Dynamic Entry

by Nether

Rating: mature
Tags: Anon, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Slice of Life, Sex, DJ P0N-3, Human
Length: 141826

Anonymous x Rainbow Dash x Vinyl Scratch Romance

This story deals with Anonymous and his day to day life after arriving in Equestria.

This story focuses on Romance and Slice of Life. I think. Maybe?
Mostly, anyways.

The clop:
It's marked with NSFW in the title, and having a #.5 in the chapter number. I make all my clop skippable, so that those who are interested can read it, and those who aren't can skip it. Any/all major story elements that are touched on in clop chapters will be re-capped in the next non-clop chapter, so you won't miss anything major.

Published 2012-11-28 07:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-13 03:20:45 UTC

Chapter 2: Tempest

You just woke up from glorious dreamless sleep. You felt much more relaxed. Still sore, but relaxed. The lights in your room were still dim, but you didn't feel like sleeping. You lay there, contemplating how your life was going to go from here. You're broke. You're homeless. And, as far as you know, you have no way of getting back home. That last one hurt.

You'll never see your family again. Or your friends. Or anything from that world. You begin to recall what you were doing before you woke up falling into Equestria. You had just left a friend's party. His 21st birthday party, actually. Things had just started dying down, so you figured you'd head home. Good party, great friends, but you'd been there since five. It was easily two in the morning now. Yeah, party was fun n' all, but hey. You'd rather sleep in your own bed instead of waking up next to someone you may or may not know; having done who knows what.

Being the responsible fuck you are, you decided to avoid drinking. If the police showed up, or someone needed to go somewhere but was too drunk to do it, you'd be the go to guy. Had to be somebody, you just drew the shorter straw. Bah, not really huge on drinking anyway. You made your way home, without incident. The roads were pretty clear; being so late at night. Your apartment was just as you left it. Bed was a disaster zone; floor was still your closet; computer humming away in the corner; fridge was stocked up on quick n' easy meals, cokes, a couple beers. Life was good.

You sat down in front of your computer once you'd put your keys away. You'd checked facebook and twitter; not that you were expecting anything. And you were right; same old drama, same shit. Checked your bank account, just to make sure you didn't do any spending you didn't know about. You never know at 21st birthday parties. All good. And so the world carried on.

You came back to now. Ponyville , the hospital, the crash. Nothing else mattered now. With no way to connect to back home, there was nothing that could be done. You've been given a clean slate! At the cost of knowing you will never see anyone you knew again. You'll never see another human female again. Dying alone had never crossed your mind before. How long before you go insane now?

Hope being a monk wasn't as bad as you were thinking it was. Not for religion, but for morals. You shouldn't even think about fucking ponies. It’s wrong. For now, your morals are strong. Just have to hope they stay that way. Time to think about something else while waiting on everyone else to wake up. Ponies. Horses. They don't eat meat. Right? Now, we have a serious problem. One way or another, they're going to find out you eat meat.

Will they shun you? Will they accept you? You can only go so long without protein. Maybe you could find an alternative to meat! Beans maybe? They have protein! Ooh, ooh! And rice! Looks like you're going to have to get used to quite a few things. You'll never have pepperoni pizza again. God. Fucking. Dammit.

You have a bigger still concern. You have no home. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Your stay at the hospital is temporary. What are you going to do for a house? Shelter even? Nobody here knows you. You're an alien to them. There is always hobokin. Yeah, fuck that. As bad as it sounds though, it looks like your only option. New priority: get a job. You can't rely on charity of people you don't know. You'll have to rough it for a while. Maybe a long while.

And it was cold earlier. Probably autumn. Shit. Only gonna get colder. Now time is against you. Peachy. Just fucking peachy. You must've really been into pitying yourself, because you didn't hear nurse Red Heart come in.

"Anon? Anooooon. Hellooooo" she said, as she waved her hoof at you. "Anon, you in there?" She walked over and nudged you in the shoulder. You snap back into reality. Wonderful fucking reality.

“Oh! Sorry, I was just thinking" you said.

"Must've been something interesting. How long have you been up? I told you you need your rest!" Just how long have you been up? There aren't any clocks in here.

“I... I don't know. Couldn't sleep. Bad dreams." you answer.

"I'll bet. A crash like that will probably haunt you for a while." she said. Yeah. Thanks. "Speaking of crashes, if you're up to it, Rainbow would like to see you." The mention of Rainbow catches your full and undivided attention. You barely know her, but already you owe her your life and a half.

”Absolutely!" you said.

"Well, ok then. I'll let you two catch up and I'll send up some breakfast." she said, and headed out the door. With that, Rainbow was wheeled into your room by another nurse. The nurse left you two to each other.

"How you holdin' up, Anon?" she asked. Fucked. Fucked up the ass.

"Pretty good" you lied. "Yourself?"

"You kidding? A crash can't stop the Dash!" Tough little thing to the end, huh?

"How long you here for? Nurse Red Heart has never seen a human before, so I'm her indefinitely."

"I bruised one of my wings, and sprained an ankle on the way to the hospital, but other than that, I'm fine. Heck, I'll probably be outta here in a couple days, tops!" Great. Just great. "Hey Anon, how you gonna get back to wherever you’re from?" she asks Fucking mind-reading pony.

”I... I don't think I can get back home. I don't even know how I got here." you reply, obvious lack of hope in your voice. At this point, you consider yourself a permanent resident of Equestria. Not much you can do to change it either.

"Oh..." she says voice laden with empathy. She seems to think about this for a bit. "Well, where are you gonna stay?" Mind-fucking-reading. You swear. After considering actually answering for a while, you finally respond

”I don't know Rainbow. I guess I'll just rough it for a while." This doesn't sit well with her. You can see it. She shifts in her wheelchair after hearing your answer.

"Well, I'd offer you to stay with me, at least until you got back on your feet." She says. Miracle! Best damn pony. Ever. "But-" Dammit. "My house is in the clouds. So unless you can actually walk on clouds, I don't think it’s such a good idea." Interesting place for a house, but she is a Pegasus. Eh, kinda makes sense.

"Well, I appreciate the thought Rainbow, but even if I could walk on clouds, I don't think it'd be right."

"What? Well why not?"

"Well, I barely know you. You've already saved my life; I’m an alien to you, so that probably wouldn't go over so well with other ponies; And, I have no way to pay you back as it is!" She seems to mull your answer over in her head for about three seconds.

"Listen, Anon, what I did for you, I'd do for anypony. Even if I knew it was you, I'd do it again. Sure I don't know you as well as one of my friends, and you're an alien. But, so far, you're a pretty awesome alien. I think getting to know you would be pretty awesome."

"I appreciate that Rainbow; I really, really do; and I'd like to count you as my friend, but I still can't walk on clouds." You say eager to get out of this. Not that Rainbow's offer isn't appealing, but you still don't feel quite right mooching off of anyone that much. You can almost see the gears in her head going full power now. She really wants to help.

"You know, I think I might actually have a solution to that too." She says slyly. A solution. To not being able to walk on clouds. Your brain tried, tried, and tried some more to process that. But it just hurt to think about. "Tell ya what, you worry about getting out of here and getting all fixed up; and I'll see what I can do to help out your housing situation." she says.

"Bu--"

"Ah ah, no buts! Admit it, you need my help. Like it or not!" She's got you there. Dammit. "That’s what I thought. Now, I've got to get back to my room and let the nurses do what they need to before they don't give me an option. I'll talk to you later, ok Anon?"

"I-- but--.........Ok Rainbow. I'll see you later." You answer, defeated. Now wait just a god damn minute. Had this been Earth, this would've easily been the equivalent of someone tackling you out of the way of a speeding car. You wouldn't even think twice about staying with another human. So why are you considering staying with an alien pony? On Earth, you had a home and could support yourself.

Had this been Earth, it is equally likely that no one would've tried to save your life.

"I hope you're hungry, Anon" said Nurse Red Heart as she entered your room once more. "I've got a few things that should take care of your hunger." She had two trays, one had a bowl of what looked to be jell-o on it, the other had orange juice, biscuits, bagels, toast, and even some pancakes.

The smells from the second tray alone were enough to stop your train of thought entirely. You hadn't noticed how hungry you'd been.

”That smells delicious!" you said excitedly.

"Glad you think so. But first, we need to see if you can handle something a bit simpler." With that, she set the second tray full of delectable cravings on a stand on the other side of your room. She moved the first tray, with the jell-o substance on it, over to you. "As soon as you finish this, you can start on the second tray."

With that, you politely tore into the green semi-transparent food. It tasted kind of like you'd expect. Almost exactly like lime flavored jell-o. And so, it was gone in a matter of minutes. Why did ponies have silverware? Maybe its specifically a unicorn thing. Eh. Fuck it.

"Oh, I guess you are hungry then." She says as she moves the second tray over to you. "Well, I've got some rounds to finish. I'll check up on you after that though. Enjoy your breakfast!" And thus, she left you to your food. As soon as the first piece of toast entered your mouth, you regretted eating it so fast. You regretted not savoring it. Good thing there was more. You had an intense urge to eat everything on that tray as fast as humanly possible. And an equally strong urge to savor it as slowly as possible. Ponies sure know how to cook.

Your stomach was full. You were resting peacefully in your makeshift hospital bed. What did Rainbow mean by a solution? Why was she so eager to help you? If she was a human, you'd be suspicious of her intentions, hands down. But she's not a human. And this, apparently, isn't Earth. You still feel awkward about her wanting to help so badly. It’s nice and all, but... Why?

Is it because you're an alien, and you'd be a 'trophy friend' so to speak? Does she feel like she owes you something and isn't telling you? Is she secretly trying to get something from you? It’s not like you have much now, anyway. So many questions, so few answers.

*******

You've been in this hospital, isolated from the rest of Ponyville and its inhabitants, for a few dasy now. How would the other ponies react? The unknown answer to that question worried you. You've met a handful of ponies already. Rainbow Dash, Nurse Red Heart, and a few members of the hospital staff, though they didn't stay and chat much.

And Fluttershy. Wonder if she'll try and chat it up with you? You probably wouldn't recognize her if she walked into your hospital room right now anyway. As if on cue, your room door opens. In comes none other than, Rainbow Dash. She's still in her wheelchair, but it looks like the nurses have removed a few bandages from her. And she's got the biggest grin you've seen yet.

"Oh hey, whats up Rainbow?" you said, as she approached the side of your bed.

"Well, I was thinking about what you said earlier, about not being able to walk on clouds, and I remembered my friend Twilight knows a spell that let some of my friends walk on clouds. She said it was pretty simple, and it lasts for a while!" Well, there goes your chance of getting out of mooching. Rainbow doesn't seem like the kind of pers-- ... pony, that'll take no for an answer.

"Thats... great news Rainbow, but" you start to say. As soon as you said 'but' however, you may as well have killed her mother. Those eyes. God dammit. ”... I don't know how long I'll be in the hospital." you finish. She perks right back up

"No worries Anon! I'll tell Nurse Red Heart, and she'll let me know when you can leave. This'll be so AWESOME! I'm gonna have a roomie!" She was acting like it was the best thing that has ever happened to her. "Well, I'm gonna go get a hold of Twilight, see when she's not busy. In the meantime, I've got to do some sort of physical tests to make sure my wings are good to go. I know they want to be sure and all, but jeeze. Anyway, I gotta go before the nurses find out I'm missing. See ya later!" And once more, you were alone.

About a week has passed since you and Rainbow had spoken last. The nurses did in fact discover Rainbow had left on her own accord. No, they weren't too happy about it. You've got to be close to done with your recovery by now. You're practically helping the hospital staff. Put things away, gather notes, gather supplies. Back room stuff. Understandable.

No need to cause a panic or anything. And it felt good to be useful for a change. The nurse you were helping would always check up on you though. Each time you went back to your room, you basically received a physical. You'd met most of the hospital staff this way. Pretty nice group of ponies; all but a few were unicorns though. Magic would seem to have its bonuses in the medical field.

The first couple of days after Rainbow had been discharged, you felt pretty lonely. Hell, the only pony willing to make conversation with you was Nurse Red Heart. Being the head nurse had its own set of privileges, you discovered. She thought you needed some interaction other than herself, and she noticed how cabin fever was starting to take its hold on you.

So, naturally, when you were offered the chance to help out, you jumped on it. They made you take it easy though. No heavy lifting, no dealing with other patients, still isolated, but you met some more friendly faces.

And some, not so friendly faces. Well, not everyone is going to like you. It happens. Rainbow had tried to come back and visit you, but Nurse Red Heart refused her each time; something about no visitors, no exceptions. On the brighter side though, Nurse Red Heart was growing more and more convinced you were fully recovered. You weren't sore, and passed all the physical tests she gave you.

"Well, I think we're going to discharge you today Anon." she said. It's about damn time.

”Thats great news!" you responded.

"Yes well, there is just one order of business that needs to be taken care of before that happens."

“What’s that?"

"Rainbow Dash has requested to be notified upon your discharge. Now, the decision isn't hers to make, it's yours." Are you ready to live with a pony? On a cloud? You hesitate. But only for a moment.

"Absolutely! If it’s alright with you, I'd like her to be here when I'm discharged. If she isn't, I would have no idea where to go." Red Heart doesn't seem especially thrilled with your answer, but accepts it without challenge.

"Alright then, I'll get word sent to her now. I hope you know what you're getting into, Anon." she said as she left your room.

Being in a state of (what was presumed to be) full recovery, you took to wandering around your room. After a couple of minutes of wandering and thinking about nothing in particular, you sit yourself down on your bed. And, being excited about getting out of this confining hospital, your mind resumes wandering for you.

What’s it like to live on a cloud? How will you commute to other places when the need arrives? How will you get to the clouds in the first place? How big is Ponyville? What will you do for money? Can you get away with eating meat? Enter, Rainbow Dash.

"What’s up Anon!?" she asks excitedly. Nothing. Nothing has been up. Then why are you so excited to tell her that?

"Not much, you?"

"Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that. I've been telling my friends about you, and they're super excited to meet you!"

"Well now, let’s take this one step at a time, Ok Rainbow? I haven't even made it out of the hospital yet."

"Okay, fine. Baby steps." Phew. Making friends is cool n' all, but you don't know how many friends she's talking, or how fast you'd be meeting them. "But there's at least one friend you're meeting today, and not much you can do about it." One at a time.

"And just who might that be?"

"Twilight, duh. Unless you've somehow gained the ability to walk on clouds while I've been gone?"

”Uh, no, at least I don't think I ha--"

"Great! Let’s go!" By this time she has maneuvered herself around you, and is using her head to push you towards the door. Damn she's excited. Nurse Red Heart gave you one final exam before Rainbow snuck you away, and gave you the green light.

"Well, good luck Anon. And, no offense, but I hope I don't have to see you again too soon." she said with a smile. You almost said "I'll see you soon," but you caught yourself.

"Thanks again for taking care of me, Nurse Red Heart."

"Anytime dear. Now, you'd better get going before Rainbow over there gives you another injury." You glance over at Rainbow. She heard that. She wasn't happy about it, but she kept her mouth shut. With that, you and Rainbow head towards the hospital lobby. Those doors; your last chance to chicken out is about to slip by.

You follow Rainbow out into the blinding sunlight. After your eyes adjust to the new light source, you re-focus on Rainbow. She's up flying around, doing circles waiting on you to catch up.

"Slow down Rainbow, no need to rush." At that she descends back down to your altitude. She's almost pulling you along, but you wanted to look around. It must've been a workday or something, because there weren't many ponies out. The ones that were gave you mixed looks. You almost asked Rainbow why everyone was looking at you, before you remembered. Alien. Right.

The buildings here weren't too dissimilar from that of a small village back on Earth, though a few did strike up your curiosity. There was one that looked extremely similar to a carousel. One was a little twisted and brightly colored. Another one was a larger dome building, but it was further out than you could see. Off in the distance, you could see a fenced off orchard of trees. So much to see, so little time.

Dash was intent on getting to Twilight's house as quickly as possible. After another 10 minutes or so of walking, Rainbow has led you to a rather large tree. This tree was like a couple others you had seen, it was being used as a home. Hollowed out, windows, doors, lights, but it was still... alive? The tree wasn't dead. Didn't seem like an easy task to accomplish. Oh wait. Magic.

But this tree house was a bit different. It seemed larger than the others, and it had a sign with an open book painted on it, hanging out front. A library? Does this Twilight live in a library? Dash knocks impatiently on the door. Not but a few seconds later, the door is opened by a small... purple and green... lizard?

"Oh hey Rainbow, come on in!" the little lizard said. Rainbow motioned for you to follow her in, so you did. "Who's your friend, Rainbow?"

"Spike, meet Anon; Anon, this is Spike" she said. You both look at each other. You both seem to have the exact same thought at the same time.

“You're not a pony." you both say. Well no shit. Upon hearing that, Rainbow busts out laughing.

"Hahaha, you shoulda seen the look on your guys' faces! Oh man, it was priceless!" She said through fits of laughter. Ignoring her laughter, you attempt to carry on the conversation you started with Spike.

"No, I'm not a pony. I'm a human."

"Human, huh? Never heard of 'em." Spike responded.

"Yeah, so I've heard. Anyway, no offense, but I've never seen anyone like you before. If you don't mind my asking, what are you?" you inquire.

"Uuuuuhhh, I'm a dragon?" he answered. Ya know, you'd figure dragons to be a lot… bigger. About the time you were going to respond, another voice interjects.

"Actually, he's a baby dragon, to be more precise. I've known him since he was an egg!"

"TWILIGHT!" spike groaned. "Do you have to bring that up, every time someone asks about me?" spike asked her.

"I'm just explaining to him what you are. It’s obvious he's never seen a dragon before. From what Rainbow has told me, he's never met a pony before either!" she said. The purple unicorn shifted her attention to you. "Oh! Where are my manners! I'm Twilight Sparkle, resident librarian. And you must be Anon, right?"

”Yes, I'm Anon. Nice to meet you Ms. Sparkle." you said, trying to make a good impression.

"Please, call me Twilight! All of my friends do; and any friend of Rainbow's is a friend of mine!" Just how popular is Rainbow Dash? "At any rate, welcome to my home!" she said, after closing the door behind you.

"You live in a library?" you asked.

"Yup, I live on the top floor to be specific. Princess Celestia let me live here to continue my studies in the company of my friends." Wow. So she knows a princess of some sort. Must be some good friends to skip out on presumably living in a castle.

"Hey, Twilight, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got a few things to take care of back home so Anon can crash there for a while. Do ya think we might… speed things up a bit?" Rainbow said.

"Oh! Of course! How silly of me! Spike, would you get me the--"

”Directory of Spells, volume 1. Already got it." He interrupted.

"And thats why you're my number one assistant! Ok, let’s see here." she said as she used magic to open the book and began scanning its contents. She seemed to find what she was looking for, and studied a passage for a moment. "Ok, Anon, I need you to just relax, and let me handle this, ok?" she said as her horn began to glow. Ok, easy enough.

A couple of seconds later, a bright purple light emitted from Twilight's horn. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was over. Huh. You didn't feel a thing.

"Was that it?" you asked

"Yup, pretty simple huh?" She asked.

"Rainbow, would you be so kind as to get a small cloud, so we can make sure the spell took effect?"

"Sure thing, be right back." said Rainbow after opening the door. She was gone, maybe for three seconds. When she came back, she was straddling a small cloud, and steering it with her flight. She hopped off the cloud in front of the door.

"Anon, would you mind trying to stand on the cloud please?" Twilight asked you.

"Sure, no problem." you said as you approached the cloud. You raised your leg to put your foot on the cloud, fully expecting it to dissipate under you. Until you actually stepped on the cloud. It was almost like stepping on a skateboard by accident. Upon landing on your ass, Rainbow started having issues fighting off a giggle fit. And you're going to live with this pony for a couple of weeks.

"Perfect! It works!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What do you mean by 'it works'?" you asked. Were you just experimented on?

"Well, some creatures have an innate immunity to magic, like older dragons. It's a good thing you don't seem to be immune to magic! It'll make this much easier!"

"Ok, well how long with this spell last?"

"On a normal pony, it tends to last about five days. Check back in three days, and we'll see how you're doing. We'll be able to tell how fast the spell is wearing off, based on how hard it is for you to go through a cloud. I'll be able to calculate an accurate time frame from that." Magic - there's science in this shit. "Well, I've got to get back to my studies, so Rainbow, unless you need anything else, I'll see you later?" Twilight asked

"Sure thing Twilight! Thanks for helping out!" she said. With that, Twilight and Spike returned to the library. Guess where you're going next.

"Alright, let’s get to my place!" Dash says as she prepares to take off.

"But Rainbow, how do I get there? I can't fly." Rainbow promptly sat down before she left the ground. She pondered this with serious thought for a minute or two. One classic 'light bulb' scene later, her smile returns.

“Doy. Hop on big guy!" She says after standing up and spreading her wings.

"Uhh, don't you think I'm a bit big for you? I carried you before, remember?"

"You tryin to say I can't lift ya?" After a bit of adjusting, you were atop Rainbow, right in front of her wing joints; almost laying on her neck and head. It felt a bit awkward, but Rainbow seemed comfortable with it. "Alright Anon, hold on to my neck. Last thing I need is to have to catch you again."

You wrap your arms around her neck firmly. She takes off towards a large grouping of clouds that looked to be a couple of miles from Ponyville. You throw your arms in the air and enjoy yourself. Might as well. Rainbow Dash noticed you let go with your arms, and tightened your grip with your legs as best you could. She turned her head to look at what you were doing.

"So you like to go fast, huh?" she asked. You didn't noticed. Too busy enjoying yourself. She took that as a yes. She stopped heading towards the group of clouds, and started a rapid ascent. This warranted your attention. Immediately you clamped your arms right the fuck back down, and your legs became an iron grip. Fortunately, Rainbow didn't seem fazed by your grip of terror and death.

After what seemed like an eternity, she stopped accelerating upwards, and began a nosedive. You were going faster, and faster, and ever faster. Fuck that’s fast. The air was going across your skin so fast, you had to check a couple times to make sure you weren’t burned. You weren't. Yet. What was she trying to do? It was becoming increasingly difficult to see. Or keep your eyes open. You heard something that sounded like an explosion.

You didn't know what it was, but Rainbow had just performed a sonic rainboom. After the explosion, you realized that the two of you were heading for the original cluster of clouds extremely fast. And Rainbow wasn't slowing down. You wanted to scream for her to slow down, but the air was passing by too fast. Even if you could manage to say something, no one could hear it. You could barely hear yourself think over the friction in the air.

The friction. You could swear you smelled smoke. She wasn't slowing down; despite what you were sure was an impending cloud splat. You're approaching critical cloud! You shut your eyes as you brace for impact, fully expecting not to open them again. It happened in what you could only describe as slow-motion.

There was a dramatic decrease in speed, a very fluid-like roll, followed by a sudden chill on your skin. Your head rattled around for a second before you finally got the nerve to open your eyes. Upon opening your eyes, the first thing you see, is Rainbow Dash. She's laying on her back, looking up, a huge grin on her face.

She looked over at you and said, "Check it out! Whatcha think?" You looked to where she had gestured, and there was a rainbow. The rainbow seemed to emanate from a rainbow explosion of some sort, and stopped a few feet above where you and Dash were laying. "That was fun. I've never done a sonic rainboom while carrying something before." she said. Sonic Rainboom.

You just rode a Pegasus, through the sound barrier, and created a rainbow. You immediately look down to check if everything was where it should be. Shattered phone? Check. Knife? Check. Clothing still on one piece? So far so good.

You look back at Rainbow and say "Yeah. That was pretty awesome." You thought for sure that with being able to walk on clouds, it would be just as easy to splat on clouds. Guess not. At most, you and Dash managed to make a little dent in the cloud. Even that was already puffing back out to its original shape.

Chapter 3: Intrepid

As you stand up and dust the... cloud... off of yourself, a thought occurs. You're spending time at a friend’s house. And you didn't bring a change of clothes. Well, now what? You looked over to Dash, who was frolicking in the cloud mess she had stirred up. She's already been more help than you could possibly ask for. Fuck.

"Hey Dash," you ask, causing her to stop mid frolic. She looks up at you, covered in cloud.

"Yeah Anon?" she asks.

"I... may or may not have another... problem..." you said. You've spiked her curiosity now.

"What’s up?"

"Well, I don't have any other... clothes." She looks at you for a second.

"Oh is that all? Phew! I thought you'd broken something again."

"Well I can't just walk around in the same clothes all day! They'll start to stink!"

"Then why wear them?"

”What?"

"Why wear clothes? They just get in the way anyway. See? I'm not wearing any clothes." As she points this out, your brain begins constructing its innuendos.

"...Where I'm from, my people wear clothing all the time. To be naked in public.... well, it isn't exactly common" you explain.

"Well, if it means that much to you, I do know somepony that could probably help with that." She flies over to you, and grips you with her forehooves. "Riding me will take some getting used to, for the both of us. I was having issues staying balanced on the way here." Your mind was having a hay day making all of these innuendos, better to try and not think about it.

"So you did a sonic rainboom anyway?"

"Yup! I said I had issues keeping my balance. Didn't say I stopped being awesome." With that, she lifted off and flew you towards Ponyville once more. You land at a carousel shaped building. After setting you down, Dash flies over and knocks on the door.

"Come iiiinnn!" you hear from the other side of the door. Rainbow opens the door, and you follow her in, making sure to shut the door behind you this time. Inside, a white pony with a purple mane and tail is walking down some stairs with a measuring tape draped eloquently over her shoulders. "Oh. Hello Rainbow Dash. What brings you here?" She seems rather uninterested, but presses on.

"Rarity, meet Anon. Anon, this is Rarity." Upon hearing this, Rarity makes her way further down the stairs.

"Well it’s a um... pleasure to meet you, Anon." she says, something obviously bothering her. You must've been out of her view. She took everything Dash said in stride, until she actually looked at you. She continues looking you over for a moment, and something seems to 'click' in her head. "Oh yes! Your clothing! The hospital sent it to me and asked me to repair it. I knew there was something familiar about you!" Rarity said excitedly.

"Really?" asked Dash

"Of course dear! Who else would you trust to mend clothing never seen by the eyes of pony before?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Dash turned her attention to you. "Rarity runs this shop, and designs some amazing dresses."

"Thank you dear! But, you've still managed to avoid answering my question. What brings you and your friend here?" Rarity asked rainbow

"Well, I was wondering... Could you make some clothes for him? He's only got what he's wearing, and apparently humans aren't known for not wearing clothing." she explained.

"Oh, but of course! As a matter of fact, I made it a mental note to make your acquaintance after mending your... interesting... fashion choices."

"But, I can't pay you" you began to say

"Oh dear, your arrival has all but inspired my latest line of dresses! The least I could do is make you some clothes!" she interrupted. "Come with me dear, we'll have some clothes for you in no time at all!" With that, Rarity leads you to another room on the main floor.

"Well, I'll let you do your thing Rarity. Anon, I'm gonna go get my saddle bags and stock up on food. I'll be back to pick you up in a little while, okay Anon?"

"Ok Dash, I'll be here." With that, Dash heads out.

"Now then, on to fashion!" Rarity says, giddy with excitement. She positions you in the center of the room, and starts gathering some supplies. "Now let’s see here, I have some measurements from when I patched your clothes, so that won't be necessary. But I do need to know a few things before we get started."

"Ok, shoot"

"Well, what are these pieces called?" she asked, causing you begin going over what you're wearing.

"Well, this is a jacket" you say as you pull your jacket off to show her. "This is a T-shirt" you say as you pat the piece of clothing. "And these are my pants." once more, gesturing towards what you had just described.

"I was able to determine those for the most part dear, ponies tend to wear clothing to special events and the such." she said. "What I mean is: what was the small white piece of clothing the hospital sent me? Are you wearing it now?" You somehow lost your socks and shoes in the crash. That leaves one option.

"You mean my underwear?" you ask tentatively.

"I suppose I do. What is… underwear?" she asks.

"Well, it’s a type of... protective garment." you say.

"Odd, it doesn't seem like it would protect much."

"It... uh, well... It’s not like armor or anything. It... Its purpose is to... prevent damage to some more... sensitive... human areas."

"Damage from what?"

"Mostly from pants. Our pants can cause damage to those areas in rare occasions, or under specific circumstances."

"So, you wear your underwear under your pants?" You nodded your head in confirmation. "Certainly some odd choices, my dear. Odd choices indeed. But, we shall press on! Oh goodness me, why are you so red? Is it too hot in here?" You hadn't realized just how much you were blushing. Not every day you talk to someone about your underwear in such... detail.

"It’s... It’s just that humans don't typically discuss our underwear... well, at all really." Get yourself together Anon! One hell of an impression so far.

"Well, okay dear, if you say so. Now, let’s go over some options for you, hmm?" She brings over a clipboard and offers it to you. The paper on the clipboard shows some designs she had been working on while you were talking. Some are elegant; others are official looking; and others still are plain, more day to day.

"I like all of these designs Rarity, but I think I need these the most." you say, indicating the plain style of clothes.

"I suppose one does need some, everyday clothes in an all-clothing society." she observes. "Very well, I shall create some of these for you!"

"Thanks Rarity, I'll pay you back as soon as I ca--"

"No no no dear! Not another word about paying me. I told you before; I want to do this for you!"

"But--"

"No buts! You need to get your things in order Anon. The least I can do is clear up some of this chaos for you! Besides, Rainbow seems to like you, so I can at least help you out for her." That cyan pony.

"Like me? She crashed me into a cloud at supersonic speeds!"

"Oh that was you she was carrying? I couldn't tell from down here."

"Yeah, I don't know what possessed her to do that"

"It’s Rainbow Dash. Give it time; you'll learn what that really means. But she performed a sonic rainboom while carrying you? You should count yourself lucky." No kidding. "She wouldn't do that with just anyone. She must trust you more than you know."

A couple hours passed. All the while, Rarity was making idle conversation with you; asking generic questions. How'd you get here? Is there magic in your world? How many humans live in your town? Why did humans wear clothing? What kind of clothing did they wear? Was it cold there? Was it warm? Was there lots of water? She was full of questions. She would go on and on, dragging out the details of every answer you gave her.

"Did you have a special human back home?" she asked. You thought about that for a minute. Not really. You had a few friends that happened to be girls, but you weren't close to any of them. A few relationships here and there, but they always seemed to die off just as fast as they started. You'd had sex before, but it was never special.

"No, I don't suppose I did." That answer felt dry; like you didn't want to admit it. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." she says in that coy ‘I'm not telling you anything’ sort of way. "Alright Anon, I've got at least three outfits done! I'll have some more done for you tomorrow, but we at least have you a start."

"Well thank you Rarity. I really appreciate what you're doing for me."

"It’s no problem at all, Anon. Besides, this was almost a Fashion crisis! Now, I do believe Rainbow should be done shopping by now, you're welcome to wait in the lobby if she isn't though."

Seeing as you’d gotten some clothing to start yourself off, you head back into the lobby. No Rainbow Dash? No Rainbow Dash. Guess you're waiting. Rarity left you in the lobby, and went back to another back room; probably working on a project for someone.

Another hour goes by, and it's starting to get dark out. Well, Rarity probably needs to close soon. Guess you could walk around town for a bit. Maybe try this 'socializing' thing you've heard so much about; could be fun. You exit Rarity's shop, carrying the box of neatly folded, hoof made clothing she had just given you.

The sun is setting, not many ponies out and about anymore. Well, at least you can enjoy the scenery. You start walking towards what looks to be the town square; lots of ponies packing up shops. A few are lingering around; probably waiting to see if anyone else comes by. As you approach, a few give you the 'I've never seen you before' or 'the fuck is that?' looks. But hey, you're new. As you're walking about the closing shops, you notice two ponies arguing over something.

"No Berry! I won't trade you some of my sweets for your punch! I just don't want any, okay?"

"But Bon Bon, I just want a few pieces of candy! Be reasonable!"

"Berry. Take your punch back, and go home. It’s late, and I've got to close up for the night."

"Aww, come on Bon Bon! Please??"

"NO!"

The pony you'd figured to be Bon Bon, smacked a glass of punch off of her stand. You knew exactly what happened next, before it actually happened. Fate must love to fuck with you. In slow motion, the glasses contents proceeded to drench you. Knowing the juice was inevitable, you quickly tossed your box to the side. Well, the box made it out alright. You, however, were soaked with a rather tangy punch.

Both of the ponies stopped arguing, and looked to you when they heard the glass clatter to the ground. If Bon Bon could've turned any redder, she would've exploded.

She was the first to speak, "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!"

You hear Berry say "See, if you had just traded like I said in the first place, none of this would've happened!"

"Berry! We'll settle this later."

"Fine."

"I'm terribly sorry about that, here, let me help you." Bon Bon said, making her way out from behind her stand.

"No no, it's fine."

"Well, at least let me give you something to make up for my outrageous behavior." She went back to her cart and got a small bottle of a semi-transparent light blue liquid, and a quart-sized bag filled with little candy drops. She put both into a brown bag, picked up the brown bag with her mouth. She walked back over to you, and offered you the bag.

You paused for a moment. Alien stranger; offering unknown substances. Be a dick and turn her down? Or take a chance and maybe earn a new friend? Eh fuck it. Drugged up by a pony? At least it'll make an interesting story one day. You accept the brown bag of unknown goodies.

"The liquid is a cleaning agent. Just add it to water when you're washing your clothes, and the punch stains will come right out."

"Wait, if you sell sweets, why do you have a bottle of this at your stand?"

She gives Berry a deadpan look before returning her attention to you.

"Berry is a nice pony, but she can be kind of clumsy sometimes."

"Hey!" Another deadpan look from Bon Bon shut Berry up.

"Never hurts when you have a shop not too far from hers."

“Well, thanks. I think. What were the little candies for?"

"I can certainly do more than just clean your clothes. Those candies are to make up for me and my... friends... behavior. It was uncalled for. The candies are some of my prouder creations; it's not much, but I hope it's enough that you'll forgive our behavior." You consider everything that’s gone on this evening. Well, you can accept their apology. At least she seems sincere.

"Well, thanks. I'll have to come back some time and try out your punch and sweets properly."

"No problem at all, mister..?"

"Anon."

"Anon. My name is Bon Bon, and the creator of the punch you're wearing is--"

"Berry Punch! Pleased to meet you!" said Berry, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Well, I've got to get going. Nice meeting you both." you said, as you collected your box of clothing. You turned around and headed back towards Rarity's shop. The sun was down completely now, and the moon had started its ascent. Rainbow was probably looking for you by now. As if on cue.

"Anon! There you are!" Rainbow flew down to head level, and took up a position beside you. "Where have you been? I thought we were supposed to meet back at Rarity's?"

"Well, you weren't there, so I figured I'd just walk around. Maybe meet a few ponies."

"Not cool dude. You should'a said somethin to Rarity! I was starting to get worried."

"Well, I'm here now. You get all your groceries?" She noticed how you changed the subject, but seemed to be content with finding you.

"Yup, you'll find out all about them when we eat dinner! Hey, why do you smell like punch?" You explain to her what happened at the square. "Nice. Well, at least you met somepony new! Let’s get back to my place and get you cleaned up." She landed, and motioned for you to climb on.

"I thought my riding messed with your balance?"

"It does, but I've got to adapt if you're gonna crash at my place for a while. Besides, the groceries make a nice counter balance." Seems legit. "Put your things in my right saddle bag." In doing so, she notices the bag Bon Bon had given you. You didn't tell her that Bon Bon gave you sweets. You only mentioned the cleaner. "Is that the cleaner? I thought it'd be in a bottle."

"It is, but I asked her for a bag so that it'd be easier to grip." She shrugged.

"Well, you ready or what?" You hop on, and grip her neck as best you can with your arms. Your legs enter death grip mode. Your body is ready. "Easy there big guy, no sonic rainboom this time." Dash says, as she fidgets with your tight grip. You loosen your grip ever so slightly. You're still not used to this whole riding a pegasus. You don't even know how to properly ride a horse.

Dash jumps up into the air, her wings open. And so begins the ascent. You weren't heading towards the same group of clouds though. This time around, air isn't trying desperately to leave you.

"I thought we were going back to your place?"

"We are. You didn't think those clouds were my house did you?"

"Maybe I did." She face-hooves.

"No, that was just a bit of fun. My house is on the outskirts of Ponyville." Now your mind is trying to get ahead of you and figure out what a pegasus house looks like. Not a month ago, had someone told you that pegasi and unicorns not only existed, but had formed an intelligent civilization with ponies; well, you would've done your best to escape what horrors someone was putting you through. And now you're riding a talking pegasus. Dash levels out above the clouds, and begins to simply glide.

"Aren't clouds not structurally sound?"

"Structurally sound? You mean sturdy?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't a house of clouds just, well, blow away?"

"You'd think, but the clouds we use for construction are refined."

"How do you 'refine' a cloud?"

"I'll have to show you one day, but you basically twist it up really tight."

"It must be... unique to live in a cloud."

"It has its ups and downs."

"Downs? Like what?"

"Well, for one, if there's ever a shortage of clouds, the weather team will start using cloud houses to cope with the shortage."

"Wouldn't that make you homeless though!?"

"No, they would never completely take a cloud house; only non-essential parts of it."

"Makes sense I guess. Do all pegasi live in cloud homes?"

"No, some pegasi prefer more solid homes. Fluttershy lives in a cottage on the edge of the Everfree forest. What’s with all the questions? You're beginning to remind me of when Twilight first came to town."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not necessarily." After a short while, you finally arrive at a house of clouds. Some have been spun into columns, others have been molded to resemble parts of a larger cloud.

"So this is your house huh?" you ask as you and rainbow land.

"Yup! Watcha think? Pretty awesome huh?"

"It is pretty cool." And expensive looking. "So, where do you put groceries or things that would fall through clouds?"

"Glad you asked! Come on in, I'll show ya!" You follow her into one of the larger clouds. The door feels alien in your hands, like you shouldn't be able to manipulate it. But you manage to close it all the same. Rainbow's living room is very... open. There's a rainbow ribbon of sorts spanning the upper portion of the room. It was glowing, giving off the light you needed to see.

You follow Dash through her living room, and into what appears to be a kitchen. The rainbow lighting seems to be the only lighting in her house. She flies over to a counter and shrugs her saddle bags onto it. They don't fall through. Logic? Nope.

"So how's that work?"

"Magic in a few spots, but remember how I told you we make refined clouds?"

”Yeah?"

"Well, these clouds are refined, but have been electrocuted by lightning so they don't fall apart as easy. They evenly spread out the weight to the rest of the clouds, so what they hold, doesn't just fall through." Sure. Why not.

You helped her put away her groceries as best you could. You had no idea what some of this stuff was or where it should go.

"So where should I put this?" you ask, gesturing towards your bag and box of clothing.

"In your room, duh."

“Well then, where is that?"

"Right this way!" She flies back into the living room, and waits for you to catch up. After she sees you enter the living room, she flies up into a hole in the wall. "You'll be staying in the guest bedroom, right next to my bedroom."

"Uh, Rainbow--"

"Here, let me turn on the lights."

"Rainbow."

"And over here is your closet-"

"RAINBOW DASH!" She stops talking. ”I can't fly." You assume she just realized she was showing off your room to no one in particular. She flies slowly back out, cheeks as red as could be.

"Right. Yeah. About that. Here, lemme just-- I'll be right back." With that she darts to another room in her house. A minute later, she’s back into the living room, with what looks like a blowtorch and face mask. "You, may want to cover your eyes." She lowers her mask, and begins to 'torch' the cloud leading to your room.

You shield your eyes. Just in time too. After about a minute, she stops, and flies back to admire her handiwork.

"There we go, all better!" There were now steps forming a make-shift ladder into your room. As she puts her kit away, you cautiously approach the ladder, and place a hand on it. It was so. COLD. JESUS FUCK DAMN SHIT SON OF A BITCH WAS IT COLD. You holler out in pain, and Rainbow is at your side, pushing you away from the ladder. You look down at your hand, and there's a definite dark blue mark where you tried to touch the ladder.

"Just calm down; that’s it, deep breaths. Sorry, let me get some ointment." She’s running around her house again, shuffling through various cabinets and such. She returns with a bottle of a strange looking ointment, and some bandages. "Hold out your... uhh..."

"Hand?" you ask as you offer it up, eager to make the pain stop.

"Right. Hand." she says as she squirts a small amount onto the ever-darkening blue patch. Your hand starts to thaw, rapidly. "You okay?" she asks, after bandaging your hand.

"Yeah, feels much better now."

"You'll need to keep the bandage on overnight, but it should be good by morning."

"What was that? Why was it so cold? It didn't look that cold!"

"That, was a special type of liquid we use to mold clouds. We can't weld them, because they'd evaporate, so we freeze them. It definitely looked cold; it just takes a trained eye to spot it."

"You could've warned me about that!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't figure you'd try to touch it so soon!" She has a point. You did just try to touch something after it went through a process equivalent of welding. Idiot.

"You're right, my bad."

"Hey, everypony's gotta learn sometime. I should'a warned you."

"No no, it’s cool. It’s my bad. So how long until I can use that ladder?"

"Not long, probably another hour or so. But I'll fly you up there since it’s late." She picks you up by your arms, and flies you into her room.

"Rainbow, isn't this, your room?" Rainbow stops where she is.

"Right. My bad. I don't get many visitors here." She then flies you out of her room, and into yours. "There we go. It’s basically a mirror image of my room." You look around, and admire the craftsmanship. The rainbow light wrapped around the length of your room too. There was a closet, dresser, even a little half bathroom. But no bed.

"It’s a great looking room, but where’s the bed?"

"Oh! I keep that put away when it’s not in use." She swoops down to the floor, and pulls on a tuft of cloud. A cloud bed seems to spring out of nowhere, rainbow sheets and all. You shake your head. Don't try brain. Just don't.

"When it’s not in use? When was the last time someone used it?" You think you see a hint of red in her cheeks when she answers.

"It hasn't been used before. Like I said, I don't get many visitors up here."

"A popular pony like you? Surely you jest." you say as you put your clothes away in the closet. When she doesn't retaliate, you look back at her to see what’s wrong. She has a depressed sort of look, and is sitting down on the floor. ”Whats wrong Rainbow?" This gets her attention.

"Wha? Huh? Oh, uh... Nothing! Nothing at all! I don't have many ponies over... because I don't like cleaning up after them!" You could see the lie a mile away, but you let it slide. You'll discover the truth soon enough, you figure.

You walk over, scoop up Rainbow Dash, and squeeze life back into her in a near lethal bear trap hug. "Hey, what gives!" she says as she returns the hug.

"You looked like you needed it."

"Yeah yeah. Listen, I know it’s hard, but try and keep the mushy stuff to yourself, okay?" she says as she breaks the embrace. She appears to be back to herself now.

"I'll do my best." you say. She gives you a light punch in the shoulder.

"Yeah well, it’s getting late. How about we eat some dinner and head to bed?"

"Sounds like a plan." You ride her down back into the living room.

"The laundry room is over there, why don't you go take care of your shirt while I cook something up?" she says, gesturing towards a doorway in the kitchen. You head over to the room, and Dash proceeds to get some ingredients out and start making dinner.

You've gotta admit, you haven't seen a laundry room like this except for in a museum. There's a wash board, a big tub thingy, and a line with clothing pins on it. Well, best get to work. You take your shirt off, and throw it into the tub, and start running warm water.

How these pegasi got clouds to act as faucets, or to store hot water, is beyond you. You open your bag Bon Bon had given you, and take out the bottle of cleaning fluid. You dump it into the water with your shirt, and begin the tedious task of scrubbing. Bon Bon wasn't kidding about this cleaner taking the punch stain out. The punch seemed to evaporate after the addition of the cleaner.

Might as well go all out. You take your pants off, and throw them in too. Same result, the punch just evaporates. After some time scrubbing, you are satisfied that your clothes are sufficiently clean, and hang them up on the line. A pink cloud sitting on a shelf catches your eye. Picking it up, it’s a bit warm to the touch. You take the cloud, and run it over your hanging shirt.

It doesn't evaporate the water, it absorbs it. Interesting reverse psychology going on here. Fuck it. You continue this, and your shirt and pants are dried in a matter of minutes. You look at the cleaning cloud, and it now looks much darker, and feels a little colder. You hold it over the tub and wring it out, just like a sponge. You put it back on the shelf, and begin to take your clothes down.

"Hey Anon, dinner is almost ready, how you doin in here?" You jump like a scared cat, straight up into the air. "Wow, nice air. You okay?" You composed yourself as best you could, being only in your underwear.

"Sorry, you startled me. I didn't hear you come in."

"No biggie. Sorry I startled you. Wow, that stuff Bon Bon gave you sure did the trick."

"No kidding. I was skeptical at first, but hey, it worked."

"What’s that you're wearing?" she asks, gesturing towards your underwear. Dammit.

"I'll.... tell you later."

"Okay Anon, whatever you say" she says as she heads back into the kitchen, giggling to herself. You resume the task at hand, dressing yourself.

As you're putting your shirt back on, you notice your six pack. Six pack. What? You didn't have a six pack when you arrived in Equestria. You didn't work out before, and you certainly didn't do anything worthy of a six pack during your time here. You examine your arms, and they're more defined as well. Maybe you didn't notice it before? No, there's something going on. You're sure of it. But your hunger outdoes your curiosity. For now.

Whatever Dash made, it sure smelled good. You walk into the kitchen, now fully dressed, and see what horrors she has concocted. There's an assortment of food on the counter. A big bowl of a fruit salad; some cookies; a bowl of punch was out. Luckily, it didn't appear to be the same color as Berry's punch. A large amount of pasta has been made. It looks similar to macaroni and cheese, but it smells... exotic. Like it was seasoned. You didn't think Rainbow could cook.

She didn't seem like the type to have that sort of patience. You've yet to taste it, the jury is still out. You're trying really hard to figure out why it smells so... delectable. Rainbow was off in another room; you could hear what sounded like silverware. Ponies use silverware? But... How?

Rainbow came back into the kitchen, and saw you admiring her handiwork. She had some silverware in her mouth, rolled up in some napkins. She set the silverware on the counter.

"You like what you see?"

"I--"

"Wait! Don't answer that! You don't get to critique my cooking until you taste it. Here, you take these into the living room, and I'll carry this." She had gestured for you to carry the silverware rolls and salad bowl, while she collected the noodles and cookies. You bring your designated food items into the living room, and set them on the small table there.

"I'll get the punch" you start to say.

Rainbow cuts you off however, "Ah ah ah! I can get it myself! Besides, can't have you goofing and spilling it." She set her collection on the table, and returned to get the punch. She returned shortly thereafter, holding the punchbowl in her mouth by a handle, and had extended her wings to carry some plates. Balancing act of the century right here if she managed to not spill anything.

Mother of god, she didn't. With that, you both sit down and prepare to consume the glorious meal before you. It was simple. Concise. And begging to be consumed in a manner that would shame a shark feeding frenzy. You collect your plate, and begin piling food on. Some salad, and some of those glorious smelling noodles.

Rainbow does the same, while you fix the two of you some glasses of punch. The meal that followed was one of the most delectable things ever to touch your disgraced and deprived tongue. Was Rainbow a master chef or something? After you both finished, you helped take the dishes back into the kitchen.

"So what did you think?"

"That. Was one of the best meals. I have ever eaten. Of all time. What are you, a master chef or something?" She has turned such a lovely shade of red.

"Aww, you didn't have to say all that... Jeeze..."

"I'm dead serious. Are you a chef or something? I wouldn't picture you as the cooking type."

"No, I'm no chef. I learned most of my cooking through trial and error." You had both walked back into the living room, and plopped down on the couch.

"Wow, does it run in the family? Secret master chef bloodlines or something?" She pauses for a moment, and gets a very sad expression on her face.

"I... I wouldn't know. I've never met my parents. I grew up in an orphanage." The words hit you like a ton of bricks. Shit.

”I... I'm so sorry Rainbow. I--"

"No no, it’s ok. You didn't know. Besides, I was told that they were dead when I was found." You look over and Rainbow is looking at the floor now. You scoot over to her side of the couch, and give her a hug. "H-hey, what'd I tell you about the mushy stuff?" You let go. And then go back for a full on bear hug.

"Hey! That’s more mus-- oh forget it!" With that she returns the bear hug full force. You can feel her start quietly crying on your shoulder. You sit there for a while, just holding her. Letting her cry. When she was finally done, she broke the embrace and looked up at you. "Th... Thanks. I... I needed that. I'm not always this mushy."

"No problem. What are friends for anyways?" She smiles, and returns to the hugging position." Hey, I think I have something that might just cheer you up. Now, wait right here." She releases you, and waits as patiently as she can on the couch. You think for a second before continuing. "And close your eyes."

"Awww, come on!"

"Nope, close em!"

"Fine" she says, shutting her eyes. You proceed to climb up your (now-thawed) ladder to your room, and collect the bag of candies Bon Bon gave you. You make your way back to the living room, bag of goodies in hand. You take your spot next to her on the couch, and pull the bag out.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now." She opens her eyes, and sees the large assortment of Bon Bon's candies.

"Are... Are those... Is that..."

"It’s some of Bon Bon's candy. She gave it to me when she spilled the punch on me." She punched you lightly on the shoulder

"You've been holding out on me." You both spend the next hour or so munching away on Bon Bon's sweets, Rainbow now almost an appendage to your hip. All things considered, today was a good day.

You sat there, enjoying just relaxing. It had been an eventful couple of days since your release from the hospital. But you weren't dead or being chased down by an angry mob for being an alien. So far so good. You looked to your right, and Rainbow had dozed off. She had curled up next to you, and was lightly snoring. Not a bad day at all you thought, smiling to yourself.

But it was getting late. You really didn't want to wake Rainbow up, so you stood up as carefully as you could. You stretch for a moment, and look at Rainbow. Might as well. She is your host after all. You scoop her up in your left arm, and begin climbing the ladder to your room. Good thing it was an angled ladder, or else that feat would've been impossible.

When you completed your mighty trek up to your room, you went through the small door to her room. You gently placed her in her bed, and covered her in her sheets. You went back to your room, making sure to turn the lights out on your way out of Rainbow's room.

Shutting the door as quietly as possible, you proceed to sit down on your cloud bed. You look at the nightstand holding your phone and knife. Your only belongings besides the clothes you were wearing when you got here. Your phone's screen was cracked pretty severely, so it was practically useless. That broken piece of tech goodness held the vast majority of music you'd managed to collect on Earth. And now you'll never hear any of it again.

Well, you suppose you could get used to new music, but fuck if you already missed your music. You're no musician, and you couldn't hope to repair your phone, so you were stuck with fond memories at best. You lie down on your bed and revel in the music you could remember. Maybe there'll be something similar here. Maybe you'll find something better here. Maybe. A gloriously refreshing, dreamless sleep claims you.

*****

"Hey come on now, it's time to get up!" You grumpily take your cloud pillow and throw it on top of your head. "Well come on, I've got to get to work, and you have some job hunting to do." You give up. You weren't in the mood to argue. Not that you had a case anyway. You sit up, and Rainbow is wearing some sort of white hard hat. Seeing you've sat up and are aware, Rainbow darts out of the room leaving you to get ready for a new day.

"Hey Rainbow, do you have a shower?"

"Uuuhh yeah, it’s in the bathroom." You looked over to your little half bath. Nope, no shower.

"Where is that, exactly?"

"Other side of my room."

You head over to her bathroom, and begin to clean yourself. It was an entertaining experience, to say the least. You've never had a shower from a thundercloud before. Or dried of with a cloud. Or used a cloud for a towel.

You change into some of the clothes Rarity had made for you. So comfortable. It was like wearing a lightly warmed cloud, in the beginning of Autumn. Whatever that unicorn did to your clothes, it was amazing. You made a mental note to thank her in some form or another one day. You head down to the kitchen, where Rainbow had made some toast and was munching away.

"So what should I have for breakfast, boss?"

"Try the Guerrilla munch. It’s pretty good." After a bit of fumbling, you manage to find a bowl and the guerrilla munch.

"You have any milk?"

"Yeah, it’s in the fridge." You looked at her to see where she was pointing, and noticed the white hard hat she was wearing had a red line running along its rim.

"Whats with the hat?" you ask as you find the jug of what you hoped was milk.

"Well, the hospital told the Cloudsdale weather board about my injuries, and that I shouldn't exert my wings too much for another week or so. So, I'll be helping out with cloud refinement today. The red line shows any weather captains that I shouldn't be flying for long periods of time."

"Ah." You'd sat down across from Rainbow and started eating your munch. Oh good, it was milk. The munch tasted kind of like froot loops. Not bad.

*****

Rainbow flew you down to Ponyville." Meet me at the square when the sun starts going down, okay?"

"Gotcha."

"Oh, and here are some bits for lunch." She opened one of her saddle bags with her wing. "Take that brown bag." You do so, and it contains a small amount of gold coins. "Alright, I'll see ya later Anon!" Well, on to the task at hand. Might as well start back at the square. At least you knew some ponies there.

You make your way to the square, enduring the still frequent 'the fuck is that?' looks. No biggie. It'll take time. At least they're not going apeshit on you and trying to kill you. Out of habit, you'd taken your phone and knife with you. Fucking why? The knife - could have some uses. At least it still functions. The phone - nope, got nothin. Old habits die hard? Oh well. You spot Bon Bon at her stand, and walk over to say hi.

"Oh Hi Anon! Did... Did the punch come out?" Bon Bon asked worriedly.

"Oh absolutely! Whatever that stuff was, it sure did the trick. By the way, those candies you gave me, were delicious."

"Good to hear! And thank you for your kind words. So what brings you to the square today?"

"Well, I've been looking for a job. I really need to start earning my keep around here."

"Oh, well I know a few ponies are looking for some help, maybe I could point you in the right direction?"

"That'd be fantastic!"

"Ok, well, let’s see... You have any special talents or hobbies you're really good at?" You think about that for a moment. The entire time you've been here, you haven't seen an inkling of anything computer related.

There goes the majority of your skill set. Well, you're not in the worst of shape, maybe you could do some lifting or something? You've also got thumbs. Probably not as good as magic, but hey, everything counts.

"Well, not really, now that I think about it..."

"Hmmm...." Bon Bon has a deep thinking look on her face now.

"Most of my skills revolve around things like this" you say as you pull out your phone and show her.

"What... What is it?"

"Well, it was my phone. It’s broken now."

"What exactly is a um... phone?"

"Its main use is to speak with someone over great distances. Most people I know use them for music and games though."

"Music? That’s an instrument?"

"No, not exactly. It can play recorded music though."

"Well... It’s definitely the most... interesting... phone I've ever seen!" she says, feigning a smile. "While we're on the topic of music though... I’ve got a friend in the Canterlot Royal Orchestra. They could probably use someone like you. Maybe not to play, but definitely to help around the stages when they do play." Well, take what you can get.

"Ok, where can I find her?"

"Oh I'll take you to her!"

"But what about your stand?"

"I always have a backup plan dear. Oh Berry!"

"Yes, Bon Bon?" Berry says, appearing to warp out of thin air.

"Could you be a dear and watch my cart for a while? I'm going to take Anon here to meet somepony."

"Sure thing Bon Bon!" Berry takes a militant stance behind the cart, awaiting all the contingencies she could think up. You follow Bon Bon, away from the square.

”Doesn't Berry have her own cart to look after though?"

"She does; but it’s right next to mine. Always is."

"So, how far away is this Canterlot?"

"Anon, we aren't going to Canterlot. The Orchestra is in town for the week; most of them visiting family." Great. Bothering someone you don't even know on her vacation. Bon Bon leads you to a taller building. Looks like it has multiple floors. An apartment building maybe? Or a hotel?

"Wait right here, and I'll be right back!" You take a seat in what you can only assume to be the lobby. Yup, definitely a hotel. Bon Bon scurried off towards a staircase, and disappeared up a couple of floors. Wonder what you could do for an Orchestra? Move the instruments maybe? Oh well. Guess you'll find out when you meet Bon Bon's friend.

Speak of the devil. Bon Bon comes down the stairs, talking to a pony with a brown coat, and dark brown hair. Risking a quick glance, you see that she has a music symbol on her flank. What was it called again? A cleft? That’s it, a treble cleft! Best stop staring. Don't want to give any misleading looks. Staring at a horse’s ass. That could potentially be your boss.

"Anon, this is my friend, Octavia"

"A pleasure." Octavia says as she looks you over. She doesn't seem fazed by your being an alien. Good start so far.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Octavia. Bon Bon was telling me you might have a need for some hired help?"

"Well, not really, no. There isn't much that’s not already taken care of." Damn. Oh well, long shot. "However, I would be interested in seeing this, what did you call it Bonnie? A phone?"

Bon Bon answered, "yup. Phone. Sounds weird right?"

”Sure, but it’s broken, and I don't think I can fix it." you say as you pull your phone out of your pocket.

"And this... Phone... can play music?"

"Well, yeah--"

"But how does one play it? I don't see any strings or keys. Is it a percussion instrument?"

"No, nothing like that. It plays back recorded music."

"You mean like a record player?"

"Yeah I suppose so, but it can hold much more music."

"Interesting. Could you play some of this music for me and my orchestra if we could get it fixed?"

"Sure, but why would you want to hear music from my world?"

"Hearing alien music is sure to cause some inspiration in somepony." Point taken. Plus one for the alien card today.

"Well, I'm all for letting you try, but I don't think there's much you can do."

"Maybe not, but I know somepony that could." she says with distaste.

"Well then, I'll leave you two to your repairs. I've got to get back to my stand before Berry eats all of my candy."

"Very well, I'll see you later Bonnie." Bon Bon heads out of the hotel, presumably back to her stand. "Let’s go then. If you would be so kind as to follow me." You oblige, and follow Octavia out of the hotel. The two of you don't talk much on the way to wherever the hell she's taking you.

Eventually you wind up at a dome looking building you saw earlier. It looks like a stadium of some sort. A music hall maybe?

”Ummm, Octavia, who are you taking me to see, exactly?"

"Her name is... Vinyl Scratch." she says, almost spitting the name.

"Is there some sort of bad blood between you or something?"

"Yes." Damn. No Anon, she doesn't wanna talk about it. You follow Octavia to one of the building's side entrances. There are what look to be bouncers guarding the entrance.

"Would you mind telling Vinyl that Octavia is here to see her?"

One of the bouncers raises an eyebrow and asks "And what business da you and dis... freak have wit Vinyl?" The New York thug accent is strong with this one.

"None of your business. If you don't get her, I'll be forced to tell her exactly what you called her very special somepony here."

"Somepony? Thats no pony." says the second guard.

"Obviously. You and I both know that Vinyl has... interesting taste. Now are you going to get her or am I going to have to write a rather nasty letter?" The thought of having this 'Vinyl Scratch' upset with them really didn't sit well. And Octavia just called you Vinyl's boyfriend. This mare is out to get someone, you're just not sure who yet.

"Follow me." the second guard says. The first opens the doors to let you in, as you follow the second guard. After you're inside the door shuts and the second guard turns to you. "Alright. You two wait right here, and don't touch anything. I'll go tell Vinyl you're here." And he's off.

"Octavia, what the hell was that about?"

"What was what about?"

"I'm not Vinyl's boyfriend, special somepony or anything like that!"

"That may be true, but the guards don't know that. Besides, it worked didn't it?"

"Well yes, but don't you think she'll be suspicio--"

"Not a chance. I've known her for a while, and I know exactly how she thinks."

"Well what am I gonna do when her actual 'special somepony' shows up to exact his revenge?"

"Nothing. She doesn't have a special somepony."

”But... Then why would she come?"

"Because my name will be mentioned; she never misses an opportunity to try and get me to listen to her... music. Uugghh." She shudders at the last part.

"Well, what does she do anyway?"

"She produces a... deranged style of music. Many of the younger ponies love it. They have no class."

"Wait, so she's a singer or something?"

"Hahaha no, never!"

"So what does she do? Is she a DJ, a soloist? What?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

A new voice shouts out "OCTAVIA!!!" Oh shit. A white unicorn with blue hair and goggles was bounding down the hallway as fast as she possibly could towards Octavia.

"Now wait just a--" POW

"I'm so glad you decided to come to my show! Aww man, this'll be awesome!"

"I'M NOT HERE TO LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIO HORRORS VINYL!"

"Aww, why you gotta be like that Tavi?"

"I'm here to help this fellow out. Now, would you mind letting me up?"

"Oooooohhh, the alien? I've heard some shit about you my man. Can you really fly?"

"What? Uuuhh, no, not that I know of."

"Well that sucks. What about magic, can yo--"

"VINYL! WILL YOU LET ME EXPLAIN?"

"Ok ok, fine."

"Now then. He has a device which I think falls under your... talents."

"Oooh, a gadget, a thingymabob, a doohickey?"

"VINYL."

"Right. Quiet time."

"This, device of his, apparently has the ability to store vast amounts of music AND play it. He'd like you to take a look at it, see if you can fix it."

"Sure thing! You gotta name, Alien dude?"

”Anon."

"I'm Vinyl Scratch, nice to meet ya! So let’s see this gadget already!"

"It’s called a phone, and please be careful with it." you say as you hand over your busted phone. Her horn glows, and she lifts it out of your hand to examine it. Her expression and mood drop. She's suddenly become extremely focused on your phone. Intently.

Using her left hoof, she raises her goggles off of her eyes and looks closer at your phone. The goggles had hidden her eyes until now and boy did you get a good look. Her eyes were red. And intense. Almost glowing it seemed. She sits down on the floor, still intently focused on your phone.

"Hmmm... I've never seen anything like this before, but I think I can fix it" Vinyl says as she turns her head to you for permission. Well, might as well try.

”Go for it."

Her gaze returns to your phone. This time, her eyes begin to really glow. Her horn is glowing brighter now, along with the aura encasing your phone. Yeah, that could easily terrify anyone it needed to. Suddenly, the light crescendos and you're temporarily blinded. Once you can see again, Vinyl is no longer glowing intensely, and your phone isn't cracked anymore.

"Ok, I think that did it." Vinyl says, as she moves the phone to you again. You reach out and collect it. Feels normal. You press the power button to turn it on. The motherfucker boots up. Holy shit. This pony did it.

"You did it. It’s turning on" you say in mild dis-belief.

"You doubted I could fix it? It’s blazingly obvious that you're new to Ponyville. If it makes sounds, I can work it baby!" She's starting to remind you of Rainbow Dash.

"Well, are you going to play something or not?" Octavia asks. The phone has booted up, and you navigate to your music.

”Well, Octavia did lead me to you Vinyl, so I'll play something from an orchestra first." With that, you play the first song you find by an orchestra. "This is called 'The Art of War' by an orchestra called 'The Valve Studio Orchestra'" you say as you press play. -- http://youtu.be/8ek0dTCRGs8 You play the song, and Octavia is now paying close attention, as is Vinyl. Both of them have their ears perked, as to not miss a single bit of some alien music. The song finished, and Octavia doesn't say anything. She seems to be contemplating what she just heard.

"So what'cha got for me Anon? Anything with some beats?" asks Vinyl excitedly. You go through a bit of music, until you find a song you hope will sate her curiosity.

"This is called 'Maths' by 'Deadmau5'" you say. -- http://youtu.be/wk-iScJwuCA As the song plays, Vinyl becomes deathly silent.

"Wow." says Vinyl. "You got any more like that?"

"Sure I'v--"

"Now wait just a minute! I would like to hear some more orchestras if you don't mind!"

"But orchestras are lame! It’s all so sappy and slow!"

"It's not sappy! It has depth and meaning! The thought of an orchestra attempting to play some of your 'beats' boggles the mind!"

"Are you kidding? You don't see hordes of ponies showing up to see an orchestra play!"

"Just how isolated are you Vinyl? Have you ever been to a performance by the Royal Orchestra?"

"No because it'd be boring and full of sappy music!"

"I BEG YOUR PARDON." The arguing escalates. Boy if this argument didn't sound like youtube comments. This music is better, that music sucks, yadda yadda.

“Actually, let me play something for the both of you." you say, trying to smooth the argument over. They both stop arguing, and give you their full attention. "This song is widely known for being remixed."

"Yes!" Vinyl exclaims.

"It started as a folk song, was remixed into a newer style song, and is played here by an orchestra."

"Ha!" says Octavia. With that you start playing 'Tetris Theme (Korobeiniki)' by 'The London Philharmonic Orchestra' -- http://youtu.be/2l-yUHo44hc After the song is over, both mares are silent.

"So, what did you think?"

"I... I think I need some time to process what I just heard." says Octavia. Vinyl remained silent. "Anon, will you be able to find your way back to Ponyville?"

"I thin--"

"I'll take him" says Vinyl.

"Well, then I'll be on my way. Thank you for your... interesting look into your world's music, Anon." Octavia left out the same door you had come in, leaving you alone with Vinyl Scratch. You feel your phone vibrate, as it shuts off due to an empty battery.

"God dammit."

"What? What happened?" Vinyl asks as she comes out of her daze.

"My phone just died."

"What?? But I thought it was working?!"

”It was, but it needs to be charged. It can't run forever."

"Well what kind of crap is that anyway?"

"Well, it was good while it lasted. Thanks again, by the way."

"Hey, no problem. You've given me about a million ideas for new stuff. I've never thought to remix an orchestra before..."

"Glad I could help. I hate to bail on you, but I've got some stuff to take care of in Ponyville."

"Well, it’s almost lunchtime. Wanna get something to eat? I've got a bit to think about, and I don't know anypony that knows alien music quite like you."

"Sure. Where'd you have in mind?"

"Normally I just chill and munch on some chips. But your music has my brain going. I'm gonna need some brain food." Ok, but that doesn't tell you anything.

"So, where to?"

"I know this little restaurant that makes dandelion sandwiches to DIE for."

"Sounds like a plan." You both head back towards Ponyville.

You sit down at your table, and order your food. Not much pony food you can stomach, but you manage to get by with a cheese sandwich and a salad. The place is empty except for the two of you and the staff.

"So Anon, what do you do for a living?"

"Well, that’s what I was working on today actually."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have a job."

"WHAT. The only alien in all of Equestria, doesn't have a job yet? You're lying."

"No, I'm pretty serious."

"How has somepony not snatched you up by now? That's wild." You remain silent, considering where you should try next for a job. "Hey, how'd you like to work for me?"

"What? Seriously? What could I do to for you?"

"Careful how you throw that question around, Anon. There are some mares that are more adventurous than you'd think." Shit. She's right. "But anyway, you could help set up and manage my equipment! I'm sure those hands make dealing with fine details a bit easier than hooves."

"Not as easy as I'd imagine magic would, but yeah, I suppose so."

"So whaddya say? You up for the job? I pay my employees reeeaaal nice."

"Well, I'll have to talk to my roomie about it, but I think you've got yourself an employee."

"Sweet! If you're good to go, just show up back at the auditorium tomorrow at noon. I'll tell the guys to let you in."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Speaking of guards, what was the deal with Octavia calling you my special somepony?" Damn.

"I don't know. I figured she was trying to get under your skin."

"Yeah, that’s what I figured."

"What’s the deal between you two? She seems to hate you."

"I'll tell ya some other time. Time for brain to feed right now." You finish your lunch, and pay the waiter for your food. "Well, I'm going to head back to my place and write down some of that awesome you put in my head before I forget it all! I'll see you tomorrow though, okay?"

”I think so. See you then."

Chapter 4: Dauntless

After you and Vinyl Scratch had parted company, you made you way back to the square. You just might have a job. With a DJ Pony. What's not to like? Well, might as well try and get a couple more options. Options never hurt anyone, right? Well, first things first.

You head back over to Bon Bon's cart to thank her for her help. As you approach, you see she is talking to a green pony with a light green/white mane and tail. Bon Bon sees you approaching, and waves at you.

"So, how'd it go Anon? Did you find a job?"

"Well, we'll see tomorrow. But I think I'm good. Thanks again for the help."

"Oh it was nothing! It was more good timing than anything. I was just telling Lyra here about your little device."

"Yes, she was. May I see it?" Lyra asks.

"Sure. It’s been fixed, but is out of energy so it can't do anything." You say as you pull out your phone for what seems like the umpteenth time today.

"So this... device... is able to play music?"

"Yes."

"Fascinating. It's so small... How do you fit the music in there?"

You briefly debate attempting to explain what little you know of computer sciences to a being that probably has no idea what a computer is. Briefly.

"I'm... Not really sure, to be honest."

"Oh. Well how do you use it? I only see a few buttons on it."

"Well, this is the power button, to activate it when it's energized; and this is a button to interact with its storage. Other than that, you typically touch the screen."

"Touch the screen? That screen is too small for hooves." Then she notices your hands. "Oh my... What’s wrong with your hooves?!"

"I told you Lyra, he's not a pony. His species doesn't have hooves." Lyra remains silent, staring intently at your left hand. Almost like she's trying to figure out how it works.

"Is something wrong, Ms. Lyra?" you ask, as you put your phone away.

"What... What are those." she asks, as she points her hoof towards your hand.

”My... Hands?" you ask, now nervous. Please don't chop my hands off. Her eyes have widened now.

"They're. Amazing. Can you control each of the little sticks?"

"My fingers?" You ask as you raise your hand and show that you can indeed control them. She stares silently at your hand. Ok, red flags starting to go up. ”Well, I just wanted to say thanks for the help Bon Bon. I don't think I would've gotten very far without you."

"No problem at all Anon. Feel free to stop by anytime!" Well, it seems as though you've at least made one new friend. And possibly caused a serious nervous breakdown in a pony you just met.

"And it was a pleasure meeting you, Ms. Lyra." With that you turn and leave Bon Bon's cart to resume trying to find more job opportunities. You can feel Lyra's eyes burning into you as you leave. Dear god, what did you do?

A bit later (about midafternoon based on where the sun was), you were going over your many trials in your head. Not much success, but there was some. You'd met a mare by the name of Lotus, who ran a salon of sorts. She seemed interested in taking you up as an employee; wanting to see if your hands could do something that hooves couldn't. Might be interesting to work as a masseuse.

You'd met a stallion by the name of Dr. Hooves, but he didn't have anything for you. You'd met a young... filly? Isn't that what a young female pony is called? You swear you've heard it before. Eh, sounds right. Anyways. You'd met a young filly by the name of Apple Bloom, who was more than happy to chat with you. She said that her sister is always looking for help around the farm, but you'd have to talk to her about that. Could go either way, but at least it’s a lead.

A pony who called himself Mr. Cake said that he could always use a hand around the bakery. Could be fun. Sweets and whatnot. Another pony by the name of Carrot Top (who was selling an almost disturbing amount of carrot related food) was looking for some help around her farm. Lots of farms. At least it’s an option though.

You were sitting on a bench near the edge of the square, when you noticed Lyra do the same on the bench opposite you. She proceeds to stare at you. Intensely. This is starting to get freaky. Just in time to save your hide once again, you hear a familiar voice to your right.

"Hey Anon, how's the job hunt going?" You turn, and it's none other than Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow! It's going pretty good so far. Got some good leads."

"Thats great news! I got off work early, so I figured I'd come and see if I could find you."

"Well, you found me. If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer we headed home around now."

"Oh. Well, okay. Any particular reason?" You wager a glance in Lyra's direction, only to find that she's no longer sitting there.

"I'll, uhh... I'll tell you later."

"Well, okay. Let’s go home then." With that, she picks you up and flies the both of you back to her house. You arrive at Rainbow's house, and you both head inside. You hold the door open for Rainbow and shut it behind you. Onward to the living room! You both plop down on the couch; that wonderful soft cloud couch.

"So. What was with wanting to get here so fast?" Rainbow asks

"Well, do you know a mare named Lyra?"

"Well, sorta. I've seen her in the posters for some concerts by the Canterlot Royal Orchestra before, but I can't say I've met her, why?"

"I made her acquaintance today."

".....and?"

"Well, how can I put this... I think I caused her some sort of mental breakdown."

"Well what makes you say that?"

"She... After she saw my hands, she wouldn't stop staring at me."

"Really now? I didn't see her anywhere near you when I showed up."

"Thats the thing! She was on the bench opposite me, just staring at me. I turn my head to see who was talking to me, and BAM! She's gone."

"Ok, presuming that -did- happen, that is kinda weird. I wouldn't worry about it too much though."

"You can also fly."

"Well, there is that. ANYWAYS, how'd the job hunting go?"

"Well, I got some offers from a couple of ponies around the square; but before we get to those, there's one in particular I want to talk about."

"Ok, why is this one so important?"

"I didn't get this offer at the square."

"Well, where did you get it?"

"I got offered a job at the auditorium on the edge of town."

"Ok, so far so good. Doing what?"

"Setting up and managing equipment before, during, and after performances."

"Well, that doesn't sound like a real great job. They only hold performances there every so often, and there isn't much equipment involved. Who asked you?"

"You ever heard of a mare named Vinyl Scratch?"

"Do-wha-sh-bfff-plaeu--" Uh oh. Is this Vinyl Scratch someone you don't want to know?

"So, I should turn the job down then?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?"

"Well, you didn't seem too enthusiastic about the idea so--"

"Vinyl Scratch personally offered you a job to work for HER?"

"Yeah, thats one way to put it."

"THATS THE ONLY WAY TO PUT IT!"

"Well, I still don't know if you like the idea or no--"

"TAKE THE JOB BEFORE I KISS YOU!"

"What?" Her whole body suddenly turned as red as the streaks in her mane.

"I mean-- uhh-- oh, just take the job! She's got to be one of the best DJs in Equestria!"

"What was the deal with the threating of kiss-"

"Are you even listening to me?" She had turned her regular shade of cyan now, minus her cheeks. Man, you gotta save this for ammo. Never know when you'll need it.

"Yes, I'm listening."

"Then take the bucking job! For the love of Celestia, TAKE THE JOB!"

"Okay okay, calm down. Sheesh."

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! Vinyl is AMAZING. And you hesitated on accepting her job offer? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT??"

"I wanted to make sure it was alright with you; remember, I'm the new one here."

"THERE IS NO EX-- wait, what?"

"I said, I'm the new one here."

"No no no, before that."

"I wanted to make sure it was alright with you?"

"You... you... but why does it matter?"

"Because I want to get a job that won't interfere with you or your life. I'm already being the biggest mooch possible to you."

"Hey... what'd I tell you about that mushy crap? I told you: you can stay here till you're back up and running didn't I?"

"Yes, I su--"

"Then why would I back out now?"

"Well, any job I take directly affects you."

"How so?"

"You're my only way in or out of here, for one."

"Ok, you got me there. Doesn't mean I'd kick you out though!"

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Rainbow looks sad now, hanging her head and wearing a rather depressed expression.

"Whats wrong Dash?"

"N-nothing." she says as she starts to flap her wings to take off.

"Oh no you don't." you say as you grab her by the leg.

"Hey! What gives?"

"I'm not letting go until you tell me what’s wrong." Oh what you did.

"Is that so?" she says. You know that expression. This won't end well for you. You hold her down with a hand on each back hoof now; doing your best not to piss her off further by staring at her ass. Not easy to do in your position. "Lemme go!"

"Not until you tell me whats wrong!"

"Why does it matter to you?" Her wings are going pretty fast now. You can feel yourself slowly being lifted off the couch with her. You do your best to grip the couch with your feet; but it isn't a strong grip. And her wings are getting faster.

"BECAUSE I CARE!" She slows down.

"Wh- what?" Finally, time to drop anchor while you still can. You pull her back down to the couch next to you.

"Because, I care Rainbow."

"Care? You thought I'd kick you out after you got a job! You must think I'm a horrible pony or something..." She's sitting on the couch next to you now, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Why on Ear-- in Equestria would you think that Rainbow?"

"You... You thought I'd throw you out after you got a job. You don't think of me as a friend do you?" Damn. Insecure cyan pony.

"Rainbow, I think you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for."

"Y-you're just saying that..." Oh boy, she was starting to tear up again. You reach over, and pull her into a hug.

"Not only am I saying it, I'm meaning it Rainbow. I don't know of anyone outside of my family back home that would do what you've done for me." After hearing this, she returns the hug. You sit there and hold her for a while, letting her calm down. You start to stroke her back. Hell, maybe it'll help. It seems to have an effect, her breathing slows back down to normal. She breaks the hug, and looks you right in the eyes.

"You really mean all that?"

"Every word." She stares into your eyes for a moment, like she's trying to find evidence you're lying. Your efforts to calm her down are rewarded by a light punch on your right shoulder.

"What was that for?"

"Being mushy." She then catches you off guard in a hug that could've probably killed a grizzly. After she releases you, she lays down on your lap. You sit there, petting her, and an idea pops into your head. You position her on the couch, and she starts to protest.

"Trust me." you say. She does so, and lets you position her on the couch. You then start to rub her back, making sure to get her shoulders good. Lots of tension. A lot of tension. She must've been more stressed than she let on. You're rewarded with a small moan as you start to work away her worries. Seeming to have the desired effect, you continue. Thumbs, you get an extra point today.

After a while, you've apparently relaxed Dash to sleep. You pick her up, and carry her to her room. This scene is familiar. You put her on her bed, and cover her in her cloud sheets. It's not nighttime yet, and you need to eat. You've got a big day tomorrow after all. You make your way out of Rainbow's room, and into the kitchen.

Let’s see what we can do here. You open up her refrigerator, to find a small blizzard going on. Well, that’s one way to do it. Mostly fruits and vegetables in here. Some juice and milk, but no meat. You leave the refrigerator, and go to the pantry. Upon snooping, you find some bread, noodles, and quite the collection of spices and seasonings. Well, no meat certainly limits what you can make.

You spot some cans of beans, and some bags of rice. Protein spotted. You find a pot and fill it with water and the rice. You place the pot on the stove, and start boiling the rice. No idea what you're doing, but it makes sense to you so far. Beans. How do you cook beans? Boil them? You drain the beans using the lid as a strainer. Best rinse them off, just to be safe. After you have the beans and rice simmering nicely, you start to think about what else to make.

Salad? You can only eat so much salad. Salsa? Wait a minute. Why didn't you think of that before? You check the pantry, and there are chips. You take the chips out, and set them on the counter. You find a bowl, cutting board, a knife and some tomatoes. You cut up the tomatoes, and put them in the bowl. This isn't salsa you fool! What’s it missing? Hmmm.... Peppers! Duh! You look around Dash's fridge, and find a few habanero-like peppers.

You chop them up and throw them in there. Now we're getting somewhere. Not finished yet though. Still needs... ONIONS! You find a bag of onions in the pantry, take one out and peel the first couple layers off of it, and mince it. After you mix your salsa thoroughly, you take a chip and throw caution to the wind. Not bad. Eh, it'll do.

You check on your beans and rice. Your beans are tender now, so you assume they're done cooking, along with the rice. You drain both, and add some seasoning that smelled like it belonged. Smellin good now. If you plan on sharing, you'd better go wake up Rainbow. As if on cue.

"Hey Anon, watcha cookin?"

"Well, you cooked last night, so I figured I'd try my hand at cooking tonight."

"Something smells good, so let’s see watcha got. I'll set the table." She gathers some silverware rolls and heads back into the living room. You prepare bowls for yourself and Rainbow. Rice first, then beans on top of the rice. You bring the bowls into the living room, and then go back for the chips and salsa. Rainbow gathers some glasses and fixes you both some water. You finally sit down to eat, and see what Rainbow thinks of your cooking.

"So what is it?"

"I'm not telling until after you try it." At that, she somehow manipulates her right hoof to grab a spoon, and scoops up some of your creation. She eats it, and considers it for a moment.

She swallows before saying, "not bad Anon. Not bad at all. Now, I gotta ask, what are the chips for?"

"You've never had chips and salsa before?" She shakes her head 'no.' ”Well, I'll demonstrate." Scooping up some salsa on a chip, you hand it to her. She hesitates, but eats it right up.

"Ooooh, spicy!"

"You like it?"

"You bet!" You both eat your dinner happily, and rest for a while. The sun has since gone down, and you're feeling the tired set in. Better start cleaning up before you forget. You and Dash clean up your meal and cooking, and head off to bed. This time you're prepared to sleep, and strip down to your underwear before sliding in between the sheets.

Found apparently the 'best job ever.' Managed to not fuck up cooking from scratch. Got your protein fix. Was able to get Dash to open up to you. If only a little. Made a couple new friends. And, it looks like at least a little bit of Ponyville is finally starting to accept you. All in all, not a bad day.

You were running with your arms in the air. Whatever it was you were running from, it was terrifying. FUCKING. TERRIFYING. You woke up to Rainbow sitting on your chest, with a very concerned look on her face.

"You alright, Anon?" Dream. Well, glad that's over.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok. Just a bad dream." She hopped off of your chest.

"Good, you were starting to worry me. I'm gonna make some breakfast real quick, I'll see you in the kitchen." You get up, take your morning shower and brush your teeth. Pony toothpaste took some getting used to, but it wasn't all bad. After getting dressed and making sure you look snappy for your meeting with Vinyl, you head down to the kitchen for some well sought breakfast.

"Oh hey! I made us some bagels and Apple Juice for breakfast."

"Sounds good." you say as you make your way over to your plate.

"So, you as excited as I am about your job with Vinyl?"

"Rainbow, I don't know if it's physically possible for me to be that excited." You swear you see her blush, but it’s gone as soon as it appears.

"So what time should I pick you up from the auditorium?" You really don't know, having yet to work there.

"I'm not really sure, actually. Why don't you just come by after you're done with work?"

She nods in agreement before saying "Sounds like a plan."

"So are you going to help with cloud refinement again today?"

"Nah, I think I'm going to try and help out over at the rainbow labs." Rainbow labs. You know what? Fuck it. Why the hell not.

"What do they --"

"The rainbow labs help create rainbow related things, like these lights" she says, gesturing towards the glowing rainbow ribbons in her ceiling. Makes sense. "They also help make decorations for parties and things like that."

You both finish your breakfast, and prepare to head to work. She flies you over to the auditorium, and once she lands there, gives you some bits for lunch just as she did yesterday.

"Ok, I'll see you after work."

