The nip of the icy night air makes you shiver as you close the front door. Now that you and Daisy are inside, you remove you coat and hang it on the nearby rack. You can’t believe you’re standing here in your house with her. So many thoughts suddenly swirl throughout your mind.

Daisy stares at you with her green eyes as you walk over to the thermostat and slightly nudge the dial. The furnace grumbles to life and begins its gradual task of warming things up, well, to more than your away setting.

You take a deep breath and sigh. Before you can speak, you feel a pair of affectionate hooves wrap around you from behind.

“Oh, I’ve missed you.” Daisy sighs.

You place your hands on her hooves and push them away, breaking free of her embrace. Passing the sofa, you toss your backpack over the arm and into the corner. “What do you think has changed between us?” Looking back you give Daisy an inquisitive glance.

“Uh, I…” She swallows thickly and lowers her head. “I made a terrible mistake.” Daisy walks over to you and pats your shoulder, then proceeds to run it along your upper arm. “I never should have left you.” Her eyes soften and she smiles. “That’s why I’m here. I-I want to get back together with you.”

You pull your shoulder and your arm away from her, grimacing as you do. “It’s too late, Daisy. Things ended between us. I was in a bad place for a while…a very bad place, but I’m better now…and more importantly, I’m with someone else.”

Daisy blinks. “Who?”

“Twilight. It turns out she’s been in love with me from the beginning. It’s hard to believe, but she has, since I first fell for her. To think about all the time I spent with you and those other few mares. Humph, and all of you ended up breaking my heart anyway, but Twilight was always there for me.”

Daisy grows silent and just looks at you somewhat befuddled.

“I never thought I’d have a chance with her, that’s why I looked for love elsewhere. But, that doesn’t matter now. Daisy, I love Twilight, and I won’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

Turning back toward Daisy, you can see her expression change as her face falls. Her eyes quickly become glassy as she swallows hard. “I…” She begins to sniffle as she starts to cry. “I’m sorry. I n-never wanted to hurt you.”

You snarl under your breath. “It’s not going to work this time, Daisy.”

“Huh?” She sniffles and wipes away a few tears. “What do you mean?”

“You used the crying approach before. And, I’m not going to fall for it anymore, not this time.” You march over to the front door. “I was attempting to be polite when I invited you in, because of the cold. But, part of me thought you might be here to rehash things.” Opening the door, you point outside. “I think you’d better leave.”

Daisy blinks at you. “Just like that? When did you become so cruel?”

Shaking your head, you take a deep breath. “When you broke my heart!” Your words are stressed but not to the point that you’re yelling. The stern scowl on your face leaves Daisy’s mouth agape.

“But I, I though that stallion really loved me.”

You shake your head again. “Yes well, like you told me before.” Your tone softens, a little. “He must have only wanted you, because you were with me.”

Daisy closes her eyes, just as you close the front door. “Yeah,” she begins. “I don’t know why I was so stupid.” She faintly sniffles, brushing a woeful hoof along the carpet.

“It was really hard for me.” You pause, taking in a difficult cleansing breath. “The night you left…I was going to finally tell you…no. There’s no point now.” You turn so your back is facing the wall and lean against it.

Daisy walks over to you and places her hoof on your crossed forearm. “Tell me what?”

You gaze meets Daisy’s and you close your eyes. This will probably be one of the hardest things you’ll have to say to her. “That night, I was going to tell you that I loved you.”

“Aww.” Daisy is barely able to make a whole word, but rather just a vocal response. She blinks a few times then looks your way again. “You loved me?”

You nod solemnly. “Yes. I did, at the time. But after your left me and shattered my heart...”

“Yes.” Daisy looks at you, concern and wonder gleaming in her eyes.

“The love I had for you, it has since died. And while it’s nice seeing you.” You try to sound sincere, but doubt you are succeeding. “I’d rather you just left. There is nothing more between us.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure there is a great stallion, or perhaps even a human out there that would be perfect for you. But it’s not me.” You slowly open the door for Daisy.

She seems at a loss for words, and finally cinches up her coat and makes her way out the front door. You look after her, part of you feels sorry for her, but the rest of you can’t get over the hurt, which makes this all the more difficult, because Daisy is right, you aren’t cruel.

“Have a safe trip home. And stay warm. It’s a very cold night.” You call after her.

