The Shadow of a Marine

I picked up the robe and the instructions on how to fix it. But if I can guess then she’ll probably make it more fitting to my personality. As well as livelier. I left my house again and took it to Rarity’s shop. As I walked in she came out of a side room.

She spotted the robe I was carrying and said, “Darling bring it back here I’ll need to make a few measurements and get a few details in before you leave!”

I followed her back into the room and she placed the robe over a mannequin. She made a few measurements on it and looked over the design. It appears she had a cat because it was playing with the side of the robe. So far they both seemed to like it. Soon her cat climbed onto the back of the mannequin and fell asleep on the robe. I agree with the cat. The robe is quite comfortable.

“It just seems to be really old… I can’t really find anything wrong with it other than a few holes and tears…” She said as she got done looking over it, “I’ll have it back to you within a few days! I mean this is practically perfect for you! You’d both look perfect together.”

I was ushered out of the store right after that, “Thanks Rarity!”

“Oh it’s nothing Darling!” She responded. She shut the door behind me as I left.

As I walked back down the main street to my house I spotted Twilight alone with Spike. I felt I needed to make up further for keeping the fact that I could use magic from her so I walked over to them. I glanced up at the sky and noticed rain clouds forming again.

Twilight spotted me walking over and it appeared she was about to have a panic attack.

“What’s wrong?” I questioned as I got to the table she was at.

She breathed a sigh of relief, “All of the girls are trying to do favors for me because I just received two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!”

I thought about Rarity’s final words to me before I was ushered out of the store, “Oh. That’s why she’s going to get it done so soon.”

“Wait… who? And what?” Twilight questioned.

“I just gave Rarity my old robe. She said she’ll have it done in a few days… she also said, and I’m quoting, ‘I mean this is practically perfect for you! You’d both look perfect together.’” I responded.

Spike laughed a little bit.

Twilight blushed a little, “Um… you… I wanted to ask…. would you… um…”

I smiled, “If you want me to go with you then I will!”

“That’s great!” She said happily.

“But…”I began.

“What… is… are you…” She began to question.

“No! No!” I cut her off, “No of course not! Maybe you should go back to your house and say… send the tickets back and try to get enough for all of us to go… I mean they probably… except Rarity… they all probably feel that I’m trying to take you away… Even though it’s only been two days… I just don’t feel to good about reinforcing that opinion…”

She nodded, “Okay… Okay… Um… Would you mind…”

“Sure. I’ll walk you back… I don’t see why not!” I said.

Spike made the same motion I made when my mom and dad acted like this. Open mouth and pointing a finger down the throat.

I laughed a little at that, “One day you may be acting like this Spike. I felt the same way when I was younger.”

Just as Twilight was about to start eating the Waiter walked out. I pulled out an umbrella from my pack. I knew it was coming so I opened it up.

“Excuse me Mrs… It’s raining are you sure you don’t want to eat inside?” The waiter asked.

Just as he said that the rain poured down over top of me.

Twilight saw the rain coming down on me and looked up, “RAINBOW DASH! I DON’T WANT ANY FAVORS!”

Rainbow Dash shrugged and closed the cloud. Just before the rain came down on Twi I got her under my umbrella. She had managed to get her sandwich before it started raining.

Twilight pushed herself against me and Spike walked under the umbrella too. We walked back to her house to find Fluttershy and her animals cleaning out her library.

I chuckled, “Looks like you weren’t lying when you said all of them!”

Twi glanced at me and smiled a little, “Come on… Let’s just get inside.”

The three of us stepped inside, I shook the umbrella off before closing it and sticking it into the holder beside the door.

Twilight huffed and said, “Fluttershy! I don’t want anymore favors!”

“Oh…” Fluttershy replied. She glanced at me. She suddenly looked like she was about to burst into tears.

I reeled, “No! No! She’s going to try to get enough tickets for all of us to go!”

Fluttershy calmed down a little, “Re… really… are you going to Twilight?”

“Yes I am… That’s thanks to Shadow…” Twilight responded giving Fluttershy a comforting smile.

Fluttershy hugged Twilight lightly, “Oh thank you Twilight!”

I breathed a sigh of relief now because I just averted a crisis that I didn’t want to be involved in.

Spike had gotten the parchment and a quill so Twilight could write the letter.

Fluttershy let go of Twilight and went to sit down on a chair. Twilight and I sat down on the couch. I gently positioned my own tail so it would be right against her’s.

She was about to speak so Spike could write the letter when the rest of them appeared out of nowhere.

Rainbow Dash questioned, “So Twilight… Who are you taking? It’s not like I need to know because I already know it’s me!”

“No it ain’t Dash! She’s gonna be takin me!” Applejack retorted.

I scooted over slightly so Rarity could sit down. Twilight didn’t mind me being right against her. In fact both of us enjoyed it.

“No! Both of you are wrong!” Pinkie shouted. She was just joining in on what Applejack and Dash were doing.

Rarity then questioned, “So Twilight. Are you two going to returning the same night or are you both going to spend some time alone?”

Twilight blushed and pushed closer to me.

