The Sex Worker

by SweetSunnyBuns

Rating: mature
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Profanity, Non-consensual, Violence, Alternate Universe, Dark, Romance, Equestria Girls, Sex
Length: 22012

Life can be desperate for the desperately living

Alone and abandoned, a former wondercolt finds with no one to turn to, she has to turn to something she never considered to keep herself afloat.

Alone and despondant, another soul seeks meaning in a meaningless life.

Can two souls so wounded heal each other? Is there really such a thing as second chances?

And will they ever get their happily ever after?

Published 2024-12-27 17:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2024-12-27 17:10:01 UTC

The Sex Worker

The Sex Worker

Freddy settled into his chair, his laptop before him. This was his favorite time of day.

All day long at the factory, mindlessly cranking out whatever it was they were making that day, day in and day out. Mindlessly watching the press stamp out the latest stupidity that idiots like himself were buying for the moment.

Press, stamp, steam, lift, scrape dump repeat.

Mindless. Achingly mindless. But not thoughtless, because if he stopped paying attention and missed something gone wrong there would be hell to pay. Literally, with his pay docked and fifteen minutes of his life lost listening to his supervisor rip him a new ass.

Press, stamp, steam, lift, scrape dump repeat.

By the time the end of his shift came, he felt so broken it was all he could do to face traffic and the long ride home to his empty apartment.

He had been married once. He had thought they were in love, ready to face the world, to take on every challenge together. There was nothing they felt they couldn’t face.

That was before. Two years of the reality of low pay, losing the hope of anything better, that had eaten away at their resolve. Two years of fighting, two years of bitter disappointment, of scorn, anger, and then neglect.

When the day came, a day he had known was coming, the day he came home to an empty apartment, silent of any life or movement, it was by then an almost welcome relief.

He looked over their... well, could he call it that anymore? He looked over his apartment, anything of value now gone along with all her belongings. On the table was a single handwritten note pinned down under a cracked and empty glass.

Fred, I can’t take this anymore. You are never going to amount to anything, and I just don’t care. Goodbye, Fred.
I want to keep this civil. Don’t look for me. Don’t even think of me. I promise I won’t waste a thought for you. I’d wish you luck, but you don’t seem to have any.
Goodbye, Fred. Thanks for wasting two years of my life.

He wasn’t shocked. By this point, he wasn’t even angry. He was resigned, relieved even. Like someone who had just looked up, having somehow survived a horrible crash, blinking and surprised to be still alive.

That was three years ago, and every reason she had left was still the definition of his life. Still watching the same press. Still getting ripped on the regular by the same damned boss. Still making the same damned minimum wage. And still alone. Still coming home to the same empty, lifeless apartment.

He had tried mindless entertainment, but it reminded him too much of work, turning off his mind. He wanted something he could think and feel while doing.

So he saved what he could from his meager pay and bought a very cheap laptop on sale, an older model, but it played games and connected to the internet. It was all he needed.

But the games were boring. By turns easy than insanely hard, they frustrated him with how arbitrary they were, reminding him of how arbitrary everything in his life had been.

So he turned to online chat and found that those that were interested in him were as uninteresting as he was.

Until he met her.

She was kind. She was interested. She didn’t judge, but she did want to talk to him elsewhere, not on the open forums. She had things to say, things she might promise, that were only for him, not for others to know or see.

It was like water to a soul lost in the desert. It was like the promise of a feast made to a man starved near death. He never had a chance. He followed her like a lemming, she was his piper.

She had her own place to chat. An onlyfans account that he could connect to at any time, whenever he wanted her, she would be there. And, if the price was right, she could be all his, and only his, for a time, for a few moments.

For a few moments of each day, she was his. Someone beautiful. Someone interesting. Someone interested. And she would do things for him he had never imagined. And she didn’t mind. She even said she liked him.

He knew it was a lie, but she made it feel so real he didn’t care. He needed to hear her sweet lies to keep living through the hell his life seemed otherwise.

So every day after work, some of his life, some of his pay, and some of his soul was hers. And she would talk to him. Listen to him. And show him things he thought he might never see again, just for him, and only him. Just for that moment.

So here he sat, alone in the dark on his bed with his laptop,and listened to her talk, encouraging him as she did things, smiling and laughing as she told him how much she appreciated him and his being here.

Her voice was a balm, her words soothing, and her body electric smoking hot. He never failed to feel satisfaction, at least in that moment.

And she never judged. Unlike every other woman he had ever known.

He knew that was a lie too, or at least suspected it. But her words were so kind and her smile so sincere, he could not help himself but want to believe that she really did care, she really could love him.

One morning he was reading the morning news on his laptop before heading in to work, mostly just to get the weather and traffic. As he scrolled uninterested down the page his eye was caught by a small article with a picture towards the bottom.

Pile up on freeway injures local woman was the headline, with a small picture of the local woman below it. Underneath was the caption:

Local handicapped woman in accident rushed to local hospital.

But what caught his eye was not the headline, nor the caption, but the image. It was her. His fantasy woman, his online friend, the woman who now filled his dreams. There below the fold was her smiling face.

He quickly read through the article hanging onto every word. Local woman, no family, handicapped since high school, a victim of a tragic misunderstanding that left her paralyzed from the chest down, had her own business that barely was enough for her to get by.

Her name was given at the bottom of the article, as well as the hospital she had been taken to.

Calling work, he told them he couldn’t come in today, he had a family emergency, which left the receptionist laughing coldly.

“You don’t have a family, Fred. Come up with a better lie next time, hmm?” she laughed as she hung up.

Ignoring her barb he hung up, grabbed his keys and wallet, then left the apartment.

He had a friend he needed to see.

When he arrived at the hospital, they were about to turn him away until he told them he was an old friend of hers.

They seemed skeptical, but as he knew her name and seemed insistent, they let him sign in and escorted him to the room she was staying in.

He wasn’t ready for what he saw. The room was filled with machines, tubes running from her as she lay sleeping in the bed. Her face was bruised, stitched in places, and her beautiful red hair was a matted mess.

“You’re the only visitor she’s had,” commented the nurse as he stared in shock. “We honestly didn’t think anyone would visit, considering her circumstances. Poor girl. What a horrid life,” she shook her head with a smirk.

“Wait! Hasn’t her family stopped by? Surely they’ve come by, right?” he asked.

“You sure you know this girl?” the nurse asked. “You seem a little clueless.”

“We’ve been friends for ages,” assured Freddy.

“Huh,” grunted the nurse. “This girl terrorized an entire high school, then got beaten within an inch of her life for it. Lots of folks say she just got what she had coming. She has no family and lives alone. No friends as far as I know too. Until you showed up.” She looked suspiciously at him.

“Much as I don’t care what you do to her, don’t beat her up on my shift or I’ll come after you too,” she warned, leaving him alone in the room with her.

“What the fuck was that all about?” Fred wondered to himself out loud. He pulled up the guest chair and sat down next to her.

Taking her hand gently he talked to her, calling out her name and assuring her he was there for her. He was still talking to her when the nurse came back in.

“What are you doing that for?” she asked. “She can’t hear you. She’s in a coma. Brain damage or something from the accident. I don’t know why she didn’t just die already.”

The nurse checked some of the bags attached to the side of the bed and lifted the covers to check on the girl.

Fred was shocked by what he saw.

The girl was thin. Not at all the voluptuous girl from his sessions, this girl was emaciated.

Her arms and legs were thin, her legs bone pencil thin, knobby joints and feet attached to skin and bone. Her breasts were emaciated, her skin dry and flaking.

Above the stark red fluff between her legs was her bare and scared abdomen, a bag attached, hanging from below her stomach and full of what looked like feces.

“Looks like she’s still full of shit,” commented the snippy nurse. “What a surprise. Scoot back for a sec, hon, I need to change that.”

He got up from the chair, standing back in shock as the nurse moved in, removing the bag of feces then placing an empty bag back on her.

“More kindness than you deserve from me, bitch,” the nurse mumbled under her breath as she finished applying the new bag, then dropped the covers back over her naked body.

“Free show is over, you can have your chair back,” the nurse grunted as she held the bag out before her.

“Bitch, your shit still stinks,” she muttered as she left.

Annoyed by the nurse's rude and unkind comments, Fred looked at the girl he considered his only friend. Taking her hand once more, he noticed her nails were overgrown and jagged as if she had been biting them. Her hands themselves were dry, as was the rest of her skin.

Her hair was a rat's nest of tangles and knots, and he could still see bits of dried blood matted in places.

“What the fuck is up with that?” he wondered. Weren’t the nurses supposed to take care of stuff like that when someone was admitted?

He saw a gray plastic tub of supplies sitting next to the bed. Taking it, he riffled through it looking for something that might help. He found a hairbrush, a bottle of soap, and a bottle of cheap shampoo among the items, so he dumped out the basin on the little end table, taking it, the soap, and the shampoo with him to the sink in the attached bathroom.

Running the water in the sink until it was warm, he dug around in the room until he found some clean washcloths and towels. Gathering them up, he returned to the sink, filling the basin partially full of warm water. Taking his cache to the table by her bedside, he gently lifted her head, placing one of the towels beneath it. He placed one of the washcloths into the basin, wetting it, then applied a squirt of shampoo onto it as well.

Starting from the top of her head, he gently massaged in the shampoo, sudsing up her hair as he worked the clots and blood free.

Once he had washed out all the filth, he wetted a new washcloth, using it to rinse clear all the soap, blood and filth that had matted her hair. Once it was completely cleaned - he had dumped and refilled the basin twice by then - he gently toweled her hair dry then combed it out, carefully teasing the knots and snarls free until the brush flowed smoothly through her hair.

Finished with her hair, he set to washing her face, then her neck, then gently pulled the covers back from her shoulders and arms. She started shivering as he worked his way down her arms, so he dried as he went, covering her with a spare blanket he found while looking for the towels.

Working down her chest, he gently and reverently cleaned her breasts, hands shaking as he tried not to think of how beautiful she was while doing it. Moving on, he cleaned her gaunt and scarred abdomen, including the area around the bag, trying hard not to get the bag or dressing around it wet. He washed her sides, stopping when he got to the bed, working his way down to her hips and legs.

He paused as he got to her lower abdomen, staring at the mass of red hair that was next in line. Taking a deep breath, he continued, working his way down her abdomen and into the red bush below. Stopping for a moment, he carefully covered her up, returning to the bathroom to dump the now dusky water and refresh her basin with clean warm water.

Returning to her bedside, he placed the basin back on the little table and pulled back her sheet, continuing his task in the wilds of the red bush. She flinched and moaned as he worked the washcloth through the lower portion of the red wilds, looking away lest his hand shake so much he could not continue. Carefully feeling his way, he gently washed the folds of her womanhood, taking care to use water only, lest the soap sting and burn so sensitive an area.

Once he was past that, he worked his way down her inner thighs, lathering, rinsing and drying as he went. Gently lifting her emaciated leg, he washed down the backs as well, being careful not to twist them and hurt her. He gently washed her feet, working the cloth between her toes removing the blood and grime from them as well.

Finished there, he realized he was not done. Daunted, looking at the tubes and wires coming from her, he nonetheless realized he had to do what came next.

Taking several pillows from a chair in the room, he placed them along her side then carefully rolled her over onto them, draping her arm and leg over them helping hold her in place as he scrubbed the grime and blood from her back, marveling at the scars that covered her back and entire body.

What had this poor girl, virtually his only friend in the world, done to get these horrible scars?

Starting at her neck and working his way down to her buttocks, he scrubbed her clean, drying her as he went and covering her again with the blanket to avoid giving her the shivers. Once her shrunken buttocks were completely cleaned and dried, he carefully returned her to her original position. Digging again through the rooms cupboards, he found a plain gown which he tied at the neck and draped over her to provide her some modicum of privacy under her flimsy covers.

As he was tucking her covers up under her the nurse returned.

“Have your fun yet?” she asked as she entered.

She stopped cold on seeing her cleaned and dressed.

“You cleaned her,’ she asked, sounding shocked.

“Yes, she was filthy. She needed it,” Fred agreed.

She looked at him again, this time really seeing him.

“You took care of her,” she said simply.

“That’s what friends do,” he replied.

“I thought…” she said, then stopped.

“Thought what?” he asked.

“I thought you were going to hurt her,” she said simply.

“What!” gasped Fred. “Why in the world would you think that?”

“You’d be surprised,” she said absently as she stared at the girl. “There are so many who would.”

“I can’t believe that,” he said.

“Then you really don’t know her,” the nurse said simply. “If you did, you would know that.”

“I’ve known her for years,” he replied.

“I took you for one of her clients,” the nurse stated. “We all know what she does, still using people, still finding ways to take from them, to get what she wants. She uses people. That’s all she does. That’s all she’s ever done.”