Daisy steps away, dejection more than apparent in her gait as she steps off your porch and takes the small path off your front yard and back into Ponyville.

You linger there for a moment, until you can no longer see the pink of her fur and the lime green of her mane and tail, peaking out of her coat. You ease the door shut and lock it, then remain at the door for a moment, lightly bumping your forehead against it. I don’t know why, but something tells me I haven’t seen the last of her.

Heading back into the living room, you open your backpack and retrieve the heart pillow Twilight gave you. The whole ordeal with Daisy has left you feeling a little shaken.

Making your way over to your recliner, you sit down and hold the pillow close and let out a long uneasy sigh.

* * * * * *

After holding Twilight’s pillow for almost half an hour, you finally decide to call it a night. Crawling into bed, you cover up. Tossing about, you experience some difficulty trying to get comfortable, at first. Then before long, sleep pulls you in.

You begin a fitful slumber, troubling dreams plague your mind as images of Twilight and Daisy pass before your sleeping eyes.

The restlessness returns as you tear from your sleep. Sitting up, you body is tense and shaky. You reach for Twilight’s gift and hold it in your arms. Resting your chin along its top, you catch the faint scent of Twilight’s home and her floral perfume that smells of sweet lavender.

Taking a few moments to think, you finally flip back the sheets. Turning on your nightstand light, you quickly dress, then get your backpack. There’s only one thing that can help you now.

After packing some clothing and a few other items, you zip up your bag, and place the heart pillow on your bed, between your pillows.

Donning your coat you zip up and exit your home, then secure the front door behind you. Your destination is clear…

* * * * * *

The hour is growing very late. Midnight has come and gone, you’re not sure the exact time, but as you near your destination, you can only hope she is still awake.

Your boots crunch in the layer of snow and you can’t miss the night air whipping across you as the wind begins to blow. The faint smell of burning timber from nearby fireplaces dances across your freezing nose. Your nostrils pop as you sniff in the frigid air. Fortunately, you have arrived at your destination.

You feel a sense of relief as you walk up to the front door of the Golden Oak Library. Thankfully, you know Twilight tends to be a night owl, so hopefully she’s still up. You knock on the front door, unafraid of disturbing anyone else, after all, you know as well as many of the ponies that Spike is a very deep sleeper.

You grin from the thought, while knocking on the door again. Taking a deep breath, you wait a few more seconds and hear light hoof falls from behind the door, then notice the knob click as the door opens.

Twilight looks up at you and her mouth falls open as she gasps. “Huh. Is it really you?” She reaches her right foreleg toward you.

You smile and gently grip her hoof. “Yes, it’s me.”

A look of confusion briefly crosses Twilight’s face. “But, I don’t understand. I didn’t think I was going to see you till tomorrow, after you finished working.”

“Yes well, something’s come up.”

“I don’t…” Twilight tilts her head and seems to notice your backpack. “Why do you have your bag with you?”

You take in a deep breath. “Can we discuss this inside? It’s really cold out here.”

Twilight chuckles and nods. “Of course.” She then feels a rush of the night breeze. “Ooh, you’re right. That’s an icy wind. Come in.” Twilight motions you in and stands beside the door.

Stepping inside, you turn back, waiting for her to join you, once she’s secured the door. “Thank you. Man it’s a cold one tonight.”

Twilight starts walking beside you. “You aren’t kidding. But, why are you here? Is everything all right?”

You shake your head. “Not exactly. It’s a bit of a story.”

As you both enter the library, the familiar sound of Spike’s snoring reaches your ears. It’s a sound you’ve come to know after your recent stays here and the several times you visited Twilight in the past.

The unicorn giggles softly. “Um, why don’t we just go up to my loft. You can place your bag there too.” She smiles as she pats your backpack. “Am I to take it you’ll be spending the night after all?”

You nod. “Yeah. And after we talk, you’ll understand why. Well, I hope you will.”

Twilight blinks a bit curiously, but the smile remains on her lips as you both make your way to her room.

After reaching her loft, you set your bag on the lone chair beside her vanity. You barely finish turning around, as Twilight snags you into a loving hug. She wraps her hooves around you and pulls you close. “I know it’s only been a matter of hours, but, I really missed you.”

