//-------------------------------------------------------// A Flurry Of Love And Kindness -by Great Humanity- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// A Newfound Heartache //-------------------------------------------------------// A Newfound Heartache For years, it was seen that your life was basically a free trial, and your parents made that very plain to you, as they’d always have you do the hardest chores out of everyone else, regardless of age. The earliest you were worked like a slave had to be 6, as your parents taught you how to cook, do laundry, make your bed, and even had you study until your fingers nearly broke or cramped up. You hated them treating you that way. Though, all that studying did have its perks, as you got to skip a few grades when you were younger, but stopped skipping once you got to 10th grade. Once you got to 12th grade and graduated, turning 18 that same year. You wanted to be free from your parents, but you didn’t want to be ordered around by them anymore, despite their desire to see you succeed. Right now, you were packing a bag full of stuff to bail. You weren’t gonna take shit from your parents any longer. You headed for the door with a bag of things as your mom stopped you, “Son, where are you going?” “I’m 18, mom, I’ve had enough” you said, trying to push past her, but she wouldn’t allow it “Son, this is ridiculous. You’re not even ready for your own apartment. Stay with us, please“ she urged, but you weren’t eager to put up with her bullshit “Nah, I’m out. I’ve had enough of you and dad using me like I’m some servant“ you said, pushing past her as she just sighed, only for your dad to come to the door “Son!“ he said, getting your attention, “We just wanna see you succeed…“ “I’ve already had enough, dad. I’m not taking it anymore, I’m gone, and that’s that“ you said, walking away and out of earshot of your parents After getting away from your parents, you wanted to move in with a friend, though you weren’t quite sure where to go as you wandered the streets of Downtown, soon finding yourself approached by two guys “Hey pal, got a light?“ one said as you pulled out a lighter, and he pulled out a switchblade, “And everything in your bag“ “Yeah, no“ you said, getting a bit of a tough look from one “No? Motherfucker, we got knives. Now, last time, hand over anything, or you’re-“ he said as you checked him and decked him, punching him as he held his broken nose, “M-Motherfucker!” “I got him!” his partner said as he drove a knife into your neck, driving it deep inside your neck and cutting across a little, but you stopped him as you turned it on him and stabbed him right in his neck, slitting it open like butter as he fell, choking on his own blood “Damn you!” his partner said, taking his fallen friend’s knife, tackling you, and driving the knife into your chest, and right into your heart slowly, but you managed to take the kinfe that was still in your hand and slice his eyes, followed by driving it straight through his skull. Now, you laid on the ground, bleeding out with no way to save yourself. You swore you saw the light, as if God was calling you to him. You reached out a hand as you felt your life slip from you. The moment you felt something, you felt nothing, as you felt really cold. As you sat up carefully, you saw that you were surrounded by snow. You shivered a little, and surprisingly, your neck and chest were completely fine. After a few seconds, you saw something flying towards you slowly as it landed. Whatever landed in front of you had snow boots on. The creature, which you identified as a she, bent down and looked at you, “Excuse me, are you okay?” “I… think so? W-Where am I?” you said, surprising the female, as she thought you’d freak out by talking to her. “Well, as of now, you’re out in the cold, but not too far from here is the Crystal Empire, it’s where I live with my family” she explained as she offered you a hand, “Wanna get out of this snow?” “Very much, yes” you responded as you took her hand, getting pulled to your feet. After that, she took your hand and led you towards a large kingdom, “So, what are you exactly? I know you’re a horse of some kind, but I’ve never seen one look so… humanlike? I don’t quite understand” “Well, I’m a pony! Then again, I’m not just anypony, I’m a special race of pony!” she said, walking you out of the snow “Wait, there’s multiple races?” you asked as she led you through the city by hand, and to a castle made completely of crystals “Yeah! There’s Earth Ponies, who are ponies that don’t have much, except for their special talents. Then there’s Pegasi, ponies that have wings and can fly. And then there’s Unicorns, who have a horn on their forehead and can use magic spells” she explained as you both got closer to the castle “And what about your race? If anything, you look like a combination of all three” you guessed, getting a giggle out of the horse “This race is referred to as ‘Alicorns’, which have the strength of Earth Ponies, Flight Capability of Pegasi, and Magic Control like Unicorns, all in one package. Before humans like you came to Equestria, there weren’t as many of us. Think there was only my Auntie Twilight, my mom, my Great Aunt Celestia, and her sister Luna. Of course, I came along, and when some humans came to Equestria, not only were more Alicorns born, but some were even born male, and according to my mom, she didn’t think a male one could ever be born, but after adding my second dad to her herd, she was proven wrong when she gave birth to my little brother, who had the horn and wings, just like my mom. I think Twilight’s daughter was an alicorn too, as well as Celestia and Luna’s children, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, y’know?“ by the time she finished talking your ear off, you were now in the castle throne room. Before you, you saw three thrones. The middle one had a female alicorn sitting on it, so you speculated that it was her mother. On her right was a unicorn with a white coat and a blue mane, and on her left was a human, who looked to be in his 30s. They were both sitting on thrones. Course, one thing that caught you off guard was a small child rushing towards you with an actual sword, “Stranger danger!“ he shouted as he ran forward and swung the sword, causing everyone to gasp as you caught the blade between the palms of your hands. The alicorn boy looked up at you, shocked, “W-What?! But only my dad’s been able to do that! H-How did you?!-“ “Some are more trained than you think, amigo“ you said as he stomped his foot and you let go of the blade as his father spoke. “Rage, settle down. We don’t just attack strangers, friend or foe. We find a motive, then we decide what to do, understand?“ he said, getting a nod from his son as he sighed “I understand dad, my apologies“ Rage responded, bowing towards you as he whispered, “I’ll be watching you…“ “Rage! Enough! To your room!“ the female horse said to the boy as he sadly trudged off and out of the throne room. “Geez, would hate to get on his bad side“ you said as you looked up and saw them all again, and the human approached you as he stood in front of you. “Eh, don’t worry about him, he’s not exactly trustworthy of outsiders, it’ll take a while to warm up to him. So, if you don’t mind me asking…“ he turned to the girl who brought you in, “Flurry, what have we told you about bringing strangers into the castle unannounced? You’re supposed to tell either one of us before bringing them in“ “I know, dad, but when I went out to see if anypony had gotten lost in the blizzard, I saw him sit up in the snow, and he was cold to the touch when I found him. Had I not brought him here, he would be an ice cube right now“ Flurry explained “And can this ’stranger’ provide his side of the story? I’m a little curious after seeing that display of skill“ the unicorn said as he smiled a little “Not before introductions, Shiny, you know that“ the pink alicorn said as ’shiny’ nodded, “Ahem, human…“ she said, getting up from her throne and walking towards you, stopping in front of you, “I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadence, to make it easy. The man next to me is my 2nd husband, Blade, and that boy you encountered was Raging Halberd, my son on his side. The unicorn over there is my first husband, Shining Armor, and this beautiful, yet rebellious mare that brought you in is my Daughter, Flurry Heart. So, there you go, we’re the royal family of the Crystal Empire. Could you possibly give us insight as to what happened to you?“ she asked, though you felt uncomfortable around Flurry for some reason “If possible, I’d like it if it could be a private discussion between me and your two husbands, princess, if that’s okay with you“ you said, not wanting Flurry to disturb anything “Not at all! Flurry, dear, if you could give us some privacy, please?“ Cadence asked Flurry as she pouted “Mom, do I really have to? I’m a grown mare now!“ she pouted still, and you thought it was pretty cute “Flurry, please respect our guest’s privacy. I’m sure he’ll give you attention when he’s available, right?“ she asked as she looked at you “Of course. She was telling me a bit about the different races of ponies in… What is this country?“ you asked, getting a giggle from Cadence “Oh, you’re in Equestria“ she said, “So Flurry, please give us some privacy for a moment“ Flurry sighed as she nodded, “Okay mom, I understand“ she headed out the throne room doors, and they closed, leaving you with the princess and her two princes “Now that that’s out of the way, you can tell us your backstory“ Cadence said, taking her seat at her throne “Well… Damn, where do I start? Well, I guess… one thing you should know is that I missed out on my childhood…“ you said, sighing as the princess gasped, but little did you know, Flurry was listening from outside the throne room “Really? How come?“ Cadence asked as you sighed “Well, my parents worked me hard and had me take all these unnecessary classes when I was younger, which meant no friends, and no friends meant no social interaction, and it fucked with my head for like, forever. Once I turned 18, I packed a bag and ran away from them, but, didn’t make it far, as I met my end after being robbed at knifepoint by two guys. Of course, I killed them both, but it wasn’t enough, as I still bled out, and somehow ended up in snow outside of the Crystal Empire“ you explained as Cadence got up and walked over to you, giving you a sympathetic hug. It made you feel important and loved, as you rarely got a hug from your parents. “I’m terribly sorry you never truly had a childhood. Do you miss Earth at all?“ she asked you as you shook your head “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m in a new world unknown to me, so I’d have to be in it for a while to truly see if I do miss it. More importantly, where am I gonna live?“ you asked as she giggled and smiled at you “Well, it’d be rude of me to leave you without a home, so you can stay here in the castle, I’ve got tons of guest rooms, so you can take one. You should find living in the Crystal Empire to be a joy. And before we go any further, what is your name?“ she asked you, and you introduced yourself “That’s a nice name. Ahem, anyways, you’re now technically a resident of the Crystal Empire. Welcome“ she said, hugging you again, but you didn’t let it go on for too long, cause you didn’t wanna make her husbands jealous “Thank you princess, that’s very kind of you“ you said as she let go of you and thought of something as she gasped “I know! While the servants prepare your room, I could have Flurry and Raging give you a tour of the Crystal Empire! Would you like that?“ she asked, and you thought about it for a while. On the one hand, it meant you could get to know Flurry Heart, as she seemed pretty argumentative when asked to give you and the rest privacy, but then on the other hand, you’d probably have to put up with mean looks from her little brother, but, you ultimately decided to take the good with the bad. “Alright, I accept, but, just curious, how old are they?“ you asked as she giggled “Flurry turned 18 a few weeks ago, actually, and Raging is 11. Heh, sometimes I like to think Flurry’s still my little girl, and I tease her for it, but she doesn’t always like it…“ she said, sighing as Shining came up and hugged her from behind “Don’t feel down, dear. Flurry’s just maturing is all. She’s not exactly our little girl anymore, but she is our daughter, and we love her very much“ Shining said as Blade came over and joined in “Right Cadence, our little girl’s just growing up is all, it happens. We love her equally, and nothing will change that“ Blade said as he and Shining both kissed Cadence’s cheeks softly, making her giggle “You boys are such sweethearts~“ she said, giving them both kisses on their cheeks “Uhm…“ you said, getting their attention, “Where would I find Flurry and Raging?“ “Oh, out the doors, to the left, and down the hall. They’re right across from each other“ Cadence said as you made that a mental note and left the throne, not wanting to know what they had planned. You walked down the hall, saluting all the guards as you passed by them, making your way to Flurry’s and Raging’s rooms. It didn’t take you long until you found their rooms, as you were told that their rooms were marked by their “cutie marks“, which sounded silly, but you let it go as you came to their doors. Flurry’s had a Crystal Heart, much like her mother’s, except it had a pink diamond behind it and small strand of yellow or gold, and Raging’s had a blazing halberd with bull horns on both ends of the hilt. You went to knock on Flurry’s door, but heard something. Pressing your ear against the door softly, you heard gentle crying. You carefully knocked on the door, “Flurry, can I come in?