“Nope. She was just about to try to get tickets for all of us to go…” I responded. Twilight gently cuddled against me. I’m starting to look forward to living here.

Dash had conveniently neglected to hear my response and growled when Rarity even passingly suggested that Twilight was taking me.

Now on a scale from one to ten on the scared-as-shitometer I was on par with what Fluttershy was daily. I feared for my own life… no not my life… my own fucking soul.

“You… are… not… EVER… thinking… of taking him… over me…” Dash began as she drew closer. She had murder in her eyes.

Thank God Applejack had a rope again, “Hold it there! Yah didn’t just hear what he said did ya?”

“I DON’T CARE WHAT HE SAID!” Dash shouted angrily.

“Well yah should! Twi ain't takin him! She’s gonna try ta take all of us!” Applejack retorted.

“Oh…” She laughed a little shamefully, “Sorry… I…”

I was still really scared but I had managed to hold my ground, “It’s… fine… sometimes… we only hear what we want to hear…”

Dash was untied within a few seconds.

“Any more… disruptions… or attempts to kill one another?” Twilight questioned while glaring at Dash.

Everyone kept silent.

“Okay. Spike, take a letter.” She said.

Spike brought the quill up and prepared to write.

She began, “Dear Princess Celestia…”

Just as she began Spike belched out a letter. This one was clearly from Celestia. The other one I hadn’t seen.

Twilight unrolled it and began to read it, “To My Faithful Student, I’m sorry for any trouble the last letter you received may have cause. My sister decided it would be a good idea to send only two tickets instead of the total of seven! In order to make up for that I have included the other five. But as of recent changes I have also decided to include an extra ticket! I hope to see all of you at the Grand Galloping Gala this year! Signed Princess Celestia.”

We were all a little stunned. To say the least.

I felt like calling Princess Luna the single greatest Troll I had ever seen. But I kept that to myself.

Six tickets slid out of the letter. One for each of her friends and one for Spike.

“Well… that was… really unexpected…” I said.

“Yeah… that was…” Twilight agreed.

We all remained quiet for two or three minutes. It was so quiet that we could all hear the storm picking up outside.

Each of the girls picked up their tickets.

Dash looked outside and said, “It’s getting really late… and the storms getting heavier… Let’s talk about this tomorrow.”

All of us agreed to that.

“Flutters. I’ll get you home.” Dash said.

Fluttershy nodded and followed Dash outside.

Rarity and Pinkie had both vanished I knew Rarity could teleport. Pinkie… I… I just don’t care anymore.

Applejack had left with Dash and Fluttershy.

“Spike you can get some sleep I’ll send a letter to Celestia tomorrow.” Twilight said.

Spike nodded and went upstairs.

“So… it’s just you and me now…” I said.

She smiled a little and laid her head against my neck, “Yeah… it’s just us…”

“If you want I can stay tonight…” I said with a little smile.

Her  smile widened and her cheeks flushed red, “You would!?! I’d love that!”

I gently nuzzled her, “I think sleeping in a bed would be a lot more comfortable than both of us sleeping on the couch.”

She took my little hint. She blushed even more, “Oh… um… um…”

I smiled a little more and kissed her. When we broke I said, “No… no… not like that. I feel we should at least get used to each other before we take our relationship that far… Let’s just cuddle tonight.”

She was still a little shaky about having me in the same bed as her. “O… okay… Come… come on… I’ll…”

I got off the couch and managed to get her onto my back, “No! You’ve done enough Twi…”

She held on tightly as I walked up to her room. I gently let her off my back and onto the bed. She hurried under the blankets and was still shaking.

I slid into the bed right in front of her and wrapped my forehooves around her protectively. “Twi… I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to… Don’t worry…”

She calmed down a little and snuggled against me, “Shadow… Can… can you tell me what you think of me?”

“Twi… I think you're the most beautiful, most loving, and smartest mare I have ever met…” I responded pulling her in closer.

She cuddled against me even more and settled her head down next to mine, “Shadow… I love you…”

Instead of responding I kissed her. We continued kissing for a minute or two before we broke the kiss. I then said, “Twi I love you too!”

“Shadow… Promise me you won’t leave me… promise me that I’m the only one…” She said. Her tone had changed from happy to a little sad.

“I can do better than a promise. I’m never going to feel the same way that I feel around you around any other mare… I’m never going to go anywhere. I’m going to be right beside you from now on… We’ll just need to work out a sleeping arrangement… It’s kind of strange… we’ve known each other for two days and we've been dating for one and a half… But now…” I began.

“But now we’re talking about moving in together.” She finished, “I’d love that… but Spike’s not going to be too thrilled about having to cook for both of us…”

“I’ll earn my keep around here then. It’ll be worth it to be this close to you every night!” I replied as we settled against each other.

“Good night Shadow…” She yawned.

“Good night Twi.” I responded as she fell asleep beside me. Her breathing was slow and steady. Her heart beat the same. I felt… truly happy again… I’ve never been treated as normal not since I gained my archanic hoof. Ha. I’m beginning to act like a pony now that I’m being treated as one.

I’m beginning to love it here.