Free Fall Into Happenstance

by Ned Arkenstone

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Romance
Length: 62687

The story of a stallion who gets hit by a stray shoe, and the mare to whom it belongs.

Light Heart was a stallion who'd seemingly lost his way, stuck in the monotonous motions of an unhappy life. This is the story of how his life changes with the simplest of accidents, setting in motion a turn of events that would forever link him to the fate of another.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-28 20:15:24 UTC

Where I Call Home

Light Heart made his way down the familiar street, his back loaded with the biggest saddlebags he could carry. Loaded on him was personal effects that he couldn't part with a moving company, and everything he would need in a temporary housing situation. He made his way here immediately after getting off the train, as fast as he could without breaking a sweat. He had no idea if she was home, but it was worth a try.

He made his way to her door, a hoof behind his back as he gave it a deft knock.

A few moments passed before a lavender pegasus swung the door open, a candy bar hanging from her mouth with a wrapper still attached at the end. "Who are you?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Telegram for one Ms. Aurora Heartnote. This is of the singing variety; would you happen to be her?" He struggled not to laugh, but he couldn't help but feel giddy enough to do something this silly.

The pegasus raised an eyebrow, removing the candy bar and turning her head to shout. "HEY RORY. YOU GOT SOME SAPPY CANDYGRAM THING."

There was a muffled sound from up the stairs, and one could make out the white legs walking down the steps, face hidden by a large canvas. "Hang on a sec, I need to set this thing down, I'll be right there." Rory delicately placed her canvas on an easel by the bay window with her magic, turning and fixing her hair all the while. She was almost to the door when she saw a familiar long-haired pegasus.

"LIGHT HEART!" She cried, throwing herself at him and nearly knocking over her sister. "It's so great to see you! I got your letter, and I was a little worried about you. How was the trip? Are you just visiting?" She was a flurry of questions at about a thousand miles and hour, her arms wrapped around Light's neck.

Light laughed and hugged her back as tight as he could with one hoof. "I am excited to see you too dear, but one question at a time! The trip was fine, and, well, what you see on my back is my life really, so I guess it's more than a visit." He pulled his other hoof around, and used it to place a large tiger lily into her mane, just above her ear. "There you go, as beautiful as the bearer." he said with a grin before giving her a kiss on the forehead "I have thought nothing but you for the last two weeks, you know that?"

She raised a hoof to her cheek, blushing. "Thank you Light... it's been a long two weeks to say the least. Would you like to come inside for a while?" She stood back, gesturing for him to enter her home. The purple pegasus behind her watching warily.

"I would love to. I came straight here from the train, and I was hoping you would be home." He looked to the pegasus who greeted him at the door. "And I hope I am not intruding?"

Rory took a moment to look at the flower in the foyer mirror, admiring its beauty. "Oh I'm sorry, this is my older sister, Stormbringer. Storm, this is Light Heart."

Storm cocked an eyebrow. "Is this why you've been pining away the last few weeks?" she asked, which Rory answered with a dirty look. "Alright, alright, nice to meet you Light Heart." She said, munching on her candy bar. "I'm going to go take a nap. Holler at me if you need anything, sis." As the pegasus made her way upstairs, Rory trotted over to her guest.

"So, I take it things went well?" She asked.

Light sighed as he shrugged off his bags carefully near the door and found a seat nearby. "As good as leaving in the middle of the night can be I suppose. She would never understand; in fact, i TRIED to tell her twice during the week and she just tuned me out, pretending everything was fine." He waved a hoof. "I'll check on her in a while, see how she is. She is sweet, just a little oblivious." Now his ears fell. "I was able to cash in on a lot of unused vacation, but as of yet, I still don't have a job here, or even a place to stay. I literally have what is on my back. I got enough bits to get by for a while though."

Aurora's brow furrowed. "Do you need to stay here for a while? We've got more than enough space, until you can find something."

Light was taken aback. "I...well, I don't want to impose or anything. I can afford an inn for the time being." His eyes shifted to the room where her sister retreated to.

"Oh don't mind her, she's just a big bully. I'll sort her out later. If you would rather have an Inn, that's fine, but you are always welcome here." She walked over to where she placed her canvas earlier, beginning to put away the art supplies sprawled across the floor.

"So, have you had anything to eat? I could treat you to lunch."

Light sighed, closed his eyes, and rubbed the sides of his head with a slight wince."It would be easier on my savings, of course I would pay my share, but it would be infinitely cheaper than an inn. If you don't think she would mind, I don't know how I can say no." He finally opened his eyes after a while "Sorry, did you say something else?"

Aurora trotted over and gently placed a hoof on his shoulder. "I insist that you stay here. You need a break and some time to get back on your hooves." She gave him a quick peck on cheek. "Are you hungry? At all?"

Light forced a smile, well not really force, but the touch of her lips on his cheek overcame the other feelings going on with him right now. He wasn't really in any pain, just a lot of stress and a lot of sleepless nights "That would be wonderful. The food on the train is horrid. And I suppose if you insist, saying no might be against my health. I might end up with another shoe on my face."

She laughed "Or worse, if you're stubborn enough. Come on, what would you like to eat? My treat, of course."

"Worse? I can only fathom what accessory that may be!" He needed this banter, it was helping already. That and he terribly missed her over the two weeks. "Surprise me. Just no tomatoes, I don't like tomatoes." He said with a grin before nuzzling into her neck, losing himself for a few seconds.

She leaned into his nuzzle "Alright Captain Kraft, how about some Garlic Rolls and Pasta from Cavatelli's? And a side of EXTRA tomatoes you say?" She couldn't help but throw in a little bit of teasing. She grabbed a teal scarf from a coat rack by the door, wrapping it loosely about herself, followed by a small coin purse she draped underneath it.

Light stood, stretched for a second, and made his way to her by the door, a grin still on his face. "I need to think of a good nickname for you, but it has to be good..." he trailed off as his mind got lost in thought. Finally, he shook his head a little as he made his way out the door with her. "Bit of deja vu here, about the same time of day and going to the same place." He looked up instinctively and chuckled "Sky's clear today."

"You hinting at something, hun?" She asked, head cocked to one side. She secretly hoped they'd be able to go back to their spot, she'd missed him terribly in the last few weeks and was dying to spend some quiet time with him.

Light shook his head with a little chuckle and pointed to the window. "No UFO's today." He wondered for a second if she thought he was referring to their cloud, and if so, she seemed excited about it. He was as well, but priorities first. He ran a hoof down her cheek and gave her a quick nuzzle "We will go back soon, dear. Promise." before heading off down the street. "Better hurry, if I get there first, there may not be enough rolls for the both of us."

Quickly shutting the door behind her, Aurora gave a sly grin and bolted into a full gallop. "I'll be damned if you eat them all by yourself!" She laughed. "So help me Celestia, I'll throw every shoe I own at you!"

Light let out a loud guffaw and burst into a gallop of his own, picking up speed to match pace with own after closing some distance. He let her stay ahead however. "And just how many shoes do you own? My face can only take so much of a beating before the pretty disappears."

She laughed, though never dropped speed as she ducked in and rounded a sharp corner. "I kind of LOVE shoes, so I have at least fifteen pairs!" She had to mind a few dips and cracks in the cobblestone where it was uneven, but it was a breeze since she'd been living in this town for a while.

Light struggled a bit more, so every now and then he had to use his wings for stability. The cobbles are a bit different to him, but he appreciated their cool feel and natural look. "Yeah, I've got none....now that I think about it. Well, I guess I do have one..." he said thinking about it. The restaurant wasn't far, they covered a lot of ground with their silly banter and witty retorts. He was already beginning to loosen up after a miserable two weeks.

Laughing like crazy and looking behind her nearly the entire way, Rory almost didn't notice a small colt who'd run into her path after a lost ball. She turned around in time to skid to a halt, giving the young child enough time to run for cover. With a sigh of relief, she prepared to take off again at a dead run

Light Heart barely saw what was going on and almost had enough time to come to a halt as well. Almost, but not quite. Before crashing into her flank, Light did the only thing decent; he dove under her rather than getting a faceful of tail and flank, not to mention embarrassment. The cobbles hurt a bit, but thankfully he slowed enough to avoid any messy injuries other than his pride.

Aurora landed not-so-gracefully across Light's back, though she managed without any injuries herself. After a moment, she snapped out of her stupor and hurried to get off her companion. "Light, I am so, so sorry! Are you alright?" She knelt down and lifted a stray strand of the pegasus' bangs away from his eyes. There was a decent sized crowd with their eyes on them, and Rory could feel it, her ears and cheeks burning with embarrassment. She couldn't help but laugh a little, Light looked rather silly sprawled out on the cobblestone street like that.

Looking around, Light would have laughed but the embarrassment hit him first. This was his first time in a new place, and here he was, spread eagle on the cobblestones, a pegasus nonetheless. "I'm fine, are you OK? He said quietly, gathering his wits about him. "No need to overreact, they are just curious...keep it together." He said to himself. Turning to Rory, he looked her over to make sure she was OK and finally addressed the crowd. "Everything is fine everypony, just had a bit of a stumble in a mad dash to get the best garlic rolls in Equestria."

Rory's ears set back and she winced, Light was making things slightly worse with his public announcements. "Come on, let's get to Cavatelli's." She tugged at him slightly with her hooves.

Light Heart took the hint and followed her meekly to the restaurant. Once inside, he literally threw himself down at a table put his hoofs to his head taking a deep breath. "Sorry..." was all he could muster.

Rory shook her head, concern playing across her features. "Hey..." she started, taking Light's hooves in her own. "It's not a big deal, I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Her ears set back once more, she felt wretched for ruining her attempts at making this stallion's day brighter.

Light Heart gave her a bit of a squeeze, his headache returning since the fall. "No no, it's not you at all dear. That's not like me. i panicked. I'm new here, I want to make a good impression to everypony. Sometimes I resort to humor and THAT was not a situation that called for it." He winced once again. "Some food will do good....food, and rest."

A frown still on her face, the unicorn moved from her seat in the booth across from Light so that she was sitting next to him. She nuzzled under his chin, shutting her eyes for a moment. "It's okay, Light. We all make silly mistakes. And you have nothing to prove here. I seriously doubt those ponies will remember you come tomorrow. This is a big town, and they all have busy lives. This event won't be significant to them in the least." She soothed. A server brought a few glasses of water over, recognizing Rory as a regular. When he noticed Rory and her guest were engaged in what appeared to be an intimate moment, he simply kept his distance until he deemed it would be alright to approach them with menus.

In the meantime, Rory rubbed Light's back softly with a forehoof, trying to calm his nerves.

Light Heart sighed and leaned into her, and once again melted into her warmth. Though is head still throbbed, he touched certainly helped. "I know, it's just that Ponyville is so small and word travels fast. I suppose i need to have a different mindset here." He gave her foreleg a bit of a "thank you" squeeze before continuing. "I think I just need rest is all. I am more on edge than I thought I suppose. So much change..."

"I understand, and I'm sorry for dragging you out. Would you like to grab some food for the road and just eat at my house? I've got lots of tea and cocoa, and you'd be able to lie down for a while."

Light shook his head. "No, here is fine. It's quiet now. And this place is familiar, so it's comforting." He lifted his eyes to meet hers "For many reasons of course. And more than just the food."