“You knew her?” Fred asked.

“I went to school with her,” admitted the nurse. “She was not the kindest of students. It caught up with her. Karma is a bitch.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Fred said. “Look, do you have something you need to do? I’d like to spend some moments with my friend.”

“Sure. You are one of them, aren’t you? One of her fans. Do you stroke yourself while she lies to you? Do you think she ever tells anything but lies?” asked the nurse angrily.

“Get out,” he said.

“Do you? Are you?” she repeated pointedly.

“Get out!” he yelled.

“Thought so,” she said smugly, checking on several of the machines. She left with a smug grin.

“Fuck her! What a bitch!” he thought as she left.

He sat back down beside her, then gently taking her hand, began to tell her stories.

They chased him out when visiting hours were over. He promised to come again tomorrow. The nurse shrugged indifferently.

The next day he hurried over after work, driving straight to the hospital. He signed in and entered her room, alone this time, the indifference of the staff to her plight wounding his sensibilities.

Dumping her basin again, he once more filled it with warm water, then with his pilfered towels and washcloths washed and dried her emaciated body, dressing her again in a clean gown. He tucked a clean blanket up around her, taking one of her hands into his.

He brought a manicure set, clippers and a nail file really, something his ex-wife either overlooked or didn’t care for, and used it, trimming back then filing smooth the jagged nails on her hand. Finished he switched sides, moving the chair to the opposite side of the bed, and began again on her other hand, trimming and smoothing. Once both were back in a presentable state, he tucked her hands gently back under the warm blankets then set to work on her toes, cracked and damaged nails presenting more of a challenge.

Finished, he washed her feet again, removing the dust from the filings from her toes and feet then gently drying them and covering them with the warm blanket.

Moving the chair back up to the head of the bed, he gently soothed her hair as he told her how special and wonderful she was, and how happy he was that she was alive. He told her stories from his childhood, happy tales full of joy and promise, from a time before when life had not yet worn him down to the nothing that sat before her. Before fate had its way with him, had left him the broken man he now was.

Staring at her scared but beautiful face, framed by her shining red hair, he wept, trying to imagine what could have brought such a kind and wonderful person as her to such a mean state.

It had become his new routine. Up, dressed, drive to work, endure, then reprieve, the happy drive to the hospital and time spent with her, the former girl of his dreams but now his dear but silent friend. Someone who despite their one sided conversations, he enjoyed every moment of the time they spent together.

Well… he had to be honest with himself. With all the time he spent with her, she probably didn’t even know he was here. She probably didn’t even remember him. He was just another fan to her more than likely. He didn’t mind. He didn’t care.

He wasn’t here for himself. Over time, it had stopped being something he did for himself. He cared for her. He wanted her to be comfortable, to be well, to be happy. And if she couldn’t be happy, and would never be conscious enough again to even know what happiness was, she could at least be comfortable.

He was content with that. If she woke, thought him a complete stranger, and demanded he never return again, he was still content. He had helped a friend when she needed it, when she was unable to take care of herself. Just as she had taken care of him, though perhaps in a less wholesome way. He wouldn’t judge, just as she hadn’t judged him, at least not to his face. To him, she was always kind and compassionate.

He eventually lost his job. Even that had been inevitable, he realized. No one lasted forever at that crappy job and he had lasted longer than most. Welfare and unemployment now, barely enough to scrape by, but enough to be here, and now with more time to spend. More stories to tell, or just time to spend holding a friend's hand, brushing a friend’s hair, or just sitting together, enjoying the time together.

Sunset felt off. Something was not quite right. As she woke further, she realized she was laying in a bed, naked under a blanket, with someone washing her arm. Cracking open an eye slightly, she saw a young man carefully washing her hand. She shut her eyes tightly again before he looked back and saw her.

‘Where am I?’ she wondered. ‘What is going on? What am I doing here?’

She felt the blanket pulled down, then a warm soapy cloth worked over her shoulders and underarms, then down her sides. A warm cloth followed, rinsing the soap away, then a soft dry towel warmed and dried her.

The soapy cloth returned working down her chest to her breasts. She almost flinched when he got to her breasts, expecting to be fondled or worse, but instead he gently and carefully washed them, then rinsed and dried them as well, moving on down her abdomen.

She felt him cover her chilling breasts with a warm blanket, letting out a breath of relief at the sudden welcome warmth.

Her concern mounted as his ministrations moved further south, downward towards her bare and unprotected marehood. She could feel the cloth working its way down her nether mane, and she struggled not to flinch, knowing, dreading, what she was certain came next.

Tears leaked from her eyes unbidden, images returning from her attack, of the cruelties she had endured. The beating, the torment, and worse.

She had heard of rape. She knew what it was even before coming to this wretched place. In Equestria it was something that was known. But knowing something of an evil was nothing compared to the evil itself.

Wretched and wracked with pain, she had thought her despair was at its maximum limit when she was attacked in that gym. But she had only begun to visit the hell they had in store for her. Bloody, broken, eyes swollen blind and blood leaking from mouth and nose, barely able to breath, she felt her clothes ripped off her, torn and shredded from her body.

‘No!’ she had tried to scream. She had screamed it out in her head. Rough hands grabbed her, squeezing and bruising her bloody breasts in gleeful rage. Two girls roughly grabbed her legs, ripping them apart, laughing loudly as she screamed out in pain and terror.

“Come on bitch! You know you want this!” taunted one of the girls, the other laughing hysterically.

“Let’s see how much of this you can take!” cackled the other.

One of the boys roughly shoved himself between them. A moment later she felt something painfully and roughly shoved into her marehood. She cried out in pain, almost blacking out.

“Oh yeah bitch! She almost passed out from ecstasy there! Ride her rough!” taunted the girl’s voice.

Sunset lost track of the times she felt someone enter her marehood, or reach clawed fingers into her roughly ripping and jabbing as they taunted and tormented her.

Lost in her terror-filled flashback, Sunset felt him move down to her marehood, then gently, reverently rinse and clean her folds, then gently towel them dry and move on.

Her terror filled memories dropped away from around her as she realized what had happened. Her agonizing tears of terror were replaced with tears of joy, pure relief that she did not have to once again face that terror.

She felt him gently clean her legs, washing and drying them, then covering her with the warmth of the blanket as he cleaned her feet thoroughly.

Eyes still shut, she gently cried as he placed the pillows alongside her, then rolled and positioned her arm and leg over them, cleaning and drying her back. He placed the blanket over her back as he cleaned her buttocks, gently drying her then rolling her softly back onto her back. She felt as he placed a tied gown over her head, carefully pulling her arms through then tucking the blanket back around her.

He soothed back her hair, then spoke to her.

“Sunset,” his gentle voice spoke. “You look like you're crying,” he said in wonder.

She nodded, smiling slightly.

“Sunset?” he asked incredulously. “Are you awake?” He soothed her hair again. She opened her eyes slowly, staring up into his concerned continence.

“Yes,” she breathed, smiling. “Thank you.”

“They said you might never wake again,” he said in wonder.

‘They were wrong,” she whispered, smiling. “Thank you. They were wrong. I was wrong.”

“I don’t know what you think you were wrong about, but you’re welcome. And thank you for being a friend when I needed one,” he replied, smiling down on her.

“I was so afraid. I woke, and you were touching me, and I was filled with terror. When you bathed me, when you bathed my marehood, I was back being raped and abused all over again, but then I felt your touch, so gentle, so concerned. And my terror melted away. I knew you wouldn’t hurt me. I knew I was safe. That’s why I cried,” she smiled, joyful tears still falling.

“Sunset, as long as there is breath left in my body, no one will ever hurt you like that,” he promised. “Marehood?”

She realized then. He didn’t know. Looking into his eyes, he looked so familiar, like someone she had once known and forgotten. She closed her eyes.

“You don’t know,” she said. “I feel I know you, but you don’t know. How do I know you?”

“I was one of your fans,” he admitted.

She thought, memories coming back. ‘That’s right,’ she thought. ‘After graduation, no one would hire me. No one wanted a handicapped ex-villain, no one wanted to give me a second chance, not after everyone assumed I had abused the one I was given. I was left to rot alone. I had to find a way to stay alive, to pay my bills.

‘I used my computer skills to craft an avatar, an AI fueled virtual me that I animated with my own actions. But no one wanted my music, or my poetry readings, or my conversations. All they wanted was my body, my looks. And they weren’t even mine.

‘The only thing left of me online was my heart. I poured my heart into my avatar, into my interactions with my fans. And most of them just took, used me and left. But there was one…’

“Freddy,” she breathed. “You said your name was Freddy. I forget what your login name was, but you told me your name. Freddy.” She smiled up at him.

“Well, now you know the real me too. It wasn’t all a lie though. I really did listen, talk and care. It was all I ever really had to offer,” she smiled.

“And in the end, it was all I ever wanted or cared about,” he smiled back. “You saved me from myself. I was so lost, so alone. You came into my life, even at the cost of part of my paycheck.”

Sunset bowed her head in shame. “I’m sorry,” she said sadly.

“What do you possibly have to be sorry for?” he asked in confusion.

“You were hurting, and alone, and I preyed on you. I took from you when you were at your lowest,” she cried.

“You did. But you did more than that,” he said kindly. “You were a friend. Someone who listened when I needed someone to hear me. Someone who cared enough to remember me. Someone who genuinely wanted me to know happiness. Sunset, you were a friend. The friend I needed. You were there for me, you saved my life, Sunset. You redeemed me with your friendship.”

Sunset wept, smiling happily as he gently lifted her from the bed, pulling her into his hug. She lifted her weakened arms as best she could to hold him around his back, head resting on his shoulder as she cried tears of joyful release. She had been a friend. She had mattered to someone she cared about and for, and he had cared enough to find her when she needed someone, during her darkest time.

She had been a friend. And now, she had a friend.

She was not alone.

Together, the two hugged, one tightly and the other as tightly as she could while they wept in each other's arms.

The nurse returned, shocked at seeing Sunset awake and sitting, holding hands with the idiot who had been wasting so much of his life on her lately.

She alerted the charge nurse, who called the attending doctor. It was decided that as she was now awake and able to take care of herself, at least nominally, she was no longer the hospital or state’s concern and would be discharged.

Grinning at the news, the nurse marched back into the room to find the two still smiling and conversing.

“Well good news, demon! You get to go home. Your vacation here is over, so back out you go! Pack your bags. I’m bringing the chair then we’ll wheel you out. We don’t care where you go from here, but you’re done here!” She laughed as she skipped happily from the room, looking forward to not having to see the face of the bitch who had caused her so much pain every day.

“I guess I’m going home,” sighed Sunset. “I don’t suppose I could trouble you for a ride home, could I?”

“I would be happy to give you a ride home,” he smiled. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. You’ll see.” He ruffled her hair, and she rolled her eyes and grinned.

“I’m not a dog,” she snarked, squeezing his hand gently.

“Nah, way too cute to be a dog. More like an adorable Shetland,” he laughed.

Sunset leaned back into him, almost choking on her laughter. “If only you knew,” she gasped laughing.

Smiling confusedly, he just hugged her tighter.

The smiling nurse arrived with her wheelchair, happily throwing all her meager belongings into a bag while he gently lifted her into the chair. Dropping the bag in her lap, the nurse took the handles of the chair in hand, quickly wheeling her out the door and down the hall.

“And we’re off,” sang the nurse happily. Freddy scrambled to catch up.

“Where are you parked, loverboy?” she called out over her shoulder.

“The back lot,” he answered, catching up at last.

“This way then!” the nurse sang out, taking them down the hall to the elevators. Humming happily to herself as they waited, she then pushed Sunset into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor as Freddy scrambled to get in before the doors shut.

Humming the whole way down, they exited the elevator. “Lead on, loverboy!” she called out. He led them down the hall to the lobby then around to the back doors and into the back lot, the nurse with Sunset right on his heels.

He opened the passenger door backing away for the nurse.

“Oh no, this is all you loverboy. She’s your burden now,” she laughed, backing away.

Shaking his head, he bent, gently taking Sunset into his arms. He carried her to the car and set her gently into the seat, straightening the hospital gown around her to preserve her modesty then buckling the seat and shoulder belts over her emaciated frame. He turned to thank the nurse, only to find her halfway down the row of cars, her bag sitting half opened on the ground where the chair was.

“Thanks for nothing, Demon!” the nurse called over her shoulder. “And please, be a stranger! I’d be happy never seeing your damned face again!” She laughed happily to herself as she wheeled the chair back into the hospital.

Freddy turned back to Sunset, finding her smiling but tear stained face looking back at him. “I was a real bitch to her. I’m surprised she forgave me enough not to kill me outright.”