"See you then." She flies off to start her daily grind. You turn and head towards the auditorium, this time heading for the main entrance. There are four guards there, but they don't give you any trouble. Apparently if Vinyl says for them to do something, they don't question it. You head into the auditorium, and it hits you.

Why does Vinyl need guards? What exactly did you get yourself into? That question almost answers itself when you're tackled by a flying white and blue blur.

"Anon! You're early!" As you roll to a stop, you start to get your bearings. Vinyl was sitting on your chest, looking down at you with her goggles resting on her head. Those eyes. You could get used to seeing those eyes.

"Well hello to you too, boss." She smiles and starts to jump around the entrance to the auditorium.

"SWEET! I've got an alien working for me! Aww man, this is awesome!" Yup. This'll be fun. "Normally, I'm not awake by this hour, but I figured you'd come early, and here you are! Isn't this exciting? This is gonna be a blast! I can feel it!" You stand up, and start to dust yourself off. You are politely tackled right back down to where you were. This unicorn is beyond hyper. "So why are you so early? Are you excited? Cause I'm excited!"

"Well, my roomie is my only mode of transportation, so when she has to go to work, I go too." Her confusion is evident by her expression.

"Hows that? Can you not walk long or somethin?"

"No no, nothing like that, we live in a cloud." She stare at you for a second, taking in what you just said.

"What?"

"I live in a cloud house with my roommate, Rainbow Dash." She seems a bit disappointed, but only slightly.

"You live in a cloud? That sounds AWESOME! How'd you manage that? You don't have wings... do you?"

"No, Rainbow has a friend named Twilight that cast a cloud walking spell on me."

"Ooooohh. Cool! It's a bit much to live in a cloud, but it does sound awesome."

"Would you like to see it sometime?"

"What? You kidding? Of course! But first, I think we should probably do at least a little work." She says as she hops off of your chest and starts heading down what appears to be the main hallway. You get up, dust yourself off for the second time today, and follow her.

"You know, this place is pretty empty. What do you do all day?" you ask as the two of you are walking.

"Well, I told you I'm not normally up this early, right? Most of the action happens at night around here."

"At night? Then why do you have guards during the day?"

"To protect my things, of course! I have a staggering amount of fans who would love to own something of mine, legally or not." Brain is working. Things starting to make sense now.

"Must be cool to be liked by so many ponies."

"It’s… well, it’s something; but the amount of obsessed fans is a little scary. Maybe a lot scary." Makes sense. You think of Lyra. Yeah, you could see the need for guards.

"So what are we gonna do for my first day on the job, boss?"

"Well, I was thinking we could start by getting you acquainted with my equipment." Sounds easy enough. You follow her into the main hall of the auditorium. This place is impossibly huge. There's a raised platform that protrudes into a large stadium. There are lights on rails on the ceiling and the floor. A large assortment of lights and mirrors hangs from the ceiling in the center of the circular room.

"Woah. I thought this was just an auditorium?"

"It is, but it doesn't mean I can't use it every now and again. Bring a little life into the place." You follow her onto the stage, where there are several large speakers, not counting the speakers attached to the walls of the auditorium. "You ever been to a place like this before?"

"Well, once, but it was much smaller than this. Much smaller."

"That's what she said."

"What?"

"Nothing!" You did hear her correctly, right? Did that mare just make a "that's what she said" joke? Yup. Okay, definitely not your worst boss. She walks over to the central pedestal, and starts showing you the various plugs and switches. Most of it is color coded, so it's not terribly hard to figure out. "Now, you'll be responsible for sound tests before my performances. So, if there's a problem, it'll be on you." Right. No pressure.

"Now, your official title is my Sound Boss, ok?" Simple enough. You nod your head. "Great! Now, the rest of my staff will answer to you, so if you need help, just let them know. I'll tell them what’s up when they get here tonight. Why don't I show you how to do a sound test real quick?"

"Probably a good idea; I've never done something like this before." She walks over to one of the panels near the back of the stage. It's got a few switches on it, a couple of buttons, but a TON of indicator lights.

"If any of these lights aren't green, it means that there's a problem. This is where you come in; it's your job to track down the problem, should one arise. Now, once all the lights are green, it's time to actually do a sound test. Flip this switch, and it initializes the system; the lights will turn amber like this." She flips the switch, and you can hear the speakers pop and buzz into life. "After that, press this button." She presses a button with a red musical note above it.

The speakers emit a roar notifying anything and everything that wasn't aware, that they were indeed in working order. The roar fades into a series of low bass hits and rapid treble hits. It sounds pretty cool, but Vinyl is has a look of extreme concentration on her face. "Now, it takes a lot of time to be able to distinguish if something is wrong by listening to it, so for now, use my goggles."

You take the offered pair of strange goggles, and don them to your head. A little snug, but they fit alright. Seemed like ordinary goggles. Then she spoke. "Now, don't freak out, it takes some getting used to." You could see sound. What the actual fuck. It was amazing. You could trace the sound of her voice by looking for the warmer colors. It was like thermal goggles, but for sound. How did ponies make this shit? Oh, right. Magic.

"Now, I've only got three pairs of those, so don't break 'em, ok?" You nod your head. Gotcha. No pressure at all. "Ok, now I'm gonna do the sound test again. You ready?" Once more, you nod. She presses the button. What you see is beyond what you could've hoped to imagine. It was as if each speaker was painting the air.

The colors seemed to flow as though dye in water. They all played, and they all looked the same. It was a sight of unparalleled, awe-inspiring beauty. After the test is over, and you can hear yourself think again, you turn to Vinyl.

”How do you ever take these off?"

She smiles at that, "Pretty cool huh? Oh man, Anon."

"What? What’s wrong?"

"The goggles change colors depending on sound, but if there isn't enough sound, they have a default color based whoever’s wearing them."

"Oh? What do they look like on me?"

"Well, they're black, with a thin red rim running just inside the actual rim. It looks pretty badass." Alright, this might be the best job you've ever had. "So, did you see anything wrong with the way the speakers looked?"

"No, they all looked the same. Is that good?"

"Perfect! That's exactly how they're supposed to look for that test. Now, the next test." She presses a button with a slanted red line above it. The speakers announce themselves once more, but this time, each side of the room is different. The speakers near the back are creating deep red colors, while the ones closest to you, at the front, are making almost black colors. The sides (or as close as you can get to sides in a circular room) each had their own shade of green that they were emitting.

Man, this is gonna be awesome. After the second test is over, you hear Vinyl ask you "so, what did you see?"

"Well, there were four distinct sections, and each had their own colors."

"Good! Last test you need to familiarize yourself with today is the echo test." She presses a button with what looks like crossing circular lines above it. The speakers near you make a loud boom, and you can clearly see the vibrant purple waves bounce around the room. A few seconds pass, and the rear set does the same. This continues for each set. "Well, now what did you see?"

"I saw some purple waves bounce around."

"Did any of them bounce back on themselves?" You think for a moment.

"No, I don't think so."

"Excellent! Now, on to how to correct the tests should one fail. If the echo test fails, you need to find what caused the waves to bounce back, and see if you can't move it. If the first two tests fail, you need to tell one of the staff ponies that you need a new speaker. Tell them which set, and where it goes, and they'll do the rest."

A couple of hours pass, and you've thoroughly familiarized yourself with the tests. At least to the point that Vinyl seems to think you can handle the real deal. "Now, I'll help you with the first real run, but all runs after that are your responsibility."

"Ok, so when is this 'first run?'" you ask, eager to prove yourself.

"Tonight!" Well, maybe not that eager. Oh well. "It'll be a blast!"

"How often do you hold concerts?"

"I've been working on one every two or three months; but I've got a big gig coming up, and we'll be doing three concerts over the course of three months, leading up to the big nasty!"

"The big nasty?"

"The big nasty! It's a concert to honor Princess Luna! She likes my work, and the fact that we party through the night a lot!" A princess. Wait. Another princess?

"What about Princess Celesita?"

"She doesn't care as much for my work as Luna does. She likes it, don't get me wrong; just not as often as Luna."

"Huh. What is Princess Luna's domain?"

"Domain? You mean where does she rule?"

"Yeah."

"Equestria? Celestia rules during the day, and Luna during the night." This place just gets stranger and stranger. "Well, I dunno about you, but I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah, I'm kinda feeling that way myself."

"Then let’s go get some food." You make to take the goggles off and return them to Vinyl, but she stops you. "No no, those are your goggles now." Her horn lights up, and another pair appear upon her head.

"But, you only have three pair, right?"

"Yeah. Consider that pair my gift to you."

"Wow. Thanks boss."

"Okay, no more boss stuff. It'll get confusing for the staff to have their sound boss running around calling me boss. Just Vinyl, alright?"

"Deal."

"Now, about food? What are you in the mood for?"

"Well, you know any good sandwich shops?"

"Sure do! Let’s go." You both leave the auditorium, and a few guards escort you to the sandwich shop.

"What’s with the guards?"

"Well, usually I can manage to keep a low profile, but with you working for me, it makes things a little more difficult."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't be! It's what they're here for!" You both order your sandwiches, eat them, and have a little after lunch chat.

"So, the last manner of business you need to take care of before tonight is your clothing."

"So what, I need a uniform or something?"

"Well, not so much a uniform, but a cap and shirt or vest that say 'SOUND BOSS' on them."

"I think I know just the pony for the job."

"Great! Here, take this voucher, and give it to your pony for payment. It's my 'company' account."

You head over to Rarity's shop, and one of the guards escorts you there. You position the goggles on your head so they wouldn't be as big of a distraction while you were walking. Kind of creepy, but also kind of cool.

The other guard and Vinyl headed back to the auditorium so she could get some rest before tonight’s show. You and the guard make it to Rarity's shop without incident. Knocking on the door, you hear the familiar 'Come in!' The guard decides to wait outside while you take care of your business with Rarity.

"Oh hello Anon! What can I do for you today?"

"Well, I'm here with a special request. I need you to design a uniform of sorts for me."

"A uniform? What kind of uniform?"

"Nothing overly complex, I just need a shirt and cap that say 'SOUND BOSS' on them."

"A simple order. How soon do you need it?"

"Tonight. Preferably before the sun goes down."

"Before... sundown. I don't know, Anon, I've got a few higher priority orders to fill. Is there any way you could pick it up tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not. I know it's last minute, but this time, I can pay you for your time." You pull out the voucher and hand it to Rarity.

"A voucher... from Vinyl Scratch? Curious. Does Rainbow know anything about this?"

"No, I'm planning on surprising her later tonight."

"Well, I suppose I can get you a uniform done by tonight. Come back in a couple of hours, and I'll have something for you."

"Thanks Rarity, you're a life saver." She heads off with the voucher in her magic grasp, and disappears into a back room. You head back out to the waiting guard, and decide to head over to Twilight's library while you wait on Rarity to finish your uniform. You knock on the door, and once again, Spike answers it.

"Hey spike, is Twilight around?"

"Of course; come on in!" The guard once again decides to wait outside. Spike leads you into the library, and runs upstairs to get Twilight. While you wait, you begin to marvel in the amount of books the little pony has managed to stuff into such a small area.

"Hey there Anon! What brings you here?" Twilight asks as she walks down the stairs from the second floor.

"Well, I've got a bit of time before I have to do anything, and I was wondering if you could fill me in on the government here."

"Really? Wow. Nopony has ever asked me to lecture them before." She says in disbelief.

"I'm quite serious. It dawned on me earlier today how little I know about the place I'm staying. I figured how the government works and the laws would be as good a place as any to start learning."

"Well then, let’s take a seat on the balcony, and I'll tell you all you want to know, on one condition."

"And whats that?"

"You tell me about those goggles."

"Sure thing." She leads you to one of the upper balconies, and the two of you take a seat while Spike returns to his chores.

"Okay, you first."

"Okay. These goggles let you see sound."

"Where did you get them?"

"They were a gift."

"Mind elaborating on that?"

"Well, they're from someone that Rainbow is a fan of, so I'm trying to make sure she's the first one I tell details to."

"Okay, fair enough."

"Now then, about this government."

"Yes. Well, the main figureheads are the two Princesses. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They're sisters, and so they share their rule. Celesita during the day, and Luna at night. They're judgment can only be overruled by the council of elders, but they haven't had to overrule a judgment in nearly 2000 years."

Makes sense. Don't give all the power to one or two people. Split it up. Just in case. Twilight goes on about the government for a while. She seems to just ooze knowledge. A couple hours pass, and the sun is making its descent.

"Well Twilight, I thank you for your time and enlightening lecture."

"Not at all, Anon! Don't hesitate to ask me anything you want to know!"

"I appreciate that Twilight. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get going. It's almost time for my job to start." You head towards Rarity's shop to pick up your uniform. Sure enough, it's ready right on time. She had crafted a white shirt with the words 'SOUND BOSS' in large, blue print on the front and back. The hat was reverse; blue with white lettering. You thanked her, and let your guard lead you back to the auditorium.

You can see the auditorium in the distance, and a line has formed in front of the main entrance. The guard pushes through the crowd, and manages to get you inside without incident. After applying your uniform, and goggles; you proceeded to the main stage to start your preparations. As you were doing the second test, Vinyl had arrived and was setting up her records.

You finish up the last of your audio tests, and everything checks out. You tell Vinyl, and she does the tests herself. It was your first time after all.

"Alright, everything looks good! You ready for things to really kick off?"

"As I'll ever be, I suppose."

"Just stay backstage and make sure nothing goes horribly wrong while I'm up there, okay?"

"Done and done."

One of the guards approaches the two of you. "Ma'am, there's a 'Rainbow Dash' to see Anon here. Should I let her in?"

"Rainbow Dash? Isn't that your roomie?" You'd totally forgotten she was coming to pick you up. Crap.

"Oh no! I mean, yes, she's my roomie. I forgot I told her to come check on when she should pick me up!"

"Hey, no biggie. Why don't you go let her in?"

"Thanks Vinyl."

"No worries! Being my sound boss has its perks. Oh! I know! Here, lemme just--" She starts looking for something, going through a few bags backstage with her magic. "Aha! Here, give her this!" She hands an orange colored tag on a lanyard.

"Whats this?" you say as you place the goggles on your head to examine what vinyl had given you in greater detail.

"A backstage pass! I expect to meet her one way or another!" She hops back on stage and finishes her last minute preparations. You follow the guard back to a side entrance, and let Rainbow in.

"Hey, sorry about that. I got caught up in work."

"Yeah yeah. You can make it up to me later."

"Well, I've got this for you." you say as you retrieve the pass from your pocket.

"A backstage pass? To a Vinyl Scratch concert? No way." Her eyes have become huge; but she remains immobile. You place the lanyard around her neck, and take her hat and saddle bags. You place her belongings next to your regular shirt in the employee lounge.

"You know what that pass means right?" She just stares at you, still in shock. "Ok, we do this my way." You scoop her up, and take her to the main stage. You place her on a bench right in front of the main stage. Vinyl had gone backstage to finish getting ready. "Now, I've got to go backstage. Will you be alright here for the concert?"

She finally seems to come out of shock. "Anon, I think I love you."

"I'll take that as a yes." You put your goggles back on, and head backstage. The auditorium was starting to fill at an alarming rate. "Vinyl? You ready?"

"Baby I'm always ready!" she says as she tackles you to the floor for the third time today. Ninja DJ pony. Damn.

"So, is everything ready?"

"Waitin on you."

"Alright, let’s get this thing started!" She flips a switch on a board, and the lights in the main hall go out. She steps up on stage in the pitch black, and starts her concert. It reminded you of the Daft Punk and Deadmau5 concerts you had seen footage of back home. The astounding light show, the music, the way Vinyl acted on stage. It was awesome.

Nothing went wrong during the concert, and the crowd seemed to absolutely love Vinyl's performance. A couple hours later, and Vinyl's set is over. The audience starts to dissipate, and Vinyl heads backstage to rest. You go retrieve Rainbow Dash and taker her back to meet Vinyl.

”Hey Vinyl, this is my roomie, Rainbow Dash." Vinyl is sitting on a couch, her goggles resting on her head now.

"Sup, kid?" says Vinyl. Rainbow is in shock again. "You uh, doin okay there?"

"Rainbow? You okay?"

"Uuuhhh, yeah. Yeah, I'm awesome! I've never been so excited in my life! That performance was amazing!" You let Rainbow fangirl it up to Vinyl, and after Vinyl finally convinces her to chill, they really kick it off. They chat for a good while before finally Rainbow admits that she's beat.

"Well, it was good meeting you Rainbow. We'll have to hang out sometime when we're not both beat." You collect yours and Rainbow's things, and head to leave. "Hey Anon! Don't forget your payment!" Vinyl says as she uses her magic to send a rather large looking sack of bits over to you.

"Thanks Vinyl! I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? No silly, tomorrow’s the weekend. I’ll see you in a couple days though!" You and Rainbow head out of the auditorium, and she flies the two of you back home. Once inside, Rainbow just about breaks your ribs in a hug.

"That. Was. Awesome."

"Glad you enjoyed it. Can I have my lungs back now?" She releases you from your death grip, and you both sit down on the couch. "So, it sounds like my next shift is going to be short. Basically cleaning the place up so other ponies can use it until Vinyl needs to again. What that means, is that you've got all weekend to experience one more surprise I have for you."

"Ohmygosh! I can't wait!"

"Yes you can. You're as tired as I am."

"Yeah, I guess I can."

"Did you get anything to eat at the concert?"

"Sure did! You?"

"Yup. Well then, why don't we head off to bed?"

"That sounds like a pretty good idea." You both head to bed, and quickly pass out. Got to witness Rainbow in fangirl mode. Got to see her expression upon meeting her favorite musician. Yeah, not a bad day. When you woke up next, the sun was halfway on its trip through the sky. Damn. Slept in a lot. From what you could gather, it was the weekend now.

In the time you'd known Rainbow, you've yet to see her be late for work. From what you could tell anyway. You get up, take care of your normal morning routine, and decide what to eat for lunch. Rainbow is still fast asleep. She must've enjoyed herself last night. Maybe one day you'll take her to a concert not as a worker, but as her friend.

You sat down in the living room with your large wad of bits that Vinyl had given you. It seemed like quite a bit of money, but you had nothing to compare it to. You needed someone's help. Again. What a shocker. This whole mooching off of other ponies is starting to bother you. Well, if this place is anything like Earth, most bank or financial related places are probably closed for the weekend by now.

Not much you can do until Rainbow gets up anyway. You don't want to wake her up. It's still her house, and you're still her guest. No need to be a rude guest. Maybe you could fix her some lunch? Why not. Something simple. Something you could refrigerate. Now the problem. You don't know what all Rainbow likes to eat.

In all your time here, you realize you barely know the cyan pony. And you've been LIVING WITH HER. Damn. What did she do for fun? What does she like to eat? Who are her friends? You have no idea. You've met a couple of her friends, but not many. You've gotten to know a couple of ponies at the square, how hard could it be to meet her friends? But you're still living in a cloud.

Can't do shit without Rainbow. God dammit. You look around the living room, hoping for something that will tell you just a little bit about the pony. What do you know about Rainbow? Not much really. You know she likes Vinyl Scratch. You know she works at a place called Clouds Dale, apparently doing a lot of weather related things. You know she can fly fast. Fast enough to break the sound barrier. And thats about it.

How have you gone this long with barely knowing this pony? It was beyond you. But it needed to change. And it will! As soon as she wakes up. What can you do in the meantime though? There has to be something you can do. Maybe you could clean something? Wash clothes! You go off and find Rainbow's work clothes, and take them through the kitchen to the laundry room. It's a start.

You spend maybe fifteen minutes cleaning her vest and hat before they're dried and clean. Shit. Ponies don't wear clothing, except for apparently work or other special occasions. You're living in a damn nudist colony. Oh well, nothing you can do about it now. What else can you do to help out Dash? The dishes! There ya go!

You head in the kitchen, and begin cleaning the dishes that had been in the sink from the night before last. You managed to kill about thirty more minutes. Well, now what? There's a knock at the door. What? You're in a cloud, no one is knocking at the door. You must be hearing things. There it is again.

Who could possibly be at the door? It's not like other ponies can just fly-- Right. Pegasi. You head towards the door, open it, and there before you is a gray pegasus with blond hair.

"Hello?"

"Hi there! I've got a delivery for a mister Anon?"

"That'd be me."

"Okay then, sign here please!" She hands over the package, and a clipboard with a line meant for a signature. You sing it, and return the clipboard and pen.

”Who's it from?" you ask, not reading the labels like a boss.

"It's from a pony named Rarity. She said it needed a signature before I could deliver it." Must be the clothing she promised you.

"Well, thank you for delivering this, miss...?"

"Oh! My name's Derpy."

Derpy? Interesting naming decision there. "Right. Thanks again Miss. Derpy."

"Have a good day!" She flew off after that. Odd pony. She didn't even take a second glance at you. Well, you can't impress everyone. You head back inside and shut the door.

"Who was that?" Rainbow Dash had woken up, and was lazily flying around the living room.

"Someone named Derpy. Delivered a package from Rarity."

"Oh. Probably your clothes."

"Probably. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"No biggie, I needed to get up sometime anyways. I'm gonna clean up, then we'll get started on lunch."

"Sounds good." She flies off towards the bathroom with the shower. You head up to your room to put your clothes in the closet. As you're putting the clothes away, you notice your goggles that Vinyl had given you. You make a mental note not to forget about Dash's suprise you have planned later today. You're gonna put the goggles on her by surprise, and let her wonder for a while.

It'll be pretty funny seeing her initial reactions; then she'll realize she's seeing what one of her favorite musicians is seeing. You're gonna spend time with her today. Get to know her a bit more. Maybe meet some more of her friends. So far you're pretty sure that Twilight and Rarity are a couple of her friend, but that's all you got.

You finish putting your clothes away, and put the goggles in the brown bag Bon Bon had given you. It IS a surprise after all. You return to the living room, having not much you can do other than wait on Dash. Sitting down on the couch, you begin thinking of ever so creative ways to deliver your surprise. You finally had your little surprise laid out, just the way you wanted. All you needed now wa—

"So Anon, what'cha got planned for today?" She flew down to the living room and plopped herself beside you. Right on cue. Target in position.

"Well, first things first. You remember how I told you I had another surprise?" Her eyes lit up at this.

"Yeah!"

"Okay. Close your eyes." She did so. Too easy. “Now, you're gonna have to trust me for a second, OK?"

"Okay. I'm ready!" Target locked. You placed the goggles on her head, and adjusted them so they fit. You double and triple checked the goggles, just to make sure they were on right. Firing.

”Okay, open!" She opened her eyes, and proceeded to freak the fuck out.

"GAAAAHH!" She started flapping her wings and flying around like crazy. "WHAT DID YOU DO??" She bounced off a wall, the couch, the ceiling, and the table before finally plowing into you. Her screaming and hollering probably weren't helping her get her bearings. But dammit if it wasn't one of the funniest things you'd ever seen. You grabbed hold of her and started trying to calm her down.

"Woooaaaahhh, easy. Eeeeeaaaaasssy. You're fine." She started to calm down again, and began taking in what she was seeing. "So, you figure out what it is you're wearing yet?"

"No! But it looks pretty awesome."

"Those goggles were a gift from Vinyl Scratch to me. They let you see sound. What you're seeing is what she sees every time she wears those goggles." She froze in place. Her jaw dropped. Hit confirmed; fangirl mode activated.

"Dude! These are AWESOME!"

"Now, be careful with them, she only had three pair, and she gave me that one, so I can't exactly replace them." She turned her head slowly, looking at the sounds the two of you made moving around the room. "So? Whatcha think?"

She turned her head towards you. Then full body tackled you into a hug. She must really like Vinyl Scratch. After you cleaned up the disastrous results of your little prank/surprise, you decide to just relax on the couch. You were just sittin on the couch, enjoying doing nothing. And it was glorious.

”Hey Rainbow"

"Yeah?"

"What do ponies do around here for fun?"

"Well, lots of stuff. What do humans do for fun?"

"Lots of stuff."

"Oh, so we're gonna play THIS game, huh?"

"Yup."

"Ok then, I'LL start."

”Be my guest."

"What did YOU used to do for fun?"

"You mean before I arrived in Equestria?"

"Yeah."

“Well, I typically would hang out with my friends, or browse the internet."

"Whats the--"

"It's complicated. It's basically an infinitely large space that humans use to exchange information."

"Sounds boring."

"It can be. You just have to know where to look. Now then, I believe it is MY turn?"

"Alright, go ahead."

"What are all these marks that you ponies have on your flanks?"

"You been staring at my flank?" You turn red. Beet red. You started to answer, but she interrupted you. "I'm kidding. They're called cutie marks. Each one represents what that ponies special talent is."

"Really? What does yours represent? I don't quite understand a rainbow lightning bolt from a thunder cloud."

"It means a couple things. Mainly that I'm fast, athletic, and good with weather. You'd better be careful with that question Anon. It might get you into trouble one day."

"Yeah yeah, your turn, princess." You get a light punch for the princess bit.

"Okay then, can humans fly or do magic?"

"Magic? Not as far as I know. Flying? Well... Kind of."

"What do you mean kind of? It's a yes or no question!"

"Well, we have machines that we use if we need to fly."

"How fast can they go?"

"As far as I know, the last record holder went three times the speed of sound."

"No way. You're lying."

"Now why would I lie to you Rainbow?"

"Maybe you're trying to impress me or somethin. I dunno."

"Impress you? While I wouldn't mind impressing you, I wouldn't lie to do it."

"Well why not? You're the only human I've ever met! I don't know what you'd do!"

"Then why did you take me in?"

"I... Well... Umm... I had this feeling..."

"Now what was that you told me about mushy stuff?"

"Hey! You asked!"

"You're right. I did. Continue."

"What?"

"Continue. I'm interested to hear your reasoning for trusting me." She was silent for a moment.

"I don't really know Anon. I look at you, and you just don't seem like somepony that would try something."

"Well thanks Rainbow. I guess it's your turn now."

"I guess it is." Silence.

"So, what's your question?"

"You shush. I'm thinking." You give her her quiet time. This oughta be good. "Okay, got it!"

"It's about time."

"Whaddya want for lunch?" You sigh, lean back on the couch and stretch out. You idly pet Rainbow's mane. Without thinking, you started petting her, and you may have accidentally brushed one of her wings.

"I was kind of thinking about a cheese sandwich. You ever have one of those before?" Silence. "Rainbow?" You look over, and she has turned completely red. ”What's wrong Dash?" You withdrew your hands, and turned to face her. She let out a slight whimper. "You ok?"

"ILLMAKESOMELUNCH!" She darted into the kitchen to get to work on food. Oh no, she doesn't get off the hook that easy.

Chapter 5: Complications

You walk into the kitchen. Something’s bothering Rainbow, but she's not telling you. You had been petting her, talking about lunch. Did she not want you to pet her? Was it something you said? Rainbow is running around gathering the ingredients to a salad. Her wings are extended.

"Rainbow? You ok?" She freezes in place. Wings in full extension. Maybe she's tense about something and just not telling you? Regardless, holding her wings in that position doesn't look like it would be pleasant. She looks tense. Why not try and give her a back rub? Maybe you could work on her wings too. Couldn't hurt, right? She looks stressed the fuck out.

"Rainbow? Hello?" You poke her in the shoulder. She turns her head and looks at you. It's like she's holding something back. "You can tell me if something’s bothering you, you know that, right?" She just whimpers. Ok then, your hands have worked magic on her before, no reason they couldn't now.

You start rubbing her shoulders. This gets you the response you were hoping for. She seems to loosen up a bit. Finally. Now maybe you can get some answers.

"So, whats bothering you Rainbow?" you ask as you continue your massage. Nothing. Odd, usually she's one to talk. Maybe you should try the wings now. You move your hands onto her left wing, and begin rubbing it. She seems to tense right the fuck back up. She's turning red, and you could swear you heard her moan. "Rainbo-" She suddenly snaps to attention.

"OHSWEETCELESTIADON'TTOUCHME" She darted over to a corner of the kitchen. You look down at your hands. Was she having a reaction to you touching her? Did you smell bad or something? Your gaze returns to her, trying to decipher her body language. Her eyes are wide and dilated. She's curled up on the floor in the corner she darted to. Her wings are still fully extended. And they look kind of like they're twitching.

”Rainbow, whats going on?"

She just stares at you, like you're something out of a horror film. You start to head over to her, and she just curls into a tighter ball. You stop at that reaction. Something to do with you, definitely. Okay then, maybe she needs to be alone or something.

"Well, if you decide you want to tell me what’s bothering you, I'll be in my room." You turn around, and head through the living room up to your room. You lie down on the bed, recalling what had happened. It didn't make any sense!

You remembered petting her, and talking about cheese sandwiches. You looked down at her, and she wasn't saying or doing anything. Like she was waiting for something to happen. Or maybe holding something back. Since you seem to elicit some sort of reaction if you're near her or try to help, there isn't much you can do.

You don't want to force your help on someone. Though you kinda did when you went over and started rubbing her shoulders. She seemed fine then! It wasn't until you touched her wing... Wait a minute. Her wing. Did you brush her wing when you were petting her mane? Are pegasus wings super sensitive or something? Oh god what if you hurt her? Shit.

Nothing you can do until she opens up to you about what's bothering her though. Damn. Waiting is not one of your strong points, especially if your friends might be hurt. It's like waiting on someone you know to come out of the ER. And so begins your mind's quest to send you into a horrible world filled with terrible what-ifs. That is one of your strong points.

A couple of hours pass, and you're still creating horrible scenarios. What if you injured her wing and she may never fly again? She'd kill you. If her friends didn't get to you first. What if—

"Anon? Can I come in?" You snap out of your spiral down what-if hell.

"You going to tell me what’s bothering you?"

She seems to think it over for a bit before finally responding with "yeah."

"Then please do come in." She flies into your room, and you sit up on your bed. "So. What’s this all about?" She takes a big breath before she starts. It's like she's confessing to a murder.

"You see... Pegasus wings are.... Sensitive..." Aha! You knew it!

"I'm sorry Rainbow, I didn't know... I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"What? No, no, nothing like that... Quite the opposite..."

"Well then whats all the fuss about?"

"Pagasus wings are sensitive.... sexually." Your brain takes a minute to process what she just said. Slowly. You basically just rubbed your hands all over her vagina. You look down at your hands.

"I... I don't... I..."

"Listen. You didn't know, so I'll let you off the hook this time."

"....thanks."

"But, you do it again, and there'll probably be violence." Right. Point fukken taken. Don't touch your friends junk. "Now, I'm gonna go finish what I started, and make us some lunch. I'll try my hoof at those cheese sandwiches you were talking about."

"Thanks Rainbow... If there's anything I can do to make it up to y--"

"Don't bring it up again, with anypony, and I'll consider it made up. Okay?" Fair enough.

”Right. Deal." She left your room, and presumably headed towards the kitchen to make lunch. Well, great start to your day so far, huh? Rubbing all over your friends junk-- STOP IT BRAIN.

You finish your lunch with Rainbow, cheese sandwiches and a salad. You both ate in silence. The awkward in the air was so thick a spoon could probably cut it. But you powered through it, determined to not make the situation worse.

"So Anon, got anything you need to do in Ponyville this afternoon?" You think about that for a minute. You needed to find out just how much money Vinyl had given you, and what you could do with it.

"Well, a couple things, but there's something I was hoping you could help me with first." Rainbow was equally ready to get the little incident put in the past and move on.

"Sure! Whatcha need help with?"

"I have no idea how much a bit is worth, so I have no idea how much Vinyl paid me."

"Hmmm... Well, Vinyl paid you quite a bit of money, no need to worry there."

"But how much is 'quite a bit' of bits? I have no idea what I can do with the money."

"She gave you so much money, that you could go to the square right now, and buy five of everything at every cart. That perspective enough?" Okay, that works. Maybe you had enough to buy a house. Or have one built even. Now THAT excited you. You could finally stop mooching off of Rainbow. Give her her privacy and space back. She'd probably appreciate that. Especially after today.

"Would it be enough to have a house built?" She looks at you, and you'd swear she looked like you had killed her pet. What would a pegasus have as a pet anyway?

"Why do you want to have a house built? Is there something wrong with mine?"

"No, of course not! It's pretty awesome living in a cloud, but it also has its limitations."

"Like what?"

"For one, I have no wings. If I want to go anywhere, I have to rely on you. I told you already, I hate being a mooch. There's also the fact that this house was designed for a pegasus. I'm nearly twice, if not three times your size."

"I could make it bigger!"

"And that'd be me mooching even more. I won't have it! This is YOUR house, not mine. You shouldn't have to change it for me." Dash looked down at the table.

"Yeah, I guess it makes sense."

"I don't know any contractor ponies though. Do you know anyone that would?" She looks up again, and you'd swear she was getting agitated. At your efforts to move out? Huh. Shouldn't she be excited? Oh well. You've pushed enough of her buttons today. No need to push more.

"Applejack might. I'll ask her next time she's in town." Well, at least it's something.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." You both sit there. More awkward. Great. Just what you needed. There has to be a way to get through the awkward.

”So..."

"So."

"Are there any sports ponies play?"

"Yup."

Silence. Curse this awkward. You both remain planted in your seats, not saying a word. You had so much you wanted to say, but just didn't. Shit it was driving you up a wall. How were you supposed to know that you shouldn't touch her wings? How mad was she about it? All those questions and more, dwelling inside you.

How much longer is she going to stay pissed at you? Along with that ever clear statement, "Don't bring it up again." The fuck do you do? Why not try to do what you did at home in these situations? Go home? Right. About that. You can't escape this, and there's nothing you can do about it that won't piss off Rainbow.

You both sit there, waiting on the other to make the first move. To say something. To fucking do something. She was already pretty upset about the wing incident. You only managed to piss her off more with the whole house bit, for whatever reason. It's just going to be one of those days.Waiting is driving you crazy. So, why not sleep it off?

"I'm gonna go take a nap." Rainbow remains silent, staring into the great nothing. You head up to your room, and you could swear you felt the air pressure drop. You could breathe again. You throw yourself onto your bed, letting your brain just go with whatever.

You'd thought you'd be safe in your dreams, but no. You kept re-living feeling up her wings. And her reaction. It only made you feel worse. Like some sick sexual predator. The shame. Something so innocent. Why had you gotten it in your head to start petting her anyway? The hell is wrong with you? You wouldn't just reach over and start petting another human. Let alone start groping them.

It had to be just some sort of natural reaction. Other ponies probably didn't just out and pet other ponies. But would a human do that? Fuck if you knew. Like it mattered anyway. Oh great, another re-enactment of the wing incident coming up, courtesy of your fucked dreams. Yup, cheese sammiches. Yup, freezes. Aaaaaaannnnnd, shame. Soooo much shame.

What were you doing? Why couldn't you stop thinking about it? Rainbow said to drop it, so why couldn't you? Cursed brain. You knew things were going waaaay too swimmingly for you anyway. Things had to start getting complicated soon, it was only a matter of time. Well, time can go eat a dick.

Ooohh, a wild dream appears! And it's not about the wing incident! Holy shit! What could this be? You're standing in a field. Okay, nothing wrong with that. There's a cloud, laying rather low to the ground. It's approaching you, rapidly. Whatever, it's a dream. It gets closer, and it's not a cloud... OHJESUSFUCKSHITROCKS It's a cloud of MOTHERFUCKINGWASPS! FUCKSHITDAMNASSWHY?! RUN YOU MOTHER FUCKER! Wait. Who's that? WHO GIVES A SHIT MOTHER FUCKER, WASPS! Right!

Resume running! You sprint at the speed of sound itself for a few moments, before finally turning around to see if you're going to die or not. There's a pony in a gas mask and suit of some sort. It's got a tank of something on its back, and... Dear god, it's standing on its hind legs, and carrying... Is that a flamethrower?

The pony lights the wasps up. Yup, it's a god damn flamethrower. Okay, this dream is beyond fucked. But hey, no more wasps. The pony incinerates the wasps; and then, after the wasps have been disposed of, places the flamethrower in a holster on its back. And starts bouncing towards you.

It must want to see what cooked human flesh tastes like. FUCK. You run and run, as fast as you can, but the bouncing flame pony is always getting closer. Finally, exhaustion takes you, and you fall over onto the ground. No more, you're done. The pony gets closer and closer. Finally it's there. Right in front of you. It's on its hind legs again. It takes the flamethrower out of its holster. And sets it down.

It starts to remove its mask, and you see some pink hair puff out of the mask. Then you woke up, sweating. Man, the fucked up dreams you've been having since you got here... Not cool. Well, you're awake. Now what? Better go check on Rainbow Dash. See what she's up to.

You make your way into the living room, and Rainbow is still on the couch. But she's curled up into a ball, using her wings like a blanket. Fuck that’s cute. You head over to the couch and sit down. Wonder if you could move her without her waking up? The least you could do is put her in her bed.

Worth a shot. Maybe you can start an anti-awkward effort. You scoop her up. Awake? Not yet. Good. Moving on. You make your way up to your room, and then to hers from yours. You place her in her bed, and pull the sheets up over her. Her ear twitches slightly, and you could've sworn you saw a grin creep its way onto her features. No time to think about that! Escape! Before she wakes up!

You make it out of her room, and close the door separating your rooms as quietly as possible. That's pretty quiet, considering it was made of cloud. You didn't see or hear her wake. GREAT SUCCESS! You plop down on your bed again. Wonder what time it is? Eh, who gives a fuck.

Nap resumed. Several hours later, you awake from your glorious dreamless sleep. You hadn't been plagued by a flaming cloud of wasps again, which was good. You head to the bathroom with the shower, which means you have to go through Rainbow's room. She's not there. Huh. Maybe she's in the kitchen cooking something up? At any rate, you proceed with your morning rituals.

After you're clean and at least somewhat presentable, you head downstairs to the kitchen. No Rainbow. Well, this is awkward. You head to a nearby porthole-like window, and find the sun. Judging from its position, it's about 11 ish. Guess you're not doing shit today. Rainbow is probably at work right now. You have no other way out of this house.

Well damn. You sit down on the couch, and contemplate a way out of this mess. Short term: you're fucked. Long term: you've gotta get a house. As you sit there pondering your current situation, there's a knock on the door. You get up and go answer it, to find the Mail pony from the other day.

"Derpy, right?"

"Thats me!"

"What can I do for you, Miss Derpy?"

"I've got a couple letters here for you Mister Anon."

”I've... got mail?"

You wonder who the letters could possibly be from. You take the letters from Derpy, and she says her good-bye and flies off to her next stop. The first thing to catch your eye has a familiar looking seal. You've gotten yourself a letter, and a scroll. The letter is catching your attention though, as the seal used on it also happens to be on Vinyl Scratch's flank. Not that you paid attention to her flank.

You open the letter, before being reminded that ponies don't write or read in English. Now you know. That pretty much destroys your chances of reading the letter. Or the scroll for that matter. Shit. Lightbulb.

You run outside, and search the skies. Nope, not there. You look down towards the ground, and you spot her. She was heading towards Ponyville from what it looked like. You really ought to pay more attention to where Rainbow's house is in relation to Ponyville.

"Miss Derpy!" She stops at hearing her name being called out. She turns and hovers in place for a minute, like she didn't quite hear you. "MISS DERPY!" She turns towards where the voice was coming from, and spots you She flies over to you.

"Mr. Anon? Did you call for me?"

"Yes! I uh... I'd like to ask a favor."

"Uuuhh, sure! What can I do for you?"

"Can you read this letter for me? I can't read pony language." She looks at you, dumbfounded for a moment, before it apparently dawns on her what you’re asking.

"Sure!"

"Come on in" you say as you hold the door open for her. She flies in and stands in the living room. You shut the door and head over to the table, where you'd set the letter down. “Would you be so kind as to read this to me?" She looks at the letter on the table, and separates the two sheets of paper.

"Well, this one is a schedule. You want me to read that or just the letter?"

"All of it, if you don't mind."

"It says here that you're supposed to work every other day during the week, but you don't start until the middle of this week." Okay, so basically Wednesday.

"What time?"

"Noon." So see Vinyl Wednesday at noon. Maybe she forgot about today? Ah well, mental note acquired.

"What about the letter?" She looks over it, and mouths a couple of words to herself, before responding.

"It's from Vinyl Scratch. She's saying she'd like to see you for lunch today. Something about wanting to thank you for your work this weekend." Great. Lunch date with your boss that you can't get to. Turns out she didn’t forget about today, it seems.

"Ok, would you mind reading this scroll for me?" You hand over the scroll.

"Oh no no no, I can't read that to you."

"What? Why not?"

"My job is government paid, and there are very specific rules for scrolls. Especially scrolls with that seal." You look down at the seal binding the scroll, and admire the design. It looks like a sun.

"So there's no chance you can read this to me?"

"Sorry, but I shouldn't even be here right now. I should be continuing my route through Ponyville, actually..."

"Oh! Sorry to hold you up. I completely forgot! Okay then, can you do me one last favor?"

"If it's quick, I don't see why not."

"If you see Vinyl Scratch in Ponyville, can you tell her that I won't be able to make it today? Just tell her that I'm stuck at Rainbow's house. She'll understand."

"Okay, no problem!" You open the door for her, and she flies out.

"Thanks again for your help!"

"Don't mention it!"

And she's off, resuming her route. She's a nice pony. Wonder why her parents named her Derpy? Maybe you'll find out another day. You mind brings your attention back to the mysterious scroll you'd received. Why would you get anything from Royalty? Oh, right.

Technically, you're an illegal alien. You can only hope that's all the letter is about. No sense in worrying yourself over it. If someone in a position of Royalty wanted you gone, you probably wouldn't have lasted a week here. No sense in worrying about it. Right?

It was almost noon now, judging by the sun. Confounded lack of clocks. One hour. That’s roughly how long had passed since you'd received your mail. What had happened since then? You could swear you could see an indention in the floor where you'd been walking in circles.

Why? A letter from Royalty. That you couldn't read. You'd been fine so far, as there was always a pony around to help you out. But now, you can't read. The things you take for granted. You just need to relax, ya know? Just chill for a bit. You walk out front, and sit down on the edge of the cloud.

It was a nice view, reminding you of why living in a cloud is pretty awesome. You sat there for a while, enjoying the view. This is just what you needed. A little time to clear your mind, and focus on nothing in particular.

Unbeknownst to you, there was a unicorn on the ground trying to get your attention. It wasn't going exactly as she'd hoped. She got an idea of how to get your attention though, and teleported. You were just sitting there, minding your own business, then Vinyl. Out of fucking nowhere.

"GAAAH!"

"GAAA!" She had teleported right above you, and landed on you, pushing you back onto the cloud. You sit there, with the white unicorn pinning you against the cloud for a moment, still processing what happened.

"...Vinyl?"

"Well it's about time you noticed me! I was trying to get your attention for like 20 minutes!" She went to hop off of your chest. Right onto the cloud. That she couldn't stand on. You saw her fall through the cloud like it wasn't even there. She was disappearing fast. Good thing your reaction time was pretty good right then. You reached over and caught the only part of her you could, her tail.

"OW!"

"Hold on!"

"Do I have a choice?" You ignore her remark, and pull her up. As soon as you could grab her by one of her hooves, you grabbed it and released her tail. You pulled her all the way back up, and she wound up on your chest again.

"Cloud, remember?"

"Right... thanks."

"You wanna teleport us down to ground level?"

"Uuummm.... well, ya see.... My magic is focused around music, so any other use of my magic is really taxing..."

”So, what you're saying, is you're stuck up here?"

"For a little while."

"Great."

"Aww, come on, it'll be fun!" You pick her up in your arms. It's a good thing these were ponies, not full-on horses. Vinyl was heavier than Rainbow, but you could manage. You'd have to. You made your way back into Rainbow's house, and sat down on the couch with Vinyl in your lap.

"So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to thank you for your performance this weekend. It went great!"

”You didn't have to strand yourself on a cloud to tell me that."

"Party pooper."

"By the way, I had to get Derpy to read me your letter."

"What? Why?"

”Because I can't read pony.” She was silent for a minute.

"I never thought of that..."

"It's no biggie, got the gist of what you were saying."

"We'll have to work on that then."

"Yeah, I guess I'll be going to school. Again." Vinyl looked around from the safety of your lap, admiring the house of cloud.

"So this is what it's like to live in a cloud, huh?"

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"I'll say! I've been to the Clouds Dale arena before, for a concert, but we had a platform lifted into place. This is waaaay different." She looked around the living room, and the scroll you'd gotten earlier caught her eye.

"Hey Anon, whats with the scroll?"

"I dunno. Apparently it's from some form of royalty." She squinted her eyes, and looked at the seal.

"That's not just royalty, that's from Princess Celestia!"

"Isn't she the ruler of Equestria?"

"Yeah. Wonder why she sent you a scroll."

"I'd love to find out, but I can't read it."

"I could read it to you, if you want."

"That would be most appreciated." You lean over and collect the scroll, popping the seal off once it's securely in your hands.

"Can you hold it for me? I don't want to waste any magic." You unravel the scroll, and hold it off to the side where you can both read it. More or less.

"So, what's it say?" Vinyl cleared her throat, and read the letter.

"Dear Anon, my name is Princess Celestia. I am the ruler of Equestria, along with my sister, Luna. Your arrival has not gone unnoticed." Oh boy. All ready it doesn't sound like she's too happy with you. "While my sources tell me you can be trusted, and mean no harm, I would like to meet you myself. While I do not wish to force you to see me, I will if it should become necessary." Great. "Please respond as soon as you get the opportunity. If I fail to receive a response in one weeks’ time, I will send Guards to collect you. I mean you no harm, but I must consider the protection of my subjects. I would suggest you bring any friends you've made in your brief time here, as they could attest to your character."

Attest to your character? She wanted you and any friends you've made to see her. Goodie. Vinyl continued reading the letter.

"Upon reception of your letter, I will send a train to take you and up to five other ponies to Canterlot to meet with me. Specify a date, and the train will be at the station, waiting for you. Sincerely, Princess Celestia." You sit in silence for a minute.

"Dude! The princess wants to meet you!"

"Yeah. Sounds like fun."

"Aww come on, I'm sure if she didn't want you here, she'd have done something a while ago." Nice choice of words there, Vinyl.

”So, when are you free next?"

"Me?"

"Yup. She said she wanted to meet my friends, and I'd like to count you as a friend."

She was silent for a bit, before responding with "Whenever you're ready, I'll be ready." For the next couple of hours, you and Vinyl chatted it up in the living room. But you were getting hungry.

"Hey Vinyl, I dunno about you, but I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah, I'm kinda feeling the same. I think I can get us down now." She started to charge her horn.

"Hold on a minute."

"What’s up?" Her horn stopped glowing.

"Can you do me a favor and write a note for Rainbow? I don't want her to worry."

"Sure thing lover boy, where's a quill?" Lover boy? You position Vinyl in your arms again, and stand up. You think about where Rainbow would keep a quill, and make your way into her bedroom.

"Why would she keep a quill in here?"

"I don't know, but I don't know where else to start." You look around, and your instincts were nice to you. There was a quill on a nightstand. "Here we go." You walk over and pick the quill up, and find a blank piece of paper. It was lying next to an open book. "Hey Vinyl, whats that say?" She looks down at the book and mutters to herself for a minute.

"Uuuhhhh, it's just a... uhhh... Daring Doo book!" She was lying through her teeth. Oh well, you could ask Rainbow later.

"Well, you gonna wright that not or what?"

"Yeah yeah. What you wanna say?"

"Just tell her that you and I went to Ponyville for lunch."

"Simple enough." She collects the quill with her magic, and writes down the short note for Rainbow. "Okay, all done!" You put the quill back where you found it, and take the note back downstairs with you. As you're heading back down to the living room, you notice Vinyl is rather quiet.

"Vinyl, you ok?"

"What? Yeah yeah, I'm fine! Just thinking about what Rainbow wrote in her diary." You stop. Immediately. You'd made it to the living room, and had set the note on the table.

"I probably shouldn't be told any more than that, huh?" Vinyl had turned as red as Rainbow when you grabbed her wing. "I'll take that as a no. Care to get us to Ponyville now?"

"Right." Her horn lights up again, and there's a bright flash of light. You feel like you're being pulled towards a really powerful magnet. Really, really powerful. It's kind of like that feeling you get when a roller coaster shoots out of the gate. Except backwards. And much faster. Okay, a lot faster. You see another flash of light, and then you're standing on the outskirts of Ponyville with Vinyl in your arms.

"So thats what it feels like to get teleported." You look down at Vinyl when she doesn't respond. "Vinyl? You okay?" She looks up at you, and you can feel her breathing harder now.

"Yeah... Just... need a minute... catch my breath..."

"Yeah, I gotcha." One of Vinyl's guards had been waiting on her to return, and was standing next to you after you arrived. "Hey, Bobbie, why dont... why don't you lead the way... towards that sandwich shop..."

The guard nodded his head, and said "follow me." You obliged. By the time you arrived at the shop, Vinyl was breathing regularly once more.

”You ok now?"

"Yeah, I think so." You set her down on her hooves, and let her get her bearings. "Okay, I'm good."

"Just in time for sammiches."

"Food! Yes." She led the way into the shop, and the guard opted to wait outside. Anti-social bunch, these guards. No matter, food awaits! You both are seated, and eat your meals without incident. After you finish, you make to get your bits, but Vinyl stops you. "Hey! I told you I wanted to meet you for lunch. It's on me."

"Oh thats all right, I can cover myself."

"Consider it a thank you for thinking and saving me when I fell through the cloud." You pause.

"Oh all right." She squees and gets her bits from the guard. A thought enters your mind.

"Hey Vinyl, you know any contractor ponies?"

"Of course! Who do you think had the Auditorium built?"

"You think you could hook me up? I wanna see about getting a house of my own."

"No problem! He's doing a project right now, but he'll be done in the next couple of days. I'll have him meet us day after tomorrow, when you come in to work."

"Great!"

"One condition though."

"What's that?"

"You gotta let me see this place when it's finished!"

"Done."

Finally, things are starting to look up. If only a little. Next thing on your list of shit to do is to wait for Rainbow. Not much you can do to speed things up there. Your favorite game - the waiting game. Damn. At least you got to spend some time with Vinyl. Much better company than being alone with your thoughts.

"So what do you wanna do?"

"Well, not much I can do until Rainbow gets off work."

"That sucks."

"I'll have to talk to my boss. See if I can get some more hours or something." She punches you playfully in the shoulder.

"I'd love to, but there's only so much to do. Lotta down time."

"I've noticed. How do you spend your down time?"

"Usually just blastin music through my headphones."

"You don't chill with your friends? I'd think being who you are, you'd have quite the assortment of people begging to hang with you."

"And that is the problem. I know plenty of people, but I don't know too many I'd call my friends..."

"Well, if you want, you can count me as a friend." She looks over at you and smiles.

"Let’s see. So far, you've saved me from, at the very least, a pretty bad injury; you haven't tried to do horrible things to me; you don't pester me constantly; you're not a crazed fan. My past has no influence on your opinion of me; you at least seem to like my music; and you're an alien. Yeah, I like where this is going." Yeah, a pretty good deal.

"So Vinyl, you gonna tell me what the diary said?"

"NOPE!"

The two of you had decided to pass the time waiting on Rainbow at Vinyl's auditorium. Not much was going on there, so you'd shut the doors to the main hall and were relaxing on the stage. It was calm. Quiet. Almost ghostly.

"Hey, I've got an idea."

"What’s that?"

"You got your phone-thingie on you?" It was a pointless habit to keep, but you'd managed to take your phone with you if you left the house. Old habits really do die hard.

"Yeah, here ya go." She took the phone in her magic grip, and looked it over for a minute.

"Okay, I want you to think of a song that's on here."

"What? Why?"

"Sssshhh, don't worry, I'm a professional." Eh, just go with it.

"Okay, ready." She warped in a record that didn't have a label on it. Her horn started to glow, as well as your phone and the record. Then she walked over to you, and started getting pretty close. "Ummm, Vinyl..."

"Sssshhh" She touched her horn to your head, and there was a loud blast of sound. Like a sonic boom. Once your ears stopped ringing, you looked around and found Vinyl laying down on the stage, panting.

"You okay Vinyl?"

She pants for a minute, then says "Yeah... where's.... the record?" You look around and see that it had landed a couple feet away from you. You walk over and pick it up to examine it. It still didn't have a label.

”Here it is" you say as you bring it over to her. She stands up, and she has the aura about her like someone who had just sprinted a long ways.

"Great! Put it on the turn table!" You obey, and place the record on the turn table.

"Okay, now what?"

"Now you start it silly."

"How do I do that?"

"Just put the needle on the record, and hit the green button." You did as she said, and the song you were thinking of started playing.

"What? But... how?"

"It's magic, I ain't gotta explain shit!" You think about what she just said. And the fact that she's a talking unicorn.

”You'll get no argument from me." The two of you are back on the stage, listening to the song you were only moments ago thinking of. To her, it was alien and fascinating. To you, it was a reminder of home. Not too sure how to feel about that.

Should you just drop all ties to home? Or should you keep a constant reminder? Dammit philosophy. Or psychology. Whichever. The song ended, and the two of you just sat there. You were doing nothing. But you were doing nothing with a friend. Far more enjoyable than it should've been.

"Now how about we listen to one of your records?" You head over to her collection behind the stage. You found one that looked interesting, popped it onto the player, and started it.

"So, what'd you find?"

"I still can't read pony, but it had a green label, outlined in blue." Her eyes went wide.

"What. Nonononono--" Before she could stop it though, it started playing. It was classical music. She froze in place.

"So this is what Vinyl Scratch listens to?" She made her way over to the player, and went to stop it. "Now wait a minute, I'd like to listen to what you listen to."

"Really? You wanna listen to this?"

"Sure." She walked back over to where you were, and sat down next to you. The classical music was going, but you could just barely hear something in the background. Was that bass? She looked over to you, trying to read your body language. Trying to figure out what you thought of her music. Of her.

The bass was prominent now. This pony had remixed classical music. The song continued; a strange mix of classical and this unicorn's own creation. After the song ended, Vinyl was looking at you intently. Trying desperately to decipher your poker face.

"So... what'd you think?" You looked over to her, and your gaze met hers.

"That. Was fucking. Awesome." She squeed at what you said, and tackled you in a hug.

"No pony has ever heard that song before."

"Then I'd say your record is still clear. I'm not a pony." She broke the hug, and looked at you.

"No. You certainly aren't." Then she resumed her hug. Life was good. For now. Several hours passed with the two of you just blasting your eardrums with music. There's a reason the auditorium was on the outer edge of town. You could feel time creeping up on you.

"Hey Vinyl, I think I'd better go. It's probably getting late by now, and I don't want Dash to worry."

"Yeah, you're probably right. C'mon, I'll walk you." After shutting off the equipment, you both head back into town.

"Where you gonna wait for Rainbow?"

"I think the square. That's where I usually wait for her." She nods and walks with you to the square. It was definitely getting late out, the sun was starting to set. As you were walking, you began to search the sky for Rainbow.

No sign of her. Maybe she'll be at the square. You still don't know how mad she is at you. Or why she's mad at you, for that matter. The square crept up on you during your thoughts. You locate a park bench, and sit down. You get that sneaking Lyra feeling.

"Hey Vinyl, you mind sticking around until Rainbow gets here?"

"No problem; you need me to protect you from the big mean pegasus?" You lean in to keep your voice down.

"Actually, it's a certain unicorn I'm worried about." She gives you a rather confused look, but shrugs it off.

"Don't worry, I got your back. Along with Bobby over there" she gestured towards one of her guards. You relaxed a little more. Surely Lyra wouldn't stalk you if you were with another pony. Whatever you did to Lyra, you'd really rather not find out today.

The shops were closing up for the night at the square. A couple still stayed open for the last minute customers, as per usual. One of the carts caught your eye, or rather the little filly tending to it.

"I'll be right back Vinyl." You went over to the cart, and the little filly noticed you.

"Hey there Anon! You wanna buy some apples?"

"Apple Bloom, right?"

"Thats me!"

"Well Apple Bloom, I was wondering if you made any progress on that job we talked about last time."

"Oh! Right! I talked to Apple Jack, and she said she'd like to meet you first, but she could probably find a place for you at the orchard."

"Awesome! When and where should I meet her?"

"Stop by anytime! My brother should be able ta help you out. His name's Big Macintosh."

"Will do. Now, how much for those apples?"

"Two bits per pound!" You reach into your pocket, and fish out two bits. The little filly jumps up and down after accepting your money, and disappears behind the cart. A few seconds later, she re-appears with a bag of apples. "Here ya go Anon!"

"Thanks Apple Bloom. I'll see ya around." You walked back over to the bench, and Vinyl was still there. She had put her goggles on, and had a content look on her face. "Watcha lookin at?"

"Oh, just enjoying the sounds of the square." You make a mental note to try that some time.

"Wanna apple?" She pushes her goggles back up onto her head.

"Sure!" You reach into the bag, and hand her an apple. She takes it in her magic grip, and begins munching away at it. You take another apple out, and do the same. Save for the magical grip. A couple of hours pass, and the square is all but deserted. Save for you and Vinyl. Vinyl had snuggled up to you, and was starting to doze off.

You search the sky once more for Rainbow, but you can't seem to find her. Must've had a long day at work or something. You could feel your eyes starting to get heavy. But the cold was setting in. Vinyl had wound up curled up in your lap. How you failed to notice her crawl onto your lap is beyond you, but whatever. You pick her up in your arms, and walk over the guard.

"You wanna lead me back to her house? I think she's a little tired." He nods, and leads the way towards the auditorium. "No no, her house."

"The auditorium is her house. She lives on the top floor."

"Oh." The rest of the walk is completed in silence. You finally make it to the auditorium, and up to Vinyl's room. You locate her bed, and manage to place her under her sheets. Somehow, she hadn't woken up on the trip there. She was sleeping peacefully now, in her warm bed. Time for you to get to yours.

You head out of her room, and as you're closing the door, you didn't hear her mutter "thanks, Anon." You're outside the auditorium again, and making your way back to the square. The moon was now high in the sky. Luckily for you, it was full and lighting up the way for you rather well. You made your way back to the bench at the square, and resumed your wait for Rainbow. Might as well take a nap, right?

Might as well. What could possibly go wrong? You lie down on the bench, and doze off. Some unknown amount of time passes, and you're woken up by a hoof poking you in the side. You open your eyes, and it's Twilight. It's still night out, and there's an owl perched on Twilights back.

"Twilight?"

"Anon, what are you doing sleeping out here?"

"I was waiting on Rainbow to come pick me up. She hasn't yet."

"You don't have to sleep out here. Come on, you can stay the night at my place."

"Well thanks Twilight." You follow her back to the library tree house, and she's prepared a guest bed down on the first floor.

"Just be quite, Spike is already asleep." You nod your head, willing to accept anything for the promise of a warm bed. Twilight went up to the second floor, presumably to her bedroom. You crawl into your bed, and pass right the fuck back out. You wake up to the smell of... eggs?

You sit up in your bed, and re-affirm your previous thought. Eggs. Someone was cooking eggs. You made your way towards the smell, and found Twilight in her kitchen, cooking up some eggs.

”Twilight?"

"Oh! Good morning Anon!"

"Are you cooking... eggs?"

"I sure am! Do you like eggs?"

"I love eggs, how did you know?"

"Your teeth! Your eye teeth, to be more precise. I asked Rainbow what you'd been eating, and when I noticed your teeth, I figured you were doing it just to be nice." This mare is quite a bit smarter than you first gave her credit for. It's a little scary. "I figured you eat meat by your teeth, and since Rainbow said you'd been eating other non-meat foods, like salads and sandwiches, I figured you were an omnivore."

You almost asked her how she kept so much information in her head. Then you remembered she lived in a library.

"You didn't tell Rainbow, did you?" She looks over at you when you ask her that.

"You don't want her to know? Why not?"

"I... I don't want to scare her."

"You might want to soon. You need protein, and beans and rice are fine, but I think you'll get burnt out on those pretty quickly." She was right.

"I don't suppose you have a spell to change my diet, do you?"

"No, but I'm sure I could find one. Why would you want to do that, though?"

"It's got to bother you ponies if I eat meat. If I'm gonna fit in around here, the last thing I should do is eat meat. Besides, where would I get it?" She ponders your statement for a bit, while eying the egg she was frying.

"I'll look Anon, but I don't think you should try and change who you are. At any rate, breakfast is ready!" Using her magic, she placed a plate with two eggs and some toast at a table; while pouring herself some cereal. The eggs were a blessing. They were soo good. Then it dawned on you, ponies probably eat eggs anyway. At least in cakes and whatnot. Best not to push things.

Shut up and eat your damn breakfast. After you finished breakfast and helped Twilight put away the guest bed, you thanked her for her hospitality and understanding before heading out to the square. Time to track down Rainbow. You walked around Ponyville for the better part of an hour, trying to spot the cyan pegasus. Not easy against a blue sky. You wandered for quite a few hours before you decided to take a brake at the Ponyville park.

This was nuts. Was Rainbow punishing you for something? The wing incident maybe? Was she avoiding you? The fuck can you do? As you're once again pondering your life while sitting on a park bench, a pony comes up to you.

"Hey there mister! I've never seen you before! What's your name? Mine's Pinkie Pie!" You look over at the energetic pony, and the pink mane freaks you the fuck out. Flamethrowers. Wasps. "Oh no! Did I scare you? I didn't mean to scare you!" After you retract your claws and climb down the tree you flew up, you regain your composure.

"I'm sorry, you just reminded me of a bad dream I had... Anyway, no I don't think we've met. My name is Anon. Pleasure to meet you Ms. Pinkie Pie."

"A bad dream? Thats no fun! How long have you been in Ponyville? I usually meet everypony that comes to Ponyville. Although, you're not a pony are you? That might explain why I didn't meet you!" Oh boy. This pony might just be the end of you.

"No, bad dreams usually aren't fun, being bad n all; I’ve been here a little over a month I think; and no, I'm not a pony."

"I knew you weren't a pony! I've gotta throw you a party! How could I have not seen you around? Thats just crazy! Where are you staying? How long are you staying? Wanna be friends?!" Yup, one of those days.

"I don't think you should throw me a party right no--"

"Of course I should! I'm the best at parties!"

"I"m sure you are, but you see I've got to leave town pretty soon, and I don't know when I'll be coming back, if at all."

"Oh no! Do you need help with anything? If I can't throw you a party, the LEAST I can do is help you out while you're here!" Maybe this pony could help you.

"Actually, I've been looking for a cyan pegasus named Rainbow Dash. Have you seen her?"

"You know Dashie?! Oh my gosh, how have I NOT heard about you?! I don't know where she is right now, but I bet I could find her!" Dashie. More ammo has been acquired.

"Okay, where do we start?"

"You go this way, I'll go that way, and we'll meet up in the square in one hour, ok? We'll be sure to find her this way!"

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Ms. Pie."

"You can call me Pinkie! I'll see you in an hour!" She disappeared with a speed that could rival Dash's. How are these ponies that fast? No matter. You begin your search in the direction Pinkie had gestured.

About a half hour into your search, you heard crying. You looked around, but you were on a road between sections of ponyville. There weren't any buildings close enough that you could hear crying inside them. You thought for a moment, and looked up at the clouds. One of them had a rainbow tail hanging down.

"Rainbow?" You see her sit up at attention.

"Anon? Where are you!?"

"Down here!" You wave your arms, but she's facing the wrong way. She spins around a couple times before looking down and seeing you. Next thing you know, you're on the ground, covered in Rainbow. "Wooaaahh, easy Rainbow, you alright?"

She loosens the death grip she had on you, and looks you in the eyes. There were clearly visible trails of tears, and her eyes shown that she had been crying profusely.

"Am I alright? I've been searching for you all night! I was so worried when you weren't at home last night!"

"Didn't you see the note?"

"Note? What note?" Long story time.

"I'll explain everything, but first we need to find a pony named Pinkie Pie and let her know I found you."

"Pinkie? When did you meet her?"

"Not long ago. While I was searching for you."

"You were looking for me?"

"I told you, I'll explain everything in detail later. First, we need to let Pinkie Pie know I found you. She seems like the kind of pony to gossip."

"You have no idea. Ok, let’s go. Where is she?"

"She said to meet her at the square, so let’s go wait there for her." She's still sniffling, but she seems much better now. This is going to be one hell of an explanation. The two of you made your way to the square, and found a park bench to occupy while waiting for Pinkie Pie. You sat in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence. More like a content silence.

Pinkie Pie showed up a little later, and proceeded to have a conversation with Rainbow that should've lasted about three hours, in roughly five minutes. After you thanked Pinkie for helping, Dash took you back to her house of cloud.

"So."

"So."

"I believe you said a 'full and detailed' explanation?"

"Right." This'll be fun. You proceeded to recount the events of the last twenty-four hours to her, in great detail. It took a while, but you finally made your way to this morning. After you finished your twisted tale of events, Rainbow was silent for a while.

"So... all this time I spent looking for you, you were looking for me?"

"That’s about right."

"No wonder we couldn't find each other... Where'd you leave this note? I didn't see it." You pick the note up off the living room table and hand it to her. "Right..."

"Hey, no worries. We found each other, didn't we?"

"Yeah, I guess there's that."

"Now, about the scroll from Celestia..."

"I'm ready to go as soon as you are."

"Good to know you still count me as a friend."

"Always." You decided that was enough stress for one day. After you two ate dinner, you both headed straight to bed, ready for the day to be over. Boy it felt good to be in that familiar cloud bed. Wonder what horrors tomorrow will bring?

Chapter 6: Avalon Burning

That Anon motherfucker. He had really done it this time. Nurse Red Heart is gonna kill you for this. But with Celestia as your witness, you sure as hell weren't going to let him die that easy. That sonic rainboom you did to get him here may have only hurt him more, but he needed help, and fast. Nurse Red Heart agreed, but she was overly upset with you for not being careful.

You know that feeling when you're just trying to help, but no matter what you seem to do, it only makes things worse? Yeah, it fucking sucks. Now, you're stuck hoping he'll be alright. The surgery ward was buzzing with activity. So many doctors had gone in to see if they could help. Some gave up in a matter of minutes; others hadn't left his side since they arrived. Why? Why couldn't he have been just somepony else? Just a regular pony that didn't care? Why did he have to risk his life for somepony he didn't even know?

The pegasi would've been there soon, Apple Bloom would've been fine! So many emotions churning inside you right now. Man if fucked you up. You felt like you were gonna be sick. In a few short months, he had managed to be one of the best friends you could've asked for. And now you might lose him. No. No, you can't think like that. Either way, you weren't leaving the hospital until he did.

Not like you had a choice though. Nurse Red Heart made sure that you were going to stick around if Anon wanted to press charges. At this point, you'd gladly accept them, so long as it meant he didn't die. You hadn't spoken to anypony since you arrived, other than Nurse Red Heart. You begin to recall what had gotten Anon into this mess.

You and Anon were walking around the square. It was a month or so after his first time on the job with Vinyl. Since there was so much downtime in between Vinyl's gigs, he didn't have much to do. So, he tried to look for a second job. You decided to go with him on his hunt. Just to help him. Yeah. Only to help him. The two of you were deciding which pony to ask next.

"So Dash, what do you think about me working for the Apples?"

”The Apples? Ha! No offense Anon, but I don't think you quite got what it takes to buck apples."

"So? Maybe I could do something else? Besides, they're the only real lead we have right now." You mull it over. He's right, but you don't like it. Apple Jack might try to take him. Wait, why did you care? He was going to leave you anyway when he got his house built. Boy that put you in a sour mood.

"Why don't we just go ask? Couldn't hurt, right?"

"Fine. Lets go."

"Dash is something wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on Dash, you know you can tell me if something’s bothering you."

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, okay. Let’s go then." You'd started to head that way, when you noticed something wrong. There was a dark cloud. It looked like a thunderhead from a distance. But it was too low. Way too low. Smoke? "Hey Dash, isn't that the Apple's Orchard?" He's right.

"Yeah."

"Is that smoke?"

"It... Looks like it."

"I think we should get someone. Does Ponyville have a fire department?"

"Yeah, the pegasi use rainclouds to put out fires. I'll go get them, you wait here." You had started hovering in place, ready to fucking speed over to Clouds Dale and sound the alarm. As you were flying, you looked down to see what Anon was doing. He wasn't waiting like you told him to. He was running. Towards the fire. Dammit Anon. No time to go back and stop him, you had to get help.

You were flying pretty fast, but you didn't break the sound barrier. You didn't want to cause any damage. You finally made it to Clouds Dale, and found the first pegasus you could. Just your luck, it was Derpy Hooves.

"Derpy! Hey Derpy!" She stopped what she was doing and looked over at you.

"Whats the matter Rainbow Dash?"

"Theres... fire... Apple's orchard... need to sound... alarm..."

"What?"

"FIRE ---- SOUND ALARM -- APPLE'S ORCHARD" you'd managed to yell between gasps for air. She seemed to get the message, and flew as fast as she could towards the fire patrol. She may not have the best track record, but dammit if she didn't have her moments. The fire patrol was on their way in a matter of seconds.

You had managed to keep up with the fire patrol, but the strain and stress of the situation was getting to you. The fire patrol had brought several torrential rain clouds with them. They had them stored up for emergencies just like this. The fire team was doing their best to keep the blaze under control, but it was looking rough. You weren't paying too much attention to them anyway, you were on the lookout for Apple Jack.

You spotted the emergency medical staff setting up camp in front of the orchard. With the rain started and the fire patrol finally being able to approach, they started search and rescue. The first few ponies they found were Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. Big Mac had managed to get Granny on his back and was plowing through the blaze to get her to safety. You flew down to ask him what happened.

"Big Mac! Where's AJ? What happened?" Big Mac had just managed to get Granny Smith to the Medics, and they were checking up on her.

"I don't know Rainbow. I was tending to the apples when I smelled smoke. I managed to find Granny and get her out, but I don't know where AJ was."

"Is Granny Okay? Are you Okay?"

"Yup, I think I'll be okay. Ah got a little warm, but we made it." A couple minutes later, Apple Jack had come barreling down the street.

"Rainbow! Big Mac! What’s going on?"

"Theres been a fire AJ--"

"I can see that! Big Mac, is everypony OK?"

"I'm Ok, and Granny is bein looked over by the medics."

"What about Apple Bloom?"

"I don't know AJ, I figured she'd be with you."

"APPLEBLOOM!" With that, AJ started running towards the barn, but a pegasus from the fire patrol stopped her.

"Miss, we can't let you go in there. It’s too dangerous, please just let the fire patrol do their job."

"But my little Apple Bloom is in there! And you're not gonna stop me from gettin her out!" You can see the distress in the pegasus' eyes.

"AJ, let them do their job. It's what they do best."

"Rainbow! I can't just leave Apple Bloom in there! She could get killed!"

"Which is exactly why I won't let you go in there!"

"Excuse me?"

"You can't go in there! You'll only add to the fire patrol's job of trying to save you!"

Before AJ can respond, you hear a fire pegasus yell "Hey! Stop! You can't go in there!" You and AJ both turn to see who he was shouting at, and Anon was running towards the inferno.

"What’s he doing!?"

"Who is that Rainbow? What’s he doing?"

"That’s Anon, you remember AJ, the Alien? I don't know what he's doing, but it sure doesn't look safe!"

"I've gotta stop him!"

"Miss, we've already got our hands full trying to find Apple Bloom and now that alien! We cannot let you enter!"

"LIKE HELL!" You'd started to fly, but AJ had tackled you to the ground.

"LISTEN HERE! If either one of us go in there, we'll only be causing more work for the fire patrol!" Man, Karma's a bitch. You and AJ did all you could do. Wait. God damn, you'd never felt so useless before. A couple minutes pass, and Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Spike had all arrived.

AJ had explained what was going on; Big Mac was just as worried as she was. And there wasn't a damn thing you could do. Granny had been taken to the hospital. You were told she'd be fine, but she needed more attention than the medics could give her here. About that time, you heard Big Mac.

"Look! It's the Alien!" Sure enough, it was Anon. And he had Apple Bloom in his hands. But neither one of them looked good. Some pegasi flew over to get them to the medical tent, where you and your friends were waiting. His skin looked... cooked. All over. Apple Bloom looked a little burned in a few spots, but far better than Anon.

You heard overheard one of the medics say "She'll be fine, but we need to get the Alien to the hospital as soon as possible; he needs emergency care." While a couple medics tended to Apple Bloom, another went to talk to AJ and Big Mac. But only one medic was starting the process of moving Anon. They said he needed help fast. So, being Rainbow Dash, you aimed to get him just that.

You had snuck in to the tent while the medics were distracted. You managed to get Anon in your grip, and took off without a second thought. As soon as you were a distance away from the rest of the ponies, a medic noticed his patient was gone.

"Hey! Stop! He needs help!" The thought of stopping never crossed your mind. As soon as you were at cloud level, you broke the sound barrier. Your wings cried out from the stress, but you ignored it. Anon needed help. You weren't going to let some medic stop you from helping him. You made it to the hospital on the other side of town in record time.

You managed to get Anon to the ER, and they took over from there. A couple minutes later, he was admitted to the Surgery Ward. Nurse Red Heart gave you an earful when you tried to stay with him. She had a guard come and keep an eye on you.

"IF he makes it out of this, I'm going to recommend he file charges against you."

"For what?!"

"For worsening his condition! You should've let the medics handle it! He was in no condition to be moved, let alone break the sound barrier!"

"Will he be alright?"

"We don't know yet. When he's in a condition to talk, I'll let you know. Until then, you stay here." So here you are now. Waiting. Being twisted emotionally. It hadn't been this bad since you found out your parents were dead. You felt something wet hit your hoof. You look down, and it was a tear. You'd been crying. Shit Rainbow, what’s gotten into you?

You'd lost count after the seventh doctor entered the surgery ward. You were woken up by Twilight tapping you in the side.

"Wha- whazzat?"

"Hey Rainbow, you okay?"

Suddenly, the recent events came flooding back to you.

"Where’s Anon? Is he okay? Is Apple Bloom okay? How long was I out?"

"Woah, calm down Rainbow. Anon has been moved to Intensive Care." So he's still not out of the woods yet. God dammit Anon.

"What about Apple Bloom? Or Granny Smith?"

"Granny Smith is fine, she just fainted. As for Apple Bloom, the doctors say she'll be fine in a couple of days."

“How long was I out?”

”You were out when I got here, so at least four hours." Well, he's out of surgery. At least you have that. He'll be fine. He's handled tougher.

A couple of hours pass. Your wings are starting to fill the burn. Oh Celestia they ached! What you wouldn't give for Anon to-- No! You've got to stop thinking about him like that! He's not even a pony! You shouldn't feel like that towards him! It's wrong!

Yet here you are. You hear someone talking, and look up. Nurse Red Heart was talking to Twilight. She glanced over to where you were sitting, and resumed talking to Twilight. That expression didn't look good. Gotta stay positive Dash! Right. Positive. Nurse Red Heart finished talking to Twilight, and headed off to resume her duties.

Twilight walked over to you. She had tears in her eyes. No. No. No. No. She looked at you with the most endearing look she could muster. NO. NO! NO NO NO!

"What’s going on Twilight? Tell me. I need to know." She was tearing up pretty badly. She looked down at the floor. Oh god.

"Anon... Is being moved."

"That’s great! So, he's out of Intensive Care?"

"No, they're moving him tomorrow..."

"So where are they moving him to? Can I visit--"

"He's being moved... Dash, I don't know how else to say this, so I'll just say it. Anon is being moved to the morgue." The words seemed to hang in the air. She said them so quietly. But they were so deafening. No. It's not possible! It's just not! He was still alive when you got him here!

You had to see him. Right now. Didn't matter how much trouble you got in, or who got in your way. You were going to see him. Twilight of course tried to reason with you, but you didn't listen. You found a map posted on the wall, and located the Intensive Care Ward. For the second time today, you probably broke a speed record.

There it was, Intensive Care. You broke into the room, and began your search for him. A few ponies were there; most unconscious or nearly there. Then you found him. Lying across four beds. He wasn't moving. You sat down next to him.

”Hey Anon, how you doing? Twilight tried to tell me the craziest story!" you told him. Your tears were flowing freely now. Reality and reason were trying their damnedest to set in; but you wouldn't have it. You refused to believe it. "Anon? Hey man, come on. This isn't funny anymore."

Still nothing. You heard steps approaching. It was Twilight. She was fighting back a torrent of tears. She hated seeing one of her friends cry. She hated losing a friend. But she knew what she had to do. So did you, and it wasn't going to be easy for either of you.

"Don't do it Twilight. I'm going to stay with him."

"I'm sorry Dash, but we both know there's nothing either of us can do." Her horn started to light up. You tackled her to the ground. She was dazed, but otherwise unharmed. You flew over and landed on top of Anon, taking a defensive stance. You extended your wings, and crouched down low over Anon.

"I said, I'm staying with him." Twilight's tears were free flowing now. It was making it that much harder to focus. You weren't crying anymore. No, your tears had been replaced with rage. How dare she try and take you away from him! How dare she give up so easily! She was lighting up her horn again. You charged. This time, you didn't make contact.

Somepony else had caught you with their magic. It was Nurse Red Heart. And boy, was she mad. You'd probably caused quite a bit more trouble by trying to get to Anon, but you didn't care. She was talking sternly to you, but you ignored her.

She held you in place. She was obviously being strained, but she held you back. Finally, you began to wear yourself out. Naturally, you broke down and resumed crying. That’s when Twilight noticed something.

"Nurse Red Heart, wasn't he burned when he arrived?"

"Well, yes. Of course. We tried to treat his burns, but he seemed to have an impossible immunity to healing magic." Twilight's eyes went wide.

"Twilight, what is it?"

"He's--"

“He's what?"

"He's not burned." Both you and Nurse Red Heart turned to look. Sure enough, there wasn't a single burn on his body.

"I don't understand. He wasn't responding to our treatment earlier!"

"Maybe..."

"What is it Twilight? What’s going on?"

"You remember when I put the cloud walking spell on him?"

"Yeah."

"Do you also remember how I told you to come back later that week for another treatment?"

"…I do now, yeah."

"How long has it been since his last treatment?"

"Well... we kind of um... Well..."

"How long Dash? A couple of months?"

"Yeah, that sounds right."

"Nurse Red Heart, I think you should get the surgeons in here."

" I hate to rain on your parade, but Anon is still dead, Twilight."

"Maybe not." This had your attention.

"What do you mean, Twilight?"

"Well, that spell shouldn't have lasted as long as it did. It was only meant to last a couple of days, at most."

"What are you getting at?"

"I think he might not have immunity, but a delayed amplifying reaction to magic." Now wait a minute. Things are starting to make sense.

"Nurse Red Heart, I think you need to get the surgeons back in here, right now."

"But--" You tackled her onto the ground.

"If you don't get them, I will." Her magic wouldn't stop you again. After she recovered from being knocked down, she looked you right in the eyes. Boy, she was pissed. But that all went right out the window when her gaze met yours. You're not going to let him slip away.

Nurse Red Heart reluctantly went and rounded up the surgeons. She wasn't happy about it, but after seeing how quickly you knocked out your guard when he tried to stop you... Well, she figured it'd be easier and less damaging to give you and Twilight the benefit of the doubt. After she left, you resumed your place on Anon.

A few minutes later, the surgeons were in the room. You got out of their way and let them do their thing. They focused quite a bit of healing magic into Anon. This went on for a good ten minutes, before Nurse Red Heart spoke up.

"Thats enough gentlemen. You see girls? I'm sorry, but he's gone." No. No, you're not going to lose him. You flew up and landed on him again. Your tears were running full on now. He can't die. Not now. Your body takes action before your brain can think about what just happened. You'd hit him in the chest. Hard.

"Rainbow Dash! Enough! Guards!"

"Rainbow, please! There's nothing you can do!" You ignored them. He needs you. And you sure as hell weren't going to let him down. You needed him too. You hit him hard again. You raised your hoof for a third time, but just before you started to swing downwards, you heard Twilight.

"Rainbow! Look!" She was pointing at Anon. Movement. You looked at him again. You needed to be sure. Everypony else in the room had frozen in place. All eyes were on Anon now. Silence. Dead silence.

Then you heard it. He gasped. Praise Celestia, he gasped. His chest started to move. He was breathing. You took him into the most lethal of bear hugs you could muster. The adrenaline coursing through your body was finally starting to dissipate. You were exhausted. But you'd be damned if you were letting go.

Then you felt something. It was Anon. He was returning the hug. There was cheering and quite a bit of commotion after he started moving. But no pony dared attempt to remove you from him. He managed to whisper into your ear, "thank you."

The overwhelming feeling of joy and relief that those words carried outmatched by anything you'd ever imagined. You raised your head to look down at him. He had passed out, but he was alive. You wanted to tell him anything and everything. So long as he didn't do something like this again. So long as you didn't lose him again.

It had been several hours since Anon had come back to you. Twilight was right. Something about Anon made any magic used on him was amplified, but only after a while. You'd finally been convinced to let Anon recover. That and maybe four guards finally tore you off of him. You were back in the room Nurse Red Heart had told you to stay in.

Now the door was locked, and there were two guards outside of the room. Nurse Red Heart was right, you did make Anon's condition worse. And she was still going to recommend he press charges against you. So long as he was alive. You'd stayed up through the night, and it showed. You were beyond exhausted. There was a bed in the room, and it was calling your name loud and clear.

AJ and Big Mac had come by to see how everypony was doing. You weren't allowed any visitors at this point though. The thought of you hurting Anon plagued you. It brought a fresh stream of tears to your eyes every time you thought about it. It was morning now, but the lack of windows in your room prevented you from knowing that. You decided that now would be as good a time as any to sleep. Your mistake.

You were standing in Anon's room. He was shouting at you angrily. He had decided to press charges. God, it felt awful. You broke down right then and there. The guards kept you from going to your knees. It was terrible. There was a blur. You were at a funeral. You were accompanied by four guards. An unusually large casket lay open in a field. There were no words spoken. You approached the casket, you only had a few minutes before you had to be at your tribunal.

