Second Wind

You had just dried yourself off, and were getting dressed for dinner. The same pair of black pants and the white shirt you had left the hospital with had to do for now. You really needed some more clothes. You make a mental note to ask Aaden about that when you see him next. After you quickly look yourself over, you decide you're presentable, and you walk down the hallway and into the kitchen. Lyra, and the other pony you suspected was Bon Bon, were making the table up, preparing it for dinner.

"Hey. You need any help?" Lyra looks up from sitting a plate and fork down, and motions with her hoof to Bon Bon.

"You might be able to help Bon Bon, if you wanna. I've got the table taken care of." You look over to Bon Bon.

"How about it, Bon Bon?" She doesn't turn around from finishing up cooking, but points up to some cabinets above her.

"I can't reach our nice glasses in the cabinet without standing on something. Could you get three out, please?"

"Gotcha." You walk over to the cabinets, and pull several of the nice, tall glasses down. They were a little dusty.

Must not have company too often...

You walk the glasses over to the sink, and give them a quick washing. As you begin to take a towel to each of the glasses, you turn around, and attempt to strike up conversation with Bon Bon. She seemed really nervous, and you wanted to make sure you changed that.

"So, Bon Bon. What's on the menu?" She sprinkles some small, chopped herbs over her dish.

"Lasagna with beans. Mom taught it to me when I was a filly." You finished drying one of the glasses, and you grab another wet one.

"It's really good!" Lyra called over from the table. "I think you'll really like it!"

"What about dessert?" You ask. You manage to make Bon Bon smile.

"Well, I was thinking maybe just some ice-cream or something?" You return her smile.

"Sounds good." You finish the new glass you were holding, and grab the last wet one. "It almost done? I'd hate to sound impatient, but I haven't eaten since I got out of the hospital." Bon Bon looks down at the dish, examining it closely. She squints her eyes, and touches the side of the dish with her hoof, poking it extremely briefly.

"Oh yeah. It's all done." You finish the last glass, and set it with the other two. They now sparkle and shine as if they were brand new.

"What're you ladies drinking tonight?" Bon Bon opens up a small cooler next to her cabinets, and hands you a bottle of red wine.

"Imported straight from Prance. Lovely little nation. I love their language."

Prance? Like France?

"Like, 'Je m'appelle Alan'?" Bon Bon smiles slightly wider.

"Exactly like that, actually. How did you learn to speak like that?" The parallels between your universe and this one were almost making you uncomfortable.

"Work back home. We traveled a bunch." You weren't lying. The IMO made you all take classes to learn French, German, Spanish and Japanese. Very rarely did you ever need to speak German or Japanese in your line of work, but French and Spanish were necessities. Bon Bon carried the dish of lasagna over to the table while you poured several glasses of wine, and carried them over to the table. Bon Bon sat the dish down in the center of the table, and took a seat. Lyra was already sitting. You put a glass of wine in front of each of them, while Lyra used her magic to cut the lasagna and distribute it among you all.

"So. Lyra, I never got to ask you. What do you do for a living?" You ask. Lyra sips at her wine.

"I help out Bon Bon! She owns a candy store, 'Sweet Dreams'! It's really fun work!" You switch your gaze over to Bon Bon, who was eating.

"Sweet Dreams, eh? Clever name. What's it like?" You ask again. She swallows her mouthful, and wipes her mouth.

"I've always wanted to work with fillies, ya know? But I'm an awful teacher. So, opening a candy store, and being able to make fillies smile that way? It's very rewarding to me."

"And me too!" Lyra shouts. She realized that she should probably be using her inside voice, and blushes. "What about you, Alan? What did you do back home? You said you traveled a whole bunch!" You poke at your lasagna with your fork, hesitant to tell them what you did. Now that you knew that your 'Queen' had lied to you, the memories she called false and tricks of the 'Oppressors' turned out to be true.

"My work wasn't exactly...respected...back at home." Bon Bon looks at you curiously while chewing, and Lyra sips at her wine again. She sets the glass down.

"Tell us, silly!" You sigh. There was no point in hiding any of this. It was all going to come out sooner or later. And you weren't one for lying. Especially not to good people.

"I uhh..." You hold your wine glass up. "I was a mercenary." You immediately take a sip of it, attempting to seem as nonchalant about it as possible.

"Ooooooh, how brave! Why did you think it wasn't that respectable?" Lyra asks.

"Yeah, mercenaries do some really heroic work around here." Bon Bon added. You relax a little.

