Awry

I remember that I prepared much more thoroughly for the second Grand Galloping Gala of my life than for the first. It was funny: I had just mentioned to Ambrosia how nice it would be to visit the big event together, and the next day I found two golden tickets in the mailbox at home. There were still months until the event... Princess Celestia seemed to read my thoughts. Of course, it took time to plan everything in advance. And time has really become a critical point in my life. Although I didn't have to deal with the specialization that was due for the others, in the spring I did have to prepare for the basic exam like them. In addition, if studying wasn't enough, the Princess, true to her promise, sped up my education a bit, which required a lot of extra practice from me. My free time was drastically reduced, so I tried to combine as many activities as possible.

I have never despised laziness, but nearing the end of my last academic year, I could no longer afford such a luxury. It was without question that I brushed my teeth while taking a shower - even though I used to consider this physically impossible before - and immediately afterwards, aiming for continuous practice, I floated to my bed in dust form, spread out on my blanket, and snored so loudly that sometimes I even woke myself up with it. I regularly woke up dead tired, I missed the non-compulsory lectures without exception, but even so I often had to rush to the others. During the mandatory lessons, I browsed through theorems under the table's cover, while reminiscing about those long-gone days when we used to fill similar "dead time" with games. Even when Jasper and I went out to practice - which we missed a couple of times, if our preparations didn't go as well as they should have - I still tried to combine the fight with the tasks given by the Princess. The only thing that reassured me was that apparently even Wish didn't bother to watch us anymore; oftentimes the book she brought with her kept her more engaged than us fooling around.

To top it all off, to my despair, I had to devote a good chunk of my time with Ambrosia to helping my fillyfriend prepare for the course material. Of course, we went here and there sometimes, I even allowed myself to be dragged to the theater once, and I went up to the mare's tower a couple of times. Obviously, it was much more comfortable to lie next to each other on the carpet or on her bed, but unfortunately, we didn't get any further than that: in such a situation, there was always a disgustingly thick pile of notes in front of us to go through, constantly reminding us of our duties. After that, I probably don't even have to mention how much opportunity we had for night outings with my other classmates...

In the last couple of weeks, only the Gala kept me alive. It was the seemingly unattainable goal I wanted to reach. Because then of course everything will be perfect! We will all get through the great challenge and can start our well-earned vacation. We will be chill and happy, finally without any obligations. We can enjoy the most famous event in all of Equestria. In every possible way. And we will finally have... time. We will have time to rest, enjoy life and have time for each other. Because that was the worst part of it all. Now, for the first time, I finally had a fillyfriend, and not just anypony, but we couldn't attend to each other. I cursed myself for messing around for so long; a year or two, or even just a few months earlier, we could have done whatever we wanted. Of course, I was taking my sweet time, and now, even if I wanted more, it was simply impossible to move on under such stressful conditions. So, it was more like we became very close friends. And sometimes we kissed a little. And once during our long studying session, we fell asleep next to each other on her bed, and waking up in the middle of the night, I just abandoned the idea of going home, so I just found a blanket for us and snuggled back next to her.

But the Gala will change everything! We shall spend a wonderful evening together, mingling with the elite of pony society. Then, once we've had our fun there, it doesn't have to be over! The whole night is ours, we will be completely free! By then, we'll have passed our exams, so I could say, we'll practically be considered adults from then on. They probably didn't consciously time it this year so that the Gala would be a full week after the basic academic exam, but I was grateful to the organizers anyway. It couldn't have turned out any better.

Although I tried to prepare well in advance in every way, I left one of the most important things to be done right at the end. Granted, I had a good excuse for putting off buying the right outfit for so long, as I wanted Wish and Jasper to be with me and help me choose, and I didn't want to show Ambrosia beforehoof. Before the exam, however, it would have been impossible to get all three of us together at the same time and not have to rush the decision. I wanted it to be a surprise, and I wanted it to work as intended. On the other hoof, I was finally able to meet my friends again in relatively calm conditions, which was a rare opportunity worth taking advantage of.

None of us did well in the exam anyway, which was another reason I wanted to talk with them. However, what surprised me even more than that was their choice of a major. It wasn't a huge miracle that Jasper chose the Department of Combat Magic, but I found it all the stranger that Wish followed suit. I was at least as shocked by that as by the fact that the girl's basic exam was only the third best in the class, right after Stella and Lotus, but even so she didn't reach an A. Even though I saw how much she studied for it. Moreover, compared to her, her deplorable result was not much better than ours, and even I, as a private student of Princess Celestia, would not have dared to brag about my own, strongly mediocre results.

Of course, if we look at it from this point of view, we were not the worst. Ambrosia's written exam hovered around the score limit, and during the practical, despite all the encouragement, she stubbornly refused to do anything, so it was solely due to Mr. Polter's kindness that she was allowed to pass. And that was only because, as he said, he had already seen that she had reached the level that the Academy requires of its graduate students. There was again some grumbling among students and teachers alike due to the unequal assessment, but nopony dared to oppose the committee's decision, behind which was obviously our dean...

After that, Ambrosia was completely devastated, and I tried in vain to discuss the matter with her or to cheer her up. She asked me to leave her alone for a while and went home immediately after the exam. For the sake of safety, I managed to negotiate with her that she would come with me to the Gala, no matter what. I was seriously afraid that everything might not turn out according to my plan, but I stuck to it anyway. And the next day I went up to her just to see if I could comfort her. I wouldn't say that I helped her that much, but maybe she was a little relieved after she cried on my shoulder. And even though she didn't tell me why she wasn't satisfied with just getting that stupid piece of paper - although I guessed that she didn't consider herself worthy of it - she assured me again that she would pull herself together for the Gala and we would have a great time.

* * *

"Well... you didn't look for the cheapest place, that's for sure," said Wish with a worried face, stopping in front of the salon for a few moments.

"Now I wasn't aiming for that," I answered. "I heard the best casual clothes are sold here."

"That's for sure," Jasper nodded in agreement. "Plus, this is the only boutique or whatever in all of Canterlot that I don't wanna run out of screamin' after a few minutes. I also bought that little damn pelisse thingy here, so ya made the right call, dude. Everythin' is in one place here."

"If you say so," Wish blinked uncertainty, and started off again. "It's not my wallet that will suffer..."

Upon entering the store - which seemed even bigger from the inside than I would have guessed from the outside - a strikingly elegant salescolt immediately appeared in front of us, although he seemed rather relieved after we told him that we were just looking around for the time being. Even if shopping wasn't one of my favorite activities, I exceptionally didn't just want to get over it. I had no objection even to going through all the other lines; we were spending time together no matter what we were doing.

