, embarrassing me, and ready my magic to give myself a little bit of extra strength, I thought just enough to push her higher than she expected. Maybe a bit too much, as I sent her flying into the air about ten feet and off the seat.

Little more magic into my legs and arms, and I successfully caught the falling Blossom. Her weight pressed into me, and I staggered slightly before steadying us both, the magic in my limbs giving me the extra strength I needed. “Well, that’s two times I’ve saved your keister. Maybe we should do that more often?”

She blinked, her breath catching in her throat. “…that was mean.”

“Still caught you though, are you gonna look past that?”

Her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. “Ya pushed me in the first place! Honestly, it’s the least ya coulda done.”

“In my defense, I don’t normally use enhancement magic very much. Didn’t mean to put that much umph into it. But you did ask me to push you.”

Applebloom playfully slapped my chest, shaking her head. “You nut, Ah meant like a normal pony, er person! Ah swear, yer gonna give me a heart attack one day.” Despite her words, she was smiling, the blush on her cheeks only growing deeper as she stayed cradled in my arms. “Ya can put me down now.”

I kept the thrum of magic in my arms constant, letting my legs. I tilted my head like I was considering putting her down. “Mmm, nah. I’ll keep holding on. You’re my doggy now. WHOSAGOOGIRL?!” I said, tickling at her belly.

She deadpanned. “Arf, arf, ha ha.” She couldn’t hold that face for very long before succumbing to the tickle master, squirming to get out of my grip. But the tickle master does not relent so easily. “Ahaha, stop, stop Ah give! Ah’ll be yer doggy!”

I smiled. “Hmph, that’s what I thought.”

Applebloom rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright. Ya win this round. But just wait ‘til tomorrow. Ah’ma dance circles ‘round ya, and ya won’t know what hit ya.”

I set her down, making sure she stood well on her own. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t doubt that in the least, I suck at dancing.”

“So Ah’ve heard. Spike says ya make Twilight of all ponies look like a professional.”

“It was one time, ONE TIME! I was getting jiggy while sweeping and he holds it against me!”

“Ta be fair, ya did kinda crush his toes.” She started to walk back towards the house.

“Oh, like you were there. Dude’s skin is harder than iron, I highly doubt he even felt it. At least I apologized.”

She looked back at me and gave me a crooked look. “Ah WAS there, excuse me. You startled him into burning one of the library books he was putting up.”

My mouth went askew and I grumbled. Nobody ever checks out books on cow anatomy anyway. If anything, I opened up more room on those cramped shelves. “You make one mistake and suddenly the whole world comes crashing down. Twilight replaced it with the following week’s shipment, so there wasn’t any permanent damage.”

Applebloom snickered. “Well, don’t go steppin’ on mah hooves when we go ta dancing tomorrow.”

I jogged a few steps to keep pace. “I make no promises. You knew what you were getting into when you invited me.”

She waved a hand dismissively. “Ah know. But if Ah have to drag you around like a sacka apples, Ah darn will. But,” she paused, her eyes twinkling with hope, “please try not to ruin this fer me.”

I sighed dramatically. “What is it with you girls having to beg me to not be mischievous? Am I that much of a bad influence? Oh woe is me, my friends are two faced!” I pretended to bawl my eyes out, but stopped when I saw Bloom stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t too happy with my response. “Sorry. I’ll try not to be too much to handle.”

Her attitude changed like the weather, back to happy. “Good.”

Did I just get guilted by a pony?! The world may never know.

We made it back to the farmhouse eventually, the sun just cresting over the horizon for the night. I stretched my back, popping some kinks in my spine as I walked inside. Granny Smith was once again in the kitchen whipping up something scrumptious, based off the smell permeating the house. A nice little thought dawned on me for a gift to give my partner tomorrow.

I’ll spend tonight working on it when I dream. She’ll be so happy when she gets it.

—

The day of the dance rolled around quicker than I’d’ve liked. I thought I didn’t have all the details planned for my gift, and I needlessly worried that Rarity wouldn’t have the finishing touches on my updated suit before three rolled around.

Was currently about eight in the morning, with a little bit of overcast cloud cover blotting out the sun here and there. sat at the kitchen table with a half-eaten bowl of oatmeal, absentmindedly stirring it as my mind wandered. The nerves were already starting to kick in. The day of the dance had come, and despite my bravado the day before, I couldn’t shake the lingering worry about how tonight would go. What if I made a fool of myself in front of all the ponies there? Granted, I didn’t really know many of her classmates, if you can call her school bullies that, and I wasn’t really a teenager anymore. But still, I’m almost 20 years old and here I sat feeling worse for wear.

Granny Smith walked into the kitchen behind me, pouring a cup of black coffee from the kettle on the stove. She pulled out a disposable filter and added it into her mug, careful not to let any of the few grounds make it into her cup. She gave me a look over and smiled as she took her place at the head of the table. “Yer lookin’ like somepony died. It’s just a dance, so why so glum?”

I offered a half-hearted smile. “I know, I just want everything to go well for Applebloom’s sake.”