The unicorn sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before smiling. "Alright, I'll see about getting us some of those garlic rolls." She turned and waved to the familiar server and he immediately about-faced into the kitchen. Moments later, he returned with a bowl of baked goodness, and two pasta menus. Quickly dispensing olive oil, balsamic and the assorted spices onto a dipping plate, the server nodded with a wink and a smile and then let them be.

Light wasted no time diving into the rolls, dipping them in the heavenly mixture before taking large bites. Using one hoof to eat, the other he kept on her leg, her proximity and touch comforting him. "It was harder than I thought to leave. I thought I was mentally prepared, but it was far more difficult than I anticipated." He looked at her quickly. "Not Ery, mind you, but, my job, my coworkers....it's all I have known for two years; two years of stability that I haven't had in awhile."

Aurora felt a slight pang of guilt once more, but pushed it aside for the time being. "That's a feeling I'm familiar with. I moved around alot when I was a filly." Rather than remove her hooves from Light, she used her magic to levitate a small portion of a garlic roll to herself, disposing of it quickly. "Goodbyes aren't always easy, but they aren't always permanent either."

He nodded, starting on his second roll, foregoing the dipping sauce this time. "It's not so much the goodbye's as simply being nervous about leaving for the unknown." He sighed through his chewing, and gave her leg a squeeze to reassure her of his decision. "But I had to do this, I needed to, or else, things would have been much worse in the long run. I was going nowhere there; I was trapped. But even a caged bird when freed sometimes fears leaving what he is accustomed to."

She smiled then, squeezing his hoof back. "It's not so dark when you have someone's hoof to hold."

Light's ears twitched as he was suddenly reminded of something his mother used to tell him as a foal. "And even the darkest days, have a little Light." He said, idly swirling one of the garlic rolls in the mixture. "My mother used to tell me that when I was a foal, I wasn't sure when it meant at the time, and even when I got my cutie mark, it still didn't make much sense to me. I never figured out if she was referring to me, or just some intangible metaphor."

Without skipping a beat, Rory responded. "Is it too far-fetched to say both?" Her ears tilted forward a bit and her eyes fixed on her companion.

Light smiled and leaned back into her "Careful there dear, or else Captain Kraft might have Velveeta Girl as a sidekick." He offered up his roll to her, his desire for them waning as his thoughts and eyes turned to the pasta menu. However, he was far too comfortable to move so he kind of just eyed it over as he leaned on her. "What do you recommend, Ms. Velvet?"

Grinning, she levitated a menu in front of them both. "I usually go for the rigatoni. They put mushrooms and caramelized onions in it, and the marsala cream sauce is to DIE for!"

"Sign me up for one of those, minus the mushrooms. I don't mind them finely chopped, sparingly, or as flavoring, but that's it. I suppose like tomatoes, it's a texture thing." He closed his eyes, and if it wasn't for his pure joy at spending time with her again, he would have fell asleep then and there. "Tell me something random about yourself, something not many ponies know."

Cocking her head to the side, Rory's face was one of contemplation. She didn't have too many secrets, there wasn't much in her life she had come to regret. There was plenty to feel silly about though. After a while, she finally spoke. "When I was a filly, there was a classroom bully who would always pick on the smaller foals and steal things from them. I guess he decided it was my turn to be bullied one afternoon... I was wearing my favorite purple jacket with a flap on the front that hat silver snaps. He pulled me off the swing set by the flap of my coat and dragged me around the playground as hard as he could... and he ripped my favorite jacket. Since nopony saw it, the teachers couldn't do anything about it. I was so upset, and I remember my dad telling me that I didn't have to take a bully's temper. I could stand up for myself. So a week later, the same colt came to me while we were in line to go down the really tall slide. He pushed me out of the way, and I skinned my front legs when I fell. I was of course stuck behind him the whole way up the ladder, and he berated me the entire time." She took a sip of water. "Finally, I guess I snapped... because I pushed him off the top of the slide and he broke both of his forelegs from the fall. None of the teachers saw it, and when the bully tried to tell them it was my fault, all the other foals who'd been bullied said he was lying. So I never got into trouble for it. I felt a little bad that he had to go to the hospital, but at the same time I was proud of myself for standing up to him." She sat there a moment, shaking her head. "I don't know WHY I chose to tell you that story... She promptly waived down the server, and requested two orders of the rigatoni, one sans mushrooms.

Light listened to the story, admittedly at first only half heartedly, but never missing a word. He was too comfortable, too relaxed, and too caught up in her sing-song voice to pay attention to anything else.

When she was done. he opened his eyes and sat up, feeling that if he stayed there he would eventually fall asleep. "It takes a lot to stand up for yourself, especially at such a young age against one so aggressive. It shows tenacity and take charge instincts." He winked at her slightly, leaned in, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "A quality I admire in a mare."

Face flushed, Aurora smiled and briefly shut her eyes, as the kiss sent a warm and tingling sensation throughout her. "Well, how about you? What's the silliest thing you've ever done?" She asked.

"Silliest thing?" Light grinned mischievously as he leaned back in deep thought. "One time, really late at night, a friend am I stalked over to another friends house, and we proceeded to...decorate it. We stuck forks in his grass, probably 100 of them. Through bathroom tissues all over his trees, and I mean /all over/ his trees. We stuffed the mailbox full of flour, wrapped the entire house in giant rolls of plastic wrap, and covered the walkways with eggs." He chuckled at the last. "I have probably done some sillier stuff, but that one just made no sense."

She laughed, sitting back as the food was brought to their table. "That doesn't surprise me. Judging by our incident with the cake, it seems you haven't fully outgrown your pranking streak." She chided playfully.

Taking a fork with her magic, she picked up a bit of pasta and onion and held it up to Light Heart's muzzle. "Here, try that and tell me it isn't one of the most scrumptious things you've ever had."

Light complied and accepted her offering, letting it linger in his mouth a bit as he enjoyed the flavor. This was his preferred way of eating onion, and the flavors melded together in heavenly bliss. "Oh hon, this is wonderful. Excellent choice. I should try recreating this." He said, savoring the taste inside his mouth as he tried to identify all the ingredients. "This is my favorite type of cuisine to cook as well."

It was obvious his mood was picking up, but there was still a bit on his mind. "Can we go for a walk after this? Somewhere private maybe"

Smiling, Rory pushed the bowl closer to Light, gently placing the fork down. "Sure thing. Most everyone will be at the parks this time of year enjoying the last bit of mild weather we have, so we can walk towards the edge of town. Are you sure you're feeling up to it?" Meanwhile she left her pasta untouched.

Light nodded as he continued to eat the pasta. It really was quite tasty. He lost himself for a moment, until he noticed she wasn't eating. "You OK dear? You haven't touched yours at all. Have I upset you?"

Aurora shook her head. "No, you haven't upset me at all. I'm just concerned I guess. This trip is a big deal for you, and I don't want to stress you out more than you already are." She decided to take at least a few bites to ease Light's mind, though she found she wasn't all that hungry.

Light shook his head, put down his fork, and gently turned his face to hers with a hoof. Resting his nose on hers, he looked into her eyes, tears forming in his as locked his eyes on hers. "You have done nothing this day but try to bring me comfort and compassion. You have done the opposite, and right now, I couldn't be in better company or treated anymore like the luckiest stallion in Equestria." He sealed the statement with a tiny kiss on her closed lips.

She felt tears threatening to escape from her own eyes as he spoke, and when he pulled away from the kiss she bit her lip to keep from crying. She threw her forelegs around him in a tight hug, as tight as she could grasp (which was not very hard).

Light melted into the embrace, and finally let the tears go. He didn't sob, just simply silently cried into her coat. He didn't know if words were appropriate right now, and he really didn't care, he just held her tight, as he wanted to do for 2 weeks. Finally, some words did escape "I missed you so much...."

Rory clamped her eyes shut as she succumbed to her own tears. She squeezed a little tighter before releasing pressure, simply taking everything in. She found the familiar smell of his mane, the comfort and warmth of his body against her, and some strange feeling that transcended all of space and time, setting them apart from this world in some way. It was as if she had been brought to life again, as she sat there in his arms.

"I've missed you too." She finally said. "I haven't been able to look at life the same since the night we met, and I have been aching to see you again..." She stroked his mane with one of her hooves. "...to touch you, and to hear your voice. I've not been myself in your absence, things just seem so much duller. I'm not sure how to explain it exactly... My life didn't feel incomplete before I met you. But you... you've illuminated the darkest corner of my soul, showing me a part of myself that I wasn't fully aware of. I've never felt so sure, so brave, or so alive as I do when I'm with you."

It took everything he had not to break down sobbing like a foal. As the words left her lips, all he could was hold her tight, the tears increasing with each word she spoke, each stroke her hoof, and practically each beat of her heart. He instinctively ran a hoof up to her neck and mane, pressing her tight against him as his coat literally melted and merged into hers. When she was done, he had no words, he couldn't form them. He had no idea she felt this way, no idea he meant to her in such little time; no idea she felt the same for him as he did for her. He doesn't normally believe in fate, but this wasn't happenstance; this felt like destiny.

Casting all his physical feelings into a pit of joy, excitement, and love, he dug into his own coin purse and left ample money on the table before whisking her away (gently mind you). As he made his way toward the door, he asked her quickly "You can still cast the spell, right?"

Opening her eyes wide as he lifted her, she clung to him while he made his way out the door. She simply nodded, unsure of what to say. No matter how many times she wiped her eyes, more hot tears found their way to the surface and matted against her already dampened coat.

He wasted no time, the minute she finished casting the spell, he help hoist her onto his back, and he gently took off, taking a slightly different route through the sky. The sun was starting to set again, a little earlier than their last trip. "Close your eyes, bury your head into my neck, and hold me tight. I want to feel your heart beating for the rest of trip. No words, just us flying as one."

He would have closed his own eyes, but he had to see. But he did hold her hooves tight, against his chest, right over his over-joyous heart.

Without questioning him, she did as instructed; her snout nuzzling into the soft smell, grasping tightly. Her own mane billowed around them as they flew higher and higher, her heart beating faster it seemed with each flap of Light's wings. Her ears were ringing, not from the wind flying past them, but from Light's breath as he sped onward. She could feel his pulse, and her body tingled from the mixture of touches and temperatures coming to contact with it.

He didn't know how long it took, and frankly it didn't care. Time could not have gone any slower than what he wanted it to; to have her close to him for eternity. He reached their cloud, their special place. "Open your eyes...."

The cloud was re-positioned, now much closer to Hoofington but at the same height. But what was most notable is the basket on the cloud. He wanted to explain to her that he moved it last week, that he left supplies here for when they wanted to come on a whim and forgot to plan. But all he could do was land on the cloud, help her off his back, and lay her down on the cloud with him laying beside her, their coats stills merged into one as he rests his nose against hers. He brushed her mane back from her eyes as he locked his gaze upon her once again, the tears he had at the restaurant returning as he probed deep into her soul. He didn't speak the words, so much as they came pouring out from his heart itself, sending a wave of love, excitement, and desire spreading through every fiber of his being

"I love you."