You smile and return Twilight’s hug, placing an arm around her and softly stroke her mane with your free hand. “I missed you too, Twilight.”

She looks up at you and her face partially falls. “Are you okay? I can tell you’re happy to see me, but something seems off in your eyes.”

Chuckling softly, you shake your head. “I guess this is one time I can’t hide my feelings. Or maybe it’s because I don’t want to.”

“Come on.” Twilight gestures you to her bed, where you both sit down. “Now tell me, what’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure how to start.” You pause for a moment.

She smiles and places her hoof over your hand. “It’ll be okay. Just start at the beginning.”

“All right.” You take a deep breath. “Well, once I got home, I was all ready to head inside, when I heard somepony talk. Turns out it was Daisy.”

“What?!” Twilight’s eyes widen. “You mean, your ex?”

You nod. “That’s right. I invited her in, mainly because it was too cold to talk outside. But, long story short. She told me she missed me and wanted to get back together.”

A look of concern forms on Twilight’s face. “What did you tell her?”

“I told her that nothing changed between us. That I still couldn’t trust her after what happened. She apologized for how she treated me, but I also told her that I was with you now.” You smile. “And I said I’d never do anything to hurt you.”

“Aww.” Twilight smiles back.

Shaking your head, you puff out a breath. “Of course Daisy started to cry. But I stood my ground, and after I explained that it was over between us, she left.” You look down at the floor and shake your head. “I’m not sure why, but my gut tells me I haven’t seen the last of her.”

“Oh my. Wow. So that’s why you packed some things and came over.”

You lift your head and look over at Twilight. “Yeah. I feel a little silly, but the encounter with Daisy left me a bit shaken. I held that pillow you gave me for a while, before I finally went to bed. Only I kept having nightmares.”

“Nightmares? What about?” Twilight moves closer to you and pats your shoulder.

“They mainly involved Daisy bugging me to get back together with her. With her around, I kept seeing you angry and upset. All while feeling like I was going to lose you.”

Twilight places her hooves around you again and coos softly in your ear. “It’s okay.” She pulls back a little. “And you aren’t silly. Here I thought I was the only one acting insecure.”

You snicker nervously. “Yeah. I just don’t ever want anything to drive us apart. Especially since we finally got together, and I don’t want all those feelings we’ve had for each other all this time to be for nothing. I…”

Twilight hugs you tighter and you tenderly respond in kind. Pulling her closer in your arms, you stroke her silky mane. She sighs happily and nuzzles you sweetly. “Oh…hmmm. It’s so sweet that you care so much about me. Well, whatever may come, I doubt we have to worry too much about Daisy.”

“Yeah.” You gaze lovingly into Twilight’s eyes, the smile returning to your lips. “Twilight.”

She chuckles quietly and speaks your name, while staring at you with her bedroom eyes. “So, you’ll be spending the night with me after all?”

“Mm-hmm. After those dreams and what happened, I just felt the need to be closer to you. I just, want to…”

“I know. And I’m really glad you enjoyed the pillow.” Twilight continues to hug you tight and runs her hoof along your hair.

“Not enjoyed, enjoy. It’s sitting on my bed at home right now.”

Twilight moans softly as she slides down and leans against your chest. “Well, how about we turn in for the night. I was feeling drowsy and thinking about going to bed when I heard you knock.”

You brush the back of your hand along her bangs. “I’d love to. It’s another cold night.” Your smile grows. “We can keep each other warm.”

“Mmm, I’d like that.” Twilight smiles and closes her eyes for a moment. “You know something?”

“And what’s that?” You lightly run your finger behind her left ear.

Twilight shivers and giggles. “I think I could get used to spending nights together. That’s all.”

Nuzzling against her, you give Twilight a loving squeeze. “So could I.”

The two of you get up from the bed, then proceed to get ready to turn in for the night. After the two of you take a turn in the bathroom, you dress down to your underwear and crawl under the warm and inviting covers of Twilight’s bed. She slides in next to you and rests at your side.

Pulling the sheet and blanket up over you and your mare, you make sure she has a more than fair portion to cover with. Her violet eyes remain fixed on you, still brimming with affection. You wrap your arms around Twilight and feel her velvety fur brush against your bare limbs as she moves up against you.