It was Anon. He was in a tuxedo Rarity had made for him. It was of the finest silk. You were in a striped prison suit. This was your fault. You didn't help him. You hurt him. Had you not done anything, he might still be alive right now. Vinyl Scratch had showed up. She didn't speak to you. She barely admitted your presence. She blamed you for his death too.

You opened your eyes. You were greeted by the same hospital ceiling you saw before you went to sleep. You were in the same room. It was a dream. No, it was a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. You were crying profusely. It felt terrible. You let your tears flow freely. No point in hiding it. Not like anypony is going to find out. Or that you cared.

You wept. And wept. Until you couldn't anymore. Then you continued weeping. It seemed like hours had passed. Or maybe even days. In your state of mind, time wasn't traveling like it was supposed to. There was a knock at the door.

"Rainbow Dash?" You looked up, and in the doorway stood Nurse Red Heart.

"Yes?" you managed to say in between sobs.

"Follow me." You got up, and walked over to her. She led you down a hallway, and your two guards followed. You didn't dare say a word. You couldn't think of any to say. She led you to a door labeled 'RECOVERY WARD - ROOMS 1 – 10.' She led you through to room eight. She turned to you before continuing.

"Now. If you speak without being given permission, or make any sudden moves, I'll have the guards throw you right back in that room." You nodded your head. You understood. "Just for extra insurance, you'll be wearing these." With that, one of the guards wrapped your wings down onto you with a locked security wrap. The other put a muzzle on you, along with chaining your legs. Seemed a bit harsh, but you didn't argue.

You were in no mood to. This was probably going to be where the authorities interrogated you. When Nurse Red Heart was finally satisfied with your limited mobility, she opened the door, and led you inside. You followed blindly. Preparing for the worst. You're probably about to get banished to the moon by Princess Celestia herself.

"Alright. Down to business." One of your guards stepped outside to guard the door, the other remained by your side.

"Anon, this pony is responsible for your worsened condition. Had she not pulled you through the sound barrier, you would probably only be recovering from burns. We've held her here, as per pony law, until you determine whether or not to press charges. I recommend you do so, but the decision is still yours to make. This key is her freedom. You decide how to use it." She stepped back from the bed.

Anon lay there, key in his hand. He looked over to you. He still looked pretty beat up, even without the burns. They had his chest bandaged, and one of his legs was in a cast. He looked at you, and you could feel his gaze begin to burn. Your eyes started watering. It was just like your dream. He motioned for you to approach, and the guard let you do so. He looked you over, and looked at the key in his hands.

He leaned in and whispered in your ear "You can't get rid of me that easy." With that, he unlocked all of your restraints. He scooped you up into a hug. You hung there in his embrace, before finally returning his hug. And crying like an idiot. He held you tight, and you did the same. Wanting this wonderful feeling to never end. Nurse Red Heart wasn't happy with his decision, and she voiced her opinion loudly.

"How can you forgive her?! She only made your condition worse!" You pulled out of the hug at this, and looked into his eyes. He was pissed. You'd only seen him mad like this once before, and that was in your nightmare.

"Because she is the best friend I could ever ask for. That’s how."

"But she made your recovery time that much longer! You shoul--"

"Not. Another. Word. It is MY decision, right? I have made it." She shut up at that. She nodded her head, and left the room. The guard followed suit, as did the one at the door. You looked back at Anon, and did the first thing that came to your mind. You kissed him on the cheek. You could feel your face glowing now. Anon was taken aback a bit, but looked you in the eyes and wiped your tears away.

"Thank you Rainbow." He leaned in and kissed you on the cheek. "You'll never stop being my best friend." You could feel yourself tearing up again. "Never." He pulled you back into a hug, and the two of you just enjoyed each other’s embrace.

You woke up some time later. The two of you had fallen asleep while hugging. The first thing you saw was Anon sleeping. His breathing. Yeah, you could get used to waking up like this. You shouldn't feel that way, he's not even a pony! So? Spike likes Rarity! And he's a BABY DRAGON. Eh. Fuck it. You only live once, might as well be happy.

Your morals now completely gone, you had decided that he was your special somepony. Even if he wasn't a pony. You woke up on top of Anon. It was the best sleep you've had in a while. He was still sleeping peacefully. You recall the events that had transpired over the last couple days. First you missed a note Anon left for you, so you spent your night trying to find him.

Then, after you do find him, you get to spend a couple days sleeping and recovering, only to have him go out and do this. He had been trying to find a second job, because he used up all his money on his house. You'd tried to tell him to not worry about it, but he insisted. There are going to be some changes that the both of you are going to have to accept to make this relationship work. Relationship. That word didn't seem like it belonged.

Then you remembered why. You've decided to make Anon your special somepony, but he has no idea about any of that. That conversation could get weird pretty quickly. Maybe you should just take it easy for now. One step at a time Dash. Last thing you want to do is scare him off. Well, he's not going anywhere anytime soon, right? You've got time on your side. And endurance. You are, after all, Rainbow Dash.

As you lay on his chest, thinking about your future, you heard the door open. It was Nurse Red Heart.

"Ah. I see you're awake. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." You growled at her in response. She had put you through hell and back. Not again. She backed up at your growl. It reminded her of the tackle you'd given her earlier.

"Fine. But if you get in the way of our treating Anon, it'll be on YOUR conscience, not mine." She left after that. Nopony messes with an angry Dash. Nopony. The growl you made had apparently been enough to wake Anon.

"Rainbow? Did you just... growl?" he asked sheepishly.

"Whats that? Oh uhh... No. Must've been my stomach. Don't worry about it, you get your sleep. I'll be fine."

"Oh... if you say so. By the way, if a nurse comes in again while I'm asleep, wake me up. I've got a few things to take care of, ok?"

"Sure thing. Now rest."

"...yes, mother." He got a light punch in the chest for that. Wonder what he needs to take care of? Oh well. He'll tell you if he thinks he needs to. How you figure? You barely know him! I know him enough to know that he cares. Yeah. Too much for his own good. You know this is gonna end in heartache, right? He'll never love you. Love? Who said anything about love? You can't hide your feelings from me. I'm you, remember?

At any rate, you're only bucking for trouble. We'll just have to wait and see about that, now won't we? I guess we will. I mean I will. I mean-- oh forget it. That’s what you get for arguing with yourself. You woke up some time later, to what felt like an earthquake. You looked around, and much to your dismay, it was Anon. He was shaking, violently.

"Anon? Anon! Wake up! Snap out of it!" He just kept shaking. There's nothing you can do. Damn that useless feeling. You mind began working without your consent once again. You nearly broke the door down. You flew through the halls, approaching dangerous speeds for indoor flying. You finally found a nurse, and before he had time to react, you were dragging his ass back to Anon. Several images were passing through your mind.

Most of them were of Anon. None of them were too pleasant. You made it back to Anon, and he was still shaking. The nurse wasn't overly happy about being abducted, but realized why you did what you did when he saw Anon. He immediately ran over to his bed, and began using his magic to try and sooth Anon's seizures. He was intensely focusing, but it wasn't helping.

He knew this, and spoke up "I can't help him on my own. Over there " he gestured towards a button on the wall you'd failed to see. "That button, press it and hold it down for three seconds. Not a second more." You did so, and noticed the lights in the hall began pulsing red. Shortly after, no less than five emergency medics and two field surgeons were in the hall, checking rooms to find who set the alarm. This alarm was serious business for a silent alarm.

The emergency staff had found Anon's room to be the origin of the Alarm, and were tending to him as fast as they could. There was so much commotion in the room; so many things going on at once. It was orderly chaos. The original nurse you'd found was still tending to Anon. There's a reason this hospital was known for its staff. They're dedicated.

Two medics were running around, getting a manner of medical equipment that you couldn't identify. The surgeons were pumping Anon with so much magic, it could've brought a pony back from the dead. His seizures were starting to subside, slowly. You were ushered out of the room, but you didn't fight to stay. They last thing they needed was for you to get in the way or distract them. But you didn't move from in front of that door.

You waited. And waited. And fucking waited. But you didn't move from that spot. This Anon motherfucker is going to drive your sanity to the Moon and back. Several hours passed before the emergency staff finally let you back in.

"His condition is stable for now. If he starts having fits again, hold the emergency button down for five seconds."

"Got it. Is there anything I can do?"

"Talk to him. He's in a coma." Your heart stopped. Dammit. Why couldn't he just live and be done with this hospital?

"A... A coma?"

"Yes. We don't know any more than that, but it appears that this is some sort of defensive reaction."

"Will he make it?"

"I think so, but I don't know how long the coma will last." Fucking. Dammit. Dammit to the Moon. You waited in Anon's room. It's like Celestia herself was toying with you. Is this some sort of punishment? If she were to appear right now, you'd beg her to put you in a coma in place of Anon.

Almost on cue, the door opened. It was Applebloom. She had a bandage around one of her front legs, but was otherwise fine. Apple Jack wasn't far behind her, and asked if they could come in.

"Sorry for bothering you, Applebloom here was worried 'bout the Alien."

"His name is Anon."

"Right, sorry."

"No no... I'm sorry. It's been a long day."

"Day? Sugar cube, you know how long you've been here?"

"I dunno, a couple days?"

"I hate to tell ya Rainbow, but it's been nearly a week since Anon was admitted." Wow. Time carried merrily along without consent. You'd missed so much work. You've probably worried all of your friends beyond belief.

"Wow... I hadn't realized..."

"Well, given what you've been through, I can't say I'd blame ya." While you and AJ were talking, Applebloom had wondered over to Anon's bed and was looking at him.

"I cain't believe he saved me."

"What’s that sugar cube?"

"He didn't even know me. Why'd he do it AJ? Why would somepony do something like that?"

"I dunno Applebloom, but I sure am glad he did what he did. If it weren't for him, you might be in that bed, and I dunno what I'd do if you were."

"Is he gonna be okay Rainbow?"

"I dunno squirt. I hope so."

"What's wrong with him Rainbow?" AJ asked.

"The doctors say he's in some sort of defensive coma. They think he'll make it, but they don't know how long the coma will last." Those words stung coming out of your mouth. It was a truth you didn't want to accept. But you had no choice. You were about to say something, when there was a knock at the door. It was a royal guard. A lunar royal guard.

"Miss Rainbow Dash?"

"Yes?"

"Princess Luna wishes to see you. If you'll come with me please." AJ and Applebloom both looked straight at you. Princess Luna? What could she want with you?

"But I need to stay with Anon!"

"Don't worry sugracube, me and Applebloom can look after him. You do what you gotta do." You look from them to the guard and back.

"Okay. If he starts shaking, push that button on the wall for EXACTLY five seconds, okay?"

"What’s it do?"

"Some sort of alarm system. The staff told me to push it for five seconds if he started to shake again."

"Oh... well, okay. Good luck Rainbow."

"Thanks." You walk over to the guard, and follow him through the halls of the hospital. Why did you get the gut feeling this wouldn't end well? The guard led you outside, to the Ponyville park. Where a rather irritated Princess Luna waited. The Moon had just risen. You approached Princess Luna, knelt down, and braced yourself for whatever you had coming.

"Loyalty?"

"Yes, Princess Luna?" you said as you rose from your kneeling position.

"We have much to discuss. I suggest you make yourself comfortable." You laid down on a bench there, and Luna began pacing and asking you questions. "So. Is there a reason you're harboring an Alien in your house? An Alien that has been summoned by my sister no less?" The scroll. It'd completely slipped your mind.

"Princess, I can explain everything."

"I'm waiting." Deep breaths. Here we go. You explain the events that have transpired over the past couple of days as best you could.

"So, the Alien, Anon, yes?"

"Yes."

"He saved a filly from a burning barn but was severely burned in the process; and to help him you broke the sound barrier to rush him to the hospital; and now he's in a coma?"

"...Yes."

"And you're sticking to that feeble story? Take me to him, Loyalty. I want to see him for myself."

"But-"

"Take me to him, or I might just send YOU to the Moon." Right. Gotcha. The Moon.

"He's at the hospital, so--" Without another word, Luna's horn lit up. Next thing you knew, you were standing in front of the hospital, next to Luna.

"I do not wish to wait any longer. Time is of the essence." Right. You gulp, and lead the way into the hospital, towards the recovery ward. The moment Luna entered the hospital; Nurse Red Heart was at the ready next to her.

"Is there anything I can do for you Princess?" she asked, rising from her bow.

"I wish to see the Alien. Can you take me to him?" Nurse Red Heart blinked for a moment, looked at you, then back a Luna, and seemed to put two and two together.

"Of course Princess, but he's in a coma. I don't think he'll be able to answer any questions right now."

"No matter. Please take me to him."

"Of course Princess" Red Heart said as she assumed the lead position in your little convoy. You finally make it back to Anon's room, and his condition remains unchanged. Applebloom was asleep on a bench, and AJ was starting to look tired, but was still next to Anon's bed. Applebloom woke up from her nap upon your entry. They both looked up when you and Nurse Red Heart entered. AJ was the first to speak.

"Rainbow, I thought you were with Princess Luna?" Right on cue, the princess of the night entered the room.

"I am."

"Princess!" Applebloom and AJ both bowed immediately.

"Please excuse us. I wish to speak with Rainbow alone about this Alien." With that, everypony else in the room filed out; leaving you with Anon and Luna.

"So, this is the Alien."

”Yes. His name is Anon."

"Anon. Well then, I suppose we should get right to it.” This is not going to go well.

"Do you have anypony that can corroborate your story?"

"Twilight and Nurse Red Heart will both tell you."

"Magic and a head nurse. Very well. I will interrogate them as well. For now, though, I need to speak with the Alien." That was starting to get on your nerves. He had a name, dammit.

"I'd love for you to be able to, but he's in some kind of coma."

"Ah yes. Do you know what caused the coma?"

"No, I don't. I asked the doctors, and they told me it looked like some sort of defensive reaction."

"Very well." With that, Luna's horn lit up. There was... well, you wouldn't call it a flash of light. The opposite happened. The light seemed to flow towards Luna, instead of emanating from her. After the... inverted flash of light, Luna was standing before you wearing battle armor. Oh boy. Here we go.

"Ummm, Princess... What's with the armor?"

"This Alien is still unknown in its intentions and hostilities. I prepare for the worst."

"But--"

"SILENCE. I shall make my own judgments of this Alien!" Right. Moon. No place for a pegasus. There's still one problem though.

"Princess, he's still in that defensive coma thing." She gave you a deadpan look before returning her attention to Anon. Her horn began to glow dark blue, and her eyes glowed white. The Princess of the Night didn't mess around. There was an arc of lightning connecting Anon to Luna now. Anon began shaking again, but when you made movement towards the emergency button, Luna promptly pushed you back with her wing.

"DO NOTHING. DO YOU NOT TRUST YOUR PRINCESS TO DO WHAT IS BEST?" You gulped.

"NO! Not when she's electrocuting my friends!" She growled. Ya know, there are certain things in this existence that you would gladly go without hearing again. A grown dragon growling. The deafening silence when you heard Anon was thought dead. The explosions and unmistakable smash of talons against scales when two dragons fought each other. Luna's growl topped all of that.

She may have been gone a thousand years, but there's a reason it took another demi-god princess to do send her there. The lightning connecting Luna's horn to Anon grew more intense. His shaking had become more violent now, and you were seriously starting to wonder if Luna really wanted him alive. There was a sudden draw from all the light sources in the room. It became pitch black instantly.

For a few seconds, you couldn't see anything. Then, there was a spark. And the lightning resumed. It was still dark, but the lightning was giving off light. Just enough. Princess Luna's eyes, horn, and the lightning she was generating were the only sources of light now.

Her expression was that of determination. Determination to kill Anon or save him, you didn't know. But determination. Luna's horn glowed brighter once more, and there was yet another flash of light. When you opened your eyes again, you were surprised to find that light had returned to the room.

"I guess I shall have to work on your trust, Loyalty. I hope this helps to earn it." Your eyes followed her gaze, and fell upon Anon. Who was sitting up. The time it took for your brain to catch up to your body seemed like an eternity. You were instantly on his chest, hugging him the best you could.

"I guess I should take naps more often." Oh Celestia it was good to hear his voice. You just held him tight.

"Hey, Rainbow, who's this?" You knew exactly who he was asking about. Even though she brought him back from his coma or whatever it was; you really, REALLY didn't want to answer that question.

"I am Princess Luna of Equestria. You are the Alien known as Anon, yes?"

"Yes, I am. I apologize for not responding to your sister's letter, I had intended to do that today, but--"

"There is no need to explain. Loyalty has brought me up to speed on the events of the recent weeks."

"Weeks? How long was I out?"

”It's been nearly a week since you've been checked into the hospital, Anon."

"A week?" You nodded.

"Then princess Luna, I suppose you're here to collect me?"

"That was my intention; however given your current state, I think it best to wait a couple of days." You finally released Anon from your hug, but remained on his lap.

"I was hoping you'd say that. I've got a few things that should be taken care of before I go. Will I be coming back to Ponyville?" You looked at the princess when he asked her that question. Needless to say it was burning in your mind too.

"I cannot say for certain." Her poker face was strong. "But, I wouldn't be planning on an extended stay in Canterlot." Well that was cryptic as fuck. Damn that poker face.

"Right. How long before we leave?"

"As I said, your condition is of concern, so I shall return in two nights time to see if you have stabilized."

"My condition?"

"You were in a coma for a while Anon, it was--"

"Actually, that's not entirely true. What I brought him out of was not a coma."

"But... then what was it?"

"Anon, your species has some sort of delayed reaction to magic that amplifies it. I had to remove quite a bit of healing magic from you."

"Healing magic put me in a coma?"

"Not quite, rather it... it started to 'correct' you."

"Correct me? What do you mean?"

"Healing magic, when over applied, tends to start correcting all the little details regarding one's body." You looked Anon over. From what you could see, he still looked the same.

"Forgive me, but I'm new to magic. I'm afraid I don't quite follow."

"Of course. The healing magic in you was building your muscle mass; strengthening your stomach to draw more nutrients than it normally does from food."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"No, not until you know what happens after the little things have been corrected. Especially given Anon is apparently the only one of his species here."

"And what's that?"

"It moves to the finer details. Such as your genetic code."

"You mean--"

"I mean it was about to start re-creating him. Had it not been stopped, Anon may have woken up very different."

"So... how different am I now?"

"You seem to be fine, but I've never encountered another one of your kind before. At the very least, you should be able to go without eating meat for much longer."

"Woah woah woah, eating meat? He doesn't eat meat."

"Ah Loyalty, you have much to learn. Take a look at his teeth." His teeth? You looked over at Anon, and he forged a tooth bearing smile. "Notice the teeth at the front of his mouth, see how they are pointed?"

"Yeah? So?"

"So, I eat meat Rainbow. My species is... what did Twilight call it... a species of... Omnivores?" You looked at him again. If he eats meat, why didn't he tell you? He seemed to read your mind, because the very next sentence out of his mouth was aimed to answer that question. "I didn't flat out tell you for a couple reasons. First off, I knew that ponies didn't eat meat. There are similar species on my planet." So, he didn't want to insult you or something?

"Second, I didn't want to freak you out. I haven't met another sentient meat-eating species yet, so I didn't know how you'd react. Besides, I don't have to eat just meat."

"He's right, Loyalty. He has been fairly sustained on his diet so far, as I found no evidence of malnutrition during my... rather invasive procedure."

"I hope you're not upset, Rainbow." You hugged him tight again, and whispered in his ear. ”You were willing to change yourself for my benefit, why in Equestria would I be upset?" You felt him hug you back. That was a good feeling.

He whispered back to you, "I owe you an explanation. I'll tell you whatever you want to know after all this is over." Then he spoke to Luna. "No offense princess, but how do you know all that about me?"

"Your teeth were the biggest clue. I've been around for some time, and I've seen many different species in my. I assure you that you're not the first one to eat meat."

"Ah."

"While this has been an... enlightening evening, I'm afraid I must get back to Canterlot. I will return here in two nights, Anon. Be ready to leave then." You felt him nod his head, and then heard Luna leave the room. You finally released him from your death grip, and sat back down on his lap.

"You heard her, we need to make sure everything is ready by the time she comes back."

"Right. But first, I think I just want to enjoy being with my best friend." You flinched a little, internally, when you heard the friend bit. You'd already decided that he was the special somepony for you. But you didn't know how he felt towards you. Maybe you're rushing? What if he doesn't like ponies like that? What if he turns you down? Your mind was spinning, but one question burned supreme.

What if he doesn't come back from Canterlot? You didn't want to think about that, but you couldn't help it. The next day came all too quickly. The previous night had been blissful. You didn't talk. You just sat in his lap, and enjoyed his petting you. You almost wished he would brush a wing by accident. It'd give you an excuse to do something stupid, like kiss him.

What was it about this Alien? No other pony had affected you like this before. Maybe it had something to do with Estrus coming up soon. Oh Celestia, Estrus. You'd forgotten about it. That will be your first priority conversation with him when he gets back. Two weeks of extreme sexual sensitivity. Not but a month away. It would take all of your self-control to not rut him into the ground. THAT conversation wasn't going well in your mind.

Time seemed to speed by. Anon spent a better part of the day sleeping. Vinyl Scratch had come by to see him. He'd told her what had happened, and where he was going. She had said she'll be ready. What did she mean? Oh no. What if she has a thing for Anon too? Easy. Eeeeaaasy. No need to jump to conclusions.

"Rainbow, are you going to be able to come with me? The princess had asked me to bring my friends." You punched him lightly in the arm.

”Yeah, of course!" Now Vinyl's "I'll be ready" statement made more sense. Vinyl was his friend too. You and her were probably the only ponies that really knew him in ponyville. He had been either at work or in your house his entire time here. The square was one thing all its own. He'd met a few ponies there, but not really spent the kind of time with them that he had with you and Vinyl.

That worried you. Would you and Vinyl be enough to convince the princesses that he wasn't a threat? You'd find out soon enough. You'd notified work of what was going on, and got emergency leave. Not that you wouldn't go if you didn't get it. The night crept up on you without warning. You and Vinyl were in Anon's room, waiting. You weren't ready, but the night was. Along with the night came princess Luna, as promised.

Chapter 7: Contention

That overdose of healing magic really did the trick. You felt better than you've ever felt. Your body was completely healed, internally and externally; even improved a little. According to Luna, you wouldn't require as much protein as you previously did. Something like that anyway. Luna had just arrived to escort you to Canterlot, personally. She wanted to make sure nothing went wrong. Rainbow and Vinyl were with you and ready to go as well. They were tired, seeing as it was getting late.

You, however, had managed to sleep away the better part of a week; that, and the overload of magic. Yeah, that probably had something to do with it too. You felt energized, fully recharged, ready to go -- Yeah, we got it. Moving on. Right. You, Rainbow, and Vinyl followed Princess Luna to the train station, where a midnight blue armored train was waiting. Luna was still in her armor too.

Not exactly the friendliest of attitudes, but you've seen enough sci-fi movies to know that you probably wouldn’t trust aliens right off the bat either. Then you thought of how Rainbow had taken you in within a couple weeks. That cyan pony had been acting strange since you'd been hospitalized for the second time. It was strange, but you appreciated her concern. She seemed much more touchy feely too. Was she always like this?

Your thoughts were interrupted once you heard the train whistle. Right. Here we go. You boarded the train behind Luna, followed by Vinyl and then Rainbow. Once you were all in the car and the door was shut, the train immediately began moving. Luna chose now to address you.

"It is a day's journey to Canterlot. I suggest you get some rest. Due to the nature of this journey, my guards will be in every car." Makes sense. She's transporting a potentially hostile/volatile Alien to the capital city. No funny business. The train cars were anything, if not comfortable. Vinyl and Rainbow were sharing a car behind yours, and Luna occupied the one in front of yours.

Upon exploration, you found a couch, a bed, and a mini-fridge. Wonder what goodies they'd stashed away in there? You open it up to find a couple of juices, and some chilled fruit salad. But there was something else that caught your eye. It was a sandwich. Not just any sandwich, but a HAM MOTHERFUCKING SANDWICH. It was gone in less than a minute. That minute was up there on your list of most enjoyable moments of your life.

It had been too long since you'd consumed meat. The protein you'd gotten from the rice, beans, and eggs were good, but there was no substitute for glorious meat. You wandered your car for a good hour or so before you became bored and sat down on the couch. Alright, brain, fire away. Really? Yeah. Got nothing better to do anyway.

Rainbow had been acting strange ever since you'd announced your interest in building a house. Why? Didn't she understand that living in a cloud made you a burden to her, and that you didn't want that? Why would she not want you to build a house? That'd mean you'd have to stay with her. Your cooking isn't that good. Maybe she was using you as a kind of trophy? It'd make for a good bar story. 'Oh yeah? Well I live with an Alien.' Yeah, for a crazy guy.

You noticed the light level drop suddenly, and snapped out of your little internal debate. You were going through a mountain tunnel, from what you could tell. You felt around the walls, and used the now extremely dim light to find a nearby light switch. Ponies at least have some form of electricity. As soon as you turned on the light, you turned around to head back to your couch. Pretty uneventful train ride so far. You heard a door to your car open, and looked up to find Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Rainbow, whats up?"

"Nothing much... I was just talking with Vinyl about you..."

"Oh? Am I a good conversation topic?"

"Yeah..."

"What’s up Rainbow? You know you can tell me."

"It's just... I'm worried about you Anon."

"What's there to worry about? It's just a visit to a princess. I've already met one, and she isn't so bad."

"That’s just it. I feel like I've just started to get to know you and now you might not get to come back home..." She felt like she was about to lose a friend she'd just made. Shit.

"Come here." You walk over and collect the cyan pony in one of your patented bear hugs. She hugs you back tightly. You hold the embrace for a moment, before letting her refill her lungs with air again. "Don't worry Dashie, I'll be here to pester you when you wake up." The Dashie bit makes her turn the most adorable shade of Crimson you've seen yet. "Now, try and get some sleep. I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon." She forges a weak smile, and turns around to start heading back to her own section of the train.

After you see her make her way back into her car, and the door shut behind her, you turn around to head back to that ever so cozy couch. Though you weren't tired, you tried to sleep. If you didn't now, you'd probably wind up fucking up your sleep cycle. When you woke up (still on your comfy as fuck couch), the train was no longer in a tunnel, and light was pouring through the windows. Damn it was bright.

You shielded your eyes and rose from the couch. About that time, there was a knock at the door towards the front of the train. You opened the door to find a pony dressed in the midnight blue apparel, wielding a tray of food.

"Breakfast, compliments of her majesty, Princess Luna." He gave the tray to you, and retreated back to the car he came from. You took the covered tray over to your couch, and opened it up. The sight was enough to make you cry. There were eggs, hash browns, some orange juice, toast, and the ultimate breakfast food. That’s right, bacon. MOTHERFUCKING BACON.

Ready to face the day after your glorious domination of breakfast, you cleaned yourself up in the small bathroom area of your car. It was a tad cramped, but you managed. Probably designed for a pony that was maybe two thirds your size, tops. Oh well. After you're cleaned and pressed, you retire to your couch once more. The waiting game. Your favorite game of all time.

You were about to start your thinking about life routine, when the door towards the rear of your car opened. In came Rainbow and Vinyl. Vinyl promptly tackled you, while Rainbow flew in for the killer hug. After the ponies finally release you, you stand up and reclaim your spot on your couch. Rainbow lands to your right, and Vinyl hops onto the couch to occupy the seat to your left. Neither of them speak. They both just cuddle up next to you.

"I take it neither of you are going to let me leave the couch then?"

Vinyl answered with a "nope." Could be worse. Rainbow lays her head in your lap, while Vinyl has propped herself up against your arm.

You sit there, contemplating what Canterlot is going to be like. Contemplating what banishment or imprisonment will be like. Why so negative? You’re either proved right, or pleasantly surprised.

You sit there for hours, enjoying the simple company of your friends, and the rhythm of the train as it chugs along. After a while, you decide to break the silence.

"So, what's princess Celestia like?" Both mares stayed quite for a minute, like they didn't want to talk about it. Rainbow eventually spoke up.

"She's nice."

"Yup."

"Uhh... You guys care to elaborate?"

"Not really." Dammit Rainbow.

"Come on now, I need all the help I can get if I'm gonna make a good impression."

Vinyl spoke up at this, "There's not really much I can tell you. Like I said a while ago, she's not as enthusiastic about my music as Princess Luna."

"...So, she's a bit uptight then?"

"What? No! Well... Kind of... she's very..."

"Diplomatic." Wait a minute. That voice wasn't Rainbow's or Vinyl's.

"Princess Luna!" You jumped a little at Rainbow's sudden outburst. Vinyl and Rainbow both hopped down from the couch to bow. You, being the classy fuck you were, did the little head bow and remain seated. She returned the nod gesture.

"Loyalty, Vinyl, there's no need for that kind of formality here. I apologize, I didn't mean to frighten you." Once again, Vinyl spoke up.

"Sorry Princess, didn't mean to--"

"No apologies necessary Vinyl. Do you still plan on having your Lunar festival?"

"Of course Princess!"

"Excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed the last one." Her attention turns to you. "I couldn't help but overhear, you were trying to get tips regarding meeting my sister?"

"....Well, yes. I'll take all the help I can get."

"I'd rather not give you any advice." Damn. "I don't want to bias your opinion of her before you meet her."

"I understand."

"Though I do appreciate your honesty."

Rainbow took the silence as an opportunity to talk. "No offense Princess, but shouldn't you be sleeping right now?"

"None taken Loyalty. I should be yes, but I couldn't sleep."

"Something bothering you Princess?"

"Yes and no."

Vinyl chimed in, "What do you mean Princess?"

"It's nothing of concern, dear Vinyl. Besides, the story behind it is quite long, and our arrival is near." She gestured towards a window, and through it you could see a castle that had been built into a mountain. It was an impressive sight, but still.

It had that morbid feel to it. Like it could possibly be your last visit. You noticed a strange change in the lighting. The lights in the train dimmed themselves. Even the ones that weren't electric. You looked over at Luna for some sort of description as to what was going on.

"Do not worry, we are preparing our final approach. It is supposed to happen." Reassuring. Sort of. Suddenly, it was pitch black again as the train entered another tunnel. This time, the darkness only lasted for a few seconds, before a deep purple glow illuminated things again. What's with the glow? You looked out the window, and from what it looked like, the train was glowing.

"Princess, is this trai--"

"Yes."

"But ho--"

"Magic." Right. Just roll with it. You're almost there anyway. The train was picking up speed now. It was no longer chugging along. It was thundering along. The tunnel was passing by quicker and quicker now. Why was the train accelerating?

There was a loud boom. Not like something broke, but like something was charging and released. The train stopped accelerating, and the purple glow was intensifying. Vinyl and Rainbow were looking worried, while Luna seemed to behave as though nothing strange had happened.

"Princess, what’s going on?"

"I told you Anon, we're going to Canterlot."

"But why--"

"Do you not think that if there was something wrong, I would do something about it?" Good point. "Do not worry yourselves about the train. You've got quite the visit ahead of you. I assure you, if something were to go wrong, you would be among the first ones to know." With that, she returned to her car. Those words actually comforted you-- Wait a minute. Aside from Luna, some guards, and the train staff, you three were the only ones on the train. Clever girl.

The train was slowing down now, but the eerie purple glow was still there. And still intense. Suddenly, DAYLIGHT. FUCK. Your eyes weren't ready for that. The train was slowing to a stop, and you could hear what sounded like a foghorn going off. Was that the sound the trains brakes made? This train is kinda cool.

After your temporary blindness subsides, you look out the window again. You were approaching a station, by the looks of it. There were guards waiting outside. They wore armor similar to Luna's guards, but the colors were different. Their armor was gold and white, with suns where moons would be on the Lunar guards armor.

One pony stood out. It was a white unicorn with blue hair. His armor was gold and purple. And his flank. He had a picture that held striking resemblance to Twilight's. The train finally slows to a stop. You look over, and both Rainbow and Vinyl are looking out the windows.

"You girls ready?" You get a nod and a nervous look from Vinyl.

"You kidding me? I was born ready." That cyan pony. The door to your car opens, and Luna is waiting for you.

"Anon, are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Then let us proceed." You follow Luna through her car, Vinyl and Rainbow hot on your tail, and into the bright sunlight. Were you ready? Probably not. Did you care? Nope. The moment you stepped off the train, you were approached by the guards waiting at the station.

"Princess Luna, ponies, please step away from the alien. He is to be taken into custody." The lunar guards were escorting you off of the train, and took a defensive stance around you when the purple and gold guard said that.

"What do you mean Shining Armor? I was told that my guards were to escort him to Celestia."

"Princess Celestia changed a few plans while you were away. Will you please step away from the Alien?" Luna seemed upset, but didn't fight. She nodded to her guards, who fell back from their positions.

"I will have to talk to my sister about this. Anon, please accompany the guards. I assure you they will give you the same respect mine have." While she may be sure, you weren't.

"Hey! I'm not leaving him until after he sees Princess Celestia!" Rainbow's little outburst was treated with an unsettling look from Shining Armor. Before he could do anything though, she was already in front of you. Vinyl wasn't far behind her.

"Miss Rainbow Dash, please let us to do our duty. Princess Celestia was clear: no non-guard ponies are to accompany the alien."

"No! I don't like this one bit! You take us both, or not at all!"

"Miss Rainbow, please don't do this. We have no need for violence."

"Oh yeah?! Well--" You cut her off.

"Rainbow. He's right. Just let him do his job. I'll be ok."

"But--"

"No buts. Vinyl, make sure she stays out of trouble, will you?"

"Hey now, I don't need a foal sitter--"

"You got it, Anon. We'll see you later."

"Thanks Vinyl. Rainbow, trust me on this." Rainbow wasn't happy with your decision, you could see it in her eyes. You'd seen that look before. It was a worried look. It didn't appear on her often. You'd seen it maybe once or twice before. The look quickly changed when Shining Armor spoke up.

"Thank you. Rainbow, Vinyl, please step away." Rainbow growled, her eyes giving away her strong desire for action. Before she could do anything though, Vinyl had her tail in her mouth, and was dragging her away.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?"

"Mmmmphgfthg, mmfmmphm."

"I will visit you once I speak with my sister, Anon. I apologize for this… misunderstanding." You nod your head towards Luna, and approach the pony you've come to identify as Shining Armor.

”I suppose you'll be taking me somewhere then?"

"Yeah, I'd suppose I am." With that, the other guards fall in around you.

"Lead the way." He turns and starts heading down the street. You follow, the guards keeping a set distance from you, but never straying too far. Rainbow was right, this wasn't right. Not much you could do now though. A short and eerily silent walk later, and you've arrived at your destination.

Theres a metal door of some sort, and a sun was embossed onto its features. Friendly looking place. Shining Armor opens the door using magic, and continues inside. There are several metal doors here, but it's not quite like a prison. No, prison doesn't accurately describe it. The walls were brightly colored. There were no windows, on the doors or otherwise. The doors, aside from being windowless, did not share the same design as the first metal door. No, these doors were featureless. Asylum would be more fitting a description.

Shining led you to a door at the far end of the hall, and opened it using magic. From what you could tell, the door itself was easily two to three inches thick. That, re-enforced with the huge locking bolts, reminded you exactly why you're here. You're an alien, and not many of the locals know you very well. Just go with the flow, and try not to start anything, and you -should- be fine.

You entered your cell, and it wasn't AS bad as you were anticipating. The furniture, limited to a bed and a sofa, was bolted to the ground. There was another door in the corner, presumably the bathroom. The walls were padded, and the floor was carpeted. You turned around to face Shining Armor.

"How long am I staying?"

"I don't know. I wish you luck." He said as he shut the door and locked it. Great, more waiting. A couple hours pass, and you spend them pondering your fate on the couch provided. You're still not sure if this is some sort of maximum security area, or just a really nice prison cell. You know next to nothing about Princess Celestia, but based on her actions...

Well, you might say she was suspicious of you. Just a little. Can you say your people would react any differently though? Yeah, there is a distinct possibility that if you were an alien back home, you'd be dead by now. Or at least locked away in a lab instead of a jail cell. There's a knock at your door, and a familiar voice asks you to step away from the door. Shining Armor opens the door, and address you.

"You have a visitor." Princess Luna walks in. She was wearing her armor. After she enters, the door is shut behind her.

"Princess Luna! What can I do for you?"

"I apologize for my foreboding appearance, but it was the only way I could see you without a guard present."

"I'm just happy to see a familiar face." That got a smile out of her.

"At any rate, my visit is not entirely social. I've spoken with my sister about her... changes."

"And?"

"She feels that until she evaluates you herself--"

"I should be considered a prisoner, right?" She nods. "I figured. Oh well. Do you know when my trial will be?"

"In the next couple of hours. It will be after the sun sets."

"Will Vinyl and Rainbow be there?"

"Of course! They were asked to attend after all."

"How are they, by the way? Rainbow didn't cause any trouble, did she?"

"Loyalty has calmed down quite a bit. She is still upset, but Vinyl is keeping her promise to you and keeping her out of trouble."

"Good to know. Will you be at my trial?"

"I will, but not immediately. I have royal business I cannot disregard."

"I understand. I'm glad you'll be there though."

"And why is that? You have no reason to believe that I will influence my sister's decision for your benefit."

"You've been fair to me so far, so I think I can trust you." She bats her eyes a couple of times before responding.

"I'm afraid I have to leave now. Shining Armor will escort you from your cell to your trial location in a few hours."

"Thanks for visiting me personally." She nods, then opens the door with her magic and leaves. The door is shut again, but it doesn't have that incredibly lonely feeling it did the first time. You're feeling much better about your impending trial now. It's still imposing, but you do not fear it like you were earlier. Whatever happens, happens. Right?

A couple hours later, Shining Armor opens your door and escorts you out. Just as Luna promised. You follow him out of the facility, and upon exiting, are accompanied by four more guards. A short walk later, and you're entering a part of the actual castle.

It seems like the city was built into the mountain, and the castle was built into a part of the mountain so that it could overlook the city. How ponies built it is beyond yo-- Magic. After you enter the castle, you follow Shining through a series of twisting and turning hallways. That are completely empty.

”Hey Shining Armor, where is everyone?"

"They've been asked to stay indoors until your trial is over."

"Oh." Great. Now they have reason to be absolutely fucking terrified of you. You're led through a large doorway, and into a room where a white pegasus unicorn is seated. This pony has a sun on her flank. She must be the princess Ce—

"Greetings, Anon. I am Princess Celestia." Yup. "I trust your journey was comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you." You give her a bow similar to the one you gave Luna on the train.

"Please take a seat to your left." You look over, and a chair behind a desk is waiting. "Shining, will you please show Rainbow Dash and Vinyl Scratch in?"

"Yes, your highness." Shining Armor and two of his guards leave. The remaining guards escort you over to your seat. About the time you're seated, the main doors open again, and Vinyl and Rainbow are escorted into the room. They're ushered over to a pair of chairs behind a desk similar to yours, but on the other side of the room. Vinyl looks tired, and Rainbow looks like she's stressed the fuck out.

"Let us proceed. You are aware of why you are here, Anon?"

"I have a rough idea."

"Let me smooth it out for you. You are here because no pony has ever seen anything like you. You are the first of your kind in Equestria and consequently, no pony knows anything about you or your species. Had it not been for the insistence of not one but TWO elements of Harmony, I would have proceeded with this trial much earlier."

"What do you mean?"

"Twilight Sparkle mentioned you in a letter to me some time ago. She insisted that I let you adapt before putting you on trial. Rainbow Dash had already met you, and despite my warnings, took you in. She also insisted that you were not a threat. HOWEVER. I make the final choice. Though their opinions of you I hold in high regard, I must evaluate you myself."

"I understand."

"Good. Now then, let’s start with your entrance. It wasn't exactly graceful or peaceful. As a matter of fact, your entry, whether by intention or not, injured Rainbow Dash."

"Yes, and I apologize for that; but I have no idea how I arrived here. I can assure you though, that I have no intention of causing Rainbow Dash harm."

"Really? And how can I be certain of that?"

"If I did, why would I wait? I've been living with her for quite some time now, with plenty of opportunities to injure her."

"You make a valid point. Rainbow Dash, do you have anything to say on the matter?" Rainbow didn't react well to being put on the spot like that, but she didn't disappoint.

"Yes Princess, I do. I've lived with Anon for a while now. I think he's one of the best friends I've ever had. If I were to go back in time, knowing all that was going to happen, I'd do it all over again." Princess Celestia seemed... well, she had a good poker face.

"Thank you Rainbow Dash. You speak highly of your friend here, but you don't know all there is to know about him."

"He's my friend, and I'm his. That's all I need to know."

"You're very protective for him to just be a friend to you. Is he something more? Is there something you're not revealing?" Rainbow was turning that lovely shade of red again.

"I... Uhhh... Well..." Celestia turned her attention to you.

"Anon, do you have a relationship with Rainbow Dash?"

"She's my friend. In fact, I'd say she's one of my best friends. That's my relationship with her."

"I see. So you're 'just friends' with Rainbow Dash? You don't view her as somepony special to you?"

"That's right." She turned her gaze onto Rainbow again.

"Do you have feelings of more than mere friendship towards Anon, Rainbow?"

"I... Well... Ya see..."

"I see. So you have more intimate feelings towards him, and haven't told him? That's not your nature, Rainbow Dash." Rainbow was turning an impossible shade of red now. Vinyl piped in when Rainbow stopped talking.

"I don't think that matters here, Princess."

"Doesn't it though? If this creature can cause an element of harmony to act against her nature, then it is of extreme relevance."

"I disagree!" Everyone in the room looked for the origin of the new voice. It was Princess Luna.

"Ah, sister! You've decided to join us!"

"You know very well why I was not present during the beginning. That IS why you scheduled it at this time, is it not?" Celestia remained silent. "As I was saying, to say that Loyalty is acting against her nature is a stretch."

"But--"

"A BIG stretch. Are ponies no longer allowed to have relationships with who they want?"

"Of course they are--"

"Then why would Loyalty's relationship with Anon be of concern here?"

"If the alien can so easily corrupt an element of harmony--"

"Corrupt? How is she corrupt? If she likes him, that is of her concern, not yours or this trial, or anypony else. You fear what you do not understand, Celestia. Do not punish Anon for your fear, he has done nothing wrong." Celestia looked pissed. Her sister had just destroyed her entire argument.

"Very well then, let us move on."

"How about not? You and I both know that your whole purpose for this trial is to keep Anon locked up because you're afraid of him and what he may or may not be capable of doing."

"SISTER!"

"NO! I suffered a thousand years because of your fear and rash judgment, I will not let another pony, or anything else, go through what I had to!" Celestia was silent. The room was dead silent. You could hear the rage building between the two demigods.

"Very well then, sister." Uh oh. Celestia had that look. You knew that look from back home. It wasn't a good look. "I shall let Anon return to Ponyville, and continue his life there."

"I'm glad you've come to your sense--"

"HOWEVER. He will be YOUR responsibility."

"…I accept your terms." Celestia turned her gaze upon you once more.

"Anon, do you accept these terms?"

"Yes. I think I ca--"

"Very well then, it is settled. Until further notice, Anon will be the responsibility of Princess Luna. This trial is over." With that, Celestia vanished in a bright flash of light. Damn. She was kind of a bitch.

Rainbow and Vinyl were dangerously close to becoming appendages if they managed to hug you any harder. Luna turned to address the three of you.

"I think we should get you back to Ponyville now, Anon."

"I couldn't agree more, Princess."

"Then let us depart. My train is at the station and waiting."

"Lead the way. Girls? Can I have my limbs back now?" Vinyl reluctantly let go of your leg. "Rainbow, you too. I need that leg." She sighed, before getting an idea. She relinquished your leg, in place of becoming a growth on your back. Seeing this, Vinyl quickly attached herself to your leg once more. You sighed. ”Fine. Let’s go."

You began your slow shuffle through the castle, following Luna as best you could. They both held on the entire trip though. It was night time once more, and Luna's train was ready to go at the station, just as she said. You could see it glowing now. It reminded you of something from Tron, but with a slightly more medieval feel to it. Yeah, it was still pretty badass. Shining Armor was waiting for you at the station, but he was alone this time.

The only other guards there were the Lunar guards. You approach the train, and Shining gives you a look of bewilderment. Could easily be the ponies that have made themselves bodily attachments to you. Yeah, probably that.

”Hello, Shining Armor. You're not going to take me back to the cell are you?"

"What? Ha, no. Listen, about earlier..."

"Just following orders. Don't worry about it."

"I-- thanks. If you don't mind my asking, is that Vinyl Scratch on your leg?"

"Long story short: yes. And the cyan one on my back is Rainbow Dash."

"Rainbow? From the wedding?" Rainbow pipes up hearing her name mentioned.

"That’s me!" She didn't relinquish your back though.

"Say, it's been a while. How're you and your friends?"

"Pretty good! I went and found myself an alien."

"I can see that. I'll bet Twilight hasn't left you alone, has she Anon?"

"You know Twilight?"

"I'd hope so, she's my little sister."

"Oh. I didn't know. But to answer your question, she's actually kept mostly to herself. I've only seen her the few times I've been to the library."

"Really? That's odd. I'd think she'd be learning everything she could about you."

"After this whole ordeal, I'd say I've got some learning to do myself." Princess Luna let you chat it up with Shining for long enough.

"Anon, we should go."

"Oh, right. I suppose I'll see you around, Shining Armor."

"Hopefully on less... professional terms." You nod, and continue your shuffle towards the train. As soon as your ensemble is boarded, the doors to the cars shut, and the train begins moving. You need to focus on sleep and removing these mares from yourself. Sleep should be the easier part. Removing the mares may prove difficult. You manage to shuffle through Luna's car and into yours.

”Ok ladies, we're here."

"Thanks for the ride Anon," Vinyl says as she releases your leg.

"Your turn Rainbow." You do a little shake to make your point sink in. She only clutches tighter. "Um, Vinyl?"

"Yeah?"

"A little help?" She sighs, but walks over to you. She bites down on Rainbow's tail, and pulls. Hard. Nothing. "Hmmm... Vinyl, come here. I've got an idea." She walks back in front of you, and perks her ears up. You whisper your devious idea in her ear, and she giggles.

"What'd you say?" Rainbow was getting nervous now.

"Let me go, and you won't have to find out."

"Never!" She clutches you harder.

"Alright then, the hard way. Vinyl?"

"With pleasure!" Her horn lights up, and grips a quill that was lying on a counter top with it. She begins to tickle Rainbow. Great success! Rainbow can't hold on, and starts laughing like there's no tomorrow. Her grip is destroyed, and she's on the ground now, trying desperately to crawl away from the possessed quill.

"Finally!" Vinyl walks over to her, and grips her tail in her mouth. The quill has been placed back on the counter now. "Now please, go get some sleep. We'll have plenty of time once we're back in Ponyville to catch up, ok?" Rainbow sighs.

"Fine. You win. Lemme just--" Vinyl keeps her grip on Rainbow's tail. "Hey! Lemme go!"

"Mmmmpp mmfffmm."

"Don't you sass me!"

"Mmmmppp mmhhmmpm." After Vinyl dragged the unwilling cyan pegasus back to their car, you could finally focus on what really mattered. Glorious sleep, on that ever so enticing bed. The trial must have stressed you out more than you knew. You remember falling down onto the bed. Then blissful, dreamless, uninterrupted sleep was all there was. And it was good.

When you woke up the next morning, the sun wasn't in your eyes like it was last time. Probably because it was on the other side of the train now. Considering you were heading the opposite direction. Duh. The train was thundering along again. Damn, you'd slept through that neat boom. Oh well. You get up and look around and sure enough, there's a covered silver platter on the counter.

You decide to clean yourself up first. After you exit your bathroom and get dressed, you head back over to the silver platter. You open it up, and the sight made your mouth water. Pancakes. Eggs. MOTHERFUCKING BACON. After you unceremoniously scarf down the breakfast you'd been given, you look out one of the windows to see how far along the journey you were.

A couple of familiar looking landmarks go by, and you'd wager you're at the halfway point. Back to the glorious couch to resume thinking about the trial and what was said. Dash never did directly answer Princess Celestia about liking you. Don't bring it up, whatever you do. You don't want to awkward up your friendship with Dash by telling her you're not interested in dating ponies.

You're not, right? No! Of course not! Yeah. Right. You know that I know your poker face exactly, right? God dammit. So, do you like ponies or not? Well... I guess... No. No I don't. Don't lie to me. I'm you, remember? ...Right. So... you like her? I... Don't want to think about that right now. Well you're not calling the shots on what to think about, now are you? ...Fuck you brain. You've got to make a decision sooner or later. She's a pony, I'm a human. And? And what? That's all there is! We physically, aren't compatible.

Says who? My morals! I'm no zoophile! And she's no normal pony! She's sentient. Does that make a difference? She's still a different species. Does that really matter? You're the only human in Equestria. True. And you're not going anywhere anytime soon. Also true. So. You like her or what? ...Well? Fuck. I think so? Maybe? I don't know. No need to rush the decision, but you've got to make it at some point.

The couch was not good to you today. Throwing all these philosophy and psychology things at you. But there's not much you can do other than think while you're on a train. It's a terrible, terrible trap. Making you think about such things as these. But it was bound to happen sooner or later. And you still managed to not make a decision.

During your debate with yourself, you failed to notice Vinyl sneak into your car. Not only that, but she managed to find a spot on the couch next to you. You didn't notice her until she spoke. You jumped, but when you realized who was speaking, you calmed down.

"Vinyl! Jeeze, you snuck up on me."

"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak. I knocked a couple times, but you never answered. Something wrong?"

"Oh, sorry... Just been thinking..."

"What about?"

"...the trial. Everything that was said."

"Oh? You wanna talk about it?"

"...not really."

"Oh..."

"But I think I should."

"I'm all ears!" Who would've guessed? "So, what all has you so deep in thought that you don't hear a pony come in?"

"Lots of things... All really stemming from the trial."

"Care to be just a bit more specific?"

"For starters, Celestia was right. I feel like I barely know Rainbow, yet I've been living with her since I left the hospital."

"Nothing wrong with that. She trusts you."

"But I've done nothing to repay her! What have I done to earn her trust? Nothing! I've done nothing to benefit her in any way!"

"You and I both know that’s not true."

"Is that so?"

"Yes it is. Did she ever ask you to repay her? No. Does she want you to repay her? No. You've saved her life just as many times as she saved yours."

"And what makes you so sure of all that?"

"What do you think the two of us have been doing while you were locked up? She was stressin out, Anon. About you. She told me everything."

"Oh."

"Yeah. She couldn't stop talking about you. She doesn't want you to repay her in any way, other than being her friend. You listened when she needed somepo--one to talk to. You're by far one of her closest friends."

"But why? It doesn't make any sense!"

"Does it really need to? Why does it need to?"

“I... I just feel like she's throwing caution to the wind."

"You've lived with her long enough to know that's what she does."

”I suppo--"

"Besides, don't you consider her one of your friends?"

"Of course--"

"Then what else is there?"

"I... I don't know. I feel like I owe her so much."

"She doesn't want repayment! How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"It... It just feels like something’s... off. Something she's not telling me."

"Boy, you really nailed that on the head."

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what she won't, will you?"

"If I did, she'd kill me."

"I didn't think so."

"She likes you Anon."

”I like her too--"

"No no, she LIKES you."

"You mean-"

"Yeah."

”Oh."

"You seriously couldn't tell?"

"I had a feeling, but I never brought it up... I just didn't want to make the situation awkward."

"She likes you, you like her. What's awkward about it? You do like her, don't you?"

"I... I... I don't know."

"You don't know? What don't you know about it? It's a simple question! Do you like her or don't you?"

"I just don't know."

"Is it because she's not a human like you?"

"That's a big part of it, yeah."

"Anon, that doesn't matter. She likes you for who you are, not just because you're an alien."

"But--"

"But nothing! Do you have something against ponies?"

"No!"

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Where I'm from, inter-species relationships aren't looked highly upon."

"But we're not where you're from. In Equestria, these things can happen. You don't have to be the same species to like each other."

"Really? Ponies just get involved with whatever they please?"

"Really really. It doesn't matter what species you are, so long as you're happy. It happens all the time!"

"It just feels... out of place, I guess. Not to mention how different humans are from ponies."

"Being different will probably make it work more than you think. She loves the idea of living with a potential predator."

"Really? She never told me that."

"Sheesh, you two really need to sit down and talk. You'd be surprised just how much I talked with Rainbow about you."

"I doubt it." She gave you a deadpan look.

"I've been talking to Rainbow about you for the better part of three or four days. I know some things about her feelings towards you that I can't un-know."

"That’s... more than a little unsettling."

"You have no idea. Point is, you're both just worrying about how each other will react, and not actually doing anything. Forget the rules of your society, you're here now. Just do what feels right." You're silent for a bit. "Hey, you okay lover boy?"

"I-- yeah. Just letting your words sink in a bit."

"Well, I'm getting hungry, got anything to eat in here?" You jump on the opportunity to change the subject.

"You know, I don't really know. Lemme take a look." You walk over to the fridge, and open it up to examine its contents. There were cold cut sandwiches, a fruit salad, some more punch, all the delicious things you craved. "Yeah, got some things you might want in here. Up for some fruit salad?"

"Absolutely! What else you got?"

"I don't think you'd like anything else in here besides the punch."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's meat sandwiches."

"Oh. Yeah, good call." You take out the fruit salad, and place it on the counter where there are a couple of stools. She hops up on a stool, and eyes the salad hungrily. She almost dives in, when she notices you didn't take anything out for yourself.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to spoil your appetite. I'd be eating the meat."

"Spoil my appetite? I've held concerts in Gryphus before. You do know that Griffons eat meat, don't you?"

"Can't say that I did. Never met one before."

"Well, I'm sure you'll meet one sooner or later. Stay clear of the northern Griffons though."

"Why is that? Griffons not friendly?"

"Oh no, they're plenty friendly. The northern Griffons have... well they have a reputation."

"Really? What is it?"

"There was a war, well before Celestia's rule, that was between the Griffons of the northern territories and a rather large Earth pony army."

"So what happened?"

"There was a huge battle. The Griffons reported several hundred dead, and a couple hundred missing."

"And the ponies?"

"...They reported over 3,000 dead, and more than a thousand missing." Kind of a difference there. "Moral of the story is, don't buck with Eagleland."

"Eagleland?"

"The northern Griffon territory."

"Right. Point taken."

"So, have you ever met a Griffon from Eagleland?"

"Nope. My concerts for the Griffons have all been in Gryphus, the countries capital."

"Ah. So, what you're saying, is that I should just shut up and eat my sandwich?"

"Yeah." You take out a ham sandwich, and sit down next to Vinyl. After the two of you finished your lunch, you headed over to your couch to occupy it once more.

"You're really digging that couch, aren't you?"

"Probably more than is healthy for me, but yeah."

"Then imma try your bed." She hopped up onto your bed, and curled up in the center of it. "Oooooohhhh, fluffy..."

"So, anything you can tell me about Rainbow that I should know?"

"Oh, plenty."

"Great!"

"But I'm not going to tell you everything." Rats. "I'll tell you a little though."

"You have my utmost attention."

"She's quick to judge, impulsive, daring, and generally not afraid of much."

"Well, you didn't tell me anything I didn't already figure out."

"Good! Only other tidbit about Rainbow that you'll get from me is that she's protective."

"Protective? What makes you say that?"

"Ask her about your time in the hospital. If she doesn't tell you, ask Apple Jack or Nurse Red Heart."

"Did I miss that much?"

"Plenty. Rainbow wouldn't tell me all the little details when I asked her at the hospital; I had to get Apple Jack to tell me."

"Was it really that big of a deal?"

"Anon, if you knew what went on while you were unconscious, you probably wouldn't be so worried about a relationship between you and Rainbow. By the way, I'm totally throwing a concert when we get back. It's time for some music." Vinyl headed back to her car after a bit of silence, and the realization that she was beginning to doze off on your bed. The sun was starting to set now, which meant you were getting ever closer to Ponyville.

Almost on cue, you hear the familiar boom of the engine. You looked out the window and saw the intense purple glow illuminating the scenery. The train had topped out speed wise now. You could faintly see what looked like Ponyville in the distance. It'd probably be close to the middle of the night once you arrived. Odd that Rainbow hasn't come to see you all day.

Though, given what Vinyl had told you, you couldn't really blame Rainbow for not being chatty. She was probably nervous as hell. And you should probably stop assuming everything. Yeah, probably. Might as well sleep the rest of the ride off. And so you do.

The bed was extremely comfortable. But it was nothing like the cloud bed that awaited you in Ponyville. You hadn't realized it, but you'd come to know Ponyville as your home now. Not as a strange alien place, filled with talking ponies. No, this was home, and it was filled with some very friendly ponies. And your time in Canterlot made you realize just how much you missed it.

The place kind of grew on you, without you intending to let it do that. Eh. You were okay with this. You could live in Ponyville. You slept the rest of the journey off. Wasn't long, but it was some of the best sleep you'd had in a while. When you woke up, Luna was the one standing next to your bed, trying to wake you.

"Anon! Wake up! We have arrived!"

“Mmmfffffssllffrg..."

"What?"

"Mmmmfffssfff..." The pillow and the overwhelming urge to not get up weren't helping your communication issues. Luna took matters into her own hooves. So to speak. Her horn glowed, and the lights seemed to dim out of your car. Her eyes and mouth were emitting a white light, and her armor had appeared on her, and was glowing that ever so familiar midnight purple.

"ANON. TIME TO GET UP. WE HAVE ARRIVED." You opened your eyes, and no longer required sleep. You may require a change of undergarments though. "Anon, come down from there. I apologize for frightening you, but you weren't exactly waking up..." As you made your way down from one of the light fixtures you'd managed to cling to, the lights returned and her armor disappeared.

"Now then, please get your things together. You're home." Those words sounded so inviting. Home. Were you home? You collected the few belongings you'd brought with you, and a couple of sandwiches left over in the fridge. You stepped out of the car, and were greeted by a tired looking Rainbow and Vinyl. You gave your thanks to Princess Luna for everything she did.

Vinyl was escorted home by a couple of her guards. Rainbow flew you to her house, and you both politely crashed to your respective rooms. The cool, crisp night air on the way here; the starry, cloudless sky; the amazing full moon. Yes. You were home. You finished out your sleep in your ever so comfortable cloud bed. When you woke up the next morning, you got yourself cleaned up and headed down to the kitchen. Rainbow was already there, working on breakfast.

"Morning, Dashie." She blushed a little at the pet name.

"Morning, Anon."

"So, what’s the plan for today?"

"I've got to make up some hours at work, so that’s what I'll be doing. You?"

"I suppose I'll resume my second job hunt, after I meet up with Vinyl to find out my schedule." She nodded, and continued making toast for the two of you. "So, I guess we've got some things to talk about." She stopped buttering the toast, and sighed.

"Vinyl talk to you too?"

"Yup."

"I vote we wait until tomorrow, so we have the whole weekend to talk. No work to worry about."

"I agree."

"That reminds me, you need to make sure you have the two weeks after next week completely free."

"What? Why?"

"Trust me. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Well, okay then." With that, she finished preparing your toast, and you both ate in silence. After that, she dropped you off at the square and the two of you decided to meet back here around sundown. Ah, the square. Bustling with ponies buying and selling goods. You spotted Apple Bloom at her apple stand, with another pony. This pony was orange with blond hair, and was wearing a cowboy hat. Interesting looking character.

You approach the stand with hopes that maybe this pony is the sister that Apple Bloom had spoken of. As you approach, Apple Bloom waves you down.

"Howdy there Anon!"

"And a good morning to you Apple Bloom."

"Where've you been? I haven't seen you in forever!"

"I was... well, let’s just say I had some business to attend to in Canterlot."

"Canterlot? Must've been SOME business! Did it all go alright?"

"Yeah, I think you could say that. But enough about me, how're you feeling? Last I saw of you, you were being taken away by some medics."

"I never did get ta thank ya for that... Why'd you do that, anyhow?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Cause it's dangerous!"

"I'm not just gonna stand by and let the best apple sales pony I know get all messed up in a fire."

"Awww, c'mon. Ya really think so?"

"Apple Bloom, I know so. Speaking of the fire, how's the farm?"

"I think you'd better ask mah sister about that. Oh! Where are my manners! Apple Jack, this is Anon!" The orange pony tipped her hat to you.

"Howdy."

"Pleasure. So you're Apple Bloom's sister?"

"That’s me. Pleasure to meet my little sister’s savior. If'n there's anything I can do for you, you let me know."

"Actually, I'd been talking to Apple Bloom here about trying to get a second job. She said you might have an opening."

"You save my sister, and instead of wanting money or free apples, you ask for a job?" You nod your head. "You're a might strange Anon. But yes, I think we could use some extra help around the farm. Right now we're mostly focusing on rebuilding what burnt down, which, thank Celestia, wasn't as much as I thought."

"I'd be happy to help in any way I can!" Rainbow's warning snaps to mind.

"When can ya start?"

"Actually, I've got to wait another three weeks before I start."

"Why is that?"

"Honestly, I don't know. My roomie told me to make sure I kept those weeks clear though."

"Huh. Well, why don't ya just show up when you can, and we'll go from there?"

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks again!"

"No no, thank YOU Anon. You saved my sister from a mighty long hospital visit."

"I would've done it for anyone."

"Well I'm glad ya did it for her."

"Me too. I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to get going. I'll see you around, boss."

"I'll see ya 'round, Anon."

"See ya later mister Anon!"

You give the two apple ponies a wave as you head away from the square, and towards the auditorium. Time to visit the rave pony.

Chapter 8: Resonation

You head to the auditorium to visit Vinyl. You kind of need to discuss your schedule with her. Just a little. Whatever it was that required you to have those particular weeks off, you didn't know quite yet. Rainbow was quiet on the subject of why, but you didn't question her too heavily. She's still your roomie.

Or rather, she owns the house you don't have to pay rent to live in. Either way, her house, her rules. It was still kind of buggin you though. It was bugging her too, you could tell that much. To take your mind off things, you took the goggles Vinyl had given you out of your pocket and wore them on the way to the auditorium. After you found your balance again, your walk was rather uneventful. Though it looked pretty damn AWESOME with the goggles. Light didn't matter, sound did. There was no glare from the sun.

Is this how a bat 'looks' at the world? Neat. You made your way to the auditorium, and the guards let you in without question. They knew who you were by now. If they didn't, the goggles probably shut them up before they did or said anything. You made your way to the central arena, where you found Vinyl once more fiddling with her equipment.

"Hey Vinyl!" You waved to her. After hearing you say her name, she looked up at you and smiled.

"Wassup, Anon?!" You approach the stage, and climb up.

"Not much. Gotta talk to you about something though."

"Oh? It's not Rainbow again, is it? I've told you all I'm gonna tell you about her."

"No, it's about my schedule."

"Something wrong with it?"

"No, but Rainbow told me to make sure that I have the two weeks after next week off." You took the goggles off to see her clearly now. She looked just like she did when you first met her. Beautiful white coat, wild blue hair, and ruby red eyes.

"Really? I wonder--" She cut herself off, and started blushing slightly. "Never mind. I know exactly why she wants you to have that time off."

"You do? Why?"

"It's... something she'll have to tell you about." Great. More cryptic answers.

"Wonderful. So can I have the time off?"

"Oh! Right! Yeah, no problem. Go ahead and don't worry about this week either. I have a feeling you'll need all the rest you can get." This isn't sounding so great, whatever it is. Can you not get a break? Hospitalized the instant you arrived here. Then there's a fire, and being the idiot you are, you act rather than think. You saved a little filly, but wound up hospitalizing yourself, AGAIN.

That was getting old. Then Celestia's bogus trial. You finally get back to Ponyville and now there's a mysterious two-week long event that no one will talk to you about, other than warnings. Just power through it. It can't be all bad, right? You've got Rainbow on your side at least.

"So no helpful hints on this mysterious two-week thing?"

"Uhhh... no. Not from me. Each pony handles it differently..."

"Great. Well, I've got some time to kill, you need any help?"

"Babe, I could always use your help." Dirty. You helped her around the stage for a while, until she had everything set up just the way she wanted. Turns out that she let a newer band use her auditorium while she was with you and Rainbow in Canterlot.

After a good three hours’ work getting everything set back the way she liked it, the two of you headed backstage and up to her penthouse. Odd that you'd want to live in an auditorium. Makes sense though, considering her passion is music.

"Hey Anon, I don't suppose you'd be willing to rub my back again? It was really awesome that one ti-- ooooohhhh..." You'd started rubbing her back, and she barely made it to her bed. "No fair..." You could feel her tension in her shoulders and lower back. The past couple of days must've stressed her more than she let on. Opposable thumbs will get you places it seems. You should probably give Rainbow a back rub when the two of you get home.

If she was as stressed as Vinyl said she was, she might actually benefit from it. You're no master masseuse or anything, but your hands could do what hooves couldn't. It wasn't magic, but hey. Just another thing to set you apart from all these ponies.

"So... you.... talk.... to Rainb...ow... yet?" You sighed, but continued your massage none the less.

"Not yet. We decided to set aside the whole weekend for talking."

"Uuunnggghh... Not... a bad... idea... you two... could... use the... chat..."

"We'll see."

"Trust... me..."

"You gettin hungry?"

"...mmmmMmmmfffgg..." You stopped your massage, and she sighed. "Anon... I could take a massage like that every day for the rest of my life..."

"I'm no master masseuse--"

"No, but your hands are a gift from Celestia or Luna or who the buck ever."

"Thanks. I think. Now, about food."

"Yes. Food."

"I know a restaurant that serves griffons, so they have some meat. Sound interesting?"

"It is already my favorite place to eat."

"Let get going then, before I fall asleep." After a stretch, she leads you back out of the Auditorium. One of her guards moves to escort the two of you, but she stops him. "Don't worry guys, I'll be fine. It's just lunch." The guard nods and returns to his previous post. After you're out of earshot of the guards, you ask her some of the questions that had bubbled up in your head.

"Why do they feel the need to escort you everywhere?"

"They're just protective is all. That’s why I chose them!"

"So why did you tell the one to stay where he was?"

"Cause their protective nature is great and all, but sometimes it can get annoying. Besides, I've got you to protect me, tough guy. No pony would dare mess with an alien." She's probably right. Though you're not sure how you should feel about the intimidation factor. Eh, fuck it.

"So why do you live at work?"

"Cause I can." Simple enough. "Besides, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else, and that's saying something."

"Just where all have you been?"

"Pretty much all over Equestria. The fans call, and I answer."

”Must get tiring."

"Yeah, but it's always awesome." She leads you to the edge of Ponyville, to a Restaurant you'd never seen before. It was styled in the same midnight feel that Luna's armor and train were. The windows were tinted to the point you couldn't see anything through them unless you pressed your face up against them.

"Vinyl, what is this place?"

"You'll see." You follow her in, and have to go through two sets of doors. The second set only open after the first set closed. Weird. Upon entering, you're greeted by a waiter.

"Welcome to the Midnight Project, Miss Vinyl. Table for two?" Vinyl nods her head to the waiter. You'd never seen that pony before, but he didn't even give you a second glance. You look around, and the place was... different.

It was completely black, save for walking paths that were illuminated just barely, like in a movie theater after the movie starts. The main lighting was recessed in the ceiling, and changed color slowly.

"Vinyl, what is this place?"

"Didn't you hear the guy? It's called the Midnight Project." You follow Vinyl to your table, which is glowing slightly. All the tables were. When you went to sit down, you noticed the chairs. The chairs were large, and extremely adjustable. As you looked around at the few other ponies that were eating there, you noticed that the chairs gave off a very subtle glow when they were occupied. You take your seat, adjust it to your liking, and Vinyl does the same. The waiter sets your menus down, and bows himself out.

”So, Vinyl. What is this place?"

"One of the best bucking restaurants in Equestria. You want something? They got it." You look at the menu, and shortly after doing so, realize you still can't read pony.

"Um, Vinyl?"

"Yeah?"

"A little help?" you asked, gesturing towards the menu.

"Oh! Right! Let’s see... You want fish, chicken, steak?"

"A steak sounds delicious."

"Alright. Steak, and a mashed potato then?"

"My mouth is already watering." She smiles, and goes back to deciding what she wants to eat. After a couple minutes, a different waiter approaches and takes your orders. He even asked how you wanted the steak cooked. This place was already your favorite. After you and Vinyl finished eating, and you cleaned up your war zone of a plate, she paid the waiter and the two of you left. After you both got back into the blinding sunlight, Vinyl spoke up.

"So, what'd ya think?"

"That. Was. Amazing. I didn't even know that this place existed!"

"Yeah, not many ponies talk about it because they serve meat."

"So, what do you want to do now?"

"I'm up for another massage!"

"What have I gotten myself into?" She gives you a light punch.

"Let’s go back to my place. We can always turn up the music and blast the evening away."

"Sounds like a plan." And so you did just that. You'd check every couple of hours to see where the sun was, seeing as there weren't any windows in the auditorium. When the sun finally started to set, you said goodbye to Vinyl, and headed back to the square to meet up with Rainbow. Pretty uneventful day from then on. Dash took you home, you both ate in silence, not wanting to bring up what was on both your minds.

After sleep finally took you, you slept through one of your cursed dream nights. This one wasn't so bad though. Most of your dreams were about Rainbow and Vinyl. The three of you would just hang out. Or rave. Vinyl was all about the raving and partying. There was one dream that bothered you though.

Rainbow was curled up on your bed, crying. When you tried to ask what was wrong, she lashed out at you, and then apologized over and over. It was like she was having an emotional breakdown. It tore you to pieces knowing that you were somehow a cause to her suffering on that scale. Would you tease or pull a little prank on her? Sure, she was your friend. Would you emotionally attack her? Fucking never.

Something about that dream stayed with you, even after you woke up. Aaaah, weekend. The glorious feeling of not having to do SHIT today. Except sit down and start that dreaded conversation with Dash. So much needed to be said. You didn't know how to feel about a relationship with Dash. Should you try and turn her down? Did you want to turn her down? Or should you follow Vinyl's advice and man the fuck up? Confounded ponies and morals n shit.

If you didn't have any morals or worries about dating a different species, you'd fucking do it. Why are you so worried anyway? You're the only one of your species, who the fuck cares how you act? You have no reason to act like you did back home. Hell, you could walk around naked, and if you didn't say anything, the ponies would probably think it was simply natural for you. They were naked anyway. So why are you so worried about getting close to Dash?

Why was the species thing bothering you so much? This pony was intelligent. This pony was already your best friend. You both got along rather amazingly. It felt natural when you and Rainbow would hang out. Which is weird, considering you're both alien to each other.

Eh, fuck it. Who else is going to give two shits? Why would you care? So long as the two of you were happy, that's all that is supposed to matter, right? Fuck everyone else. What would Celestia say? Or do? Fuck her. Luna knew what was up, and from what you could tell, she supported you. You've got a damn demi-god on your side. Okay, that was a bit of an ego boost.

Vinyl's right. Time to man the fuck up. But maybe you'll take it slow, so as to not freak each other the hell out. No need to rush things, right? You get out of bed, and go through your morning routine of cleaning up and preparing for the day. You head down to the kitchen, and as per usual, Rainbow had breakfast made and ready.

”Morning Dash." She nodded to you. You both ate breakfast in silence. The silence was getting to you. Fuck. It's going to start out like one of THOSE conversations, isn't it? More silence after you finish and clean up the remnants of breakfast, and head over to the couch. Yup. One of those conversations. Well shit, might as well get right to it.

"So."

"So."

"Where do we start?"

"...I don't know..." Great.

"Why don't we start with my trial." You saw her gulp. She was just as fucking nervous as you were, but you've got to do this. No more beating around the bush. "Do you like me?" Damn. She turned red instantly.

"I... Uh... Ya see..."

"Dash. You don't have to perform for anyone. This is between you, and me." She gulped again.

"I... I... like you... yeah, you're one of my best friends after all! Wh-why wouldn't I like you?"

"That’s not what I mean Dash. Do you LIKE me?" Another gulp, and she looked like she was getting ready to curl into a ball and cry. She couldn't possibly turn any redder. It was a damn physical impossibility. Though, until you arrived here, you didn't think magic existed either. FOCUS DAMMIT.

"Rainbow, I'm not punishing you or anything like that. I just want to know if you have intimate feelings towards me." She slowly uncurled from her ball, her eyes no longer watering. She still looked like a deer caught in headlights though. "I need to know Dash. It's important to me." She had managed to find herself a sitting position now. She was looking you right in the eyes. Those gorgeous magenta eyes.

And you both had the same thought at the same time. What was that thought? Words are cheap. So what did you do? You both went to kiss, consequently ramming each other. Yeah, it hurt like a bitch. Dash was the first one to recover. She looked over at you, a smile now on her face. She got to you before your daze was over, and planted one right on your lips. You came out of your daze, to Dash planting one right smack on your lips. Well, now you know how she feels about you.

It wasn't a toungey kiss. It wasn't an awkward kiss. It was... natural. Neither of you forced it to happen. It just happened. You felt the awkward of the situation melt away during your embrace with her. You returned the kiss, willingly. It wasn't an erotic kiss. It was the kiss of fucking life. It was like... nothing you'd experienced before. It anchored your cocktail of emotions to the ground, so they could start settling.

Had you been a mushy fucker, you might have called it the kiss of 'true love' or some shit. The kiss of two dimension or planet crossed fools? Why the hell not. You could be a fool for her. After you broke the kiss, you both sat there, staring into each other’s eyes.

"So, I'll take that as a yes." She smirked, and tangled you back up in another hug.

"You have no idea how happy I am."

"No, but I think I could take a shot in the dark and say it's just about as happy as I am." You returned her hug. After a good fifteen minutes or so of enjoying the blissful hug, you remembered there was something that Dash wanted to talk about. "Now, I think there was something that YOU wanted to discuss, wasn't there, Dashie?" She was quiet for a minute.

"Yeah. Estrus."

"Estrus? What's that?"

"You don't know what estrus is? Jeeze, do I have to explain everything to you?" You shrugged.

"Guess so. Whats the big deal about this estrus? Why did I need to make sure I had time off for it?" Her shade of red was returning.

"Twilight could probably explain it better than I could... but basically... you remember when you touched my wing?" Your turn to go red. How could you forget?

"Yeah?" She giggled at your change in coloring.

"It makes ponies much more... sensitive." You give her a blank stare. "Right... Twilight said something about... an urge to... mate... and something about... hormones..."

"So..."

"So... That means that any mare that sticks around you for more than a couple minutes during estrus, will start to get... urges."

"Urges? Do you ponies not have any self-control during this estrus thing?"

"What? Of course we do! We're not sex crazed or anything. Estrus just... It changes ponies..."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, mares tend to... express themselves more; while stallions tend to be more... aggressive."

"So you're saying I'm gonna get raped if I go to Ponyville during estrus?"

"What? No! Nothing like that!"

"Then skip to it, what ARE you saying?"

"I'm saying is that mares will focus more on getting you to be their special somepony than on what they'd normally do."

"So..."

"So, if a mare is with a stallion, and that stallion sees a mare hitting on another stallion, that stallion might... well..."

"Beat my stupid face in?"

"Yeah, kind of. But it only works if mares and stallions are close enough."

"Wait, what?" Dash was getting frustrated. She was having trouble find the right words.

"Twilight said something about... pharos? phobos?"

"Pheromones?"

"Yeah! Those! Ponies give off more mating pheromones during estrus."

"Shouldn't be that bad then, I'm not a pony."

"I thought about that too, but Twilight said that every animal gives off those pheromones. If you do too, then you'd affect mares around you."

"Okay, so what do I need to do?"

"First things first, we need to stock up on food and supplies for two weeks. You don't get to leave the house."

"Why are you so worried about me? It's just a bunch of mares hitting on me."

"Thing is, estrus messes with ponies. They'll start acting out of nature."

"So they'll all be a bit odd, still not a big deal."

"I go through estrus too, Anon." You sit there for a moment, and realize what she's been getting at. She's not so much worried about the mares in ponyville, she's worried about you living with her. She's worried about her becoming over possessive and hurting another pony because of you. Or hurting you. "And I'm pretty athletic. I can hold my own in a fight. It's gonna take all of my self-control to not rut you into the ground. Especially now that I know you like me too... Unless you want to rut..." You look up, and she's turned that impossible shade of red again.

"I'd rather not rush things Dash."

"That's kind of how I was feeling. I don't want to either. But with estrus, I won't exactly be thinking clearly with you around."

"So, what are our options?"

"Not much. Best thing to do, I think, would be to wait it out." She might use estrus as an excuse to get in your pants without 'rushing' it. Clever girl.

"So I've got to stick with an overstimulated Rainbow Dash for two weeks?" She lowered her head.

"Yeah..."

"Eh. Could be fun. I trust you Dash." She looked up, and perked her ears back up.

"Thanks, Anon."

"What did you do during estrus before I came here?"

"Nothing really. I told you, it doesn't really start to get to a pony unless they're exposed to a pony of the opposite gender for a while."

"Well what about work?"

"They split us into gender based teams. Somepony has to work the weather."

"Right. Well then, I guess we've got some shopping to do." She nods, and you both start planning out what you'll need over the course of the two weeks. The next week is spent preparing for estrus. It's a blur of activity. So many foodstuffs were collected; you could've fed a small army for a week. You'd collect the list of things while Dash would make trips to deposit the items you collected back home. She'd make three and four trips a day. Her saddle bags could only carry so much. By the end of the week, you were both exhausted. But you were also ready. Or so you hoped.

*****

Tomorrow marked the beginning of estrus. You didn't sleep too well that night. You were so anxious to see what all the fuss was about. You slept the dreamless sleep. But it wasn't a relaxing sleep. No, it was the kind of sleep that you wake up feeling tired from. When you did wake up, you went through your morning routine like normal. You headed down to the kitchen, and Rainbow was making breakfast, like normal. So far so good.

"Morning Dashie."

"Gooooood morning Anon!" Ok, a little out of character, but nothing overly worrying.

"So, whats for breakfast?"

"I made some toast, hash browns, and I got us some orange juice."

"Sounds good." You both sit down to eat. Normal meal. Normal morning conversation. Normal Dash leaving for work. Still dunno what the big deal about estrus was. This'll be a piece of cake. You waste your day away, like you normally do when Dash is away and you're stuck at home. Sundown finally comes around, and Dash comes back home shortly thereafter.

"Welcome home, Dashie. How was work?"

"Eh, same old same old." She plopped down on the couch after shutting the door behind her. She stretched, sighed, and relaxed on the couch next to you. You both sat there for a couple minutes, before you noticed she was staring at you. And she was starting to blush.

"Dash, something wrong?" She didn't respond for a minute. You waved your hand in front of her, trying to get her attention. "Dashie? You ok?"

"Huh? Whazzat? Oh! Yeah! I'm fine! Uhhh... I'm... I'm gonna go make some dinner." She got up, and trotted over to the kitchen. Her wings were fully extended while she did so though. Along with her tail being slightly raised.

Wings extended. Oh boy, here we go. You manage to get through dinner without incident. You could start to see that Dash was starting to get affected by estrus though. Her wings had remained extended throughout dinner. If you caught her looking at you, she'd quickly return to eating.

So far, estrus has been no more than a minor annoyance than anything. You could put up with it for her though. You'd have to sooner or later if you wanted this relationship to work. Might as well start early. You both retired to your rooms, and the night passed without incident. This was going to be easy. Only two weeks? Pfft, bring it.

Oh what you did. The next day went much like the previous, until Dash got home.

"Hey Dash, how was work?" She didn't say anything this time. No, instead she flew over and kissed you without warning.

"Nothing special." The kiss wasn't unwelcome, but it did take you by surprise. She flew off to the kitchen, and began preparing dinner. No relaxing, no chatting. You walked over and shut the door she had left open. Dinner was much the same as it was previously, but she kept her eyes on you at all times.

Once again, her wings remained extended during dinner. This was starting to get to you. And it was only the second day. You made it to bed without incident once more. It went on like this for the next couple of days. Dash would leave for work, come home, and do something more daring each time.

It was day 8 of estrus now. Dash had just gotten home.

”How was work, Dashie?" She didn't try and jump your bones this time. No, this time, she slammed the door behind her and glared at you. So much for estrus being easy.

"How was work? HOW WAS WORK? I've been working my tail off for a week, and that’s the thanks I get?" Woah. You hadn't seen Dash angry before. She was in your face, literally. "WELL? What did your sorry bum do all day? Huh?"

"Dash, I can't--"

"You can't fly? So what! You can't clean up around here either? You worthless piece of flesh! To think I actually liked you at one point!" That hurt. But you knew it wasn't her. She must be suffering some sort of denial or something. Surely being forced to deal with estrus and not having a way to vent must get to you after a while.

"Dash, just try and think clearly for a second."

"Think clearly? I've never seen things clearer in my LIFE!"

"Dash, focus. Estrus, remember?" She growled at you, but backed off some.

"Yeah, I remember. I remember how you're afraid I'll do something you might actually LIKE!" With that, she stormed off to her room. Yeah, you could go without dinner tonight. You made it to your bed, and turned in earlier than usual. The night went on without incident, until you woke up half way through it. You'd woken up because it'd become hard to breath. There was a pressure on your chest. You looked down, and half expected to see Dash there, but didn't.

No, instead, you saw... your cloud mattress slowly creeping up your chest. What? Surely you must be dreaming. Then it hit you. Twilight's cloud walking spell wasn't permanent. Oh shit. You tried your best to get out of bed, but it was like wading through melting snow. You started to yell for Rainbow.

"Rainbow! RAINBOW!" She groggily opened the door to your room.

"This had BETTER be good Anon."

"HELP!" She looked to where your voice was coming from, and fear instantly arced across her features.

"Anon!" She darted over to you, and gripped you with her hooves, before heaving you back up. You grabbed on to her tightly, fear of extreme personal injury fueling you.