“That’s not an excuse for that behavior. She should be fired,” Freddy glared at the hospital.

“Please don’t. Let’s just go,” she begged. Sighing, Freddy relented, shutting her door and getting into the driver’s seat.

“Where to Sunset?” he asked, starting up the engine. She gave him the address and he pulled out of the lot, leaving that chapter of her life behind them.

The door was locked, padlocked even, with an eviction notice taped to the door. A ransacked box of things sat below, contents spilled out over the walkway. He scooped what was left back into the box, taking the notice down from the door.

On the back was a brief note giving the location of a storage unit with a note to get the combination for it from the clerk at the storage facility. He brought the box and note back to the car, handing them to Sunset, waiting still in the passenger's seat.

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” she sighed reading over the notice. “I was three months behind even before the accident. Surprised it took her this long to boot me out.”

She riffled through the box, holding up a torn and shredded dress. “So much for my wardrobe. I guess I’ll be wearing this gown for a bit longer,” she laughed mirthlessly.

She flipped the notice over, reading the note. “At least she didn’t just leave my computer out too. Small mercies there, thank harmony.”

“So next stop, the thrift shop,” stated Freddy.

“The thrift shop? Not the storage unit?” askes Sunset.

“Nope. Got to replace your wardrobe. Can’t have you traipsing around with that cute butt of yours hanging out,” smiled Freddy. He put the car into drive, merging into the passing traffic.

Sunset snorted out a laugh at his comment. “Trust me, no one has called my butt cute in years,” she snorted.

“They have now,” he grinned. “We’ll pick out some dresses and bloomers for you, then head over and pick up whatever is in the storage unit. Then you are moving in with me. No way am I letting a friend hang while I have a roof and bed to offer.”

“You have a spare bed?” she asked, surprised.

“Yup, mine. I’ll sleep on the couch. No arguments. We’ll get you back on your feet…” he stopped, and they both laughed at that.

“We’ll get you back on your feet and you can rebuild your life. And in the meantime, you have a friend who has your back, no judgements and no questions asked,” he promised.

Sunset smiled, taking his hand. “Thank you Freddy.”

“Thank you Sunset. You were there for me in my darkest hours. I’m just happy to have a chance to return the favor,” he smiled back.

He carried her into the thrift store, blushing madly as she hung on tightly while he kept the gown wrapped around her back and backside. He set her down in the changing room, returning with several dresses and shorts for her to select from. She described what look she was going for, taking two of the dresses that were a close match for what she wanted, while he left with the rest. A few minutes later he returned with a better selection.

He started to leave so she could change when she grabbed his hand.

“No! Stay! You’ve seen me already,” she blushed madly. “But more importantly this will go much quicker if I have your help. Stay. We can find me a few outfits to replace my damaged ones, then we can get my computer and return to your place.”

He nodded, then thought for a moment. “I knew we were forgetting something,” he mused.

“What?” she asked.

“What size shoe do you wear?” he asked her.

“Ah, yeah. Nine and a half narrow,” she answered.

His eyebrow went up. “Really! Big footed girl,” he mused.

She laughed, smacking his arm. “Shut up you!” she grinned. “Besides, just think how much taller I’d be if I didn’t have so much folded under.”

They both laughed at that.

“Okay, be right back. One pair of sexy red sneakers, 9 1/2 narrow,” he called out grinning. He ducked out of the changing room.

Sunset slipped out of the hospital gown, pulling on one of the chartreuse blouses before he returned. Pulling the curtains shut behind him, he knelt down before her, taking one of her legs to place her shoe on.

Looking up, he was staring right into a red bush and her scared abdomen. Sunset blushed again madly.

“That’s right, I was going to find some panties for you as well,” he commented, unable to look away from the flaming bush before him.

Sunset covered herself with her hands, still blushing. “Actually, don’t,” she said.

“Really? Why? You can’t be comfortable like that.” He nodded towards her crossed hands pressed flat over her exposed marehood, looking into her eyes. “I’m sure I can find something pretty.”

“It’s just, it feels weird wearing someone else’s used underwear,” Sunset stated awkwardly. “It just seems nasty.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I can kind of see that. Okay, when this is over, we’ll make a trip to Victorian Secrets and get you a few new pairs of your own, and some bras as well. Something sexy and comfortable so you can feel normal again.”

“I haven’t felt normal in so long I’m not sure I even know what the word means,” she signed. “But thank you. That would be wonderful.”

“So what do you want to do about this for now then?” he asked, gently lifting her hands from her womanhood. “Do you just want to get a pair of the shorts and wear them for now?”

Blushing madly again, she smiled and silently nodded. He smiled back at her, putting on her other shoe, then rising and kissing her on the forehead.

“You have nothing to blush about Sunset. You are a beautiful and wonderful woman, and no one will ever treat you poorly again for as long as I draw breath.” He smiled down at her. “Be right back. I think I saw a few shorts about your size that you may like.”

He left again as Sunset smoothed the sundress down over her legs grinning happily.

Returning, he had found three sets of leggings that she liked, as well as two pairs of shorts. Helping her into one of them, they pulled the tags off the clothes she was wearing, putting them into the pile with the rest of the clothes she had selected then wrapped them up in the gown.

Carrying her piggy back, she held the bundle as they joined the line for the cashier. When their turn came, she set the bundle down before the cashier.

“The tags for the clothes I am wearing are in there as well,” she offered as the woman working the register began scanning the item.

“Thank you for that,” smiled the woman at her. “You’d be amazed how many people forget to do that. It’s not like it’s easy to scan something when someone is wearing it,” she laughed.

“I can imagine,” Sunset smiled back.

“I’m not sure how to scan this,” commented the woman, looking for a tag on the gown. “What the heck is this anyway?”

“Ah, that’s the hospital gown I wore coming in here. I don’t imagine you have much demand for those. Though, if you love it that much, you’re more than welcome to keep it,” she snarked.

The cashier laughed, tossing it into her bag of purchases as well. “Nope. All yours sweetheart,” she snickered.

Pulling out his wallet while Sunset hung on around his neck, Freddy paid for their purchases. Returning the wallet, now slightly lighter, to his pocket as he handed the bag to Sunset, she rode off on her eccentric steed as the cashier laughed at their antics.

They pulled into the storage unit parking lot. Sunset scooped up the eviction notice with note as her ride gently lifted her from the car, shifting her around to ride piggy back again into the Storage facility offices.

“Hello!” he called out as they entered. “We’re here to reclaim some things from storage. Is there anyone who can help us?”

A young man came out from one of the doors behind the desk, starting slightly to see a man with a girl on his back smiling back at him.

“Uh.. can I help you?” he stuttered out.

“Sure can!” smiled Sunset back from her perch. “My stuff is in storage here. We just need to reclaim it.” She set the note down on the counter.

The young man picked it up, then walked over to the console. Typing in the code on the note, he nodded.

“Yeah. It’s one of the smaller personal storage units. You just need to pay the bill and I can open it up for you,” he answered.

Sunset rolled her eyes, “Of course it would be past due too. Old bat couldn’t even cover that.”

“No worries Sunset. I got this,” answered Freddy, struggling to get his wallet free as Sunset held on tightly. Wallet free at last, he turned to the young man. “So how much do we owe?” he asked.

He blanched a bit at the number given, but happily pulled out most of the remainder of greenery from his wallet, handing it over to the youth who rang them up and wrote a few numbers down on the back of their receipt.

“That’s the number of the unit, and the temporary passcode to get in. I’ll walk you to it. They are a bit hard to find if you don’t know your way around,” he offered.

Coming around the counter, he led them down a series of hallways. He stopped before what looked like a closet door among rows of closet doors. Taking the receipt back from Sunset, he entered the code and opened the door for them, stepping aside.

“We rent carts too if you need one, though not sure you will,” he said, looking in at the meager pile of Sunset’s belongings stacked in one small corner of the closet. “Just let me know when you’re done or if you need anything. Later!” He wandered back down the hallway then away from sight.

“I wonder if we should have asked him to leave a trail of breadcrumbs,” Sunset snarked as he left. “How many turns was that? We must be deep into the center of this place.”

“Yeah, that was a bit confusing. Glad he offered to show us where it was or we would still be hunting for it. So how do you want to do this?” he asked.

“If you didn’t have to carry me, I’d guess you could get all of it in two trips,” she laughed. “I’d offer to just stay and let you carry it out, but I’m half afraid I’d never see you again.”

“Hey, I’d never abandon you. Friends for life, girl,” he replied, slightly offended.

“No, not like that. I meant that you’d get lost and never be heard from,” she grinned.

“It was confusing, but no, I don’t think it was that bad. And if I do get lost, I am sure our friend out front would be happy to help me, if only to catch another glance at that hot girl I’m with,” he laughed. Sunset blushed and smacked his arm.

“Don’t get lost. I don’t want to die here,” she joked.

Setting her down, he picked up the computer and one of the other boxes. “Wow, that’s heavy. What do you have here? Books?” he asked with a grunt.

“Maybe?” she laughed.

“Are you sure you want to do this? I don’t mind just paying him for a cart and keeping you with me,” he offered.

“I’ll be fine. Just don’t get lost,” she laughed, smacking him on his flank. “Go on. Hurry up. Don’t make me die of old age waiting for you.”

He laughed, heading down the hall with his boxes as she watched him leave.

Sunset sat humming to herself, trying not to think of how alone she was in the middle of a large maze of rooms that no one ever checked. Ever.

That line of thought was not working so she hummed even louder.

Unbidden, memories of laying bleeding and alone on the gym floor came to her, bruised, battered and broken, completely naked, covered in blood, fluids and shame. Shutting her eyes, she cowered into the corner trying desperately not to remember as she shook in terror.

An eternity later, she heard footsteps that turned to running. Freddy slid into her and pulled her close.

“Sunset! Sunset, it’s okay! I’m here! Sunset!” he called out, cradling her to him while he gently rocked her back and forth. “You’re not alone Sunset. I’m right here,” he soothed.

Hearing his voice break through the hell of her memories, she gasped and clutched tightly to him and cried desperately. She wept as she held him tightly, not daring to let go or lose for fear of losing him, of losing herself, of being drowned in the memories of her rape and abandonment.

He kissed her forehead, soothing her bangs and rubbing her head gently. He soothed her back, his cheek pressing against hers, whispering assurances in her ear that he would not leave her, never leave her again.

Slowly her tears slowed and shivers stilled. Holding tightly to him, she shook slightly, her body still remembering even as she shut the memories from her mind. He gently picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

Holding her tightly to him with one hand, he reached down and grabbed the twine of the last box, dragging it out behind them. He kicked the door shut as he left.

He came out of the hallway, passing by the front desk.

“Hey! Mister! Wait up for a sec!” called out the young man who had helped them. A moment later, he emerged from the office pushing a battered wheelchair.

“I saw this in the lost and found. For all I know it could be yours. Here, take it!” he offered, wheeling it up next to them. Thanking him, Freddy set Sunset down gratefully into the chair.

Sunset looked it over. “You found my chair! I wondered what happened to it,” she mused, reaching around and feeling the wheels.

Smiling, she popped a wheelie, balancing it on the two wheels. “Yeah, this is my chair alright. Thanks!” she called out to the young man, popping it back down. “I really appreciate this.”

“No problem. I’m happy to have found it. I can’t imagine you’d want to be carried everywhere,” he laughed.

“It had its advantages,” smiled Sunset up at her friend, who blushed. “Just the same, I’m very glad to have my wheels back. Thank you!”

“You're so welcome. Have a great day you two!” he said in farewell as they left the building. Sunset raced ahead to the car while Freddy followed with the last box. Meeting her at the car, he opened up her door and placed the box in the trunk while she transferred into the passenger seat. Returning to her side, he took the chair, folded it up, then placed it into the trunk. Hopping into the driver's seat he started the car and drove them off to their last stop.

Well, second to last stop. He had to make a quick visit to the ATM, having run through his available funds after paying the outstanding bill on the storage unit. But now cash in hand, they were at their last stop, Victorian Secrets. Time for Sunset to get the last things she needed to be completely comfortable in her new situation.

Removing her chair from the trunk, he set it up then brought it over to her door where she expertly transferred into it then rolled over to wait beside him as he locked up the car.

“Lead on Macduff, and damned be she who first cries hold, enough!” he grinned, waving her towards the store.

Laughing and shaking her head, she rolled up, then into the store as he held the door open for her. He followed her as she headed past the rows of suggestive lingerie towards the more sedate offerings towards the back of the store.

“Do you want me to wait for you outside?” he asked as she sorted through the selection of panties.

She shot him a deadpan stare. “You’re kidding right? What happened to ‘I’ll never leave you, Sunset’?” she asked.