Her own heart felt his affections, seeming as if her whole chest had been opened and was literally fusing with his. There was an overflow of emotion, as her thoughts and feelings rushed out only to have the void they left filled and flooded by the overwhelming life and essence he returned. It was a magic all its own up on that floating haven, her eyes never leaving his as she gently caressed his face with a shaking hoof.

Her voice cracked when she tried to speak, so that she mouthed the words "I love you." in silence as she wrapped her hooves around his neck and drew him in for a passionate kiss.

His heart wasn't necessarily beating fast, but it was beating hard. He could feel each thump, but what was even more incredible is that he could feel hers as well. And to say the kiss wasn't electric would be an understatement as their mouths were intertwined in a sea of emotional passion. He slid his hooves behind her neck as he somehow found a way to make them closer, pressing his body tight against hers as he caressed her mane and neck.

A minute or so later, he finally had to breath, and they broke the kiss to an odd mixture of heavy breathing, smiles, and tears. Using a hoof, he wiped away a few of hers from her left eye as he smiled down upon her lovingly. He couldn't find words, as anything that would come out of his mouth at this point would be a disservice to how he truly felt at this moment. Using his other hoof, he reached into the basket and pulled out a blanket, tossing it gingerly over the top of

them as he rested his head under her chin, his hoof gently drawing small circles into her chest.

She tenderly ran her hoof through his long mane, feeling every strand as it slowly dipped and fell away from her, before she'd gather it again. She bent her head down and kissed the top of his, beaming. The smile she wore was so wide it hurt, but it didn't matter; nothing else in the world mattered as much to her right then as the stallion she was with. Her tail flipped about in excitement and her limbs still somewhat shaky. There was so much raw feeling and... power in those moments that she physically could not contain it. She was still speechless, her mind running so quickly that her thoughts were forming faster than her lips could translate.

Like the flight, and the kiss, time was now in a relative state. He didn't know how long he laid there, drawing random shapes into her beautiful coat, but he finally stood, a bit suddenly, but not quickly enough to alarm her. He smiled down at her as he did, putting a hoof to his lips to silence any questions she had. Reaching into the basket, he pulled out something else he brought along; a radio. With a click of a button, a song began.

"Dance with me?" He said, lowering a hoof to help her up, holding the blanket behind his back, ready to encase them in it when she joined him.

Her eyes lit up like the emerging stars above them as the sun set ever lower below the horizon. She took his hoof and he raised her up to him, drawing her close and wrapping the soft blanket around them. Following his first step, she moved her hooves slowly in tune with the music and guided by Light's every move. She slipped her hooves up over the pegasus' torso, letting them wander up and around his neck once more in an embrace. She pressed her cheek against his for awhile, moving every now and then to kiss softly at his neck and shoulder.

The pair, wrapped in a blanket to not only protect them from the cold air above, but to keep them pressed close together, slowly made their way around the cloud. The stallions forehooves were tightly locked behind her neck, and as she gently kissed his neck and shoulders, he returned the same right under her ears and cheeks.

As the music drew on, the sun hit that spot on the horizon in which it sent a multitude of magnificent, colorful rays across the deep, dark sky of the high altitude. The yellows faded to orange that faded to red that faded to pink. It was a bright beacon of hope for the future of a new relationship. When the song hit a crescendo, at it's peak, Light finally lost the grip on his emotions as he buried his muzzle into her neck as tears flowed silently.

"When did you know?" he whispered quietly near her ear, as his own mind pondered over the very question he just asked, trying to pinpoint that exact moment he realized that she was meant for his future.

Tears welling up in her own eyes once more, she took a deep breath before responding. "It's hard to pinpoint that feeling to one moment... like my heart has known from the very beginning what it felt." She ran her hoof through his mane once more, her body quivering with the tremors brought on by the overwhelming emotions washing over her. "But when I saw you standing in the doorway to my house grinning like an idiot... I just felt something. I couldn't put my hoof on it."

He kept swaying slowly to the music, lost in the feeling of the moment. He absorbed everything. The music, the warmth, the touch of her coat, and most importantly, her scent. Out of every memory he has burned into his head, none of them would be more important than this one. He continued to kiss her softly every so often in an action that can only be considered involuntary.

"You know, others will say we are crazy, that we are rushing into this. I would have been one of them. But these feelings I have for you, they transcend all rational thought and logic. It's not lust, obsession, desperation, or anything along those lines. It's pure, unbridled, unhinged, emotion. It's raw, with no word to describe it other than...I know my life isn't right without you in it."

It was at that moment Aurora completely broke down. She couldn't keep moving, she simply clung to him quietly, weeping. After a few minutes, she pulled away to look him in the eyes, taking his face in her hooves as she did. "Those feelings are mutual." She sniffled. "And it is not the business of others to know what we do or feel. I just know in my soul that this is where I should be."

Nodding, he echoed her thoughts "As long as I can be with you and see where this journey takes us, I don't care what others say or think." He took her hooves in his and pressed them over his heart. "What matters is that from this moment on, this belongs to you. I am willingly giving my heart to you, and it is up to you to decide what you will do with it. Whether that is to keep it close by, warm, safe, and loved, or thrown to the ground and crushed, I trust in you implicitly to treat it how you will." He swallowed a lump in his throat as his eyes continued to tear up, fixated upon hers. "And I promise you that as long as you keep it safe, you will always be the most important thing in my life. You will have my respect, my laughter, my warmth, my tenderness, and most importantly, my undying love."

She couldn't keep the tears from streaming down her face, nor could she suppress a wide smile. As the sun finally dipped below the horizon, the brilliant warm shades cooled to the familiar purple blue with stars twinkling overhead. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, Rory moved her hooves away from Light's chest. She leaned down and kissed the place where Light's heart would be, mimicking his earlier actions and placing his hooves above her own beating heart. "I accept your gift, and I will keep it close by; in place of my own heart which you now possess. I cannot promise to be perfect, but I promise to do all that is in my power to make you happy." She took a small step back towards where they lie earlier, pulling her with him, the blanket had long since fallen away.

Feeling the brisk air on his coat, and the warm, tender feelings coursing through his body, the only thought coursing through his mind right now is that he didn't want to be apart from her. The song had ended quite a while ago, and he didn't know what more to say that hadn't already been said. The time for words, for the moment, was over. As he slid his hooves behind her neck and pulled her in close, the feeling of his lips upon hers was unspeakable. Soft and warm, both pairs quivered in anticipation and passion as he fell gently to the cloud, wrapping her body tightly up into his own. His forelegs intertwined with hers as he used a hoof to pull the blanket over top of them. This time, his kiss was more passionate, as the desire of her now was becoming overwhelming to him. His hooves gently explored her back and side, her soft coat melting under his touch as his body coursed with feelings he had never felt before.

She let her tail find his and wound them together as he kissed her, and her spine tingled at his every touch. Her long mane draped over her shoulders and spilled onto the cloud and over Light's body. Rory softly ran her muzzle from the base of Light's neck up to the base of his ear, placing a gentle kiss every few seconds. She found her way back to him eventually, eyes clamping shut as the stallion kissed her. She inhaled sharply through her nostrils, running her own hoof down his cheek, neck, and torso. All inhibitions had been cast aside and she surrendered herself to him, not a second thought crossing her mind.

Light Heart let the experience linger on, having never experienced such raw emotion before in what would normally be considered a simple expression of love and passion. He gave in to his senses completely, letting his emotions fuel his desire to be with her, and kissed her with the power of a stallion absolutely, completely, and hopelessly in love

His breathing was heavy and his heart was racing, but he felt slightly concerned as broke the kiss. "Is everything alright, love?" He said sweetly, brushing back some of her mane, which had stuck to a bead of sweat that formed on her forehead.

Rory bit her lower lip but smiled back at him, nodding her head. "I've just never..." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. She wanted him to know he was the only stallion she'd ever trusted like this, but her words failed her as they had continually done that evening.

Light was surprised- was she? "Have you...never been with a stallion before?" he asked, having to forcibly restrain his reflexes as he lost himself again in her eyes. His hooves idly played in her mane and stroked her cheeks and neck as he awaited her reply.

She looked back and simply shook her head. "You are the first... the only one I trust." Her brow furrowed slightly. "That's... not bad is it?"

A genuinely loving smile graced Light’s face as he gently kissed her nose. "No, not at all. The fact that you trust me...that just makes this moment even more special. I love you Aurora. With every fiber of my being, I love you, and I want nothing more than to be that special one in your life." he said, tears dropping from his eyes and falling to her cheeks as he pulled the blanket atop them.

The stallion couldn't find the words to say, to describe what he felt at that moment. He slowly brought a hoof up to wipe her brow, and stroked the side of her face, feeling a few tears. His own were matting the fur of her neck, not realizing himself he was crying from something more than just a physical bond.

He had been with a mare before, but this? This was different. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to speak, he didn't want to ruin the most incredible feeling he had ever felt before in his existence. He closed his eyes, as he did before with her; burning the scene into his head. The sights, smells, touch, taste..and something new. Something he had recently learned that was more powerful than any physical feeling.

For the first time in his life, he had truly made love.

Opening her eyes to look at him, Aurora leaned up and kissed the tip of his muzzle. Exhaling, she lie back on the cloud bed and a sea of brunette curls as she simply smiled at him from behind heavy eyelids. Reaching up to caress his cheek one last time, she wiped a few stray tears from under his eyes.

Finally, not wanting to stay atop her and cause her any discomfort, he rolled off to the side, still leaving a hoof under her neck as he pulled her head gently to his shoulder and chest. "Heh, wow...." he finally said, with a little bit of a nervous laugh. He felt awful for having those be his first words, but he couldn't think of anything else.

She laughed, snuggling in and placing a hoof over his heart. "Indeed, wow." She smiled. Closing her eyes, she whispered "I love you, I love you, I love you..." a few times and her eyelids grew ever heavier. As she whispered the words, each time made him squeeze her just a bit closer to him. Not a care in the world as they lie at the very top of it, a calm washed over her and she grew weary, her body still quivering in a mixture of excitement and exhaustion.

But nothing else mattered to her, and she slowly fell asleep to the sound of her lover's heart beat.

The hoof Light held near her neck gently stroked her mane, running down its length before starting over again. He closed his eyes and leaned his head into her as his heartbeat started to quell. He didn't know when she finally fell asleep, but soon he realized she was breathing steadily and quietly as her head slowly rose and fell against his chest.

Light reached down carefully and pulled up the blanket, sliding it up to just under her neck. He kissed her sweetly on the forehead before closing his eyes and leaning back into her, snuggling her muzzle under his as he started to caress her mane again. He knew she was asleep, but somehow, he found the words that had been eluding him all night.

"For the past few years, I had abandoned the concept of love. Every time I have become close to somepony, and I have given them everything I have to offer... it was all for naught in the end. If they didn't rip my heart out of my chest, they would just crush it inside before they had a chance to. Eventually, I just thought I was never destined for that feeling, and instead settled for those who I thought would make me happy, and kept my heart locked under guard and key."

"That all changed two weeks ago. In two short weeks, you have shown me that not only does true love exist, but that I am privileged enough to be able to share in it's splendor. And at first I didn't know why. I had no idea why I trusted you with my special place, with my secrets, and what makes me tick."