Granny chuckled as she stirred a pot on the stove. “Ain’t no such thing as a perfect night, ‘specially when it comes ta dancin’. Yer young. Make a few mistakes, laugh ‘em off, and enjoy yerself. Heaven’s above, Ah know Ah miss dancin’ with mah husband, Jonathan.”

That shocked me out of my mood. “Well, this is an update. You were married?”

“Eh, it wasn’t but thirty years ago now, but yeah, Ah was. Relevant to your whole dance conundrum, Ah can speak from experience that doin’ things fer the sake of fun with someone ya love is a joy like no other, not countin’ parenting.”

“Jonathan,” I repeated, the name foreign to my ears but heavy with history. “I didn’t know that. Must’ve been nice… having someone like that.”

Her eyes looked past me as she relived the good old days from her youth. She took a slow sip from her coffee, sighing. “It was. Had our ups and downs too, but no sense in dwellin’ on old memories. While Ah do miss him terribly, it wouldn’t do nobody good if Ah spent all my time reminiscing on what was, ‘steada what is, ya get me?”

I nodded. “Ah reckon tonight’ll be one of many for you and Applebloom. Ya’ve both been dancin’ around each other long enough, that Ah’m surprised ya ain’t had the stones to ask her out yet. Make it official an’ all.”

“Official? No, no, it isn’t like that. Between us, I mean.”

She gave me a hard stare. “Boy, don’t go lying to me in my own home. Ah can see the way you look at her, how you treat her. What Ah don’t get why you have any issue with takin’ her to be yer gal.”

I looked down at my half-eaten oatmeal, uneasy. “Because I think it’s wrong. Even though I’m only nineteen and she’s going to be turning sixteen come February, I don’t feel comfortable being together with her.”

Her eyes softened as she set her cup down. “Son, Ah know full well how you’re feeling and why it eat’s ya so. Yer worried about more than just her age, about how others might look at you two bein’ together. Thinkin’ that you’re wrong for talkin’ to her.”

I nodded. “It feels… I don’t know, like I’m going to do something bad and hurt her. What if people think I’m taking advantage of her?”

Granny leaned back in her chai, her expression thoughtful. “Aurelius, your concerns are duly noted and acknowledged, but that just ain’t how the average pony works. Ah’ll admit, some folks don’t know where to keep their noses out of, butting their heads where they ain’t welcome, but they’re few and far between. Ah’d be lyin to you if Ah said opinions don’t matter, but why would you let some neighsayer dictate what makes you happy?”

I wanted to respond, but Granny beat me to the punch. “Let me tell ya somethin’—there’s a big difference between someone causin’ harm and two young folks simply datin’ and figurin’ out their feelin’s.”

I swallowed, unsure of how to process this all. In a way, I knew she was right, but it just didn’t click in my head like I wanted it. “But [is is wrong to have the feelings I feel? I don’t want her to look back like I’ve held her from finding her ‘true love’ or some bullshit.”

“Ain’t no such thing as a ‘one true love’, ‘cept in fairy tales. Yer not wrong for having concerns. But, if yer willing to sit here and second-guess yourself on whether or not yer being a good person or doin’ some evil, you know damn well you are. A villain never second-guess themselves,” she paused, taking another sip from her coffee. “Besides, it’s only just datin’, not a marriage. Ah don’t know if you read that far and the law yet, but she can’t marry until she’s nineteen anyway.”

I blinked, surprised by her bluntness. “So… dating isn’t this big life-altering thing?”

Granny smiled gently, leaning forward a bit. “Nah, son. It’s about gettin’ to know someone, spendin’ time together, and seein’ where life takes ya. It’s not a lifetime commitment, just a step in figurin’ out if ya like someone enough to stick around. You’re both still young. It’s natural to have concerns, but ya don’t need to make it more complicated than it is, ya goof. Besides,” she chuckled, “if it don’t work out, y’all can always stay friends.”

I pondered her advice, realizing how stupid I’d been to worry about something so simple. “I think you just changed my outlook on this. Thank’s, Granny.”

She waved a hand. “That’s what Granny’s here for. Now get yer butt in gear and go get yerself ready. Ya only got five or so hours till three rolls around.”

I nodded and finished up my breakfast, making a mental note to go pick up my suit from Rarity and some scrap gold from a jeweler. I pushed my chair in and once again thanked Granny for her help, then headed outside. With the addition of the cloud cover in the sky, the air felt a bit nippier than yesterday, a perfect temperature for the Autumn theme of the dance. If I remembered correctly, the event would be held on the outskirts of Whitetail Woods, with a section cordoned off for walks and games.

Anyway, back on topic. I made my way down the road into Ponyville, aiming for Rarity’s boutique where she’d no doubt be hard at work on my suit. The walk helped me clear my head even further and help me come to terms with my idea of my relationship with Applebloom— how she made me laugh, how I found her attitude endearing, and how she seemed interested in my growing progress with magic. There was no doubt that we had a connection, but whether it would blossom forth into what either of us wanted was beyond me. I’d been so wrapped up in what others would think of me, of what I thought of myself, that I’d taken it clearly off the table. Granny was right.