“I’m not leaving!” he insisted. “I just thought you might like some privacy for this.”

“After all we’ve been through? I’m done with privacy for a while. Get over here. You’re helping me with this. Come on,” she said, selecting several boxes.

She came across a clear plastic box, a lacy black sheer thong with a sheer lace strip in the front and laced elastic bands comprising the entirety of the panty. “What about this one? You like it?” she asked.

Freddy looked away blushing madly. “What in the seven hells would you wear that for?” he gasped in embarrassment.

“I’ve seen the looks you give my firebush. I bet this one would take your breath away,” she teased as she put it with the other boxes.

Shaking his head, he laughed, still blushing madly. “Sunset, you’re incorrigible.”

“Guilty as charged!” she grinned, rolling into the dressing rooms. Freddy stayed standing by the panty display. Sunset stopped, giving him another deadpan stare. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“Uh…” he started.

“Come on,” she nodded, heading back into the dressing rooms. “Get in here!” He followed, bright cherry red in embarrassment.

Several minutes later they returned, Freddy grinning and blushing furiously. Sunset grinned as she held her boxes of panties, the clear plastic of the lace one conspicuously empty. “These will do. Now that we’ve covered the carpet, it's time to trim the drapes.”

She led him over to the bras, digging through and selecting several she thought might work. She picked one final selection, an extremely lacy red and black scoop bra, one that barely looked like it would cover anything but might do a decent job of holding things together while presenting them in a way that fired imagination. She held it up, raising an eyebrow in question and getting a bashful nod from him. Smiling, she put it in with the others.

She rolled towards the room again to note him once again standing like a loon next to the bra display.

“Oh no, you don’t,” she laughed, returning. She got behind him and gave him a gentle shove. “In you go. You know the stall. Get in there. I’m not doing this alone, you know.”

She laughingly followed him in, giving a gentle shove every time he slowed. Several minutes later they again emerged minus a certain red and black item, its tag in her lap with the rest of her selections. Rolling up to the cashier, they checked out. Freddy happily handed over another pinch of green when requested. Together, they returned to the car. Freddy placed their purchases in the trunk followed by the chair once Sunset transferred.

Then it was off to his apartment.

“I guess I didn’t think this through,” said Freddy, looking at the stairs to his apartment.

“Ya think?” she snarked. He looked over to her, looking hurt. “Hey, don’t take it like that. You know I’m a snarky girl. We’ll figure this out. You could just carry me up,” she offered.

“I could, but do you want me carrying you up and down every time you want to go anywhere? Won’t that get old?” he asked.

“Why, do you plan on leaving me often?” she laughed. “Unless you don’t like the workout,”

“Pfht! Girl I’ve had dogs heavier than you,” he laughed.

“But not ponies?” she asked.

“Never had one,” he admitted.

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” she chuckled.

“Uh… what are we talking about again?” he asked, confused.

Sunset just laughed then said, “Okay, loverboy. Time to get your fair maiden up to the castle. How do you want to do this?”

“I think if I got a good running start, I could probably pitch you chair and all onto the balcony,” he offered. She whipped back around to see him smirking. “Gotcha.”

“That would be a hard no,” she laughed. “Try again.”

“I’ll take your chair up with our purchases, open up the apartment, then come back and get you. Then, while you get settled, I’ll come back and get the rest of your stuff. Then I’ll park the car and join you. Sounds like a plan?” he offered.

Sunset transferred to the bottom steps of the stairway. “I’ll be here chillin like a villain. Hurry back,” she grinned.

He folded up her chair, grabbing the bags with her new clothes then scurried up the stairs to his, no, their apartment. Opening the door and setting up her chair, he returned, pulling her up into his arms.

“I could get used to this,” she smiled, planting a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

“No problem, Sunset. Anything for a dear friend,” he smiled as he carried her up the stairs. When they got to the top, he entered the apartment, placing her gently in her chair.

Smiling, she took her bags of clothing into the single bedroom as he bounded back down the stairs to park the car and bring up the rest of their purchases.

Several trips later, he locked the door behind him, setting the last of her boxes on his smallish dining room slash kitchen slash living room table. He then joined her in the bedroom where she was placing her new things in the bottom drawer.

“You don’t have to take the bottom drawer Sunset. You can have any of them,” offered Freddy.

“Nah, this works for me. I’m closer to it than you are anyways. It’s all good,” she replied, placing the last item then shutting the drawer.

“So where is the rest of the stuff?” she asked.

“I placed it all on the table,” he replied. She wheeled out to sort through it.

“Wow, all my life’s accumulations fit on one small table,” she laughed.

“To that I can so relate,” he grinned. “So, almost dinner time. Are you hungry? After basically not eating for weeks, I have to imagine you are. What do you want to eat?” he asked.

“Actually they did feed me in the hospital. I saw from the bill they slipped in my bag. I had a feeding tube for some time. Who knew those were so expensive. Anyways, yeah, I am kind of hungry. I don’t eat meat. I hope that’s not a problem for you. But how about pizza? Feel like splitting a veggie pizza with me?” she asked. “Uh.. but I do have to beg. Can you cover it? I am more than a bit broke at the moment.”

“No worries. Until you get back on your feet, anything you need, you get. I’m happy to help a dear friend,” assured Freddy. “And pizza sounds great. Do you mind calling it in? Nature’s calling, and I can’t keep putting her on hold,” he answered, heading into the bathroom.

Sunset laughed. “Yeah I got it.”

His wallet sailed out of the bathroom, landing on the floor beside her. “Sorry! Forgot you’ll need that to order. Just use my bankcard. It should have enough to cover it,” he called out.

Laughing, Sunset called out “Thank you!” She scooped up the wallet then rolled over to the counter. She pulled her cell phone from her purse. Selecting her favorite pizza place on speed dial, she pressed the button.

“Phillipes' Pizza. How can I help you?” answered a kindly voice.

“Hey Phillipes', I’d like to order my usual,” laughed Sunset.

“Sunset! Damn, girl! Good to hear from you! I heard you were in a coma. Folks were talking like no one would ever hear your voice again,” said Phillipe, “Man am I glad to hear they were wrong.”

“No, they were right about the coma. Just woke up from it this morning. I’m now out of the hospital and staying with a friend until I get my life back together. Hey, do you have buffalo wings too?” she asked.

“Yeah, I do. Don’t tell me you’re giving up your tree hugging ways?” he laughed.

“Nah. My friend doesn’t share my beliefs, so I wanted to get him something too,” answered Sunset.

“Him, huh? Must be a pretty special friend,” noted Phillipe.

“Yup. The best! The kind that helps bury the bodies,” laughed Sunset. “Can you add a liter of cola and some sides, and maybe a desert? What’s the damage?”

“For you, nothing. This one’s gratis. Call it a celebration. My favorite customer is back from the dead. So where does this friend live so I can get my gift to you?” he asked. She gave him the address, along with her undying thanks.

Freddy returned, shaking his hands dry.

“You know, if you pee on your hands, you’re supposed to wash them, not just shake them off,” teased Sunset.

“I think I know how to use a toilet without peeing on myself,” he laughed back. “But I did run out of towels. I need to do some laundry.”

“You don’t have clean laundry?” asked Sunset, surprised.

“Yeah, I was a bit preoccupied spending time with a friend in need,” he smiled.

“Fair, and thank you,” she laughed. “I’d be happy to run it for you. The laundry, I mean."

“We can run it together. More fun with company anyway. So, how’d your happy hunting for our dinner go?” he asked.

“On its way and gratis. He’s an old friend too, and was happy to hear I’m no longer the Canterlot State Vegetable,” she smiled.

“Another old friend? Should I be jealous?" Freddy laughed.

“Oh, absolutely!” grinned Sunset, striking a sultry pose and looking back over her shoulder, “You know how many men would swoon for a chance at my hand?” She blinked fetchingly then burst out laughing.

Freddy grinned. “Only every man who’s ever met you, and they would all be lucky to have you, even for a moment.”

Sunset blushed. “Flatterer! Well too bad for them, I’m yours now. I guess you’ll just have to figure out what you want to do with me!”

“Make you smile every moment for the rest of your life, then dry your tears when I can’t,” smiled Freddy.

Sunset melted. “Damn Freddy, you really know how to melt a woman’s heart,” she grinned.

“There’s no other woman for me than you, my friend,” Freddy smiled kindly.

“Okay, let’s put a pin in that. If we keep going down this road, I swear I’ll be bearing your foals,” Sunset laughed.

“A man can dream,” laughed Freddy. “Foals?”

“Long story. You’lll probably get a kick out of it. Tell you later.

“So, do you have internet?” she deflected.

Dinner arrived. Sunset and Freddy both thanked the delivery man, Phillipe himself.

“I just had to come see for myself. I needed to know you were alright and in a good place,” Philipe had commented. He thoroughly approved of her new friend, congratulating him on snagging Sunset’s heart, and made him promise to take care of her. It was a promise easily given by the smitten Freddy.

As they ate, Sunset poured through code on her laptop, typing with one hand while enjoying her pizza in the other.

“Thank you for thinking of me and getting the hot wings. That was very thoughtful, Sunset,” Freddy thanked her.

“Anything for my dearest friend,” agreed Sunset, nose deep in code.

“So, what are you doing there?” Freddy asked curiously. “Is that the avatar I uh… did things with before? You did a fantastic job with her. I was certain that it was really you.”

“It was really me in every way that mattered,” said Sunset, not looking up from her code as she noshed down her pizza slice. “Only my physical reality was replaced by the avatar. Our conversations, our interactions, those were all real. I really did care about you and spend time with you. I just didn’t do all the naughty things, not because I didn’t want you, but just because, well…” she briefly looked down at her body, “... broken, as you see. But you really had my heart. Not everyone can say that.”

She stopped for a moment and took a breath.

Looking over at him, she sighed. “In fact, I have to be honest, Freddy. Not anyone else can say that. Since my rape and beating, I have forced everyone in my life away. I kept them at arm's length. I never let anyone get close. I never wanted to be hurt like that ever again.

“When you came along I thought at first you were like the rest, just another guy looking to get your rocks off. But when we talked I could feel your concern. You cared. Yes you thought I was hot. You reacted like everyone else when I played. But all through you cared about me. You asked about how I was feeling, what I was doing, what I liked and loved. And you remembered, and looked things up that we talked about so we could talk about them more when we spoke again.

“I wasn’t just a hot piece. I was a person, and to you, I mattered. That hit my heart so hard. I have been so alone, and I told myself I was comfortable with that. For so long, I had forgotten how warm my heart could feel when basking in another’s love. I fell in love with you Freddy. I didn’t want to admit it, but I’d already started loving you, fantasizing to myself that maybe someday, you might love me. Love the real me.

“Then the accident happened. Do you know what my final thought was as I was flying through my windshield, in shock and blacking out? I felt sadness. I was sad because I thought that was the end and I was never going to really meet you . That I would never get a chance to know you for real.

“Then I woke up in the hospital, dazed and confused and freaking out because I could feel someone touching my naked, unprotected body.

“I was flashing back to my rape and beating, shaking inside but afraid to shake for real in case you were one of those freaks that got triggered by that. I didn’t know it was you. My eyes were screwed tightly shut and I was still dazed. My only returned memories at that point were my beating and rape.

“When you touched me there, when you cleaned my marehood and you didn’t force yourself on me but instead carefully and thoughtfully washed then dried me, and then moved on to the rest of me? That snapped me out of the hell I was locked into reliving.

“When I opened my eyes and saw you. I knew then in my heart I was safe, with a dear friend even though I still didn’t recognize you. I cried tears of relief, shutting my eyes so I wouldn’t alarm you or stop you. I was so happy to have someone who cared for me caring for me.

“The more I realized how blessed I was in that moment, the more I thought of how safe I was in your arms, the more I wept in pure joy. It was all I could do to keep from gasping out in tears of joy. When you spoke to me, when you called me by name? My heart melted in happiness, and as I opened my eyes my memories started to clear.

“I could not believe my good fortune. The man I had fantasized over, the one man I wept over at the moment of my death, he was here. I was in his arms, he was speaking softly to me, telling me he cared, that he loved me. That I was his friend, and he would be with me forever, for as long as I wanted him. As I realized it was you my heart nearly broke in happiness.

“I love you, Freddy. I know that’s insane to say. We don’t even really know each other. Not yet, but I know in my heart. Freddy, I can’t think of anyone in this or any other world I want to spend eternity with but you. You have filled my soul, and I want to spend an eternity returning the love you have given me. I love you Freddy, and I want to keep loving you for as long as there is breath in my body.”

Sunset bowed her head, tears pouring from her eyes from the strength of her feelings and the depths of her confession.

Freddy looked at her in complete happiness. Dropping to his knees, he knelt before her and took her hands.