"It's so nice that you were able to come; as twisted as my taste is, I would definitely pick something horrible..." I said when we were rummaging through a huge pile of socks as a warm-up, looking for pieces with funny patterns.

"But at least you acknowledge it," Wish nodded indulgently.

She took a pair of thigh-high purple-red socks from the shelf, looked around carefully, used her magic to knead them into a ball, wiggled her ears back and forth a little, and then, coming to a decision, threw it softly at Jasper's head in a nice curve.

The stallion froze as he moved, then turned with ominous slowness. "How dare you, pathetic mortal being?" he asked in a menacing voice. "Behold, the fury of Tartarus is upon you!" Adding weight to his words, he lifted some socks with a glowing horn, spinning them faster and faster towards Wish. The mare giggled merrily, raising her hooves as if looking for an escape route ready to gallop. But I didn't let the situation escalate. I was very tempted to use an improved version of my favorite spell to curb the indolence of my two friends, but that would have achieved exactly what I was trying to avoid. Instead, I just gently placed my hoof on Wish's shoulder.

"I mean, I wouldn't be thrilled if they threw me out of here because of you," I said quietly.

"She started it!" Jasper pointed at Wish with his hooves and the socks.

She only grimaced, scrunching her nose. Seriously, we were back in magic kindergarten...

"If you continue being naughty, you won't get cotton candy..." I tried to adequately indicate what exactly my problem with their behavior is.

In return, as soon as I turned my back on them, I got a pair of stockings between my ears. Silly fillies... But I had to admit that we've really been too serious lately. Constantly it was only learning, responsibility, and anxiety about the future. We haven't even been to a normal party in an unimaginably long time. The Gala is still awaiting, but after that it is absolutely necessary to arrange something like this. Of course, it would have been best if they could have come here with us as well - obviously not to get in each other's manes all the time - but that was not so easy to arrange. Princess Celestia wasn’t just throwing tickets at everypony...

"You're right, it wasn't a wise move to start with two greenhorn warriors," I sighed. "Really, Wish, where did you get that idea?"

"I just went after Jasper," answered the girl without the slightest hesitation. "You didn't leave me many options; you are obviously committed to the Princess."

She admitted it so openly, I was completely taken aback. She could probably see it on my face, though she didn't seem to feel like she needed to explain her decision any further.

"And what about your own plans?" I tried to gently push for an actual answer.

"I planned to stay with you," she shrugged. "That's the best way I can achieve it."

"Seriously now... a lot of things can be said about you, but you are no soldier material."

"I can still work as a paperweight," she replied with a smile. "I have no problem with office and other background work."

"It's a waste," I concluded. "Your abilities go well beyond such things."

"I'll manage somehow!" she rolled his eyes. "I find myself a way, as I always have. Obviously, I'm not going to do something I don't like."

There was a small pause in the conversation, during which we moved to another row, where the more festive garments began - and accordingly the number of ponies around us tripled; apparently, I wasn't the only one who tried to get their dress at the last minute.

"And if I had to choose a major, what would you have done?" I asked, driven by a sudden idea.

"Then it would have been more difficult to decide," the mare answered after some thought, then stuck her head between two suits.

"But I guess, yer enrollin' with us anyway!" Jasper patted my back. "After all, Princess Celestia herself will be yer Major!"

For a few seconds I just blankly watched him grinning at me, but then I had to rest my head on some good hard surface, which in this case was a dressing room. Nothing has changed in all these years! It's as if he gets his energy from tiring me with his terrific jokes...

"Well she's way better than having an Ursa as a Major..." Wish came back out, waving a black vest towards me with her horn. "Try this on!" she added.

That's why I brought them with me, so without objection I ducked into one of the free booths and quickly changed. When I came out, Wish circled around me with a thoughtful face, but then she just shook her head.

"No, you won't like that one," she concluded. "It looks good, but there's too much contrast. Something less conspicuous, right...? The size is good though..."

"Ya really know everythin' about Thread's sizes, huh?" Jasper tried to poke fun, but the mare stepped out a little to the side and kicked a quick hoof towards him. All praise to the stallion's reflexes for being able to dodge it.

"Something cream-colored or beige would suit you better," the mare continued pondering as if nothing had happened. "Although that's stupid, because then you'd look like you were naked... Well, just wait, I'll find something else!"

"I present ya Wish, the Mirror!" Jasper turned to me while she disappeared under the hangers. "Lucky we have her here, huh? She'll even tell ya what ya don't like."

"I can't see myself, but as I know her, she must be right," I said as I unbuttoned the vest.

"By the way, look how excited she became to be here lookin' at clothes!" Jasper remarked keeping an eye on the still slightly rocking fabrics where the mare had disappeared.

"Yeah..."

"It's a bit, well, mafia-style, but I'm curious to see how it goes!" said the girl from the other side, as she floated over the clothes: a dark grey jacket with stiffened shoulders, decorated with hair-thin white stripes.

This time she chose a little tighter one, I had to play around with it before I was able to put it on. However, when I came out, I was a little surprised to see that Jasper had just fitted a rather short skirt to Wish's rump, as if he was trying out how she would look in it. Curious...

"Well... my guess was right," Wish stated as she saw me. She waved at Jasper, who immediately took the clothes away from her, as if I had caught them in something I shouldn't have. "I don't like light-coloured suits, but you absolutely shouldn't wear dark ones. We'll just find some middle ground. However, the jacket is quite elegant, so we should pick something like that. Two sizes bigger, of course..." she added when I unbuttoned with relief.

She took the top from me and then disappeared again on the other side.

"Shouldn't we buy her something too?" I asked softly when Jasper and I were left alone.

The stallion stroked his chin with a worried face, then suddenly his face lit up. "Leave it to me!" he nudged me. "I have an idea!"

"I'm just afraid she'll refuse..."

"She won't, we just have to play it smart!"

We couldn't plan any further, as Wish has already returned with a slightly shorter, but more spacious, light gray piece. However, she didn't like it either, so in the end she made me try on at least eight more variations of the same style. In the meantime, when she went to look for it, on one occasion Jasper disappeared as well, only he went in the other direction. When they returned, Wish brought a jacket with a simpler cut, while the stallion waved a snow-white blouse in front of him.

"What now, are you getting dressed up too?" Wish tried to joke.