"I think Twilight's cloud walking spell is finally wearing off."

"Yeah, no kidding. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"To see Twilight, duh." She flies you out of the house, and heads for Ponyville. At least she didn't appear angry at you anymore. You finally arrive at the library Twilight called her home. It was the dead of night, on a weekend, and Dash had taken a weekend shift so that she could be away from you for a while.

It was starting to show just how much self-control she really had. She was starting to wear out though. You were starting to wonder if trying to find a plan B was such a bad idea after all. Finally Twilight answers the door. It was completely obvious that she was sleeping not moments ago.

"Rainbow? What could you possibly want at this hour?"

"Hi Twilight. I think my cloud walking spell is finally starting to wear off."

"Oh? And why couldn't it wait until morning?"

"Because he almost fell through the floor, Twilight. Now are you gonna help or not?"

"Oh! Right, sorry. Just a bit tired is all. Come on in." You followed Rainbow into the library, and shut the door behind you. "So it finally wore off? I was wondering just how much Anon amplified magic... Rainbow, can you help me find 'The Directory of Spells: Volume 1?'"

"Sure." The two mares combed through the library searching for Twilight's book. You would help, but you can't read pony. "Here it is Twilight." Rainbow plucked a book from one of the upper shelves, and took it over to Twilight.

"Alright, here we go. Anon, stand still, ok?" You do as you're told, and Twilight's horn starts lighting up. Until she looks at you. When her eyes fell on you, she started blushing and her horn stopped lighting up.

"Twilight?"

"Yeah?"

"You going to put the spell on him or what?"

"I'd love to. But..."

"But what?"

"I'd like to get some... samples first..." Dash saw it too. Twilight was giving you a seductive look now. Uh oh.

"Twilight, Rainbow, focus now."

"Oh, believe me Anon, you have my utmost attention." With a combination of being woken up and estrus, her judgment must be foggy, to say the least. When Twilight started to walk towards you, is the exact moment Rainbow chose to tackle her to the ground. This seemed to snap Twilight out of it, and bring her back to reality. Dash made sure to drive the point home though.

"He's mine" she growled out through gritted teeth.

"Oh. Oh! Uh... right. Sorry." With that, Rainbow let Twilight back up, and Twilight restarted the process of putting the cloud walking spell on you. The fear of Rainbow taking more drastic action kept Twilight focused on the task at hand. Once the cloud walking spell was cast on you for the second time, Rainbow wasted no time in taking you right the fuck back home.

Once you both were certain the spell was working, you each headed to your respective rooms to resume sleeping. The next day was essentially Monday, and thus the beginning of your countdown to estrus being over. You'll need to find a better solution to survive the next five days though. Or your next estrus, for that matter. You repeated your daily routine once you woke up. Rainbow had gone to work, but came back home shortly after she left.

"Back so soon? Whats up?"

"Weather boss told me to head home and get some rest. Said I was 'too stressed' or something."

"Oh. You know, I was thinking about that."

"Oh? Find another way to disappoint me?"

"Just come over here, grouch." She huffs at you, but is clearly too stressed to argue and makes her way over to the couch. You turn her so that she is laying down, and begin massaging her back.

"Aahh-- ooohhhhh...."

"You still disappointed?" She just groans her approval. "I'll take that as a no." You massage the stress out of her to the best of your ability. She approves. After a good half hour of massaging, you take a break. Rainbow turns around, and looks at you with dreamy eyes.

"Why didn't you think of that sooner?"

"Dunno."

"Well, I like it. A lot." She crawled up onto your chest, forcing you down onto the couch. Uh oh.

"Rainbow--" She cut you off with a growl, before leaning in and kissing you. Oh boy. You may have de-stressed her a little, but that doesn't mean estrus wasn't affecting her. Thanks to some quick thinking, a sinister plan formulated in your head. You reached behind her, and grabbed her right wing at the base. She instantly froze. You pulled her off of you by her wing. She managed a whimper.

"Now then, do I have your attention?" Another whimper, followed by a nod. "Good. Remember, estrus is messing with you." She nods again. ”You know what that means, right?" She nods again, and you take your hand off of her wing. You can clearly see the frustration start to flow into her. You're about to say something, but she darts off to her room.

You just can't win with this estrus thing, can you? Yes you can, but you don't want to. You know exactly what will help clear her head. What's that? She's been forced to crave intimate action, and is being actively denied it. God dammit. You went up to her room, and found her curled up on her bed. When she saw you come in, she growled.

"Go away. I just need to stay away from you until estrus is over."

"No. I've got to be able to help you out somehow." She growled again as you approached her.

"Just leave me alone! There's nothing you can do without... w-without..." She started crying. Man, this estrus thing is really fucking with her. You sit down on her bed next to her. And then a thought enters your head. You reach out and grab her wing again. She snaps to attention, wings fully extended once more.

"Anon..."

"Ssshhh..." You begin to rub her wing, from the base to the tip. She rewards you with a short whimper. You run your fingers through her feathers. This gets you another whimper. She turns her head to look at you. She's got hopeful eyes, and is biting her lower lip. You position yourself behind her and start on the other wing. She lays down on her bed now, giving you full access to her wings.

"A... Anon..." You continue rubbing her wings, and she stops talking entirely. This goes on for another couple minutes, before you start slowly making your way back to rubbing her back. She lets out a moan, but remains still. You managed to work the stress out of her, and her wings slowly started retracting. Your little plan appears to be working. You continue your massage until you're pretty sure she's asleep.

You sneak out of her room, making sure to turn out the lights. After you get back to your room, you lay down and relax. This estrus business was starting to really get to you. Only five days left. You can make it five more days, right? You're beginning to question that theory. Although your massage idea seemed to do the trick.

Maybe thats the solution you were looking for? Sure it's no replacement for intimacy, but it seemed to have the desired effect. You drift off to sleep soon after making first contact with your bed. You hadn't realized how tired you were. Dash was a handful, but if you can't handle her at her worst, surely you don't deserve her at her best.

When you woke up next, Dash was already gone. Judging from the window, it looked to be about mid-morning. You hope you were able to help Dash last night. It might not have been exactly what she wanted, but it seemed to help. Now it's your turn to calm the fuck down. You are her outlet for stress, along with the cause of a lot of her stress. If you're stressed, it doesn't help anybody.

You take an extra-long and hot shower, and that does the trick. After you finish your shower and clean up, you're feeling much better. You go through your estrus daily routine. You mostly went around cleaning up the house, doing laundry, that sort of thing. Not much else you could do, really. It's become your least favorite, but most commonly played game. Fucking waiting. Shit game. But you had no other option.

You waited once more for Rainbow to get home, and hoped she was feeling better than she was yesterday. The hours crawl by, but you make it. Rainbow gets home, and as soon as she sees you, she tackles you into a hug.

"Anon... I'm so sorry for everything I said..." You could hear her crying.

"Rainbow, don't worry about it. I don't blame you." She hugged you tighter. Keeping her in her hugging position, you waddle over to the door and shut it. It's a good thing she's so light. And that she aimed for your chest, not your crotch. After you manage to detach her from your chest, you're able to strike up a conversation.

”So I take it the massage worked?"

"Yeah... A little..."

"Why don't we make that a thing during estrus? I'm not the one who's going through some sort of cycle that messes with my brain, so maybe I can help you out."

"I... I'd like that."

"Good. Now then, why don't you let me make dinner tonight, ok?"

She sniffles a little, but manages an 'Okay.' After the two of you eat, you follow Rainbow up to her room, and begin your massage. After you get her to the near sleeping point, you get up and head back to your room. Alright. A daily massage for two weeks? For Rainbow? You could work with this. You manage the next four days like this. The final day of estrus finally arrives, much to your delight; but you weren't in the clear just yet.

The final day was the beginning of a weekend, and Rainbow had been denied a weekend shift. This was going to be rough. Rainbow was going to spend the last day of estrus locked up with you. The cause of her stress. Over the course of the day, you could almost see her self-control wearing down. By lunch, she had hidden all of your pants from you. Good thing you were dressed already. At least she wasn't up in arms.

She was being more playful than anything. Mind you she had a motive, but at least it was playful, not forceful. Slowly your entire wardrobe disappeared, save for the clothes you were wearing. And you almost lost those at one point. When she tried to take the pants you were wearing off of you, you decided it was time for a massage. Luckily, she didn't complain too much.

The massage's effect didn't last as long as you'd hoped though. The massage's you've been giving seemed to subdue her rather than... satisfy her. And that only worked for so long. Had she not decided to stay home, she wouldn't have been exposed to your pheromones that you were apparently giving off. She was becoming more aggressive with her 'playful' pokes at you.

She'd tackle you to the ground when you were walking, and lick your face. Or she'd jump on your back and flap her wings, pushing you around. Every time she did something like that though, she'd catch herself right after doing it. Then, each time, she would promptly turn a lovely shade of red, apologize, and fly off to her room; but she would still get a little bolder with each attempt.

This attempt had caught you off guard. She'd flown out of nowhere, and kissed you. The force of her flying knocked you down to the floor, but she never broke the kiss. She was like a damn face hugger. You begin to wonder if ponies have stories about aliens.

Your wonder is cut short once you remember what just happened. Don't open your mouth to protest, she'll take that as an invitation. You tried to push her off, but she wouldn't budge. Okay then, heavy weapons. You grab her by her wing. Yup, froze in place. You led her off of you, and managed to get your footing again.

"I understand this estrus is getting to you, but we're in the home stretch, ok? You can do this." She looked at you and whimpered. You released her wing, and she darted off to her room for the umpteenth time today. Just a few more hours. This estrus was almost as accurate as clockwork. Almost. It had started off slowly, so you presumed it'd probably come to a stop slowly. Just stay out of Rainbow's way, and you'll be alright.

That, and keep an eye out for surprise attacks. The next one you might not be so lucky. It's not that you didn't like Rainbow like that, it's that you didn't feel it was the right time for that kind of... interaction. Estrus was telling her otherwise though. And that’s what was making this so difficult. The two of you had finally admitted to each other your feelings, but that was only three weeks ago. Two weeks didn't really count for quality time together, because of estrus.

You'd decided to take things slow for a reason. You were both aliens to each other. Plenty of things to get used to. Plenty of things to discover about each other. No need to skip the delicious meal and go straight for the dessert. Okay, you're starting to make food references. Take the hint and get to work on dinner. After you'd finished preparing dinner, you call out for Rainbow, but she doesn't answer. You call again, and again, no answer. You eventually find her tucked away in her room.

"Rainbow? You going to come eat?" She sniffles. Great, she's been crying. "Dashie, what's the matter?" You walk over to where she was sitting on her bed, and sit down next to her.

"I... I..." You pull her into a hug in an attempt to calm her down. Estrus must finally be wearing off. She's probably an emotional wreck right now.

"Ssshhhh, ssshhh. Just let it all out." She breaks down completely, and clings to you as she starts sobbing. You hold her there for a while, letting her cry her heart out. Finally, after what seems like an impossible amount of tears, she speaks.

"I... I'm such a monster..."

"Dashie, I've seen monsters, and trust me, you're not a monster."

"But--"

"You listen and you listen good. I'm not going to just walk away from you. This is what being together is all about. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I'll take care of you, Rainbow. I promise." She sniffles again, and clings tighter to you. You hear her stomach growl. ”I heard that. Come on, let’s go eat. You'll feel better in the morning."

Another sniffle, followed by "O-Okay..." You carry her down to the living room, where you'd set up dinner. Her eyes were red from all the crying, but she was starting to act like her old self. Good thing too. You couldn't take much more of watching her go through this emotional marathon. It was really bothering you.

You both made it through dinner, and retreated to her room for your nightly massage. After you massaged her to sleep and tucked her in, you made your way back to your room. You slept well, knowing that when you woke up, estrus would finally be over. You'd have your old Rainbow back. God you couldn't wait.

The sleep was welcomed, dreamless, and utterly refreshing. When you woke up, you woke up to a smell that you'd gone so long without smelling, it was almost alien to you. You went through your morning routine of cleaning yourself, and headed down to the kitchen to find the source of that smell. When you got there, you found the source of that tantalizing odor. Eggs. Bacon, and eggs. Rainbow was making you eggs and motherfucking bacon.

"Rainbow?"

"Oh hey there Anon! Did you sleep well?"

"Rainbow... is that... bacon?"

"Sure is! I figured after all I put you through during estrus, I should pay you back somehow."

"I... But..."

"Hush. I'll worry about breakfast." She kissed you on the cheek, and ushered you into a chair. Breakfast was devoured in seconds. If estrus meant bacon; by god, bring on fucking estrus. Rainbow didn't turn away when you ate it either. She actually seemed excited to know if she had cooked it right or not. Suffice it to say it was one of the best bacon and egg breakfasts you'd ever had.

"So, I have an idea on how to celebrate estrus being over."

"Oh? More than a bacon and egg breakfast?" She giggled, but carried on.

"Yeah. I was thinking we could go to the park."

"Sounds good to me."

"Awesome! I'll show you some moves I've been working on! And we can have a picnic! And--"

"Rainbow. I get the idea. So we going or what?" She squees. God that was cute. She flies you down to Ponyville, and opts to walk with you rather than fly next to you. You observed quite a number of mares and stallions alike that seemed agitated.

"Rainbow, why does everypony look soo..."

"Irritated? Estrus. If you hadn't... did what you did last night... I probably wouldn't be much different from them." Makes sense. Emotional turmoil and all. You follow Rainbow to the park, and find a bench to sit down at. Rainbow proceeds to strut her stuff. You had to admit, some of that looked pretty cool. You weren't the only one who thought so either. A little orange pegasus had taken up a seat on the bench beside you.

"She's awesome, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is pretty awesome."

"How cool would it be to hang out with THE Rianbow Dash for a day?" You look over at the little filly before you answer.

"I live with her." She turns her attention to you and her jaw drops.

"No way. You can't! She lives in a cloud! You don't have any wings!"

"Twilight used a cloud walking spell on me, and Rainbow carries me to and from her house." Congrats, you'd managed to fascinate the little filly.

"That’s. AWESOME. What’s your name, mister?"

"I'm Anon. What's your name, kiddo?"

"I'm Scootaloo!"

"Nice to meet you Scootaloo."

"So how'd you manage to get to live with Rainbow Dash?"

"It's a long story--"

"I've got time!" About that time, Rainbow flew down to see what was going on.

"Hey Anon, I see you've met Scootaloo."

"Yeah, she was just asking about how we met."

"Was she?"

"Yeah!"

"It's a long story squirt. I'll have to tell you some time. For now though, I've got some plans with my special--" with that, she turned her attention to you.

"You've got a special somepony!? Who is it? You gotta tell me!" At that, Rainbow leaned in and kissed you on the cheek. Scootaloo's jaw dropped. "No way. You're dating an ALIEN?"

"Yep."

"That’s. AWESOME. I gotta go tell my friends!" And then she was gone.

"Sorry about that, she's a little...."

"Obsessed?"

"...yeah, kind of."

"She's cute."

"Yeah, maybe now. You should've seen the articles she put about me in her little school newspaper..."

"Oh? I'd like to, actually."

"NO! Uuhh, no. No, there aren't any copies left."

"But--"

"Nevermind Scootaloo. This picnic is for you, and me, remember?"

"Right." You reach down and collect the basket you'd prepared. You'll have to talk with Scootaloo about that paper later. In the meantime however, you've got a picnic with your special somepony to enjoy. After the picnic, the two of you laid on the blanket and looked at the clouds. Something you hadn't done in quite some time.

You couldn't even remember the last time you just looked at the clouds. It brought back feelings of joy. Wondrous joy. The two of you laid there for hours, enjoying doing nothing in particular. Eventually, the sun started going down. You hadn't realized how long you'd been out. Hope you didn't burn. The two of you collected your picnic belongings, and headed back home.

"Ya know Rainbow, I really enjoyed that."

"Yeah, me too. It's been a while since I've done something like that."

"Yeah... same here." With that, she flew the two of you back to her house. Estrus was over. You'd just spent a glorious afternoon with Rainbow Dash. No princess was trying to kill you or lock you away. You weren't in the damn hospital. Were things finally starting to look up? Don't think things like that. Fate will hear you and fuck you all up.

Well, tomorrow starts you back to work. And actual work. You're going to meet Apple Jack and see what all you can help with around the farm. You needed the extra income, considering you spent all the money Vinyl paid you on your house. Which reminds you, you need to check on that project, see how far along it is. You also wanted to track down that Scootaloo and find out just what it was that Rainbow didn't want you reading about. That’s another thing to put on your list of shit to get done: learn to read pony.

You make it back home, and the two of you cook dinner together. It felt good. Yeah, you could get used to being with Rainbow. After the two of you finished dinner, you both headed to your respective rooms, and slept. The next morning took no time what so ever getting there, and so your day began. Rainbow dropped you off at the square, but she wanted to make sure something was known. Before she flew off to work, she kissed you.

She wanted to make sure that everyone knew that if they messed with you, they'd have to deal with her. After her little display, she flew off to work. Ignoring the giggles of a couple mares and the approval of more than a few stallions, you made your way to Sweet Apple Acres. Once you traversed the huge pathway from the gate to the actual barn, you were greeted by Apple Bloom.

"Hey there Anon! You're just in time! Follow me, we can get you started right now!"

"Sounds good Apple Bloom. Where's Apple Jack? I should probably let her know I'm here."

"AJ? I dunno, but I'll find her and let her know, okay?"

"Okay. So, what you got for me to work on?"

"Well, all the repairs from the fire are done, so that really only leaves bucking apples, or takin the apples back to the barn."

"Bucking apples?"

"Yeah, ya know, you hit an apple tree and collect the apples."

"Can't say I've ever heard of it."

"It's easy! C'mon, I'll show ya!" You followed the little pony out to the orchard, and she led you to a tree. She placed a couple of empty baskets around the tree, and turned and started kicking the tree. When nothing happened, she started looking nervous.

"Uuuhh... he he...." She tried again and again, but still nothing. She was just about to give up, when another pony came up and kicked the tree. Hard. All the apples fell out of the tree and landed into the baskets. Why did none of the apples miss the baskets? You look over to the new pony. This pony was big. And red. And wearing... a harness?

"I take it you're part of the Apple family too?"

"Eeyup."

"This is mah brother. His name is Big Macintosh. Big Mac, where's AJ? Anon here was gunna start workin today."

"I don't know Apple Bloom."

"Darn it. Where could she be? Oh well, we'll just have to get started without her. Anon, Big Mac will buck the apples, seein as he's real good at it, while you an me take the baskets of apples back to the barn."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Nice to meet you Big Mac."

Big Mac looked you over for a second, before replying with "Eeyup." After that short introduction, you follow Apple Bloom's lead, and start placing empty baskets under trees with Apples in them. Every tree that had empty baskets under it, Big Mac would go up and kick. Every time, all the apples would fall straight into the baskets. This place. The physics, they bother you. Then again, you were dating a cyan pegasus.

You helped Apple Bloom move apples for the better half of the day. It wasn't hard work, it was just damn repetitive. And Apple Jack was still nowhere to be found. When lunch time finally rolled around, the three of you took a break. An older pony called Granny Smith came out and brought some lunch. Well, she came out, took one look at you, and promptly went back inside.

Apple Bloom brought you some lunch and apologized for Granny Smith's behavior. While you were eating your apples and drinking your apple juice, you and Apple Bloom talked about nothing in particular. That is, until Scootaloo showed up.

"Hey there Scootaloo! What're you doin here?"

"Hey Apple Bloom! Have I got a story for you! It's about Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo hadn't seen you when she came in, and was too excited to notice you when you turned to pay attention to her.

"Really? What's so excitin?"

"Well, I was in the park the other day, and I saw the alien looking up at the clouds, right?"

"Oh, you mean--"

"Turns out, he was watching Rainbow Dash! So I sat down next to him, and was watching Rainbow with him, when I found out, he was LIVING with Rainbow Dash!"

"That's cool Scootaloo bu--"

"And then, Rainbow came down to talk to him, and turns out, Rainbow is dating the alien! Isn't that weird?" Apple Bloom chuckled nervously and turned towards you.

"Scootaloo, meet Anon. He's working for mah sister to earn a little extra money." Scootaloo's turn to laugh nervously.

"Hi there Scootaloo."

"Uhhh... ummm... PLEASE DON'T EAT ME!"

"Wha? Anon's not gunna eat you, are you Anon?" You get a laugh out of this, but restrain yourself so that you don't terrify the little ponies.

"No, I'm not going to eat you Scootaloo."

"Phew."

"But I might tell Rainbow about what you were saying." Her fear returns in an instant.

"Oh no! Please! Just eat me instead! It'll be less painful! Please don't tell Rainbow, please please please!"

"Scootaloo, I was kidding."

"Pleas-- oh. Wait, about the not eating me or the telling Rainbow?"

"About telling Rainbow. I won't tell Rainbow, if you tell me about this newspaper article that she doesn't want me to know about."

"Oh boy." Fear of your alien powers and having to deal with an angry Rainbow powering her, Scootaloo told you about the article. Apparently, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and a little unicorn named Sweetie Belle used to write for their school newspaper. Under some sort of strange administration, they were told to publish some rather harsh stories. One of them was about Rainbow's visit to a spa.

You didn't see what the big deal was, but apparently Rainbow was a bit upset about it. You supposed you could see why. You wouldn't want a newspaper to publish an article about you without asking. Though Rainbow's reaction did seem a bit... over the top. Apparently she'd chased the three of them down with a thundercloud, zapping at them with lightning and raining on them. A little reminder as to just what Rainbow could do. You finish up your lunch while Scootaloo and Apple Bloom chat away. Something about some sort of new card game that started in a place called Fillydelphia or something like that.

"It was nice ta see ya Scootaloo, but me and Anon got some work to do. I'll see ya later, okay?"

"Okay, see ya later Apple Bloom! Goodbye mister alien!"

"Bye, Scootaloo." She pulls a scooter out of what appeared to be nowhere, and left. Scootaloo rides a scoo- MOVING ON.

You resumed your work of moving baskets of apples from the orchard to the barn. A simple, albeit redundant, task. But the house was going to take the majority of your income, so you needed every bit you could get. Besides, the company wasn't bad. You and Apple Bloom would chat while heading to and from the barn. She'd tell you about her sister mostly. You hadn't really met Apple Jack, in the same sense that you hadn't really met Bon Bon or Berry Punch. Or Lyra.

You shuddered, thinking about her prodding eyes. What was the deal with her and your hands? Those eyes would haunt you for a long time. A hoof was being waved in your face.

"Anon? Ya in there?"

"Huh? Whazzat?" It was Apple Bloom. Apparently you'd petrified yourself with Lyra's stare.

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"Ya wanna talk about it?"

”No no, it's nothing to worry about."

"You say so. C'mon, we're almost done fer the day." About an hour later, the three of you had finished. Apple Jack STILL hadn't showed up. Apple Bloom told you that you'd get paid whenever AJ showed up. Time to wander off then. You made your way back to the Square. What can you do to kill time? There was still plenty of daylight left. You weren't exactly rolling in money either.

You'd managed, with the help of Vinyl, to get construction for a custom house started. It'd be made to suit you. No more crouching to get through doorways. No more undersized furniture. A full size fucking refrigerator. This was going to be a house for you. It was exciting; but, once again, you had to play the damned waiting game. Really though, you shouldn't be complaining too much. You were almost thrown in prison. For existing. Was Celestia really that much of a Tyrant?

Why would she be so unnecessarily harsh and intrusive to Rainbow Dash? Was it all a ploy to get you mad so that she'd have an excuse to lock you up? Why? It doesn't make much sense. From what Rainbow and Twilight had told you, she didn't SEEM like a Tyrannical leader. Well, at least you have Luna on your side. More or less. You're not sure if she's protecting you because she believes what she said, or to really get at her sister. Doesn't matter now.

What matters now is killing time. So that you could spend more time with your Dashie. Eventually you wound up sitting down at a bench. And thinking about life. More specifically, Rainbow Dash. You liked her, sure. Okay, you liked her a lot. Sooner or later, you know she's gonna want to--Yup. Figured as much. So what are you gonna-- Dunno. What do you mean you don't know? You can't avoid that forever. Noted. Fine. Don't think about it. Sooner or later, you'll have to make a decision.

The sun made its way lower painstakingly slowly. But dusk finally came. A few minutes later, Rainbow found you and sat down next to you.

"Hey Anon." And the snuggling up to you commenced. You put your arm around her.

"Hey Dashie." Yeah, things were finally looking up. For about ten seconds. There was a flash of light, and what sounded like a camera snap. You were slightly disoriented from the flash, but you could just barely make out a small pony running off from some bushes. This can't be good.

"What was that?"

"It sounded like a camera." Dash sat upright. "Rainbow? What’s the matter?" She was silent for a minute.

"I have to find a place to bury some bodies."

"What? Why?"

"I can almost guarantee you that that was a certain pony working for a certain school newspaper."

"So what's the big deal?"

"The big deal? They're going to try and use that picture to make a laughing stock of me!"

"Do I embarrass you?" She gave you a confused look.

"What? No!"

"Then what's the big deal if a newspaper gets a photo of us together?" She thought for a couple seconds, before realizing how she was coming across. Immediately, you were violated by a death grip hug.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."

"Don't worry about it Dash."

"No! It was mean! I was--" You cut her off by planting a kiss on her lips. It was still an odd sensation, kissing a pony. But it got her attention. You broke off the kiss, and she just stared at you.

"And that, Rainbow Dash, is what I think about the whole thing."

"But... bu--"

"No buts about it. Do you like me?"

"Of course! Bu--"

"I said no buts. Your opinion is the one that matters to me. Not some newspaper and certainly not another pony's." She smiled, and strengthened her death grip clutch hug on you. Oxygen deprivation becoming a concern to you, you stand up. She didn't let go. Well, so much for that plan. You manage to gasp out a suggestion to Rainbow.

"Rainbow, why don't we head on home?" She looks up at you. That damn face. She flies around you and grips you.

"Sounds like a plan to me." With that, you're off. Yes. Things were looking up. The cool air of the night beginning to settle in. You and Rainbow relaxing on the bit of cloud that was her porch. Rainbow gripping you in an unyielding grip of hug. Yeah, it was moments like this that you'd hold on to the longest. Damn, since when did you get so mushy? Probably something to do with magic or some shit.

The next day came all too quickly. It was going to be one of those days, you could already tell. When you woke up, you felt like you didn't actually sleep any. You forgot to turn on the -hot- water in the shower. You even burnt your damn toast. Fuck. Yeah, one of those days. As you were munching away at your overly crispy breakfast creation, there was a knock at the door.

Rainbow was running around trying to find a helmet or something, so you went and answered the door. It was a familiar gray mail pegasus.

"Hi there Derpy, what can I do for you?"

"Oh Hi Anon! Theres a new issue of Gabby Gums out, and I kind of figured Rainbow would want a copy." She reaches into her mail sack and fishes out a rolled up newspaper. How she gripped it with her hooves is beyond you. But you needed to stop questioning things anyway.

"Thanks Derpy, I'll make sure she gets it." Derpy flies off to continue her route, and head back inside, shutting the door behind you.

"Who was that?"

"Derpy."

"Really? What'd she want?"

”She gave me a copy of a newspaper, said something about a 'Gabby Gums' or something." Rainbow stopped running around the kitchen at the mention of Gabby Gums. She darted over to you and snatched the newspaper out of your grasp.

"Lemme see that." You follow her over to the couch, and sit down next to her.

"Well, what's it say?" Rainbow was turning red. Not the cute red either.

"It's titled: 'Alien Love in Ponyville?'"

"Sounds innocent enough."

"Oh yeah? Here's some of the article: 'Not many ponies don't know about the newest addition to Ponyville, an Alien named Anon.' Anon has taken up residence with flying wonder, Rainbow Dash. Upon further investigation, we've found evidence that Rainbow has a romantic interest in the alien. A strange pair, you might say, but is it really all..." Rainbow trailed off at that point.

"Rainbow? What's wrong?" Rainbow wasn't red anymore. No, she was actually starting to tear up.

"Do you have your things ready for today?"

"Yes, but what--"

"Then we should get you to Ponyville."

"But--" Before you had a chance to argue, Rainbow had you in her grip and you were half way to Ponyville. She dropped you off rather violently, and when you turned around to ask her what was wrong, she was already flying away. She must really be upset about that article, whatever it said. Maybe Twilight would be able to help you out.

You headed over to the library, but when spike answered, he said that Twilight was sick today. Well, darn. Maybe Vinyl could shed some light on this article? It sucks not being able to read. You made your way over to her auditorium, all the while getting strange reactions from ponies on the street. Some mares would give you rather disgusted looks, while some of the stallions would whistle at you. The fuck?

You finally make it to the auditorium, and the guards let you in without so much as a second glance. At least they're dedicated. You found Vinyl in her room, lounging on her bed.

"Hey Anon! What brings you here?" she asked, sitting up.

"I was wondering if you could help me with something. Can you tell me what this article says?"

"Sure, lemme see." You hold up the newspaper and point to the article. Vinyl grips the paper with her magic, and scrunches her face up. After a minute or so, you've started to grow impatient.

"Well? What's it say?"

"Not much, it's mostly going on about you and Rainbo-- oh."

"Oh? Good oh or bad oh?"

"Bad oh."

"Don't leave me guessing, what's it sa--"

"It says that you're cheating on Rainbow."

"WHAT?"

"With me."

Fuck.

Chapter 9: Dissonance

Surely Rainbow wouldn't just take a newspaper article at face value. Right? The paper had not only upset Rainbow, but it had the audacity to drag Vinyl in as well. You looked over at Vinyl.

"I'm sorry they dragged you into this Vinyl. I don't kn--"

"Don't worry about it babe. I think we should focus on getting you and Rainbow sorted out as fast as possible though."

"Yeah, I think you're right. Do you know where this school is? Maybe we could talk to the teacher in charge or something."

"I know where it is, but I think we should get Rainbow first. She really needs to be kept in the loop with this sort of thing."

"Good point."

"Any ideas on where she is?"

"She said she was going to work, but I don't know where that is."

"Hmmm... I think I know just the pony for a job like this." You follow Vinyl back to Ponyville, a couple guards right behind you. The guard's presence seemed to stave off the looks you'd gotten on your way to the auditorium. You followed Vinyl to what could only be a bakery of some sort. Cakes in the windows, a picture of a cake on the sign hanging above the door, the place even smelled like cakes from outside.

"A bakery, Vinyl? I thought we were going to find Rainbow, not get something to eat." Your answer is a swift but light knock in the shoulder.

"Duh. The pony I told you about works here though." You follow her inside while the guards wait outside. Almost as soon as you close the door, a pony yells a greeting from the other side of the room.

"Hi there Anon! Hi Vinyl! What brings you to Sugarcube Corner today?!" You turned to find Pinkie Pie bounding towards you.

"Hi Pinkie Pie! Listen, I need your help with something."

"Sure thing Scratch! What 'cha need help with?"

"We're trying to find Rainbow Dash. I don't know if you've read the recent Gabby Gums article, but--"

"Of course I've read it! But everpony knows that Gabby Gums is just a bunch of hooey, why do you need Rainbow Dash?"

"Well--"

"She read the article this morning, and was rather upset."

"You don't think she'd believe something like that do you? I mean come ON! She had to deal with an article about Gabby Gums a while ago."

"She seemed pretty upset this morning. I just need to talk to her, make sure everything is okay. Can you help us find her?"

"Of course! You aren't really cheating on her are you? You don't strike me as the type of pony that'd do something like that!"

"Absolutely not! I would never do something like that to Rainbow!"

"Good! I knew I was right about you, Anon! You and Rainbow make just the cutest couple!" After Pinkie gathers some strange looking utensils into a saddle bag, you and Vinyl follow her to the Ponyville Park.

"Um, Pinkie, I don't think Rainbow works at the park."

"Oh of course not silly filly! She works at the weather factory in Cloudsdale!"

"Then... why are we here?"

"You'll see!"

Vinyl leaned over and whispered to you, "I've learned to not question Pinkie Pie. Your brain will hurt less." Right. Pinkie looks up at one of the clouds, and starts hollering at it.

"Hey Rainbow! It's Pinkie! I need to talk to you!"

"Go away Pinkie. I want to be alone right now."

"But Rainbow!"

"Go AWAY Pinkie!" Pinkie gets a determined look on her face, before plunging it into the depths of her saddle bag. This won't end well. Pinkie re-emerges from her bag with what could only be described as... well, a cannon.

"Uuuhhh, Pinkie..."

"Don't worry Anon! I got this!" Pinkie puts on a helmet, and secures herself in the cannon. How she fit a full on cannon in that bag, you don't exactly want to know. A few seconds later, the cannon fires Pinkie straight at one of the clouds. She flew right through it. No Rainbow there. The stunt didn't fail in getting Rainbow's attention though.

"Pinkie! Hold on! I'm coming!" From your perspective, all that you saw consisted of a Rainbow appearing from another cloud, and nailing Pinkie in midair. A minute or so later, Rainbow was heading for the Park carrying Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, you should know better than to do-- oh. It's you."

"Rainbow, listen--"

"No. If you're happier with Vinyl, then fine."

"Rainbow! He's not cheating on you! You think I'd let him do something so stupid?" Rainbow glared at Vinyl.

"I didn't think he would, but Gabby Gums hasn't lied before! It's always been the truth! It's been stretched before, but it's always wound up being true!"

"Will you at least give me a chance to explain? You just up and disappeared on me this morning." She returned her glare to you.

"Fine."

"Okay, so; I'm not cheating on you. I can see how someone might think that, but Vinyl is my friend and my boss. Consequently, we spend a lot of time together." Rainbow huffed, but didn't say anything. "I don't know who wrote the article, but they didn't talk to any of us, did they?"

"Well... no."

"Then we all know that they're making this stuff up."

"....I guess you're right. But it seemed so... likely."

"You silly filly! You should know better than to believe a Gabby Gums article! Remember last year?"

"...Yeah."

Vinyl chimed in a little something that boosted your ego ever so slightly. "Besides, he's loyal to you Rainbow. To separate you two, somepony would have to kill one of you." Rainbow looked at you now.

"I think we should have a talk when we get home. For now though, I need to find a place to bury some bodies." Pinkie was a little too eager to help out with that.

"I know some places! Oh there’s a good spot no pony would look over under--"

"Pinkie, sometimes I worry about you." Vinyl said.

"Besides, I think we should talk to the school's newspaper editor first. Get all this sorted out where it started."

"I agree with Anon. The school should be our first stop. We need to put an end to these kinds of stories before they start" said Vinyl.

"Fine. But Pinkie, I might need you to help me find some of those spots later."

"Sure thing Rainbow! Anyways, I gotta get back to Sugarcube Corner before the cakes get super busy!"

"Okay Pinkie. Thanks for helping us."

"No problem Vinyl! I'll see you guys later!" With that, she was off.

"To the school then?"

"Yup. To the school. Rainbow, no thunder clouds."

"But--"

"No thunder clouds."

"Fiiine."

"I'll just threaten to eat them if they publish an article like that again."

"ANON!"

"What? I won't eat them, you know that."

"Besides, it'd be great! Anon, I don't know why I ever thought you'd cheat on me."

"You guys are starting to gross me out with all this mushy stuff. Let’s get going already." As the three of you approached the school, Vinyl got ahead of you and Rainbow. "You two wait out here, while I go and find the teacher" she said as she made her way towards the school entrance.

"Hold on a sec Vinyl. Why do we have to wait here?"

"Because you're ready to murder somepony; And Anon, no offense, but you're an alien." She makes a valid point.

"Now wait just a m--"

"She's right Rainbow. We can wait out here."

"Fine" Rainbow huffed.

”Besides," you said as Vinyl entered the school, "don't you like spending time with your special somepony?" Rainbow seemed to calm down a bit.

"Yeah, I guess so" you heard her say as she scooted closer to you. A couple minutes later, Vinyl emerged from the school with a purple pony following her.

"Guys, this is Ms. Cheerilee. She's in charge of the school."

"Oh my. I understand why Ms. Scratch said you were a unique pony, Anon. Pleased to meet you." You nodded your head, and almost got the opportunity to reply. Almost.

"So what’s the big idea publishing an article about me and him, huh?! Why would you let your students do that?"

"Rainbow, calm down."

"But--"

"Easy. Eeeeaaaasssy. I'm sure Ms. Cheerilee can answer your questions, you've just got to calm down and LET her." Rainbow growled a little, but remained quiet. "Good. Now then, Ms. Cheerilee, why did you let your students print an article like that?"

"You see Anon, I'm not directly involved with the school newspaper. I choose an editor, and the rest is up to the students." You could feel the outburst waiting to jump from Rainbow, so you cut her off at the pass and scratched behind her ears. That distracted her long enough for Ms. Cheerilee to continue.

"Occasionally, I'll give a student a chance against my better judgment. I decided to let a student try her hoof once more at participating in the newspaper, but it appears she hasn't changed a bit. I'm terribly sorry about all of this, I'll have her and her team publish an apology article in the next issue. I don't care for these gossip articles, but my editor doesn't seem to care much about other pony's feelings. If you three will wait here, I'll go and get the press team that is responsible for the inflammatory article about you, and they'll apologize, personally."

"Thank you Ms. Cheerilee, but all we want is for the air to be cleared about myself and Rainbow Dash."

"I think apologizing to you personally will do these fillies some good. I really think it would help their apology letter be ever more so sincere."

Before you can reply, Rainbow answers "I'd like to meet the little squirts behind that Gabby Gums mask."

"Great! I'll be right back." As the door to the school shuts behind Ms. Cheerilee, you turn to Rainbow.

"Rainbow! There's no need for that!"

"She said that a face to face apology would make the letter more sincere, didn't she? C'mon Vinyl, back me up here!"

"She is right, Anon."

"You can't be serious Vinyl."

"Oh, I'm dead serious. You ever had to apologize to somepony face to face before? It's a lot harder than writing them a letter."

"But--"

"No buts! I didn't get to bring thunderclouds, so I'm at least going to meet the little pip squeaks." You recall a certain phrase. Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear. You're getting a two for one deal today. Ms. Cheerilee had led three young ponies back to the three of you. Trailing behind a pair of fillies that carried themselves just a little too... uppity, was a tiny little off-white colt.

"Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, Feather Weight, I believe you owe these ponies an apology."

"Feather Weight? You're working for these two?" Feather Weight looked over at Vinyl, and his eyes got huge.

"I'm so sorry Ms. Scratch, please don't tell my dad!" The little colt's eyes were watering. Big time.

"Listen guys, Feather Weight's dad works for me. He's my security chief. I think I should take Feather Weight to see his dad."

"Why?"

"Just trust me on this Rainbow."

"I dunno..."

"Go ahead and take him to his dad, Vinyl. Do what you gotta do; we'll meet up later at the auditorium."

"Alright. Let’s go Feather Weight."

"Y-yes Ms. Scratch..." Feather Weight didn't seem too happy about being taken to his dad. Though, you couldn't blame him. Being taken to your parents by their boss? Yeah, that’s the beginnings of hell right there. Wonder who his dad is? Have you met him before, perhaps? Come to think of it, why haven't you met Vinyl’s security chief yet? You'll have to meet the pony sometime. For now, you've been busy not restraining Rainbow from tearing the little fillies a new one.

"WHY IN EQUESTRIA WOULD YOU WRITE SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! IT'S A COMPLETE LIE, AND YOU INSULTED US AS A COUPLE! NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOU HAD TO GO AND DRAG VINYL INTO THIS! WHAT--"

"Rainbow-"

"--WOULD POSESS YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?? DO YOU ENJOY TRYING TO RUIN OTHER PONIES LIVES OR SOMETHING?? MAYBE SOMEPONY--"

"Rainbow."

"--SHOULD WRITE AN ARTICLE ABOUT YOU TWO! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT?? DO YOU THINK--"

"RAINBOW!"

"--WHAT?!"

"Calm down." She glared at you for a minute, before settling for an angry scowl towards the two fillies.

"Now then. We accept your apology." The pink pony, whom you figured to be Diamond Tiara from... well the tiara she was wearing, laughed at your statement.

"Ha! I told you he was spineless Silver Spoon! And to think, you were worried. Ha! He's dating 'Rainbow Dash' for Celestia's sake!"

"HEY! WHAT'RE YOU TRYIN TO SAY?!"

"I'm saying, that your little pet alien over there probably just bends over backwards and takes orders from you. My father told me about you, and how you'd probably never get a special somepony. I can see he was right." You looked over at Rainbow. Her expression was not one you wanted to see again. She was enraged, that much was obvious, but she was tearing up.

Your turn to get pissed. Nobody insults your Dashie like that. You think for a brief second about telling Vinyl you wouldn't do what you're about to do. Fuck it. They crossed a line. You muster your most intimidating and primal growl you can. Not much, but it had the effect you were hoping for. Unwavering attention to the big fuck alien that just growled. You beard your eye teeth at them.

"If you ever talk to my special somepony like that again, I can't promise I'll hold back like I did this time." The other filly, whom you assumed at this point to be Silver Spoon, turned ghost white. Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I haven't eaten much meat recently. Try me" you say, bearing your teeth once more. Diamond's turn to change colors to ghost white. Yeah, you'd say that did the trick. It almost felt a little cruel. Almost. But that bitch needed to be put in her god damn place. She's like the annoying little kid that parents take to the supermarket because they're brain damaged and enjoy their child’s wailing screams. Ms. Cheerilee ushered the two fillies back inside, and returned to you and Rainbow Dash.

"Mister, Anon, was it? I do hope you--"

"No Ms. Cheerilee, I'm not going to do anything to them."

"Good. I suppose that little display had the desired effect at any rate."

"It'd better, or I might--"

"Rainbow." She huffed, but kept quiet. "Thank you for the apology Ms. Cheerilee. We'll be glad to have the air cleared."

"I'll make sure to take extra care when appointing my next editor. Again, I'm terribly sorry this whole ordeal happened." With that, you and Rainbow say your goodbyes to Ms. Cheerilee, and start heading towards Vinyl's auditorium.

"That was pretty cool Anon."

"Nobody gets to mess with my Dashie but me." She blushes, and rewards you with a light sock in the arm.

"So where are we going now?"

"I figure we'd better meet up with Vinyl and let her know everything is taken care of."

"Probably a good idea. …Nonny."

"Did you just--"

"Nonny! It's perfect!" Great. Now you've gotten yourself a pet name.

"I guess that levels the playing field.... Dashie."

"Whatever you say... Nonny” she says as she sticks her tongue out at you. A couple minutes later, the two of you arrived at Vinyl's auditorium. You hadn't run like that in a while. It was worth it to see Dash smiling again though. Now, you needed to sit down and rest for a minute. Rainbow plopped down next to you, and took a breather. Even being toned by the overdose of healing magic didn't prepare you for the spontaneous race with Rainbow. You'd kept your top speed for the entire race. Which wasn't exactly short. One end of Ponyville to the other. But you made it, and it looked like Dash was at least a little out of breath too.

You looked over to her, and she looked over to you. You held out your fist, and she bumped hooves with it. A second later, you swipe her up in a hug.

"Hey, what’s the big--"

"It was good to see you smile Dashie."

"Aww great. You're getting me all mushy again."

After your short break, you and Rainbow head into the auditorium to meet up with Vinyl. As you're heading in, the two of you are greeted by Vinyl, Feather Weight, and a rather large white pegasus.

"Hey guys, this is Snowflake, Feather Weight's dad, and my chief of security." He was huge. All muscle. With tiny little wings. Would you point out the wings? Not if you valued a good portion of the bones in your body. You'd swear he ate nothing but raw steroids. As you were pondering just how much of him was muscle and how much was tumor, you realized he was speaking.

"--like I said before Ms. Dash, my son would never do something like this, unless he had a really good reason."

"Oh? And just what was his reason?"

"From what I understand, the other Pony was threatening to get me fired. I've told Feather time and again, that it's Ms. Scratch that makes those decisions, not anypony else."

"Wait, so one of those other ponies threatened to try and get you fired if your son didn't do what they wanted?"

"That’s the gist of it." Those manipulating little dickheads.

"Well, as far as I am concerned, I think the whole situation regarding the article about us has been taken care of. I'd recommend that you talk to Ms. Cheerilee about what the other students said to Feather Weight."

"I think I'll do just that. Ms. Vinyl, I'd like to ask for the afternoon off to take care of this mess. I'm terribly sorry my son contributed in any way to that whole mess of an article."

"I don't blame your son for what happened. If anything, he takes some fine photos. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if someone was threatening my family."

"Thank you very much Mr. Anon! It's a shame we haven't met before, especially considering we both work for Ms. Scratch."

"We'll have to fix that some time. Oh, and if those two fillies give you or your son any more trouble, let me know. I think I have a method for dealing with them that works pretty well."

Feather Weight said his apologies before him and his father leaving for the school. Vinyl had told him to take all the time he needed.

"That was very generous of you Vinyl, considering he's your security chief."

"Family is important, especially to those two. Snowflake's wife died after giving birth to Feather Weight. Besides, he never asks for time off other than his son's birthday."

"Wow. Quite the dedicated father."

"You could say that. Anyway, I think he'll be fine. He's actually a really nice pony, once you get to know him. And you have to catch him while he's not working out."

"I was starting to wonder if those muscles were real or not."

"Why? You worried Dashie?"

"Maybe a little. For you anyways." You rough up her mane for that one.

"Hey!"

"Will you two PLEASE get a room? You're making me nauseous." You reached over and roughed up Vinyl's mane too. Just so she wouldn't feel left out. She gave you a deadpan look. That, in combination with her mane slightly frizzed, almost made you laugh it up right there. Rainbow didn't contain herself so well, and started giggling. Vinyl groaned and started heading for her room.

"I'll see you tomorrow Anon. We've got actual work to do."

"See you then, Vinyl." You led Rainbow, who was still in a giggling fit, back outside. "So, what do you wanna do now?" After her giggling calmed down enough for her to complete a sentence, she suggested a trip to the park. She'd said something about wanting to practice some flying maneuvers. "Why practice? You fly every day, isn't that practice enough?"

"One day, I'm gonna try out for the Wonderbolts! When I do, I'll need my BEST moves to impress them!"

"What are the Wonderbolts?"

Several hours later, you'd been taught every intimate detail you'd ever want to know about the Wonderbolts. And some you won't soon be able to forget. Did you really need to know that Spitfire favored long walks and a quieter social life? No. Did you want to know why Sorian liked pie so much? No. But you couldn't easily forget that little tidbit of information. At least the two of you were alone at the park. Would've been hard to explain that particular conversation away. Now that Rainbow had finished showing you her moves that she wanted to use on the Wonderbolts; the two of you were just lying down in the grass, letting the day pass by.

For being a tomboyish, all-ahead-full pony, she sure had flying down to an art. Grace wouldn't be the word you'd use to describe what she did. Could someone describe Rainbow as graceful? Sure. Would you? No. It didn't quite fit. What did? Stunning. Yeah, stunning could work. By now, the sun was low in the sky. There were still a couple hours of daylight though.

"Hey Anon, I have an idea. Wait here."

"Where are you--?"

"Trust me" was all she said before zooming off into the sky. A couple minutes later, and she's returned with a frisbee in her mouth.

"Rainbow, what are you--" Before you can finish your sentence, she tosses the frisbee at you. You reach out and catch it, rising to a standing posture in the process. Yeah, it was a frisbee. Totally happening. You threw the frisbee out past her, and she darted out and caught it. Moments later, it was on a return path towards your general direction. You had to race to catch it, but you caught it. This little game of catch went on for a while. Simple. Care-free. Fun. With your Dashie. Up until a certain little pony showed up.

"Oh how cute! Playing fetch with your little pet, Ms. Rainbow Dash?" That caught Rainbow off guard, and messed with her focus. The frisbee nailed her in the gut, and fell to the ground. Rainbow wasn't too phased by the hit, so much as the insult the little pony had uttered. Did Diamond Tiara have a death wish or something?

"What did you say?"

"I said, that’s pretty cute! Playing fetch with your little alien pet!" You could see the rage emanating from Rainbow. Before you could intervene, she had reached the ground at an incredible speed. She was approaching Diamond Tiara, who was now backing away and starting to cry. This didn't look good. Diamond Tiara was up to something.

"JUST WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DAUGHTER!"

"Hey! She just showed up and started insulting my special somepony!"

"And that gives you the right to attack a little filly!?"

"WHAT!? I DIDN'T TOUCH YOUR ROTTEN FOAL!"

"HOW DARE YOU--"

"HEY! BOTH OF YOU! CALM DOWN!"

"AND JUST WHO-- oh, I see. The alien my daughter told me about. The one that threatened to eat her."

"I never threatened anything. Whatever your daughter implies is your concern, not mine. Why don't you and your daughter just leave me and Rainbow alone?"

"I'm afraid that’s out of the question. You'll be hearing from my legal staff, Mr. Anon." Before you or Rainbow could respond, the pair had trotted off. The peace and quiet was good while it lasted. You and Rainbow headed back home. One could say you had some things to discuss. Like legal strategy.

”Why'd you do it, Rainbow?"

"What, scare her off? You and I both know she needs it! Spoiled little brat!"

"While we both agree she's a spoiled foal, there are better ways to handle situations like that."

"That's fine and all, but I wasn't going to just sit there and let her insult my special somepony!"

"Well, what's done is done. What do you think Diamond's father is going to do?" After settling on the couch, Rainbow let out a sigh before answering.

"I don't know Nonny; but I'd bet it's not going to be good." You go over and plop down next to Rainbow.

"I think maybe we should talk to Twilight about this. She'd know what to do, or what to expect, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you're probably right. It can wait until the weekend though. This whole newspaper thing really got to me." Taking your cue, you start administering one of your massages to Rainbow. A couple hours later, after Rainbow solidified once again, the two of you had finished a quick dinner and gone to bed.

The next few days passed without incident. You'd go work with the Apples when Vinyl didn't need you, and Rainbow would go about her regular work routine. The apology article that the school paper published had done the trick, and you weren't getting anymore unwarranted attention. That is, until the weekend finally came. You were almost asleep, ready for the weekend to start, when you felt something poking you in the chest. You open your eyes to see a midnight blue pegasus unicorn.

"We need to talk."

You had managed to convince Luna to keep quiet, and the two of you made your way downstairs. After you found your regular position on Rainbow's couch, Luna began pacing.

"So what's going on, Luna?"

"Do you know a stallion named Filthy Rich?"

"I've run into him once, why?"

"He's pressing for legal action against you and Loyalty."

"Why?" She glared at you.

"You know exactly why. The two of you threatened his daughter."

"There's no way he doesn't know what she's like! This is ridiculous!"

"He is perfectly within his rights to take said action."

"But--"

"No buts. Do you know what will happen when he wins his case against the two of you?"

"When he wins? A little premature for a verdict, aren't you?"

"You have no case, Anon. You threatened a filly."

"He has no witnesses!"

"Are you denying you threatened the filly?"

"Well... no... But she deserved to be put in her place!"

"Now then. When you lose the case, he'll take everything you own. He'll want financial compensation from you. He knows you work for Vinyl, Anon. He's doing this for the money. Had it been any other pony, he wouldn't have pressed charges. He knows exactly how is daughter is."

"So... he's using his daughter to get as much money as he can?"

"Yes. He knows he can, so he'll hold nothing back." You sit in silence for a bit. Yeah, you're pretty fucked. He knows you have money, and he's going to do all he can to get it from you. Why? Because he fucking can. Conniving little bastard. If only there was something you had that he didn't... That’s it.

"Luna... he's pursuing me... with pony law."

"Astute observation, Anon" she says as she gives you a deadpan look.

"Hear me out on this. I just want to know if this will work."

"Go ahead" she sighs.

"Isn't it obvious? The courts hold no laws for a human. I can't be tried in a pony court." She considers what you said.

"Technically, you're right. I suppose it could be argued. That still leaves you with one problem."

"What's that? It's me he's after, right?"

"Yes, but if he can't get to you directly..."

"He'll go after me indirectly..."

"Through Loyalty." You look up towards Rainbow's room. She's going to get the book thrown at her because of you. God dammit.

”Is there anything I can do to stop him?" Luna averts her gaze.

"You... you could try and settle out of court with him. He might accept that."

"Well how much money does he want?"

Her gaze finds the floor. "All of it."

"But I don't have it! I used all the money Vinyl's been paying me to build my house!"

"Then there isn't anything you can do."

"Can't you talk to him? Get him to come to his senses?"

"You think I haven't? I want this proceeding to happen just about as much as you do, Anon. You're MY responsibility, remember?" She's right. That was part of the agreement you had with Celestia. There's no way this is going to go well.

"So... what can he legally do to Rainbow?" It's a good thing you were sitting down. There was nothing you could do. Rainbow would either lose everything she owned or go to prison. Because of you. "What about the newspaper article? Is there any way she could claim some sort of anger clause because of it or something?"

"There are such clauses, but her reputation would suffer greatly if she used anger as an excuse."

"That's out of the question. Won't her reputation get hit anyway? Because of the trial?"

"Certainly not. Filthy Rich is known for his conniving methods of acquiring money. This would simply be another of his trials to exploit the courts to his advantage." Great. You try and fight, you lose. You don't do anything, you lose. What you wouldn't give to have Phoenix Wright on your side right around now. At that moment, you head another voice.

"Hey Anon, what're you doing up at this-- PRINCESS LUNA!" After you calm Rainbow down, you and Luna explain to her what's going on. She's just as pissed as you are.

"We shall discuss this further tomorrow. I think the two of you should get some rest. You'll need it" Princess Luna said as she departed Rainbow's house. You turn to look at Rainbow.

"Rainbow, I'm so sorry I got you drawn into this. It's all my fa--"

"Don't even try to say that. I'd do it again. You and I both know that little brat deserved what she got."

"But Rainbow, her dad is going to take everything he can from you!"

"There's one thing he can't take from me." She looked you right in the eyes, a bit of tears accumulating. Then she answered the question you were about to ask. "You." You pulled her into a tight embrace.

"And I'll be damned if anyone thinks they can take you from me without a fight." The morning snuck up on you. While the sunlight felt warm on your body, you knew what else it meant. You, Rainbow, and Luna were going to have a conversation that wasn't going to be so pleasant. Your bed was warm, inviting, and reminding you constantly of how badly you didn't want to get up. The mare attached to the hoof draped over your chest wasn't too keen on letting you get up either. Mare. In your bed.

Oh god. What did you do? What did the two of you do?! You hurriedly make your way out of bed and begin your morning routine. You still had your underwear on. This was a good sign, right? After your shower and getting yourself dressed, you make your way down to the kitchen. Just need to clear your head is all. Surely you didn—

"Hey Anon." Moment of truth.

"Hey Rainbow... listen, we didn't--"

"No. We didn't. I know you're not ready for that yet." That. Was close. It's damn good Rainbow knows you so well. "Not that I'm not open to the idea..." You snapped your attention back to her. She had a kind of dreamy look on her face.

"I... I think that’s a conversation for another time, Dashie... We've got to--"

"Yeah... I know..." As if the universe could feel your desire to change the subject, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" You followed her to the door, and the two of you were greeted with a rather grumpy looking princess Luna. "Good morning Princess Lu--"

"Hello Loyalty. Anon. I do not mean to offend, but I am normally sleeping by this hour. Might we attend to the matters we discussed earlier as quickly as possible?" Princess Luna's sleep schedule wasn't exactly the same as anyone else's. She was the Princess of the Night, after all. After the three of you settled around Rainbow's kitchen table, the ever so unpleasant discussion began. You would be perfectly fine. Being an alien meant that the governing courts didn't recognize you. For the time being, this was good news.

It meant you couldn't be touched by that money-hungry Filthy Rich. Hell, you might even be able to get away with murder... Another time, perhaps. For now, you had to make sure Rainbow was going to be okay. Princess Luna had described what would happen if you didn't settle outside of court. Dashie could very well go to jail.

"That’s outrageous! There's no--"

"On the contrary, Anon. Considering the court is letting you off the hook so easily, AND on a technicality, you should be grateful. It could be worse."

"Alright then, what does he want?"

"Everything Loyalty owns."

"But--"

"Done." You looked over at Rainbow in awe. She wasn't one to give up so easily.

"Are you sure, Loyalty? Is this alien really worth everything you own?"

"And more. I'd do it all over again, Princess. I won't give him up."

"Rainbow--"

"No. I've made my decision. I don't care about this... stuff. I care about YOU Anon, and I'm not going to let some money hoarding pony try and come between us."

"....Very well then. Loyalty, I'll need you to sign some formal notices.... and then the deed will be done."

"That'll be the end of it?"

"Yes. Filthy Rich won't get any more lenience from the court. It's either this agreement, or a trial. Given his allure for money, I do not think he will risk losing it so easily. You do know what this means, Loyalty?" You knew what it meant.

"It means that I'll have to start over."

"That’s right. It may have more consequences than you--"

"I don't care. We're doing this. If it gets Filthy Rich off of our backs, then all the better." The two of you would have to find someplace to live. Wonder how your house is coming... Either way, looks like you'll be seeing Vinyl again real soon. At least, in one way or another, you'd finally be able to start providing for Rainbow, instead of the other way around. Rainbow dropped you off at the square, while she and Luna went to complete the legal paperwork. Since you were no longer involved in the tribulations, there wasn't much you could do anyway.

You sit down on a bench at the square, and begin mulling over life's great decisions. Well, not really. More like how to approach Rainbow's... needs. Had you not been so deep in thought, you would've noticed the green mare that took up the seat across from you. A rather peculiar green mare, with golden eyes that she just couldn't seem to take off of you. She seemed to notice you were distressed though, and hopped off of her bench and over to you.

"Hey there Anon, you okay?"

When you looked up to find her golden eyes, you jumped straight into the air. After you recovered from your landing, you finally settled down and realized that Lyra's intentions weren't that of murder, rape, or the violent removal of your hands. For now. After chatting with her for a bit, you realized she wasn't as bad as your subconscious would have you believe. She was actually rather caring. If only a little obsessed with your hands. Whenever you made any sort of gesture with them, she'd follow your movements closely.

"I'm sorry; I don't normally butt into other ponies business like that. I'm normally very quiet..."

"It's alright. I could use the company."

"Is that so? Been a rough morning?"

"That's putting it lightly. I'm going to head over to the Auditorium to meet Vinyl later today, got a few things to take care of." You had made sure not to let slip anything about your current predicament. Not that you didn't trust Lyra... But you didn't trust her. That stare that your subconscious planted in your dream wasn't going to go away easily. At the mention of Vinyl's name, Lyra perked right up.

"You know Vinyl? THE Vinyl Scratch?"

"You could say that. She's easily one of my best friends, not to mention my boss." Her jaw dropped.

"You. Work. For Vinyl?!"

"Yeah, I'm her 'Sound Boss,' why? Do you know her?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not that lucky! I LOVE her music! What I wouldn't give to meet her someday!" she said, after falling over rather dramatically onto your bench.

"I might just be able to help you out there, Lyra." Her eyes went wide.

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Sure, why not."

"I think I love you." You chuckled nervously, and got up to leave.

"I'll see what I can do. But for now, I've got some business to take care of. I'll see you around, Lyra."

"Right! See you later, Anon!" With that, you hastily made your way towards the auditorium. Hope Vinyl was in a good mood. As it turns out, she'd just woken up not long ago. It must be nice to be able to sleep in and not have to worry about anything. She was just telling you about a dream she'd had. Something about being a ghost.

"So what brings you to my humble auditorium today, Anon? Not that I don't mind the company."

"My house, actually. Any word on how far along it is?" She takes a sip of what had to be coffee of some sort or another, and furrows her brow in thought.

"I think it was 'bout halfway done or so when I asked last. Why?" Halfway done. Well, shit.

"Damn. I was hoping it'd be finished by now."

"It's a custom house, Anon; It’s bound to take time. Besides, what’s the rush? Don't you like living with Rainbow?" She was giving you a rather sly expression when she said that.

"It's great! But... well, let’s just say that things are going to be changing around there."

"What do you mean by that? I'm not in the mood for guessing games, Anon."

"It's been sold, through a court order. Rainbow is being evicted. By extension, that means I'm being evicted too." If Vinyl wasn't in a foul mood before, she was now.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" She calmed down a bit after you explained the situation to her. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've bought Rainbow's house and all of her stuff, so that Filthy couldn't touch it!"

"I thought about that, but I think Filthy would've tried to put Rainbow in prison if he couldn't get to her money. Doesn't matter now though, what's done is done."

"Yeah. I guess it is. That explains why you were so interested in your house."

"Would've been nice, but I guess I'll be staying at a ho--"

"With me."

"But--"

"But nothing. You and Rainbow are some of the best friends I have."

"I--"

"I told you, I'm not in the mood for games. You and Rainbow are staying with me until your house is finished. You got a problem with that?"

"Well, no--"

"Good! I'll set up your guys' room."

"Thanks. I think. Oh! There's one other thing..." Yeah, she wasn't in the mood to meet Lyra right now. Maybe later though. For now, you head back to the square to meet up with Rainbow. Vinyl, being in the fantastic mood that she was in, elected to stay behind and nap.

You found your park bench again. And your pesky life questions and what-if scenarios occupied your thoughts once more. What are you going to do now? What happens next? Why can't you seem to go more than a week without some sort of shit hitting the fan? It was all very frustrating. Rainbow's advances this morning didn't do much to ease your thoughts either. She had needs, and you weren't tending to them. It almost sounded cruel when you put it like that. Not to say that you didn't have needs either.

It was starting to bother you too. The solution was so simple; and yet, so very complicated. Was it really though? You're not going to see another human, ever. Might as well accept that as fact and move on. So do you stick to your morals about intimacy with an animal? Do those morals even apply here? Sure, you're different species; but you're both sentient, and you both care for each other. Rainbow was up for it; that much was clear. So what's stopping you, other than yourself?

The time for you to make a decision on that subject was closer now than it had ever been before. Rainbow needed you now more than ever. She, literally, just gave up every worldly possession she had for you. Whatever you had done, you didn't deserve anyone like her. For now, the best you can do is support Rainbow while she gets back on her hooves. Time to man the fuck up.

You gazed up at the sky, hearing the rumble of an approaching storm. Huh. Guess there was a storm scheduled for today. Fitting enough. It was a big one too, from what you could see. Guess it had been a while since Ponyville got a good drenching. The cold air of the approaching storm made you shiver. It was a good feeling. Refreshing. A couple minutes later, and you spotted Rainbow and Luna approaching. They weren't flying; they were walking down one of the paths towards the square.

Rainbow had a defeated and a quite depressing look on her features. Luna looked angry more than anything. Angry Luna is scary Luna. You got up off your bench, and headed towards the two ponies. When Rainbow spotted you, she looked down. Almost like she was ashamed to look at you or some shit. After you achieved speaking distance, Luna told you that the matter had been settled. Rainbow had given up everything she owned for you.

Before she could object, you gathered your little Dashie up into an embrace that could've been mistaken for a murder attempt. A few seconds of shock later, and she was returning your hug. Just as aggressively as you were delivering yours. When you finally broke the hug, you looked her in the eyes. Her beautiful magenta eyes. She'd been crying. The streaks on her cheeks were evident enough of that.

"I... I don't know what to do now, Anon..." You hushed her.

"You've done enough for me, now it's my turn. Everything will be okay, trust me." Her eyes were watering.

"I... I..." Before she could formulate a response, you kissed her on the lips. She was surprised for only a second, before she returned your kiss. When you broke the loving kiss, you could see that she'd stopped resisting and was freely crying now. It was at that moment that Luna chose to speak up once again.

"I do not mean to spoil the mood, but I do have a bit of information for you, Anon." You set Rainbow down, and the three of you headed over to your traditional bench. You and Rainbow sat down; Luna choosing to pace in front of you.

"So--"

"Upon your getting by on a technicality, the laws of Equestria are being reviewed. I would expect that they will be adjusted to apply to you." Okay, that much was practically expected. "I wouldn't worry too much about being bothered by Filthy Rich again. The press will see to that."

"What does the press have to do with this?"

"Filthy Rich just put an Element of Harmony out on the streets. I assure you; the press will not let a story like that slip by so easily." Great. More attention. It'd be nice to just relax and take things at your own pace for a while. Such a silly dream at this point. You still wanted to find a way to get back at Filthy Rich and his bitch daughter. Revenge is a dish best served cold, they say. Luna still had her scowl on though.

"So what else is bothering you, Princess?" She stopped pacing and looked over to you. "Honestly? You are, Anon."

"Me?"

"Him?"

"Yes. Ever since your arrival, there's been nothing but trouble. One might even call it chaos."

"Chaos? Princess, what are you--"

"I apologize, that was out of line. You have to understand, I should've been asleep long ago."

"Fair enough. I can see what you mean though, Princess. I'll do my best to keep a lower profile for a while." Luna seemed to relax a bit after hearing that.

"Very well. If the two of you will excuse me, I have some valuable sleep to catch up on."

"Princess Luna, before you go, there's one other thing."

"What's tha--" She choked on her words as you surprised her with a hug. If you could've seen Rainbow's jaw, it would have been impressive how far down it had dropped.

"Thank you. For everything. I don't know what would've happened if it weren't for you." She sighed, and you broke the hug.

"As I was saying, I could use some rest. I will revisit the two of you in one month's time. Until then, good day." She seemed a bit annoyed, but didn't press on. After she departed, you turned to Rainbow.

"Well Dashie, I've managed to find us a place to stay. I have to say, I think you'll like it."

"Really? Where is it? How did you pa--"

"No more questions. Just trust me. Now come on, we'd better get you settled in." You turned, and began leading her to the auditorium.

"So, where are we going?"

"Just trust me Dashie." She complied, and took up the position next to you. It wasn't very often you caught her walking more than a few feet. Must be the whole losing your house and everything you owned. Yeah, that would sour anyone's mood. The oncoming storm didn't help much either. The great claps of thunder and the occasional wisp of lightning assured you of just how powerful this storm would be.

"Man, the weather ponies really outdid themselves. Has Ponyville ever experienced a storm this severe?"

"There have been a couple, but I haven't seen one like that in a while. I wonder why nopony told me about it..."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it Dashie. They probably knew what you were going through, and didn't want to stress you."

"Yeah..." She'll cheer up once she sees where the two of you are staying. A short walk later, and the auditorium is now in sight. Hearing a gasp from Rainbow, you stop walking to see what the matter was. "No. Way."

"What? Let's just say I know a pony..." She looked from the auditorium, to you, then back to the auditorium.

"You're joking."

"Nope. Completely serious."

"How'd you--"

"I went to talk to Vinyl while you and Luna were away. When she found out about our... predicament... she was almost insulted I didn't talk to her sooner." Her jaw was down again.

"I... I..." You sigh as you walk over and pick her up. She obviously wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. A short while later, you'd made it to the auditorium. Dash was still muttering incoherently, so you continued to carry her to the backstage area. There, sure enough, you found Vinyl fiddling around with some equipment.

"Oh hey Anon! Errrr... what's a matter with Dash?"

"I told her we're staying here and well... I think she might be a little start struck."

"I thought we'd cured her of that... oh well. C'mon, I'll show ya to your room." You followed Vinyl up to the penthouse floor, and she led you down the main hallway, past her suite. You'd never ventured past her room before; it was your presumption that it was the only room up here.

When Vinyl opened the door to your room, you'd thought she had been mistaken. The suite's size was similar to Vinyl's own suite. Meaning you could fit a decent sized house in it. Speakers were embedded in the walls. The lighting resembled that of stage lighting, and would occasionally change colors. Following Vinyl up the stairs, led you to another series of rooms. There was one bedroom, albeit a fucking enormous one.

After you set Rainbow on the bed, Vinyl gave you the quick-and-dirty tour of your place of residence. On the same floor as the bedroom, there was the master bathroom, a gigantic closet, and... An indoor fucking Jacuzzi. The shower in the bathroom alone was big enough to fit four or five ponies in there. Big ones too.

You didn't find yourself ducking to get through doors like you normally would in Rainbow's house. This place was huge, and seemed to have every luxury you could ever imagine. Vinyl knows how to live it up. After exploring for a bit, the two of you retired to your new living room.

"I... I don't know what to say Vinyl. This place is AMAZING."

"Don't worry about it babe. I told you, you and Rainbow are my best friends. Enough about all that though. What are you going to do now?" You sighed. It was time to come back down to reality.

"I don't know Vinyl. I guess I'll be saving up my money and wait on the house to be finished."

"I figured that much. I meant, what are you going to do about Filthy Rich?"

"What more is there to do? I'd rather not have to deal with him anymore if at all possible."

"You're not going to try and get him back?"

"No. Like I said, I'm thoroughly tired of Filthy Rich and his bitch daughter. I'll deal with them if I have to, but for now, my priority is Rainbow."

"Yeah... I guess I can see that. Do you mind if I do some poking around regarding Filthy Rich? I won't do anything without talking to you first, but I feel like I NEED to do SOMETHING."

"That's fine by me I guess. What exactly are you hoping to find?"

"Anything really... I'd like to put him in his place. You're not the first... well, you ARE the first human... but anyways, you get the idea. He's done this type of thing before. It's time somepony did something about it."

"You sure you want to get involved in this? He could go after you next."

"...Like I said. You're not the first pony he's gone after. I've dealt with him before, and I can do it again. Besides, he'll be busy enough dealing with the enraged wall of press that’s about to come his way."

"What do you mean?"

"Rainbow is an Element of Harmony. He just put her AND her special somepony on the streets. I give him one day before the press overruns him." Things were going to be different for a while. You and Rainbow would probably be getting an obscene amount of attention. For all intents and purposes, it was probably for the better that the two of you were staying with Vinyl. She had more experience dealing with press.

When you'd checked on Rainbow last, she had been sleeping. Better than muttering incoherently, but you'd still like to pal around with her. Vinyl had equipped you with many a thing to do. Apparently, she was also very talented in dealing with boredom.

The auditorium was much more expansive than one would think when viewing it from the outside. The first floor was the main floor, what with concession areas and the huge fuck stage. The second and third floors were mostly seating. The fourth floor was the penthouse floor; consequently, the floor you knew the least. If you ever visited the fourth floor, it was always straight to Vinyl's room. Little did you know; the fourth floor was where all the goodies were.

In as little as ten minutes, you'd discovered why Vinyl didn't leave her auditorium all that often. There was an indoor pool, complete with Jacuzzis; an ice-skating rink; a theater of some sort; a lounge; you name it, she probably had it stashed away on that floor. After a few rounds of some sort of volleyball style game on ice, you and Vinyl spent a couple hours in the auditorium, blasting some tunes.

When you finally checked back in on Rainbow, she was just waking up. Once her grogginess passed, and she recalled what'd happened, she plowed you into the floor. Aggressive Dashie hugs are best Dashie hugs. After peeling Rainbow off of you and managing to convince her you needed air to live, the two of you explored your suite.

"This place is amazing! I can't believe Vinyl would just up and let us use it!"

"Well don't tell her that. Like I said, she was almost insulted that I didn't talk to her about what'd happened sooner."

"She's a really great pony."

"Yeah, that she is. Ya know, I'm getting hungry. Why don't we explore that kitchen and see what she left us to work with?"

"Sure, I could go for some grub." As soon as you started the exploration of the kitchen, your mouth started to salivate. The pantry might as well have been a damned grocery store. The thing had fucking isles. The refrigerator was easily three or four times the size of Rainbow's. What got you really excited though, was the freezer. It was just as big as the refrigerator, but that wasn't the cause of your excitement.

No, the source of unimaginable joy was the copious amounts of frozen goodness. You'd found a few jewels of the substance here and there, but they were few and far between. You hit the damn mother load. Meat. Glorious meat. Beef to chicken to fish and everything in between. You almost broke down and cried manly tears of joy. Almost. Rainbow was just as overjoyed at the massive selection of exotic pony foods. Fruits from faraway places, rare spices and seasonings, a huge amount of the regular foods Rainbow normally stocked up on. It was a vegan wonderland.

After inviting Vinyl to your feast, the three of you shared in what could only be described as an orgy of food. Rainbow had prepared most of the food for herself and Vinyl, leaving you to prepare your delicious steak and some sides. You'd found potatoes in that wonderland of a pantry, and had yourself groaning with content shortly after allowing yourself to consume your handiwork. Vinyl and Rainbow were in a similar state after consuming Rainbow's creations.

Something massive and leafy, some salsa that you'd shown her how to prepare, and some sort of cake she's mastered with Pinkie Pie's help. Certainly one of the better ends to this day. As the night pressed on, Vinyl went off to her room, and you and Rainbow prepared for bed. That’s when you noticed that the two of you would be sharing a bed, or you'd be sleeping elsewhere. Fuck it. It's time to man the fuck up. Tonight, you sleep with your special somepony.

Chapter 9.5: Advent [NSFW]

You'd made your decision. You'd taken your morals, and thrown them out the window. She was your special somepony. Try and deny it all you want, but you knew you were attracted to her. If anything, you were only causing her frustration by denying her needs. This might get awkward. It might get messy. It might do a lot of things; but come hell or high water, it's happening. Tonight.

She'd expressed interest earlier. If you count estrus, she'd been interested in getting intimate with you for a while. No need to rush things. No need to force anything to happen either. Just let nature, or whatever the fuck force was at play here, do its thing. Whatever happens, happens.

That thought was running through your mind as you brushed your teeth. Getting a little ahead of yourself, don't you think, Anon? For all you know, she might not even be in the mood for that. You rinsed your mouth, and splashed some fresh water on your face. Just go about your business Anon. Not even your own damn house yet.

Oh shit. Vinyl. Don't go and try to find a way to chicken out of this now. This place is probably sound-proofed anyhow. Rainbow had already gotten cleaned up and prepped for bed. Wonder if she'd noticed there was only one bed yet. God dammit Anon, enough with the fucking scatter-brained thoughts! Get your act together!

You opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway. It was a short walk, but it seemed to drag on. You finally reached the bedroom door, to find it slightly ajar. A slight push open, reveals Rainbow lying curled up on the bed. Her wings weren't out or anything. She was actually looking rather dreamily out the skylight. You didn't even know about the thing until right about now.

"Oh! Hey Anon. I didn't hear ya come in."

"Watcha looking at?" She looked back up at the skylight.

"I was just looking at the moon. It's a shame nopony really does anything at night. It really is pretty..."

"And here I thought you were the tough pony." She didn't react to your statement.

"So... I don't know if you noticed or not, but...." She turned her gaze to you now. After a moment of what had to be debating something, she got up from her perch and started fluttering towards you and the open door. "I'm gonna go sleep on the couch. You should have the bed..."

As she approaches, something inside you tries one last time to warn you of what you're about to do. And that was the last you heard of that particular thought, as you shut the door before Rainbow could get to it. She looked up at you, a confused look gracing her features.

"No. -We- should have the bed." She landed. Well, fell really. But she was still standing, so it counts. Her wings were ever so slightly raised. You walk past her, and climb into the bed. After positioning yourself comfortably, you look over at Rainbow, who was still standing in the same spot. Branding the same mildly shocked look.

"Y-You... you mean... you want... you... and me.... in the same bed... sleeping..." She pauses for a second, and almost choked on the last word. "...together?" You nodded, and patted the spot next to yours.

The stiff wings rendered her unable to fly properly, so she slowly walked over to the bed. She never broke eye contact with you. After she hopped up onto the bed, she curled up next to you. Her head lying on your shoulder, her wings finally started to retract. Extending your arm to a comfortable position, you began stroking her mane. She looks up into your eyes for a moment, before closing them and resting her head back on your body.

No going back now. You stop petting her mane, and begin to stroke one of her wings instead. Both of her wings instantly extend to their fullest. She sits up, casting a deep look into your eyes.

"A-Anon..." You put a finger to her lips, and resume stroking her wing. If you didn't know any better, you'd swear you could hear her heartbeat's intensity increase tenfold. She backed up, out of your reach now. You pulled your hands back to you. Obviously, she wasn't in the mood.

"I'm sorry, Rainbow. I just thou--"

She'd just turned the lights out. You couldn't see much, even with the generous amount of moonlight flowing in through the skylight. The room was silent, and you couldn't see where Rainbow was. If you strained your ears, you could hear the softest of steps across the floor. A few seconds later, you heard and felt the sheets of the bed rustle.

Looking closely at the bed covers, you made out the slightest of bumps under the covers. The bump made its way towards you, and you felt something brush up against your leg. As the soft something made its way up your body; you were eventually greeted with Rainbow lying on your chest, poking her head out from under the covers. You gazed into her eyes as she gazed ever so intently into yours. She crawled up your chest, stopping when her head was mere inches from yours.

".....do you really want to do th--"

You cut her off with a kiss. Her eyes widened for a moment, before she closed them and returned your kiss. You wrapped your arms around her body and held her close. What felt like an eternity later, you broke the kiss.

”That answer your question?"

She looked into your eyes, choosing not to respond with words. Taking advantage of her stillness, you moved your arms to grip her wings at their respective bases. That got a response you were hoping for. The short gasp was followed closely by Rainbow biting down on her lip. You looked at her as you began to stoke each wing. Slowly. She had her eyes closed, and couldn't seem to decide between biting down on her lip, or letting her mouth relax into a lustful moan.

You'd alternate rubbing one wing, while running your fingers through the feathers of the other. This seemed to have the desired effect, as she started squirming on top of you shortly thereafter.

She managed to wisp out a question between moans, "W-w-w-why... c-c-can't pon-n-nie... have... h-hands..." You continued your massage of her wings, causing her squirming to escalate. Finally, the attention you were giving her body seemed to catch up to her, and she collapsed onto your chest.

"Dashie? You okay?" She didn't move her head from its position on your chest. As she lay upon you, she managed to fumble out an answer through her labored breathing.

"Y-yeah... just... gimmie a second..." After a brief recovery, her breathing had normalized. Rather, as normal as could be expected right after a sexual peak. She turned and crawled a short distance up your chest before politely letting her tongue chart your mouth in great detail. The moment seemed to cram an eternity into a short kiss, increasing the dread you had for its demise. "My turn."

Before you had a chance to object, she had already removed your boxers and repositioned herself. As she took you into her mouth, she locked eyes on you. She began making slow, deliberate motions. God if felt amazing. Your hands were having trouble deciding what to do. The sheets would get bunched up in your grip when her incredibly flexible tongue would swirl around you. She'd take you in your entirety into her mouth, and then slowly expel what she'd taken, until there was only the slightest hint of physical connection between the two of you. This went on for a few minutes, before you felt your own zenith approaching.

"D-Dashie... I'm..."

She stopped when you started speaking, at the apex of one of her motions. She never broke her gaze. Giving your organ a slight bite, she slowly resumed her motions. She would drag her teeth along your sensitive skin every now and again, toying with you. You could hold back no longer. After she'd drained you for the first time, she released your sensitive organ.

"That... took longer than I expected." A short bit later, you'd regained your senses. Dash was on your chest again, looking down at you, a primal hunger in her eyes.

"So... you wanna stop?" The only response she graced you with this time was a growl. A lustful, throaty growl. "So... is that a yes? Or--" You didn't get to finish your sentence. You'd penetrated her. Something you weren't quite expecting so soon. You hadn’t even realized you were still ready for another go.

You could feel her muscles quivering around you. After you both came to your senses, the most devious of grins began to creep upon her features. So it's gonna be like that? She then began the slow, age old rhythmic action.

Her quivering muscles were accented by her nipping at her forehooves. You were barely doing anything, and she was already squirming. Not but a few seconds later, and she was spasming again. Really? Was she this easy to please? After she calmed down, she looked down at where the two of you remained conjoined, then back up to you.

"No way."

"What?"

"You... You haven’t..."

"No? I'm not that fast Rainbow." She gazed upon you with awe, before resuming her previous actions. Occasionally, she'd tighten her grip on you in smaller, less intense spasms. Yeah, those felt pretty amazing. She was relentless though. Determined to make sure you were spent before the night was over. She was putting up a vailant effort, but it was becoming clear that duration was not her strongest point. She had to stop two or three more times though, and regain her senses.

Apparently, stallions weren't known for their endurance. Fine by you. It meant you could last as long as your Dashie needed you to. And, apparently, that was quite the while. Another few good spasms from Rainbow, and you were close to your own finale. Her grip on you was tight, and the little spasms in between her more powerful ones were drawing you dangerously close to being completely spent.

"Rainbow... I-I'm gonna..." She stopped her motions once again, and looked at you.

With the tiniest of whispers, your ears managed to pick up the word "inside." You locked eyes with her, and you noticed that devious grin returning. Then, you felt it. She didn't move her body, but she began using her muscles. It was heavenly. You didn't last long after that. Suddenly, right before your release, she stopped her flexing. You looked at her, trying to figure out if she was teasing you or something.

Moonlight accentuating her silhouette, you watched as she fully flared her wings out. She held that beautiful pose, outlined by the dim glow of the moon. Then, it hit. Her final spasm. It sent you to new heights of pleasure. Her name rasped from your lips, as yours erupted from hers. Then, she collapsed onto you, draping her now tired downy wings over as much of you as she could. It was as though a cloud itself was embracing you. The two of you had become closer than you'd ever imagined prior. Reveling in the afterglow, the two of you shared each other’s loving clutch, and slipped off into a sweet sleep.

The sun beat its light unto you, and you slowly began the tedious process of waking up. As you opened your eyes, the first thing you saw was your Dashie. Her eyes closed, a smile struck upon her lips, her body limp with careless abandon. The memories of the night prior came flooding back to you. The final barriers broken, you could now move forward with your life in this land. Rainbow stirred, and after a yawn, opened her eyes to meet your gaze.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

The two of you shared a kiss, and you held her close. She clung to you as you started to run your fingers through her mane. You let out a sigh of content. Yeah, things were finally starting to look up for you.

Chapter 10: Reconciliation

You stretched. Damn, that was a good night's sleep. You fumble around under your covers. Upon finally poking your head out into the room, sunlight smacks you right in the face. Yup, forgot to cover the skylight too. As you squint in the unnecessary brightness of the daylight, you manage to find your way to your bathroom. After a warm refreshing shower, you snoop around your room trying to find your goggles. You'd never go anywhere without them.