Reaching up he gently dried her tears with his thumb, gazing up lovingly into her wet teal eyes.

“Sunset Shimmer, I have loved you almost from the time I laid eyes on you. My love for you was carnal at first. But as we talked and shared I fell in love with your soul, more beautiful than any avatar, full of light and goodness and everything I had ever hoped for in a friend.

“Sunset Shimmer, I love you so completely it hurts. It hurts because I know there will be moments when we’re apart, and parting from you is grief unremitting until I once again see your beautiful face, beholding your beauty with my own eyes,” he smiled up to her.

“You mean my scarred and damaged face. Only a fool would call me beautiful now,” she said sadly.

“Then I am that fool and will be for as long as breath is in my body.

“Sunset Shimmer, there is no one in this, or any other world as you say, that I love or adore so completely as I love and adore you. You are the radiant sun that lights my world. The beautiful stars that fill my dreams. You are my shining star. The woman of my dreams who fills my every thought and completes my every joy just by her very presence.

“Sunset, you complete me. Not by anything you do or have done. Not by anything you may do. Sunset you complete me by your very presence. Just to be with you fills my life with such joy I cannot fathom ever being apart from you. Sunset Shimmer, I love you. You are my dearest friend,” said Freddy.

Sunset’s eyes were closed, tears streaming as she smiled happily.

Leaning in, Freddy kissed her on her forehead, her cheek, and then chastely kissed her lips holding her close.

“I will never leave you, Sunset. Death itself can’t take you from my thoughts or dreams,” he promised.

Sunset placed her arms tightly around him, pulling him into herself as she whispered over and over softly. “I love you, I love you, I love you…”

He held her there until she stopped crying. A few minutes later, she took a deep breath, opening her eyes and looking up hopefully into his.

“So now you know. I’m yours. You know my deepest feelings, and I know yours. What we do going forward is ours to decide,” she stated, looking hopeful.

“And whatever we decide, we will do it together. And together we will rise above every challenge life throws at us,” he finished.

“And the first one is how we survive,” she noted, drying her eyes. “You’ve lost your job, and I’m handicapped. Our options aren’t particularly good,” she stated.

“Are you going to go back to your work?” he asked. “Clearly you found a way to overcome your handicap there.”

“I am,” Sunset agreed. “But not back to that. Those intimacies are only for you now, virtual or otherwise. I do, however, have another idea.

“I’ll start a gaming blog, and my avatar can play video games with me as we blog. It might even turn into something bigger than my … uh… other site.” She looked at him hopefully.

“Then I will do everything I can to support you in that,” he stated. “I love you Sunset, and I’ll do everything I can to help you succeed.”

“Good,” she smiled. “You’re my co-host. Bone up on your gaming skills,” she snickered.

“Like I ever had any. Guess I’ll be learning,” he joked back.

“But I have to ask. What do you mean, foals?” he asked, perplexed.

“That’s a long story. Guess this is the perfect time to tell it. Get some coffee, this may take a while,” Sunset grinned.

Holding her hands, Fred sat completely gobsmacked.

“So, wow… that’s a… that’s a lot to take in,” he commented, looking away for a moment.

Sunset squeezed his hands, concern written large on her face. “Too much? Change your mind about me?” she asked in trepidation.

“Never!” he stated, looking back into her eyes. He grinned. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from you!”

“Okay, that was horrible. Seriously just horrible,” she laughed in relief. “I think you need to leave the pony puns to me. Let the professionals handle it.”

Freddy laughed, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you for that, Sunset. And honestly, how you got here isn’t going to scare me away. I love you. The real you, whoever she may be. Cute pony, beautiful woman, don’t care. Amazingly beautiful heart, and everything else is amazingly cute window dressing. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, lover,” he grinned, holding her tightly.

Smiling, Sunset hugged him back. “Wouldn’t want to. I’m keeping you forever, Freddy. Don’t you dare try to escape my clutches,” she grinned.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he hugged her back. “So, do you ever think about going back? Do you miss it?”

“Sort of? I do miss Twilight. I wish she wasn’t such a twat. She doesn’t get that things don’t work here like they do in Equestria. She wants me to reconcile with my ex-friends, but they seriously want nothing to do with me. Even seeing me reduced to this didn’t move them, so I seriously doubt there is anything I can do that will change that, not that I haven’t tried,” she admitted.

“Well whenever you do decide to go back, whether just to visit or to stay, there’ll be another pony, or whatever I turn into I guess, right by your side. I’d follow you through the gates of hell itself, so ponyland won’t phase me,” he promised.

“Equestria, not ponyland you dork,” she teased him.

“And thank you. Knowing you support me, that’s a huge relief. Almost as much as finally telling you the truth about me and having you still accept me,” she continued. “I don’t know when, but when I do go back, having you by my side will make whatever comes of it more bearable.”

“Whenever you decide to go, I will drive you there and we will go together,” promised Freddy.

Sunset dug through the box on the table.

“Oh thank Harmony, it’s still here,” she said happily as she pulled out a large tome, bound in what looked like leather with a stylized Sun on the cover, Yin/Yang symbol embedded in its middle.

“Is that your mark, the one you were describing?” asked Freddy as she opened the book to the first blank page, then returned to rummaging through the box looking for a working pen.

“Yeah, that’s my cutiemark,” she replied, trying pens one by one on a piece of scrap, tossing the dead ones to the end of the table until she found one working.

“That symbolized who I was, or at least, I thought it did. I thought it meant I was going to rule side by side with my mentor,” she continued as she started writing on the blank page in the book.

“This book is a magical journal. It started as a way to dialogue between my mentor and myself when I was just a foal, just starting out learning my magic. When she was away doing her Princess stuff I could put my thoughts, concerns, and questions here, or just shared what I had learned, and she would respond when she had a chance. It made me feel special.

“In fact, as you noticed, a bit too special. But after coming here, Twilight started journaling with me. It kept me sane at first, having someone who believed in me, someone I could talk to that accepted me and forgave me for everything I had done.

“But after my rape and beating, Twililght insisted I make up with the girls, her and my ex-friends. She was sure if I just approached them, told them it wasn’t me, that they would ask for forgiveness and we would all be friends again.

“I told her she was being naive, that wasn’t how things worked in this world, but she was insistent so I tried. I asked the girls if we could meet together, and with some hesitancy, they all agreed.

“When I told them anon-a-miss wasn’t me, and that I was sorry for everything they had gone through, they all decided that was the last straw. They said they only came because they wanted to give me one more chance to admit I had done it, been the author of the blog that ruined so many friendships and lives, and that they had been ready to forgive me, to take me back into their friendship and let me work my way back into their good graces.

“But if I didn’t even have the decency to admit to what I had done even after everyone knew it was me, then they were through wasting any part of their lives on me.

“They left, and I haven’t heard a kind word from them since. They wrote me out of their lives like I never existed, never mattered. They had promised they would never leave me, but they did. They left and didn’t look back.

“Twilight was sure I must have just said something wrong. She said I should just keep trying until they saw reason, that someponies were just stubborn after being hurt.

“She was adamant that I learn Friendship. She said this was my assignment. I was to make amends with my friends. That would prove I had truly learned Friendship, that I had taken the values of Harmony into my heart and made a new mare of myself. She said once I had done that, I would be welcome back into Equestria, and into her life, but until then, I needed to decide who I really was.

“Was I a friend? Or somepony who would never give her hurt friends a second chance.”

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” said Fred, incredulous as he held her. “So she cut you out of her life too? What the actual fuck!”

“I was crushed. She wouldn’t respond to my messages, except to remind me of my assignment. And every time I tried in desperation to reach out to my ex-friends, they just rebuffed me or worse. I stopped even trying after a while, so sick of being hurt and rejected. And Twilight stopped messaging me, saying not to contact her until I decided to be a Friend to everyone again.” she sighed.

“I swear, right now I just want to punch her smug face hearing you say that,” Freddy seethed.

“Please don’t,” insisted Sunset. “I just want her to stop trying to force something that will never happen, and take me back as a friend. I miss her,” she admitted.

“You need a better friend than that,” said Freddy angrily. “Friends don’t cut each other off when they don’t like something that they did or that happened. They talk and work through things, and when they can’t they accept each other where they’re at and love them anyway. Anything short of that isn’t friendship, it’s bullshit!”

“”I’m sure she will figure that out someday,” stated Sunset sadly. “Until then, I was alone. Until you found me.”

“I swear you will never be alone again,” he promised. He hugged her tightly.

Sunset had hooked her laptop up to the TV, controllers paired and game ready to go.

“Okay, partner! Time for our first foray together. Come on over!” She transferred over to his couch, controllers in hand. He took a seat next to her, snug up against her as he took one of the controllers from her.

“So you know how to work those, right?” she asked “You mentioned you played games before.”

“Yeah, not with anything remotely resembling skill, but yeah I know how they work. What game are we playing?” he asked.

“We’ll start simple, some old console games to let you get a feel for using the controller again. Then we’ll work up to some of the funner more demanding stuff,” she answered. She loaded up the first game, a simple one requiring only getting your frog across a busy street.

After a half an hour of splats and laughter, they moved on to a more adventurous game, not just a side scroller but something with a few more degrees of freedom. Freddy adapted well enough to at least stay alive with some help and pointers from his gaming girlfriend as they laughed their way through several levels of the game.

“It’s getting kind of late, and I am getting pretty sleepy. I’m going to call it a night. Can you get off my bed so I can get some sleep?” teased Sunset.

“Oh hella no. Girl, you get the bed, I am taking the couch,” Freddy shot back. He put the controllers back with the TV and turned off the laptop and television. Behind him, Sunset had sprawled out on the couch, clutching one of the throw pillows under her head as she pretended to snore.

Laughing, Freddy scooped her up into his arms, getting a laughing startled yelp from her as he did so.

“You are getting into that bed, young woman, and no arguing!” he laughed.

Sunset looked up into his eyes, waggling her eyebrows. “I love a man who knows what he wants. Take me, oh master!” she giggled.

“I am! Taking you to your bed. Silly mare,” he laughed.

Setting her down in the bed, he proceeded to undress her.

‘Oh you move fast,” she snarked. “No foreplay? No tender whispers first?” she laughed.

He bent down into her ear. “I love you. Now get ready for bed, brat!”

Down to her new red and black barely there panties and what would have to be called more a bustier than a bra, she smirked. “Okay, dressed for bed. Like what you see?”

“Love what and who I see with all my heart,” he agreed.

He pulled the covers up over her, heading over to the couch with a spare blanket. He heard a rustle behind him, turning around to see she had pulled the covers back down.

“Oh no, where are you going?” she laughed. “This is your bed. Get over here.”

“And now it is your bed. Good night, Sunset,” he laughed, stripping down to his underwear preparing to sleep.

“Oh Freddy…” Sunset called out, covers thrown back.

Freddy turned back, then laughed as she wiggled her eyebrows.

“Happy to know I can still get your attention… even with my broken body. Come here, Freddy. Lay with me and hold me close. Show me you love me and never want to let me go. Snuggle with me. Please, Freddy. Show me you love me,” she asked, her eyes tearing.

Freddy sat on the bed next to her, pulling her up into his arms.

“Sunset, I love you so much it hurts. And the thought of you hurting terrifies me. I never want to hurt you. I’m afraid I would hurt you so much you would never forgive me.

“Sunset, you are the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I want to take you in my arms right now and hold you forever.

‘’But I can’t. I know what you endured at the hands of others. If I were ever to hurt you as they did I could never live with myself. I would rather go the rest of my life without loving you in that way rather than hurt you. I love you with all my heart Sunset.

“So if you want, I will sleep with you. I will hold you tightly, and whisper sweet love into your ears and heart. But I can’t do more. I need you. I love you and will do whatever you need to let you feel that love. I don’t need what we pretended before, I need you.”

He laid down beside her, holding her tightly against him as he kissed her forehead, gently rubbing her back as she lay against him.

He felt her hands trancing their way down his chest.

“Sunset, what are you doing? Please stop” he begged. “Sunset, you’ve suffered enough. Please don’t let me hurt you.”

“No, I need to know there is a way to have someone so close to me that isn’t rape, that isn’t someone horribly taking away my dignity. Give me back my dignity Freddy. Give me a chance to have intimacy back in my life,” Sunset begged back.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, Sunset enjoying one of the first nights in a very long time free of the hellish dreams that had plagued her for years. She listened to his soft snoring as she snuggled closer, gently cradling his head.

“I love you, Freddy. I love you so much,” she breathed into his ear.

He smiled, eyes still closed. “I love you too Sunset,” he mumbled, moments later resuming his snoring.

A tear fell unbidden down her cheek, her face lit with a joyful smile.