"No, my sweetie, it's for you!" answered the boy. "We're not leaving here until we've found some clothes for special occasions for you too!"

"Okay, but silliness aside, what do you want with that?" the girl's expression became uncertain.

"To peel a cabbage!" Jasper rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"

"Yes, this is serious," I interrupted, pre-empting the question.

Wish took turns eyeing us suspiciously for a few seconds, then took over the levitation of the blouse with a soft sigh. "As if I don't have enough clothes anyway..." she growled.

"As far as I know, a mare can never have enough clothes," Jasper winked.

"Well, okay. I'll give it a try, but I can't guarantee anything."

Jasper grinned as if he knew something I didn't. He briskly ushered us into two adjacent booths, then even pulled the curtain behind us. This time, I made a little more effort to be quick and came out before Wish, but I couldn't see my friend, even though I looked in a couple of adjacent rows.

"Actually, I already have something like this." Wish remarked behind my back.

"And it fits you very well!" I said immediately.

She really was pretty, though as humble as ever.

"Thanks, but if you insist on this, I'd rather choose something else..." She looked around confused. "But where did the mastermind go?"

"No idea," I shrugged. I didn't feel like telling her that it was actually my idea, especially since she didn't seem too enthusiastic.

"It won't work for you either," she shook her head after looking me up and down. "We might have to pick something colorful." She waited a little longer, drumming her hoof impatiently, then continued. "He could have said... I don't feel like hanging around here like this. Should we look around here while I'm wearing this, or what?"

"Don't be mad at him, he means well!"

"I'm not mad!" she waved. "He could just be a little more collected."

"It's so nice to see that you get along so well," I remarked. "I hope you will have a good time in the military course as well."

I deliberately watched her face and it looked like she was blushing a little. I've been suspicious of these two for some time... Sometimes they entertained each other remarkably well, which was nothing to complain about. After a certain age, however, the pony might have... different ideas if a mare and a stallion tease each other so much. Especially the way they used to do it...

How should I put it, well, I wasn't blind. At least sometimes I tried to pretend I was. But it didn't escape my attention, Jasper often just used his random antics as an excuse to touch Wish. This sometimes bordered the level of a little foal, like when, for example, he "accidentally" pushed her a little while walking, or playfully pulled her mane. I also remembered exactly when we were fooling around in his dorm room, and he tickled the mare until she begged for mercy... Wish also teased the boy a bit sometimes, but regardless, she eventually let him do his things.

I would be happy for them if they started dating, I said to myself. At first glance, it didn't seem like they fit together, but who knows, maybe they would complement each other well. If it were up to me, I would definitely support their relationship.

"Here I am, darlings!" Jasper announced his arrival shouting absolutely unobtrusively. "Let me have a look!"

Wish moved closer to the stallion and gently booped him on the nose, but then she turned around, showing herself from every angle.

"Not bad, not bad," the boy nodded.

"Yes, but I have an almost identical one at home," answered the mare.

"I know, but it's okay!" Jasper grinned. "I found such a festive attire for ya, mare! Yer jaw will drop!"

"Okay, don't leave me hanging, where is it?" Wish looked around curiously.

Jasper floated something surprisingly small, but clearly something fabric-looking, from behind his back. I also went over to them to take a closer look, but even I blushed at the sight, not just Wish, whose ears were practically burning. The small, slightly translucent piece of textile was a red, lacy underwear.

"There ya go, a piece of clothing for special occasions!" Jasper held it out to the mare, who hesitantly raised one of her front legs, but then put it back on the ground.

"I'm not going to try it on for you," Wish finally muttered in deep embarrassment.

"No problem!" Jasper waved. "Just promise us that ya'll wear it! Ya used to wear panties, didn't ya?"

Ears perked, he stepped forward as if aiming for her skirt, but Wish carefully dodged him, slamming her rump straight into my side. I was left speechless...

"You won't leave me alone until I buy it, will you?" Wish asked a bit more firmly.

"It even has a tiny bow on it," Jasper dangled the underwear in front of the girl's nose, putting on his most engaging face.

"Well... okay," Wish sighed, although I felt that she was trembling very gently. "You talked me into it. I mean, I don't have anything like that one at home anyway..."

She stepped away from me, pulled out her wallet with her magic and rattled the coins in it, humming softly.

"Oh, don't get us wrong, we pay!" I grabbed her hoof.

She gave me a perplexed look. "Why?"

"Just because," Jasper stated. "If yer actin' under duress, ya should at least benefit from it this much."

"Stop messing with me!" Wish snorted.

"Take it as a birthday gift, then!"

"It's almost half a year until that..."

"So, what?"

My two friends had a brief staring contest, then finally Wish yielded.

"Alright," she shook her head. "But you take it to the cashier..."

"Sure thing!"

They agreed on this, and slowly the blush dissipated from Wish's face. Jasper rearranged the underwear to a somewhat less conspicuous place and we continued our tour. In the end, we managed to find me a mid-blue suit, and, after standing in front of a real mirror, I realized that Wish knew me too well: her choice was simply perfect.

In the meantime, however, I watched the two of them constantly, to see if I could discover any more tell-tale signs that might indicate that they might really be attracted to each other. I couldn't keep an eye on them during the time I spent in the dressing room, but otherwise they didn't do anything special; they even seemed to avoid looking into each other's eyes. Only when it was time to pay, came in marching another blushing-parade.

"It's for her," Jasper told the clerk, as he placed the lacy panties in front of him and motioned to Wish with his head.

The pony standing at the counter didn't even bat an eye, but Wish's head turned into a tomato again and covered her face with one of her legs. After that, when we were at a safe distance, she thanked us for the gift with a kiss on the face, albeit a little shyly, and she even promised to wear it...

* * *

Of course, we were late with Ambrosia for the opening of the Grand Galloping Gala. I didn't expect anything else: neither of us had the strength of quick preparation, and although we could bypass any line, we still only arrived right in the middle of the Wonderbolts' performance, and we only found a place to stand behind the back seats. I was quite disappointed, although at least we could have been there and seen them. Ambrosia was not particularly interested in this part of the program, but she listened politely while I commented on the events in the sky using the appropriate figures and names - as far as I could distinguish the pegasi from each other in their blue and yellow uniforms.