After you place the goggles around your neck, you make your way out of your room and into the hallway. Time to start-- Wait a minute. That sound. It wasn't familiar. You follow the faint sound over to one of your penthouse suites, and realize what the sound was. Voices. Anon and Rainbow! You'd totally forgotten that you let them stay with you! You trot over to the door, and knock a couple times.

"Anon? Rainbow? You guys up?" You knew they were up. You hear some scuffling behind the door, before it opens revealing Rainbow Dash. She seemed almost giddy.

"Oh hey Vinyl! Come on in!" You follow her into the living room, where she plops down on one of the couches.

"Well you're certainly in a good mood. Where's Anon?" Her wings extend ever so slightly at the mention of Anon.

"Oh he's... uh, well he's--"

"Hey Rainbow, where'd you put my--VINYL!" You look over, and discover why he reacted the way he did. He was naked. He ran back into the bedroom while hollering at Rainbow.

"RAINBOW! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"

"Sorry Nonny!" She giggled, and turned her attention back to you.

"So... Nonny is in the bedroom..." You look back at her.

”Spill."

"What?"

"Why's Anon naked?"

"Oh... um.... he sleeps naked?"

"Nice try. Now spill." She's blushing at this point.

"Uhhh... well... ya see..."

You're not stupid. "No way." She looks back at you, blushing the most fascinating hue of red. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Yeah, she knew she was busted. She slowly nodded her head in confirmation. You looked at the bedroom door, then back at Rainbow. "So? How was it?"

And so she recounted the events of the previous night for you. In great detail. Probably a little too much detail. Her wings had become fully extended shortly after she started telling you what'd happened. You DID ask for it though... After she finished her story she looked at you, eager for a response.

"You make it sound like it was the best--"

"That's because it was! You have no idea! His hands alone..." She shuddered at the thought.

"Okay, I get the idea. Calm down Rainbow."

"No, you seriously have no idea! You gotta try it!" Your turn to blush. "Umm... I-I-I mean... Uhhh..."

"I didn't know you were into that sort of thing Rainbow" you said, deciding to torment her a little. You didn't think a pony could turn such a vivid shade of red, but there she was. She was stammering now, trying to form words. "Calm down Rainbow, I'm just messing with you." She stopped her gibberish, and finally started to calm down. As the two of you discussed Rainbow's adventures from the previous night, you almost didn't notice Anon come in. You both looked at him and proceeded to giggle like little fillies.

"What'd I do?" That only brought on more fits of giggling. "Alright, alright. Don't tell me. Let's get some lunch going though, I'm starving." You couldn't help yourself.

"From what Rainbow tells me; I'd be surprised if you weren't, you stallion you." He scrunched up his brow in thought for a moment, before realizing what you meant. Huh. Who knew he could blush like Rainbow?

"Right. Well. I'm going to go fix some lunch. I'll whip you two little perverts up something while I'm there. You want anything in particular?"

"I'd like a tomato sandwich, Nonny!"

"Me too! …Nonny!" You just couldn't help yourself. It was just too good watching him blush. He sighed, and wandered off to the kitchen. "Heh, Nonny."

"I heard that." You and Rainbow burst into giggling fits again. At least it'd be interesting around here for a while. You missed the sounds of friends more than you'd realized. Fame had taken its toll on you, driving you away from the few childhood friends you had. But now, you had Rainbow and Anon. And you couldn't be happier.

You had the feeling that they'd play major roles in your life. So far, your intuition has been dead on. Why else would you hire an alien to work for you? Funny how things work sometimes. A boop on the nose from Rainbow brought you back to reality.

"You ok Vinyl?"

"Whazzat? Oh! Yeah, just thinking."

"Well come on; let’s go help Anon make something to eat." You shook your head in an effort to clear it. Since when were you so mushy? That was Rainbow's department. What if Rainbow and Anon... What if they start to rub off on you!? Eh. Could be fun. After the three of you finished lunch, you discussed what needed to be done.

There were a few things. Rainbow would have to inform work about her change in address, just as Anon would have to inform the Apples. Nothing too serious. But it left you alone for a good portion of the day. After Anon and Rainbow went to work, you started the activity that seemed to take up most of your day: doing nothing in particular. That wasn't entirely true; you would work on your audio equipment or try and wrestle a conglomeration of wires. But it wasn't anything really productive. Nothing really needed to be done.

So, while fiddling with a subwoofer that probably didn't need to be fiddled with, your mind began to wander. Your mind began to string up things to think about, the first one being something you weren't entirely sure you -wanted- to think about. How serious was Rainbow with her offer? Would you even take her up on that offer if she was? That'd make the friendship you had with Anon and Rainbow just a little awkward, wouldn't it?

Best not to overthink it. Better for them to offer that to you, than for you to make it awkward by bringing it up. Enough dirty thoughts for one day. Maybe? What else was there to think about...? Oh. That’s right. The little pink pony and her father. They'd intentionally hurt your friends, in one form or another. Now you had something to think about.

Now, you weren't one to hold a grudge or get really mad at somepony. It had to be something serious. For you to hate a pony? Most that knew you would doubt that you were capable of hate, but that Filthy Rich. He'd messed with the wrong pony. Rainbow Dash.

She wouldn't do anything, partially because she just wanted to be left alone, and partially because she couldn't really. You'd think being an Element of Harmony would have benefits, like being a national hero. Well, it's only been a day. The story was probably just get—

"Excuse me, Ms. Scratch?" You looked up to see who was addressing you. It was one of your guards.

"Yes? What's up?"

"There's a little filly here, says she's trying to find Rainbow Dash. I told her Rainbow wasn't here, and now she wants to talk to you."

"Huh. What's her name?"

"Scootaloo." Never heard of her. Maybe she's a friend of Anon or Rainbow? She's just a filly, what's the worst that could happen?

”Alright, let her in." He nodded, and went to retrieve the filly. Not to say you were bad with fillies or colts, you'd just never really dealt with many of them. The occasional one would you did meet was usually terrified of you if you weren't wearing your goggles. Probably the eyes. Oh shit. Better put the goggles on before Scootaloo—

"Ms. Vinyl?" Too late. You turned to look at the source of the voice, and found a little orange pegasus.

"So you're Scootaloo?" She looked deep into your eyes for a second, before responding.

"Uhh, yeah! I was just uhh... I was trying to find out if you... ummm..." This was getting old fast. She was obviously terrified by your eyes. Not that you could really blame her. A red iris was usually associated with some sort of evil. The Discord incident didn't help much.

"I can put the goggles on, if it'll make you feel better."

"Oh! No no, it's fine..." You let out a sigh. She was going to play tough girl on you.

"All right then, what can I do for you?" She shook her head, presumably to clear her thoughts, before responding.

"I was trying to find out what happened to Rainbow Dash. I figured you'd know best, since the rumor is she's staying with you." Damn. She had some sources.

"I... don't think it's my place to tell you about that... You'd have to ask Rainbow herself."

"Awww, come on! Please? I heard a filly at school had something to do with it, and I want to be sure." You froze.

"Are you by chance referring to a little pink filly?" Her eyes grew wide.

"So it's true. Diamond Tiara DID have something to do with it!" You did it now. Last thing you want to do is to spill some information about Rainbow and Anon that they didn't want out there.

"Now wait a minute--"

"I won't tell anypony! I promise!" No, you don't buy that for a minute.

"Just hold on a second; why are you so interested in the first place?"

"Uhhhh..... no reason..."

"You're a bad liar."

"Uhh, well you see... I'm just worried about Rainbow is all..."

"Then why don't you talk to her before you go assuming things?"

"Me? Talk to Rainbow? Ha! You're funny."

"No, I'm serious. She'll find out later today anyway, when she comes back."

"WHAT?! OH PLEASE NO! I'LL DO ANYTHING, JUST PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T TELL RAINBOW!"

"Geeze, you her sister or something?"

"I wish. No, I'm just her biggest fan!" Great. You're dealing with a 'biggest fan' filly. This could go sour real quick.

"Listen, I don't think you should take matters into your own hooves. Rainbow is an Element of Harmony; I'd wager the press will do a fine job of sticking up for her."

"Hehe, yeah... I hope so."

"Trust me on this, okay?" She was about to answer, when her stomach growled. You were feeling a little hungry too, so why not? "You want something to eat?"

"No no, it’s fine, I've bothered you enough already."

"Aw, come on. You're not bothering me, I wasn't doing anything anyway."

"Well... If you're sure..."

"Tell ya what, I'll fix one of Rainbow's lunches." From then on, she was dangerously close to becoming an appendage. It was a simple snack, a tomato sandwich. Apparently, knowing that Rainbow ate something similar made it the most incredible sandwich on the planet to this filly. A little obsessive, but what can you do. After the two of you finished your snack, you decided to send her on her way.

"So, are you parents coming to pick you up?"

"Uhh... no..."

"...Do they even know you're here?"

"Not... exactly..."

"Come on, I'd better take you to them. You're probably worrying them sick."

"That's not very likely..."

"Don't say that!"

"But... it's true... you see, I'm an orphan..."

"I... I'm sorry... I--"

"No, it's okay. You didn't know." Before you could respond, you heard hoof steps. You and Scootaloo turned to find the source of the sound. Scootaloo was the first to spot her. "Rainbow Dash!"

She darted over to Rainbow, and sat like an overjoyed puppy in front of her.

"Oh, hey there squirt..."

"Rainbow? Everything ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Everything’s fine!" You gave her your nice-try look. "Heh... Listen, if it's all right with you, I'm gonna go lay down for a bit..."

"Yeah, sure Rainbow. Lemme know if you need anything, okay?" She nodded, albeit the gesture didn't seem whole-hearted. After making her way past Scootaloo, Rainbow solemnly made her way up the stairs. ”That’s odd."

"I hope she's ok."

"Me too." Wonder what got into her? "Hey Scootaloo, I don't want to sound mean, but I--"

"Yeah, you're right. I don't think Rainbow is in the mood to chat anyways."

”Sorry..."

"It's okay. I've gotta go meet up with my friends anyway." You still felt like shit for the whole orphan thing, but you really didn't know what to do.

"Alright. I'll see you around, Scootaloo."

"Bye Ms. Scratch." With that, she ran off towards the main entrance. Being an orphan yourself didn't help lessen the shit feeling you had. You'd learned to live with not knowing your parents; that poor filly was still learning to cope with it. Probably why she adored Rainbow so much. Can't say you blame her, really. Rainbow would be a pretty cool sister.

You should probably check up on Rainbow anyway. Not a chance in hell her poker face fooled you. You wandered up to her room, and knocked on the door. Immediately after the first knock, the door gently swung open. You poked your head inside, looking for Rainbow.

"Rainbow? You in here?" No answer. You walk in, because hey, it's technically -your- suite. After investigating most of the lower level, you make your way to the upper level. First stop, the bedroom. Again, you knock on the door, and again, it gently swings open after the first knock. You poke your head in and find Rainbow curled up on the bed. "Rainbow?" She pops her head up, and looks over to you.

"Oh! Vinyl! I didn't hear you come in." You push the door the rest of the way open, and wander inside.

"Yeah, I knocked, but when you didn't answer..."

"Oh... Sorry, just didn't feel like talking..."

"What's going on, Rainbow? And don't say 'nothing,' because you've got a lousy poker face." She looked down at the bed and sighed.

"I... I went to Cloudsdale to tell them about my... situation... and..." You waited for her to finish, but instead, she started sniffling. You hopped up on the bed, and placed a hoof on Rainbow's back.

"And what, Rainbow? You can tell me." She looked over at you, her eyes moist.

"I lost my job..."

"What?"

"I... I lost my job..."

"What happened?"

"Well... Turns out, they'd already found out what'd happened, and...." She'd started crying openly now. You really weren't the pony that should be doing this for her. It should be Anon. Whatever, he'll owe you one. You picked up Rainbow, and hugged her.

"Ssshhh, it's ok Rainbow. Let it all out." She held on to you tightly, sobbing quietly over your shoulder. Yeah, Anon's gonna owe you big time for this. A couple minutes later, Rainbow had finished crying. You let her out of your hug, and sat down across from her on the bed. "So, tell Vinyl what happened."

"They didn't tell me anything other than they'd gotten a letter from somepony, detailing what had happened. When I confirmed all of it, I was told I'd been let go." Something didn't quite add up. That reaction to what had happened seemed a bit extreme. You'd have to investigate that.

"Well, I don't suppose you'd want to work for me, would you?" She seemed taken back by your offer.

"Sure, but I don't know anything about--"

"Don't worry; I've got plenty of positions. Let’s see... how about... Chief Lighting Technician? You seem like you'd be good with colors." She giggled at that, and nodded her head.

"Sure."

"Alright then, it's settled. We'll figure your schedule out tomorrow. For now, I think a hot bath is what you need."

"That... that sounds really good, actually..."

"You can't hide under your tough pony exterior from me, Rainbow. Go on, I'm going to go put the subwoofer I was fiddling with back together." She nodded, and you headed for the door. Before you left, she called out to you.

"Hey Vinyl?" You turned to look at her; she was standing in the bedroom doorway.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." You smiled and headed out the door, closing it behind you. You usually weren't one for the mushy stuff. Tending to keep to yourself did that. But you felt good after that little chat with Rainbow. Dammit if they aren't already rubbing off on you. Anon owed you, big time.

After you made it back to your disaster of a subwoofer, you used your magic to quickly re-assemble it. You'd known there wasn't anything wrong with it; you'd just wanted something to do. Once you'd finished placing it back in its proper place and testing it, you sat down on stage and started playing some music. Best way to relax. It almost seemed like the beats caressed you. You could feel the bass pounding on your eardrums.

It wasn't too often you'd do this in the main auditorium. In your private music room? Sure. But it just wasn't the same. Something about the stage, and the atmosphere it had when there was music playing. It was so... Relaxing. When you were here, there was nothing else.

Nothing to bother you, nothing to distract you. Just the music. When Anon came and tapped you on the shoulder, it was obvious how little attention you were paying to anything but the music. Once you stopped the music, you turned to chat with Anon.

"Hey Nonny!"

"Hey Vinyl. Have you seen Rainbow? I told her to meet me at the square, and she never showed."

"Yeah, actually. She's in your room. Listen, Anon... She's had a rough day. She needs you."

"Really? What happened?" Oh no; you're not going to get in the middle of their relationship.

"She'll tell you. Now go, she really needs you right now." Before he could ask what you meant, you were pushing him towards the stairs. He was in for one hell of a night. Rainbow was damn emotional. At least, she was around you and Anon. She'd put on her tough pony act around anypony else. Makes sense. If you bottle up your emotions like that, you're bound to let it all out eventually. After you managed to get Anon to the fourth floor, you opened the door and called out to Rainbow.

”Hey Rainbow, got a surprise for ya!" With that, you pushed Anon into the room and shut the door behind him. Finally. While he comforts her, maybe you can do a little research. You head down to your security office, to find Snowflake. Working out. Typical.

"Hey, Snowflake?" He snapped to attention.

"Yes Ms. Scratch!"

"Calm down. I need your help with something." He relaxed his stance, ever so slightly.

"What can I do for you, Ms. Scratch?" You walked into the office, shutting the door behind you.

"I'm trying to find a letter. It was sent to the weather team over in Cloudsdale, and it apparently put one of my employees in a pretty negative view."

"Sure thing Ms. Scratch. What's the guard's name?" he asked, walking over to his desk.

"She isn't a guard, and her name is Rainbow Dash." Not even a flinch. That's why you liked him; he was a no-funny-business kind of pony. You told him to do something, and he wouldn't drown you with needless questions.

"Alright Ms. Scratch, I can have that for you in a couple of hours."

"Awesome! Oh, and keep this under wraps, she's a little sensitive about the whole ordeal."

"Of course, Ms. Scratch." He started writing down some notes, and you headed back to your room. A bonus to having Rainbow work for you now, is that you could pull her records from previous jobs. Since the letter had enough impact to get Rainbow fired, you figure the Cloudsdale weather team would keep a copy of it. For their records, of course. Sometimes you surprised yourself with your deviousness.

Then, another thought struck you. Scootaloo. Maybe you could apologize to her with this somehow... She seemed overly interested in helping Rainbow in any way she could. Hmmm.... You'd have to think further on how she could help without getting her in trouble... For now, your thoughts turned to food. It was time for dinner, after all.

Wonder if Anon likes pizza? Why did you even ask yourself that question? What pony doesn't like pizza!? It needed to be just a little special though... For Anon, it'd need meat... For you and Rainbow... maybe a veggie pizza... Or two. You can never have too much pizza. You made your way to Ponyville, a couple of guards trailing slightly behind you.

You'd been alone for so long... How would having real friends affect you? It was a little scary. Eh. Onward and into the abyss! Time to get back on track; you have a goal: pizza. It'd take a special pizza place to serve a pizza with meat on it though. Maybe Pinke Pie could help you? Worth a shot. You made your way over to Sugarcube corner to try and find Pinkie. If there were ever a master at hide and seek, it was her. Your guards waited for you outside, as per usual.

"Hey there Mr. Cake!"

"Why hello there Ms. Scratch! A pleasure to see you! What can I do for you today?"

"Well, I'm trying to find Pinkie Pie, I need her help."

"Oh of course!" He headed to the second floor of the shop, and shortly thereafter, returned with Pinkie.

"Hi Vinyl!"

"Hey Pinkie! Listen, I need your help finding something."

"Sure thing! Well, as long as it's ok with Mr. Cake."

"Go ahead Pinkie, I think we'll be alright for a while without you for a little while." She squee'd, and sat down at a table, motioning for you to join her.

"So, what are you lookin for?"

"I'm trying to find a pizza place."

"Oh that’s easy Scratch! You--"

”That will put meat on their pizzas."

"Oh! Well, lemme think for a minute..." She put her hoof to her chin in thought. A couple of seconds later, she piped up. "I know just the place! C'mon, I'll show ya!"

”Awesome!" You follow her out, meeting up with your guards, and almost manage to leave without incident. Almost. The moment your eyes met his, you growled. Normally, you weren't so aggressive, but this asshole had hurt your friends. Your guards, reacting to your growl, took up defensive positions beside you.

"What's the matter, Vinyl? It's just Mr. Rich."

"I'm going to have to side with her, what's gotten into you, Ms. Scratch?"

"What's gotten into me? You hurt my friends!"

"What are you talking about, Vinyl?"

"Yes indeed, what ARE you talking about? Last time I heard, you don't have many friends to begin with."

"Rainbow Dash! You took EVERYTHING from her! You put her out of her own home!"

"It's not like she didn't deserve it! She threatened my child! I dare you to say you'd react otherwise if she'd threatened your child!"

"Your little 'princess' started it by publishing lies about her; and THEN, she had the gall to provoke her in the park!"

"It doesn't matter at any rate, what's done is done."

"We'll see about that, you sick--" Before you could finish your sentence, you noticed Pinkie. She wasn't exactly pink at the moment.

"YOU HURT DASHIE!?!" She was charging at Filthy now. You were half tempted to let her get to him, but you knew there'd be hell to pay if she did. After tackling her to the ground, your guards made sure to assist you in restraining Pinkie. While you and your guards were holding Pinkie back, Filthy walked over to you.

"I suggest you keep that crazy mare locked up, before she does something stupid. As for you, Ms. Scratch" he said, looking at you now. "I'd avoid Ms. Dash at all costs, if I were you. I'm just getting started."

"You HORSE!"

Then, you felt it. It was quick, it stung, but it had happened. He'd hit you. Your guards instantly froze in place. Pinkie noticed, and stopped struggling against them. She'd never seen you mad; your guards have.

"You big meanie! Leave Vinyl alone!"

Filthy, realizing his mistake, turned whiter than your coat. Your horn lit up, adrenaline starting to flow through you. The next couple of minutes were a blur to you. All’s you knew for sure was that your rage towards Filthy had finally found an outlet. He'd taken everything from Rainbow, insulted her, and now he'd insulted Pinkie. When you finally came back to your senses, the first thing you noticed was your guards restraining you.

Filthy was curled up in a ball, bruises and some nasty cuts covering a good portion of his body. Pinkie was enjoying herself a little too much, cleaning out some of those cuts and applying first aid. You finally noticed that you were still using magic on something. Somehow, you'd managed to produce a metallic red record. And it was spinning very quickly. You let your magic grip on it go, and it clattered to the ground.

After convincing your guards that you were okay, you picked yourself up and gave yourself an once-over. Were those... burns? They didn't look too bad; more like you'd singed your fur on something. Huh. Other than that, you were fine. You walked over to Filthy's feeble form, which cringed when he saw you approaching.

"I'd suggest you stay away from me and my friends in the future, Mr. Rich. C'mon Pinkie, let's go." Pinkie finished applying a bandage to Filthy, and started hopping happily down the street. You followed her, not worrying about Filthy. He'd struck you first, AND you had witnesses. He knew you weren't easy to go up against in court, so he'd probably stop giving you and your friends trouble.

"Pinkie, I'd like you to tell me what exactly I did later."

"Sure thing Vinyl! I'm just glad you're my friend, cause you're scary when you're mad!" You make a mental note to get the full story from her later. Right now, it's pizza time. Eventually, your little entourage made it to a fancy looking shop near the edge of town. Go figure, all the places that serve meat are on the edge of town. You and Pinkie walk inside and head to the counter. You were a little surprised to find a Gryphon at the counter. Made sense though, seeing how Gryphons eat meat.

”So, I hear you guys put meat on pizzas?"

"That’s right, what's it to ya?"

"I'd like to order some pizzas! What all meats do you have?" The Gryphon looked at you funny for a minute, before pulling out a menu from behind the counter.

"That there is our menu. Not that it's any of my business, but why do you want a meat pizza?"

"Oh it's not for me; it's for a friend of mine." The Gryphon shrugs and you look over the menu. "Pinkie, I'm not really an expert on meat. I don't suppose you know what tastes good, do you?"

"No, I don't." The Gryphon piped up.

"If I may offer a suggestion?"

"Oh yes! Please!"

"The pepperoni is one of our top selling meat pizzas. I'd suggest that one."

"Alright then, I'm ready to order!"

"Okay, what can I get for ya?"

"I need one large pepperoni pizza, a large veggie pizza, and a large extra cheesy pizza! Oooh and some cheese sticks!"

"Alrighty then, it'll be about ten minutes. Your total is... fifteen bits."

"What?! You can't be--"

"It's okay Pinkie. Can you go get my bits from one of the guards?"

"Sure!" A moment later, she's bounding back with a guard instead of just your bits.

"Pinkie, I only needed the bits."

"Well he said that he wouldn't give them to anypony except you or one of your employees, so I brought him to you!" You sighed, and used your magic to get some bits out of his saddle bag. As you placed the bits on the counter, Pinkie returned the guard to his upright position outside. You take a seat to wait on the pizzas, and Pinkie occupies the seat across from you.

”So. Now that we have some time to kill, you wanna tell me what I did back there?"

"Sure!" You turned to give her your full attention. It wasn't often you forgot you did something. "So, after Filthy hit you, your horn started to light up. Filthy tried to say something, but then you charged at him and slammed him into a wall! After that, you were hitting and kicking him a lot, but your guards stopped you. Once they managed to pull you away from Filthy, your eyes started glowing red, and your mane and tail caught on fire! It was super scary! But I remember Twilight doing that once. Can all unicorns do that? It's really cool! Could you teach me how to do--"

"Pinkie! What happened next?"

"Oh, right! When you caught on fire, you started to wrestle with your guards, but they managed to keep you held down. Then, you made a really scary growl and the red record appeared like out of nowhere! It was really cool! Then, you used your magic to spin the record really super-duper fast, and started hitting Filthy with it! It looked like it was hurting him a lot, but I couldn't stop the record!"

"After that, I had to buck you to try and knock you out. Sorry about that, but you were hurting Filthy a lot, and it was starting to really worry me! I wasn't able to knock you out though. You were so mad and using so much magic, I just bounced right off of you! So, I figured I'd better start trying to fix up Filthy a little, if you were going to keep hurting him. Once I started cleaning some of the cuts, he screamed really loudly, and you stopped hitting him with the record."

"Wow. I didn't know I had that in me."

"Neither did I! It was really cool though! Except for the part where you hurt Filthy too much. He deserved it, but you were going a bit over the edge there I think."

"Well, I'm glad you were there Pinkie. Sorry if I hurt you; I didn't mean to."

"You didn't hurt me silly filly! I think I should head back to Sugarcube Corner now, the cakes could probably use some help."

"Yeah, I got ya. Thanks for helping me Pinkie!"

"See ya later Vinyl!" Not a minute after she left, the Gryphon had your pizzas ready. At least now you had an explanation for the singed parts of your body. Using your magic, you carried the pizzas out of the shop, and headed for the auditorium. Perfect timing too, the sun was starting to set.

After a long walk, some sort of chaotic fight you didn't remember, and carrying three really big pizzas (not to mention the cheese sticks) with your magic; you might say you were a little tired. Once you made it to the fourth floor with the food, you knocked on the door to Anon and Rainbow's room. A few seconds later, you were greeted by Anon.

"Oh hey Vinyl! Come on in!" You wandered into the living room, and placed the pizzas and cheese sticks on the table.

"What’s up Nonny? I brought pizza!"

"Vinyl, you didn't have to do that."

"Aww, come on man, you're not gonna turn down pizza are you? I even got a special pizza, just for you..." You gave him your best puppy eyed look.

"I thought you weren't into the whole mushy stuff." You giggled as he made his way over to the pizzas. He opened the boxes up, examining them. He gasped when he got to the third box. "Vinyl... Is that..."

"You like it? It's called 'pepperoni.'" He just stared, open mouthed at it. "You... you don't like it, do you?" He calmly shut both his mouth and the box, before walking over to you and practically squeezing the air out of you. "GAAH! R-Rainbow! H-Help!"

Rainbow wandered down to see what all the fuss was about. When she noticed you in your ever so oxygen-depriving hug, she giggled. "Umm, Nonny? I think she needs to breath." She was having trouble suppressing her giggles now. Anon finally released you, allowing you to fill your lungs with that sweet substance called oxygen. "Whoa, Vinyl, what happened to you?"

Rainbow was looking at the scorch marks when she asked that. Now Anon was investigating them too. "Seriously Vinyl, what'd you do?"

"It's... It's a long story."

"Well do you need some help treating those? It doesn't look like there's any permanent damage..." Anon said, as he started poking around a few of the scorch marks.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I'm gonna go clean up." With that, you headed to the bathroom and took a quick shower, rinsing off the ash. No burn marks, just ash. You'll probably be sore tomorrow. Oh well. For now, pizza! You made your way back to Rainbow and Anon, who were in the kitchen getting drinks. Promptly forgetting to dry yourself off, you slipped as soon as you stepped on the tiled floor.

You landed with your ass in the air, and quite the detailed view of the floor. Rainbow had burst out laughing, as you attempted to get back to your hooves. Anon walked over, and helped you up.

"You're still wet, silly."

“Oh... Right." And so you used your magic to dry yourself, leaving your mane fluffed out and poofy. Rainbow had just calmed down from her laughing fit, but promptly started back up when she saw you. "Oh you think it's funny, do ya?"

"Vinyl--"

Before Anon could do anything, you had turned on the sink and started directing the water towards Rainbow with your magic. When she'd been thoroughly soaked, you finally turned off the water and started laughing. She looked so funny with her annoyed expression and wet hair.

"Oh, it's on!"

"Now wait a minute Rainbow--" Poor Nonny, trying his hardest to stop the impending disaster of a wet pony scuffle. You and Rainbow wrestled your way into the living room, before you were both picked up by Anon.

"Girls, GIRLS! You're both pretty! Can we just calm down and eat the damn pizza?" You and Rainbow stopped playfully swinging at each other, and looked at Anon. Both of you, at the same time, leaned in and pecked him on the cheeks. He sighed as you both started giggling, and set the two of you down. "Fine. You two play, I'm gonna get me some pizza."

"Pizza? When did we get pizza?"

"Did you seriously not see it? I left it on the table in the living room."

"Oh. No, I don't guess I did. Thanks Vinyl!" She promptly got up, and trotted excitedly towards the living room. You followed Rainbow, while Anon headed for the kitchen. A few seconds later, he was in the living room with the two of you, and he had gotten some drinks. "Thanks Nonny!"

"Yeah, thanks Nonny!" He sighed, and collected his pizza box. The three of you ate your delicious pizzas, trading stories of your days. Well, you didn't share about your encounter with Filthy. Didn't want to worry them. Besides, they'd find out soon enough.

A while later, the pizzas had been completely devoured, and you were all feeling tired. You headed back to your room, while they prepared for bed. After arriving in your own bedroom, you had the nagging feeling that something was missing... Then, it hit you. You were lonely.

You hopped into your bed anyway, and attempted to sleep. You tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, before finally giving up. Insomnia? But why? You felt... empty. You hadn't felt that way in a while. You hopped out of bed, draping one of your favorite blankets across your back. Why were you doing what you were doing? It was almost like instinct.

You made your way to Anon and Rainbow's room, and snuck in. The lights were off, and everything was quiet. Quietly making your way up the stairs, you stealthily made your way into their bedroom. Finding Anon's side of the bed, you poked his shoulder. He turned, and groggily opened his eyes.

"Vinyl?" he muttered. "What are you--"

"Can I sleep with you guys?" He blinked for a second, taking in what you just asked him.

"Uhh, yeah, sure." He scooted over a little, making room for you. You hopped up on the bed, curled up next to him, and rested your head on the pillow.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." With that, he pulled the covers back up, and returned to his previous position. You didn't feel empty anymore. No, you felt... warm. Not long after you closed your eyes, sleep overtook you.

Morning came early, but you didn't wake up to the suns heat. Instead, you opened your eyes to rather dark surroundings. Looking around, you realized you'd repositioned yourself in your sleep. Apparently, you'd gracefully maneuvered yourself on top of one of Anon's legs. The covers moved, and Anon and Rainbow were peering down at you from the head of the bed.

"What?" Rainbow giggled, and Anon shook his head, returning the covers to their previous position. You really didn't want to get out of bed, but you knew you should. Got some serious thinking ahead of you today. Like why the fuck you slept with Anon and Rainbow. Decisions and hardcore thinking can wait. It's time for food. Probably lunchtime anyways.

You crawled your way up and out from under the covers. Yup, definitely more cozy under the covers. After collecting your blanket and draping it upon yourself, you make your way off the bed. You could feel the question trying to burn its way out of Anon, but before he could ask it, you cut him off.

"No, I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to go get something to eat." As you shut the door to the bedroom behind you, you could hear the whispering starting. Once out of their suite, you headed to yours. Time for a familiar mess and a place to think about just what the fuck you did. After food.

Judging from the Sun's position in the sky, it was actually early morning. The fuck? You never woke up before noon! The hell is wrong with you today? Morning.... That means... Breakfast. You hadn't had breakfast in so long; you'd almost forgotten what it consisted of. For such an occasion, today it shall consist of toast.

Simple to make. Filling. Breakfast of champions. That, and you really didn't feel like making a huge meal anyhow. After your short but filling breakfast, you headed to the place where all of life's decisions were made: the shower. After you'd gotten the hot water running and acclimated yourself to the wonderful box of thinking, the thoughts began their assault.

Why had you done that? What possessed you to go and sleep with Anon and Rainbow? It didn't make any sense what-so-ever! You'd never needed to do anything like that before to sleep, so why now? There's never been anypony else in your auditorium to sleep with either though... Were you really that lonely?

You didn't think so... But then again, aside from Princess Luna, you'd never had anypony else sleep at your auditorium... Luna was a special case though, being royalty and all. You made sure to keep out of her way, and keep her happy when she was here. So why did you just get up and go sleep with them? What made last night so different from every other god damn night?

You'd consider Anon and Rainbow friends, sure; but sleeping with them? When you had your own room? The fuck? Oh shit. You needed to talk to Rainbow. ASAP. She probably thought you were trying to make a move on Anon! Oh shit shit shiiiiiit.

Whoa there, just calm the fuck down. No need to panic. If Rainbow thought you were making a move on Anon, she'd probably have done something, right? Then again, you were the owner of the auditorium they were staying in... Damn! There's no easy way out of this, is there? Fuck everything. She probably thought you were using your position as not only her boss, but her god damned landlord to get to Anon! You would never do that, but did she know that? Shit.

Not that you weren't interested in Anon... But you'd never just go and fuck up what they had! Whelp, looks like you've gotten yourself a project for the day already: Convince Rainbow you're not trying to steal Anon. You sighed, letting the hot water run over your body. This day is just trying to turn to shit as fast as possible, isn't it?

You were in the process of washing the soap off of yourself, when another thought struck you. You needed to get to a calendar. After drying yourself off, you quickly made your way over to the nearest calendar. There, staring you right in the face was the calendar you'd hung up in your little kitchen. It almost made your heart stop.

The little notes on the calendar just gazed back up at you, almost mocking your memory. Two weeks. God fucking dammit. Anon had managed to miss out on the second concert of the big four... Two weeks. In two weeks, the third concert would be held in your Lunar Celebration. And then, exactly one week after that, would be the big nasty. Easily one of the biggest and most popular concerts you hosted each year. Luna's concert.

You'd almost forgotten. Okay, calm down. Two weeks was plenty of time, right? All you have to do, is make sure Anon still knows what he's doing; train a new Chief Lighting Tech, who may or may not think you're after her special somepony; and get everything in order for one of your biggest concerts of the year. Yeah. Shit day.

Might as well get right to business. No sense wondering around with what-if questions distracting you. First things first, make sure Anon still knows his shit. Easy enough task. Then... Rainbow. You'd found Anon in his suite, munching away at something he called a Bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. After explaining to him what you were so stressed about, he finished up his meal and followed you to the main stage. A couple minutes later, and all your doubts about Anon losing his touch were put to rest.

"You really should relax more Vinyl."

"Ha! Easy for you to say. I've got two MAJOR concerts to put together, and train Rainbow for her new job..."

"I doubt you'll have trouble with the concerts at all. As far as Rainbow, she's a quick study. I don't think you'll have any problems training her either."

"I'm not so worried about her training..." Anon gave you a confused look.

"So what are you worried about?" You knew that question was going to pop up sooner or later. No sense in avoiding it.

"I'm worried that I gave Rainbow the wrong impression last night..."

"About what?"

”I... I think she may think that I'm after you..." Anon was silent for a minute before responding.

"...are you?"

"What?"

"Are you after me?"

"No! Of course not!" The fuck? Why are you insulting him?! "Not to say I'm not... interested in you Nonny, but I wouldn't even CONSIDER butting in on what you and Rainbow--"Anon put his hand up to silence you. Oh shit, had you pissed him off?

"Vinyl, why are you so worried about that? We're your friends. I think I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't do something like that, and I'm fairly certain Rainbow knows I wouldn't cheat on her." You sighed the great sigh of relief.

"Thanks Anon."

"Listen, just tell her what you told me, and you'll be fine, Okay? You've got nothing to worry about."

"It's just that--"

"Ah ah! That right there! Stop it."

”But--"

"No buts! Go talk to Rainbow before you hurt yourself. Last thing I need is you freaking out about nothing, now go." You sighed. No point in arguing with him. He'd made is point. Damn you needed to chill the fuck out. Anon was probably right anyways.

That's what you kept telling yourself as you walked towards their suite. You knocked on the door and waited for an answer. And waited. And waited a little more. Nope, fuck it. You open the door, and walk inside. Same room as last night. As if you should expect something different.

"Rainbow? You in here?" After shutting the door, you looked around in an attempt to find evidence of her presence. “Raaaaiiiiinnnboooowww" Dammit Rainbow, where are you? Well, surely she'd show up sooner or later. Might as well wait on the couch. It'll give you some time to think about what to say to—

"Hey Vinyl! What's up?"

"Rainbow, I wanted to talk to you about earlier..."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she walked down the stairs to the living room.

"When I slept with you and Anon..."

"Oh... Yeah, I was kinda wondering what was up with that."

"I... To be honest, I don't really know why I did that Rainbow. I really wanted to make sure you knew that I'm not after Anon. I wouldn't--"

"I know you wouldn't do anything like that Vinyl. You're my friend!" Seems your fear and anxiety was all for nothing. "But... You're not going to try and tell me you're not interested in him, are you?"

"What? No! I mean, yes. I mean--"

"Whoa, easy there Scratch. One step at a time." You sighed.

"I... Yeah, I'm interested in him, what can I say. But I would never even think to try and come between you two! What you have is special."

"You can be interested all you want, just remember that he's mine." Not near as violent as you were expecting.

"I would never do anything to come between you two, Rainbow... I like him, sure, but you guys are my friends. I know my boundaries."

"Good to know. Have you... Have you talked to Anon about this?"

"I... Yeah... After I'd finished making sure he could still be my sound boss." Rainbow was silent. Her expression wasn't the easiest to decipher. You finally settled on the idea that she was in deep thought. Probably re-evaluating your friendship...

"Listen, Vinyl... I believe you when you say you won't do anything to come between me and Anon. Let's just put this behind us and move on, Okay?"

"I... Right... Okay."

"Okay, so. I think you said something yesterday about my schedule?"

"Right! We've got a lot of work to do!" And so begins the training of your new Chief Lighting Tech. Rainbow had little to no experience in that particular field. If another pony were to look at your hiring habits, they might begin to question your sanity.

First you hire an alien, who has no background in the music industry, to be your sound boss. Then you hire a chief lighting tech that has no experience in that field. The things you do for your friends. Was worth it so far though. You'd become closer friends with Anon than you ever thought possible. Maybe the same would come of Rainbow's work here? You could hope. Maybe.... Nah, stupid idea.

Besides, you need to get to know Rainbow a lot better than you do now before you go proposing that kind of stuff. For now, it's time to focus on the task at hoof. Training Rainbow. You led her to the lighting stage, well above the main stage. A suitable place for a pegasus, it seemed.

A couple hours later, and you realized Anon was right. Rainbow picked up on the technical side of things pretty damn fast. Give her a beat, and she could make a party with those lights. She was no professional, but she had talent. Over the next couple of weeks, you could fine tune that talent.

When Anon wasn't working with you, he'd be over at Sweet Apple Acres, taking care of his second job. He'd made sure to let them know what was going on, and that he'd be vastly unavailable in the coming weeks. He had actually talked about quitting there... Well, that's his decision. Focus, Vinyl. Concerts.

Time seemed to fly by. You'd spent the first week making sure Rainbow was trained and ready for the concerts. You weren't too worried about Anon; he seemed to have his shit together. Rainbow though... She got nervous. Real nervous.

She'd try to hide it, but she never did too good of a job at it. The thing that bothered you was that you didn't know if it was her responsibility making her nervous, or you... Why would you make her nervous? She was your friend after all. You hoped that she'd put the whole liking Anon incident behind her, like you'd been trying to do. There wasn't much you could do to quell her nervousness it seemed though... Now your worries switched from the concerts, to hoping she didn't choke up during a concert...

It was the weekend now. So much training with Rainbow had been done. She'd made significant progress. You'd almost believe she was a professional. Until you tried to get her to work the lighting while Anon was down on the main stage. She got distracted so easily.

You made your way out of your room, having eaten breakfast and cleaned yourself up. Generally getting yourself ready for the day ahead. Rainbow's performance when Anon was around was starting to concern you. Apparently though, she only faltered when you and Anon were on the stage.

If you weren't around, she didn't have a problem. It was almost like she didn't trust you... You'll have to solve that problem. And soon. You've only got a week until the concert. That would've been your main focus for the day, if it weren't for one of your guards bringing you the newspaper. He was on his way in, when the headline caught his eye. He figured you should see it.

Yeah, that was a bit of a day brightener. You left the paper in your room. No need for Anon or Rainbow to find out yet. It made you feel good, but it also mentioned your... 'chat' that you'd had with Filthy. The article made it very clear that you were assaulted first, and acted out of self-defense. It also made the effort to detail as much as possible about your defense.

Apparently, Filthy had attempted to go to trial again, and was going to try and sue you. When he was asked for witnesses, he could only think to name Pinkie Pie, who told the entire story in great detail. Needless to say, when the court found out he had struck first, he only narrowly avoided being put in prison himself. It made you feel good knowing that he basically fell flat on his face trying to get to your friends.

You wanted to tell Rainbow and Anon; but you also didn't want them to find out just what you'd done... Pinkie was a good friend, but damn. That little bit was DETAILED. With your morning starting out on a good note... Morning... Ever since last week, you'd been waking up early... In time for breakfast even... Weird. You made your way down to the main stage, to find Rainbow and Anon talking.

”Whoa, what are you guys doin here? We don't have any training to do today..." Rainbow and Anon stopped chatting, when they noticed you. Dash was giving Anon a look that said something like 'you gonna say something or am I gonna have to?'

"Guys? What's going on?" Rainbow nudged Anon in the leg.

"Fine! Sheesh!" Anon was a little hesitant, but powered on and spoke up. "Vinyl, do you think... Do you think that I could perform my duties up in the Lighting Room with Rainbow?"

"I don't see why not."

"AWESOME!"

"So long as you two don't distract each other during a concert."

"Don't worry; I'll keep her on task."

"Alright then, it's settled. Is that what all this was about?" Anon put his hand behind his head, and Rainbow looked off into the seating.

"Uhhh.... yeah." Anon wasn't very good at lying. But you decided to play dumb. Should they decide to tell you what's up, it'll happen on their own terms. Moving along with your morning, you headed over to the security office to talk about the coming concerts with Snowflake. He always looked at these concerts like a challenge.

A brief chat later, and all was taken care of. He'd arranged for extra security, as per usual. Things were going fine. Just like last year. He'd also arranged for one of his old buddies to come help out. You'd met him before, but he was still an impressive sight. Iron Will. The name suited him. You told him to do something, and shit got done. Combine him with Snowflake? You've got yourself the best security force in Equestria.

Maybe fate had dealt all of its nasty surprises to Rainbow and Anon? It felt a little selfish, but you were kind of hoping that was the case. These concerts were a huge deal. In the two rehearsals prior to the actual concert, Rainbow didn't foul up at all. Seems putting Anon up there with her was just what she needed. Maybe, just maybe, the universe was going to hand you a break. As soon as you stepped outside, that thought went right out the damn window.

Your guards were fending off a hoard of press. Damn. As soon as they saw you exit the auditorium, they doubled their efforts to get to you. Immediately, you made your way back inside. It's always something, isn't it? You headed back up to your suite. Time to chill. You can take your walk after the reporters tire themselves out. You'd been productive enough for today anyways. You were just dozing off, when there was a knock at your door. Dammit.

"It's open." You made your way to the living room to see who it was, to find none other than Rainbow. "Oh, hey Dash. What's up?" She was silent for a moment, before addressing you.

"Vinyl... I just read the paper..." Shit. Play dumb, play dumb!

"Oh yeah? Anything good in it?"

"You... You might say that... The main article was about you..." Here it comes.

"Listen, Rainbow--"

"Why didn't you tell me? Or Anon?"

”I--"

"Were you afraid or something? That's kind of important Vinyl!"

"I didn’t think it was that big of a deal..."

"It's a huge deal! You got into a fight with Filthy Rich!"

"He started it."

"That's no excuse!"

"You don't have much room to talk after YOUR little incident with him!"

"That... That was different."

"How's it different? Somepony insulted your friends, so you retaliated! I did the same thing, Rainbow."

"But... You didn't tell us."

"You didn't tell me, I had to find out through Anon!" You sighed, aggravated with the whole situation. "...Have you told Anon yet?"

"...No..."

"Then I'd like to be there when you do tell him." Rainbow got a confused look on her face.

"You mean, you're not going to try and stop me from telling him?"

"Why would I do that? I don't have anything to hide Rainbow; I just didn't want to bring it up so soon."

"Oh..."

"I'm not gonna lie to you Rainbow, what you just said, it hurt."

"I... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions..." You sighed again. Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

"You should know me better than that, Rainbow."

"You're right... I... I should go..." She started to make for the door, but you used your magic to lock it.

"Oh no you don't, we're settling this right here, right now."

"Settling what?"

"Whatever the fuck it is that's been bothering you. Don't tell me there isn't something, you're a terrible liar."

"I... I..."

"Is it my having feelings towards Anon? Does it really bother you that much?"

"Well... A little..."

"Is there anything I can do to assure you that I won't do anything? I can't just throw a switch and stop liking him, Dash."

"I know... I just get so... So jealous..."

"Jealous? Of what?"

"Whenever Anon talks about work, or when I ask him how his day was, it's always about you..." There. Right there. That. That's called a moment of clarity.

"Rainbow, he works for me. I mean, he works DIRECTLY for me! I'm his boss; of course he's going to talk about me." She still seemed uneasy. "Do you have any idea what he talks to me about?"

"...No."

"You."

"Wh--What?"

"He talks about you. He worries about you when you're stressed, he worries that he doesn't live up to your standards. He talks about how lucky he is to have you." Rainbow was silent, and you could swear you saw the slightest hint of moisture trying to escape her eyes. Of all the problems you had... You'd never expected a mare to be this... Well, this damn sensitive.

"Listen, Rainbow; I like Anon. I'm not gonna lie, I kinda like you too. You two aren't family, or friends." The dams were close to bursting. "You're closer than that. You're both special to me, but I'm not going to butt into what the two of you have. I've told you that before."

"I... I..."

"Listen. You go get some rest, clear your mind, relax a little, okay? You're going to stress yourself out if you keep this up. I like you too much to let you do that to yourself." The dams weren't going to break. Disaster averted. You could feel the turmoil from here. She had a lot to think about.

"I... I think I'm gonna take you up on that... A nap sounds good right about now..." She went to pick up the paper, but you snatched it away with your magic.

"Oh no you don't. When you tell Anon about this article, I want to be there. Deal?"

"...Deal" she answered. Albeit a tad hesitantly. After you unlocked the door and let her leave, you went back to your bedroom. Time for that damn nap. A couple hours later, you were being woken up by somepony... No, that was a hand. Opening your eyes, you found Anon standing next to your bed.

"...Nonny?"

"You coming to eat or what?"

"Mmmm... What time is it?"

"Dinner time. Now, you coming to eat or not?" You sighed.

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Alright, I'll fix you something. Anything you're really in the mood for?"

"Surprise me." He nodded before heading out. Damn he treated you good. He cared for his friends. A lot. Maybe... Maybe you could be more than friends. Not just with him either... If Rainbow could learn to share, then... Why not? Could be fun. At the very least, it'd get you to stop wondering about it... You'd never been in a relationship with two ponies before...

Hell, you haven't been in too many relationships, now that you think about it... Isn't that just like you? Go for the exotic stuff. Alien for an Audio Tech. Element of Harmony for a Lighting Tech. And now? Now you wanted to get into a relationship. With the both of them. It's like you purposely pick the difficult things in life. But, at least you had an interesting life. Eventually though... Eventually, somepony is probably going to want to get married to Anon...

Were there laws against a stallion having more than one mare? You'll need to look into that later. Right after you stop getting so far ahead of yourself. You still don't know how either of them feel about the idea. Bringing it up might make things really awkward... It could put a strain on the friendship you have now... Dammit.

Now you're REALLY interested in that idea. Food first though. After you arrived at their suite, the three of you sat down for dinner. Dinner was mostly uneventful. Rainbow stayed unusually quite throughout.

"So... Nonny..."

"Yeah Vinyl?"

"I... There’s... There’s something I wanted to talk to you guys about..."

"Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"I... Kinda sorta got into a little tussle with Filthy Rich the other day... And there may or may not be an article about it in today's paper..." Anon stopped eating.

"You did... what?"

"Well, you see, Filthy hit me so I kind of... retaliated..." Anon was silent for what seemed like an eternity. During that wretched silence, neither you nor Rainbow spoke. Finally, anon spoke.

"...continue." The tension released, you proceeded to recount the events of that day. After your little speech, you rejoined Rainbow in what was effectively time-out. Anon was silent again, his head now in his hands. "So... Anything else you care to tell me?" You thought for a minute. You could use the opportunity to talk about a three-way relationship... Yeah, that probably wouldn't go over too well right now.

"Uuuhh, no... Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Nonny..." He sighed, and looked at you through his fingers. After staring deep into your eyes for a minute, he sat up, and rubbed his own eyes.

"Okay... What's done is done. But from now on, will you please tell me if you do something like that again? I'd rather find out from you than some newspaper."

"Hehe... Yeah, sorry about that Nonny..." He sighed again.

"I've got two amazing mares sitting down and eating dinner with me. One of them is my special somepony, and the other is by far one of the best friends I could ask for. Now, I'm not going to lie and tell you I'm not at least a little bit upset." You looked down at your plate. You should've told him sooner. There was no good reason for you not to have done so. "Don't go and do that. I can't stand it when you do that." You looked up at him.

"Do what?"

"That shame look you do. Fuck. I can't... Dammit all Vinyl." And your day had started out so nice too... Fuck it, you're on a roll. Might as well put all your chips on the table.

"I... I've also been thinking about something..."

"It doesn't involve Filthy Rich, does it?"

"No. It's actually about you and Rainbow..." Rainbow perked up at the mention of her name. Anon studied you closely.

"Alright, spit it out." Deep breaths. Take it nice and slow now.

"I... Okay, first off, I haven't talked to Rainbow about this at all."

"Noted."

"Right..." Why was he so intimidating? You'd never really been scared of another pony before. Save for angry Luna. That shit's terrifying.

”Well... How do you guys feel about... A... A three way?"

Anon was silent. He looked over to Rainbow for some sort of evidence that you were joking. When Rainbow looked at him with the same surprised look that he had, he realized you were serious.

"A three way? You mean, like sex or something?"

“I-- uhh, well... I mean on a more... permanent... basis." Anon remained silent for a while. Rainbow looked at you; presumably looking for a sign that your little charade was over. Sorry Dashie, but you're dead serious. You looked between Anon and Rainbow. Anon was silent, his expression unyielding. Poor Dashie's wings were starting to extend. Anon's voice ripped you right back to the matter you'd so blatantly thrown on the table.

"So. Who's this other pony you're trying to set me and Rainbow up with?" Well, he hasn't shot the idea down yet. You looked down; not really wanting to give him the answer. Unfortunately, you had a pretty bad poker face. "...You?" You looked up at him. Dammit all, you felt like crying. You nodded. He looked long and hard into your eyes.

"...You're serious about this, aren't you?" You nodded again. He looked over to Rainbow, whose mouth was now open. "Rainbow? What do you think?" Rainbow looked at you long and hard, before looking to Anon.

"I... I don't know Anon..." Damn. You'd really thought she would've been up for it.

"I... I think I should go..." Before you could get out of your seat, you heard Anon's voice.

"Stay." His voice was quiet. But dammit if it didn't terrify you. He had this presence right now.

"What do -you- think, Nonny?"

"I... I think it's an interesting idea. A serious relationship with two amazing mares? My only concern is you, Dashie."

"Me?"

"You. You gave up everything to stay with me. I won't make a decision like this without you." Rainbow looked down at her plate, then at you.

"I... I think I could learn to share. I think it'd be kinda cool." Anon was quiet for a minute.

"Alright then. We'll try this out." Holy shit. You can't believe it. They just agreed to have a three-way relationship.

"Vinyl? You okay?" Rainbow's voice brought you back to the land of the living.

"What? Oh yeah! You kidding? I'm great!"

"You just seemed... well, a little shocked is all."

"You bet I am. I never thought you guys would go for it. I thought you'd laugh me out of here."

"Vinyl, we're your friends. The least we'd have done was listen."

"Even still... It's just a little mind blowing... To think, now I technically have BOTH a marefriend and a special stallion..."

"I'm still not a stallion."

"You got a penis, don't ya? Close enough for me." His head dropped.

"Well, it was a special moment."

"Love you too, Nonny."

"I never knew either of you were bi-curious. Learn something new every day, huh?"

"Yup! I've got quite a few tricks to teach our little Dashie." Rainbow's wings were fully extended now.

"Looks like you two have quite the adventurous nights ahead of you. At any rate, it's late. I think we should head to bed."

"Alright, I'll see you guys in the morning."

"Whoa whoa whoa, just where do you think you're going, Vinyl?" Rainbow was getting good at catching you off guard.

"Uuhh, my room?"

"You're with us now. You'd better get used to the idea of sleeping with us." Your turn to drop your jaw. Damn. Rainbow was aggressive. This... This is turning out to be a not so bad night. Makes sense if you think about it. She takes a while to make a decision, but once she does, she sticks to it.

About a half hour later, the three of you were getting into bed. Anon was first, with Rainbow and yourself taking up positions on either side of him. The lights were out, and sleep came quickly to the three of you. That night was one of the best nights you'd ever had, sleep wise. You'd never slept better than that. It was amazing. You woke up on your own, feeling completely rejuvenated. That warm feeling wasn't just because you were snuggled up next to Anon.

No, there was another warm feeling. You felt... Complete. Like you finally had found something. Sex... Now THAT was something you were looking forward too. Shouldn't rush anything though. Just let it happen. Don't want to step all over Rainbow's territory. She'd only recently gotten some action from Anon. You kinda felt like you were rushing things a little, seeing as they had JUST taken their relationship to the next level. But they were both open to the idea, and you'd already put it out there. No backing out now. If you want this to work, you've got to put some damn effort into it.

You made your way to the kitchen. Having woken up before Rainbow or Anon, you'd decided to make breakfast for them! Holy shit. You woke up, BEFORE Anon AND Rainbow? Damn. They were affecting you already. Oh well. To breakfast! After preparing some toast, you started work on pancakes. Mmmm, pancakes. Oooh, and maybe some hash browns! And, just for Nonny... Some bacon. Not consuming meat meant you didn't really know how to prepare it.

You'd seen him do it a couple of times, but had never attempted preparing bacon on your own. Throw it in the skillet. Timing. Bacon. Simple enough, right? That's what you kept telling yourself after the first two packages of bacon. Something about cooking meat, or just bacon itself hating you.

"Hey, Vinyl? What's going on?" You quickly turned around to find the source of the voice, tightening your magic grip on the skillet. Just in case.

"Oh! Hey Rainbow, I didn't hear you come down."

"Yeah, just woke up. Is something burning?"

”Uhhh..." She trotted over to the stove. "What is that?" You turned to face the skillet. In your lack of attention and care, these poor strips had been condemned to an excessively crispy demise.

"Well, it WAS going to be bacon..." You said, shaking the skillet over a bucket of your previous failures.

"You want me to do it? I've made bacon for Anon before."

"That would be amazing." She walked over and began her work on making bacon.

"You want anything in particular for breakfast? I've got some toast, pancakes and hash browns."

"That sounds good, actually." Well shit. Now what do you do? Drinks! You make your way to the refrigerator and start snooping for juice.

"Morning girls." While rubbing your head and after a brief check for damage to the fridge, you removed your head from the cold environment to find Anon.

"Morning Nonny!"

"Morning Anon!"

"Is... Is something burning?"

"Uuuhhhh...."

"Not anymore!"

"Alrighty then. What are you two cooking up?"

"Vinyl made some pancakes, toast, and some hash browns."

"I was making some bacon, but..."

"Well, I had to help her out with that..." Anon eyed your bucket of smoldering terror.

"I can see that." You chuckle sheepishly.

"Yeah..."

"I appreciate that you tried, Vinyl."

"Mmmhhh mmphh mmmmnnmfffpph."

"Rainbow, I can't understand you with a skillet in your mouth." She set the skillet down.

"She was doing good, she just needs some practice is all."

"Uh huh. Let's stop talking about breakfast and start eating it. I'm hungry." After a filling breakfast, and disposing of some bacon that was a bit too crispy, you were ready to start the day! By that you meant take a shower, and ponder what to do. Wait a minute. What day is it? You dry yourself off from the shower, and find a calendar. Shit.

”THE CONCERT IS TOMORROW???" You really should pay attention more. Why were you panicking anyway? You'd trained Rainbow thoroughly; Anon still knew what to do; the schedule had been planned out and tickets sold already. The rest of your day was spent with you running around, pointlessly double and triple checking things you'd taken care of. Rainbow tried to calm you down a couple times, but it didn't really work.

Anon would've tried to calm you down, but you never really gave him a chance. Good thing he didn't know about unicorn horns. If he'd grabbed your horn... Yeah, he would've had your full and undivided attention.

Lunch had flown by in a dizzying blur. You vaugely recall eating a sandwich of some sort, while going over the security rosters. SOMETHING was bothering you about the roster, but you didn't recall what. Like there was something missing. Too busy to stop and worry about that now though. You'd just have to trust in Snowflake's abilities. He'd never let you down before, why would he now?

FOCUS! ON WHAT? Well, what was left? It was late in the afternoon now. You were racking your brain, trying to figure out if there was anything you'd forgotten. The anticipation of the coming concert was killing you. Not noticing what was going on around you, Anon had picked you up.

"Hey! What gives?!"

"It's time for dinner, and I finally caught you."

"But Nonny! I've got stuff to do!"

"Stuff that's been done already!"

"But--"

"Dinner. Now."

He collected you in his arms, and carried you to the living room. The table had already been set, and Rainbow was laying out some delicious looking meals. Anon shut the door before plopping you down in your chair. After smelling the food Rainbow had prepared, your body promptly reminded you of what you'd been doing all day. By alerting you to how hungry you really were.

“Well.... Maybe a little break."

"Good. Now let’s eat." After consuming dinner, your body reacted to the drop in adrenaline that was being supplied. You were suddenly extremely drowsy, and your whole body was starting to ache. Sleep assaulted you swiftly.

Sadly, you hadn't made it to the actual bed. The couch was closer and it was comfortable. After waking up, you immediately remembered what was going on today. The concert. You felt it happening. The adrenaline was being administered to your body. You'd just woken up. The actual concert would really get you pumped. Damn, you were gonna be sore tomorrow.

Anon and Rainbow were already up and preparing for the day ahead. They had been trying to let you get your sleep in. Nice thought, but wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Not until after the concert. Breakfast was over and done with so fast, you weren't quite sure you'd actually eaten. Anon and Rainbow were still eating by the time you'd finished breakfast, cleaned yourself up, and started triple checking everything you could. You were on fire today. But it didn't feel like it.

By lunch time, you'd finished everything there was to do. Anon was saying something to you, but you weren't paying attention. You were still trying to find something concert-related to do. Seeing as these were Lunar Related concerts, they were held rather late at night. So, you had some time to kill. And it was driving you mad.

"Vinyl, just slow down for a second! You've already finished everyth--"

"No! There's got to be something! There's always something!" Rainbow had good intentions, but you didn't want to hear it. Pre-Concert jitters and all that. You'd be fine once the concert started, but until then... Snowflake approaching you with a concerned look did nothing to help your nerves.

"Snowflake, I know that look."

"Ms. Scratch... I'm sorry, but I've got some bad news." Yup. Knew it.

“Well spit it out already." His expression was... unsettling. Was he... No. The more you looked at him, the more it started to set in. You'd only seen that expression once before. He was nervous. This wasn't going to be good.

"Iron Will won't be able to make it tonight." Not so bad.

"Okay, what's the big deal then? We'll just re-do the security shifts."

"He's been contracted by..."

"By... who? Does it really matter?" He seemed to get his confidence back, and straightened his stance.

"By Filthy Rich, ma'am." Okay, you could see why he'd want to tell you that. Deep breaths.

"Okay? So what? We'll be fine without him. Sucks that he could be bought like that, but so long as he gets paid well, more power to him." Filthy was just flaunting his power was all. Trying to show he could get to you. So long as he didn't fuck with the concert or your friends, you didn't care what he did or how he spent his money. "Just re-do the security schedules to make up for his absence, and we'll be alright."

"Yes ma'am."

After he marched away, Rainbow piped up, "Vinyl? You okay?"

"So long as he stays away from you guys and my auditorium, I'll be fine." That didn't get rid of her concerned look. "Rainbow, I'll be fine. Promise."

"Why don't you just go lie down for a bit? For me?" You really didn't want to, but if it got her off your back... You sighed.

"Alright, fine. Just stop with those eyes." After she escorted you back to the bed, she convinced Anon to massage you to sleep. Dammit. You've been double teamed. A couple hours before the concert, you'd woken up. It was time. Anon and Rainbow were preparing for their duties, checking their respective equipment. You'd gone through the songs you were going to play, making sure nothing was wrong. All was right and ready.

You checked the clock. One hour. As the auditorium filled with ponies eager for your concert, your body filled with adrenaline. You could feel your heart racing. Trying to escape the confines of your body. You checked the clock again. Nope, still an hour. Fuck. Forty-five anxiety-filled minutes later, Rainbow took her cue and dimmed the lights. Not off, like they would be when the concert started, but dimmed. A few last minute checks with Snowflake and Anon, and you'd finally hit your peak.

The adrenaline in your body had reached that level where it was no longer exciting you beyond reason. It was calming you. Clearing your mind. Opening you to a whole new wave of emotions and further preparing your body. You looked out onto the stage. Everyone was in place. The crowd was growing restless. Just the way you liked it. Then, the lights shut off completely. You quietly made your way on stage, and started your concert.

Rainbow had gotten the opening light show perfect. The crowd was going wild. The beat was flowing for you tonight. This was gonna be a good concert.

You thought.

Halfway through your performance, you'd noticed a group of ponies in the crowd being... obnoxious. Well, more obnoxious than the rest of your crowd. Over the years, you'd gotten down some discrete signals you could give to security if you thought something was up. This group was striking that nerve. They were going to be trouble. You carried on regardless. No need to let a few rowdy ponies ruin the show for everypony else, right?

Those were your thoughts, until they started making for the stage. Okay, party crashers. You stopped the music, and signaled to security. An emergency buzzer sounded, silencing anypony who was talking. The floodlights came on immediately, illuminating the foreboding ponies. You spotted your security in the crowd, making their way towards the offenders. The ponies were climbing up onto the stage now.

"Alright boys, that's enough. I think you should leave."

"I don think so, prrrrety lady." Great. Some dumb ponies had snuck into your concert drunk. One of them still had the damn bottle on him. You were content to just wait for security, until the one with the bottle started swinging at you. Again, you could dodge him and wait for securi-- There was a crash, and a sharp screech had echoed across the speakers.

Oh, it's on motherfucker. Just like the occasion before, the last thing you remember was smelling the tiniest bit of smoke. Just like last time, you didn't recall what'd happened. Not like last time, you woke up in the hospital. After a brief recollection of what'd happened, you looked around. Your heart stopped. There, on the bed across from you, was Rainbow Dash.

Chapter 11: Atlantis Rising

The waiting room smelled strongly of disinfectant. There was a stack of what were likely very out of date magazines on a table. Aside from a couple of other ponies, you were alone. It'd been roughly an entire day since Rainbow and Vinyl were admitted. You hadn't slept, much to nurse Redheart’s dismay. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't convince yourself to sleep. You were mentally exhausted from trying to comprehend what'd happened.

You and Rainbow had been focusing on your respective duties. The lighting equipment for Rainbow; and the audio equipment for you. Everything was going swimmingly, until a rather disruptive group of ponies made their way onto the stage. By then, the show had stopped, and the floodlights were activated. From what you could tell, the ponies were drunk. Security was making their way towards the offenders, but there was a fuck huge crowd they had to go through.

One of the ponies had a bottle, and had used it to smash a piece of Vinyl's equipment. After he did that, he turned to Vinyl herself. One daring jab later, he was fumbling around behind Vinyl. The sequence of events that followed was what bothered you the most. There was a flash of light, and Vinyl's mane and tail looked as though they'd caught fire.

You could see a record being used to strike the Ponies that had made their way onto the stage. It was a blur of colors and some rather unsettling noises. The small group of offending ponies had been subdued by Vinyl, but she wasn't stopping there. She continued to attack the one with the bottle, until another pony ran into her at a blazing speed. It was Rainbow.

While you'd been in shock from witnessing Vinyl's assault, Rainbow had darted down to the stage. After the tackle, she had Vinyl's full attention. Blind rage and all. What happened then was something you wouldn't soon forget. Vinyl struck at Rainbow multiple times, Rainbow dodging each attempt. Rainbow was trying to talk to Vinyl, from what you could tell. Vinyl didn't appear to be in a talking mood.

When Rainbow stopped moving to try and talk to Vinyl, she was met with a solid strike to the face by the spinning record. Rainbow shook her head, and resumed dodging the assault. With Vinyl showing no signs of ending her assault anytime soon, Rainbow tackled her to the ground in an attempt to hold her down. That ended badly.

Vinyl used the opportunity to give Rainbow quite a few injuries on her back. Rainbow screamed in pain, and jumped off of Vinyl. Not but a moment later, she was backing away from Vinyl. She tried one last time to reason with her, before being met by yet another solid strike in the face. After that, Rainbow ran towards Vinyl once more.

Instead of tackling her, she stopped short, turned around, and kicked Vinyl in the head. Hard. Vinyl was dazed by what'd happened, but shook it off. Rainbow kicked her again, and she started to waiver her assault. One more kick to the head, and Vinyl was down. Rainbow wasn't doing too well either, and collapsed onto the stage. The entire auditorium was silent, save for security coming to their senses and moving towards the stage.

While they made their way towards the stage, you started your own rush towards Rainbow and Vinyl. Being a whole floor above them didn't make things any easier. When you finally arrived and pushed some guards out of the way, you found a horrifying scene. Vinyl was bruised heavily, her nose and upper lip bleeding. Rainbow, however, was much worse for wear.

She had quite a few lesions on her back and face, most of which were bleeding openly. A closer observation yielded bruises on her face and sides. And something else. Tears. She had been crying. Profusely.

The only thing you recalled clearly was carrying Rainbow to the hospital. Some guards were carrying Vinyl. Aside from that, everything else was a blur. The doctors had told you that they'd both make a full recovery, but Rainbow's would take longer than Vinyl's. Knowing that they'd recover alleviated much of your stress, but not all of it.

From what the doctors had told you, Vinyl's recovery would last about a day. Rainbow's, about a week. But it would be a month before she could fly again. Apparently, one of the cuts she'd gotten had really torn up a tendon or some shit. You didn't really care to know the details. That would crush Rainbow. A pegasus, not being able to fly? And there wasn't anything you could do.

Her awakening was a double edged sword. You'd be glad to hear her voice again; but telling her she was downed wasn't going to be easy... Your thoughts were interrupted by nurse Redheart. She'd just informed you that Vinyl had woken up.

"Is Rainbow awake yet?"

"No, I'm afraid she's still sleeping."

"I'll wait until they're both awake then."

"...Ms. Scratch asked to see you." Damn. You were really hoping to wait until they were both up before having to face either of them. This... wasn't going to be easy. You sighed.

"Alright. Lead the way." An all too short while later, you were walking into their room. Nurse Redheart led you over to Vinyl's bed, and then started tending to Rainbow.

"Nonny?"

"Hi Vinyl." She stared into your eyes for a while.

"What... What did I do?"

"...You attacked some drunk ponies that made their way onto the sta--"

"No. What did I do to -her-?" Shit. You remained quiet. "Nonny, I have to know." Her eyes were watering.

"You... She..." Dammit. "Doctor says she'll be outta here in a week." She was searching your expression.

"...What else did the doctor say?" God. Fucking. Dammit. "Nonny? Will she be ok? WHAT DID I DO?!"

"She won't be able to fly for at least a month..." Her jaw dropped. She slowly turned to look at Rainbow.

"I... She..." You just nodded. "I-I'm so s-sor--" She was sobbing openly now.

"Don't." She looked back at you. You could see the hurt in her eyes. ”I like you, Vinyl. I really do." She lightened up on her sobs a little.

"But you hurt Rainbow. I can't just forget that happened."

"But, the drunk ponies! They were--"

"You should've backed off and let security handle them! Dammit Vinyl, you knew what to do, why didn't you fucking do it?!" You could see that she was hurt by what you were saying, but you didn't care anymore. It was your turn to be mad. "Why? Why didn't you just let security handle it? Were you trying to prove something?! What?!"

"I-- I don't--"

"What, you don't know?! Of course not! No, you jumped the gun and took matters into your own hands!"

"Wh--"

"You bit off more than you could handle, and it finally affected someone other than yourself, Vinyl. Rainbow is here, because she was trying to stop you." Her eyes widened. "That's right. You were destroying a drunk pony, and Rainbow was trying to stop you from really hurting the guy. So, instead of hurting him, you hurt her instead!" She was trying to speak, but you didn't let her. "Why Vinyl?! Why would you do that?!"

"I- I didn't know wha--"

"What, you didn't know what you were doing? Maybe not, but you damn well knew that that could've happened before hand! You should've thought about your actions! You had plenty of time to just back away!" She was silent, tears running down her cheeks. Maybe she really didn't know what she was doing. Maybe she got into the heat of the moment and just didn't think clearly. Can you say you wouldn't have defended yourself? No, but you can be damned sure you would never do what she did to Rainbow. You sighed before bringing continuing your little rant.

"Listen, Vinyl. I really do like you. I still want this relationship to work, but you've got to get help. If you get like that every time you get mad, who's to say you won't hurt another pony like you did Rainbow?" Your words were a solid reminder of what she did to Rainbow. She looked down at herself. You left her to go and check on Redheart and Rainbow.

"How is she?"

"She's still unconscious, but she'll be fine."

"Good. Listen, I'd like you to put her in another room."

"But--"

"Please." Nurse Redheart sighed.

"Alright. I'll have some orderlies move her in a minute."

"Thank you." As you left the room, you could faintly hear Vinyl starting to cry. Maybe you were too harsh on her. You didn't really let her defend herself. But that didn't change the fact that she needed help.

You can't even consider a serious relationship with her if there's the possibility that she could hurt Rainbow like that again. As you found your seat in the waiting room once more, you rested your head in your hands. You were just about to try taking a nap, when Redheart came trotting up to you.

"Anon? We've moved Rainbow into another room. If you'd like, you can sta--"

"Yes."

She nodded, and led you down another wing of the hospital. Eventually, you were greeted with a new room, occupied solely by Rainbow.

"I'll leave you two alone. If you need anything, just press that button." She motioned towards a small red button beside Rainbow's bed, and headed back out of the room. Rainbow was sleeping peacefully. Her chest rising and falling ever so gently. You shut the door to the room, and moved over to the chair that was beside her bed. Maybe now you could get some shut-eye. You were soooooo close to falling asleep.

"...Nonny?" You snapped to full attention, looking to Rainbow.

"Rainbow?"

"Nonny!" You ran over and hugged her. After she gasped in pain, you instantly released her.

"Wha...?" She pushed the covers off herself, and looked down at her body. "...No." She was covered in bandages, from her front legs to her hind legs. Her wings had been carefully wrapped so that she couldn't move them. "Nonny..." She looked up at you. "What happened?" This wasn't going to be easy.

"...What's the last thing you remember?"

"I... I knocked out Vinyl... I knocked out Vinyl! Is she ok? I didn't hurt her too-"

"She'll be fine." Now, the hard part. You leaned in and hugged her, carefully this time. She half-heartedly returned the hug.

"Nonny, what's wrong?" You broke the embrace, and sat down next to her bed. She tried to move for a second, before flinching and remaining in her spot. "Nonny... Why can't I move my wings?" She was looking at you hard now. You tried to talk, but you couldn't bring yourself to tell her what the doctors had told you. "...No." She was fighting back tears now.

"The doctors say it'll be at least a month before you can fly again..."

"...No! No no no!" She was starting to thrash in her bed. You were immediately holding her down, preventing her from really worsening her injuries. After a good minute or so of her struggling against you, she finally broke down and started crying. She cried for a while. You pulled her into a hug as best you could, taking care not to hurt her. About ten minutes later, she had calmed down. "...I'm scared, Nonny."

"Don't worry Dashie. We'll get through this. Together." The next morning, you were woken up by nurse Redheart.

"Anon?"

"Whazzat?"

"Sorry to wake you, but we need to change Rainbow's dressing. I'm going to have to ask you to step outside for a couple of minutes."

"Oh. Okay." You walked out of the room, leaving Rainbow to nurse Redheart. You heard muffled voices through the door.

"Where... what are you... WHERE IS ANON?!" Oh boy. The volumes of their voices were escalating.

"Rainbow, just calm do-- No no no no!" There was a crash, and then you heard Rainbow scream. You didn't bother to knock as you nearly broke down the door.

"Rainbow?!" You walked into the room, shutting the door behind you. A quick survey of the hospital bed yielded no Rainbow. You walked over to where the sheets had been pulled to one side, and found Rainbow crying on the floor. Redheart was trying to approach her, but she was curled into a defensive ball. Every time Redheart would get close, Rainbow would kick her away. "Rainbow, are you okay?"

"Nonny!" She tried to get up, but yelped in pain before collapsing into a ball again. That was when you noticed her wing. Her left wing was at a rather odd angle.

"Nurse Redheart, what happened?" You asked, as you walked over to Rainbow's position on the floor.

"Well, I was trying to change her dressings, when she started having a panic attack and rolled out of her bed." Great.

"What's wrong with her wing?"

"I think she may have dislocated it, but she won't let me close enough to find out." You sat down next to Rainbow, and began gently stroking her mane.

"You okay Dashie?" She looked up at you and shook her head 'no.' "Will you let nurse Redheart take a look at your wing?" She looked from you to nurse Redheart, and back to you. "I promise I'll be right here the entire time, okay?" She looked deeply into your eyes, before slowly nodding 'yes.' You motioned for nurse Redheart to approach, and she did so. Cautiously.

Once Redheart was close enough to actually examine Rainbow, she began using her magic to lift and tug at various parts of her wing. All the while Rainbow would cringe and tear up. You reached over and clasped one of her front hooves in your hands. There were tears running down her cheeks, tinting her cyan coat. Nurse Redheart spoke up.

"Yes, her wing is definitely dislocated." Great.

”So, what can you do?"

"Well there's only one thing to do. It has to be relocated." If that was anything like relocating a shoulder, it was probably going to hurt like hell. "Rainbow? Will you let me relocate your wing?" She shook her head 'no' vigorously, before backing up towards you. "If she refuses treatment, there's not much I can do." You thought long and hard about what you were about to suggest.

"Rainbow, I'm going to relocate your wing." She turned around quickly, fear in her eyes. "It's going to hurt, but I promise it's for the best. You'll feel much better afterwards. Okay?" She made no motion to answer. "Rainbow, do you trust me?" She nodded 'yes' slowly, but the fear never left her eyes. This was going to suck. "Nurse Redheart, what do I need to do?"

"Well, it's a simple procedure. All you have to do is push the joint back into place. You'll feel resistance at first, then it should simply pop in." You nodded, and positioned yourself behind Rainbow. Gently grabbing her wing at the base, you could feel the muscles spasm in anticipation of what was about to happen. The joint wasn't far from where it was supposed to be. A gentle push and the wing's joint found its resting place just out of the socket.

"I'm sorry Rainbow." You tightened your grip, and began to apply pressure. Rainbow screamed. She screamed as loud as she could, but you did not yield. You felt the resistance Redheart mentioned, but it wasn't yielding. Considering your options, you briefly lightened your grip, before re-tightening it and shoving. Hard. Rainbow's screams continued, all the while you applying a huge force to the wing.

A couple of seconds later, you felt the pop. Rainbow stopped screaming, and lay in shock. Tears were running down her face profusely, her mouth agape. She started to gasp, and began sobbing.

"Ssshhhh, it's okay now. It's all done." You carefully picked her up, and brought her into a hug. She gripped you fiercely, and continued sobbing. You took to stroking her mane gently, and held the embrace for a while. Once she calmed down and finished sobbing, you placed her back in her bed to let nurse Redheart continue changing her dressings. Both you and nurse Redheart decided it would be best for you to remain in the room. Rainbow didn't object.

After Redheart changed Rainbow's dressings, she left the two of you alone. Rainbow had finished crying a while ago, but you could still see the dried streaks on her face. You were sitting down in the chair next to her bed, head resting on your hands. She was looking at you with her big magenta eyes.

"You going to be okay now, Dashie? You scared me for a while there."

"...Y-yeah... Sorry about that..."

"What got you so riled up anyway?" Her gaze quickly disengaged yours.

"I... I don't know..."

"Rainbow..." You stood up and walked over to her bedside. "You can trust me." She squirmed under your gaze, before sighing and looking up at you.

"I... I was having a dream..."

"Okay... What was the dream about?"

"I... It... You died Nonny..." How the fuck do you respond to that? She was looking into your eyes, as if searching for something. You reached out and started petting her on the head.

"Well I can assure you I'm very much alive. And I intend to stay that way." She smiled a little at that. You leaned in and kissed her on the head, before leaning over and whispering in her ear. "Besides, you can't get rid of me that easy." She gave you a soft punch for that one, before kissing you on the cheek. You went to the little bathroom area, and found a rag. After dampening it in the sink, you proceeded to use it to clean Rainbow's face up a bit.

"Hey, Nonny?" You finished cleaning her face before responding.

”Yes, Dashie?"

"Where's Vinyl?" You sighed.

"Why do you ask?"

"I want to know why she did what she did."

"I do too, Rainbow. For the time being though, I think it’s best we just give her some time to figure things out."

"I guess..."

"How do you feel about what happened?"

"I... I don't know... I mean why would she--" She gasped and cut herself off. Her voice was rather raspy from earlier.

"We'll talk about it later, Dashie. You need your rest,” You said as you stood up. She watched you go to the door. You had your hand on the handle when you heard her almost whisper something.

"Don't go, Nonny..." You turned to face her. ”Go? Dashie, I'm going to go get sheets for the other bed. You really think I'd leave you after what happened today?" If the smile on her face had gotten any bigger, you'd be concerned. "Okay. I'll--" She gasped again. "I'll be right back, Rainbow." She nodded.

You made your way out into the hallway, and headed for the waiting room to find Redheart. While you could get the sheets yourself, that might be considered rude. A brief walk later, and you'd found Redheart. After getting the go-ahead from her, you collected some sheets for the other bed, and headed back to Rainbow's room. The bed was a bit small for you, but you could make it work. Well, you'd be curled up in a ball. Still better than sleeping in the chair.

When you approached Rainbow's room, something caught your eye. The door was ever so slightly ajar. There were noises coming from the room, escalating in volume. When you managed your way inside, you discovered the noises to be voices. The voices were both familiar. Rainbow and Vinyl.

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"I just--"

"NO! Do you have any idea what it's like to be told you can't fly? DO YOU?!" Time for an intervention.

"VINYL." That got their attention. "I suggest you leave."

"But I--"

"Now." She was on the verge of tears. "You want to explain? Fine. But NOT right now. We need our space, Vinyl. Now get out." She ran out of the room crying. You felt bad for making her cry yet again, but you and Rainbow really did need space. Time to think. And you wouldn't get that with Vinyl here, trying to explain away what had happened. She'd get her chance, but it'd be on your terms. After closing the door, you checked on Rainbow.

"You okay Dashie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just cou--" She gasped again.

"I understand. Just rest for now, okay? The bandages are probably putting pressure on some sensitive areas when you get excited like that." She nodded, and settled back into her bed. A short time later, you'd made your own bed. Nurse Redheart stopped by with something to eat, but you weren't exactly hungry. Rainbow was apparently starving though, as she had created what could only be described as a war scene with her tray. Can't say you blame her though. She's had a pretty stressful couple of days so far.

A couple minutes later, and she'd finished her dinner. Save for the bits of mashed potato on her face. She looked at you and sighed before leaning back into her collection of pillows. You chuckled to yourself and walked over to clean her up. As cute as she was, you couldn't help but laugh while she had that eloquent potato mustache. After cleaning her up and collecting her now empty tray, you sat back down in your chair to poke around at your own food.

The lack of meat saddened you slightly, but it was nothing serious. While you poked away at your food, Rainbow slowly dozed off to sleep. So many things running through your mind... And this was only the second day at the hospital. After finishing your meal, you placed the two dirty trays on the nightstand separating the two beds.

Might as well get some sleep. You'd need to get a few things from the auditorium tomorrow. Like your clothing. And maybe some bacon. If you could manage it. The auditorium... That was something you weren't exactly looking forward to... There'll be time to worry about that tomorrow. For now, time to rest.

It wouldn't be the most comfortable nap you'd ever had, but it would finally be an actual nap. You settled into your bed and turned the lamp off. It was a tight squeeze, but you managed. At least now you could appreciate the three beds you were given when you first arrived here. Strange that you and Rainbow would be back at this hospital so soon... Wonder if Redheart is going to present Vinyl to Rainbow like she did Rainbow to you? Again, worries for later. Sleep now.

Rainbow was still sleeping peacefully when you woke up. All things considered, that was probably the first time you'd gotten decent sleep in the past couple days. Today wasn't going to be so easy on you. You had to get some changes of clothes from the auditorium. Vinyl would probably try and explain herself to you or try to apologize again. You can only hope she respects your wishes and keeps her distance for a while.

She's still your friend, but you need your space and some time to think. Given what she did to Rainbow, you'd probably need quite a bit of time. You might be able to eventually forgive Vinyl for what she did, but would Rainbow? That would likely depend heavily on whether or not she fully recovered. Having wings and not being able to fly... This coming month of recovery would probably be hell for her. But she wouldn't go through it alone. After you made sure she was awake and still amongst the living, you told her your plans for the day.

"So, you'll be getting some of your clothes from the auditorium; then heading back here?"

"Pretty much. When I get back, we're going to talk about yesterday though."

"What about yesterday?"

"Don't play that game with me Rainbow. Your little incident yesterday." She looked down.

"Oh... Right..." You kissed her on the head.

"I'm not mad at you Dashie, I'm just worried. I'll be back soon, okay?" She looked up at you, a small smile on her face.

"Okay." With that, you headed out of her room and made for the hospital lobby. After making sure Redheart knew to go easy on Rainbow, you headed for Vinyl's auditorium. Upon leaving the hospital, you headed straight for the auditorium. No sense messing around. Besides, you were worried about Rainbow. Vinyl attacking her must've really messed her up. Can you blame her if she's bothered by what happened? How would you cope with one of your best friends assaulting you, and then having to knock them out?