“ She stopped, having recognized your voice as she sniffled a little. After a few minutes of silence, you heard something, “Come in…“ You came in and saw the alicorn made laying down stomach first on her queen-sized bed. Seems her parents really loved her, that much you assumed. Getting out of your thoughts, you sat at the edge of her bed, not wanting to be weird, and she sat up, looking down a little, “So, what do you need…?“ she asked you, sighing dramatically “I was wondering what’s got you so upset? What happened to the cheery mare I met just a few minutes ago?“ you said, trying to cheer her up “Well.. I was curious what my family was talking to you about, and I listened in. Hearing your story… It… It reminded me of my childhood…“ she said, shedding a few more tears, “Like you, my family wanted me to study magic and all other kinds of things, and while I didn’t have too many friends, I still got to have fun like a child should, but I felt overworked, Y’know?” she said, wiping her tears away “While somewhat similar, our stories aren’t entirely similar, as my parents rarely ever gave me affection or let me have fun, asking questions like, ‘Did Einstein ever have fun?’ and ‘No time for fun, son. Get back to studying’. I even went through a bit of a depressive state from my lack of social interaction and friendship with others, and even when I told them why, they thought I was lying just to get them to stop. But, when I turned 18, I ditched em. Course, ditching them is what ended my life, as I’d find it gone at the hands of thieves” you explained as she raised an eyebrow in confusion “And you’re telling me this… why?” she asked as you cleared your throat “I’m telling you because of what you sounded like earlier. You sounded upset that your mom still treated you like, well, a teenager of sorts” you said as her eyes widened, “Yep, see, I was right. More importantly, you may feel embarrassed, but I’ll say this, Flurry. When you have family, you never push them away or run away from them. I ran away out of neglect and a lack of love, but you shouldn’t. Now, I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, just… don’t run away from family, as they’re some of the best people you could ever ask for in life. Make sense?” you asked as she looked at you, ready to cry, and that’s when she hugged you and cried into your shoulder. Not wanting to be awkward, you instinctively comforted the princess, petting her and hugging her back, which, while surprising, she accepted regardless, as if she had a sense of trust for you. “T-Thank you… you’re very sweet…” she said, but felt awkward saying that as she let go, blushing, “A-Anyways, w-what did you really come here for?” “I actually came to ask if you could give me a tour of the Crystal Empire, your highness” you said, giggling at the last bit, but something blinded you both as Raging appeared, blade in hand. Why he even had a blade was beyond you. “Bro, are you flirting with my sister?!” he asked, swinging the sword towards you sideways, and yet again, you caught the blade between your palms, getting a gasp out of him, “Rats!” “To answer your question, no, I was not flirting with her, I just met her. Relax, amigo, I mean no harm” you said, getting a glare from him as he pulled the sword back and sheathed it “You better not, otherwise it’ll be the last thing you do… I’m watching you… and you too, sis” he said, taking his leave “Jeez, overprotective of his sister and he’s only 11 years old? Who crushed his sand castle?” you asked as she sighed “Well, in my teen years, I… had a few bad coltfriends. I was eager to experience love and truly understand why it was so beautiful, but every coltfriend I had just wanted me because of the fact that if you were to do it with an alicorn, you get immortality, and eternal life, as an added bonus, if your heart is pure and serious for the alicorn in question. Luckily, my mom saw through their greed and usery before I ever did it with any of them. Every bad coltfriend gave my little brother all the more reason to be protective of me, and would pretty much get suspicious of every stallion I hung out with. Some even stopped hanging out with me because of him. But I can’t blame him, I just have a hard time with guys, I guess” she said as she shrugged and sighed, looking down a little, but you cleared your throat, getting her attention “Yeah, I think I get it, could we go on that tour now?” you asked her as she nodded “Right right, let’s do that!” she said, springing up as she grabbed your hand and her horn lit up, teleporting you both away After Flurry had teleported you and her outside the castle, you got to exploring, checking out the Crystal Empire spa, library, and even a few of its restaurants. The Crystal Empire was beautiful, no doubt about that, though you were confused when you saw a statue of what looked to be a baby dragon holding the Crystal Heart, which Flurry had told you about during your visit to the library “Um, Flurry? What’s up with the statue of the dragon?” you asked as she giggled “Oh, that’s a statue of my uncle, Spike. When he was still a baby dragon, he single-handedly saved the Crystal Heart from being shattered when Sombra returned. Mind you, this was when I wasn’t born” she explained, but that opened up another question “Who’s Sombra?” you asked as anypony in a 5 mile distance shot a stare in your direction and shuddered “Well, he was… a bad pony. From what I’ve read, Sombra was actually king of the Crystal Empire, who one day went corrupt with power, and he was ultimately banished. He attempted to return during a harsh winter in the Crystal Empire, and again when a legion of villains was established. He was stopped once, and permanently defeated the next time. He brought sorrow to everypony in the Crystal Empire, hence why they all shuddered at the mention of his name” she explained. She was sure doing a lot of explaining, but hey, you weren’t complaining. “Ah, makes sense“ you said as you and her kept walking through the Crystal Empire, eventually reaching a small house in what looked to be a small alley, “And what are we-?“ you tried to ask as she knocked on the door “Professor Sunburst? It’s me, Flurry Heart. I made a new friend and want to introduce him to you!“ she said as the next thing you heard was tripping and the sound of books falling “Coming! Ooof!“ the voice said, having supposedly fallen. After waiting a while longer, the door opened to an orange pony with glasses and a wizard’s cloak, “Ah, Flurry Heart, good to see you, who’s your friend?“ he asked as you introduced yourself, shaking his hand softly “Glad to meet you. I’m Sunburst, Flurry’s professor and magic teacher“ he said as he moved aside, “Would you two like to come in and have some tea?“ “Is the tea iced?“ you asked “Iced? I don’t think I’ve seen anyone drink iced tea, especially if it’s-“ he attempted to say “No no, clearly you misunderstood. You know how to brew sweet tea?“ you asked him “Yeah, I do actually“ he said, smiling a little “Fantastic“ you said, walking past him as you took a seat on a cluttered couch “Make yourself at home?“ he said as Flurry came in and sat down next to you. Sunburst went into his kitchen while you and Flurry sat on the couch. “Did you really have to push past him like that? You could’ve at least said ’excuse me’, y’know?“ she said, sighing a little “My apologies, your highness. He had moved aside, so I assumed he was cool with us coming in“ you said, sighing yourself as she just put an arm around you and ruffled your hair softly “I know, it wasn’t even that big of a deal, I just made it sound like that to get a reaction, hehehe“ she giggled as you glared at her a little, but smiled and ended up giggling too. After a few more minutes, Sunburst came back with a glass and a cup. The glass had iced tea in it, and the cup had herbal tea in it, “Here are your drinks. Flurry, I figured you’d like tea as well, so I made you your favorite herbal tea“ “Thank you Sunburst, you’re the best!“ she said, smiling as she sipped from her cup softly “Indeed, you’re pretty cool“ you said, getting a bit of a smile out of him “Oh, t-thank you…“ he sweated a little as he decided to change the subject, “So Flurry, I hear you’re 18 now. Did your mom talk to you about taking over the throne yet? And more importantly, have you confessed your feelings to your friend yet?“ Flurry blushed, knowing he was talking about you, but she decided to answer one at a time, “First one, no. My mom isn’t sure if I’m ready to take over the empire, so that’s unlikely. Second one, he’s just a friend! We’ve barely known each other for 24 hours, Sunburst!“ “Alright geez, I see I’ve struck a nerve, my bad“ he said as he sighed and cleared his throat, looking at you, “I’d say you’re the second human to show up in the Crystal Empire, the first being Cadence’s human husband“ “Well, I knew that, but cool” you said, tasting the iced tea, and damn, it was good. It had the right amount of caffeine, sugar, and everything, “Damn, this is some good tea, Sunburst” you complimented, getting a nervous chuckle out of him “T-Thank you… I-I wasn’t sure if you’d like it, but I’m glad that you do” he said, sighing, “So, wanna hear about Flurry’s goth pha-“ he attempted to say as he was cut off by Flurry silenced him. “Sunburst, what have I said about telling anypony about my goth phase?” she said, letting him speak as her magic deactivated “That you don’t like it when other ponies, like myself and your family talk about it” he said, sighing a little “Exactly, and I’d like to keep it that way” she said as she cleared her throat and looked at you, “Y’know, I never actually got your name, or did I?” “I don’t think so” you said, taking another sip from your tea “Well, what is it?” she asked, looking at you with curious eyes as you told her your name. “Neat, I’ll make sure to remember it” she said, giving you a small squeeze, and for a brief second, you felt her breasts press up against your arm softly. From the touch, you could gather that her chest was at least a F-cup, but that could just be that she’s royalty, or good genetics, you didn’t know which as you finished your tea and set down the cup “Alright, I’m ready to get the hell outta here” you said, standing up and stretching a little, “Sunburst, pleasure meeting you, but I have a lot to learn about this new land” you said, heading for the door as Flurry finished her tea “Bye Sunburst! It was great seeing you!” she said as she joined you at the door “Eh, you too Flurry! Have a good rest of your day, you two!” he said as you and Flurry left. Time had past faster than you both expected, as you both got back to the Crystal Empire relatively late. When you both got inside, the clock read 7 PM, so it was just getting late out anyways. “So, just curious, but, what kinda fun things can you do?” Flurry asked as you and her walked to the castle dining room “Well, other than perform great athletic acts and have a great amount of combat experience, I guess… I’m not exactly a fun person” you said, getting a soft punch in the arm from Flurry “That’s ridiculous! I had fun with you today! The conversations we had, the walks. For once, I felt like I finally had somepony who understood me. I’m glad to have met you” she said, hugging you before the two of you entered the dining room “Same here, Flurry. I do feel as though you’re someone I can see eye to eye with” you said, walking into the dining room. From the looks of things, you were both right on time, as everypony had been waiting for their food “Ah, Flurry, sweetheart, glad you could make it!“ Cadence said, giggling as she looked at you, “And you as well, glad to have you both here with us“ “Nice to see you too, mom. Let me tell you, he’s so nice and smart and gentleman-like, it’s unbelievable“ Flurry explained, making you giggle a little “Can’t really help it, as it was how I was raised“ you said, taking a seat as Flurry sat in the seat next to you, smiling softly “If you don’t mind me asking, but what kind of classes did you take to be able to catch a blade in your hands like you did earlier this morning?“ Shining asked you as he tapped his fingers “I’m rather curious too. When Raging trains, he eviscerates his training dummies, and they’re often found in tiny pieces. When he trained with Shining, he nearly took off his fingers with just a single swing“ Blade asked, seeming as curious as Shining “Well, I guess it has to do with the fact that my parents enrolled me in self-defense classes, like Kung-Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, and a few other honorable mentions. And get this, their reason was so that I wouldn’t get my lunch money stolen, my pants wedgie-fied, or anything else done to me by bullies. Though, turns out kicking a bully into a locker or down a flight of stairs after said bully stole my lunch money and nearly gave me a wedgie, just isn’t allowed. So, to avoid me going into juvenile detention, my parents homeschooled me, but just in case I got rusty, I got in contact with old classmates and would practice with them early morning, after school, and on rare occasions, at 12 midnight“ you explained “Is that so? Well, how come you were robbed by only two guys?“ Shining asked you “Well for starters, I wasn’t expecting either one to have a knife, and secondly, it was a 2v1 and it’d been forever since I did 2v1 training with my colleagues. We had a bit of a falling out amongst one another“ you explained “What kind of ’falling out’?“ Cadence asked you “The competitive kind. We all got into an argument during a martial arts tournament, and when I won, they were too jealous of my success that they refused to speak to me from that day forward“ you explained as everyone fell silent, and before anything else was said, the food was served. You, Raging, Blade were served fish, while the rest were served veggies. It made sense, as ponies were herbivores, though Raging looked to be a hybrid of the two races Is it possible for human DNA and Pony DNA to mix? Maybe that is something that I should look into… you thought to yourself as you ate “Hey“ Flurry said, catching your attention, “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?