With this detour, I've broken the standards of politeness somewhat, because I know I should have gone to the ballroom first and greeted Princess Celestia, if for no other reason, since we owed her the invitation. Had we joined the queue right away though - I really shouldn't have skipped the line here - we would have missed everything. And since the Wonderbolts had some new, breathtaking flight formation reserved for this occasion, it would have been a terrible shame if I couldn't see them. We even watched their retreat, and at the cost of some pushing, I managed to get close enough to the fence to even get two hoofbumps from the masters of aerial stunts. Although I couldn't see it properly, one of them seemed to be Typhoon Wing, the captain of the team, whom I could touch.

After that, of course, I didn't want to put it off any longer, and refreshed by the new experience, I enthusiastically joined the meandering line in front of my mentor with my partner. At first it seemed like a pretty boring activity, but it boosted my spirits a lot when I saw Nimbus Strike next to Princess Celestia, in some amazingly uncomfortable tailcoat. Well, I'd rather keep my current position, by the side of my fillyfriend - come to think of it, I didn't even know if he had one - so I only had to wait my turn once, and then I was free as a bird. I told this to Ambrosia as well and we shared a good laugh at the stallion's expense.

"Life Thread and Ambrosia!" Celestia nodded to us when it was our turn. "I'm glad you could come! Have a wonderful evening!"

"Thank you for the invitation, Princess!" I bowed. I would have continued with that, not wasting a single glance at the white stallion standing next to Celestia, but the Princess stopped me by gently touching my shoulder.

"If you have a bit of time to spare for me, I have a little task for you..." she whispered, leaning close to my ear as inconspicuously as possible. "Let's not make a big fuss!"

I gave a small nod without even looking back, and then continued my journey unperturbed with Ambrosia by my side towards the ballroom. What can I say... I wasn't thrilled that Celestia had found me some extra work. The timing was just perfect, thank you very much... However, since she didn't want to ask me blatantly, I had a guess about the nature of the task. Again, something I wouldn't want to do myself, but solely for her sake. I have to follow somepony again in this very fine dust-form of mine, quasi-invisible, or maybe I have to eavesdrop on a conversation without being noticed. I had already done this once or twice, in principle for practice purposes, and then I had to report it to Celestia, although I was convinced that the target persons were not always aware that I had been set on them. Let's just say that I never saw what exactly my teacher's purpose could have been with this, or why she didn't solve it without my involvement - after all, as I imagined, a ruler could have the methods for such things if she really needed it.

I didn't want this little thing to spoil my mood though, so first I led Ambrosia to the dance floor, and, smoothly covering up my rather pathetic dancing skills, I just swung around with her by tilting our necks against each other. Not that that wasn't pleasant enough in itself. Soft music surrounded us, and the sweet scent of the mare's fur filled my nose completely. Her touch erased almost everything else from my mind, making me want to nuzzle her even tighter by the second. I only moved away from her a little when I had to hold myself back from gently pinching her neck with my teeth - I planned that kind of thing for later, when there wouldn't be so many ponies around.

When we pulled over to "rest" for a bit, I found her some non-alcoholic drink and left her alone at one of the tables, saying that I would quickly take care of whatever Celestia wanted from me, and then I would be all hers again. Avoiding being noticed, I ducked behind a pillar. I pretended to just look around, then when I found that nopony would spot it if I suddenly disappeared, I quickly crumbled into very fine-grained dust. I tried to move as slowly as possible, so as not to catch anypony's eye, and slowly floated towards the entrance.

The Princess and her faithful student haven't moved since then, but the winding line in front of them hasn't gotten any shorter. Of course, that didn't stop me; I hovered carefully next to my mentor and waited for the instructions. Celestia had been exchanging meaningless words with the same guest for about half a minute, but when she was done, she turned to me for a moment, as if she was only moving the joints in her neck after the long chatter. I discreetly levitated even closer to her.

"Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala! I'm so happy to see you again!" she greeted another couple, but then she immediately spoke to me, even though her mouth barely moved, so either she was whispering very skillfully, or she was using telepathy, or something similar. "Your dean, Mr. Poltergeist, arrived about a minute ago. He must be somewhere around the outer gates. His invitation is in the inside pocket of his vest. Bring it to me, be so kind!"

She managed to surprise me again... Although maybe it would have been more surprising if she didn't do so. I simply didn't see any point in my "mission". On the one hoof, she would hardly have achieved anything with it in the first place - after somepony got inside, nopony asked if they had a ticket. On the other hoof, why was the good old Mr. Polter my target? She could have chosen any random pony. Of course, since she didn't, I assumed that my training wasn't the main concern. Although the dean might be able to see through these kinds of tricks quite easily, and he also knew that there was somepony in his class capable of such things...

Celestia could perhaps sense my hesitation, because after she was done with two more couples and I didn't move, she added some context.

"Welcome to the Gala! I hope you have a good time!" she smiled at the new arrivals, then added through gritted teeth: "This is just a little game. I'm bored..."

If I hadn't been afraid that I would be discovered - and of course I would have been able to emit normal sounds in such a scattered form - I would have certainly cracked up laughing. She was right, that was more than enough justification... As soon as I got over my sudden, overflowing mirth, I cautiously floated out, avoiding as far as possible the ponies wandering back and forth. I couldn't really rely on my senses because of the distance and the crowd, so I tried to use a simple - and castable without a physical horn - search spell. Something very dimly loomed in my mind from the direction Celestia indicated, so I tried to orient myself towards it.

After a bit of searching, I found our teacher, who was walking with Professor Tome towards the ballroom. Unfortunate circumstances, I concluded. Both of their senses were quite sharp, and even though they weren't expecting me in theory, I was seriously afraid that they would notice me anyway. Of course, that didn't hold me back. I approached them carefully, sinking all the way to the ground. I didn't want to be indiscreet, but I caught some of their conversation anyway, while I shaped the part of my dispersed body into a thin, tentacle-like formation, which would normally form my back roughly from my rump to my hips. I mostly used this part at Celestia's suggestion, since I could access it even in my pony form with relative ease if I only needed to partially transform to, for example - like now - I wanted to reach out to something magically and physically at the same time.

"...that's not what we get our money for," said Mr. Poltergeist, although I had no idea what they were talking about beforehoof. "We kept to the agreement."

"It's hard to accept," remarked Professor Tome more quietly than usual. "But we do have to recognize, in the larger scheme of things this is in the interest of us all."

I tried to overcome my instinctive aversion, and with extreme caution, following the stallion's movements, I reached under his vest. Luckily, it wasn't associated with real, physical sensations, so it was a completely indifferent stimulus when I felt around and found the small, golden card. Of course, this did not solve my whole problem. I had to pull it out of its place so that the dean wouldn't feel anything.