"Well, we worked for companies, rather than countries. We didn't exactly do it out of allegiance or loyalty. We did it for the money. And the things we did weren't exactly noble, either. In fact, if it wasn't for Aaden, I would've killed myself from guilt a long time ago." Both of the ponies look at you in confusion. "Alright. Buckle up. I'm going to take you for a little ride."

_________________________________________________________________________________

I was born in California, a piece of land inside of my kingdom, if you will consider it that. My Dad was a successful doctor, and my Mom a lawyer for some big corporation. I had a very easy upbringing in life, but out of ignorance, I loved to pretend that it was hard and brutal. Maybe it was for attention, or maybe it was to make myself seem more grand. I started to hang out with a bunch of idiots. I got into a large fight with another group of idiots, and was in jail for the evening. However, I wasn't about to spend the night in jail.

The first thing I did was sit down, and bring my arms around to my front by lifting up my legs. My hands may have been cuffed, but at least they were no longer behind my back. I watched, and I waited for my door to slide open. I would wait for a distraction, and I would make my escape.

Sure enough, an officer walked in, and went to hand me some clothes when I pounced on him, choking him out with the chain that connected my handcuffs. and dragging him into the cell. I knew that someone had just watched that happen over some camera somewhere, so the only thing I could do from there was run. I peered out of the cell, and took a mad sprint towards the exits. Of course, officers tried to stop me, but I would either charge into them and knock them down, or slide out of their grasp.

I made it to the exit, but there was a really tall officer blocking my way, waiting for me. He aimed his taser gun, a little device that shoots barbs at you, and then shocks you, at me. I sprinted faster, and the moment I saw him place his fingers on the trigger, I threw myself into a slide against the tiled floor. He fired, and missed. I slid between his legs, and immediately bounced back to my feet, now free in the city.

They chased me for a very long time. I ended up hiding inside the 4th level of some parking garage basement. And this is when my life was turned around. That parking garage happened to be one that belonged to the IMO. It wasn't soon after that two armed mercenaries and an elderly man in a suit came down to me.

"Quite the little escape artist." The man said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm either going to be your new boss, or the man that turns you in." I looked at him, legitimately confused. "You obviously have a unique set of skills that we could use here at IMO. You will work as one of us, or I will turn you in." I obviously didn't have any choice.

"How will I get away with this?" The elderly man laughed.

"My dear boy, I am above the law. Your record will be clear the moment I wish it to be so."

"So you can clear my record?"

"If you agree to my...terms."

So, I became an infiltration specialist. Just like that. I trained, and I worked very hard. I really had no choice in the matter. It was either that or jail for a very long time. I was originally assigned to a group called "Acid", and performed a few non-combat operations here and there. Mainly, it was break into other PMC's headquarters, and steal information. I started to feel guilty about what I was doing. I started to really recognize how valuable my life really was, and how well I've always had it. Then I heard about Aaden.

Apparently, Aaden had saved the life of a man and his daughter. They were both supposed to be brutally killed in cold blood, and he refused that. He knew that The Chairman had lied to them about the true nature of the operation, and rather than conform and do as he was told, he chose life over mindless killing. That really inspired me. I requested a transfer to The Pathfinders, a squad Aaden was in, the day I heard that story. It wasn't but a week later when I made it in.

It was very different, The Pathfinders. Lots of combat, lots of killing, and a lot of really disturbing situations. Human trafficking, drug wars, shadow wars between PMCs. I remember one operation where we had to cover up a nuclear reactor that belonged to us blowing up in Europe, by being assigned to destroy the other power plant in the area so the IMO would have time to cover the situation up before reports got out.

The last thing I remember was fighting alongside Aaden. I either died or went unconscious from my injuries there.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"That's really deep, Alan." Bon Bon said. "I had no idea you and Aaden knew each other like that." You smile, and finish off your glass of wine.

"Oh yeah. We were best friends, too. I think we still are." You respond.

"Excuse me for being rude," Bon Bon started. "But then why did you attack him?"

"The Queen brainwashed me. I had all of these memories beforehand, but she told me that the 'oppressors' had these memories magically implanted in my head to fool me. Turns out, she's a lying bitch." Lyra giggles at your cursing. Bon Bon is still looking at you.

"Well, Lyra wasn't lying. You really are a nice guy. You've just been dealt an awful hand of cards in life right now. And I can see why mercenaries aren't very respected back where you're from. But you seem to be a respectable human. So I'll treat you like one." You smile.