“ “Not a clue. I’ll figure it out“ you said, having finished your food. You must’ve been so deep in thought that you completely forgot the food was there in the first place. You got up, sighing as you as you said. “Everyone, thank you for having me and giving me a home, I mean that sincerely. Goodnight all“ you left, but were stopped as Cadence caught up to you “Wait, I actually have to show you to your room. It’s right next to mine if you have any questions or concerns, let me show you to it“ she said, smiling a little “Okay, lead the way, princess“ you said as she nodded and, of course, she led you there. After walking down a couple halls, you passed by Cadence’s bedroom as you entered a room that looked somewhat plain, aside from a bed in a corner of the room. “So, this is where you’ll be staying” she said, smiling as you looked around and smiled “Very nice and well detailed” you complimented, sitting on your bed softly, “Thank you, princess” “Cadence is fine, and can we talk?” she asked as you nodded and she sat next to you, “So, I know you partook in martial arts, but are you interested in any kind of learning when it comes to Equestria or magic?” “About history, sure, but why magic?” you asked, cause you didn’t have a horn like her, Shining, Flurry, or even Raging “Well, you seem like somepony who could potentially make a good teacher, don’t you think?“ she suggested, putting an arm around you softly “As good as that all sounds, I’m not exactly the ’teacher’ type when it comes to history or magic, but self-defense I very well could teach“ you said, seemingly getting an idea out of the princess as she gasped “Is that so? Then maybe you could teach Flurry Heart!“ she exclaimed, bouncing a little “Annnnnnd… Why exactly?“ you asked, confused “Well, when she was turning 13, Shining and Blade attempted to teach Flurry how to defend herself. She was two things: Prideful and Careless. She said that she didn’t need self-defense and that she was perfectly fine with just her magic, and at her age, she was positive that she could blast anypony to the other side of Equestria two times over” Cadence explained, giggling a little, “So, since you seem to get along with her well, I was thinking you could teach her self-defense” “I suppose, but what’s to stop her from blasting me into a billboard or oncoming carriage?” you asked, as even though you two got along well, would it stop her from blasting you into next millennia? “One, I’ve made it clear that you’re harmless, and two, that you’ve got good intentions and would only want what’s right for her like the rest of us, right?” she asked “Right, yeah” you said, yawning softly “Somepony’s tired, hehe. I’ll leave you to it then, goodnight dear” she said, getting up as she hugged you, “Also, I have a feeling you’ll be a great asset to the Crystal Empire” she whispered in your ear before pulling away, booping you, and walking out of your room. Sighing, you laid down and covered up, trying to get your shit together on what you were gonna do tomorrow. You closed your eyes and went to sleep. You woke up relatively early, and that was due to how you trained your mind and body: Early on weekdays, and Late on Weekends. As you woke up, you saw it was 3 in the morning, the acclaimed Devil’s Hour. You weren’t sure if Satan existed in this world or universe, but you sure as hell weren’t willing to find out. You checked the clock on the wall, finding it was 3 am, so you headed out into the hall, which was nearly pitch black, and you smelled coffee, so you followed the scent to the dining room, where you saw Shining Armor drinking coffee. When he heard your footsteps, he looked up and waved at you as you went and poured yourself some coffee, “You’re up early” “So are you, amigo” you shot back as he chuckled. You poured milk into your coffee and stirred some sugar into it, sitting across from him, “Why are you up so early?” “Well, I normally wake up this early, as it gives me plenty of time to wake up, have breakfast and coffee, take a shower, and get ready for the day ahead” he said, taking a sip of his coffee, “Why do you wake up so early?” “I’ve trained my body to wake up early on weekdays” you said, sighing, “So, you down to spar?” you said, making his eyes light up “You know, I’ve actually been curious how you fare in battle, so yeah, let’s do it” he said as he wasted no time chugging down his coffee You looked at yours and did the same, setting down your cup as he sprang up, “Alright, let’s go” After a while, Shining carefully led you into what appeared to be some kind of arena looking room. You saw a wall full of weapons as he walked over and took one down from the wall, “So, I saw how you can catch a sword in your hands, but can you catch a spear?” “Never have before, why?” you asked as he teleported behind you and swung the spear. Luckily, all that training paid off, as you spun on your heel and managed to stop the spear from hitting, getting a smile out of Shining “That’s why. Very impressive. Let’s continue” he said, grabbing a sword from the wall, and something told you this’d be a long sparring session. Later in the day, you had finished sparring with Shining at around 6 am, which was when he had to get his guards in order, so you were left alone. Not knowing what to do, you decided to wake somepony up and essentially get them to train hard. You walked down the still quiet halls to a certain princess’s room, knocking on the door 3 times, and softly. At first, there was no answer, but then you heard a groan, followed by hoofsteps as they got closer and closer to the door. The door opened to a tired Flurry, and she looked to have a crazy bedhead going on as you giggled. She groaned again and rolled her eyes, “Whaaaaatttt…?” “Hey Flurry, I was wondering, would you be interested in learning self-defense?” you asked her, but she began to close the door, before you put a foot in it, stopping her, “Please Flurry, it’s good to have that kind of training, especially if you don’t have enough time to use your magic” She sighed, “Did my mom put you up to this?” “Well yes, but-“ you tried to say as she closed the door on your foot a little, “Wait wait wait! Hear me out! She told me how dependent you are on your magic, and while that’s good, what’re you gonna do when your horn is broken? Or when somepony blocks your magic? Or some other situation in which you can’t use magic?” “Why are you so Tartarus-bent on teaching me?! I’ve already made it clear that I don’t want to!” she said, closing the door tighter before you had an offer that you believed she couldn’t, and wouldn’t refuse “Look, if you do, we’ll head down to the spa, sound good?” you said, which got her to open the door and smile a little “You mean it?” she asked as you winced a little from her crushing your foot, but she hugged you tightly, “Alright, I’ll do it. I finally will have someone I can enjoy the spa with” “Awesome, argh” you winced more as she giggled sheepishly “Hehe, really sorry about that… come inside for a sec, I may have a solution to that” she said as you came in, closing the door behind her Bout an hour later, you both came out and your foot felt better. Turns out, Flurry had memorized a healing spell from a book that her aunt, Twilight, had gotten from Canterlot’s restricted section of the library. You wondered how she even tested the spell, and she mentioned that sometimes she’d make small enough cuts, and then use the spell, which would slowly repair her skin and regrow any lost fur, as well as disinfecting her arm completely of any germs. She used the spell on your foot, which got rid of all the aches from the door, so that was good. “Can we get some coffee first? I don’t quite…-“ she yawned cutely, rubbing her eyes softly, “…-have the energy yet…” “Sure, I’m sure they also have some blueberry muffins, from what I’ve heard” you said as she gasped and her wings fluttered softly “Sweet!” she said, “Race you there!” she said, taking off towards the dining hall “You’re on!” you said, running after her You saw the dining hall in the distance, and ran faster, using the wall to your advantage and wall running. As you were running, you lept off of it, and like it was a movie, you saw Flurry look up at you and her eyes widen as you landed in front of her, causing her to skid to a halt as you caught her in a hug. She panted a little, having nearly collided with you there, but she relaxed, “Thanks but… how did you do that?! I never seen anypony, or rather, anybody pull that off! That’s something I’d see Daring Do pull off, but you?! How?!” “Has to do with how I was raised, and when I was growing up, I took gymnastics as well, and a bit of track, which covers how I caught up to you” you explained giggling a little as she huffed and pouted cutely “I would’ve had you… not fair…” she whined as you hugged her tightly as she looked up at you “Not fair? Which one of us has more strength, wings, and a horn?” you argued, not getting a response as she sighed, “That’s what I thought, but seriously, you did good, Flurry” Her eyes widened as she shed a small tear, “Y-You think so?” “I don’t think so, I know so. You’re hands down an amazing pony, and an even more amazing friend, so just because I beat you doesn’t mean you have to take it personal” you said, stroking her chin softly as she giggled “Thank you, that means a lot” she said as she hugged you tightly and sighed, blushing a little as she realized what was going on, then pulling away, “Anyways, let’s get some breakfast” You nodded and the two of you entered the dining room, looking forward to breakfast After having a muffin with Flurry, the two of you headed to the same room that you and Shining had sparred in. It looked the same as you had left it. You looked at Flurry as she was already looking at the weapons, but couldn’t decide on one You walked over and stood next to her as she looked at the spears, swords, and maces. You tapped her shoulder softly as she looked at you, “Do you even know the first thing about armed combat?“ “A little. My dad, Shining Armor, taught me when I was a teenager, but, I lost interest after a while, so I may be a bit rusty“ she said sheepishly “Well, to start you off, you should stick with a sword to refine your skills” you said as she took down what appeared to be a broadsword, which, if you got another sword, it’d be a greatsword. “Right yeah. Oooo, how about we have a sword fight to start off?” she suggested as you grabbed a greatsword “Alright, sounds good” you said as you both took your positions. You were in a defensive, while she was in an offensive stance “I’m gonna take you down!” she said, rushing forward as she brought down the sword, and you blocked it, keeping a tight hold “You’ll have to try harder than that, your majesty” you said, taunting and teasing her as you shoved her away and made an advance, swinging and slashing, though it was easy for her to get distance on you thanks to her wings, but you weren’t gonna restrain her too much “Don’t get cocky, kiddo” she said, smiling mischievously as she rushed you. You attempted to read her movements, but you couldn’t figure out what the hell she’d do As she got closer, you made a move to swing your sword out, and that’s when it happened: She jumped on the blade, flipped off it and over you, and landed. The only thing she probably didn’t plan for was her sword going right through you. As you felt the blade pierce your chest, it didn’t make contact with your heart or any of the arteries or veins connected to it, but it still felt bad as she gasped and you fell to your knees, “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” You pulled the sword out and let it fall to the ground, “Healing magic… quick…” she nodded and used her magic, managing to stop the bleeding “Let’s get you to the hospital!” she said, picking you up in her arms as her horn ignited and the two of you were gone in an instant. A bright light. What you instantly assumed was you were dead, but then you heard what was an EKG beeping next to you, and that’s exactly what that was. What the hell happened? you thought, as the last thing you remembered was being stabbed by your best friend, but you had yet to completely congratulate her on her efforts, but then you heard something “Mom, I swear, it was an accident!“ that voice sounded like Flurry, and it seemed like she was with Cadence “I know sweetie, your story adds up, but let’s hear his side of the story“ Cadence said as the knob turned, but it stopped “Wait mom, before we go in, can I tell you something?“ Flurry said as her mom nodded softly, “I hope he’s okay… He means a lot to me, mom, and I’d hate to lose him because of some stupid mistake!“ she said as she sounded like she was… crying? It soon became muffled, as it sounded like she was crying into her mom’s shoulder Damn, didn’t think she cared for me that much you thought as you sighed, attempting to sit up, but you felt your ribs ache with pain. From the X-ray, you saw that, in the same place you had been stabbed, a few of the bones on one of your ribs had broken. It looked fixed at the moment, but it was probably still healing, so you gave up trying to sit up “Honey, I’m sure he’s okay. Now c’mon, let’s check on him“ Cadence said as she opened the door, and you saw her, as well as the pink made with her. They both entered and sat by your hospital bed, and both mares placed a hand on your hand softly, “How are you feeling?