The bells at the Boutique chimed as I opened the door. Sure enough, there she was with an outfit in her hands, wrapped in paper to protect it from dirt. Somehow, her disheaveled look with the scraps of fabric she pinned to her wait made her look more graceful, I don’t know. I blame Spike.

She noticed me at the doorway and scoffed. “Well, I wasn’t expecting you this early, darling.” She greeted me with a smile. “Here I was, just about to put the finishing touches on your ensemble. I have a feeling you’re going to like what I’ve done.”

I whistled in admiration at her new works this month, which she rolled her eyes at. “Figured I’d get a headstart on everything so I had time to walk with my date. How is everything?”

“Difficult with all the orders I’ve had to fill, but it’s business as usual in Ponyville. Your’s especially is nearly perfect,” she said, stepping aside to show me a mannequin. The sleek black fabric of the jacket was already fit to my measurements and it reflected the auburn, mahogany, and golds of Autumn just like I requested— absolutely perfect for the theme of the dance. It even had nice gold epaulets on the shoulders, providing just the right amount of elegance. Absolute perfection.

“Damn, Rarity, your skills are unmatched. This is perfect for the dance!”

She giggled behind her hand. “Oh, pish posh, there’s no need for that with me, darling! Only the best for my friends.” She turned to look at me. “But a little bit more praise would not go unnoticed.”

“Hehe, you’re the best fashionista I have ever known.” I leaned over to hug her, which she accepted.

“Always happy to help one who’s spent so much time helping me. Kindness for kindness sake is it’s own reward, but I’m happy to know you like it.”

“I’ll say,” I said, feeling the clothes. There was something magical about them, I could feel it on the fabric. “Did you enchant this?”

She nodded, laughing lightly. “Keen senses. Those lessons with Twilight must have been worth it, if you’re able to pick up on the little spill-resistance I slipped in there,” she brought her hand up to her chin, “perhaps it would be worth it to see if she’ll tutor me. Mayhaps I could do with a bit of learning.”

“Don’t crack open a hydra’s egg if you aren’t willing to deal with the parent’s, Rares. We both know how she can get a bit… much with education.”

She cringed at the memory of the last time she walked in to one of the lessons. “Point taken. It was just a thought, though. Oh, that reminds me!” Rarity turned her attention to one of the many shelves that lined her walls, searching for something. She pulled out small box after box, intent on finding whatever she sought. “I could have sworn I put it… Oh, silly me, I left it on the balcony! I’ll be back in just a minute~!”

I took the time to look around at the store. Not much had changed since the last time I was here, sans the new work in progress clothing. I looked over the sketches on her desk, marveling at the complexity of the measurements, notes, and other things. Compared to her work room, this was the only source of order in an otherwise chaotic storm, though it had its own disorganization I couldn’t decipher. Best to leave it the way I found it.

A few moments later, Rarity returned, her arms full of small boxes. “Ah, here it is!” She carefully set them down on the counter, her excitement palpable. “I wanted to make sure you had the perfect accessories to go with your suit.”

From the selection she laid out on her desk, I discerned a small golden pocket watch, with matching cufflinks, a pair of white gloves that would match my silvery tie nicely, a black fedora of all things, and a ruby brooch in the shape of a maple leaf. “I spent the better part of the week trying to work out what would work best, but I couldn’t decide. I thought maybe you could give me your opinion on which would work best with it.”

“Well, I really like the gloves and the watch,” commenting on them both as I felt them, “but I don’t think this is that formal of an event. The fedora is… a problem in itself, despite the nice suede it’s made of. Reminds me of something I’d rather not say.”

That left the brooch. “But this piece right here… Is that rose gold?” She confirmed it. “It sorta ties the outfit together, in my opinion. It adds enough of a ‘pop’ to make me stand out.” Definitely the way to go.

She beamed with pride. “That was my first decision. Two great minds think alike, I suppose.” She levitated the brooch up to the breast pocket of the suit jacket. “Oh, definitely a great choice compared to the others. What WAS I thinking with that fedora?” She held it aloft and then casually tossed it to the side.

I chuckled, feeling a swell of gratitude. “Thanks, Rarity. I really appreciate all this. I know it’s a lot of work.”

“Not at all, darling! It’s my pleasure,” she insisted with sparkling eyes. “It’s not every day I get to help two love-birds expose their emotions to one another.” She gave me some saucy eyes, lifting her eyebrows.

I felt myself blush, rubbing the back of my head. “Is it that obvious how I feel?”

“No, I just made a wild guess. Thank you for winning my bet with Rainbow Dash!” She laughed at my expense. “Relax, it’s a big day for you two! Let me make sure you have everything.”

She smoothed out the fabric on the mannequin, making sure everything was in place, then in a flash, both the brooch and the suit were teleported onto the desk in a neat little white box. I took it in my arms and gave Rarity a polite bow as I headed out the door. “Do have fun tonight, darling! Oh, and please watch out for Sweetie Belle!”