"Thanks Bon Bon. I know I seem to be holding up well, but mentally, I'm a complete wreck. I'm completely swamped with guilt and self-hatred. It's good to see that I can turn ponies around by explaining myself."

"I always thought you were a good human, Alan!" Lyra almost shouted again. Bon Bon chuckled.

"She's just excited, is all."

"Excited?"

"Well, she's fascinated with Humans. She had heard plenty of stories and urban legends when she was a filly, and became pretty enthralled with the idea that your kind existed. And now that you're actually here...let's just say, I'm very surprised she hasn't had a coronary from all of the excitement."

You all finish your dinner, and share a couple more glasses of wine, before all the dishes were put in the sink for the evening. Bon Bon complained of being lightheaded, and had Lyra guide her up to her bedroom. They both wished you a good night, and soon disappeared upstairs. You walked into your room, and began to prepare yourself for bed. You took off your shirt and your pants, folding them in a neat stack, and placing them on top of a book shelf.

You never understood how anyone can sleep in clothes. Even females. You would always wake up, and be strangling yourself with your own shirt, or your pants would be riding up to your torso. It was just very uncomfortable. You climbed into the bed, and pulled the blankets up to your neck. You wished you had a book or a Nintendo 3DS or something to pass time, because you really weren't sleepy. You fight the urge to stay awake, and force yourself to sleep. Bon Bon and Lyra were already the definition of a great hostess. You hoped you would one day find a way to pay them back.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"The helicopters are 5 minutes away. Everyone get ready. Call out." You almost whispered into your radio.

"One okay."

"Two okay."

"Three okay." You could hear the sound of helicopters approaching.

"Four okay."

"Five okay."

"Six okay." The men in your cable car made their final adjustments to their weapons, their rifles clicking and gear rattling.

"Seven okay."

"Eight okay."

"Nine okay."

"Ten okay." You felt your cable car jerk, and it began to grind along the steel wires which suspended it.

"Eleven okay."

"Twelve okay." You slid your radio off of your waist, and gave another command.

"All okay. Hold your fire until I clear you. Brothers. On this day, we kill a tyrant." You watched as several helicopters flew past the manor, preparing to land in the forest, and you also watched the rappelling crews leap from their helicopters down onto the roof of the building. Several guards ran outside from the manor, going to investigate the noises they must have been hearing. You click the button back down on your radio, giving your final order.

"Weapons free." Literally the moment you said that, the cable cars were ablaze with gunfire. The investigation party was literally torn apart. They died before they even knew what was happening. You watched the steel emergency doors slam shut all around the manor as The Pathfinders began to move into position

Nothing C4 won't fix.

_________________________________________________________________________________

You awake to an ear piercing scream. You leap out of bed, and throw your pants on while attempting to run down the hallway. As you reach the kitchen, you hear it again. It's coming from upstairs. It sounds like it could be either Bon Bon or Lyra. You run upstairs, and the moment you reach the upstairs hallway, you hear it again.

It's coming from Lyra's room. You back yourself up to the wall, drop your shoulder, and  power through it, sending it flying open.

Lyra is in bed, her eyes closed, but she is completely covered in sweat.

Is she asleep?

You dart your eyes around the room, making sure there was nothing you weren't seeing. You hear Lyra mumbling in her sleep.

"ah....n...noo....no....aah...AAH....NOO!" She then shrieks again in her sleep. You walk over to her briskly, and gently shake her.

"Lyra. Lyra, wake up. It's okay." She continues to stir slightly, no longer yelling or talking in her sleep. She stretches, and opens her eyes very slowly.

"A-Alan...Is that you?" She slowly climbs up on her hooves. She then throws her hooves around you, and cries.

Jeez.

"Alan...I had a bad dream..." You fight the urge to be sarcastic. She sniffles, and sobs a little more on your chest. While this certainly felt a little uncomfortable to you, it also felt right. Right in a wrong way. You hug her back, waiting for her to calm down. "I don't want them to get me..." You sigh.

"Lyra, would you be able to sleep if I kept watch?" Her eyes close a little more. Just the thought of you staying in her room seemed to relax her.

"Y-you mean you'll stay here?" You nod your head.

"Absolutely. Nothing will get past me. I'll keep you safe." Lyra smiles weakly from exhaustion.

"Thank you Alan. You're the best...best human...ever..." She barely managed to get those words out of her mouth before falling back asleep. You sat on the edge of her bed, your chin in your hands.