“ You tried to get a chuckle out, but thanks to your ribs, you coughed a little as you chuckled, “Like I fell down the sta-airs… heh…“ “Hey, uh…“ Flurry said and caught your attention as you looked at her with a soft expression as she looked down, “I’m really sorry I stabbed you… I was in the moment, and wasn’t paying attention to the blade… I’m sorry…“ “Flurry… I’m no mad… Heh… I’m impressed… Could even say… I’m proud…“ you said as both mares’ eyes widened “What?“ both said confused “Confused? Let me explain“ you said, locking hands with Flurry, “Flurry, when you stepped on the blade and flipped off of it like a gymnast, I didn’t expect you to do that, cause I was trying to read your movements and fight pattern… and I swung, thinking I’d force you into blocking, but when you pulled that off… it put a look of shock on my face… but a smile in my head“ you said, seeing tears in her eyes as she got up and walked over close enough to you. Flurry bent down and hugged you, crying into your shoulder softly. Regardless of how wet it got, you petted her mane and calmed her down, while Cadence smiled, knowing that you had things under control. After a while, Flurry finished and she sighed, “T-Thank you for teaching me… while it was short, I did appreciate your efforts…” “Not a problem… Flurry Heart…” you said as you scratched behind her ears softly, making her giggle At that moment, a nurse came in and pushed up her glasses, saying, “Your majesties, if you could please give our guest some rest, as visiting hours are coming to an end. You understand” “Of course, nurse, not a problem. Let’s give him his rest, Flurry” Cadence said, getting up and waiting by the door “Okay mom” she responded as she kissed your forehead softly, “Get some rest, bestie” she said as she joined her mom, and the two walked out of the door, closing it softly. You could hear Cadence giggling on the other side, “You must really care about him, eh sweetie?” “I do, mom, I really do. He’s a good guy, for sure. I think-“ you couldn’t hear what she said next, but you could only imagine it was something sweet. Now left alone in your hospital room, you sighed and just rested your head on your pillow, closing your eyes, and falling asleep. Course, little did you know, you’d only grow closer to Flurry in the coming years. //-------------------------------------------------------// A Flurry Of Heartbeats //-------------------------------------------------------// A Flurry Of Heartbeats A year had passed since you first arrived in Equestria, and more importantly, the Crystal Empire. Life was, and still is, nice in the Crystal Empire. You met Cadence, the ruler of the Crystal Empire, as well as her two husbands, Shining and Blade, and Blade’s son, Raging Of course, you met Cadence and Shining’s daughter, Flurry Heart, right when you awoke in the snow just outside of the Crystal Empire. She was somepony you got along with perfectly, as the two of you didn’t argue often, and did things together frequently. As of now, you awoke to an alarm clock in your bedroom. As if you were a cartoon character, you brought your fist down on it, only to regret that and really hurt your fist. Instead of going to the next level, you just unplugged it and glanced over at the calendar. Most of the events had already been marked off, today was Hearts And Hooves day, and- Wait, what the fuck? you thought as you got out of bed. You had zero fucking clue as to what the hell “Hearts And Hooves day“ was, but considering all the lovey-duvey shit you heard on the same day last year, you came to the conclusion that Hearts And Hooves Day was essentially Equestria’s Valentine’s Day. This didn’t panic you all that much, as all it reminded you of was how girls often belittled you, or flat out ignored you, and when asked, they’d say you were too nerdy and you probably couldn’t defend your own life, which you could, but by the time you were able to, you had already been taken out of school, so that meant no dream girl or soulmate for you. When Hearts and Hooves rolled around last year, Cadence offered to help you find somepony to spend time with, just so you wouldn’t be lonely, but since you saw love as a cruel and time-consuming mistress, you shrugged it off, thanked her for the offer, and moved on. But one thing you enjoyed the most was spending time with Flurry Heart. After hearing how much she cared for you, after accidentally getting stabbed by her, it warmed your heart anytime you spent time with her. When you were cleared from the hospital, you kept to your promise, and with a little help from Cadence, the two of you spent the rest of that day at the spa until it closed, getting massages and and enjoying the sauna, god, you swore it was better than most back on Earth, and at one point, Flurry sat next to you and fell asleep with her head on your shoulder, and you thought it was so cute. You checked the time, and this time, it was 7 am, which meant it was a weekend instead of a weekday, which in itself was a blessing. Not wasting any time, you yawned as you grabbed your robe and headed for the shower. For a guest room, the bathroom, was indeed beautiful. It had some of the best shampoos and conditioners you’ve seen. You turned on the shower, and stepped in, getting clean with body wash first. Then you remembered even more about you and Flurry Heart. After that one day, you continued to train her, and she would have better control over avoiding armed attackers, and more importantly, disarming them safely. Once she had that figured out, you moved onto teaching her hand-to-hand combat, which, while easier than armed combat, took her a while to actually get the hang of, and soon enough, she was sweeping you off your feet with her hooves and pinning you down by your wrists. She had come a long way after meeting you, and it made Shining smile, seeing his daughter able to defend herself. As you were taking a shower, you heard a knock at your room door, “Good morning! Are you awake yet?“ you recognized that voice as Cadence’s “I am, but I’m in the shower, Cadence, could you wait until I’m finished?“ you said, applying shampoo to your hair “Oh, that’s alright! Take your time, dear!“ she called out, and you continued showering. Over the last year, you also spent plenty of time with Princess Cadence, as she’d often have you teach her guards your self-defense tactics, as well as play chess with her, which made her very happy Finally, you finished with your shower, coming out in your robe, as you didn’t want to keep Cadence waiting. You opened your door to her as you smiled, “Good morning to you, Princess” you said as she giggled, and it turned out she had a tray with two cups of coffee on them. You moved aside as she walked in and set the tray down on the coffee table softly. “Good morning!” she said, hugging you as she giggled and petted your hair, but stopped when it was still wet, “ehehehe, sorry about that” “Eh, it’s fine. What brings you to my room this morning?” you asked her as you got a fresh set and went into your closet to change, and she sat down patiently in a chair in your room “Well, as you probably know, today is Hearts And Hooves Day. I figured I’d try to find somepony for you to spend some time with, and if no one’s found, then you could spend time with me” she offered as you came out of the closet, changed into a new set of clothes “As fun as that sounds, spending a day with the princess of love… alone, I’d rather not get your husbands all jealous, you know?” you said, grabbing your cup softly and taking a sip “I mean… true, but, it hurts me seeing somepony without a special somepony or friend on Hearts And Hooves Day…” she said, sighing as she looked down, but you put an arm around her and patted her head softly “Cadence, I’ll be okay. I don’t exactly need somepony to make me happy on this day” you said, trying to comfort her as she looked at you with a sad expression “Why are you so… hesitant… about Hearts and Hooves Day?” she asked you, tearing up a little You sighed, knowing if you lied to her, it’d only dig a deeper hole, so you held her hands softly and looked into her eyes. “Look, Cadence, here’s why” you said, letting go of her hands, though she locked one of hers with yours softly, “I don’t look forward to days like this because of how I used to be ignored or made fun of because of my intelligence. None of the girls I met, during my time in school, ever liked me, calling me a nerd and saying I wasn’t their type” you explained as she teared up more “But sweetie… you’re not any of those things…” she said, now hugging you as she scratched your back softly “I know that, but days like these just remind me of… failure” you said, sighing as Cadence kissed your cheek and got your attention “Sweetie, you’re not a failure and you’re not a nerd either, you’re somepony who’s done a lot for myself, my family, and my dear Flurry Heart. Speaking of her, I have something to tell you that she hasn’t told you yet” she said, giggling a little as you raised an eyebrow “And what’s that?” you asked. Flurry told you almost anything about her, except for her goth phase, so you felt as though you could trust her “Flurry Heart…” she got closer, thinking Flurry was outside the door, and whispered in your ear softly, “…has a crush on you” “Really, she does?” you asked, as you were curious as to whether or not she had a crush on you. Such examples were anytime you and her went to the spa, and you’d find her staring often at your muscles and chest, blushing when you caught her. Another was when she was training with you in hand-to-hand, as whenever you pinned her down, she’d blush red, and whenever she pinned you down, she’d Boop your nose and giggle playfully. “You do not know how much she talks about you when you’re not around” she said as she giggles, which basically confirmed that Flurry Heart had a crush on you, which still amazed you. Out of all the possible kind-hearted stallions, Flurry had a crush on you, a human. “Well, that is… pretty sweet, though I don’t know much about romance…” you said, scratching your head softly as she giggled and ruffled your hair, which had dried up by now “Romance doesn’t take much, in fact, it all comes from here” she said, pressing a finger against your chest softly “My heart?” you asked “Exactly! If your feelings for somepony are genuine, then it can work out. I know Flurry’s feelings for you are genuine, but I wanna know how you feel towards her“ Cadence said as you blushed a little “W-Well, while Flurry can be cocky and sometimes childish, she’s very passionate about her family, and clearly is very passionate about spending time with me. Not to mention, over the past few months, she’s become smarter and more talented, making her fun to train with“ you said, getting a giggle out of Cadence “Awwwww, somepony has a crush on my Flurry Heart~” she teased as you blushed more, but laughed as she ruffled your hair more, “I can tell you have a good heart, sweetie. You’re perfect for my Flurry Heart, and it wouldn’t take the Crystal Heart for me to see that, so I’m going to say it now: Welcome to the family, dear” she said, opening her arms to you as you hugged her tightly “Thank you, I appreciate it… mom” you said, getting a giggle out of her as she booped you. “Save it for your wedding, silly, but I appreciate that” she said, hugging you as she got up. By now, you and her had finished your coffees. She got up and took the tray, heading for the door, “Do something special with Flurry today, she’d love it!” she said as she left your room, closing the door gently. Well shit, now I gotta come up with something to do with Flurry you thought was you checked how much bits you had. Between training the guards and Flurry, you would earn 100 bits a week, so by now, you had at least a thousand, maybe more, in your wallet. Your thoughts were interrupted as you heard another knock at the door. There was no response from who it was, so you walked to it and looked through the peephole, finding nopony there, so you turned your back and went to brush your teeth, but got another knock at the door. You checked again, and suspected that Flurry was hiding out of view, so you opened the door and looked out into the hall, and nopony was there. You even checked all the way down the hall, and you couldn’t see anypony. You sighed, walking back in your room, unaware of something following you in. You walked towards your bathroom, only to feel something push you down and pin you down on your bed. You weren’t sure what it was as you wiggled and squirmed, but then you heard the sound of magic as your ’attacker’ revealed themselves, and it was none other than Flurry Heart. “Gotcha!~“ she said with a hint of seduction, and booped your nose. This reminded you of your hand-to-hand combat, as anytime she’d pin you down, she’d boop you in a playful sense “Must we dance this dance now, you tease?“ you asked, giggling a little as she got off you and you both sat side by side on your bed softly “Not now, but do you realize what day it is? It’s Hearts and Hooves Day!“ she said, hugging you tightly, and you felt warm, being hugged by her. You hugged her back and petted her mane, making her blush and giggle “Yeah, I guess it is…“ you said, sighing. You felt nervous around Flurry for some reason, as she’d been your first genuine crush that felt the same way, so it made you feel uneasy. “What’s the matter?” she asked, rubbing your back softly “I’m just…“ you couldn’t tell her that you were feeling uneasy or nervous around her, as it’d probably hurt her, so you took a deep breath, “I’m thinking of where to take you for Hearts and Hooves Day, yeah“ She gasped and it was as if her eyes lit up, “R-Really?! W-What’d you have in mind?