Morning came soon enough. Smiling, he had cradled her to him, carrying her around the apartment with one arm, her pelvis riding on his hip and arms wrapped around him as he pulled one of the plastic chairs from his kitchen table into the shower with them, setting her on it and adjusting the water.

When it was warm enough, he rinsed them both down, letting her soak in the blissful warm stream as he washed himself. Rinsing quickly he set to washing her, gently and affectionately starting with her amazing red and gold hair, then working his way down her magnificent but broken body.

When it was time to wash her marehood and backside, he lifted her up into his arms, then sat in the chair, placing her down straddled over him. He lathered up a washcloth with some tearless soap he had found, then gently started on her marehood, carefully working around and through her folds before moving onto her now exposed backside.

“I love you, Freddy, in every way, in every moment. I don’t care if we ever even eat, all I care about is spending every moment of the rest of my life with you,” she whispered into his ear.

“Me either,” he sighed happily. “I love you Sunset.”

Shower forgotten, they basked in each other’s love, warm water washing away their cares.

When the water started getting cold, he turned off the shower, drying his love first then setting her in the chair wrapped in the towel for warmth while he found another towel for himself, drying quickly then carrying his love to their room.

He set her on the bed then went to the dresser, pulling out the clothes as she selected her wardrobe for the day, a light blue sundress over tan shorts. He brought them to the bed along with another pair of panties and the blue bra, the sexy set needing a trip through the wash. He dressed her, helping her into her clothes.

A while later they bundled up the laundry, placing it all in his small hamper.

“Why don’t you carry me down first, then bring the laundry and supplies,” offered Sunset. “I can sit on the machine and reserve it for us until you get back.”

Freddy laughed, but scooped her up into his arms. He traipsed down the stairs and across the small quad to the shared laundry room, setting her on the unused second unit.

She sat there grinning as he left to get her chair and the laundry.

Returning shortly he saw her smiling with her eyes closed as she hummed happily.

“Uh, Sunset… you okay?” he asked with a laugh, pushing the chair with laundry and supplies over next to their open machine. With her off the lid it was easy enough to load and get started.

“So ready for your chair? He asked, ready to lift her from the machine and back onto her chair.

A few minutes later one of the older residents wandered in, a basket under her arm. She looked up, surprised others were in the laundry.

After one look at the two of them kissing, she turned back around.

“Nope! Nope nope nope!” she muttered as she opened the door and left.

Neither Sunset nor Freddy seemed to notice the interruption.

When the time came to switch the load, Sunset laughed as he put the basket on the still full but silent second machine, setting her down into her chair.

“I’m surprised she never came to get her laundry,” said Freddy as he proceeded to unload their washer into one of the open dryers, starting it up. He returned to the washer, loading up their remaining load.

They almost didn't notice when the load finally finished. With a final kiss, Freddy set Sunset on the other washer while he removed the load.

“Well, not clean exactly, but clean enough I think,” he smirked, turning to lift her from the washer and place her back down into her chair.

Taking the basket she rolled over to the dryer, unloading the now dry laundry and dumping it onto the folding table, then rolling back over to Freddy to load it up with the washed clothes. When he had filled the basket, she rolled back over to load them into the dryer while he started folding their clothes. Dryer started, she joined him and they made short work of the pile, stacking them by the basket.

“So, anything else you want to do in here?” she asked playfully.

He snickered. “I could just hold you in my arms, and we can share stories and pass the time like old friends.”

She looked at him like he was crazy, then thought for a moment.

“That works for me,” she smiled. “Come sit here with me,” she teased.

Freddy laughed. “That’s not really an old friend kind of thing,” he volunteered. “But, yeah sure.” He picked her up. Sitting down in her chair, he sat her in his lap.

“Hmmmm… come to Mama,” she purred, snuggling in close. “So what did you want to talk about?” she asked.

“Anything you want,” he happily answered, looking contentedly into her eyes. “Anything you want to know, anything you want to share, anything. You start.”

Sunset told him stories about her growing up in the castle, the ward of the crown and the princess’ protegee. She told happy stories of the mares… well, two mares and a vixen, who were her sisters and dearest friends growing up, and of their misadventures together.

She told sad stories of her rebellion against her mentor, of fleeing to this world with one of her sisters. She told the tale of meeting another sister in this world who had become dear to her, only to lose her to a freak accident just before they graduated from junior high. Then losing her other sister, the friend who had come to this world with her, during a tragic attack only months later. All before high school even started.

Then she told the sadder tale of her friends. How she decided friendship was the source of pain. Her decision that everyone would be better off without it. How she sabotaged their friendships with each other and herself, seeking to spare them the pain that came with friendship’s inevitable end.

She shared how the little sisters she had left behind both became princesses. How the youngest traveled into this realm to stop her after she stole her crown and magic, then attempted to invade her own land, intent on stopping the suffering of heartache by overthrowing her old mentor.

She told of her defeat. How her little sister, now a princess in her own right, had marshaled her friends to soundly defeat her, now lost and broken and bewildered by how wrong she had been.

But she didn’t leave her lost. Her sister had reached out to her, embraced and forgiven her, then encouraged her friends to do the same.

And they had. For a time.

Until Sunset slipped back into her old ways.

Or so they thought. A group of young girls, the sisters of her friends she suspected but could never prove, had framed her for a site that told all the gossip and secrets of the students and staff at the high school. Despite her protestations that it wasn’t her, no one believed her, not even her own principals.

Then she told of the deception, brutal attack and rape that had broken her body and soul completely. Worse was finding that even after her recovery and return, broken for life by her brutalization, her friend still did not believe her, and would not forgive her until she admitted her wrongs and apologized for what she had done.

After everything she had suffered from the actions of others, that was a bridge she couldn’t cross, not even for the love of her ex-friends.

Worse still was the intractable insistence of her little sister, her only remaining friend, that she must make up with them. And then being cut off by that sister, the only friend she believed was still in her corner when that didn’t, couldn’t, happen.

Alone and shunned, she had tried to find any way to continue to support herself, finding the story of her actions had made the rounds of the entire town, no one wanting to hire the girl who had wrecked so many lives and reputations.

She had been forced to be resourceful, hiring her skills out as a programmer and operator. But one by one her jobs were informed of who she really was, and they disappeared like mists before the rising sun.

She finally ended with the job she had, selling her body and soul moments at a time to those who cared less and wanted more than she was ever supposed to give. And she gave it completely and repeatedly because it was the only way she had to keep the lights on, a roof over her head, and food on the table.

Then the accident, waking up to him, and her life as a dream from that moment on.

She was weeping on his shoulder at this point in shared sorrow.

Kissing her gently and drying her tears, he told her how delighted he was that she was in his life. How happy she had made him from the moment they first met, both virtually and in reality. He renewed the promise to always be by her side, to be her sword and shield against anything life threw against her.

Kissing her, holding her, in her soul and body, he pledged himself to her completely.

She wept with joy holding tightly to him in happiness.

The laundry finally finished and folded, Freddy wheeled Sunset back to the steps, where he gently took her into his arms and returned her to their apartment. Returning for her chair and their laundry, he brought them up, returning her to her chair as they put the laundry away.

“We really need to go shopping,” he commented as they put the clean laundry away. “We can’t keep getting take out, and I don’t imagine we will be getting it free from now on.”

“No, that was definitely a one time thing. Take out isn’t cheap,” agreed Sunset. “Actually nothing is cheap nowadays.”

“True that,” he agreed. “So feel up to a little shopping?”

“Hmmm… sure!” she agreed, giving him a sultry look.

“Sunset, we are not initiating anything in the store,” he laughed.

“You never know,” she teased.

“I’m pretty sure I do,” he laughed back.

Making a list to match their rather limited funds, they headed out to the local grocer, Sunset leading him, rolling up and down the isles, pulling the items needed from the shelves and tossing them into the cart as he followed. Sometimes an item was higher than she could reach and he would grab it, placing it into their cart.

Despite her tease, she never once proposed they initiate anything. They proceed to the checkout, where they wiped out most of what remained of his meager checking account.

“At least we will have food, and the car has a full tank,” he grinned as they loaded up the trunk. After Sunset transferred into the car, he placed her chair in with the groceries and they drove home to the apartment. Carrying her up the stairs, then her chair, he brought the groceries up and they put them away.

Settling down on the couch together, she loaded up a few of her favorite games, letting her new cohost get some practice before his embarrassing big debut.

Their stream turned out to be a hit. Shimmer-Code was a campy fun time, the two of them bantering and playfully mocking each other as they battled through different games, laughing and enjoying each other’s company and entertaining their viewers.

Their viewership managed to earn them enough revenue to keep afloat combined with their other sources of income. It wasn’t wealth, but it was enough to not leave them worried about sleeping on the street or worse.

Freddy got a scare when he experienced her AD for the first time. They were making out on the couch, game controllers tossed to the side forgotten.

They were passionately kissing when suddenly Sunset stopped, grabbing her head then throwing up on the couch beside him.

Stopping everything he looked at her in panic.

“Sunset! Sunset! What’s wrong?” he called out.

“Nothing! It’s fine. I’ll be fine. Just… I have to stop for a bit. Just… stop.” She backed off him, laying back against the couch, her legs hanging down over the edge. “I just need to stop.” she gasped, still holding her head.

“What can I do?” he asked, sitting up next to her and holding her close.

“Just give me a moment,” she breathed, the flush already starting to fade. Her lower half was still slick and clammy.

He held her as she breathed in and out slowly, sitting very still as her color returned.

“What the hell was that?” he asked once she stopped holding her head, her breathing returned to normal.

“That’s Autonomic Dysreflexia, AD for short. It happens sometimes with my type of paralysis,” she said, her eyes still shut.

“I thought you were having a stroke! I was about to call 911,” he told her.

“It didn’t get that bad, but if we hadn’t stopped, you might have had to,” she acknowledged.

“Well I guess we’re not doing that again,” he said emphatically.

“No!” she said sharply, turning to him and staring into his eyes. “We are not going to live in fear of something happening. It happens sometimes. I know how to deal with it. When it happens, we deal. End of discussion! I am NOT giving up loving you because something might happen sometimes. And I will not let you give me up either. Not happening.”

She leaned back, shutting her eyes. “I am not going to live in fear of anything any longer. I love you Freddy, and I will not live without you.”

“Sunset, are you sure?” asked Freddy, looking at her in concern.

“Damn sure,” she stated, sliding back onto his lap. “I am never giving you up,” she promised.

“And I will never give you up either,” he promised, gently kissing her and holding her close. “But just the same, let’s take a break for a few. Let your body recover before we push it hard again.”

“Fine,” she agreed, kissing him back. “But later, you are mine,” she grinned.

“Completely and forever,” he grinned back.

With much persistent nagging, Freddy convinced Sunset to reach out to her little sister, saying if she couldn’t make her understand, maybe he could.

She dug out the old journal, dusting it off and finding the first blank page. Taking a pen from the desk, she started in, addressing her little sister, and former dear friend.

‘Dear Princess Twilight…’

She told her of the accident, and all that had happened leading up to it and since, and of her finding true love, true friendship, at last in the arms of her truest friend.

She explained how he wanted to speak with her, to meet her and try to reconcile the two. Twilight enthusiastically agreed, wanting to meet this new friend she spoke so highly of. She started in again on the importance of reconciling with her old friends, but Sunset figuratively waved her off, promising they could talk about that further when she saw them.

Excited, Twilight promised she would open the portal so they could come through anytime that afternoon.

Sunset turned to her lover, who was watching over her shoulder, though unable to read what was written as the glyphs of Equish were Greek to him.

“So what did she say?” he asked as she turned to him smiling. “Is she going to let me explain why she needs to let that go and forgive you? To let you back into her life?” he asked.

“She wants to meet you. She wants to meet us. She’s opening the portal this afternoon so we can come visit. So, feel like seeing the real me? Want to visit ponyland?” she teased.

“Ponyland. Yeah, let’s go see Ponyland,” he laughed. “I know you're an Equestrian, and a cute little unicorn. Don’t care, love you completely and nothing's gonna change that. Let’s go,” he agreed.

Sunset wrote back that Freddy couldn’t wait to meet her princess sister, which got a chuckle and comment to that effect from Twilight, promising to meet them when they got there.

They waited until later in the afternoon when the school had let out, then drove to her old high school. He parked in the faculty lot, now mostly empty due to the hour, one moon silver sports car sitting alone in the front of the lot.

Getting out her chair and setting it up for her, he joined her in heading to the plinth.

“So what kind of monument is this? Kind of weird to have a big square block monument in front of a high school,” snickered Fred as she rolled up to the monument.

“It used to have a rearing horse on top, our mascot. We’re the Wondercolts, go Canterlot! But it got blown to bits,” she answered.