"But now I know why, and it's as clear as this beautiful night I have just spent with you. You are, for lack of better words, my soul mate. You are me, but not me, if that makes any sense. Our way of thinking, our views on life, our common interests...it's as if we share the same wavelength. I feel as if I have known you for an eternity but yet, I still have so much to learn about you and that thought excites me more than anything I can think of."

"You have filled a hole in my life that at a few points in time I thought were occupied. But they were square pegs in a round hole. You...you are a perfect fit. A beautiful, amazing, wonderful, talented, and most of all, kind hearted fit."

"So sleep well, my love. And know that when you wake up, I will be here for you. Every single morning, I will be here for you. To hold you, to care for you, to experience life with you, and most importantly, to love you."

He didn't know if she heard what he said, but he knew that even if she didn't, that somehow she already knew anyway. After all, they shared a connection that nopony else could describe.

Collide

He felt her more than heard her, as she quietly moved her head on his chest. He took a moment to slowly open his eyes, as the bright sunlight rained down upon them. His body was a wreck, but he wasn't going to let her know it. His muscles ached from the tight grip he held on her last night to keep her warm; his neck kinked in his determination to keep her nuzzled as close as possible all night. But more evident, was his lack of sleep. He probably fell asleep a few hours ago, but he couldn't really tell. His mind last night was a blur of activity, from thoughts of now and into the future. He didn't want the night to end, and sleeping, well, that would have made it end too soon for liking.

"Good morning, sleepy head." he smiled back down, kissing her forehead with the slightest of movements.

Slowly propping herself up against him, Rory returned his kiss with another; this time on the muzzle. A soft smile graced her face as she looked down at him, the golden glow blending brilliantly with the colors of his long mane. She looked down at him for the longest time, racking her brain for the right words to say; anything to express the multitude of things she felt... but to no avail.

"Were you able to keep warm last night?" She asked, noticing slight bags under his eyes.

Light nodded as he squeezed her tight against him, closing his eyes once more as he buried his muzzle into her neck. "Very much so." was all he could say, her scent and touch slowly sending him back off to dreamland. He wasn't planning on falling back asleep, but he was just far too comfortable. He knew he should be heading back to town and getting settled in, but he was incredibly hesitant at giving up his little moment in heaven.

Grinning wider, she nuzzled just below his right ear. She was reluctant to move from where she lay, but with a night's passing without her returning home, she knew her sister would begin to worry. Giving a playful tap of her hoof on the tip of his nose, Rory attempted to stand. She was still shaky, but she managed.

"As wonderful as this is, we should head back to town. My sister will wonder where I am, and I don't want to worry her more than I probably already have." She blushed a little, her grin a bit sheepish.

Opening his eyes again and nodding, he slowly made his way to his hooves. "I completely forgot about her...." he said, starting to unfurl his wings, giving them a stretch and a quick preening. "I do hope she goes gentle on me as she does seem a bit...feisty. That and I just left all my stuff sitting in your floor with no explanation...I hope she doesn't think I foal-napped you or something." he said to her with a slight grin.

Shaking her head, Rory turned away for a moment to concentrate on her featherweight spell. The spell was becoming easier the more she cast it. "I think she'll be alright. She's done far worse than this in her lifetime. She's reckless. And besides, she'll have to go through me to get to you." She made a ridiculously silly 'war face' before winking at the stallion. "Come on, let's get going."

Hoisting her on his back once she cast her spell, the pair made their departure from their special place to pick up where they left off in the city. The journey, while uneventful, would always be special to Light. Not just from the memories of their insanely short time knowing each other, but the physical closeness and utter trust she placed in him to carry her there.

Arriving back at her house, Aurora climbed off as Light once again stretched his wings before folding them up. "Well, here goes nothing..." he said to her.

Tidying her mane a bit, Rory unlocked the door and let herself in. Stormbringer, who'd fallen asleep on the couch stirred at the sound of her sister's keys in the door. The lavender pegasus rubbed her eyes for a moment, sitting up to see what the noise was. Suddenly she snapped out of her stupor at the sight of her sister and the strange stallion entering the house.

"Where have you been all night?" She asked.

The unicorn cringed slightly, shutting the door behind them as Light entered. "We were out stargazing last night, Storm. I'm sorry if I worried you."

Storm raised an eyebrow once more at Light Heart, and it didn't take her long to figure out what they'd really been up to. She gave a surprised look to her sister, the corner of her mouth slightly upturned. "Well then... at least you came back in one piece. But you..." She turned her attention back to Light. "You should have at least said something. Coming to my house and just whisking my sister off into the blue!" She threw her hoof into the air in a mock display of indignation and appall.

Rory huffed, stamping a hoof down on the wood floor. "Storm, this is our house, remember? And for Celestia's sake, don't be such a hypocrite." She glared, to which her sister replied with a sheepish grin. Without another word, the pegasus stretched her limbs and made her way upstairs to her room, shutting the door behind her. Light watched the exchange in silence, but he couldn't help but smirk as Storm made her way upstairs. He chuckled as he looked at his lover.

Shaking her head, Rory pushed any irritation from her mind. She was determined not to come down from the high she was on the night before. "See? That wasn't so bad. Now what would you like for breakfast, dear?"

"Can I have you?" he asked with a silly grin on his face, half-serious, half joking as he had to admit that her determination with Storm in defense of him was a bit of a turn on. "You are cute when you are angry." he said, giving her a playful nudge with his nose to her cheek. "But in all seriousness, I'll have whatever you're having. And, don't forget, you haven't broken the news about me staying here yet."

Blushing with a smile and a sigh at his remark, Rory trotted into the kitchen and began levitating various instruments and ingredients. She mixed a slew of sugars, butter, and cinnamon in different containers, while she mixed a doughy substance. Once the dough had firmed, she broke it into small chunks, coating it in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Once she dumped it with the melted butter mix into a bundt pan, she slid the confection into the oven and set the timer.

"That's going to have to bake for at least half an hour. Why don't we take some of your things upstairs?" Rory suggested, gesturing to Light's belongings still sitting by the front door.

Nodding, Light made his way over and tossed the bags across his back once again. Looking to the stairs, he turned back to Rory. "I guess I'll keep my things upstairs in your room, but where am I to sleep?" he asked, genuinely curious what she had in mind for his sleeping arrangements. He knew where he wanted to  rest his head every night, but he wasn't going to assume.

"I had intended to offer the couch... but the topic is open for discussion once I tell Storm." Daintily making her way up the steps with Light in tow, she pointed to the room at the far end of the hall where the front of the house was. "That's my room. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable and I'll wrangle the pegasus in the other room." She winked and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, turning tail and letting herself into her sister's room.

Rather than hear what was obviously going to be an interesting argument, Light entered Aurora’s abode and shut the door behind him. The purple in the room caught his eye quickly, and gazing at what appeared to be her artwork on the walls, he dropped his pack neatly in the corner of the room and made his way to her bed. Sitting on it, he could hear their discussion picking up a bit as he decided to just make himself comfortable while he waited for the sparks to settle. Laying on one of her pillows, he immediately recognized her scent, and a warm smile crossed his face as he found himself subconsciously nuzzling the pillow ever so slightly. He was oh so very tired...

After about twenty minutes, Rory exited her sister's room, a smug smile on her face. She made her way down the hall to her own room, peering in to see Light burying his face in her pillows.

"Well, you can stay. You have your choice of the couch or a bed." She smiled at him and walked over, nuzzling the side of his neck.

Turning his face up and obviously half awake, he grinned back her her "If I take the bed, does that mean I will have a snuggle buddy, or will said previous bed owner be taking the couch?"

Shaking her head, she smiled. "I'll be damned if I get ousted from my own bed. I guess you'll just have to make sure not to toss around too much." She was about to lie down when her timer went off downstairs. Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "I'll be back in a moment." She quickly left the room, and tended to the hot breakfast downstairs. It needed some time to cool, so she set the piping hot pan on a trivet and made her way back to her bedroom.

Entering, Rory closed the door and found a comfortable spot next to Light, wiggling her way under his forehoof. "You didn't sleep well, did you?" She asked.

Shaking his head, he snuggled up against her. "I was too busy making sure the love of my life was safe and warm, and maybe I was a bit giddy about how wonderfully lucky I am to have you in my life."

Rory smiled wider, pulling a blanket over them with her magic as she nuzzled under his chin. "You should rest, we'll have brunch when you wake." Her curtains were semi transparent, but they still blocked out a good amount of sunlight so that her room stayed dim.

He didn't know how long he was out when he finally opened his groggy eyes. She was still asleep, her now familiar rhythmic breathing comforting him as he brushed a hoof through her mane. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew they shouldn't be sleeping again so soon.

Gently nudging her with his nose, he smiled down and kissed her forhead. "Good morning again beautiful."

Rubbing her eyes, she blinked a few times before realizing she was in her room. Looking up to Light, Rory smiled and greeted him with a kiss. "Good morning again to you, dear. Though I'm sure it's closer to afternoon at this rate. The sun was a little higher in the sky than when they first ventured home, though Rory wasn't too worried about sleeping in on a weekend. "Would you like to come downstairs for brunch now? Or would you like me to bring it to you here?"

He chuckled, and helped her out of bed as well as himself. "No no, no need for me to be lazy. I should probably start going out to take a peek at jobs anyway. But first things first...food in the belly sounds amazing." He said, a lot more chipper now with some rest in his system.

"I wholeheartedly agree.” She opened the door to her room and led them downstairs to the kitchen where her baked confection, now probably a little chilled was sitting. Rory retrieved two small plates from the cupboard and brought them to the table with her. "So about job hunting... I know we were joking before, but if you can't find any nursing positions open here, there is always Cavatelli's."

Light didn't waste his time digging in, not really caring if it was warm or not. "We'll see I suppose, I just don't think I have it in me to work in food service. I love cooking, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I would find a fulfilling job in a restaurant unless it was my own." He said, tone turning more serious as he chomped a bit on the sweet treat. He smiled after the first bite, nodding his head "Delicious hon."

Rory prepared two glasses of water for them and began to munch a bit herself. She didn't eat much, as her appetite seemed to have vanished suddenly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find something well suited for you." She idly swirled the water in her glass, thoughts drifting back to the night before. She glanced out the kitchen window towards nothing in particular.

"Everything OK hon? You seem distracted..." he said, resting a hoof on her thigh and giving it a gentle rub as he took another bite.

Snapping back with a quick shake of her head, she smiled. "Oh, yes I'm fine. Just lost in my thoughts. I do that from time to time." She finished her water and placed the empty glass in the sink. "So, you really think job hunting on a Saturday is a good idea?" The unicorn asked, making her way back to the table.

He gave her a worried glance before another light squeeze and nodding. "Great thing about hospitals and some doctors; they have good hours. It can't hurt to get an early start. Unless you got something else planned?" He said, raising an eyebrow and giving her one of his patented sweet smiles.

She grinned in reply. "Not any real plans for today, to be honest. I could just paint while you are out and about. Unless you'd like for me to accompany you?"

He kissed her on the cheek and stood, making sure to wipe his mouth first. "You should get a bit of time away from me, don't want to spoil you, ya know." he said with a devilish grin. "Besides, I don't know how long this will be and I am kind of curious to see what your creativity will dream up. I still have yet to see you in action...well...other than a hoof and some clouds.