“ she asked as she blushed a little “Maybe…“ you thought of all the possible places to go, but then you remembered. A few days prior, it was announced that Rara and her human lover, Tenor, would be doing a duet of the song ’Closer’, which you knew was by The Chainsmokers. You looked at the calendar, and saw that since Hearts and Hooves day was on a Friday, the whole weekend would be themed around the holiday, so with that, you knew what you were going to do, “Oh, I know! Rara’s performing in Canterlot on Saturday. I got enough bits to cover the train ride, and enough to cover a three night stay from tonight to Sunday night, and then we leave Monday morning back to the Crystal Empire“ Flurry gasped as she hugged you as tight as she could, which felt great as she nuzzled you, “I love it! It sounds amazing! So, what should we pack? Also, what will we do on Sunday?“ “Well, we should pack a change of clothes for Saturday, Sunday, and for when we leave on Monday after showering. When we arrive in Canterlot and check into a hotel, we’ll have dinner at The Tasty Treat. Saturday, we’ll tour Canterlot and see the beauty of it until around 7:00 PM, when Rara and Tenor will be performing. Then Sunday, we’ll pay a visit to Twilight, cause you said you haven’t seen her in a while, correct?“ you explained, waiting for a response “Right, yeah, she’ll want to know how I’m doing“ Flurry said, sighing a little, “I like the sound of this trip! Eeeeee! I’m so excited!“ “Me too, Flurry, me too“ you said, “Now, go get stuff packed, as I still gotta get my teeth brushed and my hair combed“ you said, motioning to your intense bedhead “Hehe, okay. Which one of us is gonna tell them?“ she said, and she did have a point, as if you two just disappeared, it’d cause panic, so you cleared your throat “I will, you worry on packing a suitcase“ you said as she saluted and smiled “Yes sir!“ she said as she bolted out of the room, making you laugh a little. Now you were starting to understand your feelings towards the princess, as even though she could be cocky and childish, she always seemed to know how to make you smile. You proceeded to head into your bathroom, grabbing your toothbrush as you put toothpaste on it and began brushing, getting all around before spitting it all out. After that, you took to your hair, styling it nicely and making sure it didn’t look like a bird’s nest. With that out of the way, you got to packing a suitcase. You packed three shirts, a pair of PJs, some jeans and shorts, three pairs of underwear, and three pairs of socks. You also thought about the beach, as they were very beautiful in Canterlot, but you put it off for another time. By now, you had everything you needed, which was perfect. “So, you two are planning on heading to Canterlot for the weekend to attend Rara’s show? That sounds so sweet!” Cadence said, squealing and giggling a little, “So you’re sure you can cover the cost?” “Absolutely, I’m confident that it’s all good. In the months I’ve worked, I’ve at least gotten…” you took a sec, “like 4,000 bits. I still thought 100 bits a week was a bit much” “Nonsense! You taught my girl how to defend herself, and even taught the guards more advanced tactics in both armed and hand-to-hand combat! I even said on day one that I felt as though you’d be a great asset to the Crystal Empire, and I was right!” Cadence said, getting a little overexcited as she cleared her throat, “Anyways, you two are clear to go, and Flurry…” Cadence said, turning to her daughter. “Yeah mom?” she said as all her family members hugged her, and she hugged them back, “Thank you all, I’ll be back” “We’ll miss you, Flurry. Have fun out there” Shining said as he kissed his daughter’s forehead softly, making her giggle “You better not knock her up!” Raging warned, glaring at you, only for his expression to soften as his father, Blade, raised an eyebrow and he sheepishly said, “Have fun… or whatever…” he pouted, not exactly comfortable with his big sister being all alone with a male. “We’ll be back on Monday, in the morning” you said as you and Flurry began leaving for the station, heading for the doors “Wait!” you heard Cadence as you both turned around, “Want me to escort you both there, that way I can say goodbye one last time before you both go?” You and Flurry exchanged looks, then looked at her and nodded as you said, “It would be nice, so yes” “Wonderful!” Cadence said as she joined the two of you and left the throne room. After arriving at the train station and getting two first class tickets to Canterlot, which made Flurry even more excited, you both said your goodbyes to Cadence as Flurry hugged her mom “I’ll miss you, mom, but I’ll be back” she said, getting a cheek kiss from her mom “I know sweetie, you two have fun, and you…” she said as she hugged you, “Take good care of my daughter, you hear?” “You got it, your majesty“ you promised, getting a forehead kiss from Cadence as you giggled “Great! Alright, you two, have fun, and say hi to Twilight for me if you see her!“ Cadence said as you both boarded the train and showed the conductor your tickets, heading to first class. The two of you took your seats, and god dayum, the seats weren’t first class for nothing, as the seats were very soft. Flurry stretched and yawned as she rested her head on your shoulder, and you let her, putting your arm around her as she put her arms around you, “Wake me when we get there, okay?” she said, clearly ready to fall asleep on you at any moment. “As you wish, princess” you said, giggling. You pet her mane, and sure enough, she was out like a light. You combed her mane with your hand softly, getting soft hums as she quietly snored. You could only imagine the many things you’d do with her once the two of you got to Canterlot. You watched out the window as empty landscape passed by. You rarely ever left the Crystal Empire, so this was like a treat, seeing how vast and long it was, and it’d be a while before the two of you got to the Crystal Empire A few hours later, the two of you had reached Canterlot, and had gotten off the train. The two of you traveled through the streets, seeing all the ponies of Canterlot pass by. For some odd reason, the sound of your suitcases rolling on the sidewalks of Canterlot was oddly soothing. After some time, the two of you made it to the hotel you’d be staying at. When choosing a hotel, you reached out to Songbird, and she said that Canterlot Hotel was one of the best in the city, hence why you picked it out. It also had a workout room, a pool, and its own hot tub near the pool. The two of you checked into the hotel, walking up to the desk as the receptionist greeted you both, but recognized Flurry and bowed, “Welcome, Princess Flurry Heart. Do you have a room reservation?“ “Sure do! From tonight to Monday morning!“ she said, itching with excitement, and you smiled “Excellent, here’s your room key“ he said, dropping the key to the penthouse suite into her hands, and she squealed. After she was finished, the two of you took to the elevator, getting in and going to the penthouse suite. “You know, you didn’t have to get us the penthouse suite, you sweet boy“ she teased as the elevator ascended “Well, the princess deserves only the best, right?“ you asked, getting a giggle from her as she held your hand softly. “Oh stop~ you’re gonna make me blush…“ she said as the elevator opened on the penthouse suite, and the two of you saw a room at the end of the hallway. Once you two got to the room, you opened the door for Flurry as she walked in and gasped, “Oh my gosh! It looks amazing! I take it back, this was definitely worth it!“ she said as she plopped onto one of the beds in the room and giggled You brought in both of your suitcases, sticking them in a small closet as you sighed, “I’m looking forward to this fun weekend“ “Samesies! We’re gonna have so much fun!“ she said as she hugged you tightly, which made you blush as you hugged her back. She noticed and looked a little confused, then giggled, “Heh, somepony’s blushing~“ “It’s hot in here, okay?” you lied, trying not to seem awkward around her. “Heh, sure it is” she said, “So, are you gonna take me out to dinner?~” “R-Right! Yeah, I said I’d do that, hehe…” you giggled sheepishly, clearing your throat as you got your bits together and took her hand, “Let’s get going then” you said as she nodded and leaned on you softly “Guide me, white knight~” she flirted, causing you to blush a little, and she giggled. Strolling through Canterlot was beautiful, but you felt uneasy as you and Flurry walked the streets. You remembered how Cadence told you that Canterlot nobles didn’t take too kindly to Royalty or Celebrities hanging around humans, but it seemed tame compared to what she said. Regardless, many of the nobles looked at you the wrong way and just sighed, and it seemed like they wouldn’t say anything. Probably to avoid being called out. Eventually, you came to the Tasty Treat, which looked a lot more fleshed out than what you had perviously speculated. Seems as though the Tasty Treat had truly gained popularity. Wasting no time, you and Flurry walked in, not seeing too many ponies, which made sense, as it was to be expected due to it being 9 o clock, yet they hadn’t closed up. As the two of you waited at the entrance, a stallion approached you both and smiled, saying, “Welcome to the Tasty Treat, Princess Flurry Heart! I am Coriander Cumin. Do you happen to have a reservation?“ “Mmmmm, not exactly, no“ she said, sweating a little “Well, that’s perfectly alright! We have plenty of tables, so please, follow me“ he said, leading you both to a table for two. You took the opportunity and pulled out a chair for Flurry to sit in, and she giggled at your kindness. After you were both sat down, he nodded and passed you both menus, “Take your time in ordering you two, and somepony will be with you both to take your orders“ “Thank you“ you said as he nodded and walked off, “Quite the place, I’d say. For a small restaurant, it’s got a well-mannered staff“ “I’ve never actually been here myself, but my Great Auntie, Celestia, would tell me about how great this place was, and now I see why. I have a feeling their food is great too, as they’ve apparently got a really good dish called ’vegetable-style enchilada’. It sounds tasty!“ she said, barely containing her excitement After skimming through the menu, a light brown-coated mare came to your table, speaking in an Indian accent, “Good evening! I am Saffron Masala and I will be taking your orders tonight! May I get you both a drink to start off with?“ “I’ll take an iced water“ you said “And tea for me, please“ Flurry said, getting a nod from Saffron “And what would you both like to eat?“ she asked as you both looked at each other, then back at her “Vegetable-style enchilada“ you both said in unison as Saffron giggled and wrote it down. “Wonderful! Coming right up!“ she said, walking back into the kitchen from where she came. Flurry was blushing a little as she twirled her hair a little, and you felt a tad embarrassed too. Eventually, you decided to break the silence. “That was… Cute…“ you said, which made her blush red a little “Y-Yeah, I guess it was…“ she said as she cleared her throat and sighed as her blush faded, “Ahem, so… do anything cool lately?“ “Eh, not really“ you said as you yawned, and so did Flurry, but the two of you would have to wait no longer as Saffron came with a tray, holding two vegetable-style enchiladas “Here is your food, I hope you enjoy!“ she said, smiling as she walked away, looking as if she’d bring your drinks, and luckily, that didn’t take long, as she came back with your drinks and placed them on the table, “And your drinks. Have a good night, Princess!“ Saffron said as Flurry smiled softly. “You too Saffron, and thank you“ she said, getting a smile out of Saffron as she walked away. You were the first to dig into your vegetable-style enchilada, and it tasted absolutely delicious. The taste was very exquisite, and Flurry thought so too as she nodded after tasting it. “For an all-veggie enchilada, this is really good“ you commented, taking a bite out of your enchilada as Flurry giggled “It is delicious is what it is. I can see why the enchilada is one of their signature dishes“ she said, taking a bite out of her enchilada. Minutes passed by as the two of you ate, and soon enough, you both finished your enchiladas as you both just drank your drinks. “So Flurry“ you said, getting her attention, “Do you have… Anypony special in your life?“ “Anypony special? Well, there’s my mom, my brother…“ she said as you sighed and held up a finger. “Not what I meant. Do you have anypony who you have feelings for?“ you asked, getting a blush out of her “W-Well…“ she stuttered, sweating a little bit, “I-I do… but It’s personal… you understand, right?” “Yeah, it’s fine” you said, finishing your enchilada first. You wipes your mouth as she finished her enchilada and sighed contently “Oh my gosh, that was the best! S tier, for sure!” she said, earning a giggle from you “Flurry, your excitement always gets a smile out of me” you said, getting a light blush out of her “Thank you, that’s very nice of you” she said as she finished hers, and right on time too as Saffron came back over to y’all’s table “Did you both enjoy your dishes?” she asked as you both nodded, which made her smile, “I’m glad. Would you like the check?” “Yes please” you said as she had it on hand and placed it on the table softly As you were reaching into your wallet, Flurry placed a hand on yours and said, “I’ll cover it, thank me later” she said as she opened her purse and pulled the exact amount of bits out, plus a little extra, “And that should be it. Saffron, your enchiladas are amazing, they were delicious” “I appreciate that, though it was my husband, Rasoiya, who made them. It’s his specialty dish, Isn’t that right, dear?” she asked out loud as a human came from the kitchen to your table and smiled a little, wrapping one of his arms around Saffron softly “That’s correct, dear. Nice to see we have royalty visiting our restaurant. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Flurry Heart” Rasoiya said, holding his hand out to be shaked as she took and shook it “Pleasure to meet you, Rasoiya, your enchiladas were very tasty” she commented, getting an agreeable nod from you “I’m glad you enjoyed them, princess. I assume the two of you are finished?” he asked as you pointed to the bill and he picked it up, counting the bits as he nodded, “Wonderful! Thank you for choosing the Tasty Treat, we hope you visit again!” “We will, and we’ll recommend you to our friends and family” you said, which made Flurry’s eyes widen as you and her got up, heading out the door “Stay safe, you two!” Saffron called out as the two of you left the Tasty Treat, and Flurry looked at you weird as you both went back to your hotel room After you and Flurry got back into your hotel room, she said she wanted to talk to you… after she took a shower. Waiting on your bed, you heard the shower stop as the lights in the bathroom turned off and Flurry stepped out in a robe, her mane tied up with a towel as she sat down next to yo softly. “I really appreciate you taking me out to dinner, but I’m a bit curious as to why you said ‘our friends and family’. From what you told me, you didn’t have any family here in Equestria, so why did you say that?” she asked as you sighed and put an arm around her softly, making her blush “Well, if I’m being honest Flurry… your family is like family to me, if that makes any sense” you said, feeling awkward “So… what am I to you?” she asked you. You wanted to tell her on the last night, so you thought of an answer she’d at least like. “I’d say… you’re like a close friend” you said, getting a hug from her as she giggled “That’s very sweet of you, I appreciate that” she said, ruffling your hair a little, “So, concert’s tomorrow, I’m looking forward to it” “Same. Goodnight Flurry” you said as you laid down, but she laid down with you as you looked at her, “Um… what are you-?” you tried to say as she placed a finger on your lips softly “Shhhhhhhhhh, go to sleep~” she said as you groaned and rested your head on your pillow, feeling the alicorn princess behind you wrap her arms around you. You drifted off to sleep and into the next day The next day, you woke early to get breakfast and shower up, as today would be the day of the concert. Though, when you tried to get outta bed, you found a certain somepony hugging you around your waist tightly, and even though you tried wriggling out from her grip, she kept a strong hold. For a mare, it seemed all that training had gotten her muscles all nice and strong, which made you blush. You twitched some more, getting nowhere, so you softly petted her mane until she groaned softly and woke up, “Mmmmmmm, five more minutes…“ “Really? We’re doing this?“ you asked her as she gave you a noogie, which made you wince “I said… five more minutes…“ she said, yawning as she closed her eyes and fell back asleep. You groaned, giving up as you turned back over and fell asleep. Course, you just couldn’t sleep, so you mostly just laid with your eyes open, not feeling sleepy at all. Not wanting to be trapped in her embrace, you tickled her a little, which was enough to get her to let you go, and was enough for you to slip out and grab a towel, heading into the bathroom before you felt a hand grab your arm. “You really thought you could escape from me, huh?~ Not on my-“ you booped her as she lost her grip and you ran into the bathroom, “Hey!” she called out as you stripped down “Flurry, I need to get ready for today!” you called out as she sighed and whined “Why couldn’t you sleep in with me longer?” she whined a little louder “Flurry, if you don’t remember, tonight’s the night of the concert” you said, turning on the shower as she groaned. “But that isn’t until 7! We could’ve at least slept in a little longer!” she complained as you washed up, using body wash as you scrubbed your body all over, soon moving onto your hair as you put shampoo in it “Just be patient, Flurry, I’ll be out soon” you said as you were currently rinsing out your hair. After you were finished, you walked out as Flurry wasted no time in throwing you on the bed, and luckily you had your robe on, “F-Flurry! I have to g-get-“ “Save it for later! I need somepony to cuddle with!“ she barked as she laid down next to you and hugged you, closing her eyes as she snuggled into your chest. Groaning, you simply just petted her mane as she giggled and fell asleep. You wondered if this is what it would be like if you and her were in a relationship, but that would be a thought for another time. It was now 6:30, and you and Flurry were headed to the concert. For most of the day, you and her slept, and got lunch in between all that sleeping. As the two of you walked down the streets of Canterlot, the many lights really was a sight, as you both walked close. Flurry insisted on holding your hand as you both walked through the streets. “Did you really have to hold my hand?“ you asked her as she nuzzled you “What, I can’t hold hands with my bestie? Cold…“ she sighed as you felt bad, side-hugging her as her tail wagged, “Thank you!” “Yeah yeah, relax” you said as the two of you came to a crowd of ponies, and it seemed they were here for the concert. After 15 minutes, you and Flurry got into the concert with your tickets and took your spots. You had paid for spots up front to really enjoy the action, and the concert looked to be just starting as Rara came on stage. “Good evening Canterlot! We’re so glad to have you all here tonight! Me and my husband, Tenor, will be performing a duet of a song called ‘Closer’. From what I’ve heard, it’s a very great song, and we want to share it with you tonight, right Tenor?” she said as her human husband, Tenor, joined her on stage. “That’s right everypony. As we sing this song tonight, it’ll make each and every one of you want to pull your special somepony closer as you listen to our voices. And without further ado, on with the show!” Tenor said as the music began, and you and Flurry exchanged a smile Last night was intense, as you and Flurry partied hard, and ordered room service back at the hotel. You both kinda just talked about how great the concert was, bonding over past life experiences, and so much more. Even though she could be pushy and bossy at times, you couldn’t help but feel your feelings for the alicorn princess grow. Now you were the one who held her hand, hugged her close, and so much more. More importantly, it was Sunday, and today was as good a day as any to visit Princess Twilight, and you had a feeling it’d be a great visit. As the two of you approached the castle, you were surprised at just how tall it was. The guards did halt you for a second, but opened up as they noticed Flurry, and just nodded, letting you and her pass through. As you and her ascended the castle, it still amazed you how a castle this old was still standing, which meant that it likely has been well-kept for thousands of years, possibly. After a few more sets of stairs, you both reached the throne room doors as a voice called, saying, “Be right there!” After standing there for a few minutes more, the door opened to a purple alicorn, who had a smile on her face, “Hello there! What brings you to my-?” she gasped as she noticed Flurry Heart and hugged her niece, “Flurry! So good to see you! Come in, come in!” she said as you both walked in with her, “So, who’s your friend?” “Oh, he’s been here for a while, didn’t I tell you?” she asked Twilight as she chuckled sheepishly “Oh, so this is him! He definitely does seem like a nice guy” Twilight said as you and Flurry took a seat on a couch in the living room “He really is. So, I gotta use the bathroom, auntie, entertain him while I’m gone” Flurry said, walking off somewhere as you were left in front of the princess of Equestria After a few minutes of silence, the princess broke the silence, “So… what’s your name?” she asked as you introduced yourself. “A fine name for a fine gentleman” she said, giggling a bit, “So, my niece has told me a lot about you. Is it true you taught her hand-to-hand combat and armed combat?” “I taught her everything she knows about that” you said, smiling a little “Still surprised she found you out in the snow. How did you not freeze to death?” she asked as you scratched your chin softly. You didn’t think about it that way, how did you survive being buried in the snow when you woke up? “Dunno, guess I was just lucky. I’d hate to have died right as I was thrust into a new world” you said as you shrugged “Did she really stab you?” “Yes.” “Do you two hold hands?” “Yeah.” “Do you two have the same dessert prefe-“ she tried to continue as you cleared your throat “Okay, what the hell is with all the questions?” you asked, getting a sheepish giggle out of her “I’m really sorry, I’m just curious as to what my niece sees in you” she said, sighing a little “Clearly she sees a lot” you said, hearing hooves approach as Flurry came back “What’ve you two been talking about while I was gone?” she asked as she sat next to you “Well, mostly-“ Twilight started as you sighed “She proceeded to ask me a ton of questions” you said, which caused Flurry to glare at her aunt “Auntie! He’s not like every other coltfriend I’ve had!” she said, groaning a little bit. “I was just making sure he wasn’t taking advantage of you, sweetie. I know you told me all those good things about him, but I’m just a little unsure about him” Twilight said, making Flurry huff as you sighed “Look, princess. I can assure you my feelings for your niece are genuine. I wouldn’t dare break her heart. Despite the fact that she can be pushy and demanding…” you said as Flurry squinted at you and punched you firmly, making you wince, “…she’s somepony that I’m very lucky to have by my side” you said as Flurry smiled at you and hugged you softly Twilight looked shocked, but then her expression softened, as she saw it in your eyes that you meant it, “I’d say she’s very lucky to have you too. I mean, you brought her so much joy, not just in experience, but in your life experiences together” “That’s sweet of you, Auntie. How’s the family?” Flurry asked as Twilight’s face went pale “U-Uh… it’s not exactly easy. Moonlight’s hitting puberty, and Harmony is having trouble with her magic” Twilight explained nervously, hearing a poof of magic as a baby came flying into her arms, catching her, “And there she is, my little Harmony~” Twilight said as she was tickled Harmony, making her giggle. You and Flurry thought it was cute. “Heh, seems you’ve got your hands full” you said, getting a giggle out of Twilight “So very true, but I’m not alone. I have my husband Beau, my brother Spike, and his wife, Emily, so I’m not exactly a single mother, but it is still overwhelming when it’s just me” Twilight explained As the three of you continued talking, time would pass by fast. As you all talked, you and Flurry shared a glance and smiled, knowing that you and her would likely have a future together. As the two of you walked back to the hotel, Flurry had an arm wrapped around yours softly, smiling as you both passed through Canterlot, and back to y’alls hotel room. As the two of you entered the penthouse, you sat on your bed as Flurry joined you, placing a hand on yours as you looked her in the eyes, and she blushed “D-Did you really mean all that?” she asked, and you nodded softly. “I did. Flurry, the day we met, I did think you were kinda cute, but at the same time, I just viewed you as a cocky and prideful princess. But that all changed over these last years, as I found myself growing to love you, though I didn’t tell you cause it wouldn’t’ve been the right time, but now it is, and let me say, Flurry Heart…” you paused as you pulled her into your lap softly, “…I love you” She gasped and blushed red, breathing softly as she muttered, “I love you too… amor…” “Amor?” you asked as you scratched your head softly. “It’s Latin for love, as that’s what I feel between us… pure and honest love… I’ll be honest, Amor, I crushed on you the moment we started training together. I don’t know if my mom told you, but I practically obsessed over you. Even when we weren’t training, I’d train in my room, just to impress you the next time around…” she said, her cheeks blushing crimson as she softly hugged you, her breasts softly pressing against you. “Flurry…” you said as she placed a finger on your lips and softly pushed you down onto your bed, lowering as her lips got closer to yours. 3…2…1… and her lips connected with yours. They were soft and warm, and it made your heart heat up. Not wanting her to feel left out, you kissed back and wrapped your arms around her well-toned body, which elicited a giggle out of her as your tongues danced softly. After what felt like an hour, your lips parted with hers as she panted softly, looking down at you, “Does this mean we’re a thing, Amor? Like, Marefriend and Coltfriend?” “Huh?” you asked, not knowing what she meant “Sorry, Girlfriend and Boyfriend?” she asked, correcting herself. You paused for a sec, and quickly recapped your feelings for the alicorn princess, then nodded as she smiled “Flurry, no other mare can compare to you. You caught my heart, and I’m your trophy for life” you said, seeing tears come from her eyes, so you wiped them softly, “Flurry, what’s wrong?“ “It’s just… nopony has said that to me before… Not even my ex-coltfriends…“ she said as she hugged you tightly and softly cried into your shoulder. You carefully petted her as you felt your shoulder get wet, but you didn’t care, as you soon saw her stop “Flurry, you okay?