You continued your solitary walk towards the auditorium. Apparently there was a rather large storm scheduled soon, so there weren't many ponies out today. The task at hand mixed with the low rumbles of distant thunder distracted you from hearing your name being called.

"Hellooooo, Anon? You okay?" Finally registering the voice, you stopped walking to locate its source. Twilight was off to the side of the path you were walking, waving you down.

"Oh! Hey Twilight. Sorry, I was just... thinking..." She trotted over to chat with you for a bit.

"It's been a while since I've seen you. What have you been up to?"

"It's... A long story. If you don't mind my asking, why are you out? Isn't it about to storm?"

"I could ask you the same question. I'm out here to set up some instruments to record some weather data." She levitated a few of the said instruments from her saddle bags using her magic.

"Oh. Neat." As she returned the various instruments to their saddle bags, she repeated her question to you.

"So, what brings you out here on a day like this?"

"I'm just getting a few things from the auditorium is all. Gonna be bunking with Rainbow for about a week."

"Wait, I thought you two lived at the auditorium? At least, that's what Rainbow told me last time I saw her... Come to think of it, how is Rainbow? I haven't heard from her in what seems like months!"

"We were staying at the auditorium, but something... came up. Rainbow is in the hospital." The resulting barrage of questions almost started to hurt your ears.

"WHAT?! What happened? How long is she staying there? Why didn't anypony tell me sooner?! Is she going to be okay? Wh--"

"TWILIGHT! Please, slow down."

"Right... sorry. I just didn't know! She's been so... isolated lately..." That was probably your fault more than you cared to admit.

”She could use all the friends she has right now... It's... kind of serious. I'd be happy to give you all the details, but I promised her I'd be back soon."

"Of course! Maybe I can help you with whatever it is you're getting at the auditorium?"

"I'd appreciate that, Twilight." As the two of you walked towards the auditorium, you explained to Twilight what had happened not so long ago. You decided to withhold specifically who attacked her. Last thing you needed was a unicorn fight. Upon finally entering the auditorium, you couldn't help but feel... Anxious.

Just get your shit and get out. No need for any drama. You led Twilight up to your room and started collecting a sizeable amount of clothing. No sign of Vinyl thus far. You hoped she wasn't trying to bother Rainbow at the hospital again... After a brief visit to the closet, the clothing you were after was packed and ready for transport. You and Twilight headed for the door.

"Hey Anon, what's this?" You stopped just shy of the door, and turned to find Twilight examining a note on the bedroom door. In your haste, you must've failed to notice it.

"I... I have no idea, Twilight. I can't read pony, remember?"

"Oh, right... Sorry. You want me to read it for you?"

"Sure." She cleared her throat, and squinted at the note on the door.

"Dear Anon, I figure you'll be here to get your things soon, and I know you want your space so I'll try and stay out of your way. Just letting you know that your house is finished, and the address is below. Your friend, no matter what, Vinyl Scratch. She seems like a really good friend, Anon."

"You don't even know the half of it." She plucked the note from the door, and brought it to you using her magic. You folded it up and placed it in your pocket.

”Alright, let's get out of here before that storm hits."

"Sounds like a plan." At least Vinyl was respecting your wishes. For now, anyways. On a brighter note, now you had a place to stay after Rainbow was allowed to leave the hospital. Silver lining and all that. Back outside, the thunder was louder and you could spot lightning arcing across the sky.

"I sure hope the weather team know what they're doing; this storm looks like a doozey."

"No kidding." Wouldn't that be some shit? Your house finally gets completed only to get destroyed by some out of control storm? That would be some real shit right there. Time to focus on more important things. Like Rainbow. As you and Twilight made way to the hospital, you began brainstorming ideas to get Rainbow's spirits back up. "Hey Twilight?"

"Yes Anon?"

"Any ideas on how I could cheer Rainbow up?"

"Hmmm... Well, she's a fan of Daring Doo."

"Who's Daring Doo?" A good portion of the walk was spent with Twilight explaining Daring Doo to you. Some sort of adventure book series or something like that. Rainbow had apparently read the entire series twice so far, and had been working on a third time. Maybe you could improv a little story for her... She might appreciate that.

"If you don't mind my asking, why are you so concerned with cheering Rainbow up? I've known her a while, and she's not one to let a little accident set her back. This accident might be a bit more sever, but still."

"She's been acting... off ever since she woke up in the hospital."

"What do you mean by 'off?'" You told her about her little incident from yesterday. Twilight thought for a bit while the two of you walked. "You know Anon, now that I think about it... It makes sense."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Well, the last time she was in the hospital was when you died, right?"

"I suppose so."

"She's probably not too fond of those memories..." Combine that with being told she can't fly for a least a month, and you could start to see why she was acting the way she was. Even still... You'll just have to talk to Rainbow and get her to open up about it later. "Oh my gosh! I have to tell the others about Rainbow! They probably have no idea either!" With that, she darted away.

Maybe that would cheer Rainbow up a little. A visit from her good friends? So long as they went easy on her, what's the worst that could happen? Once you'd made it back to the hospital, you saw a pink mare in the lobby arguing with nurse Redheart.

"But nurse Redheart, she's one of my very best friends! You've gotta let me see her, ya just gotta!"

"I'm sorry Pinkie Pie, but I can't." You approached the two mares.

"But--"

"Pinkie Pie?" The Pink ball of energy whipped around to face you.

"Nonny!"

"Hey Pinkie. What's going on?"

"I'm trying to go see Rainbow Dash, but Nurse Redheart says I can't so I--"

"You still can't go see her, Pinkie. I'm sorry. The only reason I let Anon stay with her is--" You cut off Redheart. What had happened in that room was between you, Dash, and her. No reason to tell Pinkie.

"She was very insistent that I stay with her, and give the nursing staff a break by looking after her for a good portion of the day." Redheart got the hint and went along with your story.

"Exactly. I'm sorry Pinkie, but I can't let you see her. I'll let you know as soon as she can have visitors, okay?"

"But--"

"Pinkie, can I talk to you for a minute?" She gave you a confused look before agreeing and following you outside. "Now Pinkie, I've got to agree with Nurse Redheart. Rainbow needs her rest."

"But--"

"Hold on, I'm not finished." She nodded and remained quiet. "Now then. I have a plan that I'll need your help to pull off."

"Me? What kind of plan?"

"I've heard you're good with parties." Her eyes lit up. Oh god, what have you done? "I think a surprise party might be just what Rainbow needs." If Pinkie smiled any wider, you'd be concerned for her health. "But because she's in the hospital right now, that makes it a little more difficult." If you didn't have it before, there's no doubt that you now have her full and undivided attention.

"So, what's the plan? We gonna break her out?"

"No no, she really does need her rest in the hospital. However... My house has recently been completed. Rainbow doesn't know this, so I think--"

"A SURPRISE GET-WELL-SOON AND HOUSEWARMING PARTY?!"

"Pinkie! Keep it down or it won't be a surprise!"

"Oh! Right. Sorry."

"I think we'll be okay, so long as you keep this on a need to know basis, understand?" She saluted and nodded vigorously. "Good. Now, I haven't been to my house yet, I've only just been informed that it's been completed. Be here tomorrow at noon, and we'll both take a look."

"Okey dokey loki!" With that, she started bouncing gleefully away.

"And Pinkie?" She stopped and turned to face you.

"Yeeeessss, Nonny?"

"Don't tell anyone about this until after tomorrow."

"Right!" You shook your head and walked back inside as Pinkie bounded away. As you entered the lobby, Redheart trotted over to you.

"Anon, we need to talk."

"Okay, what's this a--"

"It's about Rainbow Dash. Please come with me; we're going somewhere a little more private." You shut your trap and followed the white unicorn down a hallway to an empty recovery room.

"So what's this all about?"

"You need to talk to Rainbow Dash. While you were away, she tried to get out of bed again." Oh shit. Seeing the look on your face, Redheart quickly resumed speaking. "No, she didn't hurt herself further; but we did have to mover her back into her bed. She... she wasn't too happy about that..."

"...I see."

"I don't think she quite realizes the extent of her injuries, Anon. She'll be fine while she's here, but after we discharge her, you'll need to keep a watchful eye on her. She needs to refrain from moving her wings as much as possible, and she won't be able to walk properly until a week or so after she's out of here. Until then, she'll need help moving.

I think you already know how stubborn she can be. If she doesn't come to terms with her limited mobility soon, I'm worried she may injure herself even further. Her body is not ready for her level of activity yet. She HAS to recover first. We'll deal with rehab later, after she's physically ready. She's going to have to get used to needing help for a while. It'll be tedious, but as long as she doesn't hurt herself and you take care of her, I think she'll make a full recovery."

"At least there's a silver lining..."

"I know it's not the best news. All things considered, she should consider herself lucky. If some of those cuts had been a few inches from where they were, she might not have been able to walk again. Let alone fly. There's... one other thing..."

"No sense trying to soften the blow just spit it out."

"Rainbow will need help... taking care of herself."

"Yeah. Didn't we just go over that?"

"No no, I mean she'll need help with more... personal things." Oh boy.

"Like what, exactly?" She gulped, but looked you dead in the eyes.

"Like bathing herself or going to the bathroom... Things like that. She won't be able to do many of the things she used to do on her own for quite some time, Anon." You nodded.

"I understand..."

"Good. I've got some rounds to make, so I suggest you go and talk with her. She'll take the news from you better than she would a nurse." No objection there. She trusted you more than the nurses here. Not to mention what Twilight had suggested earlier about all those bad memories that she might be dredging up. The hospital staff delivering that news to her probably wouldn't go over so well. At least you could calm her down if she started to get upset. You followed Redheart back into the hallway, and she led you to Rainbow's room.

"If you need anything, you know how to reach us." You nodded.

"Wish me luck."

"You'll need more than that, but good luck anyways." You headed into the room to find Rainbow sitting up, giving a newspaper quite the impressive bored look.

"Anon! You're back!"

"I am." You step inside and shut the door behind you. "Wathca reading?"

"Oh I was just looking through the newspaper."

"Anything interesting in there?"

"Eh, not really." You sat down in the chair next to her bed, and set the box of clothing you'd collected from the auditorium down next to you. "Those your clothes from the auditorium?"

"Yup. So, I heard you had a little... incident earlier..." She lowered her head in shame.

"I... I tried to get out of bed... I kinda forgot I was hurt..."

"I see... Rainbow--"

"I know, I know... I've got to remember that I'm hurt... Stupid nurse Redheart gave me the same speech..."

"Now I'm telling you. You've got to be careful, Rainbow. You could hurt yourself even more. I know it's not easy to accept, but you can't just ignore that you're hurt, Dashie."

"I... I know..." You sighed.

"We'll continue that conversation another time. Right now, I want to know what's gotten into you. You're not normally that jumpy or anxious."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday. You freaked out at nurse Redheart trying to change your dressings. Why?"

"I... I was having a dream..."

"...And?"

"It... It was more like a memory..."

"What memory?"

"...Nurse Redheart telling me you'd died. Seeing your... your... corpse..." Yup. Twilight hit the nail on the head.

"Dashie, it was just a dream. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon without you, okay?"

"...O-Okay..." You sighed.

"When did you get so mushy anyways?" She looked up at you when you said that.

"Hey! You made me mushy!" You leaned in and hugged her, carefully.

"You bet your ass I did. And I wouldn't have it any other way." After a weak jab at your shoulder, she returned the hug. You spent a few minutes just petting Rainbow, taking care to avoid her injuries.

"So, has Nurse Redheart talked to you at all recently?"

"Other than asking if she could change my bandages, no she hasn't. Why?" You sighed.

"She caught me in the hall earlier..." A worried look now crept its way onto Rainbow's face.

"What is it Anon? I can take it." Might as well get it out of the way now.

"I'm going to have to start helping you..."

"That's not so bad--"

"With some more... personal things."

"...Like what?"

"...Nurse Redheart tells me that you'll be unable to do things like go to the bathroom or bathe by yourself for the first week or so of your recovery..." Rainbow was silent for a while. She scrunched up her face in frustration.

"Why?! Why did this have to happen to me!?"

"I... I don't have an answer for you, Rainbow." She donned a frustrated look upon her features.

"THIS IS ALL VINYL'S FAULT!"

"Rainbow, calm down. You shouldn't--"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! WHAT IF I CAN'T FLY AGAIN BECAUSE OF HER?!" She had tears in her eyes and rage upon her features.

"RAINBOW! CALM DOWN!" You held her down firmly, restricting her movement. She looked in your eyes, a rage burning in hers. A few moments passed, and her expression softened as she calmed down.

"I... I'm sorry, Anon..." You released her from your grip and sit down in the chair beside her bed.

"It's okay Rainbow." The tears in her eyes were now rolling down her cheeks. You reached over to wipe them away, but she pushed your hand away.

"I... I'm so... useless..."

"Rainbow, you're not useless. You're injured. You've got to stop thinking like that." She didn't raise her head to meet your gaze; choosing instead to continue weeping silently. You crouched down so that you were at eye level with her. "Look at me." She slowly turned her head and looked at you with her tear-filled magenta eyes. "Who saved me from falling to my death?" She sniffed.

"I... I did."

"Who gave me a place to stay?"

"I-I did..."

"And who didn't give up on me when everyone else thought I was dead?"

"...I did."

”Damn right. Don't you dare call yourself useless again, you understand me?" She recoiled at your harsh words, but nodded. You gently scooped her into a hug. "I love you Dash, and nothing will ever change that."

"I... I love you too, Nonny."

"I'll be here with you all through your recovery. We'll get through this, I promise." You leaned back out of the hug, and lay her back down on her bed. "Now then." You picked up one of the towels that were on the table, and began cleaning her face.

"Ack-- Hey!"

"No, this is a towel Rainbow. Now hold still, I need to clean your face." She gave you a deadpan look, but stopped fighting your efforts to clean her up. After you were satisfied that the tears had been vacated from her face, you set the towel aside. "Winners never quit, they just recover. So, Rainbow, are you a quitter?"

"What?! Of course not!"

"Then I expect to see you flying at the end of the month." She maneuvered to a sitting position, and saluted you. You reached over and ruffled her mane. "That's my Dashie." She giggled a little, and put her hoof down. "So, you hungry or what?"

"I'm starving!"

Rainbow was a little irked that she wasn't allowed to eat solid food yet, but ate what she was given. The rest of the day went by smoothly, the two of you discussing what you'd be doing after Rainbow was discharged. There'd be recovery and rehab after she was discharged, but that was old news. What got you two really talking was WHERE you'd go after she was discharged.

Rainbow wanted to go back to the auditorium to face Vinyl, but you had your concerns about that. Not that you thought Vinyl would intentionally hurt Rainbow; rather you didn't want to face Vinyl. What she had done to Rainbow was very... fresh in your mind. You wanted to look past that; but at the same time, you wanted to tear her apart for what she did.

Was it really an accident? Did she really have no control over herself? Why didn't she tell the two of you about her... condition earlier? Maybe she didn't know about it herself? Maybe she was afraid of how you'd react? So many questions... For now, you were content with letting the situation settle before doing anything major. Rainbow didn't like letting something like this sit. She wanted to get it over and done with as soon as possible. Finally though, you managed to convince her to wait until she could at least fly again.

Keeping the idea of a surprise party in mind, you convinced Rainbow that you'd taken care of temporary living arrangements. The next morning arrived just like the previous. This time though, Rainbow woke up with you. She was much better today than she was yesterday. Ready to take on the day. She was really itching to get out of bed. After helping her to the bathroom yourself, you convinced her that she should stay in bed for now.

She wasn't happy about it, but she couldn't really deny that the doctors knew what they were talking about. The bathroom experience wasn't as bad as you were expecting. All you really did was help her to the little raised hole in the ground that was a pony toilet, and left her to do her business. After she was done, you helped her back to her bed. Simple as that. Not near as bad as Redheart was making it out to be.

A short while later, nurse Redheart herself showed up, followed by a doctor. Apparently, they were going to start daily treatments to help Rainbow's recovery along. Rainbow was just a wee bit enthusiastic. You were asked to step out while the treatments were going on, and complied. The procedure would take a couple of hours minimum. Whelp. You had things to do at any rate.

Today, you had to make sure Pinkie's surprise party wouldn't destroy your new house. Shouldn't have too many problems, but you didn't know for sure. This was Pinkie Pie. Given what you'd experienced of her so far, she could easily level your house if you weren't careful. Who knows what this mare could do if she was upset. Upon exiting the hospital, you were nearly knocked off your feet by the pink blur herself.

"Hi Nonny!" After detaching her from your chest, you set her on the ground.

"Hello Pinkie. Ready to--"

"You know it!"

"Well, I'm going to need your help. I can't read pony yet, so you'll have to lead me to my house."

"Sure thing Nonny!" You pulled the folded up piece of paper out of your pocket, and showed it to her. "Alright, follow me!" Before the paper was back in your pocket, Pinkie was bouncing away. "C'mon Nonny! There's so much to do!" What have you gotten yourself into this time?

You were barely able to keep up with the Pink menace. A couple agonizing minutes later and you finally caught up to her. She was standing in the street, waiting for you.

"C'mon Nonny! Aren't you EXCITED?!" A few blocks later, and the two of you arrived at your destination. The house certainly stood out from the rest of the pony houses. It seemed all around... taller. Bigger... You didn't want to admit it right now, but Vinyl sure did make sure the contractors knew what they were doing. At least, that's what you thought from the outside. The real test will be the interior.

There had been a key taped to the back of the note, you'd just never taken it off for fear of losing it. As yourself and Pinkie approached the door, you started to fish out the piece of paper with the address on it. After removing the key from the back of said note, you unlocked the door. Pinkie was inside well before you were. Probably breaking some sort of physics law or something. As you shut the door, you hear Pinkie zipping around your new house.

"Hey, what's this do? Ooohh, look at that! Wow! These are neat!" In a matter of seconds, the bubble gum mare had explored the entire first floor of your house. Had you not caught her on her way to the upper floors, she probably would have mapped them out as well. You hadn't even had time to examine your living room.

"PINKIE!" She stopped darting around and looked at you.

"Yeeesss Nonny?"

"Can you slow down a second? I'd like to explore my house too." You set her down, and she put a hoof behind her head.

"Hehehe, sorry Nonny..."

"Listen, I'm going to explore a bit. Why don't you see about a cak--"

"OHMYGOSHIFORGOTABOUTTHECAKE!" Had you blinked, you would have missed her nearly ripping your door off its hinges. At least the house was still standing. Having a little peace and quiet, you started to look around. The living room was much like Rainbow's old living room. Recessed lights near the ceiling, a couch, and a table.

There were some extras though. Probably courtesy of Vinyl. You spotted recessed speakers every now and again up near the lights. There were some bigger speakers in the wall opposing the couch. Between the speakers was a record player, along with an assortment of audio equipment.

Definitely Vinyl's doing. You moved into the kitchen next, to find the counters all at a comfortable height. At Rainbow's house, you'd had to crouch to use the counters. The auditorium was a little better, but you still had to lean down. This house though... Vinyl must've studied you more than you realized.

The standard kitchen utilities were all present and accounted for. Sink, refrigerator, freezer... Hell, there was even what appeared to be a mini bar. The freezer had been pre-stocked with... meat. All the types of meat that Vinyl had supplied you with at the auditorium were present. Bacon, ground chuck, steak, ribs, pork chops... You were starting to salivate just thinking about it all. And you haven't even looked through it all.

There was something hiding behind some ice-cream, but you decided to surprise yourself later. The refrigerator was similarly pre-stocked with juices, milk, some fruits... Wonder if Vinyl was sucking up to you, or if she'd done this before hand... You'd have to find out just when these were stocked. A door in the kitchen opened up into a walk-in pantry, also stocked... So, it's safe to assume you're good on food for a long while.

It's almost too kind... Best not to question the supplier of your precious meat. For now. You moved on to find a laundry room and a bathroom. Standard pony bathroom. Dang. Looks like if you want a regular toilet, you're going to have to invent it. Oh well. You had almost made it to the stairs to explore the rest of your house, when there was a knock at the door. Opening it, you were greeted by Pinkie, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and a yellow pegasus you didn't recognize.

"Pinkie, wha--"

"I brought the girls to help us plan the party!"

"Well, alright. Let's keep the party on this floor though. Can you do that for me?"

"Okey-Dokey-Loki!" You stepped aside and let the five mares in. You knew Applejack and Rarity, but just barely. Twilight and Pinkie you knew a little better, but there was still plenty of room for improvement. And then there's the yellow pegasus. Pink mane, yellow coat, and cyan-ish eyes. You'd never met this mare before.

Well, that's not entirely true. She looked vaguely familiar. At any rate, you still didn't actually know her. Just somewhat recognized her. After all the mares had entered; you shut the door and led them over to the couch. You occupied one of the easy chairs, and all of them save for Pinkie took to the couch. Pinkie was the first to speak. Naturally.

"So you've met everypony here, right Nonny?"

"Actually, no. I've met Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack, but I haven't met--"

"YOU HAVEN'T MET FLUTTERSHY?!" You swear you hear an 'eep' as Pinkie leaps over to the yellow pegasus.

"No, I don't believe I have. Fluttershy, is it?" The quiet pegasus nods at you, but says nothing. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Fluttershy." She says nothing. Alrighty then, not in the mood for talk. Fair enough.

"I really need to throw a welcome to Ponyville party for you, Nonny. I don't know how I've managed not to for so long!"

"That's quite alright Pinkie. Let's focus on Rainbow Dash's party for now, okay?"

"Okey Dokey!" Twilight almost got to say something, before being hushed by Rarity. Pinkie didn't seem to notice, and bounced to the top of the small table in front of the couch. With that, she begins assigning the other mares to party related tasks.

Twilight was in charge of making sure everything went smoothly and general organization. Rarity was tasked with making some festive banners and making sure there were no traces of the surprise party visible before said party. Food and drinks were assigned to AJ; Pinkie gave herself the task of acquiring the cakes and other random party favors. That left only you and Fluttershy.

"Pinkie, what about me and Fluttershy?"

"You're going to make sure Rainbow doesn't know anything about the party, silly! And Fluttershy, you're gonna help him!"

"Uh, Pinkie, I think I could use some extra help with moving the food and drinks, if that's all right," said AJ.

"Really? Well, I guess that's okay. Nonny, will you be able to handle Rainbow on your own?"

"I don't see why not Pinkie."

"Okey dokey then! You've got your duties ponies; the party is in two days! Any questions?" Once more, Twilight was about to say something, only to be silenced by Rarity. "Great! We'll meet up here in two days!" Before anyone could object, Pinkie was ushering everyone out of the house. Save for you. It was your house after all. "See ya in two days Nonny!"

Then Pinkie shut the door behind herself. About five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. You opened it to find Twilight.

”Twilight? Did you forget something?"

"We need to talk Anon."

"Oh. Alright then, come on in." You let her in, and shut the door behind her. ”So, what's on your mind Twilight?"

"It's about Fluttershy."

"What abou--"

"She... well, she doesn't exactly like you, Anon."

"What? But, I haven't even m--"

"I know you haven't met her, she's made sure of that. Ever since she found out you eat meat, she's made an effort to avoid you at all costs."

"But I thought eating meat was accepted since I--"

"It is, but that doesn't mean ponies can't form opinions about you."

"You see, Fluttershy cares for quite a bit of creatures, any of which you probably would eat."

”I would never eat a pet, Twilight. Why did Fluttershy just jump to--"

"She's had... She's had some bad experiences with meat-eating species in the past."

"So she assumes that since I eat meat, I'll be just another--"

"Exactly."

"But--"

"Not too long ago, a griffon gave her a rough time; not to mention she absolutely despises adult dragons."

"Both of which eat meat."

"Exactly."

"But what does that have to do with me? I'm not a griffon or a dragon! I'm the only one of my species here!"

"I know that, and Fluttershy knows that, but that doesn't change anything in her eyes. She's already the shiest pony in Equestria. Add that to her being over-protective of the animals she looks after and her bad experiences with carnivores--"

"I'm starting to see why she doesn't like me."

"I've tried to reason with her, but she's convinced that she should stay away from you."

"Jeeze. Most ponies I've met have been pretty open minded about the whole eating meat thing. What's her deal?"

"Her 'deal' Anon, is that she just wants to stay away from you. She's already made Applejack suspicious of you."

"What?! But I work for Applejack!"

"Applejack never really trusted you, Anon. Think about it. She thanked you for saving Apple Bloom, but beyond that, she has no reason to trust you. Fluttershy hasn't been directly trying to do this, Anon. She's just been pointing out certain things that nopony else has really given any thought."

"Like what?"

"Ever since you've arrived, you've been nothing but trouble for Rainbow Dash." You were silent. She had a point. But it's not like you've intentionally tried to cause Rainbow problems.

"You don't think I'm trying to do any of that to Rainbow, do you Twilight?" Her turn to be silent for a minute or so.

"No, I don't think you are, Anon." At least you've got Twilight on your side.

”What about Pinkie and Rarity?"

"Rarity decided to let your actions speak for themselves. You'll know what she thinks of you when she decides to let you know." Not so bad. At least she's giving you a chance.

"What about Pinkie?"

"She's Pinkie Pie, Anon."

"Point taken."

"I still think you can win AJ back, you've just got to stop giving her and Fluttershy reason to doubt you or your intentions." So there's still a chance of redemption. Good news. "Once you've earned AJ's trust, Fluttershy might start to change her mind."

"Okay, sounds easy enough."

"You obviously don't know AJ that well, Anon. You could trust her with your life, but it takes a lot for her to trust anypony else. She's very... Cautious. Apple Bloom liking you helps a bit, but it'll take more than just that." You sighed. At least you had your Dashie.

"So, what you're telling me is that I've just got to give Fluttershy her space?"

"Basically. She'll talk to you if she wants to talk, Anon. Just don't do anything brash, and you'll be alright."

"She seemed nice enough earlier..."

"She didn't say anything the entire time she was here, Anon."

"Good point."

"She's really a nice pony, she's just--"

"Xenophobic?"

"Xeno-what-now?"

"She's afraid of things she doesn't know or understand?"

"Most ponies are, Anon."

"But she's more so than other ponies, isn't she?"

"...Yeah. You could say that." You sighed before chuckling to yourself.

"What's so funny?"

"When I went to Canterlot, Princess Luna fought for my rights even though she didn't know me. Celestia tried to lock me up -because- she didn't know me. Now it's the same sort of thing, but with Rainbow and Fluttershy." Twilight didn't laugh, but she understood what you were saying.

"Well, I'm going to get going Anon. I figured you should know before the party."

"Thanks Twilight. I should probably head back to the hospital anyways; Rainbow's probably starting to worry." Twilight giggled at that. ”What?"

"Those are words that you don't hear together too often. Worry and Rainbow."

"Right. Let's get going."

"Right." The two of you vacated the house, and you locked the door behind you. You could explore the rest of the house later. For now, it was time to head back to your Dashie. She was what mattered to you, not what her friends thought of you. If they didn't like you, that was their business.

The next two days passed faster than you'd hoped. You'd spend as much time with Rainbow as you could, but the procedures she was having cut a sizeable chunk out of the time you could spend with her. She was showing serious improvement though. When you arrived back at the hospital after her first treatment, she was nearly free of scars. The couple that remained disappeared after the next treatment.

During the third treatment, you had met with Pinkie back at your house to give her the green light on the party. While you and Rainbow were going over what was next in her recovery, Pinkie was surely bending time to her will and setting up a party. Being concerned with what state your house was going to be in when you arrived didn't distract you from your Rainbow though.

"You'll be restricted to a wheelchair for the first week, Ms. Dash. All you have to do is take it easy and let your body heal on its own. We've gotten a majority of the healing done with your procedures, but we've got to let your body take over now."

Rainbow beat you to the inevitable question, "Why don't you just use magic to heal me all the way?"

"While we can do that with smaller injuries, using magic for prolonged periods of time on non-unicorns can cause your body to stop trying to heal. Basically, you'd become dependent on magic. I've seen it happen before, and we don't know how to reverse it. By stopping now, we're giving your body a chance to ease back into the healing process. So long as you take it easy and don't strain yourself, you'll be fine." Rainbow slowly nodded her understanding, and Redheart continued.

"If all goes well, you should be able to walk again by the end of the week. A week after that, and we should be able to take your wings out of their casts." If a facial expression could generate light, you'd be blind right now. "Regardless of when the casts come off, you'll have to go through rehabilitation." Aaaaand gone. "Being unable to use your wings for so long, we have to make sure your body hasn't simply 'forgotten' about them."

"How could I forget my wings?! They're attached ya know!"

"I have no doubt you know your wings are there, but we've got to make sure your muscles remember how to work properly after being inactive for so long."

"That's a load of--"

“Rainbow, I think Nurse Redheart knows what she's talking about."

"What?!"

"It's very similar to recovery procedures where I'm from. People that ignore them tend to wind up hurting themselves more."

"But--"

”No buts." She folded her front hooves over her chest and slumped back in her wheelchair.

"I HATE waiting..." You reached down and began petting her mane as Redheart finished up detailing what was going to happen.

"Depending on rehab, you should be back to yourself in about three weeks."

"Three weeks shouldn't be too bad, right Dashie?"

"...I guess."

"Then let’s get out of here, shall we?" You put your box of belongings in Rainbow's lap, and proceeded to wheel her out of the hospital.

"Remember to take it easy, or you'll be back here sooner than either of us would like, Ms. Dash!"

Encouraging words, Redheart. Even though Rainbow wasn't in the best of moods, you couldn't be happier. Mind you, she didn't know everything you knew. She didn't know that your house had been completed. She didn't know about Pinkie's ambush. No, all she knew was that you weren't taking her back to your cozy bed at the auditorium; and that she was finally leaving the hospital. The sunlight almost blinded her, it'd been so long.

"So, where we gonna stay, Nonny?"

"I'm not telling."

"...You did find a place, right?"

"Of course!" A couple turns later, and Rainbow was thoroughly confused. She was running out of guesses.

"The Iron Inn?"

"Nope."

"The--"

"It's right down here, Rainbow." She began searching for what she presumed to be a hotel of some sort.

"Where is it? I don't see any hotel over here..."

"Exactly" you said as you continued pushing her down the street.

"So, where are we staying?" You didn't say anything, and continued pushing her towards your house. "Nonny?" You arrived at the front door of the house before responding.

"This is where we're staying, Rainbow."

"What? Who's house is it?"

"Mine." You reached over and opened the door.

"But how--"

"Don't you remember me and Vinyl discussing this way back when?" She thought for a minute before her eyes widened as the memory came flooding back to her.

"I completely forgot..." You push Rainbow in the house, and shut the door behind yourself. Before you can fumble around in the dark to find the light switch, the lights pop on.

"SURPRISE!" Confetti was everywhere, streamers were flying, and Rainbow was in shock. All according to plan.

"Welcome home Rainbow." By the time you'd finished saying that, Pinkie was flying towards Rainbow.

"DASHIE!!!" With you bracing the wheelchair, Pinkie wound up looking like some great bubblegum tumor attached to Rainbow's face.

"OW! PINKIE!" Pinkie instantly hopped off Rainbow and onto the ground.

"Sorry, Dashie, I'm just so EXCITED!" Luckily, Pinkie didn't actually hurt Rainbow.

"What are you doing here, Pinkie?"

"It's not just me, I brought EVERYPONY!" AJ, Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy were all approaching Rainbow. They all said hello about the same time. Then came the torrent of questions.

"Why were you in the hospital? Why didn't you tell us? How are you? How long are you going to be in a wheelchair?" All being asked by a different pony at about the same instance.

"Ladies please! One at a time! Anon, can you push me over to the couch so we can sit down?"

"I'll do it!" Pinkie said, bolting over and pushing Rainbow over to the couch.

”I see you've got some catching up to do. I'll go put our things away Rainbow." She was about to respond before AJ started up the downpour of questions again. She wound up nodding to you as you headed up the stairs with your box of belongings. Now is as good a time as any to find out what all was up here. You'd been meaning to explore your house further, but wound up getting sidetracked each time you had time for it. Rainbow had some catching up to do anyway.

Besides, this gave you something to do without seeming like an over-bearing prick to her friends. A bit of snooping, and you'd found a master bedroom, a guest bedroom, and what seemed like an office style room. After putting your few clothes away in the master bedroom's closet, you headed up to the third floor. It was mostly empty storage space. Not quite an attic, but it wasn't furnished like the floors below.

A sizeable house. The furnishing that Vinyl did provide seemed to spare no expense. The guest bed was only slightly smaller than the bed in the master bedroom; and both bedrooms had walk-in closets and full-sized bathrooms. Knowing Vinyl, she'd probably sound-proofed the entire house.

As you headed back down to Rainbow and her friends, you could hear the faint beat of some party music. At least she was having a good time. Once you were back in the living room, you found Pinkie, AJ, Twilight, and Rarity all chatting and enjoying themselves. Rainbow and Fluttershy were having what appeared to be a rather intense conversation about something. You walked over to Rainbow and kissed her on the head.

"How's your party Dashie?" She smiled and looked up at you.

"It's great Nonny!"

"I'm glad Pinkie knows a thing or two about parties."

"Hehe, yeah."

"I'm gonna go get something to eat, you want anything?"

"No, I'm good Nonny." You headed off to the kitchen. Something was wrong. Her smile was forced, her enthusiasm fake. What was she up to? It's her party, you can figure out what's bothering her afterwards. You proceed to make yourself a delicious looking ham and cheese sandwich.

You sit down at the kitchen table and almost had the sandwich to your mouth, when there was a knock at the... Refrigerator? What? You walk over and open the refrigerator, only to have Pinkie dart out of it carrying what appeared to be a cake.

As you stood there trying to figure out what just happened, she was trotting into the living room saying something along the lines of "Thanks Nonny!" Best not to try and figure Pinkie out.

You sit back down and resume eating your glorious sandwich. A couple minutes later, you heard a pony come trotting into the kitchen. You turned to see Fluttershy slowly approach you. You still haven't officially met her; why not try to make a good impression?

"Oh, hello Fluttershy; I don't think we've been properly introduced, my na--"

"You're Anon. I know."

”Oh. Well, would you like something to eat?"

"Um, no. If it's alright with you, I think I'll just have some punch."

"Sure, lemme get you so--"

"That's quite alright, I'll just get it myself." You sit yourself back down.

"Alrighty then. The punch is in the fridge; cups are on the counter." She nods and heads over to collect a party cup. You resume eating once more, only to stop when you hear something. It was very quiet. So quiet, you almost didn't hear it. 'eep?' You turned to find the source of the sound, to find Fluttershy staring at your plate. You swallowed what was in your mouth and spoke up.

"Something wrong?"

"Well, no... I-I mean... What are you eating?" You look from her to your plate and back.

"Umm... A ham sandwich?" Her eyes started to water. "What? Is there something wrong?"

"I... A..." She ran off back to the living room before you could get an answer. You followed her to see what was wrong. The scene you happened upon was... interesting. Fluttershy had tears in her eyes, and was saying something to Rainbow. Twilight, Rarity and Applejack were all arguing about something or other, and Pinkie was...

To be honest, you weren't really sure what Pinkie was doing. She had a smile on and was doing some sort of dance while looking at Fluttershy, so it appeared to be some sort of 'please stop crying' dance or something. Regardless, all activity ceased when you entered the room.

"Ladies? Everything all right?" Applejack scrunched up her face and pointed a hoof at Fluttershy.

"You made Fluttershy cry! What in tarnation did ya do?!"

"I--"

"Ya know what? I don't even want ta know. I wouldn't worry about showing up at the farm if I were you, Anon." Fuck. You just lost your job at sweet apple acres.

"Applejack! You should at least allow Anon to explain himself! There's no need to be so--"

"Oh, come off it Rarity! I'm not gonna stick around for any more of Anon's lies. If the rest of y'all had any common sense, you'd--"

"Get out." Everyone stopped and looked at Rainbow.

"Now Rainbow, don't ya think you should come too? I just don' want ta see ya get tangled up in--"

"I said, get. Out."

"But Rainbow--"

"NO! GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" You were a little shocked by her outburst, along with the other ponies. Applejack gave you an evil look before heading for the door.

"C'mon girls. Rainbow obviously doesn't--" She was cut off when Twilight smacked her over the head and led the way out. Pinkie was absolutely crushed. Even her hair reflected how she felt. Like someone had deflated her. As the rest of the ponies left, you went to shut the door. When you did, you could almost swear you caught a glimpse of Fluttershy giving you an evil eye look. You walked back over to Rainbow and pulled her wheelchair next to your position on the couch.

"So."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have a choice in the matter." You plucked her from her chair, and sat her down next to you. She gave you an angry look, but didn't say a word. "That's fine. I can wait." You pulled the pouty/angry Rainbow into a hug and relaxed on the couch. She groaned.

"That's not fair."

"Nope." She sighed.

"It's Fluttershy... She's... She just doesn't seem to care what I think of you. It's like she thinks I can't think for myself. She wouldn't let up! She kept insulting you, saying that you were using me... When I asked her why, she would say that you've been nothing but trouble for me since you arrived. She didn't say anything about your eating meat, like she would to everypony else." You sat quietly for a minute. "I just don't know what to do..." You held her close. You didn't really know what to do either.

"I think, maybe she'll change her mind once we get you flying again."

"I dunno Anon... I've never seen her like this before..."

"We've just got to make sure things start looking up. Once she figures out you're actually happy, maybe she'll open her mind a little."

"Maybe..."

"Try not to worry about it too much. We'll just have to deal with whatever happens."

"I know..."

"Why don't we get you to bed. It's late enough we could call it bed time anyway."

"But I don't want to sleep!"

"Sure you don't. Besides, you need all the rest you can get. You want to fly again, don't you?"

"Duh!"

"Then it's bed time."

After you put her in bed, you went back downstairs to clean up the party. You never did get to finish your sandwich.

Chapter 12: Demons

It had been a week since the party. If that's what you really want to call it. You'd been stuck in this wheelchair for a whole week now. You were fairly certain that whoever made this thing made it with hate. Pure, unwavering HATE. It was only slightly better than being confined to a hospital bed. At least you weren't stuck in one room.

Of course Anon's house was multiple stories. Which meant you needed help going up or down the damn stairs. Naturally. You can't seem to get away from relentlessly needing Anon's help, can you? Combine that with not seeing any of your friends for a whole week, and you get one cranky pegasus. Anon took it like a champ though. He'd put up with your fits or sour attitude regardless. He took care of you.

But today, all of that was about to change! Today you and Anon were heading to the hospital for a check-up. If everything was okay, you'd be allowed to walk again! It's not flying, but you won't have to put up with this stupid wheelchair anymore! Or have to rely on Anon for EVERY. LITTLE. THING. That's what was really eating away at you. You'd had your fair share of hospital visits before, but none had been so severe.

Last time you injured your wing, you were out and flying again in a week. That was one hell of a week though. You'd been stuck relying completely on Anon for nearly two weeks. He claimed he didn't mind, but you were pretty sure that was a lie. Even if he didn't mind, you did. Oh CELESTIA did you mind!

You were so... Weak. Helpless. Worthless. Of course, Anon would say otherwise each time you said something like that to him. 'You're injured is all.' What did he know about being forced to rely completely on some-- Oh. Yeah. Okay, so maybe he knew what it was like... But still! You really should stop thinking about crap like this... Everything will start to get better once you're back to your old self, just wait!

"So, you ready to go to the hospital Rainbow?"

"Huh? Whazzat?"

"Remember? The check-up?"

"Oh! Right! Yeah!"

"You okay?" How does he do that, dammit?

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just ready to get out of this stupid chair once and for all!"

"Then let's go." He started pushing you out the door and towards the hospital. Where your reckoning awaits. You hated having to go out in public like this. Where everypony could see you in your current condition. You always got looks. You could feel their eyes burning into you. And there wasn't SHIT you could do about it. Most ponies knew to keep their distance though. Not a one dared say something. They knew better than to mess with the Dash. Even if you were injured.

A few blocks later, and the hospital was in sight. So close to freedom. Not that there was anything wrong with being 'imprisoned' by Nonny... Rainbow, you dirty mare! You can't use estrus as an excuse for a while. Your next major cycle isn't for a while now... Then again, who's to say you need an excuse?

Dammit Rainbow, focus! This 'cabin fever' or whatever Nonny called it must really be getting to you. Before you were aware of what was going on, Anon was talking to Nurse Redheart. Wait, when did you get to the hospital? Holy shit you're scatter-brained today.

"Alright, if you'll follow me, we can begin the check-up right down the hall." It was like time just skipped for you. Next thing you knew, you were being lifted out of your wheelchair and placed on the edge of a hospital bed. "Alright, just a few tests and we should be good to go."

"Okay, I'm ready!" She tapped each of your joints with that weird little hammer thing, each time getting you to flinch. Kind of annoying. She hooked up a little machine with wires coming out of it to your chest and pushed a couple buttons. Wrapped something around one of your rear legs that squeezed real tight for a while. Then she just wrote down some stuff on a clipboard.

"So? Can I walk now?" She just kept looking over what she'd written down. "Ms. Redheart, can I walk or what?" She finally put the clipboard away and looked at you, before nodding to Anon. "Why won't you just say--OOF" Anon had pushed you off the bed. You landed on all fours, but it still scared you a little. Only a little. "What was that for?!"

"Looks like you can walk now, Dashie." You were going to give him a good punch to the shoulder, but he was right. You were walking. Or at least standing. You tentatively started turning around in a tight circle.

"I can walk. I CAN WALK AGAIN! YES!" Without thinking, you did the first thing that came to mind. You ran. Oh you ran. You heart pounded, your legs became a blur, and the stress of the world faded away. You were finally free again. The power in your legs felt soooo good. Time seemed to slow down as you made it out of the hospital and into town.

You ran. It felt so good to have the wind in your mane again. Your muscles burned with energy dying to get out. They'd been neglected for far too long. You probably ran laps around the square for a good five minutes before finally just running around town. You didn't pay attention to where you were running, you just wanted to run.

So you did just that. Eventually though, your muscles began to ache from the sudden burst of use. Looking around, you found that you were back at the square. Maybe now was a good time for a break. You found an unoccupied bench and plopped down on it. It was good to stretch again. You were exhausted, and it felt absolutely amazing. How long were you running? How far did you run?

Where was the nearest place to get a snack? You'd slept in too late for breakfast. Had Nonny let you sleep in any longer, you probably would've missed the check-up. You looked around the square for a stall that had something to eat. Oh! The apples' stall was here! You trotted over to it, hunger causing you to forget about your desire to sit down. For now.

"Oh hey there Rainbow Dash! What can I do for ya?"

"Hey Apple Bloom, I was just--" You didn't have any money on you. "...never mind."

"Wha? What's th' matter, Rainbow?"

"I... It can wait."

"Oh, well okay then... Ya want some apples?!" Right in the stomach, kid.

"I'd love some, but I don't have any bits on me..." Apple Bloom looked around for a second before ducking behind the stand. Once she re-appeared, she slid you a brown bag. "What's this for?"

"You didn't hear anything from me, understand?" She exaggerated winking at you before looking around nervously.

"Uhh... Thanks kid. You're alright."

"But you didn't hear it from me. Now go on before somepony catches me."

"Catches you?"

"Mah sister said that if I saw you without Anon I should go get her. I think she's a bit loopy in the head right now."

"She... She really asked you to do that?"

"Yeah, she doesn't seem to like Mr. Anon so much. I think he's a right gentlecolt mahself."

"I think so too, Apple Bloom. Hey, thanks for the--"

"SSSSHHHH, I told ya, I was never here. Understand?" You closed your mouth and nodded, returning her earlier wink. A brief trot over to your previous bench and you discovered the contents of the bag. A couple of apples, a small jar of zap apple jam, and... Okay, Apple Bloom was now easily one of your best friends.

The little filly had put a bottle of Apple Cider in the bag for you. She could get into a lot of trouble for giving you all this stuff. Especially the cider. Whelp, if the kid needed anything, you owed her. That was for sure. Better stash this stuff somewhere before anypony else sees it... Oh crap! In the midst of your little... episode, you'd left Anon back at the hospital! He was probably worried sick! You pick up the bag in your mouth and start running back to the hospital. More jogging really, but it counts.

You'd made it back to the hospital and found Redheart. No, she wasn't too happy about your little incident. But she did tell you that Anon already left. Dammit! Before she could suck you into another one of her lectures, you were already down the street. Where would he go? Where should you start to-- Duh. Just go to his house! He'll wind up there eventually.

This in mind, you did just that. A brilliant plan you had there, Dash. Right up until you tried to open the door. Yup, he'd locked it. Damn. Your stomach was growling again. Eventually you'd eat one of those delicious apples.

But first you needed to find a way into Anon's house. You walked around it, examining its exterior. Nothing you could really exploit; all the windows had been shut and the back door had been locked. You plopped down under a tree in the back yard and set your bag down. Hmm... There's got to be some way... You looked up at the tree.

”A-ha!"

About half way up the house there was an open window. Right next to the tree. Perfect! All you have to do is climb the tree and jump in the window! You picked the bag back up with your mouth and jumped from the ground to the nearest branch. This'll be easy! While you can't fly, you could still jump fairly high.

You hopped from branch to branch until you were close to the open window. You lined up the jump, waited for the wind to die down, bit down extra tight on the bag in your mouth, and ran forward. The leap looked much easier from the ground. Even though you still completed it, being unable to fly made you nervous halfway through the jump. You landed halfway through the window, and pulled yourself up.

"Yes! I've still got it baby!" The bag severely muffled what you said. Not that anyone else was around to hear it. After a small victory dance, you recalled what you were doing. You headed down to the kitchen, but only after a small run up and down the stairs. No more having to be carried! Unless you wanted to be carried.

You put away the various goodies in the kitchen, save for the apples. Come to think of it, why didn't you just head back here in the first place? Nonny had plenty of snacks around here. Oh well. The apples, being as delicious as they were, didn't last long. Hit the spot though. Well, now what?

Maybe a nap? Yeah, a nap sounds pretty good right around now. You made your way back up to the bedroom and promptly curled up on the bed. Sleep didn't need a second invitation.

You were startled awake by lightning and thunder raging outside. That's weird; it didn't look like a storm was scheduled today... Maybe it was a last minute sort of thing. You looked around and found Anon asleep beside you. Dang. How long did you sleep anyways? The rain pelted against the windows just loud enough for you to notice. You got off the bed and walked over to one of the windows to take a look.

Something didn't seem quite right... You'd managed some pretty nasty storms in your time as lead weather coordinator, but this was different... There were some foolish mistakes being made. If somepony wasn't careful, this storm was going to get real bad real fast. If you could fly, you'd head up there and warn them. But you couldn't, so you didn't. You sat down in front of the window, watching the storm become more and more unstable.

"Dashie? That you?" You turned to look at the bed.

"Oh, sorry Nonny. Didn't mean to wake you." He made his way to a sitting position and turned on the lamp.

"Did you have a good run?"

"He he... Yeah... Sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it. I kinda figured you were getting anxious." He walked over and sat down next to you. "So, watcha lookin at?"

You turned your attention back to the storm outside. "The storm... There's something wrong..."

"Like what? Seems like a pretty normal storm to me."

"The winds are shifting too much, gusting a bit too hard; the storm clouds are moving waaaay too much; and you can almost feel the rain being held back."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying if somepony doesn't get their act together, this could wind up being one nasty storm." He stared at the storm with you, the two of you just listening to the rain. A couple minutes later, he got up. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going back to sleep. Nothing either of us can do about the storm, so no sense in losing sleep over it." He was right. You were still kind of tired.

"I think I'll join you." You hopped back up on the bed and snuggled up next to him under the covers. The light was turned out, and soon the two of you were fast asleep. You were right though. The storm quickly became much worse after you went to sleep. The fact that it was still going strong the next morning was evidence enough of that. Anon was up and about, muttering something about checking something in town.

"I really think you should wait until the storm dies down, Nonny."

"It can't wait, Dash. Will you be okay for a while by yourself?" You really didn't want him to go out in this weather, but you couldn't really stop him either.

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

He shut the door behind himself before you managed to say, "Be careful..." While he was gone, you figured you'd better make something warm for him when he gets back. One apple pie later, and you were heating up some of the cider Apple Bloom had given you. You heard the door open and close. Nonny was back.

"Hey Nonny, I made something to warm you up." He sauntered into the kitchen, soaked to the bone.

"I think I'll change first."

"That's probably a good idea. Say, what did you have to check on anyways?"

"I thought I'd left something at the auditorium is all. Turns out I didn't."

"I hate when I do that." He nodded before heading upstairs to change into a dry pair of clothes. Not five minutes later though, a siren was going off. "Oh no."

"Rainbow? What's that sound?"

"Nonny, get down here, quick!" He ran down the stairs, pulling his pants up as he did.

"What? What is it? What's going on?"

"That siren means the weather team no longer has control of the storm!"

"Is that all? Jeeze, you make it sound like the end of the world."

"It could cause some serious damage, Anon! We have to get to shelter!"

"Calm down Rainbow. We have weather like this all the time back where I'm from."

"Please Anon? For me? I don't want you to get hurt in a storm like this. Please?" You put on your best pair of pleading eyes. It was working. You could tell.

"Alright fine, just stop with the eyes."

"Let’s get down to the basement then." You follow him down to the basement, and get as comfortable as you can. It’s cold, dark, and you can faintly hear the storm raging outside. But at least you had your Nonny. A couple of hours passed and the sirens finally stopped. "Finally. So can we go back upstairs now?" You listened closely to the sounds the storm was making for a minute, trying to catch any ominous sounds, but you found none.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good. I hope whatever you made is still warm, cause I'm starving."

"If it isn't, we can just warm it up." You both headed upstairs to find that the storm had died down significantly.

"So what were you saying about--"

"Oh hush. I just don't want you getting hurt."

"Now what did you make that smells good? I was worried you'd forgotten how to--" A quick jab to his side reminded him just who he was talking to. You heated up the cider and apple pie you'd made earlier. Apples. Apples everywhere. Delicious apples. After the pie was devoured and the cider cups all but licked clean, the two of you relaxed at the table. "One day you'll have to teach me how to cook like that."

"I told you before Nonny, I just picked a few things up from Pinkie Pie."

"That's fine and all, but--" He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Wonder who that is?"

"I dunno. I'll be right back." You hear the door open, and you're just barely able to hear a very familiar voice.

"Nonny?"

"Pinkie Pie? Come on in-- Hey Dashie! Pinkie's here!" You trotted out to the living room. Pinkie was soaked to the bone and had a worried look on her face.

"Pinkie, what's wrong?"

"Oh Rainbow! My Pinkie sense was going crazy during that storm! It was super scary, but there was something else! I couldn't put my hoof on it, so after the sirens stopped I went out to try and find what was going to happen!"

"And? What did you find?"

"Everything around town was fine! There were a few trees that had fallen over, but nopony was around to get hurt. I thought maybe my Pinkie Sense was wrong, but then I got a really super bad feeling! I couldn't let that go, so I searched some more. Finally, I made my way to the auditorium..." You were silent.

"...What about the auditorium, Pinkie? What happened?"

"It... It collapsed. There's nothing but rubble now." You sat down. Sure you were mad at Vinyl, but you wouldn't wish something like that on her.

"Do you know if Vinyl was okay?"

"I don't know, I didn't see her. I figured I should let you guys know as soon as I could..." Anon stood up.

"What are you doing, Anon?"

"You know what, Rainbow. Regardless of what she's done, she's still our friend. I'm not going to take any chances."

"But Anon! Look outside; the storm is still going on. I'm not sure if the weather team can keep control of it; they've already lost control once, who's to say it won't happen again?"

"Doesn't matter. Vinyl's out there and she might be hurt. I'd do the same thing for you." You ran over and tackled him to the couch.

"Like hell! You're not going out in that, I won't let you!" He looked you in the eyes.

"Rainbow, I'm going out to find her. I'll be fine; I've dealt with storms as bad as this back home."

"No! What if the sirens go off again while you're out? You could get hurt, or even worse, killed!" He picked you up off of his chest and set you down on the floor.

"I told you already Rainbow; I'm going to find Vinyl. That's going to happen, and you need to deal with it."

"...Fine. If you're going to do this, then I'm at least going to go with you."

"Ha! Don't even think about it. You're already injured; you'll be safer here with Pinkie."

"This isn't your decision, I'm coming with you."

"Like hell you are." He picked you up and looked you sternly in the eyes. "You're going to stay here with Pinkie. You want to help? Get some towels ready for when I come back with Vinyl." You growled. He was right. You would probably only get in the way, being injured already.

"That's what I thought. We can continue our little argument after I come back. Pinkie, make sure she doesn't come after me."

"...Okay, Nonny." He walked up stairs as she said that.

"Pinkie! I can't believe you'd let him go out alone!"

"But he's right Dashie! Besides, Vinyl needs help, I can feel it." You couldn't believe it. Pinkie was taking Anon's side! Just as you were about to voice your objections, Anon came back down stairs wearing what looked like a trash bag.

"...Nonny? Why are you wearing a trash bag?"

"Because I don't have a raincoat. I'll be back in a little while. Pinkie, make sure Rainbow doesn't leave."

"Hey!" Before you could try and reason with him, he was out the door into and into the storm. "Why would he do that Pinkie? Vinyl's probably fine."

"I dunno, Dashie; maybe he's just that kind of... human?"

"...Last time he pulled a stunt like this, he died."

"I think he'll be fine, Dashie. Let's just do what he said and get ready for when he comes back."

"...If he comes back..." You hated this. Once again, all you could do was wait. Even if you got past Pinkie, you'd likely wind up with Anon trying to find you while you were trying to find him. You wanted to break something. Right up until you realized that Pinkie was still soaked and shivering.

"Ohmygosh! I'll be right back Pinkie."

"Wha?" You searched around upstairs until you found some towels. After Pinkie was thoroughly wrapped up, you went to the kitchen to heat up something for Pinkie. You made her some tea. No need for her to find your cider. Nonny and you can share that later. Pinkie had scarfed the pie and downed the tea a bit faster than you were expecting.

"Thanks Dash, I needed that." Lack of a response from you did little to stop her from returning to her normal bouncy self. Which, of course, meant making two more pies, preparing a spot for Vinyl like Anon had asked, and even making sure the tub had a ready supply of hot water. Just in case. She was concerned, but she had an air about her.

"How can you be so energetic at a time like this?"

"There's no point in being a bad news bear about anything, now is there?"

"Of course there is! Anon is out there right now, trying to find Vinyl. Why does he care so much? Why wouldn't he listen to me and wait until the storm was over?"

"The sirens aren't going off and Vinyl might be hurt."

"I know that, but he wouldn't listen to me! I don't want him to get hurt, Pinkie..."

"Neither do I; but he doesn't want Vinyl to get hurt either. He knows we'll be alright, but he doesn't know about Vinyl." You sighed out of frustration. Why did she have to be right? "Besides, it's just like you said, he's already died once!"

"Gee, thanks for the inspiring words, Pinkie."

"No problem Dashie! Hey, you wanna help me make some pies? OH, or some cakes?!" You put your hoof to your face.

"Sure. Why not. I guess--" You and Pinkie both stopped dead. That chilling sound was resonating through the air again.

"Pinkie, get to the basement."

"But the pies!"

"NOW PINKIE!" You ran into the kitchen and made sure the timers were set so that the pies wouldn't burn. Pinkie might start crying if her creations burned. After you were both downstairs, you shut the door and sat down. "I knew it! I knew something like this would happen!"

"What are you worried about Dashie? Nonny said he'd been through worse back at wherever he's from, I'm sure he'll be fine!" The time that passed after that seemed to drag on forever. Howling winds of the storm mixed with the blasting sirens did little to calm your nerves. Pinkie however, was as care-free as could be.

That bubble gum mare was starting to get to you. She just wouldn't let you think to yourself. Five minutes. Five minutes! Was that too much to ask? You'd been trapped down in this stupid basement for an hour now. All the while driving yourself up a wall thinking up terrible fates that Anon might have succumbed to. Fuel for your anger towards Vinyl. It was her fault he was out there right now. If anything happened to him, you'd make sure she—

"Dashie! Did you hear that?!" Yup. Five minutes was a record you weren't going to break any time soon.

"Hear what, Pinkie?"

"There it is again! Somepony's at the door!" Without thinking, you ran up the stairs and nearly knocked the door to the basement off its hinges. As soon as you'd opened the front door, Anon came running inside. Pinkie was up shortly after you and started helping Anon with whatever he was doing. After you'd managed to get the door shut, you went over to help Anon. Sure enough, he'd brought back Vinyl. She was soaked to the bone, a lot like Pinkie was, and a little bruised up. Other than that she looked fine.

"Anon, can we at least move back down to the basement? The sirens are still--"

"No. We need to get her warm and dry her off; the basement is no place for that." He just wouldn't listen to reason, would he? "Pinkie, can you heat up something for her? We need to heat her up." After thoroughly cleaning Vinyl off and drying her; he wrapped her up super tight in a couple of towels. He had her cradled in his arms, her head laid back.

You didn't know how to feel now... He was right, she was hurt. But that still doesn't change the fact that he could've hurt himself in that storm! He was rubbing Vinyl through the towel burrito he'd put her in, when she started coughing.

"Here you go, Nonny."

"Thanks Pinkie." He set the cup of hot tea on the table beside him and continued rubbing Vinyl. After she finished her coughing fit, she opened her eyes.

"Nonny? What... what happened? Why can't I move? I feel cold..."

"You're freezing Vinyl. Here, drink this." After she drank down some of the tea, he held her up like she was sitting on his leg.

"You okay Scratch?"

"Pinkie? Izzat you?" She looked from her to Anon. "What happened? Am I dead? I'm so confused..."

"We'll get to what happened later. For now, we need to get you warmed up. You should rest." She nodded and closed her eyes.

"Definitely gonna be... a good... story..." She snuggled up to Anon's chest as best she could and continued to shiver slightly. That mildly bothered you, but you kept it to yourself. For now. He didn't stop rubbing Vinyl until she'd stopped shivering.

You'd tried to get him to eat something, but he wouldn't listen. At least you and Pinkie had gotten the now dirty trash bag off of him. After he was convinced that she wasn't shivering anymore, he went upstairs and put her in the guest bed. He was going for the master bed, but you'd managed to convince him otherwise.

Though you were glad Vinyl was going to be okay, you weren't about to let her sleep with you. She still had a lot of explaining to do. Even then, you weren't sure you'd forgive her so easily. She's still responsible for grounding you. You and Anon headed back downstairs in silence.

"So she's gonna be okay, right Nonny?"

"I think so Pinkie."

"Phew! I sure am glad to hear that!"

"Me too Pinkie... Hey, you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Yeah, whatcha hear Nonny?"

"Exactly. The sirens stopped." He was right. In all the excitement, none of you had noticed that the sirens had stopped once more.

"I think I'd better get back home before the sirens start up again."

"Stay safe Pinkie. And thanks for the help."

"No problem Nonny, I'll see you guys later!" Once the door was shut, there was silence. Anon had taken up a seat on the couch, and you'd done the same. If he wouldn't listen to reason, at least you could make sure he was warm. You snuggled up next to him.

"So you're not pissed at me anymore?"

"No, I'm still mad." He sighed. “But I'm glad you're safe." He ruffled your mane. "I still don't know how to feel about her..."

"...Neither do I, Dash. But she's our friend at the very least. She deserves to explain herself."

"...I guess."

"We'll worry about all that when the time comes. For now, let’s let her recover; probably wouldn't be a bad idea for us to get some sleep too."

"Only after you eat something." He sighed again.

"Fiiiine." Once the two of you had a decent meal, the two of you went to bed. The now softer sounds of the storm lulled the two of you to sleep. The next couple of days were going to be interesting, to say the least.

The smell of breakfast woke you from your deliciously peaceful slumber. Anon was fixing something that smelled absolutely amazing. This might just make up for him being so thick-headed last night. When you made your way down to the kitchen, you found the table loaded with mouth-watering breakfast foodstuffs. Pancakes, waffles, toast, oatmeal, hash browns, eggs... Even the smell of the bacon he was making was mixing pleasantly with the rest of the morning aromas.

"This smells amazing Anon!"

"Thanks Dashie. Hey, why don't you go check on Vinyl; see how she's doing after last night."

"Do I have to?"

"C'mon Dash."

"I really, really don't want to..."

"Are you saying you're... afraid?" Did he just... Yes. Yes he did.

"Absolutely not! It's just--"

"Then go check on her." He knew just how to get under your skin. He also knew how to rub in just the right places... He can have his small victory; you'll get him back later.

"I'll remember this." You wandered back upstairs to the guest bedroom to find Vinyl sleeping peacefully. This little pony... She helped you and Anon when you needed it... Hell, she did a lot more than just help. She provided you with a home, food, even a damn job...

Did all of that mean nothing now? Why had she been so willing to help? ...Why did she hurt you? So many questions started swimming around in your head, you didn't notice her sit up.

"Rainbow? You okay?"

"Wha? Yeah, sorry. I was just... thinking."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Anyways, breakfast is ready. You gonna come eat with us?" You were hoping for a negative answer.

"Yeah, lemme just run through the shower real quick." You nodded and headed back downstairs.

"That wasn't so bad now was it?"

"Oh hush."

"Point is that you've got to give her a chance to explain."

"She downed me. I can't fly because of her." He didn't say anything to that. "She'd better have a damn good explanation for doing what she did."

"I guess we'll find out later today," he said as he finished placing food on the table. The anger towards her hadn't really set in until last night. It was like bringing water to a boil: slow at first, and then it picks up speed. She was the sole reason you couldn't fly right now. Only her. There was nopony else involved. She was mad, sure, but... Why?

Such a simple question. Even if she did have a reasonable explanation for what she did... Like Anon said, we'll just have to wait and see. But you hated waiting. Anon knew what he was doing though, and you trusted him. He was your special someone after all.

"Something wrong Dash?"

"Wha?"

"You're zoning."

"...What?"

"Is everything okay?"

"I... No. I want an explanation for what she did."

"So do I Dashie, but we need to--"

"I know we need to wait, but I hate waiting. I've wanted answers since I woke up in the hospital bed."

"So have I. I hated being unable to help you while you were in that bed. All the while knowing that Vinyl, a friend, had put you there. It's incredibly frustrating to not know why she would do something like that. That being said, I think we owe her at least a chance to explain herself. I'm only asking you to listen to her, that's all." There wasn't anything you could think to say to that. It was a simple enough task. Just listen to what she has to say.

You were still going to have to wait, but it didn't seem so bad after Anon's little speech. A couple minutes later, the Vinyl had wandered downstairs and the three of you were eating breakfast. Other than a bad cold and a couple of bruises, she seemed fine. Of course, the meal was incredibly awkward and silent. The only words spoken by anyone were along the lines of 'pass the syrup' or something similar. Why didn't someone just get it out and in the open? What was with all this stupid waiting?

"Alright, I can't take it anymore." Both Anon and Vinyl looked up to see what you were talking about. Nonny shot you a look of disdain, but continued eating his eggs. Vinyl on the other hoof was petrified. She knew this was bound to crop up sooner or later. You didn't even have to say what it was that was bothering you. It had been bothering her too, you could tell.

"W-what's wrong, Rainbow?" Goody. She was going to play stupid too, huh?

"Don't you play dumb with me; you know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Rainbow, let her eat something first."

"No, it's okay Nonny. I'm not too hungry anyways." Anon sighed. Why? Why did he sigh? You were tired of not knowing what the HELL she was thinking, and he was tired of it too. "Alright, fine. I'll clean up here, you two head to the living room where we can sit down and be civil about this."

"Why don't we just sit h--"

"Because this is my house, now march."

"Fine." You got down from your chair and led Vinyl to the living room. Not that she didn't know where it was having walked through it; she waited for you to take the lead. Given that her ears were down and she looked more than distressed about what was going to happen, it kinda made sense. She must have a pretty bad feeling about what was about to happen.

And why shouldn't she? Has she ever met a downed pegasus before? Other than Fluttershy, you couldn't think of too many pegasi that preferred the ground to the air. You took a seat on the couch, and Vinyl took a seat opposing you. She never looked up or tried to make eye contact. Why wouldn't she do anything?

Was she trying to ignore you? Ignore what happened? Your wings in a cast served as a pretty good reminder of what exactly had happened. Anon interrupted your thoughts when Anon finally made it to the living room and sat down on the couch.

"Okay, so. Let's be reasonable--"

"Why'd you do it, Vinyl?"

"...about this." Sorry Nonny, but no more waiting.

"I... I don't know, Rainbow."

"What do you mean you don't know? You looked me in the eyes when you cut me with your record! YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING!"

"Rainbow, calm down. There's no need to sho--"

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I DESERVE AN ANSWER!"

"Rainbow." For whatever reason, his tone struck louder and clearer than anything you'd ever heard. It was not a tone you'd heard before, and it didn't sound good. "Give her a chance to answer, instead of screaming." Your heart was racing and your breathing was quick. You were pissed beyond reason. Alright then, fine. Eyes once again locked with hers, you waited for an answer. Eventually, she worked up the nerve to speak.

"I... I don't know why I did that to you, Rainbow... I don't remember anything after that pony broke the bottle... After the bottle broke, the last thing I remember was waking up in the hospital. Snowflake told me what happened. He said I lost control and started hurting the ponies really badly... Apparently I used a record to cut them. After I started... cutting the ponies, he told me that you flew down to stop me. He said you took a couple good cuts to the back before you knocked me out...

When I found out what'd happened, I asked if I could see you and he said no. I asked if I could see Nonny, and he said no. After Nurse Redheart made him leave so she could take a look at me, I asked if I could see either of you. She said I couldn't see you because you were still unconscious. She did say she would ask Anon if he would see me though. She reminded me that the only reason I wasn't being offered to you and Anon on a silver platter was because of the circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"Since magic was involved, the case would have to be reviewed if you or Anon decided to press charges against me. I'm glad you didn't, by the way..."

"Before you ask Rainbow, I told Nurse Redheart that we didn't want to press charges when I checked you into the hospital." That explained a few things, but you still had questions. At least now you had SOME answers.

"Alright then, so you didn't know what you were doing. This has happened before, why didn't you just back out and let your guards handle it?"

"I was going to, but the ponies started getting pushy and violent too quickly. It all happened really quickly."

"On that same note Rainbow, why didn't you wait for the guards to come get Vinyl?"

"I couldn't just let her ruin her image like that, Nonny! She was hurting ponies beyond reason!"

"Even still, why did you let her get those hits in on you? You could've dodged them or just went up and knocked her out. Why'd you wait?"

"I... I didn't want to hurt her..."

"Do you want to hurt her now?"

"...No, I don't. Since when is this about me, anyways?!"

"You wanted answers from her; I think you should give some answers back. It's only fair."

"...Dammit, Nonny."

"I knew you'd agree. Now then, why did you let her cut you? I know you; you could've easily dodged that record."

"I... I don't know..."

"Well then. It would seem that neither of you know why you did what you did." He had a point. But she still downed you.

”That doesn't matter, she still crippled me. I can't fly because of her."

"I said I'm sorry Dash! I didn't know what I was doing!"

"Sorry won't fix my wings!"

"And it's all I can do! I can't go back in time and try to stop what happened from happening!" She was right, but that didn't change how you felt. She was still the sole reason you were downed. You spent time in the hospital because of her. You had to have magical surgery because of her. You were going to have to go through rehab. Because of her.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" She recoiled at your outburst, tears forming in her eyes.

"I-I... I know..."

"THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

"I... I don't know..." You were seething with anger now. She downs you, and then has the audacity to show up here? HOW DARE SHE?! She seemed to read your mind, and ran out the door.

"Rainbow!"

"What?!"

"You stay put. I'm going to go get Vinyl. When I get back, you and I are going to have a discussion you won't enjoy." Before you could react, Anon was out the door chasing her down. Of course, the incompetent weather team didn't know what they were doing, so it was still storming out. Idiots.

And Anon! Running out into the storm after HER! She didn't deserve his friendship! He was YOUR special someone, not hers! This was the second time he had gone out into that storm for her. About a half hour later, Anon opened the door and Vinyl followed him inside. Anon got Vinyl upstairs and you heard the water running. He came back downstairs and sat down on the couch.

"So, you ready to be civil?"

"She downed me, and you're still going to let her stay here?!"

"Of course I am. I believe her when she said she didn't know what she was doing. She's still my friend, Dash. Is she still your friend?" You didn't answer him. Partially because you were still beyond pissed, but also because you didn't know for sure... So, you did the first thing that came to mind. You got up, and headed out the door to walk.

When Anon asked you where you were going, you simply told him "to find out." Before he could argue for you to stay, you were out the door and sprinting. You knew where you could go to think clearly. You just needed some fresh air is all. After walking around the rainy square for a while, you headed to the library.

Twilight was always good for help, especially on complicated stuff. A quick knock on the door, and spike let you in. After getting you to wipe your hooves, that is. He ran off to dredge up Twilight from whatever book she was lost in while you dried off a little. Why was it so cold in here?

"Oh hey Rainbow how-- why are you all wet?"

"Uhh, because it's raining outside?"

"Oh, right. Hold still for a second."

"What are you--" Before you could finish your sentence, her horn was glowing and you were enveloped by the strangest warm sensation.

"There we go! All dry. Now then, what can I do for you?"

"That was weird. Anyways, I need help with something... personal..."

"I hope I can help. It's been a while since the party..."

"Yeah... I'm sorry about that. I just couldn't stand everypony throwing around all that stuff about Nonny."

"It's okay Dash, I understand. Now, what's this 'personal thing' you need help with?"

"Well... You know about Vinyl?"

"Vinyl Scratch? The DJ? Other than she's a DJ, I can't say I know much about her."

"So you don't know anything about what's happened recently with her?"

"The only thing I heard was that she was somehow involved with your injury, but I didn't find anything out beyond that, why?"

"Oh boy... Have I seriously not told you about her at all?"

"No. Since you and Anon became a thing, you haven't really talked to anypony..."

"I... I guess I haven't, have I?"

"I've heard love can make ponies act weird."

"I'll say... Anyways, long story short, Vinyl likes Anon too."

"...so?"

"So she proposed this three way idea... Turns out she kinda likes me too..."

"Okay. So what's the problem?"

"You're... you're not freaked out by the three way idea?"

"No, why would I be?"

"I dunno, I just thought that... oh well, never mind."

"So was that the problem you were talking about?"

"What? Oh no no no, the problem I'm having is... I don't know if I like Vinyl anymore..."

"Well, is she still your friend?"

"...I don't know."

"What makes you say that?"

"...She was the one that put me in the hospital." Twilight stared at you blankly for a moment, processing what you'd just said.

"If she's your friend, why'd she put you in the hospital?!"

"She says it was an accident; that she didn't know what she was doing."

"How could she not know what she was doing? Was she drunk or something?!"

“No, she was... This probably won't make much sense, but... There was a drunken pony that started messing with her while she was on stage. Eventually, she wound up getting real mad and defensive. Her mane and tail looked like they caught on fire, and she started using a record to fight back. That's when I saw she was taking things too far, and I went down to stop her. She got a few good cuts on me before I knocked her out. Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital and Nonny is standing next to me worried sick."

"That sounds like a more extreme version of what happened to me when I was trying to figure Pinkie's Pinkie sense out."

"Yeah, but you didn't hurt anypony."

"Not to brag, but I'm also much more trained in magic than she is."

"Probably... Do you think she's telling the truth about losing control and not knowing what she was doing?"

"I think that's completely believable, Rainbow. There are documented reports of this kind of thing happening in the past."

"So, what causes it?"

"Usually it takes extreme emotions, and an extra buildup of unused magic. The best way to describe it would be the magical equivalent of adrenaline."

"...Do you think that she'll do it again?"

"It's all based on the circumstances. From what you told me, it seems to be a mixture of fear, the need to defend herself, and the adrenaline from being on stage that caused it." That still doesn't explain the other incident she told you about, but you weren't overly concerned with that anyways.

"So, you think she'd do it again?"

"...Given the right circumstances, I wouldn't doubt it."

"Is there anything somepony could do to get her to snap out of it? Besides bucking her in the head to knock her out..."

"Of course! It would take vocal cues, visual stimulus, or even familiar physical--"

"Speak in non-egghead, Twilight." She sighed.

"Talking to her, making her look at you, or even trying to calm her down by touching her would probably do the trick. It's a defensive reaction, so she needs something to make her lower her defenses."

"Then why didn't my talking to her do anything?"

"Like I said, it's all based on the circumstances. The adrenaline was probably mixing with the defensive feeling in a bad way. Had you laid a hoof on her or held her face, she probably would've snapped out of it."

"So... She really didn't know what she was doing?"

"No, probably not."

"That doesn't make things any easier..."

"That wasn't the problem?"

"Well, it was part of it."

"What's the rest?"

"...The storm that's been going on the past couple days? Pinkie had a bad feeling about the auditorium, so Anon went out to check."

"Sounds like something you would do if Pinkie had a bad feeling about the library or Rarity's boutique."

"I tried to get him to wait for the storm to pass, but he wouldn't listen! Even though he knows I was part of the weather team!"

"Do you listen to anypony if somepony you know is possibly in trouble?"

"Yeah!" She gave you a deadpan look. “Well... I try to!"

"Uh-huh."

"Anyways, he's done this twice now! He won't listen to me when I tell him I don't want Vinyl in the house!"

"...Why don't you want her in the house?"

"Because... Because I don't, okay?!"

"Are you worried she's gonna try and steal him from you or something?"

"No! I mean..."

"Rainbow, I think I should tell you what Anon was doing while you were stuck in the hospital."

"What do you mean?"

"While you were in the hospital, Anon was planning your surprise party. He was doing his best to make sure it would be perfect for you."

"He... He never told me about that..."

"That's the idea behind a surprise party, Rainbow. Everything he did while you were in the hospital was either about his house, or you."

"What about--"

"He never talked about anything else, I promise. Him cheating on you shouldn't even cross your mind. He's as loyal as you are."

"So... All that time he spent out of the hospital, he was..."

"Trying to make life easier for you or make you happy."

"I..."

"As far as Vinyl goes, if you still like her as a friend, then what's wrong with her staying with you and Anon?"

"...Nothing, I guess. I'm still mad at her for downing me."

"I can't say I'd blame you for being mad. I can't help you to stop being mad at her, that's something you've got to come to terms with on your own."

"...Would you forgive me if I hurt you like she hurt me?"

"If the circumstances were similar, of course! You're my friend Rainbow."

"...Great, now I feel really bad..."

"Why?"

"I... Kinda made her run out of the house crying..."

"...What?"

"I was really mad, okay?! The best answer she could come up with was 'I don't know.'"

"And do you feel better now that you've let off some steam?"

"...A little, I guess."

"Then maybe that's all you needed? To let off some steam?"

"I don't know... I still feel... angry with her."

"Why?"

"I just said I don't know!"

"I'd wager it has something to do with the whole three-way thing. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"...I think so."

"You need to know for certain. A relationship is like one of Zecora's potions: you've got to mix it properly and take good care of it. You should just talk with Anon and Vinyl about it; make sure you're okay with everything."

"You think that'll help?"

"I know it will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Did talking about everything we just talked about help?"

"...Yeah, I think so."

"Then I'm sure talking about the three-way idea will help."

"What do you think about a three-way relationship?"

"I think it's a neat idea. I read once that the more individuals are involved in a relationship, the more complicated it becomes. It'd be like solving an equation!"

"...That's not quite what I had in mind."

"Either way, it's your relationship, do what you think is best."

"...Thanks Twilight."

"You're welcome! Anything else I can help you with?"

"Is there a new Daring Doo book out yet?"

"Well, no--"

"Then I think that about covers it."

"Are you sure you don't want to borrow some of my books on Relationships? They might be what you're looking for!"

"No, thanks anyway. I gotta go, I'll see you later Twilight!" Before she could respond you were out the door. If you weren't careful, she'd send you back with two saddlebags full of books. But talking with her did help quite a bit. You could forgive Vinyl. Eventually. She'd have to make it up to you though. Oooohhh was she going to make it up to you.

An outside opinion really helped in these kinds of situations. If you ever had trouble making up your mind or trying to figure something out, you could always count on your friends to help you. Why wouldn't they? There was a reason they were your friends, after all. Anon could've probably helped a lot too, but... You were still kinda pissed at him for not listening to you.

Sure, if your roles had been switched you probably wouldn't have listened to you, but your roles weren't switched. You knew what you were talking about, he didn't. Simple as that. Though, you were walking around in the middle of a rainstorm. Had it not been for Vinyl, you would've been back in Nonny's arms by now. Walking was fine and all, but you'd much rather be flying.

What you wouldn't give to feel the rain pelting your face as you flew through the storm right now. Come to think of it, your sides did feel kind of damp... Oh shit! You've been out in the rain for too long! The water had seeped through the bandages!

You'd better get back to Anon before something stupid happens, like getting an infection or something. There wasn't a whole lot you knew about medical things, but you knew that bandages were supposed to be kept dry. It was probably time to change them anyways. Doesn't mean you shouldn't hurry up and get home though. Should you tell Vinyl you've decided to forgive her though...? Maybe? Bah, you'll worry about that later. Right now, you should focus on getting back to her and Anon as fast as possible.

The rain was coming down at a steady pace, but it wasn't a downpour like it had been. Maybe the weather team was finally getting their shit together. Going fast always felt awesome to you. Going fast in the rain had its own special feeling though. You could slip, trip, or not see something. It was exciting. Though you couldn't break the sound barrier while restricted to the ground, it didn't mean you were slow.

Besides, the streets were pretty clear, considering the weather recently. You could afford to go pretty fast right now. The fast approaching turn triggered an idea. You sped up as fast as you could, then jumped and propelled yourself in the new direction off the side of a building. Aww man, that was AWESOME!

Too bad Anon wasn't here to see it. You'll just have to show him that later. Wonder how fast Anon can run... Or how fast he's ever gone. You loved him, and you didn't know too much about him... He would always ask about you and your history, but he never really talked about his own... Huh... It's funny, but you never really noticed that before... Wonder if he... Bah, questions for later.

Right now, speed. The one thing you wanted right now was to go fast. As fast as your body would allow. That was pretty fast, all things considered. The rain pelting you in the face, the cold wind whipping against you. It all felt sooo good. You might be a little chilly later, but it would be totally worth it. Your little adventure had given you the opportunity to stretch your legs, get some fresh air, and even gave you some answers.

Maybe being downed wasn't so bad after all... Flying was fun and you wouldn't give it up for anything... Well, except maybe Anon. If staying with Anon meant you couldn't fly anymore... Yeah, you could probably live with your decision. For now though, you knew you were going to fly again. Being stuck on the ground would've been unbearable, had it not been for Anon...

He made being downed not so bad. Had you not been forced down to the ground, you probably wouldn't have hit it off with Vinyl... Come to think of it... Fluttershy was right; Anon had caused you a lot of trouble. But you liked it. It was the kind of trouble you didn't mind. The kind of trouble that led to new and different experiences. Ha! Look at you, being all philosoff... Philly... Fuck it. Thinking about all these big ideas and all that. Whatever the word for that was.

If you think about it, Vinyl was kind of doing the same thing... Sure her trouble was a bit extreme, but... Wow. If you really think about it, she was kind of like Anon... She comes into your life, everything seems good for a while, then trouble comes along... So far, you hadn't any regrets about sticking with Anon. Why not give her a chance and stick with her too? Yeah. Could be fun. But by Celestia, you were going to make her make it up to you. There was no getting out of that.

So many ideas running around in your mind about how she was going to do just that... Some of the ideas were simple, like having her do the dishes or something. Others though... All those ideas running through your head... You ALMOST felt bed for Vinyl. Almost. She still crippled you, however temporary it may be.

Finally! Back at Anon's house. You'd always thought home would be wherever you wanted it to be, but now... Now it seemed to be wherever Anon was. It was where you could let your guard down. Relax. Be yourself. Not worry about fucking something up and being laughed at. Well, he would laugh if it was funny, but he wouldn't be a dick about it. A complete dick anyways. He would do what you would do if he fucked something up.

Wonder how long you were standing in front of the door thinking about all that. Not to mention in the rain. Good thing nopony was around to see it. When you went to open the door though, you found it was locked. Great. You knocked on it a few times and waited. And waited. And waited some fucking more. Dammit Anon, why'd you go and lock the door? You knocked again, harder this time.

”Anon?" A couple minutes pass, and still nothing. You knock on the door again, repeating your previous call. ”Anon! Hello?"

Why wasn't he answering? You looked around at the windows to see if the lights were on. They were, so obviously he was still home. What's the big deal Anon? Was he mad at you for going out? Maybe he was still pissed for you going off on Vinyl like that... Fuck.

He wouldn't do something like this though, would he? No. No, he wouldn't. You were sure of that. At least the overhang was keeping you dry. You can't exactly fly up and find an open window. Duh! The tree that you used last time! You walked around back and found the tree, only to have your hopes crushed. It was still standing and all, but the sturdy branch you used last time had been knocked down.

Probably when the damn weather team lost control of the storm the other day. None of this shit happened when you were in charge of the weather team. You kept them focused and on task. Better get back to the relative safety of the overhang. Looks like you get to play the waiting game, or yell until your throat hurt.

You weren't particularly fond of ponies that stayed up and made racket all hours of the night when you were trying to sleep, so waiting game it is. You sat down on the welcome mat; at least it wasn't as cold as the concrete. No matter what you did, that feeling of water squelching in your bandages made you feel absolutely gross.

Try to wait it out. Anon will know what to do. You shifted on the placemat, staring up at the door. Squelch. Nope. Can't take it anymore. You turned and started pulling at the bandages with your mouth. It wasn't necessarily easy, but you did manage to eventually shed the filthy things. Oooohhh, the air felt good against your feathers. Dare you try and flex them? Could make things worse.