Looking down with face flushed, Rory smiled. "I'll paint something then, while you are out. Would you like to take a canteen or anything with you? If you'd like to get cleaned up, the shower is upstairs to the left. The linen closet is inside the bathroom."

Light chuckled and made his way to the door. "Implying that I stink? I"ll be fine hon. If I am not back before dark, send a search party...probably got lost!" And with that he made his exit and wandered out into the town, no real destination in mind other than the hospital he was at for the conference earlier in the month.

Once Light left, Rory set about cleaning up around the kitchen and her room before dragging out her painting supplies. Turning on a CD with her special drawing playlist, Rory immersed herself in her work, mixing splotches of paint on a palette and spreading them about her canvas. Her painting consisted of mostly dark colors; blues, violets, and grays. She painted for a few hours, non-stop, completely engrossed in the subject matter.

It was near dark when he finally returned back to her place. Forgetting to ask for a key, he gently knocked on the door, feeling awful for having to disturb her; or Stormbringer for that matter. He did his best to hide his look of disappointment, but was unsure of how well he would be able to cover up his feelings.

Rory had long since finished her painting and put away her supplies to make dinner. Storm ate and retreated to bed, leaving Rory to wait up for their new room mate. Upon hearing the knock at the door, the unicorn's ears perked up and she quickly trotted to the door and flung it open. The smile that was on her face, however, began to fade when she took note of Light's dejected demeanor.

"Light Heart, are you alright?" She asked, concerned, as she ushered him in and shut the door behind him.

The stallion gave off a quick huff of a laugh before entering the house, his nose leading the way as he sniffed something tasty "Huh, I guess I really do have a hard time hiding things...well, maybe from you at least..." he said with a half-smile, as she always found a way to make him forget about the insignificant things.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, trotting to the table and preparing him a plate of casserole. "You just seem a bit off is all... did you find anything?”

He sighed and plopped down hard on the couch, knowing there was food ready to eat. It smelled wonderful but his appetite was shot. "Nothing. Not a thing. Well, I wouldn't say that. The hospital HAS an opening, several in fact. But when they found out a stallion nurse was applying, their attitude changed." He looked at the door, the anger in his eyes evident. "Maybe I am just reading too much into it, but I dunno, I am usually pretty good at reading ponies."

Rory set the plate on the coffee table in front of them, sitting beside Light. "You mean you think they won't give you a position because you are a male nurse? That's... bizarre. I would think male nurses would be more valuable, seeing as you'd be more able to lift patients." The unicorn frowned, rubbing a hoof gingerly on her companion's back.

Light Heart raised an eyebrow "Those are called orderlies, and they actually had the gall to ask if I was applying for that position." He sighed, laying back on the couch. "Whatever. I still applied, but now I don't know if I even want to deal with that hassle. It's funny because I haven't felt like this since college, but you kind of expect it there. And it's not so much as being a male nurse, it's more of  'why not a doctor?'"

Expression unchanged, Rory sighed. "Well, why not a nurse? It's none of their business why you chose not to be a doctor. I don't see why it should matter." She huffed a bit, blowing her bangs up and letting them fall back into place. If there was one thing she disdained in the professional world, it was gender roles.

Light put his hoof on her leg. "Dear, I don't give a flip about what people think. It's when they actually take it to this level that it infuriates me. I do not feel insignificant, not one bit. The truth is, I aced my MCAT's. I could have easily been a doctor if I wanted to. It just...didn't feel right to me."

Aurora sat back, making eye contact. "That's my point. There shouldn't be an issue, and folks shouldn't stick their muzzles where they don't belong." Reaching forward to hug him, Rory gave Light a quick kiss on the cheek. "Well, I'm sorry things didn't go as you'd hoped... but welcome home."

She smiled, reluctantly pulling away. "Come on, why don't you at least try to eat something. Maybe you'll feel better?" She nudged the plate closer to him. "It would be a lie to say I wasn't worried, but I think this small snag won't matter in the grand scheme of things. You'll find work; remember this is just the first day you looked. There are more opportunities tomorrow."

He shook his head as he forced a bite into his mouth. He had zero appetite, but he didn't want to be rude. "I did some poking around at the hospital, inquiring with some of the staff who seemed to be legit...said the market is thin and wished me luck. The hospital was the only place. Maybe I can see WHY those positions are open..."

Rory's brow furrowed once more in thought. "I don't know... I'm not sure how that field works as far as hiring and resources." Her ears drooped slightly and her shoulders slumped.

Light grunted and rubbed her leg, taking another bite before pushing his plate away. "Sorry hon, you're right. One bad day, and there is always tomorrow. I suppose if I have to lower my standards and be an orderly, well, a job is a job."

Her ears righted themselves, though she still sat slumped over. "Maybe there will be opportunities for you to move up on the ladder afterwards?" She asked hopefully. She wasn't sure if she was convincing him or herself more.

"Yeah.." he almost mumbled, knowing full well just how far he would get in that position. "I am sorry hun, just don't have much of an appetite. Please don't take offense, it was amazing, really." Looking around, he tried to really take in his new home, for the first time honestly. There was nothing of his here, other than a few necessities packed away in 'their' room. That fact didn't bother him, but the fact that he felt like he was going to become a dependent burden did. He shook his head and changed the subject "How was your day? How did your painting go?"

Sensing he was just trying to take his mind off of the stress by changing the subject, Rory felt she had little choice but to go along with it. "Oh, I painted a few small canvases to hang in my room. I was ready for a change. Would you like to see them?"

Light nodded enthusiastically, genuinely interested in seeing her work. From what he saw in her room of her previous paintings, he knew she was quite talented, but to see something recent...it made him a bit excited. "Of course I do!"

Smiling as she stood, Rory trotted upstairs to retrieve the paintings she left to dry on her floor. She was quickly back downstairs again, two small canvases and one mid-sized one floating around her, all facing away from Light. "No sneak peaks, there is a set order." She winked.

Revealing the first of the small paintings, the unicorn smiled. It was a simple painting, seemingly just a night sky. But there was something special about two of the clouds towards the top center of the canvas, and a bigger and brighter star between the two of them that seemed to outshine all the other stars in the image.

Light Heart stared at the painting for a moment, squinting before realizing what it was. “Is... is that us?”

Rory nodded. "Yes and Alpha Cognatio between us. I've been unable to push the images from that night out of my mind. To be honest, my sketchbook is full of doodles that remind me of our first meeting." She set the first canvas aside, revealing the second canvas of the same size. This one was more abstract. "This curve here is the wind, and these two shapes are to represent us... cloud carving. I couldn't replicate that image of Luna no matter how many times I tried... so I opted for something more abstract.

Light was just taken aback; blown away at how much of an impact that night made on her. "Rory....." was all he could manage, putting a hoof on her back. "I can't get the images out of my head either....but you...you can. This is amazing." He kissed her forehead, and smiled "Don't worry about replicating it. It's in our heads and hearts...and those will last a lot longer than a canvas  I think."

Face slightly flushed, Rory pushed onward, levitating the larger canvas to them. "This one took me nearly the full two weeks you were gone to paint. It took a while before I was happy with the colors... but I hope you like it." She turned the canvas to reveal a portrait of the two of them flying together for the first time. "I had to kind of take a few liberties with this one, as I couldn't actually see us flying..."

Light just sat in place, losing all control of his rear appendages. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. He reached out a hoof, not touching it, but simply tracing the outline of her body on it. "Rory....." he said, tears welling up in his eyes. "This....I..." he couldn't form words, he didn't know what to say. He was shocked at when she started it, and how much that night meant to her. It was all he thought about for those two weeks, and to know she was working on this...it was beyond words. His watery eyes turned to tears as he wiped a few away.

How did she know that the image he burned into his mind that night...was almost identical to what she painted?

Gingerly placing the canvas down, she turned towards the stallion and carefully pulled his face back towards her with a hoof. She sat there for a long time, just staring into his eyes, not speaking. She was remembering; all the feelings she felt over the last few weeks resurfacing, memories playing through her mind over and over again... "Meeting you was the single most important event in my life thus far. You've left such a profound impact on me that I've been drowning in inspiration to create art. Life has been so much clearer since that night..." She paused, a few tears springing to her own eyes. "I... I'm having trouble gathering my thoughts... or rather telling you..." She looked at him once more, letting the tears freely fall. "I somehow have this feeling in the pit of my soul... that even if I can't find the words to say, you know what my heart is saying."

Pulling her into an embrace, his tears stopped but the watering didn't as he nearly squeezed the life out of her. "Of course I know what your heart is saying, and I am sure that you know what mine is saying. After all, we traded them, remember?" He smiled warmly as he fondly nuzzled her neck "I am finding words with you are near meaningless, except as ways to express affirmation of what’s in my heart. Every beat of it reverberates pure emotion, feeling....love. It washes through me like a tidal wave, making everything in my life seem miniscule and insignificant except for what I love the most; you."

He leaned back slightly, turning her face to his gingerly before kissing her; a slow, gentle, tender kiss. "Why use words, when we can use every other sense we have, and let our hearts speak our words for us through them."

Aurora squeezed as hard as she could, not really wanting to let go of him. "Why use words?" She laughed. "Because I love the sound of your voice. It is a great comfort to me. Each chord resonates, making my ears ring... and I can feel it's vibration in my chest. You are not only speaking to me, you are speaking from within me. Even if I know what you will say, or want to say... it's still such a joy to hear the words come from your lips."

Light chuckled lightly and kissed her again, this time a little less passionate but heartfelt; he couldn't kiss her any other way. "You keep this up love, we are going to have a repeat of last night if you know what I mean. You are already irresistible to me, but you keep plucking my heartstrings like that..." he trailed off with a grin as he stood finally, taking the dishes into the kitchen. "I'll pack away the leftovers and clean. The least I can do."

Rory nodded, standing and levitating the canvases. "Thank you. I'll take these back upstairs. Is there anything else you need before I head up there?" She trotted to the base of the staircase, pausing to wait for a reply.

Light smiled, nodded and took a long look into her eyes. Why did everything seem so small and insignificant when she was around? "No, I got what I needed. I'll see you upstairs when I am done?"

Rory smiled, batting her eyelashes. "Sure thing, Captain Kraft." Without another word, she silently made her way up the stairs. Rounding the corner of the bannister, she paused again, letting out a sigh. She glanced up at the various photos of her and her parents and sisters, smiling and letting her mind wander... it had wandered too far and she shook her head, clearing her mind before returning to her room.

Light scoured around the kitchen and found some proper containers and took care of cleaning duties. During this entire process, his mind wandered, as it always did when he was doing trivial tasks. He thought of everything...past, present, and future, the latter making him smile as a wave of tingles shot through his body. Cleaning the counters, he turned off the lights, locked the door, and retreated upstairs. He knocked on the door to her room with a chuckle "Can I enter?"

Rory had just begun to hang the first canvas when she heard him knock. "What's the password?" She snickered, hammering the first nail into the wall as quietly as she could.

"Velveeta" he replied, keeping the door shut playing her little game.

Failing to suppress her laughter, she used her magic to open the door. "Access granted!" She hung the largest canvas on the nail and turned to greet him by throwing her hooves around him in a warm embrace.