“Blown to bits? How? Was everyone alright?” he asked surprised.

“Yeah, everyone was fine in the end. I thought I made a new friend after that, but she got into Everton, then after that I never heard from her again,” Sunset answered.

“No wonder you think friendships all end badly,” Freddy commented.

“Because they always do,” she sighed.

“Not always. Sunset, I am never leaving you,” he reassured her.

“And I’m yours forever too,” she smiled back up at him. “Life just hasn’t been particularly kind to me.”

“Well it is starting now. Time for life to give you the happiness you deserve. And I intend to be there to give it,” he smiled. “So, how do we do this?”

Sunset reached out to the back of the plinth touching the marble facing. When her hand touched it, it shimmered, waves passing through the marble face as if it were water from where her hand passed into it.

“Woah!” said Freddy, in awe. “It really is magic. Sweet! So, we just dive in or something?”

“No, you dope. If you dive in you will be diving out on the other side and plowing into something. You walk in, or roll in my case, like this.” She rolled in a bit, her feet passing into the surface and disappearing into it, waves rolling out from them.

“Come on, lover. Put your hands on my chair and push me in. And don’t you dare let go! I am not going back myself. You are so coming with me,” she laughed.

Freddy pushed her slowly into the marble face, marveling as she slowly disappeared laughing into the surface. He hesitated only a moment when his hands passed through, then stepped forward resolutely, pushing himself the rest of the way in.

As he passed through, he felt himself pulled forward, twisting and pulling at him as he spun next to Sunset and her chair in a kaleidoscope of colors and hues.

“Sunset!” he called out in panic. “What in the hell is happening to me?”

He looked over and saw Sunset was being stretched and pulled, her clothes disappearing as goldenrod fur sprouted over her entire body. She was laughing at him as she watched his expression with now inordinately large eyes from a slightly equine face.

“Don’t worry lover, I’m sure you’ll still be quite the stud,” she laughed out, ears and a yellow and golden mane flowing into existence where her hair was a moment ago.

“Oh crap! I’m gonna be a pony?” he called out, sounding even more panicked.

‘That’s how it works, love. Equestria, remember?” she grinned as her arms and legs morphed into forelegs, flanks and legs, a cute tail of mane like hair springing out to cover her fetching flank.

“Oh hell, what’s happening to me? I just thought of your horse butt as fetching! What the fuck, Sunset?” he called out.

“You better think my flanks are fetching! I’ll have you know I am irresistibly adorable!” she laughed. “Almost there, lover! And I have to say you are quite the stud! Hmmmm!” she teased.

‘Wha..?” he looked down to see a barrel and brown legs beneath him. “Wha!!!!!...”

The end of the ride was before them, Sunset and her chair pitched first through the approaching surface, him right behind, his forehoves somehow still glued to the handles of her chair.

“Ahhh!!!...” he yelled out, coming loose from the chair and spinning on his belly, legs splayed out in every direction as he came to rest against the legs of a table.

Looking over, he saw an adorable unicorn splayed upside down in a wheelchair, her head hanging down between the footrests, forelegs spread by the sides of her head and back legs hanging over the back of the chair as she laughed. Her head and mane shook back and forth as she rolled her head.

She gave him a wink and a smirk.

“Welcome to Equestria, Freddy! I don’t think either one of us stuck that landing, but we both made it in one piece.” She twisted, flipping around in the chair until she was right side up, then with her horn glowing teal, lifted him telekinetically to his feet.

“Woah!” Freddy called out as he felt himself being lifted. “That feels weird!”

“You get used to it,” she answered with a smile. “So how are you feeling?”

“Uh… huh. Surprisingly normal, if I don’t stop to think about it,” he replied, looking himself over.

Seeing the mirror they just ejected from, he trotted over to it, looking himself over.

In the mirror an unremarkable light brown earth pony, well built but not particularly so, with a tan mane and blue eyes looked back at him.

“Uh, so that’s me?” he asked, noting the pony stallion in the mirror somehow said the same thing.

“In the very pony flesh, lover,” smiled Sunset.

“Huh,” Freddy said, still staring. He backed away, then noticed his feet.

“Wait, what? How the heck am I walking with that many legs?” he said, concerned. He took another step and fell flat on his face.

Sunset laughed, picking him back up with her teal glow again.

“I had the same problem when I first came to your world. I was fine until I started thinking about it then wham, flat on my face. The trick is don’t think about it. Your body knows what to do, just do it. After a while it’ll just be second nature,” she promised.

“Okay,” he said, purposely not looking at his feet as he cantered over to her. “So, where are we?”

“Looks like a library to me,” she said. “I bet we’re in her castle. I should let her know we are here.” She rolled towards the door just as it opened, a green and blue drake entering.

“Hiya Sunset! Welcome back!” he greeted, walking over to her.

“Spike?” she asked.

“In the scales!” he laughed. “So, who’s your friend?”

“This is Freddy, my mate. He’s more than a friend, he’s the love of my life,” Sunset grinned, watching as Freddy blushed noticeably even through his brown fur.

“Nice to meet you!” Spike offered, holding out a claw. Freddy raised a forehoof, unsure of what to do when Spike made a fist and bumped his hoof.

“Hoof Bumps!” Spike smiled. “It’s what we do instead of handshakes. You get used to it.”

“So I've been told,” Freddy replied. “Nice to meet you too, Spike. I’ve heard stories about you.”

“Good ones, I hope,” Spike grinned. “Twilight is tied up a bit with some royal court stuff, but she’ll join us as soon as she’s done. Come on, let’s go wait in the kitchen. I’ll make us some snacks and… coffee, you drink coffee, right Sunset? And I assume you too, Freddy?” He led them back to the door, then they headed down the hall.

“Yes Spike, you know me so well. Coffee please for both of us,” replied Sunset, smiling as she followed him out of the library. Freddy nodded in assent as he trotted alongside her.

Their wait was a bit longer than expected, though they passed the time pleasantly enough with Spike as he regaled them with stories of his and Twilight's adventures.

Eventually the mare herself trotted into the kitchen, a quill and scroll held her magic as she muttered to herself. Briefly catching sight of them, she called out distractedly.

“Hi Spike! Hi Sunset! Hi, somepony I don’t know…”

She stopped, looking up from her scroll. “Sunset!”

“Oh, sweet Celestia, I am so sorry. That went way longer than I thought and I got distracted on the way here.” With a flash of magenta the scroll and quill disappeared. “Sunset, how have you been? Is this your new friend? Hi, Friend of Sunset! Welcome to Equestria!”

She trotted over to Sunset.

“So this is new,” she noted, poking at the wheelchair. “So this is because you can’t use your back legs now?” she asked.

Sunset nodded as she kept talking.

“I can’t believe they did that to you. If I ever find out who did this to you I am going to have some very cross words with them. You don’t do this to your fellow creatures.

“So how are the rest of your friends? Did they finally see reason and take you back in? I assume so as you’re here. You clearly have made a dear friend with this pony… what was your name again?” She turned to Freddy.

“Freddy,” he replied nonplussed.

“Freddy! Welcome to Equestria, Freddy! And I am so glad you are Sunset’s friend! It’s so good to see her embracing the precepts of Friendship! So how are they? Is Pinkie still working at Sugarcube corner? How’s AJ and her farm? Did Rainbow ever get that soccer scholarship?...”

Sunset interrupted. “They still won’t talk to me, Twilight.”

“What? You explained it to them, right? Made them understand it wasn’t you, and that you forgave them for abandoning you?” Twilight asked in shock.

“How am I supposed to forgive them for something they are still doing?” asked Sunset in frustration. “Twilight, they won’t even give me the time of day. I can’t get in two words without them reminding me how much I hurt them and everyone with my actions, and how I need to apologize so we can all put this behind us. They won’t…” Sunset shouted, her frustration rising.

“I know my friends, Sunset. They would never do something like that. They may be stubborn but if you just talk they will listen. You just have to give them a chance…” Twilight started.

“They aren’t your friends! Twilight, we’ve been through this dozens of times. They are not your friends!” Sunset shouted. “Your friends are here, and you do know them well. But those girls are not your friends! Just because they look similar, have the same names and mannerisms, and talk the same does not make them the same!

“They are my friends! They were my friends! I grew up with them, they know me and I know them. And yes, they sure as fuck are cabable of that shit because they are still doing it! No one of them is willing to hear me out or give me another chance. Don’t go telling me you know my friends…” Sunset laid into her.

“You know how to make friends, clearly! You made friends with this stallion. Why in the name of harmony can’t you just make up with my friends. Give them a chance…” Twilight started again.

“They. Are. Not. Your. Friends!” shouted Sunset.

“You have a friend here. Right here!” Twilight shouted. “You know how to make friends! Make them your friends again! It’s not right that you cut them out of your life…”

Freddy clopped up into Twilight’s face. “What the fuck are you on about, she cut them out… are you fucking deaf! She tells me wonderful stories about you being her sister, but you are the most uncaring cunt I have ever heard! What the actual fuck is wrong with you! She has tried to reach out to them. Not one of them believes her!

“Why the fuck can’t you be an actual sister to her and listen! Why are you being such a cunt! Listen to her for fucks sake!” he shouted into her face.

Twilight turned to him. “She needs to learn the principles of Friendship! Damnit, she was supposed to be a princess with the rest of us. She had to bucking run away and screw everything up! She has to learn!”

Freddy wheeled and bucked her square in the jaw.

Twilight’s eyes rolled up into her head. She fell over sideways, wings splayed out from her back and drool rolling from her lips.

Spike and Sunset looked on with open jawed shock.

“Come on, Sunset. I’ve seen enough of Equestria. Fuck this place. They say friendship, friendship, friendship but they are judgemental cunts. We’re out of here!”

He took her chair by the handles, pushing with his forehoves as he pushed her through the door, slamming it open on their way out.

Stomping down the hall, he slammed them into the library, then straight into the mirror, the kaleidoscope again whirling and rolling around them as they were reshaped into their human forms, Sunset still looking on in shock as Freddy fumed.

The shot from the side of the plinth, Freddy catching his footing as they did, Sunset surprisingly upright in her chair.

He wheeled them over to the car, opening the door for her. She silently transferred in as he took her chair, stashing in the trunk then sitting in the driver's seat.

“You stood up for me,” she said softly.

“Damn straight I did,” he said as he put the car in drive and left the lot, heading back home. “Fucking cunt! Your sister is a judgemental fucking cunt. I hope that hurt!”

They drove in silence back to the apartment.

Sunset sat at the table, coffee before her, head bowed into her arms. She sighed, then looked up at her love.

“I can’t believe your sister is such an unforgiving ass,” he fumed, not looking at her but staring at the wall. “I thought for sure when she saw you she would come around. What a fucking bitch.”

Sunset sighed again, burying her head back in her arms. The doorbell rang.

Freddy rose, crossing the room to answer it. Opening the door, he scowled.

A japanese american girl, magenta streak in her dark purple hair, stared up at him with tear filled purple eyes.

“I know who the fuck you are! How the fuck did you get here? And what do you want?” he growled.

“I’m sorry,” cried the girl. “I was wrong. I’m sorry! Please, let me in. I want to tell Sunset how much I miss her, and that I’m sorry!”

“How the fuck did you even find me? There’s no way you could have known where I live,” he challenged.

“I came too right after you left. I tried to run after you to stop you, but you had both entered the portal just as I got into the library. I dove in after you, coming out as you were driving away.

“I saw you both in the car, and I cast a quick tracking spell on it, then followed you,” she answered tearfully.

“You followed me here? How? You have super magical speed too?” he asked.

“No, I ran. Well I ran as much as I could. I’m not really in the best of shape,” she added. He noted then the sweat stains on her shirt, and her completely mussed hair. “When I finally got here, I found your car in the garage, so I knew I was at the correct place.”

“And you marched up to my door and knocked,” he challenged.

“Not exactly. I had no idea which door was yours. So I just started knocking,” she explained.

“Just started knocking on random doors,” he shook his head.

“Not random! I uh… I started at the bottom, on the right side, and started working my way over then up.”

Freddy laughed. “Are you serious?”

“What else was I supposed to do? I wanted to apologize! I need to apologize! It was the only thing I could think of,” she defended. Then she sighed. “So, please, may I apologize to my sister?”

Freddy stepped aside. “Enter. Anyone crazy enough to run a mile and a half then knock on random apartment doors looking for someone is clearly serious. Come on in.”

As she passed him, she turned and looked him in the eye. “Nice buck there, by the way. Can’t say there are many who’ve been able to knock me on my flank. Takes a lot to take a princess down.”

“Didn’t keep you down long,” he laughed as she passed by.

“Never does,” she noted as she moved next to Sunset, who looked up as she approached.

Kneeling down beside her, Twilight took her hand.