Nope, fuck it. You slowly stretched your wings to their full span. Awwww, yeah. To think, Redheart was worried that you'd forget how to use your wings. Dumb nurse. You flexed your wings so that you could better inspect them. Oh CELESTIA they needed to be cleaned. You could wait until Anon finally answered the door...

You folded your wings back slowly. Even though you could move and flex them, they still felt really sore. Like you'd been flying for days straight or something. Nope. They almost felt sticky. Not gonna make it until Anon was out to help you.

You flexed your wings back to where you could get at your feathers. THE PREENING SHALL COMMENCE! It wasn't embarrassing to be caught preening or anything; you'd just rather nopony saw you doing it. It'd be like styling your hair in a park or something. Nothing really wrong with it, just something you'd rather not be hounded about.

You'd even go so far as to not preen in front of Anon. What would he think if-- Sure enough, Anon had just opened the door. And you had your head buried in your wing.

"...Rainbow?" You popped your head out of your wing.

"Uhhh... I can explain."

"Really? Why don't you come inside first?" You folded your wings back and trotted inside. "How long were you sitting out there?"

"I dunno."

"Well why didn't you knock or something?"

"I did! I even called out for you a couple times. I thought you were mad at me or something..."

"I was a little mad, yeah, but I wouldn't lock you out! Jeeze Rainbow... And you took your bandages off!"

"Yeah... They kinda got wet..." He gave you a deadpan look.

"I can't imagine why. Anyways, next time use the doorbell."

"You have a doorbell?"

"You're telling me you didn't notice the little button beside the door with a bell above it?" Nope, didn't catch that one. "You really need to slow down and look at your surroundings sometimes, Rainbow. Now, why'd you take your bandages off?"

"I already told you, they got wet and gross. I figured I'd get some sort of infection or something if I kept them on, so I took them off while I was waiting for you."

"...Fair enough. What were you doing to your wings?"

You knew he'd ask about that. "I was..." You looked down at the floor. You really didn't want to explain this to him. "...preening."

"Preening? You mean you were cleaning your wings?"

"...yeah. Listen, I'd rather you didn't tell any--"

"I gotta say Rainbow, that was pretty cute." Aaaannnd there's the burning sensation in your cheeks. Why'd he have to go and say something like that?

"Just don't tell anypony I... preen..."

"What's wrong with preening?"

"It's like... It's like putting your mane up or curling it or something."

“Like putting on makeup or something?"

"Yeah, like that."

"And you're worried about other ponies finding out you do that?"

"Well, yeah."

"Why?"

"Cause I have a reputation, Anon!"

"Alright, I won't tell anyone about your preening."

"Thanks..."

"I'll save it for ammo and use it if I have to though."

"...Darn it."

"We'd better make sure your wings are clean and that you didn't damage them. Head on up to the bathroom and I'll get some fresh bandages."

"Do I have to have new bandages?"

"Yes, doctors’ orders. You keep your wings bandaged until told otherwise. Now get up there."

"Fiiinnne." You made your way up to the master bathroom to wait on Anon. Strange, you hadn't seen Vinyl since you came back. Maybe she actually ran off? You were looking forward to making her your little bitch for a while... Manipulative? A little, but she deserved it. Maybe you could find a magic dampener and clamp that on her horn for a month.

See how she does without magic for a while. Yeah. If she went through what you went through, then you could forgive her more easily. She'd understand what she put you through.

"Alright, get in the tub." You jumped a little at hearing his voice; you'd been deep in thought again. A couple minutes later, you were in a tub full of wonderfully warm water, and Anon was cleaning your wings thoroughly. "So Rainbow, how come you don't get... stimulated... by having your wings cleaned?"

"I am kind of getting 'stimulated...'" He slowed down a little at that, then shook his head and resumed cleaning.

"...dirty mare."

"You know it."

"Seriously though."

"Do you get 'stimulated' when you clean yourself?"

"Well, no..."

"There you go."

"I'm guessing it's the same sort of thing while flying then?"

"Kind of."

"Have you ever had trouble flying beca--"

"No. Have you ever had that happen while walking or running?"

"...Fair enough."

"It's called self-control, Anon. Besides, it takes a certain... mood, I guess."

"Makes sense." He finished cleaning each of your wings and around the joints. It felt amazing, yeah, but you knew he wasn't trying to be sexual about it. Had it been estrus though... You might have had a bit more trouble focusing. After a thorough drying of your wings, Anon applied the new bandages.

"There we go, all done. So long as you don't go and stay out in the rain for hours at a time again, I think you'll be alright for another couple days."

"Yeah... Sorry about that. I just needed to clear my head."

"Well? Did it at least work?"

"Yeah, I think so. Speaking of, where's Vinyl?"

"She's in the guest bedroom. After you stormed off, I went to check on her. She was a little upset to say the least. Anyways, I calmed her down and got her to talk about what all had happened."

"So that's why you didn't hear me knocking..."

"Yeah."

"...I guess she's kinda pissed at me then, huh?"

"A little, but she understands why you said what you did. She was more worried about making you mad."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Huh..."

"So what all did you do while you were out in the rain?"

"I went and talked with Twilight, actually."

"You talked about the whole situation with Twilight?"

"Well yeah, she's my friend; why?"

"I figure she's pretty smart and all, but I wouldn't guess she has much experience in... intimate relationships."

"Yeah, you're right about that. But she does know a thing or two about friendship."

"I'll take your word for it. She's a talker."

"You have no idea. She actually studies friendship and reports what she finds out to Princess Celestia."

"What is it, her job or something?"

"Yeah, actually."

"You're kidding."

"No, it's what the princess sent her here to do."

"I thought she was just a librarian."

"That's what she does, but she's still Celestia's student."

"Fair enough I guess. Never thought of friendship as something that needed to be studied though..."

"I don't know about where you're from, but here, friendship is important to magic."

"All you had to do was say it involved magic. Magic and logic don't always mix well for me."

"Nah, just takes some getting used to is all."

"Anyhow, what all did you figure out?"

"I think that if Vinyl would wear a magic dampener until I'm done with rehab, she'd understand what she put me through."

"A magic dampener?"

"It's a little cone that you put on a unicorn's horn to prevent them from using magic."

"And you can just buy these things?"

"Well, yeah."

"Huh. I wouldn't think someone would be able to get ahold of something like that so easily."

"They use them at the hospital all the time. I'm pretty sure if you just asked they'd probably give one to you."

"I guess I'll be finding out soon enough. Come on then, let's go and talk with Vinyl about your idea." You followed him to the guest room wherein Vinyl was sitting on the bed, gazing out the window. "Hey Vinyl, what'cha doing?"

"Oh hey Nonny. I was just thinking."

"That's a change." She whipped her head around real fast when she heard your voice. The two of you locked eyes for a couple minutes. Hers were red like she'd been crying recently.

"So are either of you going to say something, or are you going to try and stare each other down?" She looked to Anon with concern in her eyes.

"I knew she wasn't ready to talk. Fine, I'll go an--"

"Oooohh no you don't. You two need to duke it out, talk, or whatever, but fucking do it. I'm sick of this I-don't-wanna-talk-but-I-do attitude you two are having with each other."

"No, she's obviously not willing to--"

"No you don't." Before you could question what exactly he was going to do, he'd stepped out of the room and shut the door. Fine, you'll just wait until he steps away from the door and op-- Yup, he locked the door. Does he not realize the doors can be unlocked from this side? You went to open the door and give him a good talking to, only to find out that handle had been flipped. The lock was on the outside.

"You sneaky little--"

"Yup. I'll be back in an hour or so to check up on you two. I'm not going to put up with two mares that are gonna be passive aggressive with each other."

"But--"

"Nope. You two get your shit together, and then we'll talk. Until then, you're stuck in the same room and you're going to have to deal with each other."

"Anon! You do this and I swear you won't touch me for a month!" Silence. "ANON!" More silence. You turned to Vinyl. "Of COURSE you had to go and get the whole house sound-proofed, didn't you?"

"...Seemed like a good idea at the time." You just glared at her. "If it makes any difference, I didn't know he was going to do this either."

"Yeah, sure you didn't. Just like you didn't know what you were doing when you cut me, right?"

"I really didn't know! I told you what happened, the last thing I remember was waking up in the hospital! Why won't you believe me?"

"Gee, I dunno, maybe cause YOU PUT ME IN THE HOSPITAL?!"

"I said I'm sorry! There's no way I can convince you of that though, is there?"

"No, probably not."

"Then why did you let me stay here if you hate me so much?!"

"I... I don't hate you."

"That's what I-- what?"

"...When I left, I went and talked to Twilight about what happened. She told me all about your little incident." Vinyl remained silent. "...So, I figure you really didn't know what you were doing. That doesn't change the fact that it was you that put me in that hospital."

"...No, it doesn't. I'm glad the damage isn't permanent though... I don't suppose there's anything I could do?" You thought for a bit. You'd put her through enough, and you were getting tired of being angry.

"Tell you what. You wear a magic dampener, all day every day until I can fly again, and I'll call it even."

"What?"

"You don't know what it's like to not be able to fly, you're not a pegasus. So, go without using magic until I can fly, and I think we can call it even."

"I can do that already though, I don't need a dampener..."

"I'm wearing bandages, you can wear a dampener."

"I... I guess... If it'll get you to stop being mad at me, I'll do it."

"Great, now all we have to do is convince Nonny we're not at each other's throats."

"...So you're not mad at me anymore?"

"...I'm still mad, but I understand why what happened happened." Vinyl let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad that's out of the way. I really missed you guys at the auditorium..."

"Speaking of, what happened to it?"

"I don't know what, exactly. I think it was a tornado."

"A tornado? That doesn't make any sense; the weather team should've been able to take care of that easily..."

"Oh they did, after it went through my auditorium. Luckily I was in the basement when it hit."

"They've just fallen apart recently..."

"They're missing their leader."

"There are other team leaders though."

"Then they're missing you."

"Ha! They can get along just fine without me; I only trained new members or helped out with bigger storms."

"Maybe the new members aren't getting trained like they used to..."

"Maybe." The two of you chatted about the weather team for a while. Just trying to pass the time, really. You'd buried the hatchet for now, and Vinyl was going to make it up to you. No magic until you can fly again. She was confident now, but this was going to drive her crazy. You'd already been through the withdrawal of being unable to fly. Ha... you'd gotten used to being unable to fly. Probably only because you knew you'd be flying again soon. How would she deal with being unable to use magic?

"So... What have you guys been up to?"

"Not a whole lot, really. Making this house a home, dealing with my friends..."

"Dealing with your friends?"

"Yeah... I don't really want to talk about it."

"Oh come on, you can trust me. I don't have any friends to tell anyways."

"You? No friends? Ha! You're the most popular DJ in Equestria!"

"That doesn't mean I have a huge amount of friends... Do you know what it's like to be popular?"

"Yes I do, as a matter of fact. You know I'm pretty well known around town."

"No no, I'm talking about thousands of fans popular. There's a difference between you and me. You're a national hero, I'm a DJ."

"Well yeah."

"I can meet nice fans and all that, but I never make really good friends with them like I did you or Anon."

"Why not?"

"More than likely, I'll never see them again. They might come to another concert, but I can only handle meeting so many ponies after a concert before I have to get some rest. The chances of me meeting a pony regularly after each concert are slim to none. It's not that there aren't nice ponies out there, it's that there are too many that all want to be my friends."

"Huh... I never thought having friends would be a problem."

"You wouldn't think so, but damn... If I do anything for fans, it's instantly put under a microscope by other fans or the press. I have to watch what I do whenever I deal with fans. It really sucks sometimes. You and Anon were different... Anon was just looking for some help, he didn't know me and he didn't judge me based on some story. You turned out to be one of the best friends I've ever had after you got used to being around me. And I had the hardest of times accepting that I hurt you like that..." You didn't know what to say to that.

"I kinda think it wasn't you, but then I remember staring you down. Your red eyes through the cracked goggles... I can't say it left a good impression." She looked down at the floor again.

"Yeah... I caught so much shit about my eyes growing up... Ponies just assume that red eyes mean something evil. You're lucky, your eyes are more pink than red. Mine are 'blood red...'"

"...And they suit you. Don't give in to what other ponies assume because of your eyes. If they're scared off by your eye color, they probably don't deserve to be your friend."

"...Thanks Rainbow." There was a bit of silence after that. Nothing awkward, just... silent.

"So... Twilight also told me how to stop you from going all rage mode or whatever."

"Oh? It doesn't involve kicking my face in, does it?"

"Ha, no. She said that you just need to hear familiar voices or sounds, see friendly faces, things like that. She said it should bring you back to reality."

"Well... That's good news, I guess."

"It's better than nothing, isn't it?"

"I was kinda hoping it was some sort of disorder or something that had a cure..."

"Twilight said it was caused by you not using magic enough and... extreme emotions. I think."

"Huh. So I have to... use magic more?"

"I guess."

"...Do you still want me to wear the--"

"Yes. If anything, that'll probably stop you from having another 'episode.'"

"I guess so..." A couple more minutes of silence.

"Alright, scoot over."

"What?"

"If Anon is going to leave us locked up in a bedroom, I'm gonna take a nap." You hopped up on the bed next to Vinyl, nudging her to one side.

"That... actually sounds like a good idea."

"Yeah yeah. Either way, scoot." She made room for you to occupy the opposite side of the bed, and laid down next to you. "Don't get any funny ideas. Just cause I'm in a forgiving mood, doesn't mean I'm up for--"

"I get it..." She sounded upset about it, but didn't pursue the thought any farther. Good. She knew who was in charge. What seemed like several hours later, you were startled back to the land of the waking by Anon.

"I see you two have apparently buried the hatchet." You groaned and sat up, shooting him a deadpan look as you did. "What?"

"You tricked me."

"Yeah? And?"

"...I'll remember that next time you're feeling 'frisky.'"

"Whatever. It worked didn't it?" You hopped off the bed and started making your way towards the stairs.

"More or less."

"Come on Vinyl, dinner's ready."

"Mmmmmfffppphhfmmm..."

"Argue all you want, it'll be waiting for you when you decide to get up." He followed you down the stairs to the kitchen. "Now what do you mean 'more or less?'"

"You remember that magic dampener idea I told you about?"

"Yeah?"

"Good. Cause it's happening." He let out a sigh before setting the table and passing out food.

"So you couldn't just forgive her, could you?"

"No! Not until she goes through what I'm going through. Then we can see eye to eye."

"Why are you pushing this so hard? Just to punish her for something she wasn't aware she did?"

”Because I feel like I can talk to her like a normal pony if she goes through with it."

"Well why can't you talk to her like a normal pony now?"

"No matter which way you look at it, she's still the pony that downed me. Weather she knew what she was doing or not, it was her."

"...I'm glad you're not involved in the legal system." A couple minutes later, a rather tired looking Vinyl was hopping up into her chair. "So, you two sleep well?"

"Mmmmmpppmmmmfffmm..." She was more interested in nibbling on the salad Anon had placed in front of her.

"Yeah, I'd say we had a good nap."

"Good. Now maybe I can relax not having to worry about you two not arguing constantly."

"We didn't argue constantly!"

"MMmmmffmmm, fffmmm."

"She makes a good point, Rainbow."

"You understood that?"

"You've never had to deal with children, have you Dash?"

"MMmmmppphh!"

"Anyways, she wasn't arguing. She was trying to get a word in edgewise, while you were trying to--"

"I get it." You munched away at your salad in silence. After the light dinner, the three of you headed back upstairs to get a good night's sleep. Not just a little nap. Of course, you made sure Vinyl slept in the guest bedroom. She's not even going to think about touching Nonny until you say so. Not that he was going to get any action for a while, thanks to his little stunt, but still.

Your dreams that night... Well, you didn't have any, actually. It was a little weird, but it was... Kind of relaxing, too. The next morning, you were up and fully relaxed, like you'd actually gotten a good night's sleep. Then you realized you hadn't slept like that since you left the hospital... A couple times had come close, but nothing quite like this. This whole situation with Vinyl must've been hanging over your head more than you realized. It felt good to finally sit down and talk with her about what had happened.

Chapter 13: Endeavor

You opened your eyes to the darkness. You were in Anon's guest bed. Letting out a sigh of relief, you sat up and examined the spartan room. The major features being the bed you were currently occupying and a nightstand with a lamp. Nothing fancy, just a guest bedroom. Using your magic, you switched the lamp on to illuminate the dark room. Wonder what time it was? You trotted over to the window and pushed the curtains to the side.

Great. Still storming out. How long were the pegasi going to let it rain? This was getting ridiculous. You pulled the curtains back to their previous position using your magic. Better use it while you can, you won't have it for much longer. It'd be worth it though. You hadn't realized how much of an impact Anon and Rainbow had on your life...

They were more than just friends to you. Before them, good friends had been few and far between for you. The only other ponies you really considered friends were Octavia, Pinkie, and Snowflake. Octavia didn't reciprocate your feelings, and Snowflake was more a big brother than anything. That really only left Pinkie.

She was nice and all, but she could really get on your nerves. Sometimes, you just wanted to chill. Whenever she'd push you just a little too hard to do something, you'd lash out at her. Then she'd try extra hard to make it up to you, and it'd start all over again. She'd finally gotten the message a while ago and has since been good about giving you your space. Now, you found yourself setting in to a similar situation with Anon and Rainbow.

Fortunately though, you had somewhat of a handle on this situation. You'd given them a wide birth, and they seemed to appreciate that. Well, at least Anon appreciated it. Rainbow was still a bit upset with you, but you were going to change all that. You'd decided to go with her idea of a horn dampener until she was able to fly again. She couldn't fly, so you couldn't do magic. Seems fair enough.

You wandered around the room for a bit, trying to find a clock of some description. Finally managing to locate a watch tucked away in the nightstand drawer, you discovered that it was early morning. Breakfast time! Maybe you could make them breakfast? Might as well try.

You stealthily made your way down to the kitchen. The kitchen had been designed with Anon in mind, but it didn't make things too difficult for you. Standing on your hind legs while propping yourself up with your forelegs, you were able to see what you were doing. Using your magic, you began to arrange some pans on the stove. While it was heating up, you rummaged around the fridge to find some bacon and eggs. After setting those aside, you went and searched the pantry for some pancake mix. Being a unicorn had its advantages, as it was all the way at the top. A simple matter of magic to get it down, and breakfast was on its way! A little while later, you were startled by Anon's voice.

"Vinyl? What are you doing?"

"Gah!" When you got your bearings again, you resumed making breakfast and answered him. "Sorry, I didn't hear you get up. I'm making breakfast!" Anon looked out the window then back to you.

"Aight. Watcha making?"

"I've got some bacon, eggs, and pancakes going!"

"Sounds good. Need any help?"

"Nah, I got this. Why don't you go get Rainbow? Breakfast oughta be done in a couple minutes."

"Sure," he said as he stretched and yawned. You carried on making a delicious smelling breakfast and set the table. The kitchen was a very much over the top. You'd made sure Anon had everything he needed and then some. The kitchen counter wrapped around a center island; with the sink, fridge, and freezer on the far side.

Across from the bar portion of the counter was a wooden table with four chairs. It was basically a smaller version of the kitchen you'd had back at the auditorium. The design seemed to lend itself well to fixing multiple things at once, and breakfast was ready and on the table not five minutes after Anon went to get Rainbow. You were pouring drinks when Anon came back downstairs and sat down at the table.

"Where's Rainbow?"

"She's getting up. Slowly. Anyway, I'm starved. Let's eat." No argument from you. You hopped up into your chair to Anon's right and started eating your delicious eggs and pancakes. The two of you were munching away when Rainbow finally showed up.

”If about tm!"

"Yeah, what took you so long?" She groggily looked from you to Anon before shaking her head.

"Do either of you have any idea what time it is?"

"Uhhh..." You swallowed your mouthful. "Seven AM? Eight?"

"Try two in the morning." Anon started snickering.

"What? But the watch in my room said--"

"Look at the wall clock." You did so, only to see it strike two am on the nose.

"Oh..."

"And YOU!" Anon snickered harder and looked at Rainbow.

"What, Dashie?"

"You knew what time it was, why didn't you tell her?"

"I was hungry. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Don't be a sour puss, c'mon. Breakfast is ready and everything!" She grumbled something and headed towards the seat to Anon's left, directly across from you. As the three of you neared the end of breakfast, Anon started asking Rainbow about the storm.

"I dunno. Probably bit off more than they could chew."

"Even still, don't they have more pegasi that can help clear the storm?"

"I'm sure they do, but it'll probably be another day or so before Weather Central finally sends them."

"Why would they wait so long?"

"Because they don't want to butt in unless they have too."

"Huh. Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

You decided to try and chime in, "It's not all bad though. I kinda like the rain!"

"You won't like the flooding if they let it rain for too much longer."

"Oh... Good point."

"Well, I'm gonna go change bandages. Nonny, you mind helping me?"

"Alright. Thanks for breakfast Vinyl."

"No problem!" They headed up the stairs, leaving you to clean up the battlefield that was breakfast. A little magic, and the kitchen was clean in about ten minutes. Well. What do you do now? There wasn't much you could do, so you went back to your room to maybe think some more. And set the watch to the right time. Breakfast at two in the morning. Huh. Who'd a guessed?

So many things running around your head right now. Maybe Dash will finally treat you like a friend after this whole magic-dampener thing. Anon didn't seem to have a problem with you; rather he seemed to understand where your situation. The feeling of rain at two in the morning was... relaxing. Something about rain just... calmed you. Let you focus even. Now you found yourself missing the sun roof back at your auditorium... Right. Your auditorium.

Those fucking pegasi had managed to guide the stray tornado away from town, right into your auditorium. Now, you'd had the thing insured, sure, but it was still gone. Re-construction wouldn't start until this weather was taken care of. Not to mention all of your belongings that may or may not have been completely wrecked by now.

It'd be weeks before all the paperwork was cleared; probably months before your auditorium was back in working order. What were you going to do about the concerts? You still had... what, two? Two concerts left before the lunar celebration. The lunar celebration... This might wind up being the first one you ever miss. You weren't so much worried about Luna being pissed, she was an alright pony once you got to know her. It was more about missing the event. Sure you could hold the concert later, but it wouldn't be the same.

It wouldn't be Luna's concert. Maybe Snowflake knew some-- Fuck. Snowflake. Not to mention all your other employees. You couldn't pay them if you didn't perform and make some money! There was a bit of money in the bank for emergencies like this, but... It might cover a week, maybe two of their pay. Looks like you're going to be doing some serious number crunching...

You might be able to pull it off, but you'd have to empty your reserves entirely. No payment for you. Hope you stay on Anon and Rainbow's good side... You looked hopefully at the watch. Two-thirty. Fuck.

Maybe you could try and sleep? There was just nothing you could really do right now... You couldn't go and get the dampener, the hospital was likely only accepting emergencies right now... Too early to go to the bank or the post office to mail your insurance agent. Try and sleep it is.

You hopped up onto the cozy bed and tried to get some sleep. A bit of tossing and turning later, and you were awake once more. You rolled over to look at the watch. Seven AM. Finally. Shit's open now. You got out of bed and went to take a shower.

After a relaxing shower, you felt a bit better and ready to go. First stop, the hospital. As you were about to leave though, a voice caught your attention.

"Vinyl? Where are you going?" You stopped and turned to see Anon at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm going to the hospital, why?"

"The hospital? Why're you--"

"The dampener, remember?"

"Oh... Yeah, I guess so. You want me to come with you?" You stopped and thought about that for a minute. What the hell, why not.

"Yeah, sure."

"Aight, gimmie a second to get dressed."

”Okay." You promptly went back to the couch and sat down. Not much to do but wait on Anon now. Why were you so... nervous? Was it because you were going to the hospital? ...No. Maybe, it was the dampener? Nope. Not it either. Was it—

"Alright, let's get going before it starts raining again." Yup. It was Anon. That much was made clear after you peeled yourself from the couch. "You okay? You seem a bit..."

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little jumpy is all."

"...I can see that." Dammit. Why was Anon making you nervous? "Well, let's get going."

"Right." Just calm down. There's no reason Anon should make you nervous, he's your best fri-- HE'S ALREADY OUT THE DOOR! SHIT! You ran to catch up with him and closed the door hastily behind yourself. Focus, dammit.

"Hey, you sure you're okay?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You say so." You walked beside him in silence for a couple blocks. Mostly because you were busy trying to figure out why he was making you so nervous. What the hell was it? Maybe it's just been so long since you've talked with him for more than ten minutes? Or maybe—

"Whatever's bothering you, just spit it out already. Jeeze."

"What?"

"You haven't said a word in ten minutes. I know you, something’s up. Now spill."

”I... I don't..."

"Just say the first thing that comes to your mind." You thought for a while... Hmmm...

"Are... Are you still mad at me?" Anon stopped walking to give you a curious look.

"Uhhh... No? Vinyl, I understand why what happened happened. Do you think I'm still mad at you?"

"I... I dunno. That was just the first thing that came to mind..."

"Well no, I'm not mad at you. You just need to get used to being in the same house as us, I think."

"Maybe... I'm sorry, it's just..."

"A little weird? Only if you let it be weird."

"...Yeah, breakfast at two in the morning was kinda weird..."

"Hey, you make some damn fine pancakes." You laughed at that. Honestly not what you were expecting him to say. "Now come on, let's get to the hospital before it decides to rain on us some more."

"Anon! Hey Mister Anon!" You and Anon stopped to look around for the source of the voice. Turns out it was a grey pegasus carrying some mail.

"Derpy? Hey, what's up?" She flew down to eye level with Anon.

"I'm glad I caught you. I've got a letter here for you."

"Really? Well thanks, I guess. I haven't gotten mail in a while..."

"Well, I've gotta finish my mail route, I'll see you later!"

"Mail route? At seven in the morning?"

"I have a big route, helps to start early."

"Alrighty then. Thanks, I'll see you around." With that she flew off. "So, you wanna read it for me?"

"Uhh, sure." Using your magic, you opened the letter and read it as you walked with Anon towards the hospital. ”Let's see... It says here... Huh. That's weird."

"Well don't keep me in suspense, what is it?"

"Ms. Cheerilee would like to speak with you and Rainbow Dash at the school."

"Really? When?"

"Says here whenever you get the opportunity, she would like to speak with the two of you about one of her students."

"That's odd. I wonder why?"

"Doesn't say. Doesn't even say who the student is." You folded the letter up and placed it back in the envelope.

"Maybe Dash knows... Huh. Weird."

"That is pretty weird. Any idea what she wants?"

"Not a clue."

"Well, you wanna go and--"

"After we get the dampener, sure." Dang. So close. "...You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"But I do want to do this! I promised Rainbow! I lost you guys once, I'm not gonna screw things up again." Anon was silent. "...I might want you to stay with me while they put it on though..." He walked up beside you and scratched behind your right ear.

"I'll stay with you as long as they let me." The two of you continued walking towards the hospital in silence. A distant roll of thunder signaled that the storm wasn't over yet. At least it wasn't raining like it had been for the past couple days. "Boy I hope it doesn't start raining on us. I've almost forgotten what sunlight is."

"Hey c'mon, I'll race ya!" Before he could respond, you were sprinting as fast as you could. Just when you thought you'd gotten off to a good start, he passed you. What?! He's only got two legs! How is he so fast? Soon, you'd lost sight of him completely. Shortly thereafter, you slowed to a walk to catch your breath. When you finally arrived at the hospital, you found Anon sitting on a bench waiting for you.

"Took you long enough. I thought you were gonna race?"

"How did you go so fast?"

"That wasn't fast, Vinyl. That was a decent jog at best."

"A jog? I bet you could keep up with Rainbow if that was just a jog."

"Ha! Not likely. She's blazing fast. So what kept you?"

"I... I stopped to catch my breath."

"Catch your breath? Vinyl, that was all of maybe two blocks. Either you need some exercise, or you need to work on your pacing." He had a point. Physical activity wasn't really your forte...

"Hey gimmie a break! There isn't much physical activity involved with my job..."

"Yeah, I can tell. Anyways, you ready to do this?" You sighed and sat down next to him on the bench.

”Ready as I'll ever be." The hospital air was a nice change to what you and Anon had been walking in. Given the time of year, it was starting to get cold out; combine that with the recent rain and lack of sunlight, and you have yourself a pretty chilly situation. All of that took a back seat in your mind when a nurse started asking you questions.

"Ms. Scratch?"

"Oh! Right, sorry."

"That's quite alright. Let's head back and get you ready."

"Uhh, can Anon come with me?"

"I don't see why not; it's your decision." You and Anon followed the nurse back to the room where you'd have the dampener put on. "The doctor will be with you shortly." You and Anon were left alone in the hospital room. The walls were white; there was a bench next to various medical cabinets and a table in the middle of the room.

"What is it with hospitals and everything being white?"

"I'd suppose it--"

"Ya know what? Never mind. I don't want to know."

"It's kinda funny how much stuff is similar to back home..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Clinics have rooms almost exactly like this back home. Granted everything is a bit... taller."

"I can't imagine WHY..." Before he could make a response, the doctor walked in.

"Hello Ms. Scratch. I'll be applying the dampener you requested today. But before we get to that, I have a few questions for you."

"Okay."

"First off, have you ever had one of these dampeners on before?"

"No."

"Alright. Is there another unicorn that will be checking in on you? Making sure the dampener is in working order and such?"

"Uhh... No."

"Then I'm afraid we can't proceed. You need to have somepony nearby that can check the device, or you'll have to stay at the hospital."

"What? Why?"

"If there is an emergency or the dampener starts causing pain, you wouldn't be able to do anything with it on."

"Shit... Ummm... What about Anon?"

"What? Me?"

"Well sure! I bet you could work that thing pretty good with your hands."

"I suppose that could work. Anon, will you be staying with Ms. Scratch?"

"Uhh, that's one way to put it, yeah. She won't be too far from me for a while."

"Very well then. If you'd please come over here, I'll walk you through the little details and how to work this dampener."

"All right." The doctor proceeded to detail the workings of the dampener to Anon. It didn't seem to put up much of a challenge for his hands. Most, if not all, of what needed to be done to the dampener with magic, Anon could do with his hands. Before you realized what was going on, Anon was placing the dampener on your horn.

"GAH!" You jumped at the sudden physical contact to your horn.

"Vinyl? You okay?"

"Jeeze! Gimmie a little heads up Anon!"

"Sorry. You ready?"

"...Yeah, I guess."

"Then sit still." He walked over to where you were sitting and placed the dampener on your horn. It was a bit weird, to say the least. Unicorn horns were sensitive, but this wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling... Though that's not to say it hurt or anything. It was just... Different. "So, how's it feel?"

"Pretty good. Is that it? That's all you had to do?"

"Well, not quite." He reached up and began adjusting something on the dampener. You felt a slight increase in pressure, before he tugged at it.

"Hey! What're you doing?"

"I had to tighten it. Make sure it doesn't fall off or anything. Everything still feel alright?"

"Yeah." The doctor walked over to inspect Anon's work.

"I'd say you did a fine job, Anon. Those hands of yours seem to be a good match for magic."

"I've thought the same thing some days, doc."

"I'll have to check with my superiors first, but if you ever find yourself needing a job, let me know. We could probably use someone like you around here."

"Uhh... Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Well, I have other patients to attend to. Just make sure to check in with the front desk before you leave, and you're all set."

"Sweet." The doctor left the two of you alone, and Anon began inspecting the device he'd placed upon your horn.

"That wasn't so bad now was it?"

”No, not really. Do you have to look at it like that though?"

"Yup. You wanna see it?"

"...Not really. I'm pretty sure I'll be sick of looking at it after a while."

"Yeah, probably." Another deadpan look to Anon shut him up. "Well, I don't feel any different."

"Maybe try and use magic?" You attempted to levitate the device off of your horn. No luck. You closed your eyes and concentrated harder, pumping more magic through your body. A good minute later, you stopped and sat down, drained.

"Woo. Yeah, it works."

"Now you just have to get used to not using magic."

"Ha, shouldn't be too hard."

"Oh really? You think you can just go from using magic every day to not at all so easy?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"I suppose we'll just have to wait and see then, won't we."

”I guess we will."

"So what do you wanna do now, just head back home?"

"I think we should head back home, yeah. You and Rainbow need to find out what Ms. Cheerilee wants."

"Oh? Trying to get us out of the house already? And just what are you gonna do while we're out?"

"Don't worry; I've got plenty of stuff to keep me busy."

"Really now? Like what?"

"Well, I've got to make sure my employees are paid; I've got to get ahold of my insurance agent to start rebuilding the auditorium; I've--"

"Alright, I get the idea. Let's get a move on then." The two of you headed out the door and back to the main lobby, where Anon checked you out of the hospital. As you waited for Anon to finish checking you out of the hospital, you couldn't help but feel like all the ponies in the waiting room were staring at you. Not that you would mind, being a performer numbed that effect greatly; but this was different.

They weren't looking to you for the same reasons as when you were on stage... Haven't even made it out of the hospital, and already you're self-conscious. Great. Man, ever since Anon came into your life, you've had a hell of a time with PR. First the incident on stage, now this damned thing. Ponies are sure to start thinking you're going crazy. Just... Try not to focus on it.

Yeah, you've got other things to worry about. Like paying your employees. All... Oh boy, you do have a decent sized number of ponies working for you... That's right; you're going to have to empty all the savings you have to make sure they get paid. At least you've got Anon and Rainbow. As you and Anon are walking back to his house in silence, your mind starts to wander.

All of this was your fault. Had you just stepped back and let your guards handle that drunken pony, this situation would've never happened. Had you been able to control yourself, you wouldn't have hurt Rainbow. But that was in the past. In the now, you were trying to fix things. Slowly, but you were trying at least. If it took a magic dampener to show that you cared for Rainbow, then so be it. All of your thoughts came to a screeching halt as you walked smacked into the closed front door of Anon's house.

"Oh yeah? You feelin alright?" You stood up and shook your head. The hell just happened? You were letting your mind wander, that's what happened...

"I'm... I'm fine, just got a little distracted is all."

"And that's why you ran into the door then? It's a good thing ponies don't have cell phones. I can only imagine a pegasus trying to text and fly."

"You mean like your phone? Hey, what did you do with that thing anyways?"

"Very sneaky changing the subject like that. I still have it, dunno why though. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious is all."

"And I'm just curious as to why you felt it necessary to walk into a closed door." You gave him a deadpan look. "...You tried to use magic and open it, didn't you?"

"Shut up."

"Oooooh man, this is gonna be good."

"Shut up!" He opened the door for you and the two of you stepped inside.

"Anon? Is that you? Where did you--" Rainbow stopped talking when she reached the bottom of the stairs and saw you and your dampener. "...Right. The dampener."

"I figured I should get it as soon as possible." Rainbow's expression became stoic; like she wasn't sure what to think about you having the device on your horn.

"Oh god dammit." You and Rainbow both turned your attention to Anon. "I just realized I basically put a condom on your head, Vinyl." Rainbow fell over laughing.

"That's one way to look at it I guess..."

"Ohohoh man, you should see the look on your face Nonny!" Rainbow was in tears of laughter rolling on the ground.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. You know, I could go and ask Twilight about pree--"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me, skittles."

"Skittles?"

"I'll tell ya later."

"Right. Well, you gonna tell 'skittles' about the letter?"

"Oh! Right!"

"Letter?" He handed the letter over to her and let her read it. "That's weird... I wonder why--"

"No idea. You wanna find out?"

"I guess. Got nothing else to do, really."

"Alright. Vinyl, we'll be back in a while."

"Okay." As the pair left, you went and shut the door behind them. Or rather, sat there staring at it until you realized you had to use your hooves to close it instead of magic. Fuck. Anon was right, this wasn't going to be easy to get used to.

That was made even clearer when you realized you were going to have to pour yourself a drink with your hooves instead of magic. Now, all ponies had a tiny bit of magic in them. It's how they could pick things up with their hooves and whatnot. Unicorns weren't exactly known for using their hooves though. Tended to use magic from their horns more. Ya know. Because they're UNICORNS.

You hadn't used your hooves in a while... Funny how you don't really notice how much you use something until you can't use it. Maybe you could just slip the dampener off while they're away... You reached up and tried to pull it off with little success. The things were designed to match a frequency of magic once activated, and had a couple small key parts that made sure it took another unicorn to properly remove it.

An Earth pony or pegasus could remove the device, but it would be much harder for them. Most of the security parts were in small or hard-to-reach crevices of the device. Damn. Can't cheat this thing. Oh well, it's just a glass of water. How hard could it be to pour yourself a drink anyways? It wasn't until the third glass that you managed to get used to using only your hooves.

Not like you had to re-teach yourself or anything, but you did have to get used to it. Magic was one thing, but you were fairly certain that Discord himself possessed any quill or pen you tried to use. You weren't one of the ponies who learned to write with her mouth, so writing a letter to your insurance agent was proving difficult. Fuck it, you'll take care of that later.

You could at least do simple mathematics with tick marks, so you went on to work on budgeting your considerable savings. Making sure to keep all the ponies in their respective pay grades, you managed to work it out so they'd have an income. At least until the auditorium was re-built and you were making money again. Hope princess Luna could forgive you for missing a concert...

You'd have to face her eventually. Wonder if she's heard about the auditorium yet? She always loved your concerts, especially the Lunar festival concerts. Every year. You'd never missed one. Now you were probably going to miss the biggest of the Lunar concerts. You treated her more like a popular fan than a princess at those concerts, and she appreciated that. It was her time to relax and just enjoy herself. She struck you as a pony that didn't do that all too often.

Seeing her smile and have a good time made it all the better. Should you cancel the concert or reschedule it? It was based around the time of year more than anything... Hmm... Maybe you'll just ask Anon and Rainbow when they get back. Surely they'll have an idea or two about what you should do. Right now you've got to figure out some way of getting ahold of your insurance agent.

Writing a letter without magic was possible, but highly illegible. Not to say that you had perfect writing by any stretch of the imagination, but it was at least legible when you used magic. You'd never learned to use your mouth to manipulate a pen and write like that, so that was out of the window. Not to say you didn't try to learn how. It was more like whistling. Some ponies couldn't whistle, you couldn't write without magic.

It hadn't been a big deal at the time; you never figured you'd have to go without magic. Just when you were about to try writing with your hoof, you were torn away from the mess of paper and ink you'd made in the kitchen by a knock at the door. Wonder who that could be? You trotted over to the door and opened it -using your hooves this time- to find-

"Vinyl?" You couldn't believe it. Of all the ponies to knock on the door, it was her.

"Tavi? What are you doing here?"

"Err... Might I come in?"

"Uhh, sure." You stepped back and let her in, closing the door behind her.

"This is a nice house Anon has."

"Tavi... You never visit me. What's wrong?"

"Am I that obvious?" she sighed. "I was worried about you, Vinyl. I'd heard some rumors about an accident of some sort at one of your concerts, and then I heard about the weather you've been having recently..."

"What?"

"As... Annoying as you are, you're still my friend, Vinyl. I just wanted to check up on you is all."

"Oh..."

"Darling, what is that... contraption you're wearing on your head?"

"It's... a long story."

"Supposing I'm not intruding, I've plenty of time."

"Sure... Why not." You directed her and yourself over to the couch and began detailing what had happened since you last saw her. She remained silent throughout your retelling of past events, and waited until you'd finished to break her gaze from yours.

"I see..."

"Yeah... It's been a little crazy, Tavi."

"Well, you've always been the one to live a little on the wild side."

"That's... one way to put it."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Do you need any help? Anything I can do?"

"Tavi, you don't get breaks that often. You should be with your friends, not--"

"Vinyl, I'm offering you my help. I don't do this often, so let me know how I can help before I change my mind."

"...Well, I was going to write a letter to my insurance agent."

"Was? What's stopping you?"

"I... Never learned how to write with my mouth. I can't exactly write without magic."

"And I take it you've no idea how to write with your hooves either, do you?"

"No..."

"Very well then, I shall help you write a letter. Do you have some paper and a quill?"

"Yeah, in the kitchen. I'll go--"

"Stay where you are, I'm already up. It's over here, right?" She trotted into the kitchen before you could stop her.

"Tavi, wait!"

"Vinyl, what in the world is all this?"

"I was... working on some business stuff is all." She trotted over to the end of the table that you'd deposited your chaos on and stood on her hind legs to get a better view.

"Well. I think I'll get this organized first, and then we'll work on the letter."

"But Tavi--" You were interrupted by the front door opening.

"Vinyl? We're back."

"Hi Nonny!"

"Nonny? Interesting nickname."

"I--" Anon walked into the kitchen to see what you were up to.

"Oh, hello Octavia."

"Anon."

"Octavia decided to drop by and see how I was doing. How'd the meeting with Cheerilee go?"

"The meeting was... Well, I'll tell you about it later. What on Earth did you do to the table? It looks like a tornado ran through here."

"I was just taking care of some business stuff is all."

"Really? Demolition maybe?" Cue another deadpan look for Anon.

"Well, I suppose I'll get going. Vinyl dear, I'll be in town for about a week. Do stop by so that we might catch up?"

"Okay Tavi. Your usual place?"

"Quite. Good afternoon, Anon." Anon nodded his head to Octavia and showed her out.

"So, what was this about a letter?"

"I was gonna write a letter to my agent in Fillydelphia about the auditorium. I need to get it taken care of as soon as possible."

"Oh."

"It can wait though. So what was all the hubbub with Cheerilee?" Anon sighed before responding.

"Why don't we go sit down in the living room? It's been an... Eventful morning."

"That bad huh?"

"Not exactly..." You followed him to the living room and hopped up on the couch. "So... We went to see Ms. Cheerilee. She had made sure the kids stayed at home to stay safe from whatever the storm might do. When we showed up, she had a little chat with us about Scootaloo."

"Scootaloo?"

"Yeah, you know her?"

"Little orange pegasus?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"I ran into her once a while ago when she was looking for Rainbow."

"Well, Scoots has been... causing some problems for another filly named Diamond Tiara."

"Filthy Rich's kid?"

"Yup. Now, you remember how Filthy was the one who took all of Rainbows belongings?"

"Yeah..."

"So does Scootaloo. Now, Diamond Tiara apparently pulls pranks or teases Scoots at school. Given Scootaloo basically worships Rainbow, she finally fought back. Ms. Cheerilee knows about her obsession with Rainbow Dash, and figured she might be able to help."

"Yeah, I guess I can see why she'd want to see Dash. Sucks that she doesn't have any parents to turn to."

"What?"

"Well, she's an orphan, isn't she?"

"No. Who told you she was?"

"Uhh... She did."

"Odd. While Scoot's mom died after giving birth, Rainbow knows her father. His name is Thunderlane."

"Then why didn't Ms. Cheerilee--"

"She said that Scootaloo insisted she would rather face Dash than her father. She apparently begged Ms. Cheerilee to not tell Thunderlane."

"That sounds suspicious."

"I think so too, but there isn't much we can do about it. Besides, Rainbow is focusing more on making sure Scootaloo is okay. She's gonna come over later with her friends and we're all gonna sit down and talk with her about what happened. Maybe Rainbow can reassure her or something."

"Seems like a good plan. You guys want me to do anything?"

"No offense Vinyl, but I think Scootaloo is more interested in hearing what Dash has to say. Besides, she barely knows you."

"Yeah, there is that. Probably for the best, considering I don't know too much about kids."

"Why don't you go see Octavia while me and Rainbow talk with the fillies? Seems like the timing is perfect."

"You know what? You're right. The timing is pretty good I guess."

"I mean it's up to you, but I don't think Scootaloo will be too interested in what you have to say is all."

"Alright, I get it. Jeeze."

"Don't worry, we still love you." He reached over and ruffled your mane.

"Yeah yeah. Hey, where's your... phone? I think I might mess with it for a while, see if I can't get it working again." He reached into his pocket and held out the device. "You still carry it around? I thought it was--"

"It is. Old habits die hard."

"Uh huh, sure." You attempted to grip the phone with magic once or twice before realizing you still had the dampener on. "...Dammit."

"Told ya," he managed to say before giggling like an idiot and putting his phone away.

"One day I'll get that thing working. Then we'll see whose laughing."

"I'm sure. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to clean up around the house a bit. Good example and all that," he said as he stood up.

"Good example? You?"

"No time like the present." As he turned to walk away, you decided he was right. No time like the present. You kept that in mind as you tackled him to the ground in a hug. "Vinyl, wha--"

"No time like the present, Nonny!" You hopped off of him and trotted towards the door.

"Boy, you haven't done that in a while."

"And you were getting used to being vertical."

"I can dream, can't I?"

"Exactly. I'll see you guys later." You stepped out the door and secured it behind you. To Octavia!

It was mid-day now, from what you could tell, anyways. The clouds still obscured the sun, but that didn't stop ponies from going about their business. They'd apparently had enough of this weather keeping them from their daily activities. Taking advantage of the temporary lack of rain, most were running about gathering supplies and taking care of as much business as possible before the next monsoon hit.

You were of the same mentality, heading straight to Octavia's usual hotel. She stayed in the same hotel every time she visited Ponyville. Probably paid for by the Orchestra. Who knows? You'd offered to let her stay at the auditorium multiple times, but she declined each offer. Probably your music. She wasn't one for beats. Maybe you'd try and listen to some of her music sometime... Could be fun. Or boring as hell. One way to find out! You have to get to her first though.

*****

Several hours later, you and Octavia were getting along better than you had in a long time. She'd promised to listen to some of your music if you'd listen to hers. In your perverse little mind, that came across as very dirty. But hey. Whatever works. She'd helped you write a letter to your agent, which you had gripped securely in your mouth.

You were heading back to Anon's house now, feeling much better after having talked to Octavia for a bit. She was a good friend and all, but you wanted to get back to Anon and Rainbow. You still had work to do, and she had other friends to visit while she was here. The main thing though, was that she knew you were alright and that Anon and Rainbow were looking out for you...

Now that you think about it, she was more like a sister to you than anything. Sure you can get on each other’s nerves now and again, but you would still look out for one another. Hope she doesn't feel jealous towards Anon and Rainbow... Bah, she didn't like you like that anyway!

You must look like a fool right now. Dampener on your horn, letter in your mouth, and a stupid grin on your face for no apparent reason. All while walking back to Anon's house, with an ever looming sky above. Ah, who cares? It was your moment, live it up. Or something inspirational like that. The day was passing by pleasantly quickly, and you were starting to feel it. Normally you weren't even up by noon, let alone done anything productive by that time.

Your body knew it too. It was time for a nap. You knocked on the door to Anon's house, and he let you in. Seeing that Rainbow was talking with Scootaloo and two other fillies, he led you upstairs to your room. After the door shut, his mouth opened.

"So, did you have a good time with Octavia?" You turned to look at him and sat down on the floor. "What?" You gazed up at him with puppy dog eyes. After he realized what you wanted, he reached down and took the letter from your mouth. Upon doing so, you tackled him to the ground in a hug. "So it went well then?"

"Oh man it was GREAT! Do you know what she did? She listened to some of my music! She might actually even like some at that! Can you believe it?!"

"Glad you had a good time, Vinyl. Can I stand up now?"

"Hmmm.... Nah." You were perfectly content on his chest in what could easily be mistaken for an attempt to expunge the oxygen from his lungs. He sighed and stood up anyway. You didn't let off the hug in the slightest though.

"Vinyl, I'd like to have full lung capacity, if you don't mind" he said as he started pulling you off of himself. He eventually overpowered your grip and managed to remove himself from your iron grip.

"Awwww" He inhaled deeply before setting you down on your bed.

"So, what all did you and Octavia do?" You flopped over to a comfortable position on the bed and looked up at Anon.

”Oh man! I had so much fun! I never knew Octavia was so... not stuck up. I've always wanted her to relax and just chill, and she finally did!"

"You make it sound like a life goal or something."

"You have no idea! I've known Octavia for a while now. She's a good friend, but she's always been a bit... secluded, I guess."

"Sounds familiar."

"Oh pffffttt. That's not the same thing."

"Uh huh, sure. Whatever you say."

"ANYWAYS. It was... I really needed that, Nonny. It was great."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen you like this. Good to have the old Scratch back."

"Yeah yeah. Man! I want to do so much! I--" You were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it" Anon said as he walked over to answer the door. "What's up Dash?"

"Hey, Princess Luna is here."

"Princess Luna?!"

"Calm down Vinyl, I'm sure it's noth--"

"ARE YOU KIDDING? WHAT DO I TELL HER ABOUT THE AUDITORIUM?! IT WON'T BE--"

"VINYL. Chill." Chill? What is he, stupid? THIS COULD BE THE END OF YOUR CAREER AS AN ENTERTAINER. "C'mon Vinyl, let's go see the Princess."

"But--"

"No. C'mon." You reluctantly stood up on the bed and followed Anon out of the room. The walk down the stairs to the living room seemed much faster than it should've been. When you arrived at the base of the stairs, you found Luna sitting across from three fillies in the living room. You could smell the awkward.

"Princess Luna? What can I do for you?"

"Hello Anon. Is there somewhere that we can talk... in private?"

"Tell ya what. You, Vinyl and the Princess talk, I'll take the girls home. C'mon girls." The three fillies hopped off the couch and followed Rainbow out the door.

"See you in a bit, Dashie." Rainbow blushed hard at the pet name. Probably because of him using it in front of Luna.

"Anon, please take a seat."

"Is everything alright, Princess?"

"We have... much to discuss. I suppose the best method would be to start at the beginning." She levitated a newspaper over to Anon who promptly handed it to you. Rather, he held it out until he remembered you were wearing the dampener.

"Luna, I can't read po--"

"The article is about Filthy Rich. Seems a higher court ordered a more thorough investigation into the trial against Loyalty."

"Really? Why?"

"The courts determined that, given the circumstances and the fact that no one was hurt, that action should be taken."

"Action should be taken? What do you mean?"

"The regional court has ordered that Filthy Rich pay, in full, for all of the belongings he took from Loyalty." Anon didn't say anything.

"Nonny? You okay?"

"Did... Did I hear you right, Princess? He's going to pay Rainbow--"

"You heard correctly, Anon. Everything he took from Loyalty is to be paid for, in full."

"Holy shit."

"That's... one way to put it, yes."

"But... why? Why did the regional court decide to get involved?"

"The regional court decided that, since the case involved an Element of Harmony, it should be reviewed in great detail, and so it was. My apologies that it took so long--"

"Luna, I might kiss you."

"...Consider yourself warned, then. I merely... suggested that the courts look further into the case to be certain a fair outcome was reached."

"Aww man, Rainbow's gonna flip!"

"Which brings me to my next item of business. Why are you wearing a magic dampener, Vinyl Scratch?"

"I-I... Uhhh..."

"You... are aware you're wearing it, yes?"

"Yeah! Yeah, it's... I'm wearing it because..."

"She made an agreement with Rainbow that relies on her wearing the dampener."

"I do hope you remove it sometime soon."

"Why's that?"

"For the festival, of course. I imagine it wouldn't be easy to work your instruments without magic."

"You're right about that... But, I'm guessing you haven't heard about the auditorium?"

"You mean its destruction? I assure you, I am very much aware."

"Princess... I don't think it'll be rebuilt in time for the--"

"Of course not. That is why I brought these." A burst of light conjured up two tickets that floated down to the table.

"Tickets? To what?"

"A cruise. Three days and four nights long, from Los Pegasus to Vanhoover. A train will take you back here."

"You're kidding."

"I assure you, I do not 'kid.' Of course, you're not obligated to go, but the equipment will be made ready for you should you decide to partake in the cruise."

"A cruise party? FOR THE LUNAR FESTIVAL?! Ooooohhhh..." Calm down girl. You need to think this through. What about your promise to Dash? "I... I really appreciate the offer, Princess, but I've gotta... I need to think about it some more."

"Of course. You need only show up to the ship, should you accept. It will depart in one week’s time. Now, if you will excuse me, I've royal business I must attend to."

"Princess, thanks again for... All of this, really. I don't know how--"

"Do not thank me, Anon. Stay out of trouble so that I shant have to take such action again." Before Anon could respond, Luna had teleported out of the room.

"Well... that was... Unexpected."

"I would make a stupid joke about the Spanish inquisition, but I'd rather not toy with fate at this point."

"Spanish Inquisition?"

"Told you, stupid joke."

"So... what should I do?"

"Hmm?"

"The cruise? She's really saving my flank here, but..."

"But?"

"I don't want to just up and break my promise to Dash!"

"She'll just have to get up and flying before the cruise."

"And what if she isn't? What if--"

"You're gonna hurt yourself worrying about the future like that. There's a saying back home: 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'"

"...I guess. But still!"

"You don't learn too well, do you?"

"Oh hush. It's so big! I could make enough money to pay my employees a bonus! I might even have enough to rent a hotel while the auditorium is rebuilt!"

"Rent a hotel? What's wrong with staying here?"

"Uhh... Nothing, it's just... I'm already mooching enough--"

"Vinyl, you took me and Rainbow in, had this house built for us, and you're worried about mooching? What are you, stupid?" He reached over and pulled you to his side, holding you close. "Knucklehead, if you'd said something about needing help, why would you ever think we'd turn you down?"

"I... I dunno, I just--"

"Whatever. Listen, just talk to us. I promise, I don't bite. Much." You looked up at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Don't tell Rainbow I did that. She might--" Before you could finish the sentence, Rainbow was shutting the door behind herself.

"I might, what?"

"I, uhh--" You did the only thing you could think of, which was put as much distance as possible between yourself and Anon.

"Well?"

"Nothing!" Rainbow trotted over to the couch and hopped up next to Anon, where you'd been previously.

"So Nonny, what'd Luna want?" You watched Rainbow's mood change drastically as Anon told her what Luna had said. "I... I don't..."

"That's about what I said. Isn't it great!?"

"It's... It's... AWESOME! Oh man! Can you imagine the look on Filthy's face?!" Heh, that would be pretty funny. "What I wouldn't give to have seen his face! This. Is. AWESOME!" After Rainbow calmed down a bit, she noticed the tickets on the table. "Oh hey! What're the tickets for?"

"A cruise."

Rainbow looked over to you. "A cruise? For what?"

"Princess Luna... She heard about the Auditorium, and offered me the ship to use for the Lunar festival."

"Oh wow! That's awesome! When is it?"

"...In a week. Cruise lasts for three days and four nights."

"Wow! So, you're gonna take it, right?"

"I... I don't know..."

"…What do you mean you don't know?"

"I..."

"She has to use magic to run her equipment, Dash. She doesn't want to break her promise to you."

"Yeah... What he said."

"...Oh..."

"So... Yeah. I... I think I'll turn it down..." Before you realized what was going on, Rainbow had pinned you to the couch. She was glaring down into your eyes and growling. "Wha--?"

"What are you, stupid?!"

"No! I... I don't want to--"

"GAH! Why do you have to be so... so..." She growled again, before leaning down and kissing you on the lips. At that very moment, time seemed to freeze. You felt everything. Her hooves against your shoulders, her lips against yours, and the shock of what she was doing hitting you. All in great detail and exaggerated time.

What the hell was she doing? Did she just--? As your mind was still screaming to find out what was going on, she broke the kiss and hopped off of you. You lay in shock for a moment before you looked at Anon.

"Anon... What just--"

"I... I have no idea, Vinyl." In the time that you'd taken to look at Anon, you failed to notice Rainbow run up the stairs.

"I... I'm so confused."

"...That makes two of us. Let's go find out just what the hell happened."

Chapter 13.5: Coveted Covenant [NSFW]

You headed up the stairs, Vinyl hot on your heels. That was... odd. Rainbow had kissed Vinyl. No real warning or anything. You both wanted to know what was going on. This wasn't like Rainbow. Opening the door to your room, you found Rainbow burying her face in a pillow.

"Rainbow?" She instantly sat up, cheeks beet red when she saw Vinyl standing beside you.

"Dash, what happened? What--"

"I... I don't know. I just... I'm not... This being grounded has really been messing with me, okay?"

"I'm not mad Dash, just... confused."

"I... I just haven't been feeling myself is all. I just wasn't thinking..." She had a hoof behind her head, and a feeble excuse for a poker face going on. Despite the terrible excuse, Vinyl just went with it.

"Ya know... I think I'm gonna take a walk. Clear my head a little."

"Alright Vinyl. See you in a bit, I guess."

"Yeah. In a bit." After Vinyl made her way back down the stairs and out the door, you returned your attention to Dash.

”Alright now spill."

"Wh-what do--"

"Don't even try it. Spill" you said as you sat down next to her on the bed. She tried to hold her poker face for a while longer, but it didn't fool you. After gazing into your eyes for a moment, she finally sighed and looked down. “I'm not mad at you Dash. I'm just... surprised, I guess." She looked up at you again, this time with worry.

"Oh no... You... You think I don't love you anymore!"

"Dash, I didn't say that."

"But it's what you were thinking! I know it was! This is all my fault!"

"Dash, calm down and just--"

"But I can't, Nonny! I... You... You trusted me. And now I went and... and... I threw it all away for nothing!" There were tears in her eyes. This... wasn’t exactly what you were hoping for.

“Dash, just calm down and breath for a second. Okay? I love you, and nothing is going to change that.” Hearing what you said, she steadied her breathing slightly, and plowed you into a hug. After regaining your upright position, albeit a cyan tumor, you began stroking her mane. “Now. Tell me what’s eating at you.”

”I... I don’t know anymore, Nonny. I just don’t... I would never leave you, Nonny... But I went and... and...”

“Dash, it’s okay. It was just; spur of the moment is all.”

”No it wasn’t! It was more than that! I... You trusted me!”

“And I still do, Dashie. What in the world would make you think otherwise?”

”I KISSED VINYL!” You sighed. This wasn’t going to be so easy. She wanted something from you. ”I crossed a line! I shouldn’t have done something like that without talking to you first!”

“Alright, let’s do this your way. Yes, you did cross a line. We’re all new to this though, as far as I know, right?” After she nodded in agreement, you continued. “That being said, it’ll likely be a bumpy road ahead. Everyone is bound to make mistakes at some point when they’re doing something new, Dash. How many times did you crash when you were learning to fly?”

”I... I never thought about it like that...”

“Tell you what. Why don’t we learn, together?”

”What do you--” You leaned in and cut her off with a kiss. Words were failing the both of you right now.

She needed action of some kind; something more her speed. Before she had a chance to realize what was going on, you separated yourself from her soft lips. She looked up into your eyes, trying to decipher what you were thinking. Without a word, you started removing the bandages that have been a prison to her wings for so long. After they were removed, you tossed them to the floor and kicked your shoes off.

Bringing yourself to a sitting position on the bed, you draped her across your lap and began stroking her mane. Shortly thereafter, you let your other hand begin to stroke her wings. ”A-anon...”

“Sssshhh.”

She repositioned herself so that she was now sitting in your lap with her back to you, and extended her wings fully, letting them drape down. You knew what to do from there. Taking your time, you began to run your hands along the base of her wings. The fine fur had been pressed down, some of her feathers were stuck to each other. Nothing a little attention couldn’t resolve. As you ran your hands along the non-feathered side of her wings, you made sure to apply a firm pressure. Slowly, her wings came to their full extension. As she held that pose, you ran your fingers through her feathers. She rewarded you with the slightest of moans.

As your attention returned to the base of her wings, she began to lean back, into you. Leaning down, you rubbed your head against hers. Her hoof reached up and pulled you closer, as she tilted back and kissed you softly on the cheek. A slight movement on your part and your lips met hers... tongue exploring with abandon. No words were needed here. You both knew what the other wanted. She broke the kiss and was pushing away from you now, making sure to rub her flank against you before she lay upon the bed.

This dance you’ve started... You’d only done it once before with her. A strange exotic dance it was, something beyond merely feeling good. A dance of the souls. Your emotions mixing and running together, all accented by physical pleasure you wanted the other to experience. She rolled over, letting her wings come to rest on the sheets. Her magenta eyes were locked with yours, filled with a burning desire. She bit her lower lip before letting her muscles relax and her mouth open ever so slightly.

You’d almost say she was wearing a grin on her face, but it seemed... more than that. Her body was somewhere in limbo, wanting to both relax and tense up, anticipating the contact she was craving. You reached down and lay your hand upon her flank. Her entire body decided that tense should be the reaction for this. Moving your hand, you began to rub the soft lips of her arousal.

This did not go unnoticed on her end, as she took to biting her lower lip again. You continued to trace your fingers along the outline of her entrance, moving in slow deliberate motions. The moisture that began to seep from within her clung the tips of your fingers. Looking back to her to see how she was faring, you found her with her eyes shut tight.

Taking your time, you withdrew your hand from her most sensitive region. Waiting for her to open your eyes, you positioned two fingers mere inches from penetrating her. It didn’t take long for her to become curious as to why the pleasure had stopped. When she risked opening her eyes, you pushed your fingers into her velvety depths as slow as possible. She appeared annoyed, yet her body betrayed her and clenched down on your fingers like a vice.

After your fingers were up to the second knuckle, she was no longer sporting an annoyed expression. Rather, she was lost in the limbo of sexual excitement. Slowly, you continued your finger’s journey into Rainbow, until your hand hilted. Finding this a suitable point, you recalled yourself back to the cold air, slowly. As you continued your actions, she began to squirm more, her wings beginning to twitch and flutter. Though her rhythmic constrictions on your hand were beginning to increase in speed, you’d decided on another plan for her.

Not that you’d deny her a little quick thrust of your hand; keeping her on edge. Removing your hand, you lay down on the bed so that your head was positioned between her thighs. Before she could object to you leaving her pleasure fragmented, you pressed your lips against her and let your tongue snake its way into her incredibly warm depths. The juices that were now flowing more freely from her had an almost... sweet taste.

The musky scent that had been filling the room only added to the taste that was now coating your tongue; the combined effect led to a response from your own sexual organ. Not that you hadn’t been affected already, you were simply aware of the strain you were putting on your clothing now. Continuing your assault on her, you began to swirl your tongue in the warm, sticky depths of your lover. Using her legs, she crossed them behind your head and pressed you into her as hard as she could manage.

You looked up to try and see what you could, only to find yourself locking eyes with her. Her breathing was rapid; she was straining to look down at you, ears pressed against her skull. She groaned loudly as your tongue continued its work, earning the response of her throwing her head back. Suddenly, she seemed to seize up, crossed her legs behind your head, and pressed herself against you, forcing your head into her body as much as she could physically handle.

As her vice grip attempted to pull your tongue deeper one last time, her fluid began to flow generously from within. After her release, her legs began to slip from their grip on you back down onto the bed. Separating your head from her, you sat up and began fumbling with your pants in a frenzied series of fumbles and slip-ups to remove them with one hand. Your other hand was far too occupied with getting a coating from the liquid that had been ejected from Rainbow.

Well, the coating was more of a by-product of teasing her again. The devilish button had frustrated you to the point where you decided to remove it from the equation. Fortunately, these were only casual pants that Rarity had given you, not made of a material like denim. Reaching down, you ripped the button from your pants and continued removing them from your person. The zipper seemed to be against you as well, catching and getting stuck on every other removal attempt.

With a subtle tearing sound, the stitching that was the foundation of the zipper finally gave way and you managed to remove the now ruined pair of pants. Your shirt and boxers followed shortly thereafter, yielding a much easier removal process. You were now as exposed as she was. The cool air of the room did little to distract you from pleasing your lover.

During the exaggerated process of removing your clothing, she had rolled over onto her stomach and flared her wings out. She had let her guard down. Now was the opportune time to strike. You carefully approached her from behind, positing yourself less than an inch from her entrance. Taking time to line yourself up, you waited until her breathing slowed down ever so slightly before making your slow entrance into her willing depths.

As you took your time penetrating her, you lay a hand on her flank and the other on her wing closest to it. Her wings were twitching again; in quicker, shallower bursts than before. As though they were mimicking her toned muscles that were attempting to pull you in faster. She was craving the coming hilting.

Her forehooves dug into the sheets in some vain, primal instinct to gain leverage against you. You continued your slow motion, watching as she squirmed, occasionally nipping at the sheets. Her ears flat against her head once more, she decided that she couldn’t take your teasing any longer and thrust herself back onto you, closing the distance between the two of you quickly. The athlete’s muscles were quivering around you, pulling and tugging at your length.

Her wings had taken the posture of extending, holding the pose as the two of you adjusted to each other’s embrace. God she was incredible. She was relentless in her efforts to try and keep you as deep as she could. Every time you would pull back, she would contract against you, fighting to keep you within her. The sucking motion she was making was heavenly, though you were determined to outlast her.

Every time you hilted, she would grind against you until you began your reverse movement. You stopped playing with her wing and moved both hands to her rear, taking control of the pacing. You would hold her in place, letting yourself set the speed at which she turned to putty. It didn’t take long before her muscles were dancing around you in an orgasm. You continued your assault, as that was not what you were waiting for.

A brief respite, and she was once again pulling at you with her inner muscles. Soon she was matching your motions, thrusting into you as you thrusted into her. Each time, she would repeat that magnificent sensation of pulling against you when you were on the rebound of a thrust. The musk that filled the room was strong now, driving you both into a lust-induced frenzy.

Her taste still lingered in your mouth, her dried juices on your fingertips from earlier. Another orgasm from her. This time, she pressed up against you and covered you in her juices as much as possible. Like she was marking you as hers. This one lasted slightly longer than previously, but it didn’t quite seem like it was time to stop... She apparently agreed, as she resumed thrusting against you after she’d recovering from her previous explosion of passion.

This time, something felt different. She would tug at you the entire time, never relenting on the effort to keep you trapped within her. She was squirming against you, wings flapping occasionally. What really caught your attention though, was what she was saying. As your rhythm increased in pace, she began to squeak something out. Not long after she started occasionally squeaking, she began tossing her head from side to side.

Her ears were pressed so hard against her head they were nearly invisible, save for not blending in with her mane. A few perfectly timed thrusts later, and she managed to scream out your name. At that instance, she pressed against you as hard as she could, pushing the sheets of the bed up into a mess. She gushed a generous amount of liquid onto you before going completely limp. You pulled out of her with a pop and laid back, watching as her form started to resemble that of mush rather than a pony.

Her wings draped down completely onto the bed, her legs slowly following suit. She was completely splayed out on the bed, still oozing fluids and panting heavily. Her ears had gone limp to either side of her head as well. Seeming to follow the rest of her body’s lead, you spotted but a hint of drool on the sheets near her head. As her breathing slowed to a more relaxed pace after a couple minutes recovery.

She let out a sigh she’d apparently been holding in, closed her eyes, and rolled over onto her back. After her breathing had fully returned to normal, she opened her eyes and looked up at you.

”I love you Nonny.” she said quietly. ”I was just so... so...”

“Stressed?”

”...Yeah. I wasn’t thinking clearly...” she cast her eyes downward as she spoke.

“Hey, it’s okay Dashie. No harm, no foul, right?”

”Yeah, I guess...” she scrunched her eyes as she finished agreeing with you. ”Hey...” she sat up and pointed to your length. ”Aren’t you finished yet?” She asked, even though she knew the answer to her question.

“No, but I’ll--”

”Well why not?”

“This was for you, not me Dashie. You needed to relax, I figured this would be the way to do it.”

”So... You gonna go again?” she asked, perking her ears slightly.

”I was trying to tell you earlier, I’ll be fine. Besides, you look tired.” Oh what you did. She leaned forward so that she was semi-standing on the bed, her sticky mane falling into her eyes.

”Is that a challenge?”

“No, I just--” Before you could finish your sentence, your attention was drawn to a warm, wet feeling enveloping the tip of your length. “D-Dash, wait a m--” Hearing your objections, the only vocal response she graced you with was a growl.

Her disheveled mane was reaching down, tickling your skin. Your hands searched for something to grasp, almost needing to do something. Each hand found something though, as your right hand had balled up a portion of the comforter. Your left hand however, had managed to find Dash’s mane. Your heart rate had spiked once again. You’d been close to finishing before her several times earlier, but you’d managed to keep your cool.

Now however, she was assaulting your sensitive flesh. Something you hadn’t prepared for. Earlier, she’d been malleable, giving in to your direction and control of the situation. She’d needed that. Now, it was her turn. You were her plaything. She knew you needed this too. It was payback time. As her head bobbed up and down, her tongue would dance around your tip, diving to the base when her head would hit a low.

Every time her head would peak, she would slam down to your base. On the return trips, she would occasionally drag her teeth along, teasing you with sensations you’d been long without. Not counting the most recent, of course. Now however, she was determined to empty you. You’d challenged her, and she wasn’t going to back down until she’d won. She would alternate between quick, sudden motions; to almost painfully long strokes. Through all the teasing, you were beginning to anticipate the incredible suction that would follow her exhaling.

She knew this was driving you crazy. Your squirming under her control was evidence enough of that. That’s fine. You’ll get her back for that too. The familiar pressure began to rise, signaling you were close. Luckily, Dash seemed too enthralled in her stimulation to notice your tell-tell signs of nearing your peak. Your feet and hands clenched as the pressure within you prepared to release itself. With all the self-control you could muster, you withheld your much anticipated release until she had enveloped your length entirely.

Her tongue had just pressed itself against you. You were certain she felt the liquid begin rushing out of you, because you felt her tongue quiver with you. She’d anticipated you’d do something like that, but you’d been pent up for a while now. She wasn’t quite aware of just how badly you needed this. You thrust upwards into her mouth, forcing her to swallow all you had to offer. After the tiniest moment of shock from her, she swallowed everything you gave. You could hear her quickly gulping down your sexual discharge, only driving you to a higher state of pleasure.

The second gulp came, and she looked up at you. Following shortly thereafter was a third undulation from her throat, as you pumped more of the hot fluid into her. She noticed your spurts decreasing in volume, as she didn’t have to swallow to make room for more. She slowly pulled her head up, stopping at the tip as you finished. When she was satisfied that you’d been completely drained; she crawled up your chest, looked up at you, and gulped down all that you had given.

You wrapped your arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. She returned the gesture as best she could, holding on to you with a fierce, desperate passion. She wouldn’t think about losing you again. Maybe now you could both relax.

Chapter 14: Redemption

You lay on the bed, Rainbow stretched out over your chest.

"That was... that was pretty awesome, Nonny..." You reached down and stroked her mane.

”Yeah, that was pretty awesome, wasn't it?"

"Man, you shoulda seen the look on your face earlier. It was priceless!"

"Oh? As priceless as a drooling Dash?"

"Hey! I didn't drool!"

"Uh huh. Keep telling yourself that Skittles."

"What are skittles anyways?"

”Little bite sized candies. Lots of colors. Their motto is 'Taste the Rainbow.'"

"Oh ha ha."

"It's funny and you know it."

"I'll remember that next time you're feeling frisky."

"Yeah? Just like you'd remember the time I locked you and Vinyl in the guest room?" She bumped your chest with her hoof.

"You're lucky I like you."

"Yeah. I do feel pretty lucky about that..." Your idle hands eventually made way to her ears, gently scratching those hard to reach places. She rewarded you with a content sigh, further rubbing her head against you. You weren't going anywhere anytime soon, and that thought finally seemed to register somewhere in her brain.

She'd found someone who, in her eyes, could reciprocate her loyalty. Could've been a fairy tale had it happened under different circumstances. In the process of reveling in where you are now, you'd stopped scratching her ear and simply had your hand lying on her mane.

"Hey, why'd ya stop?"

"Hmm? Oh, didn't realize I'd stopped scratching." You could feel her tense up. "I guess we should talk about that, huh?"

"Talk about what? I'll be back to flying in no time!"

"That's not what I meant." She turned her head to face you, staring up at you with her magenta eyes.

"What is it you want to talk about then?"

"Vinyl, Dash. We need to talk about Vinyl. That's how you got so riled up in the first place." She sighed, her ears drooping slightly as she averted her gaze from your eyes. "Come on Dash. You know we need to--"

"Yeah, I know."

"So what is it that you think about her? She's not going to just go away."

"I know, I know! It's just..."

"Do you still think of her as a friend?"

"I thought we talked about this already?"

"No, you told me that you'd found a way to forgive her. You didn't say anything else on the matter." She sighed, turning her head to face you once more. "Dash, I love you, but we owe it to Vinyl to make a decision one way or another." She let a grin etch itself onto her features.

"Say that again..."

"We need to make a decision?"

"No no, before that." You thought for a moment before realizing what she wanted you to say.

"I love you Dash. Nothing's going to change that." She smiled and nuzzled your chest again. "So. What do you think of a three way relationship with us and Vinyl?"

"I... I don't know. I want to try it, but..."

"But what?"

"Well... what do you think about it, Nonny?"

"I'm willing to try if you are, Skittles" you said, ruffling her mane.

"I want to try, I really do..."

"So what's stopping you?" She shifted uncomfortably against you.

"I... Well... How do you do a three way?"

"What?"

"Like... How would it work?"

"I'm not sure I get what you're asking."

"Wouldn't it be... Vinyl would be more like a third wing, wouldn't she?"

"Still not sure I understand what you're saying." She scrunched up her face and shifted against you again, trying to put her thoughts into words.

"How... Think about this. Let's say we're in a three way with us and Vinyl, right?"

"Mhmm"

"So, who do you love more?"

"What?"

"Who would you love more?"

"Oh. Now I get what you're saying." You pondered a response for a while, taking your time to try and put your words to thought as she had done previously. She makes a good point.

"You know... I never really thought about it like that."

"See? It's just... I don't want to lose you Nonny."

"I told you, you won't."

"But at the same time, won't Vinyl feel kinda... left out?" You stroked her mane in thought.

"I think, maybe, the best way to figure this out is to just jump in and go for it, ya know?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I think we're trying to solve problems before we need to, if that makes sense."

"Wouldn't that be a good idea though?"

"Normally I'd say yes, but I can't say I know what to do in a situation like this."

"So just do it? How is that a good idea?"

"Well, how else would you find a solution to a problem? You can make guesses all you want, but there's no method quite like trial and error."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

"Nothing to be worried about Dash, we're all new to this. Trust me though, I won't let you slip away so easy."

"But what about Vinyl? Would you let her slip away?"

"Not without a fight, Dash. But if push comes to shove, I won't leave you. I promise."

"Yeah.... I know."

"But I'll be damned if we try this and I let it fall apart."

"Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Because it matters so much to you."

"What?"

"Don't tell me that kiss meant nothing. I know you have feelings for her too, otherwise you wouldn't have ever considered the three way."

"I'd never choose her over you!"

"I know that Dash, and I'm not saying you would. What I'm saying, is that there are still feeling there. I'm not gonna lie, I like her too, but I'd never leave you." She sat in thought for a while, processing all that had been said.

"If you think about it... It makes sense to try a three way if we both have feelings like that..."

"Yeah. Only problem was from earlier. If this is gonna work, there can't be any secrets between us. Hiding things can destroy a relationship."

"Oh? And what makes you an expert on the subject?"

"Nothing."

"Then why should I believe you?" she asked playfully. You pulled her up to eye level and kissed her. After you'd set her back down, she held you in a dreamy gaze. "Oh yeah..." You held her close, enjoying the sensation of her body against yours. Things wouldn't be easy, but there was no reason they'd have to be difficult either.

Just let what happens happen, and deal with problems as they arise. Simple enough, and it seemed you'd managed to relay that to Dash effectively. You were looking at the idea of a three way as Vinyl being in a relationship with you and Dash as a couple. Probably wrong, but it made sense to you. If Vinyl was still up for it, then it made sense to try, right?

Where is she, anyways? You don’t know exactly how long you and Rainbow were at it, but you feel like she should be back by now... By your guestimation, it’s about lunchtime. And neither you nor Rainbow were very... presentable.

“C’mon Dash, let’s get cleaned up.”

“Oooh? We movin to the shower now?”

“...On second thought, why don’t you go ahead and use the shower first. I can wait.”

“You’re no fun.”

“I also like to clean up for when other people come home. You know. Like Vinyl.”

She vocalized her disagreement with moving from her ever so comfortable spot, but got up anyway. “Fiiiiiiine.”

“And don’t take up all the hot water.”

“You know, we could share...”

“And we’d never get clean.”

“I don’t wanna get clean yet though Nonny...”

“You dirty mare.”

“You bet.” You rolled your eyes before giving her flank a light smack. She turned her head to look at you, swishing her tail playfully. “All talk and no play--”

“We just finished ‘playing!’”

“So?”

“So, go clean up what’s left of ‘playtime’ before you get sticky.”

She giggled at the thought and resumed her trek to the shower. As you lay in bed, you heard the water start through the pipes and relaxed as you waited for her to finish. She was acting like she wanted another round, but you knew she was just as tired as you were. Else she wouldn’t have been drooling.

She could try and hide it all she wanted, but if you were to lay there much longer you’d both be passed out. It was right about then that you heard the front door shut.

“Nonny? Rainbow? I’m back.”

Of course she’d pick now to come back. Rainbow’s in the shower, and you’re stark naked. Not to mention lying on the bed as though it were a silver platter and yourself the main dish. Her steps getting louder as she made her way up the stairs, you scrambled to find something to cover yourself. Right before you realized you were lying on the bed. Seemed timing was on your side today, as the door to your room creaked open not but a few seconds after you’d darted under the covers.

“Anon? You in he-- What are you doing in bed?”

“Uhhh....”

“And what’s that smell?”

As she gazed around the room, taking in your distraught clothing on the floor, the interesting coloration of the covers you were hiding under, and the smell of the room; realization slowly dawned on her.

“Oh. OH. I didn’t know you guys were--”

“Me either.”

“So you did--”

“Yeah.”

“...Was it good?”

“Amazing.”

“So you’re--”

“Yeah.” She stared at you for a moment, her tail raising ever so slightly. Dirty mares. Dirty mares everywhere. Though you could feel your body betraying you already, you were still pretty tired from your romp with Rainbow. “Listen, Vinyl, I’m kinda--”

“I think I should just--”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“Right.”

You both stared at each other for a few more seconds, her blush becoming ever more prominent as the seconds oozed like molasses.

“You uh... you want me to get you some clothes se--”

“No no, I’m fine.”

“You sure? Cause it’s just a--”

“No, I got this.”

“I mean it’s no biggie or any--”

“Vinyl.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re leaking.”

“GAH!” was the only vocalization she could manage as she jumped in place, face now completely red. “I uhh, listen, I was just--”

“Vinyl, it’s fine.”

“...I’ll uh, I’ll be in my room if you guys need me.”

“Gotcha.”

She shook her head a couple times, trying to rid herself of the heat that was encompassing her face. You had an idea of what she was going to do in her room, but didn’t say anything. If she got the sheets dirty, she could clean them. After you were sure she was on the way to her room, you got out of bed and quickly shut the door.

“Anon? What are you doing?” Seeing as you hadn’t heard the shower shut off, you were in the air halfway through Rainbow’s question. “You feelin okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. Vinyl was just here and--”

“Oh? You givin peep shows?”

“What? No! Nothing like that, I just--”

“Then why did you jump?”

“I just--”

“Kidding Nonny, kidding.”

As you calmed down a bit, you noticed she was still quite wet. Her body glistened slightly in the light as she eyed you curiously. Taking a look that was probably too long, you eyed her shimmering cyan flank and tail, garnering an instinctive response. She had a towel wrapped around her wings and chest, and for whatever reason, that was doing something for you.

“Hey now, you said no more playtime. What’s the big idea?”

“What?”

She gestured towards your waist, causing you to bring attention back to your naked self. As part of you stood proud, your brain realized what was going on and proceeded to stop working in an effort to resolve the situation. Leaving you with a great view of a very wet, and for whatever reason tantalizing, Rainbow.

“I think I’ll take my shower now.”

“You uh... you want some help?”

“No! I just need time to relax and--”

“I can help you relax Nonny...”

That dirty mare. No matter how tired she was, she didn’t seem to falter in her efforts to rev up for round two.

“I’m sure you could, but you can’t deny that you’re just as tired as I am.”

“I’m not tired, I’m Dash! You couldn’t beat me in--”

“C’mon Dash, even the pros take a break every now and then.”

“Well you better hurry up before I decide to find out just how durable you are.”

As much as you wanted to take her up on her offer, you really did need a shower. You were starting to get sticky yourself. Not to mention there was nothing like a nice warm shower.

“I’ll take you up on that offer sometime Dash, but not right now.”

You quickly walked past her and towards the shower, choosing not to stick around and see just how serious she was. All bets were off once you’d secured yourself some nice hot water and a good long shower. After cleaning yourself thoroughly, you decided to just relax and enjoy the shower for what it was.

However much time had passed since then, you didn’t know. Nor did you care, really; it was good to just relax for a bit. So many things you’d put out of your mind since breakfast. Alls you’d thought about had been Rainbow and Vinyl. You’d completely forgotten about Rainbow getting money for her house again; Vinyl’s auditorium; Fluttershy...

Wonder what you’d done to piss her off? She didn’t seem like the kind to get angry at the drop of a hat. No, it had to be something you’ve been doing repeatedly. But what? You’d seen her once before, and that was when you first arrived. Apparently she was claiming it was your eating meat or something, but that didn’t seem right... Your diet didn’t really freak out anyone else, why would it freak her out?

The whole thing smelled fishy, you were certain of it. Shutting off the shower and draping a towel over yourself, you made your way back to your room for clothing. You were going to have to explain to Rarity why you needed a new set of clothing too... You know, you were doing fine up until you started thinking about something other than two dirty mares.

After dressing yourself, you opened the door to hear arguing downstairs. Had the house not been soundproofed, you would’ve likely heard the arguing much earlier. Throwing concerns of time to the wind, you made your way down to see what all the fuss was about. Vinyl of all people was arguing with someone, from what you could hear. Not shouting or anything, but she had a firm tone; on you hadn’t really heard before.

Now in the living room yourself, you found Vinyl arguing with Applejack of all ponies. Or rather, having a heated discussion with her. They stopped the moment you were close enough to make out what they were saying though.

“Don’t stop on my account.”

“Sorry Nonny, I was just explaining to Applejack here that--”

“That it’s none of his business and--”

“None of his business? It’s all his business! It’s about him for crying out loud!”

“What’s about me?”

“She was wanting to talk to you about--”

“Oh hush you, I can speak for myself.”

“I’d be happy if you did, AJ. What’s all this about?”