Running your fingers along her cheek, you lock Twilight into a loving kiss. One you feel is long overdue. Twilight leans against you and gleefully returns your kiss, placing her forelegs around you and moaning contently. You breathe deeply through your nose and moan back passionately.

Your lips part, and you find yourself once again fondling Twilight’s mane, feeling its softness under your fingers. “Hmmm, I’m right where I want to be.” You chuckle.

Twilight smiles and starts rubbing her hoof along your shirt-covered chest. “So, are we just going to sleep tonight. Or did you want to make love again…even though it’s sooner than we…”

You place your fingers to her lavender lips. “I’d love to, Twilight, but for right now, if you don’t mind. I’d just like to hold you close and unwind.” Then, you stare at her suggestively. “Besides, we can always see where the night takes us.”

“All right.” You can’t miss the disappointment in her eyes, but you can tell her mind is still going and soon the look fades and the love starts beaming brightly again. “I suspect it would be better if you’re a little less tense before we jump into anything. But, you know.” Twilight smiles at you seductively. “I’ve read that sex is a good way to relax.”

You laugh at her and her charming book-smarts. “I know.” Squeezing her again, you add, “But kissing and cuddling is another good way to relax too. Besides, we wouldn’t want to skip the foreplay, would we?” You grin.

Twilight smiles and then uses her magic to turn off the lights. “All right. But…” She grows silent, just as you feel a slight rush. Twilight starts to rub her hind leg along your leg, in very much the same manner she did the time you two first made love. “If you change your mind. I’m right here.”

You chuckle again.

“What? What’s so funny?”

“You, Twily. And here I thought I was going to be the one always trying to push for sex.”

She grows silent for a moment.

“You’re blushing, aren’t you?”

“How can you tell, it’s dark now.”

You snicker. “Because, I know you.”

“Then, you’re not upset?”

You scoff and if the lights were on, she’d see the miffed expression on your face. “Of course not. Why would I? It’s not a crime to be horny, Twilight. Besides, I’m glad we feel so strongly for each other.”

She sighs and places her hooves along your chest. “You’re right. Maybe I’m just reading too many books…um…and magazines about relationships.”

You nod to yourself, recognizing the sheepish tone in her voice. “Magazines? Been reading Rarity’s “Cosmarepolitans” again?”

“All right, you got me.”

Pulling her close, you cut the comedy and sigh. “I sure do.” You share another tender lip embrace, then join Twilight in resting your head along the pillows.

“Good night, sweetheart. Did that sound all right?”

You kiss her again. “That was fine, my love. And good night, my Twilight.”

Checking on the covers again, you make sure they’re cinched up tight, then adjusting your arms around your mare, you begin to slowly pass out, once again becoming slumber’s unwitting victim.

* * * * * *

Your eyes slowly peel open. At first, all you can see is a brownish red blur, still partially obscured in shadow. A faint groan escapes your mouth as you notice a welcoming warmth and familiar velvety texture pressed against you. Closing your eyes, you sigh, realizing your still in bed with Twilight.

Opening your eyes again, you glance around, but before you can make sense of your surroundings, you notice a very pleasant sensation between you legs. Puckering your lips curiously, you attempt to figure out its source. Twilight moves against you and you feel another jolt of pleasure. Your eyes widen. It seems your underwear shifted during the night, and your manhood has managed to escape its cottony prison and is now brushing against Twilight’s nether region.

It’s then that you notice Twilight begin rubbing her leg along yours. Looking over at her, you can see that her eyes are open. “Hey.”

“Hey,” you reply.

“Mmm, is that your uh…brushing against me?” Twilight chuckles playfully.

You snicker back. “Yes. Seems it slipped out while we slept.”

“Yeah, that sounds right. But here, let me just…” Twilight places her hooves on your shoulder and moves her hips and adjusts her hind legs slightly.

Her heavenly curves brush against the head of your spire sending blissful chills up your back. “Ooohh,” you shiver.

“Do you like that.” You nod silently. “I thought you might.” She flexes her hips and moans softly as her marehood slides along your manhood.

“Mmm, Twilight.” You tilt your head back and savor the sensation, just as your eyes catch the familiar glint of daylight beaming in from around the window near Twilight’s telescope. “Aww, man!”

Twilight pats your cheek. “What is it?”

You turn to her and shake your head. “It’s already morning.”

