As days go by...

You sat under the tree near your home, Scootaloo snuggled up in your lap and Rainbow by your side with her hooves tightly wrapped around you. All things considered?

Better than any day of your whole life back on Earth.

"It's getting dark, we better get going." Rainbow slowly stood up and helped you to your feet without waking Scootaloo. On the short walk back you admired the sunset for a moment, the orange glow coloring and illuminating the dull white fields and icicles hanging from the trees. Rainbow was at the door already and you must've taken a little more than a moment because she impatiently cleared her throat and lead you upstairs to Scootaloo's room on the top floor.

Now that you had a real chance to check out the cloud house it was far more impressive than in the show, bigger too. Of course Rainbow may have renovated when you moved in, even more when Scootaloo did. You lay Scootaloo down and slowly tuck her in. She stirs for a moment, readjusting to the fluffy bed and you carefully sneak to the door. "I love you dad." your body freezes and the chill seeping into the room goes unnoticed as you smile uncontrollably.

"I love you too Scoots. G'night." you take your time heading back to yours and Rainbows room as you savor both the joy you feel from your daughters words and the pictures hung in the hallway.

Fun times of you and Dash on various dates, you with a suitcase and a duffel bag in front of your new home. As you go on, more recent and important photos catch your eye. You saluting and accepting a scroll from Shining Armour, Rainbow with a teary smile as you knelt before her...all things you wish you could remember NOW. Having to wait for this was going to be hell, but you were here, in Equestria...finally. Nothing would ruin that, ever.

You finally arrived at your room but Rainbow was standing in front of the bed, pawing at the floor "What is it?"

She shuffled her hooves together "Well I thought that, since you can't remember...'us' I just figured I'd ask if you're okay with sleeping in the same bed an-"

"It's fine. In fact I'd umm...prefer it." you threw in an awkward smile with your now bright red cheeks and she sighed in relief.

"Well, let's get some sleep then. We've got a big day tomorrow." she flew over the bed and threw the thick blankets back.

"What's happening tomorrow?" you climbed in next to her and pulled your blankets back up.

"It's Hearths Warming day. Scootaloo just couldn't wait to give those awesome shades." you lay back into the pillows and turn towards her.

"What if she finds out?"

Rainbow snuggles in close and tightly hugs you "I hope to Celestia that she doesn't have to...but-"

"I'll make sure she won't, and just know I'm always here if you need anything. I still love you Rainbow."

She squeezed tighter and made herself comfortable "Thank you." You limply wrap your arms around her and allow the events of the day to hit you like a ton of bricks, falling asleep almost instantly.

***

You stood in a large, empty field "This should be interesting."

"That'd be one word for it." you spin around to find the source of the voice. "Over here idiot." in front of you a figure slowly begins to materialize. An arm, torso...once the face was visible you payed no attention to the rest.

"Lauren? Holy shit, even now I didn't think it'd be true."

"That what would be true?" you could sense some annoyance in her tone.

"I dunno, that you're Equestria's 'God'." she nodded and walked over to you.

"Stop searching for your memories Riley...you won't like what you find."

[What the fuck did she just say?]

"What?" you put as much anger into your response as you could, hoping she'd get the message.

"These things happen for a reas-"

"Just what WILL I find Lauren?" you stared daggers into her eyes, you weren't gonna let anyone stop you. You'd kill if you had to...goddess or not.

Lauren returned you glare and stepped back before fading away "A monster." The echo of her voice lingered, and grew louder...and louder.

Soon enough it was deafening, and increasing in pitch till it was and unbearable screech. You clutched your head as your legs gave out. The screech turned into screams, cries for help...begging, crying and maniacal laughter.

Through it all a furious voice lashed out "It's your fault! It's all your fault!!"

You shot upright, gasping for air sweating like crazy. "What the fuck?" you look out the window, noticing it being too bright to be morning. At least you got a decent amount of sleep. {Well, not like I was gonna get back to sleep anyway} Between the nightmare and your earlier headache giving and encore, sleep was most certainly out of the question.

Then a soft, angelic voice reached your ears "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a bit." obviously a lie, you were probably worse off than yesterday.

"Well I'm gonna be here to take care of you for a couple days too. Coffee?" she trotted in levitating two cups of-LEVITATING!!?

"Let me guess, I taught you THAT too?" you pointed to one of the cups as it floated to your hand.

Rainbow suddenly realized you weren't used to seeing her use magic "Oh yeah just a little levitation, I can't do anything heavier than say...an average pony but it just makes things a bit easier."

"That sounds like me alright. I'm surprised at myself."

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow and fluttered up next to you "How so?"

You downed a mouthful of coffee and pulled her onto the bed "I managed to make the most awesome mare in Equestria even more awesome."

She giggled a bit and slapped your arm "Guess you haven't forgotten your charm huh."

"Oh I was BORN like this girl." She leans her head against you, letting out a sigh "Comfortable?"

"Mhmm."

You kiss her cheek and softly stroke her neck "Good."

After a minute or so a strange, musky smell comes to your attention, "What IS that?"

"What's what?"

You sniff the air a bit to be sure you’re not imagining it "That smell."

Rainbow drops her head and blushes furiously "Oh, that's umm...me."

"Uh, whaddya mean?" Rainbow looked away and mumbled something "What?"

"I'm..."

"I can't hear you."

"I'm in..."

You grab her chin and turn her face to yours "Whatever it is, you can tell me. It's alright."

She sighed, and now sat upright in front of you "I'm, in heat."

{In heat. In heat, in heat, in-...} "Oh...so um-"

"I can take care of myself. You...don't have to...ya know, 'Help'."