So, I had to resolve in this form, that just by touching the ticket, I have to bring it to the same dusty state as I am, and at the same time, I must not leave any other trace of my magic. If I had teeth, I would have snarled with concentration, but I could only push my mind to the limit.

"They are here, right?" I heard the mare's voice very faintly.

Either there was no answer, or I just wasn't paying enough attention, as I spent the next few seconds trying to finally retreat, rejoicing in my success. I felt I had the ticket. I left my teachers alone and floated back to Celestia as fast as I could. I was very proud of myself, I would have liked to have trotted up to her properly, as a pony, waving the proof of my victory from afar. But I knew that then not only would I not have received the - in my opinion well-deserved - praise, but I would have had the exact opposite effect. So, I stopped behind her uncertainly, as I had no idea how to hoof over my acquisition.

As if she had guessed my thoughts, Princess Celestia majestically spread her wings while she greeted the next guests in line, and noticeably exchanged more words with them than with the others. I immediately took advantage of the opportunity and, carefully reaching between two of her larger feathers, turned back into shape with a well-aimed, partial integrity recreation spell, and slid the golden card to her.

"Thank you!" my mentor said loudly after the two ponies continued towards the ballroom.

Smiling even wider, she closed her wings. It made it even funnier that Nimbus next to her looked at her in confusion as to who she was thanking and what. It seems that in some ways I was still closer to her than her other student... Just for that knowledge alone, it was more than worth it to separate myself a little from my partner in order to please the Princess.

Ambrosia! Dang it, I left her alone... - the realization hit me. Of course, this whole procedure didn't take terribly long, but it was about time for me to rejoin her. I would have liked to wait to see exactly what Celestia wanted to use Mr. Poltergeist's ticket for, but considering the length of the line, it was not going to happen in the near future. Rather, I quickly flew back into the ballroom, now less concerned about being noticed.

The pink mare was exactly where I left her, but I was disappointed to find that she wasn't alone. An annoyingly short, bespectacled, light gray earth pony stallion was talking to her - or at least he tried to. I stopped to listen a little, but all I could catch was that the stranger was talking a lot about Saddle-Arabia and something about griffins, and my fillyfriend nodded with a polite smile. I felt a strong temptation to change shape right in front of the stallion's nose, but in the end, I settled for hiding behind the same pillar and turning back into a pony there. I stepped behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Ah, so you would be Life Thread!" the guy turned to me with obvious joy. "Her Majesty Princess Celestia's private apprentice, if I'm not mistaken...

"You could say..." I answered in surprise. I didn't expect such a reaction.

"Please allow me to introduce myself!" he held out his hoof to me, which I accepted a little hesitantly. "My name is Cryptic Phrase, and I came here from Lightwind Pass, across the sea. It is truly an honor to meet you!"

"How can I help you?" I asked, still confused.

"Oh, I was just chatting with your delightful marefriend about the fact that they hardly like strangers in her beautiful country, so it's terribly difficult for simple archaeologists like me to get to Sandreins or other ruined cities of the same caliber. There are many undiscovered secrets and hidden treasures in those wonderful places. Tell me, dear Mr. Life, are you interested in such things?"

"I've never dealt with this kind of thing, but it doesn't really excite me..." I answered, even though I couldn't get over the way the short pony addressed me.

Although the gray stallion didn't stop grinning for a second, as soon as I voiced my thoughts, I realized that I had probably been extremely impolite. But I didn't really feel like explaining anything or worse, apologizing...

"Well, in case you change your mind and want to be a part of my adventures, here is my contact information!" the stranger hoofed me a small card. "I'll be staying in Canterlot for another seven days, but you can also contact me anytime back home. I won't bother you anymore, I can see that you are busy. See you soon!"

Still not recovered from the initial shock, I looked at the strange guy's business card thoughtfully. I read it carefully, although apart from the fact that it had an embossed griffin crest instead of the equestrian one, I didn't find anything special about it. And Ambrosia, as if until now she had only been waiting for the stallion to leave, quickly stepped up to me and snuggled her head under my neck.

"Are you angry that I disappeared?" I asked her softly.

"I'm not angry," she said. "Just missed you. Don't leave me again, please!"

"I won't leave you!" I chuckled, though I was a little surprised by how sad her voice sounded. "What do you want to do? Shall we go back to dancing for a bit?"

"Anything just stays together!"

* * *

For my part, I wouldn't have pushed dancing too much, but I had to experience that if we hang out in one place, strange ponies like the gray stallion will find us more easily. After a while, I realized that the Grand Galloping Gala probably meant something completely different to most ponies than it did to me. For many, this whole fuss was good for nothing other than establishing new, promisingly fruitful relationships with ponies from all over the world. And I, as Princess Celestia's - currently least busy - private student, seemed to be a rather promising target. I was jumped by all kinds of ponies, from the simple starers to hoof-lickers of the more disgusting kind, from business ponies to journalists. They didn't care that I wanted to spend the evening with my partner. In fact, sometimes she was called specifically in the first place, especially by those who had interests in Saddle-Arabia in any form.

Only then could we finally catch our breath, when we went outside, joining the "garden party", right after having a light snack from the smorgasbord. I had no objection to it, especially after I spotted Mr. Polter in the ballroom and asked Ambrosia to move a little closer to him to avoid being noticed. I caught him just as the dean was swearing to Professor Tome that he put his ticket back after showing it to the guards at the entrance. I smiled at him, but tried to avoid him seeing us.

It was totally worth going out into the open air. There were fewer ponies here in the first place, plus there was a soft wind here, which proved to be a pleasant refreshment after the ballroom, which in retrospect seemed stuffy. What's more, we even met a few... acquaintances here, whom I was even a little happy about thanks to my already great mood. Ambrosia first drew my attention to Dulcimer, who was sitting on a small platform, in front of a piano, providing soft background music as part of a quartet I did not know anything about. It looked like he was finding his way in the world without us just fine, if he was already invited to such a famous event as a performer... However, I didn't have to hold myself back not to greet him.

And the other one, whom I was happy to see only because she was another familiar face in the crowd, was Violet Sign. I caught a glimpse of her while she was merrily chatting with two older mares, waving a glass of champagne. I thought that she must also be building her very important relationships for the well-being of Equestria... However, it made me smile when I took a closer look at her dress, as it seemed almost ridiculously humble compared to such an important event. So, at that time, my words did hit their marks somehow. Although it's true, I myself didn't regret spending my two months' stipend on my suit - but to be honest, I didn't have a whole Manehattan estate behind me to finance my luxury expenses like this.