Who am I kidding? I'm going to fall asleep.

Lyra, while very nice to you, was acting a little like a child. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was just all of the excitement in one day, but it was almost annoying. You were planning on sleeping in, and here you are, sitting at the edge of Lyra's bed, "defending" her from anything that may come.

You soon begin to feel your head slipping down, and you attempt to continue to jerk it back up, to keep yourself awake. It was all in vain. Very quickly, you fell asleep, sitting on the edge of a bed. You were probably going to kick your own ass in the morning, but you were too tired too care.

You awoke in the bed. You were lying down, under the comforter and on the pillow. You stretch out, when you remember that you had fallen asleep sitting up. Why were you lying down?

Shiiit.

You sit up, and look around you. No Lyra.

Well. That's embarrassing.

You slide out of bed, and get back on your feet. You begin to walk downstairs, hoping that maybe you would go unnoticed. You would have no such luck.

"Hey there, guardian angel." Bon Bon called. You stop in your tracks, and turn around. "Lyra left about an hour ago. She wanted to get you a present for keeping her safe. She even laid you down and tucked you in before she left."

"Did you not hear her screaming?" You ask.

"No, I heard it alright. I just thought that maybe you had found your way into her bedroom and were slightly...preoccupied. With her." You blush, and immediately attempt to defend yourself.

"NONONONO. She was screaming bloody murder, I went up to check on her, and she wouldn't let go of me. I told her I would stand watch. And I did. Guess I fell asleep too." Bon Bon giggles at you.

"Hey, relax. You're nice enough. And Celestia knows your attractive enough."

Oh boy.

"Anyways, I think it'd really hurt her feelings if she came back and you were awake. She really wanted to surprise you. If I were you, I'd go back to sleep. Or at least pretend to. She'll be back at any moment." You sigh, and nod your head.

"Alright. Well, I'm going back to bed then. See you a little later." Bon Bon giggles again, and goes down the staircase. You go back over to Lyra's bed, and slide between the blankets and mattress, falling back asleep rapidly.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash was on top of you, and began to stir.

"Baaabe..." She said, yawning. "Can you close the window please? I'm getting kind of cold."

"You aren't close enough." She giggles at your response.

"Seriously babe. Window please." You sigh, and gently lift her off of you. You walk over to the window, shielding your eyes from the sunlight. You slide it shut, and close the curtains, only a few small beams of light reaching past them. You climb back in bed, and Rainbow Dash takes her throne back.

"What time is it?" She asks. You look over at the clock.

"About 11 in the morning. Why?"

"Should we get up?"

"Fuck that. I'm off today. I'm sleeping and spending time with you." You yawn, and put your arms back around her. Her wings rustle slightly, and she shifts around, getting herself comfortable. She soon falls back asleep. You do, as well.

_________________________________________________________________________________

You really hoped that Alan liked breakfast. Bon Bon hated it. She always said that it hurt her stomach when she ate too early. She would always start her morning with a hot chocolate or glass of milk, but never any food. In fact, you REALLY hoped that Alan liked breakfast. It had been a very long time since anyone had sat down and had breakfast with you. You went down to "Win, Place and Show", a small diner you liked, and picked up two containers of oatmeal, 6 pancakes, 2 fresh apples, and 2 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice. You were also sure to snag a bunch of butter and syrup, just in case Alan wanted it.

It was really nice of him to stand watch like that, and keep you safe while you slept. Although you were being a filly about it, it was nice that he cared enough to offer some form of comfort to you. Maybe, after breakfast, he'd wanna hang out with you for the day! Maybe you could go fishing, or he could tell you about his hands! In fact, you were really interested in hearing more about his home. It's not everyday you can talk to a mythical creature.

It was only about 11:30 in the morning, but the streets were bustling. You had to be extra careful with your bag of food and cups, which you hovered above the crowds with magic. You weaseled your way through the marketplace, and made it safely back home. Bon Bon was curled up in her favorite chair, reading some magazine. You walk in on the tips of your hooves, and close the door very carefully.

"Is he still asleep?" You whisper. Bon Bon giggles, and nods her head.

"Go get em'." She said. You blush, and slowly creep your way up the staircase. You go to your room, and open the door. Alan was curled up in a ball under your blankets. His hands were touching your pillows. His HANDS, touching YOUR PILLOWS. You would be sure to treasure those pillows for the rest of your life. You pull out the two folding personal tables you kept in your closet, and set them up side by side, so that you could both use the bed as your chair, and the tables as tables.