Twilight’s eyes widen. She turns her head and spies her alarm clock. “Phew. It’s not as late as I thought. But…”

Sharing her gaze you see what time it is as well. “Yeah. I’ve only got a little over an hour till I have to leave for work.” You take another look at the clock, then smile as you see Twilight’s loving countenance. You run the back of your hand along her smooth cheek. “You know what. There’s still some time.”

“Yeah?” Twilight’s face brightens.

You nod. “Uh-huh. I’d rather not do a quickie, but. There’s no way I can leave this unfinished.” Twilight’s mound twitches against your mast. “Mmm. I need you, Twilight.”

She places her hooves around you and softly nips your lower lip. “Hmmm.” Twilight giggles. “Mmm, just as I need you.” Twilight stares at you with loving and sultry eyes.

Your fingers dance through her silky dark sapphire, purple and rose locks. “Are you ready or do I need to…” Your words fall off and you seize from a wave of euphoria as Twilight pushes against you.

“You tell me?” She asks playfully, a strong blush spreading out across her face. You feel the dampness seep out of her crescent and coat the lower portion of your spire. “Oooh, I’m so glad you wanted to continue.” She giggles, then she sighs brushing her hoof along your cheek.

Your smile grows as you feel your cheeks become flush. “Yeah,” you mutter, then reaching down, you grip your member and gently prod the tip against her petals. Then, you push inside, feeling Twilight’s body twitch and catch the sound of her elated moan funnel into your ears. You place your hands along her flanks as the two of you remain on your sides.

Twilight hooks her forelegs on your shoulders as you start thrusting into her. Gazing into her violet eyes, you begin to feel fervent as you add speed to the heavenly movement that’s forming between you. You lightly grunt and sigh as you hear delightful moans ring out from Twilight’s adorable mouth. She pants your name and draws you into a passionate kiss, wasting no time swirling her tongue with yours, excitement present in her soothing whimpers.

Your mare begins flexing her hips against you with each inward motion you make, causing you to grip her flanks tighter while you continue adding speed. As you continue making love to Twilight, you feeling a little loopy but are somehow able to feel an unyielding joy. For so long you wondered how it would feel to be with Twilight and hoped you’d make every intimate moment a memorable one.

A whimper slips past your lips as you feel the build-up in your manhood. You can only hope Twilight is getting close, but a few louder moans and a gradual arching in her back signal you that it won’t be long.

Your breath quickens and your heart beats faster as your body grows hotter. The pleasure seems almost overwhelming as you continue your loving task. Then, Twilight trembles and moans again, leading up to a really enticing cry of ecstasy. You feel your body quake and surrender as you join Twilight, moaning almost uncontrollably, gasping for breath as you explode inside her and feel a warm spurt from her drape against your manhood. You move your arms to embrace Twilight and hold her tight as you both shudder from the seemingly endless pleasure screaming throughout both of you.

Twilight lays with you, panting almost in sync with you as your breathing begins to slow. “Huh, Twi-Twilight. Oh, man.” Your chest heaves. “That was…wow.”

“Yeah. I-I know.” She pants, running her hoof through your hair. “That was some quickie.” She giggles.

You lay your head back on the pillow and puff out a contented sigh. “Whew. I needed that.” You chuckle, caressing Twilight’s mane, which has now become a little messier.

She runs her hoof along you. “I can see that. Oooh, but it was good.” Twilight spies the clock and grins. “And it wasn’t that short. Unless you consider fifteen minutes to be a quickie?”

You laugh and continue stroking her hair. “I guess we savored things a little more than I thought.” Following her eyes to the clock, you smile. “But there’s still close to an hour till I have to leave for work. So, it was a very good call.”

Twilight rubs her leg along yours again, making you sigh. She smiles. “I’ll say. I’m going to feel giddy all day. Thank goodness Spike will be going in and out from the errands I have him helping with today.”

“And even if the going gets rough today, I can think back to this.” You hug Twilight. “Mmm, and know you’ll be here waiting for me, when I finish working.”

She shares your jubilant façade. “You bet I will.”

Your eyes widen. “Oh, but as much as I’d love to stay here and cuddle, I’d better get dressed for work.” You toss back the covers and slowly pull away from Twilight.

She rises beside you and continues to smile. “Say, would you like something for breakfast?”

You look at her. “Oh?”