We strolled comfortably around the palace grounds, but this time we didn't let all kinds of ponies stop us. And when we got bored of the hustle and bustle, I discreetly suggested to Ambrosia that we should sit somewhere, a little further away from the crowd. She enthusiastically accepted the idea and immediately suggested that we visit the gardens. As she said, it is especially worthwhile at this time, because compared to how beautiful it is, especially on the evening of the Gala, when everything is blooming, very few ponies actually go and visit it. I didn't have to be encouraged either, clinging tightly to her, I already set off in the chosen direction.

"So beautiful!" I stated after a few minutes, when we climbed up onto a bench, which was surrounded on three sides by bushes that exuded a pleasant honey scent.

I didn't choose such a place by chance: this way we could hide a bit from the world...

"Right?" Ambrosia sniffed the air with her eyes closed. "There will never be nothing like this back home..."

"I don't know about that, but I'm talking about you" I smiled.

"Thank you."

She looked up at me and the slowly emerging stars shone in her gorgeous, bright green eyes. She moved closer to me and grabbed one of my legs. In return, I slid my other hoof onto his thigh. Fortunately, her dress was open enough at the bottom so that I didn't encounter any resistance, and I could actually caress her soft fur. And she sighed gratefully and leaned even closer. I took the opportunity, hugged her head and kissed her softly. It felt even more wonderful than ever before. Now we didn't have to care about anything or anypony but each other. Every fiber of my being tingled pleasantly as we entwined closer and closer. Never felt so hot to touch each other before...

I was so happy that we had the same thought, the same desire. I wanted to caress her face during the kiss, but my hoof got stuck in the halter she was wearing. Sometimes this stupid little accessory that she wore all the time could really get on my nerves. Well, it was really special, and somehow it fit her face, but at any time, even if I wanted to caress her nose, it was in the way... So, I carefully reached under her chin and behind her ear, not taking my tongue out of her mouth for a moment, and I wanted to cause as little disturbance as possible as I tried to unhook the halter from her. But as soon as I managed to find the correct spot, she noticed what I was doing and gently but firmly grabbed my leg.

"Can't we take this off a bit?" I asked hopefully, barely moving away from her.

"That's not allowed..." she whispered with half-closed eyes. Her breath almost scorched my skin.

"And is this allowed?" I asked defiantly and sealed our lips together again.

She couldn't even answer, but from her increasingly quick panting and her soft, wet stroking tongue, I thought that she didn't mind what I was doing to her at all. I adjusted my body a bit and straightened up to look taller than her - although there was almost no difference between us in this respect - and then, brushing her face and chest with my legs, I bit her lip very delicately. I could feel the trembling spreading through her entire body, and I took the soft moan that left her mouth as further encouragement. I exchanged more and more small, superficial kisses with her, with which I guessed that I had achieved my goal, because she stretched herself more towards me with each, as if she was struggling to break away from me.

But I had something else on my mind. I dug into her mane with one of my hoofs, and with the other I gradually found my way under her skirt to her inner thigh. I caressed her gently, but firmly, with longer and longer strokes, while she sighed heavily and tried to kiss me again. Her muscles sometimes tensed, but she never resisted for a moment. Soon she gave up completely, resting her chin on my shoulder and panting, enjoying my touch.

"Why don't we go home?" I whispered. "Before somepony sees us..."

"No..." she moaned faintly, pressing her head to my neck.

"Why not?" I asked softly. "We could even continue on your... bed..."

"It's so good here..." she whispered.

"It would be good there too, believe me! Don't be afraid! If you don't want it right away, I'm patient. But, you know... I really want to..."

"Oh, Thread! I want, too! But that's not allowed!"

"It's okay," I hushed her, while reaching even deeper under her skirt, with which I again managed to elicit from her a small moan almost overflowing with burning desires. "I said I can wait. However, if we went up to your place, even this would be much more convenient."

Ambrosia held me close with her front legs and gently bit my neck, moaning softly. Her hind legs were constantly shaking, but she didn't close them, so I thought I essentially had her wrapped around my hoof.

"Come, my love!" I whispered in her ear.

Although I didn't pull my hoof back, I rested it a bit on her thigh so she could move. Her breathing slowly calmed down, and she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"I really want to, Thread, but it's not allowed!" she said softly. "It's so very difficult... We shouldn't have done this, either, it's just so good... Don't be angry with me, please!"

"Why do you keep saying that it's not allowed?" I asked. "Who forbids it?"

"Well, a mare is not allowed to snuggle with a stallion like that before marrying," explained Ambrosia.

I quietly snorted. This was the dumbest thing I've heard in my entire life...

"In short, I should take your hoof before you could sleep with me?"

I moved away from her a little to look her in the eyes, but she lowered her head.

"I think it's not that simple," she sighed sadly. "To get us married, you would have to be a Saddle-Arabian pony. You should ask my father for my hoof. I don't know what he would say..."

What can I say, I could barely breathe. Well, I was aware that the customs in her country were very different from ours, but to impose even such nonsense...! And does anypony really take these seriously?

"And what if, if I do that and it doesn't even work out between the two of us? How can you go into something like this without having tried what it's like to be with each other?"

"I really enjoy being with you, Thread!" Ambrosia, with a startled face, grabbed my leg with both of her front hooves and pulled it to her chest. "I was never as happy as I am with you! I want you like nopony else!"

"So, what are we even talking about?" I asked a little harder than I intended. "You are not at home now; the rules there do not apply to you. Who would stop you from doing whatever you want?"

"Thread!" she looked at me suppliantly and raised my hoof to touch it to her face. "Please, understand me...!"

I turned my head and snorted. I slowly took a deep breath to calm down a bit. I can still try to be optimistic...

"It's okay, I understand," I said a little more calmly, but I pulled my leg back "You can't roll in the hay with me, because that would leave a mark. Of course, I can accept this if I have to. It's no tragedy. And I hope you understand me, after all, we've been together for half a year now, and nothing serious has happened between us since then. There are other ways to have fun together! Things that we can easily deny. You know what I mean? Believe me, I really want to finally get close to you!"

"I really want it, Thread, but that's not allowed..." she muttered penitently.