I couldn’t help but smile in anticipation at getting to spend very quality time tonight with my friends and my potential love interest. I made a quick stop over at one of the many jewelers and paid for a small lump of gold and a few gemstones, praying silently to Celestia that I wouldn’t screw up the little gift I planned. Rounding a corner, I sat cross-legged on the floor of one of the many alleys, setting out the gems and gold into a tightly packed spot, then fished out some juniper-ash magic chalk from my pocket. Carefully, I drew a basic transmutation circle around the components of my gift.

“Now for the hard part. What were those verbal components to the spell again?” I scratched my head and closed my eyes, thinking of the training lessons Twilight gave me. “Oh yeah!”

Feeling the pulse of my core, I closed my eyes once more and reached my arm out, palm facing the magic circle. I felt in my mind a familiar buzzing as I reached out my attention to the runes around the circle, carefully reciting the words of power I remembered. “Transmutatio materiarum, lapidum auratorum et gemmis subtilium, forma imaginis in corde meo!” Opened my mind in time to see the material floating inside of small orbs of golden light, each with its own magic circle spinning around them.

The circles split in two rings, one barely larger than the force fields and the other much larger, spinning like a gyroscope as the materials melted and morphed into the shapes I imagined. The gemstones took their place, perfectly aligned, while the gold lump was purified in the magic light, molten and hot. Slowly, the gold weaved itself into a latice shaped tiara, shaped similar to the ivy clinging to the walls of the houses, leaving sockets for the gems. The sight of the glowing orbs floating before me filled me with both awe and a sense of nervousness. My heart pounded as I guided the magic with my mind, watching the gold and gems fuse into place as the delicate lattice of the tiara took shape. I kept my focus sharp, not daring to lose control of the spell.

The juniper-ash chalk lines glowed a sickly cool blue like Cherenkov radiation, slowly starting to fade as it was burned out. The gems fit perfectly into the tiara, and finally the piece was finished. It landed gently onto the ground, my breath held in hopes that it did not break, and it was complete. The pearlescent opals and rich rose quartz complimented each other, with a single small ruby at the center. I’d worked my butt off to craft five small apple blooms into the gold, and it paid off way better than I’d hoped for. “She’s going to love this.”

It was simple, elegant, and perfectly befitting of her, something down-to-earth and natural yet timeless. I was proud of this little thing, this trinket. I pocketed it in one of my belt bags and tucked the suit under my arm, continuing on my way back to the farm. Maybe a solid two or three hours had passed since I left on this short trip, but it was perfectly timed for a night I would never forget.

My nerves still hummed as my magic settled back to its normal levels—that for once went entirely as I planned. No mishaps, no mistakes, and certainly no unintended side-effects. I was turning out to be quite the little mage.

By the time I reached the farm, there was maybe an hour left until the first party goers would show, and I was ready to beat them all at the dressing game. The sunset couldn’t be more perfect, with the few remaining clouds drifting past the distant woods. All things considered, I couldn’t wait any longer.

The farmhouse and went to Big Macintosh’s room to change, snagging one of his bottles of musky cologne. I gave myself a once over in his body length mirror, tossing the suit over the back of his desk chair. Alright, Aurelius, courage. This is it, no backing down now. My reflection stared back at me, uneasy and nervous. It’s just a dance between friends. But what if it ends up where we’re more than that?

I bit my lip, unsure of whether or not to go through with this, but I had to steel myself. “No. I’m not going to break her heart by refusing to show.”

I stripped down into my skinnies and put on the suit, the clothing fitting nice and snug on my body, but with enough space that I could bend down if I had to. “Perfect as always, Rarity.” The auburns, mahoganies, and golds of autumn blended seamlessly with the warm, fading light outside. I adjusted the lapels, the golden brooch reflecting a soft glow in the mirror. “I look like a Lord of Forests or something.”

With a spritz or two of one of the more earthy and clove-like colognes, I felt ready. More than that, I felt much more at ease, not that it means anything. I took one last deep breath, then headed out to the living room to wait for Applebloom. Didn’t have to wait very long though, as I heard her door open and the clip-clopping of her hooves on the upper floor. She stopped shortly before coming down.

“Promise me ya won’t make fun of me for gettin’ all dolled up,” she called out down below.

I closed my eyes, so the first thing I’d see would be her in all her glory. “My eyes are sealed, Blossom. I won’t know what you look like until you come down here. I promise not to make fun of you.”

“…Ok…” she whispered. Carefully, she stepped down the stairs, settling in front of me. “Ya can open yer eyes now.”

I was stunned. Before, she looked like a simple farm hand, someone out of a western movie or the show Heartland. But now… “Wow…”

She chuckled, face brighter than a tomato. “Is that all you can muster to say? Ah’m just ‘wow’?”