“Oh confound it all Anon, I don’t know what to think about you anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said! Rainbow won’t talk to me after that incident at Pinkie’s party earlier; and Fluttershy won’t leave me alone. They’re both my friends, and I’m sick of all this garbage.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“I came here to figure out what you’re all about. No place like the source to figure out what’s going on.”

“True enough. What all you want to know?”

“Well, for starters, why are you keepin Rainbow locked up with you all the time? You know she’s got other friends, right?”

“I know she does, yeah. I don’t keep her locked up, she’s free to come and go as she pleases. I’m not her keeper or anything.”

“Then why’s she stayin tucked away so much now that you’re here?”

“I don’t want to sound rude or anything, but maybe she enjoys spending time with me?”

“That’s fine and dandy an all, but ever since she’s started seein you she’s been turning into a recluse! She’s never at home this much, even when she’s napping!”

“We’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff recently; it’s been stressful for everyone involved.”

“Alright, fair enough. So then why did you lash out at Fluttershy?”

“Lash out? I barely said two words to her before she freaked at me eating a sandwich.”

“A sandwich? Anon, she says you threatened to eat her!”

“I don’t know what to tell you other than I didn’t, AJ. I would never--” you stopped yourself to think for a moment. “Okay, I did that once, but it wasn’t to Fluttershy, it was to some stuck up filly.”

“You threatened to eat a filly?”

“Hey now, it was Diamond Tiara. She had it coming.”

“Vinyl, while I appreciate your trying to help, I think it best if you let me do the explaining of my actions.”

“Right, sorry...”

“I don’t think that’s necessary, Anon. Had ya told me it was Diamond Tiara, I can’t say I woulda blamed ya. I might not have reacted the same way, but I can’t say I blame ya for reactin the way you did.”

“Well thanks AJ.”

“I’m not finished with you yet though. I still wanna know what you did to get Fluttershy up in arms like that. She’s never acted like that before you got here.”

“I wish I could tell you AJ. All that I’ve spoken to Fluttershy could probably fit in a paragraph. She won’t talk to me to tell me what I did, and I don’t want to get near her incase I fuck something up more.”

“Uh huh. Alright, I suppose I can agree with that.”

“Say, AJ, mind if I ask you a question?”

“You just did.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

“What made you come and talk to me?”

“I told ya, I wanted to find out what was goin on between you and Fluttershy.”

“Yeah, but you could’ve easily asked someone else to find out for you.”

“...Iffin you weren’t new around these parts, I’d be a might offended; seein as you don’t know me though, I guess I can let it slide. I’m not the kind of pony that runs around whisperin behind someone else’s back, Anon. That, and Applebloom kept pesterin me as to why I wouldn’t let her see ya. When I couldn’t give her a good reason, I decided I’d do some investigating of my own and see what all the hubbub was about.”

“Applebloom?”

“Yeah, that’s right. She figured something was wrong when I didn’t give her a good reason as to why I wouldn’t let her see ya. So, bein Applebloom, she got to stickin her nose into business and eventually got me to think about why I didn’t care for ya so much. I don’t know what you did, but she seems ta think you’re alright.”

“Oh? And has your opinion of me changed at all?”

“Well, I don’t hate ya, if that’s what you’re askin. Until I figure out why Fluttershy has this big aversion towards ya, that’s how it’s gonna stay.”

“Fair enough. I’m glad you don’t hate me.”

“I tell you what. I’ll be keepin an open mind and all, but I’d like to spend some time with Rainbow, alone. Iffin that’s alright with you.”

“Fine by me, just gotta ask her is all. I don’t know her schedule or what she has planned to do. Just don’t let her take off the bandages around her wings. Doctor’s orders.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ve got some other things that need takin care of while I’m in town, but send Rainbow over to the farm when she decides, alright? I think some quality time will shed some light on this whole mess, maybe get everything sorted out.”

“I think you might be onto something there.”

+++

“It’s been known to happen from time to time, Anon. I thank ya for bein reasonable, and I’m sorry I didn’t hear you out before.”

“What’s in the past is in the past, AJ.” She nodded her agreement as she headed towards the door. After she’d shut the door behind herself, you turned your attention to the white unicorn that’d been unnaturally quiet for the past couple of minutes. “Alright, what’s wrong.”

“What?” she asked, looking up at you with her red eyes.

“You’ve been strangely quiet for a while now.”

“You told me to be quiet!”

“Yeah. The part that worries me, is that you stayed quiet.”

“...You’re lucky I like you, Anon,” she said, as she squinted her eyes at you in mock anger. She held the gaze for a second or two, before dropping the facade and continuing. “There was just so much wrong with what she said!”

“Really? Like what?”

“She didn’t know what you did to get Applebloom to like you? Gee, I dunno, how about SAVING HER FROM A FIRE?”

“Is that what’s been eating at you? Vinyl, I wouldn’t want her to bring that up anyway.”

“WHAT?! WHY NOT?!”

“Because I don’t think saving a filly from a fire is something I’d want to use as leverage in an argument, for one.” She stayed silent, considering what you’d said. “Besides, I think that little talk turned out for the better, don’t you?”

She was giving you that squinty eyed look again, but eventually muttered out an “I guess so...”

“What’s with the squinty eyes, anyways?”

“I just don’t like the way she was talkin to you is all.”

“Vinyl, I can take care of myself, I promise.”

“I know you can; doesn’t change the fact that I just don’t like how she was talkin to you.”

“My my my. Vinyl, getting defensive? Over little ‘ol me?”

“Yeah yeah.”

“Say, did you make a mess on the carpet earlier?”

Her cheeks flushed as she managed a response, “Hey! I’m no faucet!”

“No, but I could tell from the bed that you were--”

“It was sweat!”

“Yeah. Sure.” The squinty eyed look was back, but the flushed cheeks made it much more comical, causing you to stifle a laugh.

“Laugh it up, laugh it up. We both know you keep talkin about it cause you want it.”

“I never said anything to the contrary.” Her blush had spread to envelop her face now, mixing with mild annoyance of not having anything really against you.

“I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“Yeah, you probably should clean up a bit.” She groaned as she hopped up off the couch, starting her way upstairs.

“Now you gotta go and call me dirty?”

“I know you’re dirty, Vinyl. Why else would you be lea--”

“I GET IT, GOSH. You’re so annoying sometimes!”

“I know you like it.”

She stopped her ascent up the stairs to look at you. “Yeah. I do. Dweeb.” She stuck her tongue out and continued up the stairs. You shook your head and sat down on the couch, letting your mind wander for a bit. The more you let your mind wander however, the more you wound up thinking about Vinyl ‘leaking’ earlier.

Trying to put the naughty mare’s reaction out of your head, you shifted your attention to Fluttershy and AJ. You’ve done something to offend Fluttershy, you’re just not sure what. She’s a friend of Rainbow’s though, so you can’t just blow her off. The quiet pegasus never really spoke to you, but seemed to form an opinion of you all the same.

That narrows it down to some action you’re doing that’s getting at her. You’d suggested that it might have been your eating habits to Rainbow, but she quickly dismissed that. Apparently Fluttershy was some kind of vet or something, and looked after more than a few carnivorous animals. If anything, she was probably bothered by your diet the least.

Perhaps it was that big mess with Filthy Rich? That might do it. You’d probably be more than a little pissed at someone who put one of your friends in a similar situation. But everything turned out alright, especially since Filthy was going to pay Rainbow back for the legal bullshit he pulled on her.

Maybe it was what AJ had said? Rainbow had been at your side since you’d gotten intimate. Perhaps Fluttershy is just jealous or something? All these questions swam around in your head, making you fail to notice that Rainbow had wandered down to the living room.

“Anoooon,” she said, waving a hoof in front of you face. “Hellooooooo.”

“Ah! Sorry Rainbow, I was just thinking is all.”

“Uh huh. So what did AJ want?”

“To see you, actually. Where were you anyways?”

“I was waitin for her to go away.”

“Dash, I thought she was your friend?”

“She is, but I don’t want to talk to her.”

“Why not?”

“I just don’t, okay?”

“Okay, but she wants to talk to you.”

“What? Why?”

“Cause you’ve been avoiding her, along with a lot of your other friends.”

“No I haven’t! I’ve just been with you more is all...”

“I know Dash, but they feel like you’re ignoring them. Listen, why don’t you go and spend the rest of the day with AJ? I’m sure she--”

“No!” she exclaimed, her tail twitching in irritation.

“Why not? It’d help clear up a lot of this mess, I’m sure.”

“Cause... Cause they don’t think I should be with you, okay?!”

“That’s not the impression I got, Dash.”

“Why’re you pushin this anyways? Don’t you like spending time with me?”

“You know I do; but your friends want to see you too. Besides, it’s not fair if I get the most amazing mare on the planet all to myself.”

Her annoyance now mixed with a hint of blush, she kicked at the ground and walked over to sit next to you on the couch. “You’re a jerk, you know that?”

“Yeah, but I’m your jerk.”

She gave you a light punch to the side before snuggling up next to you and whispering, “yeah, you are. And I won’t let anyone take you from me.”

“And you call me the mushy one,” you said, rubbing her back. You sat there for a moment, enjoying Dash’s warmth against you. Luna’s nickname suited the blue pegasus well. Though, she was still just as stubborn as you sometimes. “Will you please go and at least talk to AJ? For me?”

“Do I have to?” she groaned, pushing her head into your chest.

“Come on Dash, I’m sure you want to see some of your friends anyways. Even if you don’t want to admit it.” She grumbled something under her breath you didn’t quite catch, but sighed and removed herself from the couch. “Hows about I take you to get your check-up after you get back? See about getting those bandages off permanently.”

This seemed to brighten her mood a bit, but she was doing a poor job of staying annoyed. “Alright, but if you hold out on me, I’ll hide the keys to the bedroom door next estrus.”

“Now I’m half tempted to hold out anyways.”

“Uh huh, suuuure you are.”

“Rainbow, you’re forgetting one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Our bedroom doesn’t have a lock.”

“...I can fix that.”

“I’m not too sure how to respond to that. We’ll talk about estrus later, you need to go and hang out with AJ for a bit, I think.”

“Fiiine,” she said, heading for the door. As she made her exit, it dawned on you that you were going to be spending a bit of time with Vinyl until Rainbow got back. Maybe you could help her out with something? Surely she’s got a bit on her plate, what with the auditorium and all.

Wonder what her and Octavia did the other day? Come to think of it, wonder what Vinyl does in her free time? The time you spent with her at the auditorium, she was mostly buried in her preparations for 'the big nasty' or whatever. Aside from that, she'd just lounge. What did she do for fun? Lounging is good and all, but sometimes you just want to do shit.

She must have some ideas buried somewhere in her head about wasting away free time. She's been through quite a busy past couple of days; maybe she knew a good place to relax around here? Like a spa or something, maybe. You recalled Dash talking about some spa that Rarity really liked.

You'd have to do a little looking; but if you could catch Pinkie, she might be able to help. It'd be nicer if it was a complete surprise, but you'd have to take your chances. Vinyl would be done with her shower soon, so that didn't exactly give you a whole lot of time to run around town looking for a spa. She'd probably figure something was up anyways. Bah, you'll just go on and take her along for the ride. Probably a good idea to figure out the other mare you'd be spending next estrus with anyways.

That thought had to sink in for a second. Estrus. With two mares. Even better, one is a unicorn, the other is a pegasus. Estrus just got fucking magical. Be that good or bad, you didn't quite know. For now though, your priority was getting to know Vinyl a little better, along with maybe figuring out why Fluttershy had a grudge against you. You heard the shower cut off, and decided to head upstairs.

Standing outside the door to your bedroom, it took you a moment to remember that ponies wandered around naked anyway. Shaking your head, you were just glad that nobody was around to witness your goof. Entering the room, you caught glimpse of Vinyl drying herself off with a towel.

"You uh, want me to take that dampener off so you can clean your horn?" She froze in place, towel half-way to her head.

"B-but Anon, I promised Rainbow I'd--"

"I know what you promised her. You're not breaking your promise if I take the thing off so you can clean up." She slowly resumed drying herself before continuing.

"I appreciate the offer Anon, but no. It feels like it'd be cheating."

"You say so," you said, shrugging. She resumed drying herself off, while you waited patiently. "So, watcha got planned for today?"

"I dunno, why?"

"Cause Rainbow's going to go see AJ; I figured we could find something to do together for a bit." She'd finished trying herself, leaving her mane and tale all manner of disheveled and unkempt.

"I got nothin planned. What'd you have in mind?"

"I dunno, but I'm sure we can figure out something. You gonna keep your hair like that?" She turned to look at herself in the mirror before shaking her head violently. A second or so later, and her hair was back to the same way you'd come to expect to see it. "You know what; I'm just not going to question things like that anymore."

"Things like what?"

"Like how you can shake your head and make your hair just snap to its old shape."

"Pfffft, I don't brush my hair."

”I can see that." She stuck her tongue out as she walked over to the bed.

"So, where we goin?"

"Let's just go for a walk and see where we wind up. Whaddya say?"

"Could be fun, so long as the weather team doesn't foul up again."

"It's been consistently cloudy for a while now; I think we'll be alright."

"Yeah, but you're no weather pegasus."

"True, but the weather here hasn't been too different from back home."

"Really? It's all cloudy and gloomy all the time?"

"No, but the weather isn't controlled either. Just sorta happens."

"That must be crazy."

”Hey, it's the same world that created that phone that had you and Octavia so enthralled."

"Well yeah! I remember lookin through it with my magic. You had like a bazillion records of music on there!"

"Exactly. Maybe a little chaos isn't so bad after all, hmm?"

"Well, ever since Discord, chaos isn't a word you throw around lightly."

"We'll see."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just seems that chaos is rearing its head weather this Discord fellow is here or not."

"I wouldn't call the weather team fouling up chaos."

"Really? For this long? It's either chaos, or Rainbow played a bigger role in that team than she let on."

"I'd actually say it's Rainbow, honestly."

"Well, nothing we can do about it now, so let’s just have our day."

"I can do that." She followed you down the stairs and out the front door, making sure that you grabbed your umbrella.

"Why you want me bringin this again?"

"Just in case."

"What's the matter, you scared of getting wet? It's not like it's got soap or anything." That got you a quick punch to the side.

"So where we goin?"

"I think maybe we should stop by Pinkie's bakery. What's it called again? Sugarcube something?"

"Sugarcube Corner?"

"Yeah, that place. Maybe grab a snack, get something for Dash."

"You tryin to sweeten her up?" she asked, giggling.

"I don't need to sweeten her up, but it's been a pretty hectic past couple of days."

"Uh huh. Sure that's what it is. You just want her in your pants again, don't you?"

"Again, never said anything to the contrary." The two of you walked on in content silence for a bit, just enjoying the cool breeze. Maybe you can sneak some info from Pinkie without Vinyl catching you. You made a mental note to get something just for Dash too. Surely Pinkie would know what would melt Dash like butter.

Sooner than you'd realized, you were seated and enjoying some sweets at Sugarcube Corner with Vinyl. Pinkie had been overly excited to find out you'd visit her at work, quickly showing off some of her hard work. As sweet as the candies were, you were after something else.

"So Pinkie, I was thinking; you know of anything that Dash really likes?"

"Oooh Dash likes lots of stuff! There's cupcakes and ice cream and--"

"No no, I mean something that she really likes, but she only gets maybe once in a blue moon or something."

"Hmmm..." While you were trying to get some answers out of Pinkie, Vinyl had taken to sampling some of the candies that had been so generously provided. She nearly spat out her cupcake when the epiphany hit Pinkie. "I've got it!"

"Great! What is it?"

"Dash LOVES cider!"

"Cider?"

"Yeah! Apple Cider! It's only the best drink IN THE WORLD!"

"I don't know about that, but if she likes it, then that makes it a little easier on me."

"Really? Why's that?"

"I have a bit of cider stashed away back at home."

"YOU GOT CIDER?!" she exclaimed, her entirety of physical activity coming to a sudden and complete stop. The hovering in air was a tad creepy, but you figured it was just Pinkie and went with it.

"Well, yeah. Why's it such a big d--"

"Anon! IT'S THE BEST DRINK, EEEVVVVEEEEERRRRR!! How'd you get it in the off season?"

"Off season?"

"Yeah! The Apple's only make cider once a year, and when they do it's always gone as fast as they can make it!" Suddenly Applebloom's little gift was much more appreciated than you once thought it would be. "How'd you get it?!"

"Yeah Anon, how did you get cider?" Vinyl asked, her mouth full of cake.

"Vinyl, chew your food. And I can't tell you Pinkie, I promised."

"Aaaaawwwwwwwwwww. You never told me you had cider!"

"You never asked." She squinted her eyes at you, looking you over.

"You're sneaky Anon."

"I didn't mean to be?" Her expression suddenly changed to back to that of her overly happy and energetic self.

"That's okay, it happens to me all the time!"

"How does being sneaky just happen, Pinkie?"

"Well--"

"You know what, never mind."

"Okay Scratch, suit yourself! I hate to chat and run, but I've got other ponies that need to smile!"

"Oh hey, before you go, I've got one more question for you." She zipped over to your side, her left ear suddenly brushing up against your nose.

"I'm aaaallll ears!" Your leaning in to whisper to Pinkie caught Vinyl's attention, but she remained quiet.

"Where is this spa that Rarity likes? I think I want to take Vinyl and Rainbow there and relax them, but I want it to be a surprise."

"A surprise!? Oh, I love surprises! You remember--"

"Pinkie!" you hissed, "it's a surprise for her too, remember?" you asked, tilting your head to the now very curious unicorn sitting across from you.

"Oh! Right, sorry." she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You sure you want to take them to the spa though? I don't think they'll--"

"You let me worry about that, I just need to know where it is."

"Well, okay Anon. If you say so." She then proceeded to explain how to get to the spa. A process which you had her repeat more than once, seeing as she explained it extremely quickly the first couple times. Something about surprises made her over the edge hyper; which was saying something as she seemed to be in a state of perpetual energy anyway. After you were sure you'd gotten her directions memorized, you thanked her and she bounded off towards other ponies that had wondered into the bakery.

"So, uh, what's the surprise?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on Anon! You know you can tell me."

"I know I can; but I just don't know what you're talking about Vinyl."

"Fine. Be that way. I'll find out eventually..."

"I'm sure you will. Now c'mon, let's get out of here."

"Hey wait a minute, I thought we were going to pick some stuff up for Rainbow?"

"We were, but if she likes that cider so much, I think I'm in luck."

"Well, you say so. How come you didn't tell me you had cider?"

"You never asked. What is it with you ponies and this cider anyways?"

"You've obviously never had cider from Sweet Apple Acres."

"Fine, fine. Let's get out of here." The two of you left the building, catching bits and pieces of Pinkie's ramblings to the couple that had wondered in. Something about a hoop, a magic stick, and a baby alligator. Whatever it was, you weren't too sure you wanted to stick around and find out. Once you were out and walking again, Vinyl began trying to squeeze information out of you about the surprise.

"Soooooo, where we goin?"

"I'm not telling."

"Aw come on! Just a hint?" You put your hand to your chin for a moment.

"Water." you said, after a bit of watching Vinyl hop around you as you walked.

"Water?"

"Yup."

"Anon, that's not a hint."

"Yes it is, it's just not one you wanted."

"...Oh you're good."

"You could just let it be a surprise, you know."

"But I know it involves me! I saw the way you nodded your head; I gotta know!"

"And you will, soon enough." She huffed, scrunching her nose in concentration.

"Water... water... hmmm..." As you walked, you realized something seemed different about her; and it wasn't the dampener. It took you a good minute or two of looking at her as the two of you walked for you to figure out just what was wrong.

"Vinyl."

"Huh? Whazzat?"

"Why aren't you wearing your goggles?" She looked at you and blinked a few times, before realizing you were in fact right. Her eyes weren't hidden by her goggles as they usually were.

"Oh wow... I totally forgot to put them on..."

"Doesn’t bother me any, just took me a second to realize it." Suddenly she was very close to you as the two of you were walking, making cautious glances at other ponies on the streets.

"Hey Anon, can we go back and get them?"

"Your goggles?"

"Yeah."

"But we're almost to the surprise, Vinyl."

"I know, but..."

"But what?"

"I just... I don't want ponies staring at me like that..."

"Like what? I haven't seen anyone staring at you."

"I know they're watching me though, Anon... No-one likes red eyes."

"Vinyl, you've got to stop worrying about your eyes so much. You look fine without the goggles, I promise." She shifted against your leg, continuing to look around at the other ponies. "Oh come on now, you were perfectly fine before I said anything."

"I hadn't realized I'd left them back at your house!"

"And we made it not only to the bakery, but we had a perfectly normal chat with Pinkie too."

"Your point?"

"Nobody freaked out about your eyes." She looked down at the ground, watching your feet to know where to go. "Vinyl, you're worried about your eyes, yeah?"

"Mhmm."

"Which do you think someone is going to get freaked out by: a two legged creature that's more than a bit taller than other ponies, or a beautiful pony with red eyes?" She muttered something you didn't quite catch, but seemed to relax a bit. "What was that?"

"I'm not beautiful, Anon."

"You look pretty good to me." She didn't retaliate or look up, but you could swear you felt the heat from her cheeks on your leg. Being sneaky, you decided to try and change the subject so that she wouldn’t notice where you were taking her. "So, what do you do for fun?"

"Huh?"

"You know, fun. You remember that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. Uuhh... I just kinda... listen to music. You know that, you lived with me for a while, Anon!"

"Yeah, but music is your job too."

"No, it's more than that... I don't know what I would do without music, Anon."

"Well, what do you do for fun that isn't music related?"

"Uuuuuhhh... I dunno. Chill, I guess."

"Chilling isn't really fun, Vinyl."

"I know, but I don't really do much other than music, ya know?"

"We'll have to work on that."

"Oh? And what do you do for fun, Nonny?"

"Lots of stuff."

"Like what? And don't say Rainbow."

"Why can't I say Rainbow?"

"Cause 'doing Rainbow' is special and doesn't happen as often as it should, Nonny." Dirty mare.

"Alright then. Before I arrived here, I used to go to clubs and hang out with friends for fun."

"What did you and your friends do?"

"Oh lots of stuff. A lot of the time, we'd usually play games and stuff like that."

"Huh. What kind of games?"

"That would depend on the time, who I was hanging out with, things like that."

"So... what kind of games?"

"Lots of kinds."

"Any of 'em we can play here?"

"Probably. At the very least I know we can play spin the bottle."

"Spin the bottle? What's that?"

"You don't know what spin the bottle is?"

"Anon, before I met you and Rainbow, my social life was pretty much Octavia, and she didn't really care for me."

"Right. Well, you spin a bottle and whoever it points to has to picks truth or dare."

"Oooooh, so it's truth or dare but with a bottle? Sounds boring."

"Like I said, depends on who you play it with."

"How do you mean?"

"Just does, dunno how to explain it really. Seriously though, you've never heard of spin the bottle?"

"I told you Anon, I don't have much of a social life. Too many fans and ponies like that."

"It's weird though; I woulda figured you to have played that at least once."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you're a party girl."

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean, you literally host huge parties as your job. You are, by definition, a party girl."

"No, I'm a DJ."

"And you've never partied?"

"No, not really. Not too many ponies want to hang out with a red-eyed freak."

"Really? The hordes of ponies that show up to your shows seems to disagree."

"Yeah, but I wear the goggles to those; they never see my eyes."

"Even still, I find it pretty hard to believe that you're basically a shut-in."

"I got all the 'social life' I need in my concerts. Never really got interested in friends after the first few ponies I met freaked out about my eyes."

"Well then what about Pinkie? Surely she's played some games with you from time to time."

"Not really, actually. She can kinda get on your nerves after a while, so I just kinda keep my distance."

"Really? Never once has she partied the night away with you?"

"Nope. I usually manage to get her out of my hair by nightfall. She's a good friend and all, but I just can't keep up with her."

"I guess I can see that. Still find it weird that someone like you has never played spin the bottle."

"Even if I wanted to, who would I play it with, Anon? My friends before you and Rainbow were Pinkie and Octavia. You really think Octavia would tolerate Pinkie for more than a minute, let alone play--"

"Point taken." It was then that you realized you'd reached your destination. "Woah."

"What?"

"I didn't realize we were here already." Vinyl finally looked up to see where you'd taken her.

"The spa?"

"Yup."

"You uh... you sure you want to go to the spa, Anon?"

"Well sure, why not? From what I understand, it's supposed to be really nice."

"I guess..."

"There someplace else you wanna go?"

"No no, it's fine. I just didn't think your big surprise was the spa is all."

"Well come on, let's not just fiddle around out here all day." You opened the door to the spa, stepping aside to let Vinyl in. She entered, but gave you a deadpan look for holding the door open.

"Welcome, to the Ponyville Day Spa! What is your pleasure?" You were being greeted by two ponies behind a counter; one blue with a pink mane, the other pink with a blue mane.

"My pleasure? Uuuhhh..."

"Hello ladies. I'm looking to treat my friend here to a nice, relaxing day at your spa. You think you can help?"

"Hey now wait a minute Nonny, I thought--"

"But of course! We have many treatments here, I am sure we can find one to suit you and your friend!"

"Me and my friend? Now hold on a second--"

"Come! We will help you relax!" Before you could complain further, you were being pushed by the pink coated pony. Vinyl was being led by the other blue coated pony. Soon you were both in a private room with a pool full of mud.

"Alright, how's this work?"

"Well, you must remove your clothing first of course."

"...of course."

"Yeah, c'mon Nonny, we're all naked anyways."

"Oh ha ha." The pink coated pony then looked to you expectantly. "Something I can help you with, miss...?"

"Oh! Where are our manners! I am Aloe, and this is my sister, Lotus."

"Right. Well, Aloe, is there something you need?"

"Your clothing, yes?"

"Oh. Right."

"Yeah, c'mon Anon."

You shot Vinyl a deadpan look before removing your clothing. Soon you were stark naked, with only your hands to offer any sort of decency. Vinyl was stifling a giggle fit from your embarrassment.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up." You quickly made your way into the mud pool across from Vinyl, sighing when you were certain you were no longer exposed. Aloe took your clothes elsewhere, while Lotus began telling you about their plans they had for you.

"We will start with a mud bath and facial, followed by--" You shot the giggling unicorn a deadpan look, which only caused her to giggle harder. "...followed by a refreshing treatment in our sauna. We will complete your experience with a massage and coat treatment."

"Well, this should be interesting, to say the least." Lotus bowed slightly before running off to presumably gather the ingredients for the next phase of the spa treatment. You looked over to Vinyl who was still giggling.

"What's so funny?"

"F-Facial." She was doing her best to look at you with a straight face, but only managed to delay her eruption into laughter by a few seconds. As she snorted and chuckled, you couldn't help but feel a laugh work its way out of you. It was kinda funny... Eventually though, you and Vinyl calmed down a bit.

"That shouldn't have been that funny."

"Hey. Hey Nonny."

"What?"

"Facial."

You both erupted into laughter again; just in time for Lotus and Aloe to return with the makings of two facial treatments. You watched as Vinyl's face was lathered up with the nutrient rich mud, followed by placing cucumbers over her eyes. Soon your face was given the same treatment and both you and Vinyl were blinded by foodstuffs.

"I just want you to remember Anon, this was your idea."

"Marco."

"What?"

"No, polo."

"Anon... are you alright?"

"It's a game, see? I say Marco, you say polo."

"How is that a game?"

"Try and find me without peeking."

"...Polo."

"Marco." The exchange continued on for a couple minutes, until the two of you inevitably bumped directly into each other in the small tub. You felt one of the cucumber slices slide off of your face, and opened your eye to find Vinyl munching away on said cucumber slice.

"Vinyl, you're not supposed to--"

"Bf if good!"

"...Don't talk with your mouth full, Vinyl." She gave you a soft punch in the chest before making her way over to a side of the pool and taking a seat. The mud came up to her chin, but she seemed to finally be relaxing. At least, to a degree. You still weren't convinced she was completely relaxing. Scooting over next to her, you had to scoot a bit further down so that your head was level with hers.

She looked over at you with her mud covered face, and leaned forward. The kiss you were anticipating was in fact her reaching over and snatching away the other cucumber slice. One giggle fit later and you saw the playful, care-free Vinyl you first met re-emerge. Taking a scoop of mud from the pool, you quietly moved it to over her head while she was snickering. After dropping the ball of mud onto her head, she gasped.

"You JERK!" She retaliated by splashing mud up onto your head, followed closely by yet another giggle fit. Soon the both of you were rolling in mud laughing like hyenas.

"Ahem." You both slowly wiped the mud from your eyes, to find one of the spa ponies giving you both a rather... distasteful look. "I see you're enjoying the mud bath. Perhaps we should rinse the two of you off and move you to the sauna treatment?"

Soon thereafter, the two of you had been thoroughly rinsed of mud and wrapped in towels. You gratefully accepted the tiny piece of clothing, quickly covering your midsection with it. Vinyl, of course, found herself giggling at your embarrassment once more. The two of you were led to the sauna area, and shown how to operate the steam settings. Of course, the moment the two of you were left alone, the sauna was turned to the maximum setting.

Vinyl had made it a game to try and steal your towel from you; she'd nearly succeeded twice, but you caught her. That third time however, she'd managed to sneak your towel away. You were now blindly groping around to try and find Vinyl in the ridiculous amount of steam. And you found her, all right. Both hands wound up on her ass. She squeaked, but at least you found your towel.

Good timing too, considering you'd realized what you'd just grabbed. Your body had responded in kind, but the towel's return was just so that even if she had turned around, she wouldn't have caught it. You'd found the bench, and Vinyl had followed you to said bench. Both of you were sweating and rubbing up against each other.

It didn't help that you were both painfully aware of what you'd just done either. With no regard for what she thought, you scooped Vinyl up into a hug for a moment. She squeaked again, but soon returned the hug. After what seemed like hours, the steam was pulled from the room by vents. You were left with a sweaty Vinyl clinging to your own sweaty body.

The realization that the two of you were being watched with a heightened curiosity caused you to separate rather quickly. Both of the spa ponies were blushing, but they continued you on your tour of the spa regardless. The final area was upon you now, as you and Vinyl were positioned face down on spa beds. Lotus was dancing on your back, giving you some kind of heavenly massage; and Aloe was doing something similar to Vinyl. You managed to look over to the unicorn to see her with a sheepish grin and half-lidded eyes. And to think, she didn't want to go do the spa.

Chapter 15: Volition

Equestria. This world was a fantasy one, the place of dreams. Talking pastel colored ponies, pegasi, unicorns... Not to mention the dragons, manticores or minotaurs. A place ruled by two demigods, Celestia and Luna, who raise and lower the sun and moon respectively.

And here you are, the only human, in the middle of it all. You'd come to make some great friends, and some enemies. Right now, you were calming one of said friends down. A rather close friend, actually. The white unicorn was freaking out a little, or so she claimed. In reality, she was freaking out a lot. You'd just received a summons from Princess Celestia, delivered by Princess Luna. In person.

You gathered the importance of the summons considering Luna was performing the work of a mail pony, during the day no less. While the importance of the summons seemed rather paramount, there was no time constriction to speak of. Even Luna had said to let her know once you'd made your decision. This was not like your previous summons from Celestia; she was giving you a choice. You were sitting on the couch, running your fingers through Vinyl's electric blue mane in an attempt to calm her.

"I don't know why YOU'RE freaking out; I'M the one that the summons is addressed to."

"But still! Do you KNOW how many times a princess delivers a summons, personally? Do you?!"

"Not, exact--"

"NEVER! THEY'VE NEVER DONE THAT!"

You sighed and resumed scratching behind her ears, knowing that there were no words that would calm her right now. Rainbow had gotten back about the same time you and Vinyl had returned from the spa. Returned is the appropriate word, but it didn't seem to fit as you were asked to leave. You and Vinyl had a good time though, and that was what mattered. Rainbow had an eventful evening herself, as she was curiously quiet.

Something was bothering Rainbow, but she refused to talk about it, insisting your summons was more important. She was more important than some summons from a bitchy princess to you, but you didn't want to argue with her. After the two mares convinced you to go tonight, they'd made it abundantly clear that you weren't going alone.

Then the seriousness of the situation apparently hit Vinyl, which is why she was currently being subdued by a good ear scratching in your lap. Rainbow had taken to packing some things for the trip, as you once again didn't know how long you'd be in Canterlot. The way Luna had worded the summons made it seem like Celestia was extending some sort of apology or peace offering.

Something about the timing of it all kept nagging away at your thoughts though; something you couldn't quite put your finger on. Vinyl may have been freaking out, but she had a point. It must be pretty serious. On the other hand, Luna seemed much more relaxed about this summons. The last one led to an argument between her and Celestia that didn't exactly end well. All very curious.

"Hey Anon, you ready to go?" You looked over to Rainbow who was half-way down the stairs with some impressively stuffed saddle bags.

"I need to pack a few thi--"

"I got most of your stuff, Anon. You're all packed, so c'mon, let's go" she said, trotting down the remaining stairs to the first floor.

"What's the hurry?"

"The hurry? Anon, it's a summons from Princess Celestia. It's important!"

"Fine, fine" you said, standing up. Consequently, you were removing Vinyl from her somewhat calmed state on your lap. "Let's go then." The two mares led you out of the house, only pausing in their stride to wait on you to finish locking the door. Shortly thereafter, the three of you were on your way to the station. Vinyl was nervous the entire way, arguing with herself under her breath; while Rainbow kept to that curious silence.

Whatever it was that she had talked about with her friends must've really hit home or something. You only hoped they weren't pinning some sort of decision on her because of you, but you had a nagging feeling about that too... Best to save that conversation for the train ride though; that way she'll have to sit down and talk about it. Whatever 'it' is. As you walked along the road that led to the station, you took note that the Sun had finally shown up. It was almost alien to see sunlight, but it had started to poke through the clouds now. Maybe the weather team had finally gotten their shit together?

You liked a good storm and all, but every now and again it was nice to enjoy a dry walk outside. On rare occasion, of course, but still. Yet another sighting that had become rare due to the weather was ponies out and about walking the streets. Some you thought you recognized, others you had no clue.

It struck you just how few ponies you actually know here. You'd been on a whirlwind of events since your arrival, never having time to really slow down and take things in. The only other pony you really knew other than Rainbow or Vinyl was Twilight, and even then you didn't know her that well. Applejack had shunned you since Fluttershy started rumors about you or something; the rest you never really spoke to for an extended amount of time.

Fluttershy... just thinking about her annoyed you. She had caused so much trouble for you, and you didn't have an inkling of an idea as to why. She was acting like she was angry at you, but you couldn't think of a reason as to why she would be. You'd never talked to her, or interacted with her really. And she claimed to be one of Rainbow's best friends! If that were true, surely you would've met her more than you had...

You really weren't sure if she was avoiding you or if it was all some huge coincidence. If one of your friends had gotten a new girlfriend, you would've eventually met them. Then again, you weren't Fluttershy. When you did try and find out why she was upset with you, you only made things worse. Fucked if you try, fucked if you don't, it would seem.

All of these thoughts plagued your mind as you continued the trek to the station. Trek might not be the appropriate word though, as your arrival interrupted said thoughts. There, in all of its glory, was Luna's personal train. It was a sight to behold, but somehow seemed dulled in the sunlight.

While you may have considered the train to be somewhat dulled in the light; it didn't seem to agree. Once you'd been boarded and ushered to a car, the locomotive fired right up and began its journey to Canterlot. You hadn't even had a chance to meet with Luna yet, which only served to add to your suspicions that there was some kind of time constraint. As if to suggest you were correct, the customary boom of the train signaled what you assumed to be the train hitting top speed. Pushing yourself off the counter you'd been using for balance, you examined the rest of the car. It was strikingly similar, if not the same car you'd been in previously.

"Jeeze, wonder what the big hurry is..."

"I told you Anon, you're seeing Princess Celestia! She doesn't mess around."

"Yeah, but she made sure to say there weren't any time constraints, remember?"

"But Anon, it's Princess CELESTIA."

"I know, but I don't remember being in this much of a hurry last time she wanted to see me."

"Man, you're making me nervous! I'm gonna go lay down..."

You shook your head as the white unicorn made her way over to the couch and promptly occupied it in its entirety. It struck you that Rainbow had been oddly quiet, even after you'd gotten on the train. Looking around, you finally found her rummaging through the mini fridge.

"Rainbow? You okay?"

"GAH!" she exclaimed, bumping her head in the process. "Dammit Nonny!" she said, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof.

"You're acting a bit off, Rainbow. Something the matter?"

"Nothing..." she mumbled, avoiding your gaze.

"Don't lie Dash. I know there's something bothering you, now spill." She shot you an annoyed glance before taking flight. After she'd darted over to the end of the car and landed in front of the door.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she said flatly as she opened the door and made her way to the next car.

"Jeeze. Wonder what crawled up her butt."

"It's not funny Vinyl. I'm worried about her."

"Bah, she'll be fine Anon. Just needs some time is all."

"Time for what though? Why is she acting like this? It's not like her."

"I dunno Anon, probably something her friends said or whatever. She'll tell you when she feels like it; not like you're going anywhere or anything." You scooched Vinyl over and plopped down on the couch next to her. After she huffed and regained a normal sitting position as opposed to the headstand you'd put her in, she punched you lightly in the arm. "Jerk." You sighed and leaned back in an attempt to let your mind go blank. Maybe you just needed some time to think too...

You woke from your impromptu nap some time later; Vinyl strewn across your lap snoring lightly. As you idly petted her mane, you wondered how long it'd be until she realized she'd forgotten her goggles yet again. Hearing one of the car doors open, you immediately looked to the one that was towards Rainbow's car. Much to your disappointment, that was not the door that had opened. Looking to the other entrance, you found Princess Luna.

"Excellent, you are awake."

"What time is it?" you asked as you stretched, disturbing Vinyl's comfortable slumber.

"I apologize for the hour, but there are things we must discuss before we arrive in Canterlot."

You poked at Vinyl in an attempt to further remove her from your lap. "Hey. Get up. Luna's here." She mumbled something and turned her head away from you. You sighed, shrugging to Luna. "I 'spose I'm not really going anywhere."

The Princess of the night, using her magic, pulled over cushion to sit on. "I know why my sister has summoned you, but you must understand I cannot tell you."

"What? Why not?"

"It is... complicated."

"Alright, whatever. So, what can you tell me?" Luna looked out a window to your left as she began to speak.

"You have been the topic of many an argument and debate at the castle, Anon. Both myself and my sister have made mistakes in dealing with you; mistakes that, if avoided, could've made all of this mess much easier for all those involved."

"Dealing with me? I'm sorry if I've caused some ruckus, but I never asked you to watch out for me. Not to say I don't appreciate it, but-"

Luna held up a hoof to silence you, though her piercing gaze would've been enough. "That is not what I mean, Anon. Please do not contort my words. My sister has been a ruler much longer than I, thus she has more experience in affairs such as these. I cannot explain what I mean to that extent, but rest assured all of your questions will be answered once we arrive in Canterlot. For now, know that no harm was ever intended to come your way.

In fact, my sister has been attempting to help you in ways you cannot yet understand. I have been stopping her and slowing her down in my ignorance; not realizing that she might have had wisdom which I have been lacking. Again, I apologize that I cannot elaborate further; but I wanted to speak to you before we arrived in Canterlot, as I may not get the chance afterwards." Your heart rate increased dramatically at that last bit.

"Now, now hold on a second. Am I gonna die or something?"

"What? No! No, of course not! Why in all of Equestria would you think that?!"

"You not getting to see me after we get to Canterlot worries me Luna."

"I apologize; perhaps I have revealed too much."

"Actually, I'd like to know more."

"As I said, I apologize for confusing things further. I will leave you now, and I suggest you get some rest. You will need it." Before you could question her further, she was gone. Stupid princesses. Stupid magic. Stupid teleporting. You resigned to try and get some sleep, but only after you'd removed Vinyl from your lap. Damn unicorn could sleep through a lot, it would seem.

Making sure she was comfortable in your bed, you went back to the couch to attempt get some sleep. Turns out your attempt was a full on success, as your dreams overtook you once more. Dreams of a strange occurrence for you, as these weren't nightmares. No, these were pleasant dreams-- no. Memories. They were memories. Of your time here, in Equestria. With Rainbow and Vinyl. The auditorium, the hospital, Rainbow's house. Holding Rainbow close... That night at Vinyl's auditorium... Your reminiscent dreams were cut short however, as another boom from the locomotive signaled the drop from top speed.

Groaning to a state of semi-awareness, you began the lumbering process of shrugging off sleep. In said process, you found your hand resting on something soft. Sitting up, you found that Vinyl had deemed it necessary to attach to you while you were sleeping. As you rubbed the sleep from your eyes, she stretched and began to wake up.

"Looks like we're almost there." you said, stretching yet again.

"Mmmm" was all Vinyl responded with as she buried her face into your leg. About that time one of the doors opened.

"Come on guys! We gotta get ready!"

"Rainbow?" The cyan pegasus was already pushing you from the couch.

"C'mon Anon! Go get ready; you're going to meet the Princess!"

"Dash," you said, managing to push away from her, “I’ve already met Celestia, remember?"

"But this is different!" You gave her a deadpan look and scratched your side. "Anon, come on! We've got to hurry!"

"Dash, we're not even at the station yet." She groaned in annoyance, looking around the room. Finally, she settled her sights on Vinyl and scooped her up with her fore hooves. As Vinyl's rear legs dragged along the floor of the car, she slowly came to her senses.

"Hey, what's goin' on?"

"We're going to see the Princess, and at least SOME of us are going to look nice!" Vinyl muttered something under her breath as Rainbow dragged her back to the other car. Seeing as you probably did need a shower, you decided you might as well get your morning routine over and done with. No sooner were you cleaned up and dressed to Rainbow's approval were you being ushered off of the train.

"Geeze Rainbow, you weren't in this much of a hurry last time we were going to meet Celestia."

"Yeah, but maybe now you can make a good impression on her! C'mon, let’s go already!" You and Vinyl groaned mutually as Rainbow began dragging you down the street. "Gah, why are you two draggin' your feet? Come on, this is CELESTIA."

"And?"

"She NEVER 'summons' someone unless it's friggin important!"

"Fine fine, let's go. If it'll get you to calm down."

"Me? Calm? Anon, Princess Celestia of Equestria summoned MY special somepony specifically, and you want me to be CALM?" Growing tired of her restlessness; you decided to do something about it. Grabbing her rear leg, you pulled her back into a tight embrace, pinning her wings to her sides. "Hey! What gives?!"

"Yes, I want you to be calm."

"Lemme go!" She struggled against your hold for a while, but she never managed to squirm free. You continued your leisurely pace, much to Rainbow's annoyance, but she finally did start to calm down some. It took you a good four blocks or so before you looked over and realized that Vinyl was no longer wearing her dampener.

"Vinyl, when did that happen?" you inquired, pointing to her horn.

"Hmm?" She went cross eyed in an attempt to follow your gaze to her forehead. "Oh! This morning, actually..."

"Wow. I probably would've noticed sooner if it wasn't for SOMEONE being so pushy." Rainbow huffed in your arms, resting her head on your shoulder. "Speaking of a certain pegasus, what's been with the mood recently?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well it's a good thing I wasn't asking you to, isn't it?" She let out an annoyed sigh, followed shortly by a minor attempt to break free of your grip, but you held strong. "If you don't tell, then I won't go see Celestia."

"WHAT?!"

"You heard me. Now spill." She groaned in annoyance and renewed her struggling tenfold. "Alright, have it your way." You did a one-eighty, heading back for the station.

"Wait, you're serious Anon?"

"Yes Vinyl, I am. You two mean more to me than some snooty princess demanding to talk with me."

"Darn it Anon!" Rainbow said, now thrashing in your arms.

"You can end this Rainbow. You tell me what's been bothering you, and I'll go straight to Celestia." She stopped squirming, and you stopped walking towards the station. You stood there for a while, holding the cyan pegasus tight in your arms.

"...Fine."

"Alright. I'm waiting." She sighed and turned her head away from you.

"Fl.nm..."

"What was that?"

"Flr..."

"Who?" She sighed once more, but finally spoke up.

"Fluttershy. She's what's been bothering me."

"Fluttershy?"

"She was at AJ's barn, along with the rest of my friends..."

"Is that what this is all about? Dash, you know you can talk to me about anything; why were you so-"

"It's... It's weird, okay? Now can we please go and see Celestia? You promised."

"Rainbow, that's no explana-"

"No Vinyl, she's right. I promised." You released her from your grip, to which she promptly leapt off of your chest and into the air.

"Now c'mon."

"Alright, alright. And don't worry Vinyl, we'll get her to spill her guts soon enough."

"HA! Nobody gets the Dash to talk."

"Just like nobody makes her drool, right?" She turned bright red at that comment.

"Darn it Anon."

Vinyl only giggled. After you managed to get Rainbow to stop blushing, the three of you continued on towards the castle at a rather expedited pace. Sooner than you would've liked, you were walking through the main gates. You could feel your heart rate increase. Rainbow was right, this was different.

There were no guards escorting you this time. It felt similar to being called to the principal's office. The blow was somewhat lessened when you realized the principal was a pastel pony. Soon you found yourself in the castle courtyard, being led by one of the guard ponies. They were expecting you, after all.

A quick stroll later, and the three of you were alone in what you could only describe as a meeting room. The large stained windows told some kind of story you were unfamiliar with; managing only to pick out some kind of dragon chasing away dogs. While you and Vinyl were content to look at the grand room in awe, Rainbow was fidgeting in her chair. Your collective attention was brought to one point once the doors opened.

"My apologies, I was held up with some royal duties."

"Princess!"

"Princess, is something wrong? Why did you want to see anon so badly? What's going on?"

"Hello Ms. Scratch. Rainbow Dash, all of your questions will be answered shortly. That's why I summoned for Anon in the first place."

"Well Princess, it's been a while. You going to try and lock me up again?"

"I must apologize for that, Anon. I have my reasoning, and if you will hear me, I will explain everything." You nodded and returned to your seat, Celestia taking one across from the three of you. "Very well, let me begin. As with most tales, the beginning is as good a place as any to start. Your arrival was an accident, but it was predicted. You are not the first human in Equestria, Anon."

"I'm not?"

"No. The human that arrived previously arrived nearly one thousand years ago. She chose to live out her time here as a pony, and lived a somewhat normal life. There was, of course, a period of adjustment, but it was one that I helped her with personally. I wanted to get you alone and do the same; however in doing so I made a few mistakes.

I did not account for my sister. She saw me as a tyrant returning to her old ways; I failed to explain the situation to her before. Luna would counter every effort I made in an attempt to 'protect' you, when she was actually slowing my attempts to aid you. Nor did I account for the elements of harmony becoming so invested in you; especially to the point of infatuation."

"Hey! I'm not fat!"

"Rainbow, that's not what that means."

"Ladies, will you let the princess continue?" They both realized they had interrupted the princess at about the same time and shut up. Giving a slight smile, Celestia continued.

"Tell me Anon, how long do you think you've been in Equestria?"

"I'm... not too sure, actually. Maybe four months or so?"

"You've been here for nearly six months, Anon. Do you understand how short a time that is?"

"...Not really. Seems like I've been here a while, actually."

"Then perhaps what I'm about to tell you will help put it in perspective. As I told you before, your arrival was predicted. Once every thousand years, the planets align just so that inter-dimensional travel can occur. I do not understand magic on such a level that I can explain that further; had it not been for Starswirl, I would never have known that magic was the cause. That being said, the opening lasts about six months. Not a very long time, all things considered."

You sat there, processing what she'd said. Six months. You'd been here six months. The portal or whatever that sent you here was open for six months. You knew what was coming, but you couldn't make yourself think about it directly.

"You know what this means, Anon. I know my actions have been aggressive and unruly, and I apologize for that. I hope what I am offering now will make up for it."

"I don't get it."

"Dummy, she's saying she can send Anon home." The four of you sat there in silence, letting what Vinyl had said so bluntly sink in. Finally, Celestia spoke up once more.

"I know I should not ask this of you, but I must. I can send you back, Anon. Back to your home. Your people. Only one obstacle remains, and that is time itself. The veil of magic that allows for the travel to occur will only remain for three days. You must make your choice between now, and then." You looked down at your hands that were resting on the table. "If it makes any difference, I can offer one more thing. I can wipe the memories you have of this world. You would awake as though you'd been in a coma; not even a stray thought of this world would remain."

Home.

You could go home.

"I understand this is a lot to take in, Anon. I will leave you to your thoughts, but know that I must have an answer in three days." Without another word the princess quietly made her way out of the room, leaving you with Vinyl and Rainbow. Rainbow was the first to break the silence.

"I don't know WHY she didn't stick around, you already know the answer." This got you to finally break your overly-thorough examination of your hands to question her.

"Oh?" You could've sworn you saw a streak of annoyance flash across her face.

"Well yeah. I mean, it's not like you're gonna leave." she said, chuckling nervously. When your response was merely to look down at your hands once more, Rainbow spoke up yet again. "C'mon Anon. Stop kiddin around." You chose to meet her with silence. When she responded next, her nervousness was mixed with annoyance. "Anon, cut it out. This isn't funny."

"You're right," you said, not looking up from your incredibly interesting hands, "it's not. This isn't some game or contest, Rainbow. I have a chance to do something right by you."

"Right by me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've put you through enough bullshit; I'm not going to put you through more."

"Stop talking like that Anon; it's not funny!" she said, her irritation bubbling through.

"No, it's serious. I can't fix all the garbage I've put you through, but maybe I can make sure you get a better life." The next thing you were aware of was that you were on your back and Rainbow as on your chest. She was not happy in the slightest. "What the hell was that for?!" you said, catching your breath. Upon further inspection, you saw the faintest hint of tears in the cyan pegasus' eyes.

"For playing some stupid joke! It's not funny, Anon!"

"Rainbow, for the last time, it's not a joke!" She flinched at your statement, eyes tearing up further.

"Yes it is! There's no good reason for you to leave!"

"Rainbow stop it!" You and Rainbow both looked over to the white unicorn.

"It's his choice Rainbow, not yours, or mine, or anyone else's." Rainbow returned her frustrated gaze to you, panting heavily.

"Why?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. "Why would you leave me?" You closed your eyes and took a deep breath to calm yourself. Rainbow was still perched on your chest, but you didn't care to remove her.

"Because you deserve better. For fuck's sake Rainbow, I'm an alien to you." She had started to say something, but Vinyl cut her off.

"Rainbow, get off him and let him speak. I don't want him to go either, but we can't force him to stay." The pegasus was fighting a treacherous mix of anger, irritation, and tears; but she did hop off of your chest. Rising to a sitting position, you took a moment to get your thoughts together.

"Like I was saying, you deserve better. Sure, I could stay, but who's to say I won't just cause more needless bullshit for you? I'm an alien, you're both beautiful mares. I'm sure both of you could find a stallion that would be better for you than me. You two could have a happy future with someone of your own species." Rainbow wouldn't have any of your speculation though.

"I don't care! I don't want to be with some stallion, I want to be with you!"

"I... I do too." Vinyl said. The poor unicorn looked like she was going to be sick or something, but she pressed on. "You're more than just a special somepony, Anon."

"Oh great, you too?" She ignored your comment and continued.

"I've been all over Equestria. I've met so many ponies it's not funny. So many 'friends' who wanted a 'relationship.' But none of them were you. None of them cared to get to know me; they were just interested in me because I was doing a show. That's all they ever thought of me. They never once cared to hang out or chill with me like you and Rainbow did. So, I finally figured out that I'm probably going to be alone for a long time, and I accepted that. I can have just my music. But then, some crazy alien shows up and turns my world upside down. Treats me like a mare, not a trophy. You really think I'd let that slip away without a fight?" By the end of her little rant, Vinyl's eyes were clearly watering. Rainbow chose then to give you her little talk as well.

"You IDIOT!" she said, taking a step towards you. "If I really didn't want to be with you, or thought I could do better with some other pony, why would I stay with you? I don't want some stallion, I want you. I don't know why, and I don't need to know why. You're nice; stupid; you treat me right even if I don't deserve it. You put up with all my mush and stupid." She further decreased the distance separating you from her as she continued talking. "You helped me get back to flying; you helped me figure out what I want in life. There was something there from the second I caught you for the first time."

"Crashed into me, you mean."

"I didn't know what it was. I still don't know, but I don't want it to go away. Ever."

"That's a pretty stupid reason, Rain-" Vinyl's turn to speak up again.

"Love is stupid, dummy. Think about what Celestia said though. That portal thingy is only open once every thousand years. A THOUSAND years, Anon. What are the odds that YOU would wind up in Equestria and meet US?"

"I don't believe in fate."

"That's fine; but you're still one in however many of you there are back from wherever you're from."

She was right. It hadn't been just anyone that got pulled here; it was you. Not only that, but you had indeed met both Rainbow and Vinyl. What are the odds that you would wind up at there, at that moment...? Rainbow was once more invading your personal space, but yet again you didn't care to remove her. She simply stared at you, her face inches from yours. As you looked into her eyes, you realized some things. You had no real reason to go, nothing solid. It was clear that both Rainbow and Vinyl wanted you to stay. Even if you did go back and had your memory wiped, it was likely that anyone that cared about you considered you dead and gone. So, you could start fresh home, or continue to trudge along here with Vinyl and Rainbow.

While you were staring into Rainbow's eyes, she moved closer and closer to you. Eventually, you bumped noses, bringing you out of your little trance. It was then, right then, that you realized something else more paramount than any of your previous revelations.

You didn't have a reason to stay.

No.

You had two.

A short time later, and your personal space was being violated by both Vinyl and Rainbow. Each had you in a hug that could kill a bear, and both of them were nuzzling you. Rainbow had you by the chest, her face buried into your shoulder. Vinyl had you by the leg, pressing her face as hard as she could against it. Sooner or later you'd lose circulation somewhere; of that you were certain. You were also certain that you didn't want the embrace to end. Celestia had made you an offer to stay, or go home.

You thought you knew what you considered to be home before, but now you knew for certain. Home was right here, with these two mares. Where ever that decision decided to take you, it would be home.

As you held them close and let out a sigh of relief, the door opened. Apparently, it had been some time since Celestia had left you to your thoughts. You likely lost track of time when the argument was settled and you just enjoyed the embrace the mares had you in. After hurriedly getting to your feet, it was clear the ponies attached to you had no intention of letting go, regardless of who else was in the room. Celestia only gave you a knowing look as she began speaking.

"I take it you've made your decision?" You sat down in one of the chairs at the table, making sure to not bump Vinyl, who was still attached to your leg.

"Yes, Princess, I have." Rainbow and Vinyl both raised their heads, eager to listen in.

"I have a feeling I know what your decision was."

"I want to go home, Princess." You felt both mares clench you tightly in fear; while Celestia gave you a confused look. Eyeing you over, she voiced her concerns.

"Are you... certain?"

"Yes, I am. I want to go home, with these two mares." Celestia blinked for a moment, processing what you'd said.

"Anon, I'm afraid you might not understand the full consequences of what you're suggesting. Rainbow cannot leave, as she is an Element of Harmony. Vinyl would be the only one of her kind in your-"

"I said I want to go home, Celestia. It's taken me a while to realize, but home is where you make it, and I want to make it where ever these two girls take me." You smiled to yourself, hugging Rainbow to your chest when you heard a faint "idiot" from Rainbow. As Celestia worked out what you meant, she let a warm smile slip upon her features.

"I understand. It must not have been an easy decision to come to."

"Actually, I knew the answer when you asked me; I just needed to be sure."

"Of course. I shall have Luna prepare her train for the return to Ponyville at once." she said, turning to leave.

The following trudge to the station was a long one, considering the attached ponies refused to let go. You did manage to pry them off once you'd made it to the car though. Sitting back on the couch, you allowed yourself to relax with Vinyl to your right and Rainbow to your left. As the train began its journey back to Ponyville, Vinyl struck up some conversation.

"So Anon, what happens now?"

"Oooh, lots of things. Life goes on, mostly." Rainbow piped in at this.

"Yeah, and I'm glad you're going to be here with us for it. I don't want to think about what Scootaloo would do if I came back without you..."

"Scootaloo? What do you mean?" you asked, turning your gaze to the now-on-the-spot pegasus.

"Well, she uhhh... kinda sorta figured out that I like you. A lot."

"Really? Wonder what gave it away." You got a soft punch for that.

"Anyways, she was saying something about if you ever hurt me, she wouldn't tell anyone about where we hid the body." she said, chuckling nervously at the end. "I told her you're not that kind of guy. If you left, she would probably break one of Twilight's 'laws of physics' or whatever to get you."

"Sounds like a really devoted filly."

"Something like that, yeah," she said, rubbing her head up against your chest.

"So, Rainbow, what was all that fuss about Fluttershy earlier?" Rainbow's eyes snapped open in horror.

"Awww man, you guys aren't gonna do that again, are you?" Before she had a chance to escape, you had her pinned to your side.

"Spill."

"No! I don't wanna talk about it!"

"Vinyl?"

"Yes Nonny?"

"Find a feather." You could feel Rainbow's heart stop for a second. Vinyl was already bounding about the car, searching for said feather.

"Anon, just drop it, okay?!"

"No. You said you would tell me what was bothering you."

"I did! I told you, Fluttershy was what was bothering me!"

"Great. Now spill the rest."

"I found a feather Anon!" Vinyl said, poking her head out from behind a counter.

"Alright alright, I'll talk! Just, put the feather down!" Rainbow pleaded, squirming in your grip.

"Oh no you don't. You're not sneaking your way out of this one. We've got the entire ride to Ponyville to get it out of you." You flipped her so that she was belly up, still pinned against you so her movement was restricted. Vinyl was approaching with a devilish grin, feather in her magical grip. Rainbow was panicking and spazing against your grip, but you held her down.

"SHE LIKES ME, OKAY?!" Vinyl dropped the feather, and you released your death grip on Rainbow. Even though the state of mild shock lurked in the room, Rainbow made no effort to leave her position.

"What?" Just as Rainbow sighed in defeat, the train's signature boom struck and you were plunged into the darkness of a tunnel. The lights quickly responded though, lighting the car to a suitable and cozy level.

"She... she likes me," Rainbow said again, looking down at the floor.

"I... I don't..."

"What in the hay do you mean she likes you?" Rainbow snapped an annoyed glare at Vinyl.

"I mean she likes me, okay? She never said anything before, because I never had a special somepony before or anything like that." Things started to make sense now. That would explain why she was so aggressive towards you; why she would make excuses to be angry at her. You stole Rainbow's affections from her. "I had to turn her down, and she," Rainbow paused to return her gaze to the floor, "she didn't like that... She was really mad at Anon, and I didn't like THAT. So, we had a kind of fight. Good thing the rest of my friends were there though."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she said, looking up to you. "AJ understands everything. She's willing to let you come back to the farm and work for her, if you want."

"Wow... I never figured that was Fluttershy's beef with me."

"Neither did I," Rainbow said, leaning into your chest and gazing out the window to nothing in particular. "After a while she said she understood and just wanted me to be happy, but I don't think she meant it..."

"I can't say I blame her Rainbow. You ARE pretty awesome."

"Now you're just trying to get into my pants."

"You don't wear pants."

"I know," she said, flicking her left wing out and snapping it back. Dirty mare.

"Hey now, I missed out last time," Vinyl said with another devilish grin on her face. Dirty mares everywhere. But, you let your mind wander.

The three of you were in your previous positions, enjoying the feeling of each other's company. Life would continue merrily on no matter what you chose; but you're pretty happy you chose to find out how it continues on here.

Good End.

Chapter 1: Dynamic Entry

Wind. Thats what stood out. It started as a nice breeze, but it became violent exponentially fast. Almost like you were driving down the highway with your windows down. But... The wind wasn't going the right direction... It was going... up? Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. You hadn't noticed until now, but apparently you had your eyes closed; so naturally, you opened them.

Fuck. Big mistake. Big goddamn mistake. You were falling; the landscape staring up at you kind of gave it away, as it became much clearer much faster than you were comfortable with. Shit. You're dead. You're god-damn dead. How did this happen? You don't remember jumping off of anything, and there aren't any cliffs or mountains that you can see.

You recall celebrating a party of some sort... what was it... Your birthday? Maybe? There was party, then more party, then sleep, and then falling. Hell of party. You're barely able to make out what looks like a rainbow... "heading" your direction? The fuck is this shit? Then it hit you. No, literally, the rainbow plowed into you. Then you blacked out.

You come to, and inhale deeply. Well, attempt to anyway; you'd managed a short wheeze before what you'd assumed were broken ribs, so politely reminded you of what happened to get you here. Then everything came crashing back down to you. Your falling, scraps of a memory of a party, and your singed clothes. Wait a minute, falling? Shouldn't you be dead?

No.. wait that’s not right, a... rainbow hit you. Well, lying on the ground isn't helping you solve any mystery, so you sit up and groan. Yup, definitely broke something. Probably multiple somethings. You look around, and start to take in the scenery around you. Trees, grass, a few broken limbs, and a hole in the tree's canopy. Presumably, where you fell through. Upon standing, you look around some more.

Yup, exactly what you expected, more trees. Seriously? You expected what else, exactly? You look up at the sky through the hole in the canopy, and try to get a feel for time or direction, but you can't see the sun. Well, that puts you at either early morning, or early evening. You take your phone out of your pocket, all hail the mighty cellular signal!

Or not. Well ain't that just peachy. Alrighty then, you figure the best thing to do is to get out of these woods asap. So, why not a straight line? Seems simple enough. This forest will end one way or another. You make to walk, but before you do, something catches your eye. A part of the brush looks pretty beat up, but it wasn't near you or your... dynamic entry. Upon closer inspection, there's more than one thing wrong with this particular section of brush. Rainbow... flowers? No, that’s not a flower shape, it looks more like vines, or maybe a big leaf. Then it moved.

"THE FUCK IS THAT," you shout as you jump back to your crater.

It moves again, but this time you're somewhat prepared. You've got some distance on it, lets just see it try something. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Still waiting. Wait-- fuck it. You approach the bush again; why? Because fuck you logic.

It doesn't seem to be sprouting from a branch, at least not one you can see. You pull the brush back to see where this thing leads. There seems to be a blue base its attached to, but... It’s... Bleeding? You can't tell for sure, but that looks quite a bit like blood. You give it a nudge to see if it reacts, and it just squirms a bit.

You push the wound (you presume) and it makes a noise. A loud noise. Like a scream or an outcry of pain. Ok, so something is hurt, and appears to be stuck in a bush. You notice its legs? Are tangled up in the shrubbery, so, being the considerate anon you are, you grab a leg and begin to pull.

It starts to make noise again, but you continue pulling. Whatever it is, it surely doesn't seem like it belongs in shrubbery. You pull hard, against its protests, and it finally starts to pull loose. A bit more.... A bit moooore... BAM! Being free, it flies out of the brush and slams in to you. Aaaaaaand here come -your- protests.

More specifically, your ribs protests. You look down to see that you got the rainbow thing out of the bush. Well, you don't quite agree with the image your eyes are sending your brain. You must be hallucinating or some shit. A rainbow pony. Rainbow. Pony. The hell? It didn't look like a pony you'd seen before though. For one, it has wings. Nope, never seen that before.

You rub your eyes: nope, still there. Well, hallucination or not, you can't just leave it there. Its eyes are wide open, and its mouth slightly agape. You presume it’s probably never seen something like you before either. You approach it, slowly.

"Okay little guy, I'm not gonna hurt you," you say in an attempt to comfort it.

"Who you calling a guy?" it answers back.

You stop dead. The fuck just happened? Ponies don't talk. Not. Possible. The damn thing must've been reading your mind, because it promptly said, "What, you never seen a Pegasus before?" Just calm the fuck down. Think. It’s sentient. It appears to speak English. You should probably consider responding at this point, the pony seems to have taken your blank stare as a bit unnerving. You shake your head for that final head-clearing.

"Ummm.... No. I can't say that I've seen a... Pegasus... before," you said.

"....So I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say you're not from around here, are you," the Pegasus questions.

"Well, that depends. Where exactly is... here?"

"Equestria?" it asks; from its tone, you can tell it’s starting to get just a bit freaked out too.

You shake your head, "Equestrwhatnow?" you ask, dumbfounded.

"You know, Equestria," it says, giving you a suspicious look, "the home of Princess Celestia, Ponyville, Canterlot? Any of this ringing any bells?"

"I can't say it is, no. Never heard of it."

"Oh boy."

"I think we'd better start somewhere else. My name is Anon, whats yours?"

"I'm Rainbow Dash," it says; curious name, but seems fitting enough. What with the rainbow mane and tail. "My turn, no offense but, what are you, exactly? I've never seen anything like you before."

What am I, you ask yourself? A talking pony just asked you what you were. Well, fuck it.
"I'm a human. A human male, more specifically," you finally answered. Never really had to answer that question before.

"Well, I kind of figured the male bit from your voice," She said. Her voice, well it did have that feminine quality to it. Almost like she was covering it up, but whatever. She couldn't fool you. "But I've never heard of a human before," she continued, "and I'm pretty sure you're not some species of pony either." You don't say.

You press on, asking your own burning question, "So is there a hospital or somewhere that we can get fixed up? I don't know about you but my ribs hurt pretty bad."

"Yeah theres a hospital in Ponyville, though I'm pretty sure they'll have a time figuring out what to do with you."

Good point, but its all you've got.

"Well, lets get going then I'm hurting pretty bad, and you don't look so good yourself."

She looks at her wings and various scratches, then back at you. "Yeah, I did make quite the landing I suppose," she chuckles nervously.

"Can you walk?"

She stands up and stretches a bit, before replying "I think so."

"After you then, " you gesture, stepping out of her way.

"Well, last I saw before I hit you, Ponyville was this way" she says before she starts heading in, what appears to you to be no particular direction, but whatever. She seems like you can trust her. She did save your life after all. You've been walking for a few hours now; from what you can see through the tree canopy, its beginning to get dark out. She seems to notice this too, as she's become a bit more agitated.

"It looks like its getting dark, should we set up camp for the night?" you ask

"Why? You scared of the dark?" She asks, mockingly.

"No, but night time seems like as good a time as any to sleep."

"Yeah, you're right there; but we're close. I can feel it." She says, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

"How about this: we keep going until the Moon is in the sky. If we haven't gotten to Ponyville by then, then we'll set up camp. Sound good?"

"Ok, I can go with that."

Its been what feels like a couple more hours, and its becoming hard to see through all the foliage. The moon has started its ascent into the sky, bringing with it worry that you won't get to a hospital for a while.

"Ok big guy, you win. Lets set up camp." Rainbow says.

"Alright, how about over here?" You suggest, gesturing towards a larger tree; its roots are slightly lifted from the ground, creating a sort of crawl space.

"Seems as good a place as any, I guess." She says reluctantly.

As you find some sticks and gather some large leaves from nearby plants to make a roof; you begin to question whether or not you'll wake up. Not because of Rainbow, but because of your injuries. Your ribs are cracked, if not broken; and Rainbow looks even worse than you do.

"Why don't you let me take a look at some of those cuts?"

She defensively replies, "but you've never seen a Pegasus before, right? You have no clue how to fix any of this!"

She makes a good point, the most you've ever patched up before, had to be a nasty scrape you got in a car wreck a while ago. Should be simple enough though. You're confident you can at least stop the bleeding.

"I could at least clean it out. Its probably going to get infected if you leave it like it is."

"No. I'll be fine until morning." She says bluntly.

Well, you can't say that you'd let a beat up alien poke around your cuts or bruises either.

"Ok, then lets get settled for the night."

"We should probably take turns taking watch for the night." She suggests.

"Why, is there something in this forest that'll hurt us?"

"This far in, maybe. I still don't know how close we are to Ponyville, but if we walked for the better half of an evening, and we've yet to find it, I'd say we're pretty deep in."

"Oh" you answer nervously. Getting mauled or worse, eaten, by an alien wolf or something doesn't sound too appealing. "Ok then, I'll take first watch." You volunteer.

She seems to go along with it, and prepares a little bed of leaves for her to sleep on.

"Ok, then I'll see you in a couple of hours."

Maybe an hour and a half has passed, but nothing really eventful has happened. You look over to check on Rainbow, and she's shivering in her sleep. You hadn't noticed. Probably because of the jacket you were wearing.

You think for a bit about what just crossed your mind. She's a pony, she has fur, right? She'll be fine. You look over at her shivering form again. You're the one with a disadvantage here. You look back at her sleeping again. Had she woken up, she probably wouldn't have taken too kindly to your staring at her while she slept.

You take off your jacket and place it over her, like a blanket. As the cold begins to set in, you begin to regret giving up your jacket. Just as quickly as the regrets enter your mind, you look over and see Rainbow has stopped shivering, and has resumed sleeping quite peacefully. Fucking conscience.

The moon is roughly halfway through the sky at this point, and you were beginning to get pretty sleepy. It'd been an eventful day, to say the least. Even with the sharp cold, sleep began to demand your obedience, and your body agreed.

Your mind did not. No, it was interested in this strange place with Pegasus. Why can't your body and mind ever get along? Back to the cold. You figured now was as good of a time as any to wake Rainbow and switch watches. Unfortunately, she didn't quite wake up. Still breathing, albeit pretty shallow. Good, she's not dead. Boy, that'd cause a riot, bring a dead pony into a town of ponies. You take your jacket off of her, and inspect her suspiciously quiet form.

First thing you notice, is that her cuts haven't healed. A couple of them actually look worse. Probably infected with something. Stubborn Pegasus. Ah well, no point debating it now, past is past. You wrap her up in your jacket and scoop her up into your arms. Better get her to that hospital, fast. Her body is just too quiet and her breath too shallow for your liking. Well, at least you'll be even. Sort of. You did kind of cause her to crash.

Only one thing you can do now, continue as long as your legs will carry you to this 'Ponyville' you've heard so little about. Hope they like humans. You begin heading in your original direction, despite your own ribs (very vocal) complaints.

It feels like a few hours pass; she isn't exactly heavy, but dammit if your arms aren't starting to hurt. As you're walking, it occurs to you that this forest, doesn't seem as dangerous as Rainbow made it out to be. The only thing you've encountered other than foliage, is a Pegasus. And she wasn't even in the forest to begin with.

You just had to think about it, didn't you? Idiot. You hear something move behind you. Shit. Adrenaline is one hell of a drug. Your legs have become a blur; your arms still hurt, but your brain is now refusing to acknowledge it. Your brain likes its adrenaline. Running as fast as you can, you finally slow down to catch your breath, and listen for more noises.

Your legs decided they are ready to run again; your eyes however, were not prepared for the sudden need to focus on where you were putting your feet. You've tripped; your adrenaline filled brain slows down time for you, and pieces together a brilliant plan!

You spin around, so you don't land on the hurt pegasus you're carrying. Wait for it. Waaaaaiiiit for it. TOUCHDOWN! But your ribs have begun to remind you why you're an idiot. Still conscious, but dammit if you don't just hurt like hell. This seems to startle Rainbow out of her ill slumber. You might say she's just a tad surprised.

"Anon? Whats going on? Why are you carrying me? Why are we laying down? Where are we?" Questions. Questions everywhere. With your body in recovery mode, no energy was spared for speaking. She begins to eye you with what looks to be a mix of anger and worry. "Anon, can you hear me?" She gives you a little nudge with her hoof. Still nothing. "Great."

You've got her in a bear hug from the fall, and again, your body was not inclined to let you move until it decided that was a good idea. Rainbow looks around, trying to get a bearing on where you managed to get the two of you. "This place looks... familiar."

Leaves. Trees. Plants. Nighttime. Well no shit. Whatever was chasing you (at least you presumed it was chasing you), had caught up. You could feel whatever it was burning its eyes into you.

"Fluttershy? Issat you?" Rainbow asks the creature.

Apparently this "Fluttershy" had made some sort of positive response. If it said anything, it was far too quiet for you to hear.

"Fluttershy, listen: I need you to go to the hospital and get some paramedic unicorns out here as quick as you can. You understand?" Rainbow instructed this new creature. You heard rustling, and then silence. Rainbow looked back at you and said, "Just keep calm Anon, we got this. We found Ponyville."

At this point, you'd managed to regain control of your voice.

"What the hell was that?" You asked, rather bluntly.

"That, was Fluttershy. She's a Pegasus, like me." She stated. Ok, ok, no need to panic. Apparently Fluttershy is a friend.

"Did I hear you say, unicorns?"

"Yeah, why?"

Great. Well, if you're going crazy, might as well go all out. Onward and into the abyss!

"Try and relax, I'll wake you up when the paramedics get here." Damn, she sure seems concerned for you. "I said relax. You're kind of starting to crush me." Duh. Your bear-trap of an embrace. After you relax your arms, you close your eyes and let out a moan of pain. Your ribs remind you of what just happened. Crazy or not, the hurting in your ribs is getting old.

You open your eyes. Bad idea. Dizzy as fuck. And you're laying down. How does that even work? Oh yeah, ribs... As you struggle to regain focus, you hear leaves being rustled once more. Your eyes focus upon Rainbow Dash, who has remained on your chest, despite you dropping your arms off of her. She has this worried look in her eyes. At least, you hope its a worried look.

You did move her while she was sleeping. Oh shit! Thats right! She was passed out, and you're pretty sure it was because of her infected looking cuts. She looks even worse than before, now that she's awake.

"Shit. You okay, Rainbow Dash?" You ask, fully expecting a lie.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, but you don't look so good, Anon." Aaaaannnd there it is.

“I don't look so good? Have you seen yourself lately? Those cuts--"

"Yeah, I know. I'll be fine. But Celestia help me if you think you're going to pull a stunt like that again."

"What do you mean, 'stunt like that'?"

"Well, we're not too far away from Fluttershy's cottage now, and I don't sleepwalk. You're all sweaty and shaking, so I'd wager you ran a bit. And I woke up in your arms.” Uh-oh. Moment of truth.

"...Thanks."

"For what?"

"You could've left me there, and saved yourself, but you didn't. Why? I don't know you; and you don't know me."

She makes a valid point. "Hell if I know. I didn't want to just leave you there."

Rustling of leaves, and a pegasus appears. You assume this to be the Fluttershy that was here earlier. She's got a yellow coat with a pink tail and mane. Shortly after Fluttershy arrives, what you assume to be the paramedics arrive as well. Looks like about three ponies, all with white coats. Of course, they all stop dead upon seeing you. Why wouldn't they? Alien freak.

"Don't worry guys, he's in no condition to hurt anypony," Rainbow tells them. Why is she sticking her neck out for you? Maybe she feels guilty or some shit. Why are you questioning it? Dumbass. The medical trio of ponies seems to snap out of it, and start heading for the two of you. The first pony had a red cross on her flank, and was heading for you, along with one of the other ponies. Rainbow had hopped off your chest, and was talking to the other medic pony.

"My name, is Nurse Red Heart. Do you understand me?" She asks you. You nod your head in affirmation, chest beginning to lay down the hurt. "Okay, well, we're going to take you to the hospital and get you fixed up as best we can" Red Heart tells you. She had this air about her. A no-nonsense thing going on. You nod your head, and her... horn? begins to glow. Must be a unicorn. Then, you begin to glow, and levitate. Naturally, the ground suddenly leaving you, you begin to freak out a bit.

"Calm down dear, we'll take care of you" she assures.

Noticing your panicked state, Rainbow trots over to you. "Calm down dude, they're good at what they do" she tells you.

You nod your head, and calm down as best you can. Nurse Red Heart resumes moving you with her... horn? Fuck it. Why not. The second medic approaches, his horn glowing, and takes up position opposite of Red Heart. Wait. Do all of these ponies have horns? You look at the medic tending to Rainbow. Sure enough, horn. At any rate, they then began to move you in the direction you assumed Ponyville was in.

The journey was a bit awkward, but you and your escort service finally made it out of the forest. Nurse Red Heart and her assistant refrained from pounding you with questions; choosing to focus on the task at hand: getting you to the hospital.

"Nurse" you mumble, voice coming back. Red Heart snaps her attention to you. She hadn't heard you talk before. Smooth Anon.

"...Y-Yes?" She asks, ignoring her shock as best she can.

"I... I think I can walk, if you'll let me."

"...Well, alright then. Go ahead" she says as she lowers you to the ground, her assistant mimicking her. You stand up; still a little dizzy, but you've got your footing.

“Ok, lead the way" you say. Still a bit uneasy with you speaking, she positions herself next to you; presumably to catch you should you fall. She instructs her assistant to take point, and he does. Your journey to the hospital resumes. Looking back, and see Rainbow and the third medic following you. Well, at least she looks ok. For the most part.

You resume paying attention to the medic pon-- er, unicorn, that was leading you. You've passed quite a few buildings, but you didn't really focus on what they were. You're eyes lock on a big white building with a red cross on it. Hospital? Hospital.

When you finally make it to the building, your fatigue is beginning to take hold of your mind. Its a good thing Nurse Red Heart was keeping an eye on you. Had she not; that fall could've done some damage.

You faded in and out of consciouness from then on. You caught glimpses of what was happening every now and again. Being rushed through the hallway. Someone arguing with someone else about... a bed? A group of ponies standing around you, all of which had very serious expressions. Silence. Sweet silence.

You open your eyes, and look around. You're in a hospital bed. Or rather, a makeshift hospital bed. Counting the dips in the rails on the sides of the 'bed,' it looked more like four smaller beds had been pushed up against each other. It makes sense, you suppose. You were a bit bigger than these ponies.

You were under hospital sheets. Upon further inspection, all of your clothing had been removed. Your chest was wrapped up in bandages The cuts on your arms and legs were bandaged as well. They had draped a towel over your midsection. You begin to examine your room, and take in its details.

There aren't any windows in here. The lights are pretty dim; the ceiling lights were off, and a lamp next to your bed was dimmed down. If its dark in here, they're either letting you get your sleep, or mimicing the time of day. You sighed, realizing you could finally get some rest.

“Wait a minute,” You sigh. Shouldn't that hurt like hell? You press and poke around on your ribs. It still hurts, but more like they're sore. Not broken.

"How long was I out?" you openly ask yourself. About that time, the door to your room opened, and in walked Nurse Red Heart. She noticed you were awake, and walked over to your side.

"How are you feeling, Anon?" she asked politely. How did she know your name?

“How do you know my name?" you ask, forgetting her question entirely.

"Rainbow Dash wasn't injured as seriously as you were. She woke up first, and told me what happened." She responded simply. Makes sense. Crashing into an alien isn't something you think you'd forget so easily either.

"Now then, how are YOU feeling?" she reiterates. Right.

"I'm feeling much better. My ribs are sore, but they don't hurt near as much as they did before. How did you manage to fix me up? I thought I was the only human ponies had ever encountered?"

"Woah now, take it easy. You may feel better, but you still need time to rest. We fixed you up the same way we do most other ponies: magic." she explained. She's got to be pulling your leg or something. Magic? Fucking magic? From your blank stare expression, she pulls that you don't quite understand. "Rainbow said you'd never met a pony before, I thought she was kidding. There are three types of ponies in Equestria: Pegasi, Unicorns, and Earth Ponies. Pegasi have wings to fly, Unicorns have horns to perform magic, and Earth ponies are generally more durable or physically stronger than unicorns or peagsi; to make up for their lack of magic or flight."

Would explain how she got you here initially. And the healing. Odd that you've only met unicorns and pegasi, but not an Earth pony. Chalk one up to coincidence. "Can I check your bandages and injuries? I need to make sure they're healing properly." she inquires. Don't see why not. She's probably the one who put the bandages on you in the first place.

"Sure, go ahead." you say as you remove the hospital covers. She gets up on her rear legs, and pokes around your chest with her forehooves. She guages your reactions to where she applied pressure, and takes some notes using her magic and a nearby clipboard. She then uses her magic to lift some of the bandages, and checks for bruising. More notes.

After re-applying your chest bandages, she repeats the process with the various cuts and scrapes on your legs. More notes. She sets the clipboard back down, and puts the sheets back on you. "Alright, everything seems to be doing well. I don't know for sure, as we've never encountered a... well..."

"Human?" you suggest.

"Right, human. We've never encountered a human before. But based on the rest of your body, you seem to be recovering nicely. You'll have to help us out with your recovery, this is going to be a team effort to make sure you don't have anything else broken." Fair enough.

"I've got a few questions, if you don't mind my asking"

"Go right ahead dear."

"Well, first off, how is Rainbow doing? Last I saw of her, she had some pretty nasty cuts."

"I can't tell you about other patients" she says. "But suffice it to say, there have been no additions to the morgue." A bit dark, but it got the point across.

“Fair enough. Next question: where are my belongings?" You had your iPhone and a swiss army knife on you, thats about all. You think. Probably.

"We took your clothes to be cleaned in town, and as for your... belongings... I have them put away in storage. One of them looked like it shattered though. Probably from when you fell in the forest." Great. Broken phone. "We'll get you your clothing back as soon as its cleaned though. They were only coated in ash, they didn't seem damaged other than the piece you tore for Rainbow Dash." Well, at least your nudity can be cured.

"Ok, one more question: how long was I out?"

"A couple of days. We had to fight to keep you with us a couple times, but you made it." A couple of days. Not bad, considering what you've been through. Falling into another dimension/onto another planet Being hit by a flying pony. Carrying said pony through the woods at the speed of extreme fear. And probably going completely insane. Eh.

"Now, if you've no more questions, you should probably try and get back to sleep. Its almost midnight." With that, she gathers her notes, and heads out of your room. You reach over, turn off your lamp, and try to get to sleep. Your brain can't have that, now can it? Time to fuck with your dreams.

You were flying. Not falling, but flying through the air. Just minding your own business, enjoying the freedom. Suddenly, you’re falling extremely fast. There's a big green thing that has hold of you. FUCK its the Hulk Wait, what? You hit the ground, and the Hulk starts tearing your scrawny ass apart. You wake up with a start, looking around the dark hospital room. The fuck was that about? After you calm down a bit, you slowly drift off to sleep for round two.