"Who cares if it's not allowed?" I snapped in exasperation. "Nopony would see us! Does your whole life consist of doing nothing? Why? Aren't you living your own life? Why are you giving up your own freedom? You don't even dare to secretly do anything that somepony once told you for whatever reason that you are not allowed…"

"Thread..." whispered Ambrosia, blinking widely, as if fighting back tears.

"How many ponies do you think would have waited half a year?" I continued, although my own words pained me too. "Or when did you plan to tell me that you really don't want anything from me? What did you even need me for?"

"Don't hurt me, please!" the mare whined in a tearful voice. "I meant no bad! I just feel so good with you!"

She reached out to touch my face, but I ducked away. "I just don't understand why you torture me," I said quietly. "Do you know what it feels like after everything we've been through together, to be faced with the fact that our love can never be fulfilled? I'm on fire from you and there's nothing I can do to put it out! What do you expect me to say?"

She sniffed silently and lowered her head. She wiped her eyes with a trembling hoof, then turned over to the bush behind the bench. I wasn't surprised that she couldn't stand my gaze...

"I wanted to fail the exam..." she sniffed "It was that I could only stay in Equestria until I passed the basic exam. If I hadn't succeeded, I could stay another year... But my family wants me to go home. I want to stay with you! I begged my father to allow me to spend the summer here."

"But why?" I asked hoarsely. My throat was tight. I felt like if this went on for much longer I was going to get sick. "To break my heart, both of our hearts, that we can't touch each other? Why did you even say yes when I asked if you would go out with me? You should have seen how it would end!"

"E-end...?" she sobbed.

She looked at me as if her whole little world had collapsed around her. I didn't feel much better either. It hurt me to see her like this and I was mad at her at the same time. But now really... why did she do this to me? Everything was going so well in my life! Everything was so beautiful! Everything went according to my plans! Then it turns out that the relationship I was so proud of was doomed from the beginning... I was only a limited-time leisure activity for her... No matter how it all happened, the end would have been that she would have gone home nicely and married a local pony, and lived happily ever after. And I'll bucking manage somehow...

"This... hurts..." I felt tears welling up in my eyes, so I covered my face with my hooves. "If only you had found another sucker instead of me...!"

I didn't even see, I just heard her get up from the bench with a big sniff. The soft, receding clatter of her hooves echoed in my ears for a long time. Like when somepony pours all their pain into a gallop...

I couldn't even move. The tears that had formed earlier also dried up, taking away the possibility of crying out the tension. I couldn't do anything but grind my teeth.

A cool breeze ruffled my fur. It even penetrated my clothes. It's late at night. What kind of idiot sits all alone in a park at this time?

I slowly removed my hooves from my face. It was completely unnecessary for me to stay any longer. Even if I didn't feel like going anywhere...

As I stood up from the bench suddenly an urge came over me to break something. This damned seat itself if nothing else. Or the bushes...

In the wake of my spell, thin, translucent tentacles of dust protruded from my back. It took only one swift swipe, and the hedge was no higher than the bench anymore. The cut was not perfectly straight. I made a note to myself that I still have to practice a lot...

I'm completely out of my mind - I realised as I looked at the fallen branches and torn leaves, which now disfigured my immediate surroundings in the form of an ugly pile. Not only was this unnecessary, but it didn't make me feel any better. And I ruined somepony's work. Celestia won't be thrilled either. But of course, I take responsibility. If I'm that stupid, I have to. Why would I act like it matters?

* * *

I don't remember exactly how I got to the bar. I just went where my feet took me, and they probably knew what I needed better than I did. Once I was there, nothing could hold me back from drinking - only my own thoughts. I downed a couple of beers relatively quickly, but afterwards I found myself staring at the wall with the glass in my hoof. And my usual expressionless face reflected my dejectedness exceptionally well.

At first, I thought of Ambrosia a lot and what I could or should have done. Of course, in the end I always got to the same point, that ultimately it doesn't matter; it would have been pointless for me to strain myself either way. Rather, I just looked ahead and let the not-so-substantial amount of alcohol help to dispel my worries about my future. I didn't want to have a good time. I didn't want to make a fool of myself one more time today either, so I didn't even try to get drunk. It was more than enough to float in nothingness and exclude from my consciousness this irritating, noisy ball in which I was locked in and was called reality...

The only thing that jolted me out of my melancholy was when I heard that familiar voice. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't called me by my name, it was talking to me from such a distant past.

"Thread, pal, is that really you?" asked a mare cheerfully from behind me.

By the time I turned around, I already knew who it was, but that only added to my surprise by the actual pony I saw. A pegasus mare with pale pink fur and a reddish mane with white tips, about half a head shorter than me, smiled at me. We were classmates at my old school, we got along well, but since then I have heard almost nothing about her. Even the mere sight of her lifted my spirit a bit in spite of my gloomy thoughts.

"Hack Filter?" I asked, smiling. "Is that you? I barely recognized you!"

"You've... grown up too!" she measured me from head to hoof. "What a refined gentlecolt, just look at you!"

"Why, and you... wait, what kind of dress is that?"

My jaw dropped in shock when I recognized the blue and yellow uniform. At the time, I owed my admiration of the Wonderbolts mostly to Filter, but I never dreamed that one day she would become one of them...

"Cool huh?" The mare adjusted her aviator glasses, then turned to the side so that I could take a closer look.

"I can't believe my eyes!" I jumped off my chair. "Oh my gosh! That's like... the coolest thing ever! Let me congratulate!"

She held out her hoof to me, but I immediately went for a bear hug and patted her back... she had to move her wings aside so that I wouldn't crush them too.

"Hey, have you been drinking?" she asked disapprovingly after sniffing the air.

"But of course!" I replied without thinking.

"And you don't even offer to buy me one?"

She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, which brought a smile back to my face.

"You're right, we need a toast for that!" I already waved to the bartender, and soon we got two more glasses of the same beer that I had been sipping until now. "One for the reunion, and one for you becoming a Wonderbolt."

"Then we should also drink to you becoming the student of the Big White!" grinned the pegasus girl as she climbed onto the chair next to me. "It will be too much; let's combine!"

"As you wish. Cheers!"

After the toast, we were silent for a few seconds while we immersed ourselves in our drinks, but after that I put the glass back on the table, shaking my head. "You can't imagine how glad I am to have you here!" I said. "We really should keep in touch somehow, because this won't do..."

"Yeah, from Cloudsdale, it's a bit hard," she shook her head. "But then there was a pleasant surprise, and we can be doubly happy that we ran into each other!"

"When did you move there?" I asked, curiously leaning my chin against my hoof.