My jaw dropped. Her hair was braided six ways to Sunday, draped over her shoulder and split into four separate ponytails on her chest, each with a white tie on it. She wore bicep length white gloves that sparkled in the light, ribbons hanging limply off them down by her sides. And her dress… “You look like someone took a fashion catalog and turned them into a person!” The details were exquisite, each ruffle and fold in the floor length skirt fading from the auburn top that was feathered out in fabric leaves that snugly hugged her chest and waist. And oh my god, the embroidered branches on the skirt.

“Where did you find this dress? I’ve never seen anything like it!”

She blushed hard enough that I could have painted a barn with her cheeks. “I-It’s Applejack’s old dress from when she went to a hoedown in Appleloosa a few years back with muh cousin Braeburn. Do ya like it?” She gave me a spin.

“I couldn’t think of a better person to put it on if I tried.” Applebloom started crying a little, laughing at my comment.

Applebloom wiped at her eyes, still grinning as she twirled again, the dress catching the light perfectly. “Ah never thought Ah’d hear somethin’ like that come outta yer mouth. Yer so sweet sometimes, y’know that?”

I scratched the back of my head, feeling my face heat up. “Well, you’re making it easy. You look amazing. I’m just calling it like I see it.”

She stepped up closer to me, grabbing my tie and straightening it out, smoothing out my shirt and tucking it into my belt better. I wasn’t sure what to do, but my heart skipped a beat. We stood there for a moment, the air between us feeling a bit more charged than usual, but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.

I don’t think Applebloom’s blush faded in the slightest, and then she closed her eyes and smelled the cologne on my suit. Her eyes fluttered open and went a little half-lidded, and she bit her lip. “You chose one of my favorite colognes Mac likes to wear.”

Applebloom lingered closer, too much for comfort and rubbed her hand on my suit jacket over my chest. Her fingers played with my tie a little, bringing it up to her nose and smelling it much more deeply than before, up close and personal. I could feel her breath on my neck, coming in soft, warm bursts. It felt… uncomfortable, made me feel weird, thought I couldn’t understand why. My heart beat a little harder than before and my palms felt sweaty, knees weak and my arms heavy. Like I was eating my mom’s spaghetti.

I cleared my throat, but she didn’t seem to notice, rather intensely focused on fiddling with my shirt— or maybe she didn’t care. “You smell REALLY good,” she murmured, her voice dipping lower than usual.

I gave a nervous chuckle. “Thanks? I thought it smelled really nice too and thought you’d like it. You seem kinda… a bit too into it. Are you feeling alright?”

Just as she stepped closer, mere inches away from my neck that I could feel her breathing in my ear, I heard someone else coming downstairs. Those heavy hoof-falls… oh thank god, Applejack for the rescue!

Speak of the devil and she will arrive! Applejack came down unceremoniously, looking like she just woke up from a late nap. She looked over at the two of us. “Hooey, don’t y’all look snazzy. All gussied up for the dance, all fancy!”

Applebloom jumped back like a kid caught in the cookie jar, her face somehow turning even more red than her lipstick. We both stammered, me in relief and her all nervous.

She gave us a confused, suspicious look. “Did Ah interrupt somethin’ special or what? You two look like Ah caught ya doin’ somethin’ you wasn’t supposed to…” Sweet Luna, please preserve me!

Applebloom flailed her arms hard, stammering out a defence. “N-nothing, nope, nuh-uh. Was just helpin’ him fix his tie! Yep, it was crooked!”

Applejack’s scowl grew deeper. “Mmhmm, Ah’m sure. She tellin’ the truth there, Aurelius?” If looks could kill, I’d be mounted on their wall.

“Yep, absolutely. She was helping me with the tie and then complimented Mac’s cologne I put on, I swear.”

She chuckled. “Just makin’ sure. You know what time a the year it is, right?” She said as she made for the kitchen.

“Yeah, that time of the year when she gets more moody, right?” AJ nodded. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna get her more hopped up or crankier than she should be.”

“Yeah, moody. Somethin’ like that. Ah don’t think I need to remind you about not letting things get a little too… close, do Ah, Applebloom?” She gave her sister a look like she was a devil, then winked.

Bloom buried her face in my chest, trying to hide from her sister by making herself smaller. She mumbled something like ‘somepony kill me, please’. I was oblivious to what they were implying, but I think I got the gist of it. “Sorry, Blossom. I was only trying to help, not make you feel embarrassed.”

Applejack laughed deeply as she finally rounded into the kitchen. That left me with more questions than answers. When she finally returned, I saw her smirk never really vanished, except when she pulled a bit out of a non-alcoholic cider bottle. I stood there, bewildered and even though I didn’t want to appear ignorant, it was plastered on my face.

AJ took her place on the couch and took her hat off, wiping her brow with a bandana tied around her neck. “Applebloom, why don’t ya go ahead and sit on the front porch while I ‘educate’ our friend here. Cool yer hooves.”

She sighed and complied with her sister, leaving the two of us alone. “Don’t take it personally, sugarcube, but that ignorance is unbecoming fer one such as you. But we need to talk.”