She nods. “Yeah. I feel like something more than cold cereal or a pastry this morning.”

Standing up, you turn back and close your eyes. “Whatever you’re in the mood for will be fine with me.”

“Okay. I know just the thing. You get ready and I’ll whip something up in a jiffy.”

“Sounds great.” You nab Twilight as she goes to slip past you.

“Huh?” She looks at you, somewhat surprised, but equally intrigued.

“Thank you, Twilight.” You give her a big hug.

“Awww, you’re welcome. But what did I…”

You shake your head. “For being my mare and for being kind enough to make breakfast. I appreciate it.”

Her face softens. “I’m happy to do it.”

Again you smile, and finally you let Twilight go as she heads downstairs. You finish dressing and then join her in the kitchen for breakfast.

* * * * * *

Once again, you find yourself making the trip to work. Arriving at the stationery shop, you enter in the back, via the employee entrance. Then, opening your small locker, you carefully hang up your coat inside and close the door. Checking your attire, you secure your work-issued apron and prepare to start your day.

Glancing around, you survey the various items in the petite warehouse, which rest on a series of shelves and small pallets in the back of the shop. Upon seeing all the various paper and writing supplies, your thoughts quickly return to Twilight. It was an unexpected bonus that you got to spend another night with her, although being back at work, you find it was harder leaving her this morning. And right now, your heart aches while being away from her.

Giving the matter some thought, you realize it could still stem form your encounter with Daisy last night. You only hope your gut is wrong about not having seen the last of her.

Walking past a series of shelved items, you spy your boss. “Morning, sir.”

He turns and says your name. “Ah, there you are. And well now, just as punctual as ever. It’s barely quarter of. But you know, that’s one of the things I admire in an employee like you.”

You wave a dismissing hand. “Aww it’s nothing special, I’m just doing my job, Mr. Bright Feather.”

The stallion chuckles at you, rising from a group of boxes. “You don’t need to always be so formal. When the customers aren’t around, you can call me, “Bright.” I keep telling you it’s okay.”

Smiling, you nod. “I know, it’s just I’ve gotten use to respecting my superiors.”

He snickers and just shakes his head. “Well, that’s another admirable trait you’ve got. Oh, and here, help me with these candles.” Bright Feather slides two of the boxes your way.

You squat down and bear hug the boxes, carefully lifting them off the floor. It’s a good thing you braced yourself, seeing as these boxes are indeed heavy, but thankfully not as heavy as they could be. It’s either that or you’re getting stronger.

Grunting under your breath, you lug the boxes over to one of the far shelves. “You want these in the normal spot?”

“Yeah, that’ll work.”

Nodding, you spy the shelves where the other candles rest, and much to your delight there is a nice open spot near the bottom. Cautiously, you set the two cases down, then proceed to slide them one-by-one onto the shelf.

Bright Feather stops behind you and sets the last two boxes down. “See if these will fit. I know we seem to sell a lot of these mid-sized stick candles, so I wanted to stock up, just in case we have another run on them.”

Placing the last two boxes on the shelf, you turn and nod. “Good thinking. It wasn’t a pretty sight the last time we ran out of these.”

“Yeah, while it’s good for a business stallion like me, I felt for the surprisingly large number of ponies that used these candles in their homes, offices and studies while they did paperwork and their writings.”

“Tell me about it.” You chuckle.

Bright Feather places a hoof over his mouth and clears his throat. “So tell me, how are things going with Twilight?”

You smile, as the mere thought of Twilight stirs a sense of jubilation within you. “It’s going great, sir. I’m so happy being with her.”

He nods, sharing in your smile. “Good. Good, though I can’t help but feel there’s going to be a “but” in your next reply.”

Shaking your head, you sigh. “You’d be right, and you know me all too well.”

Bright Feather chuckles. “Yes well, there’s something off about you today. And while you seem truly happy regarding Twilight, there has to be something causing you trouble.” The stallion picks up a few more boxes and sets them on their designated shelves. “Why just this past Friday, after you told me about getting together with Twilight, it seemed that nothing could get you down. Now, here it is Monday, and you seem a lot less joyful. Anything you’d like to talk about? We still have some time till we open to the public this morning.”