Only Twilight Sparkle rivals my intelligence!

Alan opens his eyes, and sits up in bed. He watches you sit the containers of food down. He yawns, and laughs.

"Hey, kick ass. Breakfast. I haven't had a good breakfast in a very long time." You tried as hard as you could to avoid yelping with joy.

"I hope you like pancakes and oatmeal." You say, sitting next to him. "I also brought you an apple." Alan smiles.

"You didn't have to do this. I already stole your bed."

"You didn't have to comfort me last night." You reply.

"Fair point. Got any butter?" You smile devilishly, and hold up the bag filled with butter and syrup.

"You could say that." Alan laughs, and spreads butter and pours syrup carefully over his pancakes.

"Lyra, I owe you and Bon Bon both a lot. I really will pay you back for all of this, in any way." You blush, but you decide to be brave. Just like a human female would.

"I have an idea..."

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Mi'lady, Spyra has arrived. He says you have requested his presence?" Celestia nods her head.

"Send him in, Guardsman." The Royal Guard nods his head, and bows.

"Yes, mi'lady." The Royal Guard leaves the throne room, leaving you and your sister alone once more.

"I trust your judgement, sister. Hopefully Spyra will cooperate."

"That's not very fair. I cooperate most of the time." You hear a voice say. Both you and Celestia look around the Throne Room, seeing nothing.

"Spyra. Show yourself." Just then, an adolescent dragon burst into existence, bowing before Celestia.

"My Princess. You have summoned me for a good reason, I assume." Spyra didn't look like the other dragons his age. He has none of the flaws that adolescence brought. He was slim, but well built. His silver scales shone in what little light was offered, complementing his cobalt eyes. His tongue was a pitch black color, which made his white teeth only seem that much whiter. He was only about a foot shorter than Aaden, but he still stood taller than most other ponies in Equestira. He also had a wicked set of claws on hind legs and forelegs.

Spyra was interesting dragon. He was a member of a species of dragon that Equestria had yet to document. He could turn invisible, he could quickly learn any language he wanted to, and he was unafflicted by the greed and gluttony of many other dragons. He had the humor of a comedian, but the demeanor and professionalism of an assassin. Personally, it chilled you to the bone having him in your presence.

Celestia nodded her head.

"As you know, we are in dire need of somepony to take the position of Grand Royal Infiltrator." Spyra nods his head. "We have found somepony well fit for the position. You will serve as his assistant once he accepts. You will be tasked with reporting the movements and intelligence of Equestria's enemies. You will serve as the line of communication between he and I." Spyra cocks his head.

"When he accepts? You're sure he'll accept?"

"He is in no position to argue." You add.

"Can he turn invisible?" Spyra asked. Celestia turned around, using her magic to float over a set of black robes.

"Not naturally, no. But these magical robes will do the trick." Spyra smiles.

"He's gonna look like Mare-Do-Well." He then laughs, and sighs with the same smile. "So, I'm going to be the Spike to his Twilight, huh?" Celestia shares the smile.

"Yes. But your work is just as important, dragon. Report back here in 6 days. You have the next 5 off. Enjoy." Spyra nods his head again, and bows, before vanishing.

"This should prove most interesting..." You start.

"You must trust me, Luna. I have seen all of Aaden's memories. I know exactly who this 'Alan' is. He was an excellent infiltration expert, and better yet, he was an incredibly good person. Mix that skill and attitude with Spyra, and I dare-say we have a new Grand Royal Infiltrator."

'

_________________________________________________________________________________

Your party falls exhausted at this new Oasis. It was incredibly far away from the previous one. You practically throw yourself into in the pond, and drink as much as you can.

"GOD, DAMN." You gasp. "HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU, HOW MUCH I HATE THE DESERT?"

"Once or twice, yeah." Mala said as she sat down under the shade of a palm tree. You wipe the sweat off of your forehead, and sling your hand to the side, flinging sweat off of it. Bakir had already fallen asleep under a pal, tree near the the pond. You essentially throw your ass into the sand, and lay in it.

"Mala," You kept gasping. "Does wind exist in Dodge City?" Mala laughs under her own gasps.

"There is a train we'll be riding. You'll feel plenty of wind once we get going on it."

_________________________________________________________________________________

"CHARGES LIVE, GET BACK, GET BACK!" You and the rest of the men that had came on the cable cars were already at a safe distance. It wasn't five minutes later when the charges detonated.