“About her period? That’s kinda… more awkward, isn’t it?”

She shook her head. “Ain’t nothin’ like that. Ah’ll take it in all yer lessons with Twi, she never done told you ‘bout mare biology?” A big no. “Ah figured. She always gets weird about somethin’ so natural, must be her Canterlot upbringing,” she paused to cough, “anyway, what Ah’m talkin’ about is a mare’s ‘heat cycle’.”

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “So, you guys go through the same thing dogs, cows, and pigs go through?” She nodded. “Estrus cycle. Jesus, why didn’t I pick up on that when Big Mac talked about it last week?” I sat down on the couch next to her and she placed a hand on my back.

“Don’t blame yourself none, Ah completely understand your initial confusion. But to answer your question again, yes, we go through estrus. Typically once or twice a year, depending on the breed of pony. It’s different for all mares, but usually it happens around Fall or Spring for the most part. There’s medication we can take that helps manage the symptoms, but they don’t really go away completely. For Bloom and I though, we’re a special case.”

“Well, what do you mean?”

“Since we’re more active than the common folk, the medication don’t really work as well. Our metabolisms burn right through it, so it’s damn near ineffective. And if’n we try ta take more to up the effects, we build up a tolerance to it and have to take more, often. So we forego takin’ it altogether. That means that ‘mood swings’, crankiness, and general desire for affection hits us harder unless we meet our, uh, ‘seasonal needs’, if ya catch my drift.”

I blushed furiously, imagining Applebloom getting frisky, but shook that image right out of my head. “I, uh… wow. Isn’t it risky for her to be around me if that’s the case? I don’t want to tempt her to do… that.”

“Oh, the temptations are already there, believe me. There’s no stopping how she feels. But it’s not like she’s just gonna jump yer bones like a wild animal.” That’s a relief. “She’s just gonna get a bit closer than she usually does. She already likes you plenty, and when a mare in heat has her needs around a stallion she likes? Hoo by, we get weird tryna win him over.”

I crossed my arms in thought, digesting what she told me. The more I thought about it, the more a desire in me burned to try and help her be comfortable. “Is there anything I can do to help her with her heat besides the ‘horizontal tango’?”

AJ shook her head. “ ‘Fraid not. That doesn’t mean you should tryta avoid her at all costs. That’ll just hurt her already wild feelings. Just give her a little space, let her know you care about her, and enjoy yourself tonight. If she’s happy, you’ll be happy.”

I leaned back into the couch, letting my arms fall lazily to my sides, trying to absorb everything Applejack laid out for me. “Uuugh, why does this have to be so complicated…” It felt like I’d been dropped into a well and made to climb out before it filled with water.

“Oh, it’s not gonna be that bad,” she said as she drank more from her bottle, “least Ah’d like to say it won’t. Ah have no clue how tonight’s gonna go with you two and every instinct in me is tellin’ me ta protect my little sis. So it’d mean a lot ta me if ya kept a careful eye on her and keep her outa trouble, that’d help rest mah worries.”

“That, I can promise to. She trusts me as much as the rest of you all, so it’d be a shame on my part to not be there for her.” And honestly, I’m not feeling as worried about this as I was before.

As I headed to the front door, I pondered my qualities and compared them to how I was before. I didn’t think as negative about myself as I did all those months ago and it made me smile. Gone with the days where I’d second-guess myself for apologize for any perceived slight that I did to somebody, just unsure about everything. Now I felt confident, all things considered, And I even felt like I could handle relationships with somebody instead of like I wasn’t good enough for anyone. I know I’ve never really recorded any of my thoughts like those in the journals I’ve filled, but I feel like I should’ve. Remembering each and every self-doubt becomes harder when you’re positive.

In any case, I saw Applebloom sitting rather depressed, fiddling with the hem of her dress. She had been crying, from the streaks on her cheeks and the redness of her nose. I felt bad for her, like I’d put her in this position, but I knew otherwise. “Hey,” I said behind her, sitting down next to her.

“Hey.” There wasn’t a rush to speak on everything, just the wait for either of us to start walking towards the dance. When she felt comfortable enough, Applebloom spoke up.

“Sorry about bein’ weird earlier. It’s these stupid hormones and junk.”

“I know. Your sister explained it in detail enough that I understand. About how it makes you feel, among other things.”

She hid her head in her arms. “Ah was hopin’ it wouldn’t start until tomorrow, too. It’s.”

“What’s to be embarrassed about? You are a growing young woman, er mare, and it’s part of you. I’m sure by now from how many years you’ve been through it, you know what to ?”

Blossom growled into her arms. “Ah just wish it would be over with. These stupid impulses are going to be getting the better of me tonight, Ah swear.”

I took it slow with her, placing my hand on the small of her back and rubbed in a circular motion, letting her know I was there for her. “We’ll get through it together. If you need some space, I’ll back off until you cool down. What are friends for?”

Applebloom seemed lost in her own dilemma, attention consumed by the start of her heat cycle, but she was grateful for me to be there by her side. She stayed quiet for a while, her shoulders relaxing and she decided to lean a head against me. She looked tired, starting to doze off, her breathing settling down.