Light Heart grinned. “Did you miss me already?” He asked, nuzzling into her neck.

Nuzzling back she replied "Missing you shouldn't be the only occasion in which I'd hug you." She let go and turned back to hanging the smaller canvases. "Would you mind spotting and letting me know if these are evenly spaced or if they hang straight?"

"Of course!" he said, going through his back real quick and pulling out a toiletries while she adjusted the pictures. "You know Rory, I didn't say anything earlier, but that picture of us....that's exactly how i envisioned it. The pose, the angle, the colors....it's almost a spot match to the mental image I took. That's why I reacted the way I did."

She grinned, holding an extra nail in her teeth. It was all too easy for her to forget she was a unicorn sometimes. After fumbling to speak, she removed the nail and set it on the dresser she was hanging the pictures above. "This is strange, but I actually get that a lot. I've had clients accuse me of being a mind reader... but I really am just a stickler for detail. And I try so hard to really capture the essence of every request I am given."

"Yes hon, but I never GAVE you any details. Reading well into descriptions is one thing, but this....we never discussed it." He chuckled and finally just shrugged, motioning his hoof to the right a bit to let her know to shift the portrait. "I guess it shouldn't surprise me afterall. But I will admit, it's going to be very hard to keep surprises from you...so try not to hang around inside my head too much."

She just shrugged, face flushing once more. "Well... I can't say I'm surprised either to be honest, but it's still a lot of fun to discover how much alike we truly are. And I promise not to lurk too much in your brain." She chortled. Shifting her final painting into place with Light's direction, she returned her tools and extra nails to a small toolbox and slid it underneath her bed.

Light took the liberty to retreat to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and washing his face up a bit. "Well as long as you're in there, see if you can organize it a bit. It's kind of a mess. Be mindful of the furballs in the corner and the cobwebs...some of it doesn't get used much."

Cackling, Rory stepped into the bathroom to brush her teeth in the sink adjacent to the one he was using. "Alright, I'll do a little dusting, but I am not touching any cobwebs." She shuddered.

Finishing up, he leaned on the doorway to the bedroom, waiting on her to finish. "Just put everything back where you found it. I don't need my legs all switched up or my ears crossed....man that would be awkward..." He was just rambling at this point, and didn't know why other than the fact that he was just...happy.

Replacing her toothbrush and daintily wiping her mouth, she shut off the light and returned to her room. "Aww, and here I thought I'd get to have a bit of fun making you go cross-eyed or something!" She teased. Walking to her desk on the far side of the room, she lit a few candles and sauntered back to her bedside, flipping on the small lamp on her side table and simultaneously shutting off the main light overhead.

Not knowing what her normal nighttime routine consisted of, Light just made himself comfortable as he made his way to the far side of the bed. Snuggling himself under the covers, he propped up his head on the pillow and just took in her beauty in the dim light. "So much in two weeks...." was all he could say quietly, thoughts pouring through his head as the day was winding to a close. "Makes me think where I would be right now if I took a different route through the city two weeks ago...."

Smiling she nestled under the covers next to him, taking a small sketch pad from the drawer in her nightstand. "Do you often think about 'what if's' like that? Sometimes I do... but I can't really say I've ever really regretted not doing something a certain way. Not even flunking out of my first college." She smiled, turning to a blank page near the end of the sketchbook and doodling with a pencil.

Light snuggled up next to her, but left her free to continue sketching. "Often? No not really Just a few times in my life. School, my parents, you....come to think of it I guess that's about it." Using a hoof under the covers, he started to idly trace shapes into her coat. "No, I don't regret anything I do...mostly because if I do something wrong, I try to learn from it and not make that same mistake again. And I have made some doozies of bad decisions."

She raised an eyebrow, but continued doodling various shapes, one of which was Light's cutie mark. "I thought you said you excelled in school? But I suppose you could be referring to not taking the path of a doctor... and parents? We all make mistakes growing up hun, I've been into plenty of scuffles with my own folks." She smiled "I'd like to meet your parents eventually, if they’re half as wonderful as you are, I think we'll get along just fine.”

Ears dropping, Light stopped his tracing for a second. "My parents died about ten years ago love."

Her eyes grew wide and her own ears set back half in embarrassment, half in sympathy. "Light... I'm so sorry... I-"

He resumed his tracing, voicing choking up a little bit. "It's alright hun, you didn't know and I never say much about it. They died in an accident when I was sixteen at the weather factory."

Feeling a lump rise in her throat, Rory put her sketchpad down too look at him. "That's awful hun... you were only sixteen?" She shuddered at the thought of growing up without her parents. "What... what did you do?"

Ears twitching, his shape drawing became a bit more erratic, and he pressed a bit into her fur "What did I do? I refused to believe it. I never went to their funeral. I never visited their gravesite. I never even read about what the accident was or was about. I lived with my uncle for two years until i finished high school, pretty much locked away in my room in study and reading." He realized at this point he was almost digging into her fur. Rory winced a bit as his hoof pressed a little too roughly, but didn't make mention of it. "Sorry..." he said meekly, ears back against his head as he retreated his hoof.

The unicorn’s eyes moved direction a few times as she lost herself in thought, trying to find the words to say... how do you comfort someone about something that's already passed?

"So... when did you finally come to accept it?"

He shrugged. "They are dead and gone. I don't know. I even have a box that was left for me in their will. I haven't opened it. In fact, I don't even know where the key is anymore. I haven't even been back to their....my....house in  Cloudsdale in five years."

She frowned, taking one of his hooves in her own. "You don't want closure? At all?" She was mortified she'd even asked about his parents, somehow wishing she already knew and didn't need to bring up any painful memories. "It's not really my place... but running from something like that..."

Frowning a bit, he rolled over, snuggling his pillow close to his face, ears tight against his head. "I guess I don't..." He didn't know what more to say, he was a bit angry but didn't want to lash out at her. "I don't think about it. If I don't think about it, it's not an issue." he said flatly.

Biting her lip to hold back tears, Rory silently returned the sketchpad to it's proper place and shut off the bedside lamp. She lie there on her back for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling unsure of whether or not she should move or speak.

Finally, she worked up the courage to turn over and place a hoof on his shoulder. Reaching up, Light cupped it in his own, pulling her closer to him but not turning back. He had no tears for his past, but he had tears for her. "I'm sorry hun, it's just not something I am used to talking about. I didn't mean to hurt you..." he said quietly.

"It's alright." She whispered. In truth she was fine, just taken aback by his reaction. "I'm sorry for ruining your evening... I hadn't expected things to turn quite so sour..." She sniffled, wiping a few tears from her eyes.

Finally turning back over, he cracked a small smile as he wiped the rest of the tears from her eyes, kissing one of them that wandered down too far. "Questions cannot ruin my evening, and you have done absolutely nothing wrong." He kissed her nose and sighed a deep sigh, resting his head under her chin on her chest. "Perhaps you are right though....I just never think about it."

She let out a heavy sigh. "I can understand that it was traumatic... but I can't imagine never knowing... never putting it to rest." She kissed the top of his head and began stroking his long mane, letting the strands fall lazily over his shoulders before gathering it again. "I'm not suggesting we go tomorrow straight to Cloudsdale... but if ever you feel you ought to close the door for good, just know I'll be there for you."

"Mmmm" he nodded ever so slightly, just enjoying her touch on his mane and coat. "Just...not anytime soon. Not only do I have more pressing issues to deal with, I just....want to enjoy the feeling, right here, right now." Leaning his head down, he planted a few kisses on her chest. "But I know you'll be there for me...I would expect nothing less and I wouldn't want anyone else there with me."

She smiled then, burying her face into his mane. She inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar and comforting scent, her memories flooding back once more. "I won't argue with simply enjoying your company." She rubbed a back leg on one of his, casting a glance upward through her window to the clear night sky beyond.

He could sense her thoughts almost as much as feel the change in her body posture. "Thinking of something love?" he said, using his hooves to trace both of her cutie marks, knowing exactly every curve of the intricate pattern that made them up. He couldn't help but continue to kiss her chest every few seconds.

She laughed "My mind is a tangled mess. I didn't know it was possible to remember and think about so many things all at once." She nestled in closer, turning her gaze towards him. "What are you thinking about?"

Light blushed a bit, but was sure she wouldn't see it. "Truthfully? Last night...one particular part to be exact." He stopped kissing her, but instead used his nose to nuzzle into her, taking in her touch and smell as he melted into her fur.

She rolled her eyes back into her head as she let her eyelids shut, and she took a deep breath. "Do you realize just how important that was to me?" She grinned.

Light continued what he was doing, sensing she was at least enjoying or comforted by his attention. "Considering the circumstances, I would say so. But, it never hurts to hear it."

"I've never felt what I felt last night ever in my life... there is such a raw and unrefined power you hold over me... your every touch, your every breath... every syllable that falls from your lips... it's like fire. I feel this warmth in the deepest pit of my soul, and it is so great that it flows and dances throughout my veins." She leaned in, kissing his neck and nipping at the base of his ear. "And I cannot seem to get enough of it."

The feel of her teeth on his ear was like like a spark igniting a flame of desire in his body. His nerves instantly went on high alert, but what got him more though, were those words. They struck one of those strings attached to his heart, and it filled him with a wave of euphoria. "Your touch, your words, your smile, and your eyes; those things fill me with a feeling I have never felt before. At first, it filled me with joy, serenity, and contentedness, but last night, it filled me with something else; desire. When I laid you down on that cloud, after our dance, the raw emotion that flooded through me not only brought those feelings of happiness, but also feelings of passion, lust, and want. I have never felt both sets of feelings before for a mare, and what happened last night, was nothing short of exquisite. Our first time was not only something I will remember for the rest of my life, but something that solidified my love and need of you into my life. For that brief moment that night; my world was perfect."

Lower lip quivering, she brought his face to hers for a soft kiss, letting her hoof trace the curvature of his spine and wrapping around to his chest; inhaling as much of his scent as she could.

"It still feels like a dream you know..." he said softly, closing his eyes and losing himself in her touch.

She let out a heavy sigh, pausing to look up at him. "A dream? No dear, this is far, far better than a dream." The unicorn brought her hoof up to touch Light's lips, drawing a line down his chin, neck and ending on his chest. "I can hold you and feel you... I can see you so clearly... no, this is not a dream. This is home... this is heaven."

Light smiled as he stifled back tears from her words that struck another one of those chords and he gave her cheek a gentle lick before nipping on the base of her ear and whispering softly. "You didn't let me finish love, I meant to say a dream come true..." Meanwhile, his eyes spoke what his lips could not, expelling that emotion and passion building up inside. Nurturing love, overwhelming desire, and unbridled passion to be one with her again. This truly was heaven to him.

Her mouth opened as if she were going to speak, but instead she smiled and shook her head. Her eyes bored into his; an endless space she was drowning in, and she didn't fight it. She let everything he was overtake her, drinking his essence like a fine wine; letting it run over her palette and savoring every moment. "You are determined to kill me, Captain Kraft. If you keep this up, my heart won't be able to survive."