“Sunset, I am so sorry. Your friend Freddy was right. I was being a stubborn foal. I was so mad that we didn’t get to become princesses together, that you had run away and thrown away everything we had. I thought if you just learned how to become a friend again, we could have everything back that we lost.

“I was a judgmental jerk. I see that now. Your friend bucked the bitch from me. I see what I’ve put you through trying to force you to do something that as you said repeatedly is probably never going to happen.

“Freddy is a real friend. And only a real friend can have a real friend. When he wheeled and laid me out while I was being such.. What did you call me? A cunt? When I was being such a cunt to you. When he laid me out and stormed out with you, I knew right there how wrong I was, and how wonderful you were.

“You have a wonderful friend, Sunset. I am so thrilled you have such a wonderful friend. And I want my wonderful friend back too. I miss you so much, Sunset. I remember the good times we had, all the fun we had together as you taught me what it means to be a friend.

“You were my sister. You are my sister. Please forgive me, and know that I will never push you aside again. Please be my sister again. I need you,” she begged, tears again streaming from her eyes.

Sunset looked down into her eyes, tears filling her eyes.

“No,” she said simply. Twilight gasped.

“No,” she repeated, pulling Twilight up from her knees and towards her, wrapping her in a crushing hug.

“No sister, you forgive me. I should never have run away. I should have stayed, and helped you through your challenges. I was hurt and lost and selfish. You forgive me,” she cried as she hugged her sister tightly.

“Sis, there’s nothing to forgive. You were hurting. I forgave you already, but I need you to forgive me. I have hurt you horribly, the one pony I never wanted to hurt, the pony who loved me and helped me through so much. Please forgive me, Sunset,” Twilight begged, her tears soaking her sister’s blouse.

“I forgive you, Twilight. I forgive you completely. I have missed you so much,” Sunset cried, holding her close.

“I forgive you. I love you sis! I forgive you everything!” cried Twilight, clutching her close.

Freddy looked on, smiling as happy tears rolled down his cheek.

Twilight ended up staying the night, not wanting to leave her sister once they were reconciled.

Freddy offered to stay on the couch, but Sunset wasn’t hearing of it, insisting there was plenty of room on the bed for all three of them.

“Freddy, I am not going to banish anyone to the couch. This is a time for togetherness. I’ll just sleep in the middle and we’ll all be fine,” insisted Sunset.

Freddy looked over to Twilight. “Princess, what do you think? After cold cocking you back at the castle, I don’t feel right about sticking you on the couch. Do you want to be crowded up on the bed with both of us?”

“I don’t mind the couch…” started Twilight.

“No! I won’t allow it. I finally got my sister back, no way I am letting you sleep on the couch,” interrupted Sunset.

“So no worries, I’ll just sleep on the couch,” offered Freddy.

“No! I want both my sister and my love with me. We’re family! We herd together!” Sunset insisted.

Freddy looked over to Twilight, who just smiled and shrugged. “Fine,” Freddy agreed.

“Okay, that’s settled then. Goodnight you two,” smiled Twilight. She removed her blouse and skirt, then tried to take off her bra, but couldn’t figure it out. “Ah, Sunset? How do these work?” she asked, feeling around in the back awkwardly.

“Oh, let me get that for you!” Sunset reached over and expertly unhooked the clasps in the back, pulling the bra away leaving Twilight’s perky breasts exposed. Twilight grabbed them and started massaging them.

“Oh, that’s so much better,” she sighed, kneading and rubbing her breasts. “They were starting to feel a bit sore, bound up like that. I don’t know how you stand wearing those things all the time.”

“You get used to it,” smiled Sunset, pulling off her blouse then removing her own bra sighing in relief.

Freddy looked on, jaw dropped. He had already stripped down to his boxers. Turning he left the room, blushing madly.

Twilight stopped massaging her breasts and pulled off her white panties. “Oh, I’ll be right back! Have to use the little mare’s room!” She ran into the bathroom, squatting over the toilet with the door still open, taking care of business as Freddy continued to hide in embarrassment.

Sunset slipped onto her chair, rolling over to him and lightly punched him in the arm. “Come on, Freddy. Don’t make this awkward for her. She’s Equestrian, this is the way we do things. She has no concept of privacy or modesty, so please don’t embarrass or shame her.”

“Sunset!” he gasped.

“Chill, lover! It’s fine. This is how we do things in Equestria. Just be cool, okay?” she begged.

Freddy sat down on the end of the bed. “What have I gotten myself into?”” he wondered out loud.

The girls returned from the bathroom, ready for bed. “Need a hand?” Sunset asked with a wink.

“Maybe later,” he snarked, blushing as Twilight settled into bed.

“Are all stallions here built like Freddy?” he heard her ask as he entered the bathroom and shut the door. He groaned. This was going to be a long and awkward night. He took care of his needs then returned to the bed, sliding in next to Sunset.

“Twilight, are you comfortable?” he asked, looking away at the door. “Do you have enough room?”

“Uh, yeah I’m fine,” she answered happily.

Freddy turned to see Twilight rolled over, arms and legs wrapped around her sister as she snuggled into her. “Good night Sunset! Good night Freddy! I love you both,” she happily murmured as she fell asleep.

“I missed you too, Sissy,” Sunset purred into her sister's ear.

“This is Equestrian?” quietly hissed Freddy in awed shock. “You did this all the time?” Sunset shot him a look.

“I, uh. I love you too Twilight Sparkle,” Freddy said. Twilight smiled, closed her eyes then pulled close again.

“I love you two so much,” sighed Sunset.

“I love you both too,” agreed Freddy.

“Marry me!” happily sighed Twilight.

“Is that how it works in Equestria?” he asked, still chuckling.

“Yes?” answered Sunset.

“Yes that’s how it works, or yes, you will marry me?” asked Twilight, still smiling.

Sunset purred. “Yes, that is how it works and yes Freddy, I will marry you. And yes Twilight, I will marry you! We will be the happiest herd in all of Equestria!”

Freddy answered. “Yes! Yes yes yes!”

Sunset looked up at Twilight. “Yes,” she smiled.

Moments later all three of them still snuggled together happily, fell blissfully asleep in each other’s arms.

Freddy woke to find two beautiful women smiling down at him, pressed close side by side on top of him as he lay on his back.

“I think he’s finally waking up, sis,” Twilight smiled.

“I think you’re right, Twi,” agreed Sunset.

“Oh sweet Harmony, I could live with waking up to this every morning,” grinned Twilight happily.

“You and I both, sister,” agreed Sunset.

Freddy just smiled up at the two happy sisters. “I fully agree. But you were just kidding about getting married, right?” he laughed.

Both his mares looked at him at the same time. “You don’t want to marry me?” asked Sunset as Twilight pouted.

“Of course I want to marry you! I never want to be parted from you,” assured Freddy. “Just I didn’t know you wanted that too.”

“With all my heart,” assured Sunset, smiling happily up at him.

Twilight laughed. “Hey, what about me?”

He looked down at Twilight. “Let’s make it official. Twilight Sparkle, will you marry Sunset Shimmer and I?” he asked, smiling.

“Yes!” she called out happily.

“And Sunset Shimmer, will…” he started.

“Yes!” Sunset called out happily.

“I didn’t get to finish!” he laughed.

“Don’t care!” she bounced happily up and down. “Don’t care don’t care don’t care! Yes Yes Yes!”

Twilight looked to her sister. “Sunset, will you…”

“Yes yes yes to all of it yes!” called out Sunset bouncing happily.

Twilight hummed happily.

“Yes, I will definitely love waking up to this every morning,” she grinned.

That afternoon Twilight insisted they accompany her back to Equestria. Sunset happily agreed, and Freddy acquiesced. Carrying his beloved down the stairs as Twilight followed with her chair, he set her into the car. Twilight placed her chair in the trunk then clambered into the back seat, leaning in between the two and telling them all about what the realm was like since Celestia and Luna had stepped down, retiring and placing her in charge.

“So after we announce the bands, we’ll have a coronation for you Sunset, and an elevation for you Freddy, as the official consort of our Royal herd. That will make you officially, in title at least, a prince. And then after your coronation Sunset we can have our wedding. Then a quick honeymoon, I have a few ideas for that… Do you like Prench food, Freddy? I was thinking about the Prench Riviera, it’s supposed to be so romantic… or maybe the Tuskany vineyards… there are so many places we could go…” Twilight continued.

“I’m sure whatever you two decide, it will be fantastic,” agreed Freddy. “So you two are serious about this. You really want to get married?” he asked.

Both mares nodded excitedly.

“You realize that means we have to move back to Equestria, right?” he continued.

Twilight nodded happily while Sunset looked pensive for a moment. Then she nodded. “Yeah, as long as you're okay with it, I can live with that. Are you okay with that?” Sunset asked.

“I guess I’ll have to get used to being a talentless pony,” Freddy grinned.

“Talentless? What are you talking about?” laughed Twilight.

“I don’t have a… wow I hate that term… cutie mark,” smiled Freddy.

“Oh you have a talent,” smirked Sunset.

Twilight grinned and nodded, holding her fist out for a hoof bump. Sunset laughingly obliged. Freddy just rolled his eyes.

“As happy as I am to hear that, not what I meant,” he grinned. They pulled into the empty school lot, Twilight rushing out to get her sister's chair when they stopped. Sunset transferred into it as Freddy locked up the car, following his herd over to the plinth.

Feeling the surface of the stone and seeing the portal still activated, Twilight happily pushed Sunset through the opening, Freddy following right behind them.

After the kaleidoscope funnel of transformation, they were ejected from the mirror in Twilight’s castle, Twilight pitched down over Sunset, her muzzle buried in her sister’s nethers. And Freddy ejected to find his muzzle firmly entrenched in her plot as she hung over the back of Sunset’s chair.

Freddy took a quick nip, getting a yelp from Twilight.

“Hey, none of that now. We can play more later!” she squeaked as she extricated herself from the two of them then ruffled her wings, smoothing back the feathers and settling them into place.

“Welcome again to Equestria you two! Now come on, let’s go plan a wedding!” she giggled, leading them down the hall to her chambers.

Spike looked aghast at the three of them.

“Are you sure about this, Twilight? This seems kind of sudden. Did you hit your head on something?” he asked, ruffling through her mane.

“Spike, knock it off!” she laughed, slapping his claw away with her forehoof. “I’m serious! Sunset asked me to marry her and I said yes! I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a little filly. Sunset and Freddy are going to be my herd.”

“If this was something you’ve been dreaming about forever, how come this is the first I am hearing about it?” he asked suspiciously.

“If I had told you about it, would you have said, ‘Oh, that sounds wonderful Twilight! I hope your dream comes true!’ or would you have teased me about it every chance you got?” she asked pointedly. Spike snickered.

“I rest my case!” Twilight said grinning. “A filly can dream. And some dreams she doesn’t jinx by blabbing them. So help a sister out here.”

“Sure sure sure, I just wanted to be certain you weren’t being mind controlled or something,” Spike laughed.

“Hey, I never mind-controlled anypony,” protested Sunset.

Spike looked at her pointedly.

“Okay. One time. That was just one time! And I have never done it since,” she amended.

“And you never will again, right?” he smiled. Sunset nodded.

“Okay. I look out for my big sister,” noted Spike.

“And I look out for her too! She is my little sister you know,” added Sunset.

“You know, this is all starting to sound just a bit weird,” noted Freddy, listening to them bicker.

“It’s an Equestrian thing, you get used to it,” Spike informed him.

“If you say so,” said Freddy, still looking at the three of them askance.

A month later they were all enjoying a breakfast of croissants, berry jam and cream cheese with coffee, enjoying their pre-honeymoon, Sunset’s coronation and their herd wedding coming soon when they returned from their vacation.

“I could get used to this,” smiled Freddy at his herdmates.

“Exactly!” agreed Twilight with a smile, giving Sunset a quick hug. “I’m never letting you leave me again. Either of you!” They all smiled.

“Agreed!” grinned Sunset, returning the hug.

“Absolutely,” smiled Freddy.

Finishing up their breakfast, they headed out for some sightseeing.

A year later, Freddy smiled at his two sleeping herdmates, his heart content.

Sunset grinned, eyes still closed. “See something you like, stud?” she teased, opening her eyes and winking.

“Like? Doesn’t even close to cover it. Love completely with all my heart for all my life? That’s closer,” he winked back.

“I heard that, and I’m holding you to it, my Prince! Both of you!” grinned Twilight.

“Yes, of my Princesses! I live to serve!” agreed Freddy with a grin. “For the rest of my days. He pulled them both into a tight hug, all of them snuggling happily.

Author's Note

Finally finished. Been in progress for over two years and change. Sunset finally gets her happily ever after.