DiamondBerry

The next morning, after a quick breakfast and breaking down their tents, Diamond Tiara was groaning.

“Ugh, I miss my comfy bed,” she said, rubbing her back. “If it weren’t for Daddy, I would have never agreed to this camping nonsense.”

“If you feel really bad, I might have a potion for that in my bag,” Brewberry said as he opened his bag and rummaged through bottles of all shapes and sizes.

“Oh, no, no, it's fine! I don’t need a full-on potion, just some stretching,” she said quickly, not wanting to stretch his already meager means by using up those costly potions he put so much effort and time into.

He shrugged and put on his saddlebags. “Alright, let's move, then. From here, we don’t have a path to follow, so we’ll be trekking directly through the shrubs.”

She hated the idea of struggling through wild thickets all day, but being with Brewberry made it seem more bearable. So, she nodded and began following the pink and white stallion as he led the way into the underbrush.

As they walked, Diamond Tiara couldn’t help but notice how his poofy pink mane and tail bounced in a cute way. She even caught her mind wandering to inappropriate places from time to time as they moved through the sun-flooded woods.

They spent the day pushing past branches, scrambling over rocks, and maneuvering all kinds of annoying terrain. She hated the woods with every fiber of her being. All she wanted was to be home with a glass of wine, a warm fire, and clean fur. But despite her disdain, she didn’t complain and simply soldiered on until, once again, nighttime befell them.

“That up ahead looks like a clearing. Let’s camp there for the night,” suggested Brewberry, who looked just as tired as she felt. She could tell his bag was heavy with all those potions. She had meant to ask why he always carried so many—it seemed like a lot of weight for very little benefit to her.

Before she could ask or agree, they both froze as a haunting howl echoed not far off. There were wolves in these woods. She yelped and jumped, startled by the noise, while Brewberry began rummaging through his bags, mumbling.

“Why is it always wolves? I hate wolves,” he grumbled as Diamond Tiara’s nervous eyes darted around, spotting yellow eyes in the darkness, reflecting the moonlight as they closed in.

“B-Brewberry, I think we need to move right now. They’re really close,” she said, shaking the stallion’s shoulder.

He batted her hoof away. “No, wait, I can solve this,” he said, still searching frantically.

She could see one wolf stepping into the moonlight now, baring its teeth and drooling at the scent of ponies.

“Aha!” Suddenly, Brewberry thrust a bottle of shimmering yellow liquid into her hoof. “Drink and run,” he instructed before downing the contents of an identical bottle himself.

She didn’t hesitate. She drank the entire potion in seconds and took off, following the white stallion, whose brilliant fur was easy to track even in the moonlight. Twigs whipped at her legs and face, making her whine in pain, while her fancy bags were torn and shredded by branches.

She realized she was moving at an incredible speed—easily double her usual running pace. It felt like subtle, painless lightning coursed through her veins, filling her with boundless energy. She felt like she could do flips and run for days.

They ran and ran for what felt like an hour, but she never grew tired. When they finally stopped, there was no sign of the wolves. To her surprise, she wasn’t even out of breath.

She turned to Brewberry, wide-eyed. “What in Celestia’s name was that?!”

He smiled. “Greater speed potion. It’ll wear off in a minute or two, but it was enough to leave those wolves in the dust,” he explained, setting down his bags and beginning to set up camp where they had stopped.

“Oh, wow… How much do I owe you for that?” she asked as she took off her own tattered bags.

“Oh, nothing. I’m not going to charge you for something you would have died without.”

“Really? Even with how costly your potions are to make? Are you sure, Brewberry?” she asked.

He nodded. “Call me Brew,” he said with a smile. “And yes, I’m sure. Even if these potions were costly, I foraged like half the ingredients myself.”

She nodded, grateful for his generosity, and went to gather some sticks. Within minutes, a fire was blazing.

“Oh no! My bags are shredded! And so is my tent!” she exclaimed, dismayed at the sight of her ruined belongings. She had been quite fond of those bags for how pretty they were.

“It’s just bags and a tent. At least you’re okay. That’s all that matters.”

She felt his hoof on her shoulder and blushed.

“Y-Yeah, I guess you’re right… So… can I sleep in your tent tonight?” she asked nervously. Partially, it was out of attraction, but mostly, it was fear of sleeping under the stars with wolves nearby.

To her relief, the stallion nodded.

They enjoyed a warm dinner and then crawled into the tent. It wasn’t meant for two ponies, so they had to get quite snug, making them both blush as they were forced to spoon. Brewberry generously let her be the big spoon for comfort, which resulted in her essentially hugging his back as they lay down to rest.

She felt her heart pounding from being this close to the kind, handsome stallion. She could feel his warmth and the softness of his fur. She was even more drawn to him now—she could smell him and feel his chest slowly rising and falling.

This felt special.

She owed him—not just for saving her with his potion, but for treating her as an equal, for not fussing over material things, and for being nothing like her mother. She really, really liked him.

She couldn’t hold it back any longer.

With a face as red as a tomato and her heart racing a million miles an hour, she spoke.

“I really like you, Brew!”

She had blurted it out a bit louder than intended, but now the floodgates were open, and she couldn’t stop.

“L-Like, really really like you a lot. I think you’re cute and kind, and you don’t care about how rich I am. Y-you’re a really nice stallion who’s smart and skilled, and I feel comfortable when you’re nearby.”

She stopped to see his reaction.

There was a second of silence that terrified her.

Then, his warm voice broke the tension.

“R-Really? I-I’ve felt the same about you. I-I really liked you too from the start,” he admitted.

“Then be my coltfriend! Please!” she said, hugging him from behind. “If you want, we can go on a proper date after this, but I really want to see what happens to us from here on out.”

Instead of answering, Brewberry turned around to face her, his brilliant pink eyes locking onto hers before he leaned in for a kiss. Hugging her tightly, their soft muzzles connected, exchanging affection for the first time.

Diamond Tiara was over the moon.

Her eyes fluttered closed happily as they made out, wrapped up in each other for what felt like half an hour, until sleep finally overtook them both in the warmth of their embrace.