"So you tried the ritual thinking of each of them, right?"

"Um...I mean we can go through the list another time if you don't believe me."

Cadance shook her head. This wasn't good. Well, that's not true. It wasn't bad, but it was a challenge, at least as far as I saw it.

"You said you've been with every mare around here, right?" Cadance poked at the Crystal Heart, checking to make sure it was powered on. Even though it really wasn't able to be powered off as far as I knew.

"Yeah. Only a few mares I haven't dated or...bedded...but those are among royalty or happily married so I doubt it's them." I shrugged. There was an option here that it seemed like Cadance, pacing back and forth in tight circles in the chamber, wasn't picking up on as fast as I was.

"I guess we will have to outfit an expedition and send you outside of Equestria to find love here. It may take a long time, but you're a very nice man; I'm sure we won't have to search too far to find a mare-"

"Or stallion," I interjected pointedly.

"Or stallion, yes, a mare or stallion who loves you deeply enough to...wait. Anon, you like stallions too?" Cadance swiveled her head back on her slender neck, craning to look at me with a slightly open mouth.

"Yeah," I replied coolly, "it just seemed like I may as well finish my streak with mares before I moved on."

"Finish your streak?" Cadance turned her whole body.

"Well, when I first got here I managed to get with a few mares, I decided I'd let that play out for as long as it could go before I went off in another direction. For the most part." Another shrug.

"So you just went for six years of dating every single mare in the land that wasn't already in a relationship?"

"There were a handful of exceptions. My point is that I might as well go back and date some stallions to see if any of them are my true love before I go sailing off to a foreign land for more mares." I picked up a small crystal out of a bowl at the table, trying to gage if it was one of the edible crystals or one of the decorative ones.

I lifted the crystal to my lips and prepared to chomp down on it before Cadance grasped it in her aura and slipped it out of my hands just before I bit down, leaving my teeth to clack in the air. She spoke, "well then, that does make it much more simple. You just need to date around some more, maybe think back on some of the past experiences you did have with both mares and stallions, and see if you still have a chance at discovering your true love, allowing you to get back home after all this time."

I pursed my lips, looking at Cadance, at the Crystal Heart, and at the small crystal I had almost eaten that was still being levitated in the air. This sounded like it would be a fun setup.

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy this simple dating story (with plenty of incoming clop).