Despite feeling troubled, you can’t help but smile from Bright Feather’s words. He’s a tan Earth pony that’s far more than just your boss. For more than the two years you’ve been working with him, he’s become your friend as well as someone you can talk to and even confide in.

“Well, I got a visit from Daisy last night.” You begin.

“Oh, isn’t she your ex?”

You nod. “That’s right. She wanted to have a talk, but I just wanted to be anyplace else. Anyway, after talking, I found out she wanted to get back together. But I told her about Twilight and how I doubt I could ever trust her again.”

“Ah.” He scratches the whiskers on the bottom of his chin. “I gather she didn’t take the news too well.”

“Nope. And when she tried to use her crying defense on me, I told her it wouldn’t work this time.” You sigh again. “So, she finally left.”

Bright Feather nods. “And I might be wrong, but let me guess, you have an odd feeling that you’re still not done with her.”

Your eyes widen and you blink a bit. “Man. You’re good, Bright. You sure you didn’t miss your calling as a psychiatrist?”

He breaks out into hearty laughter. “Mwa-ha-ha-ha. That’s a good one. No, I like my job selling stationery and similar supplies just fine. But I tend to be observant, and come on. I’m in my sixties, so don’t forget, I’ve been in and seen more than my share of relationships.”

You chuckle. “Of course, the benefit of experience and dare I say, wisdom?”

A grin forms on his face. “I wouldn’t goes as far as wisdom, but something to that effect.”

You sigh. “I just wish I knew what to do about her. Heck it even gave me nightmares last night.”

His brow raises and his eyes widen. “That is serious, but you know, I wouldn’t worry too much about Daisy. Even though she’s showing her interest. From what I know and have heard about her, she usually tends to be more on the timid side. Oh she’ll drop all kinds of hints that she’s interested, sometimes she’ll even manage to tell somepony she’s interested in that she’d like to go out, but most of the time she’s usually afraid of the kind of pony she’s really interested in.”

Taking a moment to think about Daisy, you nod, knowing that Bright is onto something. “You have a point there. Still, I’m going to keep my eyes open. Something seemed a little different about her last night.”

“Staying diligent is always a good idea. Though, I don’t think you have to worry about you and Twilight. Why, I remember you told me you had a thing for her since I met you. In fact, I believe the reason you said you wanted to work here was because you knew Twilight would come here for quills, parchment, and even some of my impulse items.” Bright Feather snickers. “I knew it would be a good idea to stock books.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I am worrying for nothing.”

Bright walks over to you and pats your shoulder. “Your concern is valid, I just wouldn’t obsess on it too much. Oh yeah. Speaking of impulse items, you might as well mark down these candy hearts and put them in the bin near the register.”

Stopping in front of the heart-shaped candies, you reach down and pick up one of the small bulk bags. “That’s right. Things took off so fast with Twilight, I never thought about buying some of these to share with her.” Bright remains quiet, his eyes showing that you have his attention. “Not that it’s any big deal. Usually I don’t have anyone to buy these for around “Hearts and Hooves Day” or “Valentines Day”, a similar holiday on Earth.”

He nods. “Well.” Bright Feather pats his hoof softly on the bag of hearts in your hand. “Why don’t you take these, on the house, and share them with Twilight. Then, mark down the rest, and take them out front. It’s about time to open up shop.”

You smile. “Thank you, sir…err, Bright. And I’ll get these ready to go and then I’ll open up.”

“Great. I’m going to get some paperwork taken care of in my office.”

“All right. Thanks again.”

He smiles before heading to his office. “Anytime.”

You place the candy in your locker, then take care of marking down the rest, before taking them to the bin out front.

Once you’ve carefully placed each bag into the bin on the counter near the register, you walk over and unlock the front door. Then, taking a deep breath, you flip the door sign from “Closed” to “Open”. I sure hope this isn’t going to be one of those long drag out kind of days, you wonder to yourself, making your way to check the aisles and see if any items are in need of last minute restocking.

Author's Note

Finally, I've given this story a long overdue update. This is only part of what I originally wrote, I broke what I had for chapter 5 in two, so chapter 6 will be coming in a few days. The best part is that the chapter is fully drafted and just needs one last good edit. I'll be working on it tomorrow night and if all goes well, I'll have it posted Sunday night.

I hope you all enjoy this and the next chapter to come. Thank you for all of you that continue to support Twilight's story.

• Jaydex