Her gaze was the catalyst needed to cause a few tears to find their way out of his eyes, finally unable to contain what was welling up inside of him. Those beautiful eyes, her very namesake, he realized were the key to unlock that of which he has kept inside the vault of his heart; his undying love. He knew this was her, he knew this was the one. With her, time was meaningless. His mind raced with the visuals of a  lifetime of memories, experiences, and adventures with her that have yet to take place, yet he knew they were coming. And at that end of that long tunnel, he saw her, standing tall and beautiful, behind her, a dark night sky with a cloud tinged in blue.

"No, my love, I am not determined to kill you. I am determined to spend my life forever with you..." he said softly, brushing back her mane as he pulled her face close to his. His lips pressed against hers, slowly parting them as a hoof slid behind her neck, pressing her gently into him as he lost himself in the bliss of that electrifying connection that only true love can provide.

Her eyes opened wide for a brief instant, then her eyelids slowly drifted down as she leaned into the kiss. A small moan managed to escape her trapped lips. The moment lingered on and she found herself tangled up in him; their limbs, tails, and tongues intertwining... seemingly melting together. She finally broke the kiss to catch her breath, gazing once more into her lover's eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say and to ask...

"You realize looking at me like that is just making me want you more..." he said with a sly smile, the need for her bursting at the seams.

She returned the smile, placing a hoof gently over his lips. "And do you realize that desire is mutual?"

The unicorn shuddered, trying to catch her breath. Once her panting became lessened, she opened her eyes, giving him a look that screamed satisfaction. The corners of her mouth curled into a smile as she looked down on him, a few curls draping back over her right shoulder. She didn't want to spoil the moment with words, so she did what she'd been instructed the first night they met; she closed her eyes once more, burning the image of him smiling up at her into her mind.

Light laid his head back, taking a slow, deep breath, and felt the emotional and physical exhaustion set on, as all the stress he had built up today exited with his exhale. "I love you, Rory" he said a little more than a whisper, already fighting the verge of sleep.

The look in Aurora's eyes softened, noticing Light's eyelids were growing heavier. She gently laid her body to rest on him, pulling the blanket over them both as she did. "And I love you, Light Heart." She whispered, resting her head under his chin, she stroked his long mane once more. "If it's alright... I'd like to fall asleep like this."

"Mhm." he grunted quietly in acknowledgement, resting his hooves on her mane. He turned his head to the side ever so slightly as sleep fell over him. His last thought; her smiling face, those beautiful eyes, and the understanding that no matter what hardships they will face, he will always have a home in her heart.

The days turned into weeks, and those days got no easier on the job front for Light. Applications were turned in, but no interviews could be found anywhere in Hoofington. The hospital, while last on his list, was looking to be the final hope for him.

A thought weighed heavily on his mind as he meandered  down the aisles of a flower shop he had come to frequent. Picking out a certain flower, he chatted up the shop owner, exchanging a few laughs and stories. He came to know her well, mostly because he couldn't shut up about his other half. Often times he made her swoon in jealously, others cry in happiness over what they shared. He insisted on paying for today’s purchase, but she insisted he take it as a gift. He gave her a quick hug, thanked her for her kindness, and made his way back home.

Despite all the extra time she'd been spending with Light Heart, Rory managed to excel in her classes, ending the semester on a high note. She'd been gearing herself up for her final semester before graduation, pulling together pieces for her portfolio and trying to get a head start on her senior show and exhibition. It was still months off, but there was much to be done.

She did what she could to try and help Light feel better about his job situation, and even Stormbringer felt genuinely bad for him. As much as they both knew he felt like a leach, neither of them felt as though he were.

Today was very much like the day before, starting with a smile and a kiss from Light Heart, and full of various homely tasks while Storm was away at work. Rory had set to work calculating supplies she'd need to finish her portfolio for her show; the living room turning into a temporary art studio housing all her most prized works (except the three hanging proudly in her bedroom).

Entering the house, Light smiled to Rory as he made his way to the kitchen, keeping quiet until he put the small bouquet into a empty vase he pulled from inside a cabinet. Setting it down on at the middle of the table, he carefully centered it before making his way to her, giving her his customary kiss. "Another day, same old story. This time at least with a happy ending..." he said with a smile, nodding to the flowers. It was a tiger lily, prominently surrounded by a few smaller flowers and some baby's breath. "Fairy Floss at the flower shop sends her regards, and insisted I take it. She said I've been eyeing it for days now, but I think she just felt bad for me..." In fact, he was eyeing it for days, he just couldn't justify spending any bits on it.

Looking up from her sketches, Rory's face lit up when she saw the beautiful arrangement waiting for her. Standing, she gave Light a kiss on the cheek, nuzzling just under his chin. "Thank you, they are beautiful. I'll have to stop by and thank Fairy Floss in person sometime." Taking his face in her hooves, she gave him a reassuring smile. "It will come, in time this will work itself out."

He sighed, flopping on the couch. He hated this feeling. He has worked hard, almost all his life ever since his parents passed. He felt simply...useless. "I think I have a decision to make Rory. But I want your opinion first, since it affects us both." Sitting on the couch slowly, she nodded as a sign for him to continue.

"I need to face reality, and that reality is that if I don't get a job soon, I am going to go insane. So that means sucking it up and pursuing the hospital, or lowering my standards and finding another job , in what I hope is something temporary."

She took his hoof in hers, making eye contact. Her tone of voice was calm and serious. "Sweetheart, I understand this is difficult... but which do you think you'd be most at peace with? On one hand, you don't seem too keen on working as anything but a nurse at the hospital; and I understand that. The other hand, you don't want to feel as if you are going to become trapped in a job that's below your qualifications." She paused, trying to choose her words carefully.

"If you do take a temporary job, remember it is just that; temporary. Whatever the case, you have my support and my love."

Light nodded slowly as he began to speak. His tone wasn't angry, frustrated, or excitable, he was simply indecisive. "That is the thing, it's all just confusing. I want something that will challenge me, keep my mind moving and my hooves active. So settling for something outside what I know and love is tough. If I settle for lower at the hospital, I can try and fight my way up, but there is no guarantee."

He took a deep breath "But there are other possibilities. Two, in fact, but they are risky and might cause a bit of pain in the long run. I could fight the hospital for unfair hiring, assuming I push for the nursing job and fail to get it. Or, I could go back to school, or learn a new trade..."

Her brow furrowed in thought as she pondered this for a moment. Finally locking eyes with him again, she spoke "Honestly? If you want a job at the hospital as a nurse, I think you should pursue that. Don't let their narrow mindedness put you off from doing what you love most, and from helping those who need you. I know that it will be difficult, and take a great amount of courage, but you know something? I think you have it in you. I know you do."

He put a hoof on her leg and gave it a bit of a squeeze, rubbing the back of his head with his other. "I just hate conflict. It's not that I can't deal with it or avoid it, but I feel like I am not myself when I am pushed. I get angry, short, and sometimes I think just plain... well, rude. But it's only because I am adamant about what I am fighting for. I dunno..."

"I don't like conflict either, but this is eating you alive. I think you should put your hoof down, as much as you don't want to. Go for the nursing position, and if they don't give it to you, then we'll figure out what to do. But only then. There is still hope that they'll give you the job you want, even if it seems strange to them." She smiled once more, bringing his hoof up to kiss it. "And as difficult as it is, always remember that it doesn't matter what some pompous ponies think of you. Just know that when you come home, I'll always be here waiting for you."

He smiled, but sighed again. "I just hope there isn't a legal battle. It is all unknown to me, but I know that if I press this, and if push comes to shove, I am not backing down. Even if that means taking out a loan to pay the fees."

He laid his head against her neck, taking a deep breath of her mane and coat "And I will ALWAYS be ready to come home to you, every single day."

She sighed at the mention of a legal battle. It made her stomach churn. "Just don't get too ahead of yourself... and I pray that a lawsuit is our very last resort, even after finding a different job elsewhere."

"I know, I know. I always just prepare for the worst I suppose." He sucked in a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled. "Right then, tomorrow, first thing, hospital. And I'll be damned if I let them step on me for wanting to do what I love."

She smiled, kissing his cheek. "That's the spirit!" She patted his leg and stood, using her magic to straighten her belongings into a neat pile out of the way. "Now, I think I'll start dinner before Storm comes home from work."

Light, feeling a bit of a burden off his shoulders, quietly stalked her into the kitchen. When she wasn't looking, and relatively safe, he pounced on her from behind, wrapping his hooves around her neck and kissing the back of it. "Thank you for being so wonderful...." he said softly. "Can we cook together? It's been ages since I have helped."

Laughing loudly, she pressed back into him and wrapped her own hooves over his. "Of course you can! I'm afraid it's nothing terribly complicated tonight, though. Just some pasta and vegetables. Would you mind putting some water on to boil?" Her horn illuminated and she took a large pot from the hanging rack overhead and two cutting boards and some knives from the wall adjacent.

Light obediently did what he was told, after chuckling and giving her a playful pat on the flank. Setting about his tasks with her, he did what he could without having to ask, not exactly being a novice in the kitchen "So how has everything been going with your portfolio? I am sorry if I haven't asked much about it lately."

"It's moving along just fine. Most of my final works from semesters past are strong material, and I'm working on storyboarding my senior project now. I have most of the supplies I'll need, but I'll have to head out of town for a few of the remaining ones; the art store here just doesn't carry them. I was thinking of making a weekend out of it, if you would like to come along." She made quick work of her tomatoes, taking great care not to get them (or the mushrooms) too close to the other vegetables.

Light grimaced as he watched the two least favorite vegetables of his being cooked. He gave her a silly face and stuck out his tongue as he moved about stirring the pasta. "I would love to of course, I could use getting away for a bit anyway. Besides, you'll need someone to carry all your stuff, and what better stallion than an art-inept pony such as myself."

She laughed, taking down two separate bowls as she turned the heat down on the sauce she was stirring. She placed the tomatoes and mushrooms in one bowl with garlic and herbs, while she just placed garlic and parmesan in the other. "When the pasta is finished, put half of it in this and the remainder in this bowl." She pointed to each respectively as she took the sauce off the stove and poured half in one and half in the other in the same fashion, before continuing their discussion.

"Well I suppose this weekend we'll make a trip to Saddleworth. Hopefully they'll have the supplies I want."

Light did as he was instructed, and in a way  felt bad that he had to have a separate meal sometimes. But, he really hated tomatoes. "Never been there before, it should be fun. How long of a trip is it?" The idle conversation felt good to him. It was keeping his nerves calm about tomorrow, which he knew he would be worked up about come morning time.

"Not far, maybe fifteen or twenty miles south of us, just at the base of the mountains." Rory carefully stirred the pasta bowls simultaneously with her magic, then placed them on trivets in the center of the dining table. "Would you  mind setting down placemats and plates while I arrange the silverware?" Despite there only being three of them, Rory insisted on always having a nice sit-down meal whenever they were all together. Storm's trips to Canterlot were about to become more frequent with her recent promotion and pay raise, so Rory was making good on all the time they had.

"Is Storm going to be back soon? Assuming we are waiting on her to eat then?" He said going about his task. "She really isn't as bad as I thought. A bit rough around the edges but, I dunno, she's grown on me." The feel of being in a 'real home' hadn’t truly set in for him yet, but something about the table made him pause. He froze in the middle of setting the table, his mind a flurry of activity as he sat there with a plate hovering over the table’s surface, unmoving.