I chuckled as I rubbed a hand through her hair, careful to not damage any of the braids she worked so hard to put up. “Guess all those emotions took it out of you, huh?” She didn’t answer, only softly snoozing.

“We might not make it on time if we wait around much longer. If only there was a way I could…” I brought my hand up to my trimmed beard, short and scratchy. It didn’t help to stir my thoughts, but it felt nice to pull at the hairs. “What if I tried to contact Luna through meditation?”

It wouldn’t hurt to ask for a helping hand, right? It’d let her rest for longer and steel her mood more.

I took a deep breath and made steady my mind, focusing on Applebloom’s breathing to provide the needed rhythm. The world around me blurred and the familiar dream-weave of the collective unconscious flooded into being. From there, I closed my eyes and focused on the thought of Princess Luna, my mind reaching out and feeling my body turn to face towards Canterlot. I willed myself forward, zipping through the milky mist of thoughts and ideas toward her general direction, before stopping at the threshold of her courtroom.

There stood before me a bubble of crystalized thought, no door anywhere on it, except for those who were welcome. I knocked three times, and such a door materialized moments later. The inside resembled a workshop more than it did a royal courtroom. Fitting for the Princess of dreams to have half cobbled fairytales and wistful wiles in the works for many of Equestria’s denizens.

“Are you in here, Luna?” I called out into the bright darkness that filled her place of work, hoping to find her here.

A few more moments, and she materialized in a second, dressed in a tracksuit. “Aurelius, thou art early to summon me. Most aren’t even asleep yet,” she said, her outfit morphing back into her usual deep blue and black dress, “but it is welcome all the same. To what do we owe your visit?”

I smiled, relieved she was on duty earlier than anticipated. “I’m happy to see you too, mother.” She smiled back at the first time I’ve ever said her new title. “ I know it’s a bit unusually to see me this early, but I’m in a little of a pickle and could use your help.”

She hovered over to her throne-work chair combo and took a seat. “Do tell.”

“See, it’s like this. I’m over at the Apple family Farm right now with Applebloom next to me on the front porch. I had a little bit of a reveal that she’s a bit more… hormonal, let’s say, that time of the year, and we’re running late for the Fall Formal Dance over at Whitetail Woods. Is there any way you can teleport us over or something?”

There was a soft chuckle coming from her, and she folded her hands together on her lap. “Ah, I see. I remember you telling me about being invited, but why would you need my help to get there on time? Sweet Apple Acres is nearly a forty minutes walk to the wood from its far side, so thou should be on time if you leave now.”

“She, uh, fell asleep on my shoulder and I didn’t want to wake her.”

“How sweet of you! Worry not, We have just the solution for…” She paused, cringing at something, hesitating. “It appears in my busy moments, I’ve forgotten to mention something important to you. I do hope you will forgive me.”

I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “What is it?”

Luna sighed, the sound soft and sheepish. “We may or may not have assigned some of our Night Guard to… how should we put it… watch over thee ever since the Gala. Celestia’s order’s really...”

I blinked in surprise. “Wait, you’ve had me tailed by guards for that long? And I’m just now hearing about it?”

“Yes, well… We’ve been a bit busier than We like and there hasn’t been the right time to tell you. Nothing to be alarmed at, honestly.”

“But what does Celestia have to do with your regiments?” I found that odd.

“When you revealed the title of our Father to her, it shook her. She originally wanted members of the Solar guard to keep an eye on you for signs of trouble, but we instead decided to ask for volunteers. In total, there are twelve of mine scattered around Ponyville, one of each Tribe of which watches you directly at any time.”

I stood there, processing Luna’s words while rubbing my hand through my hair. “So… you’re telling me Celestia thought I was some bad omen. I mean, I get it, she’s stupid cautious about danger to the country— especially considering nobody but you two and myself know that whole story— but that was MONTHS ago! Why have I not noticed being tailed?”

Luna chuckled softly. “Well, they wouldn’t be my guards if they were easily spotted. In any case, tis not because she distrusted you, rather that she was concerned. Celestia, for all it’s worth, errs on the side of caution with extreme prejudice. She meant no harm, I assure you,” she started, summoning a table with cakes on it. “She does think rather highly of you, almost as much as me if you can believe it. Though I understand if your opinion of us sours, but this is the truth. We do apologize for not telling you sooner.”

I levitated over one of the cakes and took a small bite, savoring the flavor. “Well, it’s shocking, but I guess I can thank you for putting your guards in place instead of hers. It at least shows she respects your discretion enough and myself, in a weird way.”

“We thought as much,” she replied with a mouthful of cake. “Our Thestral Knights are the best of the best, as a matter of fact, and frankly they all volunteered willingly. They are loyal and trustworthy, unwavering and steadfast as a knight should be. Though we confess… I thought you would have noticed them sooner.”

I smirked, shaking my head. “You really know how to make a guy feel important. Personal guards? Guess it’s time to pick up training with you again so I can meet your expectations.”