[Couldn't hurt ya know]

Are you fucking kidding!? Uh she's a pony dude<

[Your point?]

You what the fuck my point is<

You dismiss the voices arguing in your head and rest a hand on her shoulder "If you need me, just say so okay."

Rainbow shot up in surprise "Wait so, your fine with..." you gave a nod and smiled "Well, not now. I mean, it's not bad at the moment but maybe when I get back..." as she trails off you lean in and give her a quick kiss. And you feel a slight weightlessness hit you.

***

You were sprinting through the streets of Ponyville, dodging ponies left right and center. Many of whom watched in awe at your display, even you were impressed by your own agility.

But love is a powerful thing.

After going till your legs couldn't carry you, and then some, you were now at the Ponyville outskirts. A small hill in the middle of the vast green land surrounding the town. Almost nopony came out here...almost.

"RAINBOW!" you waited for a response. Nothing "RAINBOW!!"

"Yeah yeah I'm comin'! Don't get your feathers in a twist!"

{Now or never}

Rainbow swooped off her home and hovered down to you "Riley? What the hay was with the yelling?"

{Do it! Do it now!} You held your hands behind your back and they were shaking so violently the flowers in them almost went flying out. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I um...I just-..."

"You, what?"

[If I were a person I would punch you in the fucking face right now. Tell her!!]

"What's that behind you?"

She flew around you before you could hide the bouquet and heard her gasp. You turned around, slowly handing her the flowers "I love you."

Her expression didn't change from her pure shock for several moments until you saw a tear roll down her cheek "I'm sor-"

Your apology is cut short as she snatches the flowers from your hand then dives at your chest and hugs you, feeling her tears seep through your shirt.

"I love you too."

{What the fuck just happened?}

[askgfbrx]

{Whatever, I don't need you anyway} You eventually release each other but just when you think Rainbow couldn't surprise you anymore she kisses you.

Still with her hooves around your neck the force nearly pushes you over until you press against her lips. She once again breaks away, licking her lips and smiling at you "So...now what? I didn't exactly have much faith in myself."

She giggles and lets go of you at last, dropping to the ground "Well umm, how about you meet me at The Toadstool tomorrow say...8?"

"It's a date." She gives you one last peck on the lips and shoots back to her house leaving you with your thoughts. {She loves me too. We have a date tomorrow. This is the second best day EVER!!}

[Did you REALLY not have faith in that plan?]

{Why the fuck would I? None of my plans ever worked on Earth…but that changed when Lauren-doesn't matter now, it worked and I am very happy} After a mandatory fist pump you slowly made your way home with a smile plastered on your face as the sunset before you began to lose color.

***

You blinked a few times to get your vision focused. "The Toadstool, 8 o'clock."

"Wha?"

You leaned back and grinned ear to ear "Our first date."

Her face lights up "You remember it?"

"I think I did better. I remember what happened the day before."

She smiled and glanced at the alarm clock behind you "I gotta meet Twi soon, should be back in a few minutes. You okay here by yourself?"

"I'm an elite commander of the Canterlot royal guard special forces, I can handle a couple minutes alone." Rainbow paused, staring blankly at you for a moment "I remembered my little talk to you and the other recruits."

"Oh. Well, I better get going, you-"

"Know how Twilight gets pissy when ponies are late?"

"Exactly."

"Well?" Rainbow shakes off the distant look in her eye and finally takes off for her meeting. And now you're alone. There's only one thing that anyone can do at a time like this...

"BOOOOORING!!"

You had extensively inspected the entire house top to bottom, excluding Scootaloo's room. You weren't going to be that kind of dad. "Now I know why I worked so much, exhaustion is way better than this bullshit."

After tending to the headache from your earlier memory fragment, finally you found something interesting. A locker, but a locker with a keypad. "Well, well, well. If games have taught me one thing, it's that these always have good shit in 'em."

Nearly an hour had gone by and it was beginning to get ridiculous "What is the fucking code!!?" but an idea sprang to mind at your words earlier '...one thing games have taught me...' "Am I really that lazy?" in one final attempt you enter the code.

'1...1...5'. The doors click and slowly swing open "Well fuck me."

***

Twilight was working on one of her reports to princess Celestia as per usual when an odd smelling mare landed on her balcony, "Hi Rainbow. How's Riley doing?"

"Oh uhhh, yeah he's fine. I wanted to talk to you about something." Twilight left her desk and took a seat on her recliner, as Rainbow nervously stepped to the couch.

"Jeez Rainbow, I haven't seen you this nervous since you asked me what Riley told me about human mating." then the bookworm had an epiphany "So THAT'S what I smelled."

Rainbow finally sat down and explained herself, rather quickly in her embarrassment "I don't think I can take going without him Twi, I'm so used to it that I might just go crazy. I told him earlier and he said he was okay with 'it' but I'm not sure if he really IS, because the first time he was so nervous and-"

"Rainbow, relax. Didn't you tell me that when the two of you were friends he promised to do anything to help you?"

"Yyyeah?"

"Well if he was willing to go that far when you were just friends, don't you think he'll help with this now that he knows about your relationship?"

Rainbow laid back on the couch and eyed the ceiling in thought. Twilight was right, he was the most dedicated friend anypony could ask for, and in the 2 years they had been together he was always by her side no matter what. "You're right. And he even remembered when he finally told me how he felt, so there's no way he's just patronizing me. Thanks Twi."

The lavender mare smiled and returned to her studies "You're welcome, now I believe you have a stallion to see to."

And so without a moment’s hesitation Rainbow rocketed out of the tree, homeward bound...and grinning ear to ear.