"FLASH OUT!" Another Pathfinder called. A grenade rolled into the massive opening you had created. The guards may have had time to prepare themselves with their little emergency sealing doors, but they were only running from the inevitable. All 60 of the men from the cable cars flooded the manor through this hole, rapidly clearing the foyer area.

As you stood in the foyer, assessing the situation, two Pathfinders dragged over what looked like one of the IMO Board Members. Each of them had one arm, and his knees dragged along the ground in defeat. They brought him to you. You didn't open your mouth. You didn't think twice. You pulled out your revolver, and executed him right there, shooting him at pointblank range through the head. The Pathfinders that held him slung his body aside, and readied their weapons. The bunker underneath the manor still needed to be cleared.

The Chairman was surely hiding. You smile, and decide to quote a line that The Chairman loved to recite.

"Death twitches in my ear. Live, he says. For I am coming."

_________________________________________________________________________________

You were going over your house very thoroughly. You had plenty of food stocked, alcohol was cold and ready, and the entire place was pretty damn clean, if you didn't say so yourself. Octavia gave you a hand, which you really appreciated. Of course, you didn't say thank you. You probably should have. Octavia always had a self-confidence issue, which you're sure you didn't help.

Octavia was raised only by her father, Bass Clef. He loved her with all of his heart, and still does. But never having anyone as a motherly figure made her feel insufficient to life, and more importantly, to herself. Guilt getting the best of you, you decide to go upstairs and thank her. Maybe even apologize for not thanking her earlier, as well. You cut past your living room, and go into her room. She sat on her bed, her eyes closed, while she played some orchestral bit. You waited for her to finish. After about 5 minutes, she did. She opened one eye, and looked at you.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I just wanted to say, thanks. And sorry for not saying so earlier. It means a lot to me that you're being so supportive of this entire situation." She opens both eyes, and smiles.

"It's not everyday your childhood friend falls in love. Not to mention falling in love with a creature not even from her universe. But love is love, none-the-less." You can't help but blush in front of her.

"Octavia, I'm not going to lie, I have no idea why I find him so attractive. I wish I could explain it. Ever since I first met him, I would miss him not being there. He just has so much to talk about, he's so good at just about every damn thing that exists, and he's even a hero. It's every little fillies dream."

"I will not lie to you, Vinyl Scratch. He is very attractive. I too find myself thinking about him sometimes. His taste in music, it's so broad. From that garbled electronic stuff you create, to the elegant master pieces from wondrous orchestras from where he comes from, he has it all. Surely that says something about his intelligence. While I understand that you love him, I do hope you'll share him. Even if it's just once." You laugh.

"Of course I will, Tavi. But I've got first dibs. You can come with us to dinner, if you'd like. I figured we'd go to a bar somewhere, get some dinner and some drinks. And there's something else I wanna talk to you about." Octavia looks up at you intently.

"Yes, Vinyl?"

"You know how I normally hate things like history?"

"Yeah?"

"Then why in Tartarus am I so interested in learning about him? His history?" Octavia giggles at you.

"That's love, dearie. Comes with the territory."

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Big guy? Aaden?" You feel your shoulder move. "Wake up!" It moves again. "C'mon babe, wake up. I'm starving. It's 2 in the afternoon, I gotta eat." You still refuse to open your eyes. "I could always call Tank up here..." You immediately sit up in bed.

You only want to get hit by a flying turtle once.

You stretch your arms to the ceiling, and let them fall to your sides. Rainbow Dash kisses you on the cheek, and hopes off of the bed.

"Let's go back to Poachies again. I want some fries." She said.

"With ketchup?" You ask.

"Double ketchup." She responds, smiling.

"Bleeeegh." You gag. "Ketchup is pretty damn nasty." You climb out of bed, and get yourself dressed while Rainbow Dash goes downstairs to feed Tank. You stand in the mirror, wearing a pair of khaki pants and a white polo shirt.

Spiffy.

You really were starting to miss Rarity. You were in love, or so you thought, with Rainbow Dash, but something about Rarity really enthralled you. Something felt missing from your heart, not being with her. You still had two weeks and three days before you could see her again, and you really looked forward to it. You had not forgotten everything she had done for you. How she saved your life, how she nursed you, how she provided you aid when no one else would.

Oh well. May as well enjoy the time I have left with Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash walks into the room, and places her hooves around your waist, kissing your back.

"I love you babe." She coos.

"I love you too." You respond.