“ you asked as she looked at you, her eyes red with tears “I am now, my sweet Amor…“ she said, snuggling softly into your chest, “I love you so much“ she said, yawning cutely as she closed her eyes and fell asleep “Love you too, Flurry Heart…“ you said as you softly combed her mane. It amazed you how you went from Flurry’s personal trainer, to her boyfriend, but you were glad to have met her, that much was for sure. You could only wonder where your future with her would go. //-------------------------------------------------------// A Future Clear As Crystal //-------------------------------------------------------// A Future Clear As Crystal Two years had gone by, and you could’ve sworn that they were just yesterday. The memories you’ve made in your new homeland were definite keepers, but the ones that you held dear were the ones you held with your special somepony, Flurry Heart. Three years ago, she was just a friend, then two years ago she confessed her feelings for you, and you couldn’t help but think about your future with her. When you celebrated her 20th birthday with her, she wanted to blow out the candles with you, and once the candles were removed, she’d mush a slice right into your face, which always made you and her laugh. You’d do the same to her on your 20th birthday, too, and she loved every second of it. Of course, family relations were becoming easier. You still got along with Cadence, and anytime you and Flurry were together, she didn’t doubt your love for her, saying that she didn’t need the Crystal Heart to see them love. Sining and Blade both showed their respect, commenting about how well you and Flurry just seemed perfect for each other. And finally there was Raging, and even though he hadn’t exactly warmed up to you, he didn’t constantly give you death stares or try to cut you into pieces. Course, as soon as word got out about you and Flurry being an item, you got talks from nearly everypony connected to Flurry Heart. First was Cadence, who, while very accepting of you and Flurry’s relationship, still made it very clear not to break Flurry’s heart, or make her mad, as she has a habit of ’getting ponies back’, so you made that a mental note. Shining and Blade both shared their conversation, saying much of the same, though they complimented you too, saying they were glad that you ended up being Flurry’s special somepony and not some greedy stallion. Raging showed little to no mercy, listing practically all the ways he could break you or kill you, lest you did something to his older sister that hurt her, whether physically or mentally. Regardless, you couldn’t take him seriously, as he reminded you of what a little brother would be like. Twilight was next, who you talked to during a visit to Canterlot. She seemed the most serious about it, saying that she truly hoped you were the one for Flurry, and after reassuring her a few more times, she sighed and just hugged you, feeling great that her niece had a special somepony that cared for her wholeheartedly. As of now, you woke up, not in your room, but in Flurry’s room. Since you and her were an item, she had urged that you sleep with her. You always felt comfortable in her embrace, as she’d always cuddle and snuggle you as if you were a giant teddy bear, and you allowed it It was a Saturday, so it felt nice not waking up early. Flurry was asleep, so you figured you could glance over at the calendar. As you glanced over at the calendar, your eyes shrank, and your heart sank It was Flurry’s Birthday today Fufuufufufufuufufufuufufufuuffucckkkkkkkk… you internally thought, as you had never actually thought of anything for her birthday, and lord have mercy should you forget her birthday. One time, you forgot about a picnic she had planned, and she used you as target practice. You attempted to scramble out of her grasp, and surprisingly, it worked. Now that you were out of her grasp, you started thinking of birthday ideas. Proposing was one of the first ones, but you wanted to do more than that. As you left, you came face to face with Shining Armor, and you froze as he said, “You forgot about her birthday, didn’t you?“ “A little quieter, will you?“ you said as he nodded softly, “I know I forgot, and I plan to make up for it“ “Way ahead of you“ he said, handing you a box with a crystal ring with Flurry’s cutie mark on it, and you breathed a sigh of relief, “Now the rest is up to you. Good luck, Amor“ he said, walking away. Left standing there, you didn’t know what the hell to do. What made it somewhat worse was that it was Flurry’s 21st birthday. You had already turned 21 before her, and she felt super jealous that she had to wait longer before she got the chance to really get hammered After thinking for a while, you decided on a vanilla rum-soaked cake, so you decided to head out, leaving almost immediately. You caught a train ride to Ponyville and waited. After a couple of hours, you arrived in Ponyville and sprinted into Sugar Cube Corner, nearly slipping as you caught yourself on the counter, panting softly. “Hi there! Welcome to Sugar Cube Corner, new friend!“ a poofy pink-maned mare said as you caught your breath. “Yeah, hi, I need a cake“ you said as she squealed “What kind?“ she asked, pulling out a notepad from her mane, which you weren’t gonna question “A vanilla Rum-soaked cake, can you do that?“ you asked as she wrote it down “Sure thing buddy! Though, who’s it for?“ she asked, staring at you with great intent “Um, it’s for my mare friend“ you said nervously as she giggled “I have a feeling Flurry Heart will like it!“ she squealed as you gasped a little “Wait, you know her?“ you asked the pony was she nodded fast “Yippy yippy yep! I know a lot of ponies. My name’s Pinkie Pie! And if you’re with Flurry, you must be Amor! It’s so nice to finally meet you!“ Pinkie Pie squealed as she lept over the counter and hugged you tightly “Uh yeah… same to you…“ you said nervously as she let go “So, you planning on picking it up or…?“ she asked as you shook your head softly “No no, I actually will be very busy. If you could have it delivered to the Crystal Empire, that’d be fantastic“ you explained as she nodded rapidly “Okie dokie lokie! Hope things go well for you!“ she said, rushing off to the kitchen Seeing that, you took your leave. Next thing next, you had to think of a present of sorts, a piece of clothing that she’d like, so you went to Carousel Boutique as you walked in and waited at the desk After a few minutes, you came face to face with another human, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, my name is Silver, how may I help you?“ “Do you happen to do lingerie?“ you asked him as he looked around. “Not exactly on display, but we definitely have some in stock. What kind of lingerie you looking for?“ he asked you as you thought of what kind of lingerie that Flurry would like. “Possibly something revealing, but not too revealing at the same time, and throw in some fishnet stockings, too“ you asked as he wrote it all down “You got it. I’ll see what I can find“ he said, disappearing somewhere in the show. After waiting a few minutes, he came back, holding a two piece lingerie. The bra looked beautiful, as it was a crimson color and had a nice boob window. The panties were nice too, and looked thin enough to not hide buttcheeks, so you nodded and said, “Yep, that ought to do it” “I also grabbed these” he said as he held up a black pair of fishnet stockings, and you had a feeling Flurry would love them. “I’ll take it” you said, “How much for everything?” “Hmmmmmmm, from the looks of it… 90 bits” he said as you reached into your wallet and took out exactly 90 bits, getting a chuckle out of him, “Exact change? Wow” “Yeah” you said blatantly as he bagged the items for you. “Is that all?” he asked you as you nodded “Yeah thanks, mr…” you said as you paused “It’s Silver, and you’re welcome” Silver said, smiling a little “Well, thanks Silver” you said, taking the bag as you headed for the door “Not a problem! Have a good day!” he said as you left the Boutique. Next stop, Sweet Apple Acres. From what you had heard, there was still some cider left over from Cider season, so you decided to head down to Sweet Apple Acres From the look of things, Sweet Apple Acres looked to have seen better days, but it still looked to be busy. As you got there, you saw an orange mare and a small child, who looked a tad bit like a wolf. It was cute, and you saw the small child climb up the tree and toss down apples into a basket, smiling as he descended. “Nice job there, Timber Wedge. Ya got a lotta potential, sweetie” the orange mare said as the smaller orange filly ran up to her and hugged her, wagging her tail rapidly “Thank you, ma. Ah aim to make you and pa proud!” Timber said, barking excitedly. As you approached, she noticed you and started growling in your direction, “Who’s that ma? He looks like a trespasser!” The orange mare looked at you and just chuckled a little, “Relax Timber, not everypony is a trespasser, even if they’re a stranger” she said as she walked towards you, “Howdy there fella, ahm Applejack, and welcome tah Sweet Apple Acres! What brings ya to mah family’s farm?” “I heard from a friend of mine that you have some leftover cider from Cider Season, right?” you asked as she nodded softly “Sure do, fella, what’s tah special occasion?” she asked you “Well, I’m not sure if you know, but Princess Flurry Heart’s birthday is coming up…” you said as she gasped softly “Wait a second… you must be her boyfriend, Amor! Pleasure to finally meet ya, amigo!” she said, offering you her hand to shake, and you shook it firmly “Likewise” you said, getting a soft chuckle from the mare, “And who’s this cutie behind you?” you said, obviously teasing the wolf-pony hybrid next to her “Rrrrrrgh hey!” Timber said, poking out from behind Applejack, barking softly, “I’m not cute!” she said, growling a little “Timber, be nice” Applejack said as Timber calmed down, “Sorry bout that, Sugarcube, she gets a little cranky when somepony belittles her, so don’t take it personally” “Noted. So, the cider?” you said, switching topics as she nodded “Yep, just follow us and ah’ll show ya where we keep the cider. And, if ya don’t mind me askin’, but what kinda cider you looking tah get?” she said as you and her walked towards the barn “Alcoholic. Flurry wants to get wasted on her 21st birthday. Can’t blame her though, she’s been jealous of me, since I turned 21 before she did” you said, getting a hearty chuckle from Applejack “Wait till she wakes up the next mornin’ with a hangover, she’ll really throw ya for a loop, sugarcube” she said as she opened up an icebox in the barn, and there were cases of cider inside, “One case is 110 bits, pardner” “For cider?” you asked as she nodded “It’s tah Apple Family’s cider, it’s gonna be expensive, sugarcube, gotta make money somehow” she said as you sighed and pulled out enough bits, dropping it into her hand softly, “Pleasure doing business with you, sugarcube, and tell Flurry that the Apple Family wishes her a happy birthday, ya hear?” she said as you picked up the case “Yep, I hear you, it was great meeting you, Applejack” you said, leaving Sweet Apple Acres You had gotten everything to have possibly made her birthday special. You had the ring, some lingerie, and of course, now you had the cider. You got on the train to the Crystal Empire, looking forward to getting back Once you got back to the Crystal Empire and back to the castle, you headed into the castle dining room, seeing that Flurry’s cake had been delivered. Thank you Pinkie Pie you thought as you put the cider into the fridge, leaving a do not touch sticky note on the case. As you closed the fridge, you were hugged from behind, and you had a feeling you knew who it was, “I know this is a princess hugging me, but I’m not sure who it is” “Amor, it’s me, Cadence” Cadence revealed, making you sigh in relief, “So, I see you’ve got her a cake. What kind of cake is it?” “It’s a… Rum-soaked cake” you confessed, and she sighed “Makes sense, that’s why I had the chefs replicate the cake when it got here, except without the alcohol. That way, everypony can have a taste, Y’know?” she said as you nodded softly “Yeah, I got ya” you said, “So, where is Flurry?” “Well, since you were doing last minute preparations for her birthday, we had to figure out some way to distract her from asking about you. She did ask a few times if you forgot her birthday, but we’ve just been telling her that you’re doing last minute preparations. We’ve got you covered, sweetie” she said, kissing your cheek softly. “You’re the best, Cadence, every one of you” you said, turning and hugging her tightly “That’s sweet of you, dear. I know you’ll make this the best birthday Flurry’s ever had” she said, walking off as she looked back at you, “Good luck~” Hard to believe she’ll be my mother-in-law in a few months you thought as you carried the lingerie you bought for her back to her room, entering it after grabbing some wrapping paper. You got to work right away, using a gift box, you put the lingerie in and wrapped the box carefully. After it was done, you stuck it under the bed. Now that that was out of the way, you walked out and kept the ring on you. After a while, You, Cadence, and everypony else were gathered in the dining room. Flurry would be sitting at the end of the table, and everypony else would be sitting on the sides of the table. You simply just stood in awe at how beautiful everything looked, and Cadence saw it too, standing next to you. “Pretty impressive right? I’m so happy that you were able to get everything else set up, Amor. She’ll definitely love it all” Cadence said, giggling a little “Well, to be fair, I nearly fucked everything up, cause I drank too much the night before and felt super hungover, but despite all that, my heart was in the right place, right?” you asked her as she put an arm around you “Dear, you’ve always had your heart in the right place when it came to my Flurry. To be honest, from the very first days of you living here, she’s had feelings for you, but never told you, cause she wanted to wait, and from the looks of things, all the waiting has paid off” Cadence said, giggling a little as Raging came up to the two of you, “Yes Raging?” “She’s coming” he said, and you and Cadence exchanged glances as she quickly shut off the lights. “Okay everypony, hide out of sight” she said, and you all hid as you heard hoofsteps approaching. As the doors swung open, you saw Flurry, and she looked amazing, as if she had gotten her mane done for this occasion. It looked nice and curly, and you smiled. “Hello?” she said, lighting up her horn as she looked around, though everyone was hidden and wouldn’t be illuminated by the light, “Anypony here?” Here goes nothing you thought as you carefully crawled behind Flurry, which, while somewhat dark, could see how nice her flank was. Shaking off those naughty thoughts, you carefully stood up and tiptoed behind her. Flurry eventually stopped moving as she sighed, “Guess nopony’s here…” she looked down, and you wrapped your arms around her torso softly, surprising her, “W-What the?!