"It's been around four years now," she answered thoughtfully.

"And the Wonderbolts? How did you manage to get in? Do I really have to pull everything out of you with pincers?"

As if she was just waiting for the question. She straightened herself proudly and just kept telling stories after stories. She told me what competitions she had participated in, and that she was still very new to the team, which somewhat explained why I hadn't heard about her yet - she hadn't even been added to the official member list. She also told me about Typhoon Wing and the other team members, what they were like in real life, and needless to say, I was both envious of her and proud of having a friend like her.

"You've only changed in appearance," I noted when she took a break from telling the story.

"Yeah, I gained a few pounds," she chuckled. "Fitting for a sportpony, eh?"

"Come on, that just made you shapelier!" I waved dismissively. "You can't even be called chubby. Turns on most of the guys, honestly!"

"You think?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Of course! And don't you start talking about aerodynamics! There are other things to consider besides flying."

"Hehe, you're a bad colt, Thread..."

She reached out to me with one wing and playfully poked me in the side with a feather. It tickled a bit, but I wouldn't exactly say it was unpleasant. In fact...

"That's it, Hacky, they corrupted me at the Academy. I'd rather not tell you what's going on there!"

"Whatever it is, you've changed for the better!" she winked. "You've become a real cool stud."

"As if you had a reason to complain! You've always been the coolest girl around here. And now that you've become a Wonderbolt, not just around here..."

"Are you flattering me now?" she laughed.

"Eh, it's only the alcohol speaking," I shrugged. "Don't worry, it will fade in time and I will be as boring as I used to be."

"I never thought you were boring. And I have to say, I like this flirty Thread even more than the old one..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Flirty?"

It didn't feel like flirting what I was doing, although it is true that the alcohol and the proximity of my good old friend got me much more relaxed. For a short while, I even achieved the original purpose of coming here, namely to get my earlier conversation with Ambrosia out of my head. Or who am I trying to deceive... we practically broke up! It didn't lighten my mood to finally admit to myself what had happened, but at least I was a little bit relieved. If nothing was holding me back, I could even allow myself to flirt with Hacky...

Somehow, it didn't bother me to think something like that about my foalhood friend. After all, I wasn't lying when I praised her figure; she was a really neat mare, which was especially emphasized by the form-fitting flying suit. It was also particularly nice that it didn't cover her face like the Wonderbolts' full outfit, so I could see her cute little snout. Yes, the years have clearly done her good. That and the fact that she has plumped up a bit. I would have gladly tried what it would be like to hold her in my hooves and feel for myself what it would be like to touch her in a way that I had never thought of before.

She probably saw something of my train of thought on me, because she didn't say anything, just tapped the empty beer mug against her teeth with a sly half-smile. And when our eyes met, she squinted mischievously and licked the rim of the glass. Suddenly, she swished her tail, then put down the glass, jumped down from the chair and pulled me with her.

"Come, I'll show you our locker-room! You're still interested in the Wonderbolts, right?"

"Of course!" I almost shouted. "I absolutely adore them, especially one of them!"

Without even counting I tossed a few coins down on the counter, then eagerly followed the mare. Many things were swirling in my head, but thanks to the alcohol, I didn't even feel the need to untangle them. Although I was surprised by Hacky's coquettish behavior, I would have found it even more difficult to comprehend my own. I just matter-of-factly and slightly languidly noted that I was courting a mare who wasn't Ambrosia, and I didn't even feel bad about it. Well, it was a bit strange, my head was spinning like I was in a dream, but I also found that I must have banished my conscience to some very distant and dark place.

True to her promise, the mare led me straight to the square above which her team was performing. She targeted a smaller building for which she had her own key. She did show me the previously mentioned locker-room, but I have to admit, I wasn't able to pay much attention to it - although I wouldn't have missed the opportunity to reach into one of the open lockers to feel the touch of the uniform hanging in it - I was pretty much preoccupied staring the pegasus girl next to me. My gaze wandered over her curves a couple of times, and as sluggish as I momentarily was, I was sure she noticed, but she didn't say anything about it.

However, when we got to their shared shower, she suddenly stopped and grabbed my mane to halt me too. There was exactly the same fire in her eyes I had seen once today... But I knew she wouldn't come up with stupid things like "it's not allowed" and such. No, she was a real kick-ass mare who doesn't run away like a coward and who gets what she wants!

"How about I show you where somepony like me can stay here in Canterlot instead?" she asked in a determined whisper.

"Lead the way, ma'am!" I answered just as firmly. "If I have to fly for it, I'll still follow you!"

I didn't mind that our sightseeing tour was already over. Especially after Hacky, fiddling with her keys, even leaned over to me for a moment and licked my nose playfully, yet almost erotically. I couldn't even imagine what came over her - somepony can't be so happy just to see an old acquaintance - but I didn't protest, I just followed her excitedly as she trotted through the streets of Cantelot, making a beeline to her hotel. This time I didn't even care about the place we went, I much preferred to watch her suit gently rippling on her back as she walked thanks to the work of her muscles. Or her graceful, red-and-white tail as she swung it slightly left and right. I didn't care if others noticed either. Actually, by that time, I wasn't interested anymore in anything or anypony that wasn't her...

When we got to her room, I closed the door behind us, and without asking anything, I gently grabbed her with my magic. She didn't resist, she didn't even turn around, she just slowly backed towards me, yielding to my pull. I could hardly believe that I was able to remove my inhibitions at such a level, and that the mare really responded so positively to my approach. But I also knew I wasn't going to back down now. And the fact that I felt that she would not object to what I wanted to do with her filled me with a kind of wild, unrestrained joy.

* * *

I don't want to tell you exactly what happened between us, however, for personal reasons. Let it be enough that I was able to spend a wonderful evening with the girl, which I look back on ever since with a blissful shudder mixed with remorse.

The mere fact that thanks to my pegasus friend I was able to experience what I had been waiting for so long, namely losing my virginity, says it all and says nothing. It won't tell how patient and helpful Hacky was with me for my very first time. It cannot describe all the sensual pleasure we experienced together. It doesn't even include how grateful I was that she shared her bed with me, and even though I felt even then that all of this meant more to her than a simple one-night stand only because long ago, and in a certain way even then, we were important to each other.

And she allowed me to hug her, kiss her and even call her pet names, after we had reclined next to each other with satisfied fatigue. To be able to experience with her everything that I couldn't with Ambrosia, despite how much I yearned for it...