Luna chuckled lightheartedly. “Thou art taking this better than most would after finding out the crown is keeping watch over them so closely. It’s amusing to see even in offending circumstances, you take it in stride.”

Shrugging, I couldn’t help but laugh with her. “I mean, why be upset about something outside my control? You said yourself that it’s just a precaution, and even though I’m a little hurt by her lack of faith in me, why bother getting upended when she’s doing it for the good of her subjects? I know I’m a bit of an anomaly and I have nothing to hide.”

Luna sighed in relief. “Tis hard to find those that understand the duty of nobility, of guardianship. It is a humbling and refreshing perspective.”

“But back to the matter at hand. How would I go about asking them for a ride?”

Her face lit up. “Thank you for reminding me. Simply fire a signal flare into the air using your magic and one of the Knights should respond post haste.”

“Wait, they’re watching me right NOW?!”

“Indeed. Did thoust forget already we said three are to watch at any time? They wouldn’t be very good at their jobs if they couldn’t manage such a simple order, I’d imagine.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Well, I better take my leave then. It was nice seeing you again, mother.”

“Enjoy yourself tonight, my child. Give young Applebloom my regards. I love you.”

With that, I withdrew back into the waking world, feeling the tug on my soul as I reentered consciousness. I opened my eyes and saw Blossom was still leaning against me, not a care in the world. As nice of a nap as it was for her, I still needed to do what I must.

I shook her carefully, stirring her from sleep’s clutches and she perked up almost instantly. “Oh dag-nabbit, Ah fell asleep! We’re gonna be late!” Applebloom stood up and dusted her dress off.

I followed suit and put my hands out to reassure her. “Easy there, Blossom, we’re going to be on time.”

She still worried heavily, though cutely. “But it’ll take us a whole hour to walk there. The sun’s settin’ in like twenty minutes an’ we’re sittin’ around like a bump onna log! How’re we gonna make it in time?”

I stepped down onto the front yard and raised my arm to the sky, readying the magic in my hand. “Like this.” And off went a ball of light, zipping up a good thirty feet into the air, much to Applebloom’s confusion.

Moments later, I felt my back prickle with static, which drew my attention to a shadow under a nearby tree. A series of three inky blobs emerged from the shadow, the darkness falling away from them like autumn’s leaves. Before us a ways away stood three of the Thestral knights, their deep purple armor appearing almost black against their grey, frizzy fur. Just like Luna said, each one was from the three different Pony tribes, but they looked nothing like any of the ones I’d seen. Each of them possessed vibrantly glowing yellow eyes with slitted pupils, like a cat’s, and a set of large fangs hanging just below their lips. The pegasus, or bat-pony I should say, had larger tufted ears than the other two, a nimbler frame, and two leather bat wings with a blue hued skin between each of the wing fingers. The unicorn’s horn was jagged like a saw almost, angled towards the back of their head like a toothed knife, easily a solid four inches long. The Earth pony’s fetlocks faded to a deep ebony, settling nicely over their steel covered hooves, with their forearms matching the same pattern.

From their armor, to their everything, these were indeed Luna’s dark knights. I could just tell, especially with Luna’s cutie mark emblazoned on each of their chests.

The bat pony flew forwards at a speed that would make Rainbow Dash jealous. “You rang, my liege?” Her voice had a sort of elegant foreign sound to it, with it starting as more of a heavy growl and ending softly.

I wasn’t expecting her to be up front and present so quickly, so I staggered back a step. “Jesus, you’re a quick one…” She curtsied, happy at the unintended praise. “Yeah… Luna said you guys could give us a lift where we need to go?”

“Yes sir, ve do have a chariot on standby. Vould you care for ze expedient arrival or iz time not of essence?”

Applebloom’s eyes were wide with awe as she took in the sight of the Thestral Knights. “Woah, they look amazin’! Ah’ve never seen a pony like them before!”

The bat pony bowed. “Praize iz not necezzary, my lady. Ve are her majesty Prinzess Luna’s Theztral Knightz, her pride und joy.” She looked back over to me, awaiting orders.

“Expedient, please. We’re running late for a dance over by Whitetail Woods. We need to be there an hour ago, is that doable?”

“If speed you vant, I, Nochnoy Skorost, vill be happy to oblidge.” She turned to her comrades and barked something in what sounded like Russian. “Parni, prinesite kolesnitsu!”

They both nodded and sunk back down into the shadow of the tree, emerging seconds later with one of the gnarliest looking chariots I have ever seen. It was made of the same colored metals as their armor and shaped almost like a sideways pyramid with how sleek and sharp it was. They two of them readied it rapidly, taking a seat in the spacious housing of the cabin. Nochnoy darted on hoof to the reigns, though they looked more like a harness, and put it on with familiarity.

She signaled for us to step inside, taking a stance like she was ready to run. Her wings spread wide, mana pumping through her wing’s veins with a crimson glow. “Moy povelitel, your chariot avaits.”