-“ “SURPRISE!” you shouted, along with everypony else as the lights turned back on, and Flurry gasped, smiling as she saw you and turned in your arms “You remembered!” she said, throwing her arms around your neck softly as she pulled you in for a kiss, her tail wagging fast, “I know you didn’t forget, you sweetheart you~” “Happy birthday Flurry. Sorry I made you wait” you confessed as she just giggled and kissed your cheek “Don’t be babe, this was worth the wait, thank you~” she said, letting go of you and turning to the rest of her family, “And thank you all for being here, too” Cadence and Shining walked up, hugging Flurry as Cadence said, “We’re so happy for you, sweetie. You certainly found somepony to spend your life with” “I’m very proud of you, Flurry. Not only did you find your special somepony, but one that provided so much for the Crystal Empire” Shining said, looking at you, “Thank you Amor, you have provided so much to the empire, we can’t thank you enough” “No doubt about that” Blade chimed in, “Your training has been such a hit with our guards, that some of them even taught your tactics to the guards of Canterlot. You truly are a blessing to not just our family, Amor, but to Equestria as well” “Thank you, Shining and Blade” you said, looking over at Raging, “Raging, got anything to say?” He was silent for a little bit, then groaned, “Well, I have to say something, so… you’re a little bit cool, I’m fine with seeing you with my sister” “Gee, thanks ami-“ you attempted to say as he reached for his sword “We’re not there yet, bucko. Keep dreaming though” he said, letting go “That’s fair” you said, “So Flurry, wanna see your cake?” “Cake? Oh yes! Let’s do it!” she said, taking her seat as you brought the cake closer to her, and her eyes sparkled. She took a closer look, and what she smelled next made her smile, “Rum cake? Oh, you sly dog~” “Only for you, babe~” you teased as she giggled “Best boyfriend ever~ we’ll have some fun after this~” she teased back, making you blush a little as you looked forward to what she had planned After you all sung happy birthday to Flurry, watched her blow out her candles, get some cake mushed in your face, and get her right back, you helped clean up. After that was done, she took you back to her bedroom, giggling softly as you and her sat on the end softly. “So, Amor, you got anything else for me on my special day?~” she teased, tracing a finger across your chest softly, and you stood up “I sure do, my princess~” you said, reaching under the bed and pulling out the same gift you stashed away, then presenting it to her as she smiled at you, and you nodded, “Go ahead, open it~” She ripped the wrapping paper off, and eagerly opened the gift, finding the lingerie you bought for her, and she set it aside and pulled you onto her lap and into a hug, “I love it! It reminds me of my goth days!” she said as she squealed, though you were curious, so you cleared your throat “You know, you never told me about your goth phase. Could I please know about that?” you said as she sighed, but nodded softly “Well… when I turned 14, I started to get all moody and depressed and shit, you know? I started to wear black, eyeliner, chokers, you name it. I was a completely different pony then. I think I still have a box with all my goth stuff in it…” she said, getting up and walking to y’all’s closet, finding a hidden box behind a secret door, “Aha! Found it!” “Funny how I never found that box” you said as she playfully pushed you “It has a lock on it anyways, and only I know the code” she said as she opened the box, revealing several things, such as a choker, a pair of handcuffs, a collar and leash, and a ball gag, “Wow, I remember when I had all this” “You owned all this?” you said, clearly surprised “Yep. So, want me to try on this lingerie and these fishnet stockings~?” she said seductively, as you had almost forgotten that you put the stockings in there too. “Yes, please” you asked nicely as she giggled and kissed your cheek “I’ll be right back~” she said, going into the bathroom. You waited 5 minutes before she came out and had the lingerie and fishnet stockings on. After staring at her for a while, she sat on your lap and whispered in your ear, “How do I look, babe?~ your little friend sure does seem excited to have me~” You didn’t know what she meant, but it made sense now, as you looked down and your little friend, your rod, your Johnson, was pressing against her flank. “O-Oh… I-I guess you look sexy…” you said, getting a strong grip from her as she gripped your rod through your pants. “You think?~” she teased, rubbing your shaft up and down softly. Sure, she had two ciders, though you only had one, but you just weren’t sure if she was drunk or not. “Sorry, I know” you said, getting a giggle and a kiss out of her as she slowly took off her lingerie “I hate to take this all off, but how else will we get it on?~” she flirted seductively as she lifted the bra off, letting it drop from her hands and her breasts bounce free. You had never made a guess on them yet, at least you think you never did, but from the looks of things, she was a hard F-cup. “Wait, did you say ‘get it on’?” you said. Sure, you liked where this was going, but you didn’t think that she would want to get it on without condoms. “Are you deaf? Of course I said it, and that means no condoms either~“ she said, reaching for your boxers, though you stopped her by grabbing her arm, “Oh what now!?“ You could tell she was getting agitated as she huffed, but then you pulled out a ring box and opened it as she gasped. She sure did see surprised, so she carefully took the ring and slipped it on, then looked at you as she teared up and hugged you tightly. You simply just hugged her back as you said, “Um… Will you marry me?“ After that, she wiped away her tears and kissed you, stroking your hair softly as she pulled away, “I’m so sorry I yelled… But yes, I’d gladly marry you… I mean, come on, after three years, I wouldn’t want to marry anypony else other than you, Amor…” “Flurry…” you said as she just smiled and kissed you, pulling your boxers down softly, then moving onto your underwear, which made you blush “Shhhhhhhh, just let me do the work, babe~” she said seductively as she took off your underwear and tossed it aside, blushing at your length, “So that’s what a human phallus looks like… so tantalizing…~” she said as she carefully took hold of your shaft and gave it a lick, which now only made you shiver “W-Why so much teasing, F-Flurry…“ you asked as she giggled and playfully booped you, giving your shaft another lick as you moaned softly and blushed “Ah tu tu, no more questions. Let your mistress do her work~“ she said, fully taking your shaft In her mouth, sucking on it and bobbing her head, though she seemed way too experienced to be a novice. “F-Flurry… h-how are you s-so good at t-this?“ you asked her as she stopped and looked at you. “Well, when I was still a teenager, I was so much hornier, so I bought a dildo and would suck on that for practice, though the dildo resembled a stallion’s and not a human’s, so this is a little new, though not entirely different“ she explained, then went back to sucking on your cock, and you loved how good she was Eventually, you couldn’t take it anymore as you felt your climax coming, and you panted rapidly as you said, “F-Flurry, I-I’m gonna-!” and it was too late, you blew your load in her mouth as you saw her cute cheeks inflate, then deflate as she drank your cum, then pulled off your shaft as she giggled. “Now that was a good drink~” she teased as she moved further up your body and rubbed her flank against your shaft softly, “Am I clear to ride the bull, Captain?~” “Permission… granted~” you said as she leaned down and kissed you, then went down on your shaft as it sank into her ass, and she moaned softly. “It feels soooooo big~” she said as she started bouncing on your shaft softly, wet slaps eminating from the action of it all. She bounced on it as she moaned like an angel. “G-Goddamn you’re good at this!” you shouted and moaned as you held her hips softly, and she smiled down at you “T-Thank you babe! O-Only the best for y-you!” she shouted as she kept bouncing, and goddamn, her ass was tight, and it only made you want to blow your load in her all the more, but you held back. “Flurry, you’re honestly so beautiful… and not just because you’re a princess…” you said as she leaned down and kissed you. “Thank you, my handsome knight~” she said, bouncing more and more, and you couldn’t take it anymore as you felt your load build up more to the point where you couldn’t hold it anymore as you felt it again “F-Flurry! I-It’s com-“ you said as you moaned loudly and blew your load inside Flurry’s ass as she moaned too. After that, Flurry tiredly crawled over to you and kissed you, but it didn’t last long, as she soon repositioned herself over your limp cock. “Flurry, I’m exhausted… I don’t think I can go again…” you said, still panting softly “Well then, I think this is the perfect time to try a spell~” she said seductively, though you were a tad confused “A spell? What spell?” you asked, clueless as ever “Well, when I was younger, I was curious about certain spells that my mom would use with my dads, so I managed to sneak the spell long enough to learn it, but never use it. It’s called an endurance spell… so, here goes…” she said as her horn ignited and you instantly felt your stamina return to you as you felt like you just drank coffee, or to a larger extent, an energy drink. Flurry looked at you confused, “Did it work…?” “I feel like I just drank a tall glass of coffee” you said, smiling a little as she smiled back “Perfect. Now, babe, I know that losing your virginity is painful… will you help me lower down…?” she asked “Yes I can, babe” you said, placing your hands softly on her hips, and she looked you in the eyes as she descended on your shaft softly, stopping once your shaft reached her hymen “I’m scared…” she said, tearing up a little, but you caressed her cheek softly “You’ll be okay, Flurry, trust me. I’m here for you” you reasssured as she nodded “I trust you, my white knight…~” she said, slowly descending onto your shaft as she gasped and started shaking, and fresh blood flowed out. She clung to you and hugged you tightly, crying into your shoulder, “It hurts so much!” “I know, I know…” you said, petting her mane softly as she slowly stopped crying, sniffling softly, “Feel better now?” “Y-Yeah… t-thank you Amor…” she said as you softly pinned her down as she gasped softly, “W-What are you-?” “Shhhhhhh, you’ve done enough, now it’s my turn~” you said as you slowly thrusted into her, making her moan softly, yet sharply “You’re so gentle…” she whispered as she moaned more, gripping the sheets tightly “Only for you, Flurry…“ you whispered back as you kept thrusting into her, making her moan more and more as you felt your climax get closer and closer, but you held back, still going as her walls got tighter around your shaft, and there was no going back, “W-Wait Flurry… what if you get pregnant..?“ “Amor, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to… I know you’ll be a good father to our foals when they’re born… Don’t hold back, mi Amor…~“ she said as you felt your climax get closer and closer, and hearing that, you wouldn’t hold it from her any longer. “T-Then I’m g-gonna!-“ you tried to say as you just moaned loudly and came inside your fiancée, making her moan as she blushed heavily, and you softly fell on her. Flurry giggled as she ruffled your hair, “Heh, you have your fun, dear?~“ “Yeah… totally“ you said, feeling a tad winded, but still like you could go another round “Well, I believe It’s time you know about your reward~“ she said, kissing your cheek softly “Reward? Oh wait, you mean-“ you said as she giggled and placed a finger on your lips softly “Exactly~ you’re immortal now, babe, and… you have eternal youth, meaning you’ll always look nice and young like me, in a way~“ she explained, making your eyes widen as you just hugged her tightly, “Whoa there, teddy bear!“ “Sorry Flurry, but honestly, I can’t thank you enough for this. To be honest, I never understood why you chose me, but as we grew closer, I began to truly see why. I love you Flurry, and you will always be a large part of my life…“ you said, kissing her as she blushed, then you pulled away softly. “You’re welcome Amor… there’s nopony else in Equestria that I’d want to spend my life with other than you… I love you so much…~“ she kissed you one final time before she snuggled into your chest softly, closing her eyes softly. “I love you too, Flurry. Sweet dreams, princess~“ you said, resting your head on a pillow softly as you closed your eyes. You felt happy knowing you not only have a future with your mare friend, but a big family to be a part of. For once, your conscience felt clear as crystal, finally feeling as though everything was gonna be okay.