Rory looked up at the clock, it was nearly 6pm. "Yup, like clockwork. No way she'll be here much later than 6 on a Thursday." She retrieved the silverware from the drawer and a few glasses and a pitcher of water. All the necessities floated about her as she turned towards him, noticing his hesitation. Puzzled, she asked "Is... something bothering you, dear?"

Light didn't hear her. In his mind, memories of his parents flooded through him. His father pushing his mothers buttons, her short temper causing her to snap at him in response. Light just ignored it, going about what he always did every night.

He always set the table for them.

When he didn't respond, Rory came closer and set everything down on the table in a pile. "Light Heart?" Her brow creased with slight worry.

Startled, Light accidentally dropped the plate in his hand, bouncing it off the table and onto the floor, shattering it into pieces. "Oh Rory! I....am so sorry! I just spaced out there for a second." He stumbled to the ground, fumbling with his hooves to scrape up the pieces.

"Woah! It's alright! Hang on..." There was a clanging in the pantry on the other side of the room, and when the door swung open it revealed a broom, which Rory levitated to herself and began sweeping the tiny shards that Light wouldn't be able to pick up with his hooves. She didn't notice that a tiny piece had bounced off of her foreleg, leaving a tiny knick below her knee that was barely more than a papercut.

"Are you okay? You were just completely zoned."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just....thought about home, something from my past." He sat on the floor, not quite able to stand yet. "I haven't thought about home in....Rory...you cut yourself." he said, nodding with his forehoof to her leg.

The look on her face showed more confusion as he spoke until she looked down at his remark. "Oh, heh, I suppose I did, didn't I?" She grinned sheepishly but it was soon wiped from her face when she returned her gaze to the Pegasus sitting on the floor.

"I'm sorry.." Light said quietly, ears folding back against his head. "I swear that's never happened before."

Without skipping a beat, Rory set the broom aside and stepped gingerly across to  him, kneeling next to him. She hesitated before asking "W-what did you think about, exactly?"

"Setting the table as a foal....parents screaming at each other. Typical weekday night..." he said meekly, rising to his feet slowly. He sighed. "My parents were always fighting, always arguing...and I was just in the middle of it, if not the unintentional catalyst sometimes." He retrieved another plate from the cupboard and placed it where it belonged, then took a damp cloth to her leg. "Here, at least let me clean it out for you and make sure no fragments got left in there. It's just a nick thankfully."

Aurora sat there somewhat dumbstruck. She hadn't intended to bring something like that back to his memory. She let the immediate events replay in her mind again, snapping back to reality when he laid the cloth on her leg. She was about to speak, when Stormbringer walked in, right on cue. "Hey guys, what's for din-" She wasn't facing them initially, then paused when she noticed the mess and the two ponies on the floor. "What the hay happened? Rory, do I need to punch his lights out?" She joked, but seeing a blank expression on both of their faces, she quickly dropped it. "Eh, I'm just going to run upstairs to wash up. Be back in a jif." And she darted up to the second floor.

Rory turned back and mumbled a weak thanks as she stood and began to place the remaining utensils around the table.

Light glanced back toward the stairs where Stormbringer fled up to. "Ugh, perfect timing..." he mumbled, heading to the kitchen to gather them drinks. "Well, that was certainly embarrassing..." he said, angry at himself for spacing out like that. In the back of mind however, he was a bit worried about how that was triggered. Why now?

Rory didn't say much else, deciding to try and let Light settle his thoughts before bringing it up again. His parents were a touchy subject. Storm came back downstairs, and was about as silent as her housemates. The meal didn't last terribly long, Rory not feeling particularly hungry. Her thoughts kept coming back to the disturbing things Light had said to her. She'd seen her parents argue before, sure... but the way he spoke of it...

Tired of the awkward silence, Light cleared his throat and turned his head to Storm. "So I decided that I am going to pursue the nursing job at the hospital tomorrow. So hopefully I won't be such a deadbeat around here." The thought of tomorrow flushed away some of the memories from earlier, filling the pit of his stomach with a bit of nervousness. "Well, crap..." he said silently to himself, annoyed he brought those feelings on.

Storm raised an eyebrow and gave him a crooked smile. "Oh yeah? Well kudos to you, bud. I hope that works out. If it doesn't, I could always try and put in a good word for you up at the factory." She munched idly on a long strand of pasta, thoughts seemingly in the clouds. "Actually, that reminds me... Rory?"

The unicorn snapped out of her stupor. "Uh, yes, Storm?" She asked.

"That promotion I told ya about... turns out I'll be living in Cloudsdale for a few months out of the year. They offered to pay for housing up there and everything. Turns out they really, really need an overhaul in the storm department. You gonna be okay with that?"

Rory smiled slightly and nodded. "I am, that sounds great Storm. I'm proud of you."

Light smiled, stood, and began collecting the dirty dishes from the table "Storm that's wonderful. Sounds like you are really getting a lot of respect there. But considering how dedicated you are to your work, there is no reason why you shouldn't." He shot Rory a quick grin before turning his head back to Storm. Besides, she has me to keep her company, and most importantly, out of trouble." Making his way to the sink, he started stacking them neatly, earning his place lately as the dishwasher of the house.

Somewhat confused at Light's change in demeanor, Rory raised an eyebrow as she watched him tend to the dirty plates. "You finished, Storm?" Rory asked, and upon her sister's confirmation, took the remaining plates from the table, emptied them in the trash, then stacked them next to Light.

He smiled to her as she brought him the dishes and he filled the sink with water, soaping it up. He just wanted to forget about earlier, being more embarrassed and confused by it than anything else He shrugged, mentally at the least, as he rationalized that it was probably just induced by the recent job hunt stress.

Still unsure, Rory simply gave a small smile. The worry in her eyes was still evident, though she didn't say another word about the dish incident. With a yawn, she reached for a dish rag and began drying the dishes. The process didn't take terribly long, and Storm even helped to straighten up the rest of the kitchen. Once the chores were finished, Aurora let out a tired sigh and headed for the staircase. "I think I'm going to hit the hay early tonight. I'm not feeling so well, and I have to be up early in the morning to meet with my academic advisor and pick up my petition to graduate. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" With a more genuine smile, she nodded to her sister and to Light Heart and made her way up the steps.

Turning to Storm, he shot her a worried look. "Perhaps I'll go check on her, make sure she is OK. If I don't come down again, have a good night Storm." he politely, making his way up to the stairs. He didn't bother knocking as he made his way in quietly. "Mind if I keep you company, love?" he said to Rory, without even looking to see where she was.

Her head was hidden partially by her covers, and she peeked over to see him enter. "That's fine dear. Just lying down for the night." She rolled back over, clutching at the blankets. Her stomach really was tied in knots, most likely a side effect of her late nights working on her portfolio in conjunction with a loss of appetite. She figured it would pass if she rested, hoping to come home tomorrow to relax and actually eat something at a decent time, rather than just waiting for dinner. She smiled to herself as the cookies Storm stashed yesterday crossed her mind. Rory would enjoy a few of those for sure.

Sitting at the side of the bed, not wanting to disturb her, he brushed the side of her cheek with his hoof. "You're not feeling well, are you? I hope it wasn't in regards to earlier. I really am sorry...." he said, a bit panicked he made her physically ill from his sudden loss of reality.

Aurora turned her head slightly to look up at him and smiled. "I'll be okay. I think I'm just overworking myself with my portfolio; I've not really been resting like I should this week. You dropping the plate earlier has nothing to do with this." It was a tiny lie, as she was still a little worried, but didn't want to make him feel any worse than he already did. "You have nothing to be sorry for, dear. I think I really just need that weekend away."

He kissed her on the forehead, still sitting, before standing and tucking her snuggly into bed. "Rest well, Rory. I'll be downstairs for a bit tending to a few things, getting some of my thoughts and paperwork in order for tomorrow. If you need something, just call out to me." He turned to the doorway, stepped out, and looked back right before it shut. He smiled to her, shook his head slowly and said "You really are the most beautiful creature in Equestria. "

He shut the door quietly, turning to almost run into Storm standing right behind him with a smirk on her face. She walked by him, laughing a little "Such a Romeo..." she said as she shut the door to her room.

She smiled at him as he left, resting her head back on the pillow towards the window. Aurora lie there for a while, every so often staring out into the sky overhead. Her mind was filled with things that needed doing; her portfolio production, stepping up now that Storm was leaving for a while, Light's trouble with finding work... the list went on for quite a while. She suddenly thought of her parents, and the fact that they'd yet to meet the stallion living with her. She was sure that would go over terribly, knowing her father. For a long time these things kept circling, until finally, Rory's eyes grew heavy and she began to drift into a light slumber.

Light sat downstairs on the couch for a while, staring out the nearby window into the starry sky. His thoughts were filled with things expected; the trip to the hospital the next day, his worry over Rory's stress and how she’d been dealing with it (or for that matter her hiding how stressed she really was), and his restlessness of having nothing to occupy his time meaningfully. But even more worrisome were the unexpected thoughts; his foray into his past today...things he hadn't thought about in almost ten years. Why tonight? Why now? He wanted to be happy, and these thoughts were anything but the sort. He didn't know when he passed out on the couch, but his eyes shut as he held a pillow lying nearby close to his muzzle. It smelled like her....

Runaway Train

She'd been awake for at least an hour, but Rory was reluctant to get out of bed. She tossed and turned a few times throughout the night, noticing that Light didn't come to bed. She figured he wanted some space, but it still tugged at her the slightest bit. Lazily pushing the covers away from her body, she let them slump in a pile on the floor. Quite laboriously, it seemed, the unicorn rolled over and felt for the floor with two hooves before sliding off the bed and catching herself. Her daily routine was sluggish, but she managed to get her things together and ready to go on time. Making her way downstairs, she caught Storm as she was getting ready to go, munching on a bit of toast. "Morning Storm, have a safe trip." Rory hugged her sister and quickly turned to go. As she made her way past the couch, she noticed Light Heart curled up and clutching a pillow.

With a grin, Rory lifted a blanket from a basket behind the couch and gently draped it over Light's sleeping form. Placing a small, soft kiss on his cheek, Aurora quietly stepped back towards the door, donning her scarf and heading out for the day.

Light opened an eye and watched her leave, never being a heavy sleeper. However, he was too tired to really initiate a conversation. As she made her way out the door, he mouthed the words "I love you..." to her, closing his eye again to get a precious few more hours of sleep before starting  his day.

His dream was strange that morning, not usually one to dream too much. He saw Rory trudging through plains covered in ice, a bitter wind blowing hard against her. He was behind her, urging her forward whenever she lost her footing, which happened a bit in the deep snow. He didn't know where they were, or why they were there. Only in that they were both determined, driven by an unknown need that was of the utmost importance.

It took Rory the usual amount of time to make it to campus; about an hour. It gave her a bit of time to reflect on a few things. Despite her fatigue, she was determined to have a good day, and to have a smile on her face when Light came home this evening. Her day wasn't too stressful; her professor deeming progress on her portfolio to be satisfactory, and the campus wasn't so busy that the unicorn couldn't enjoy a few moments of quiet in the studio. Even though she was eager to graduate, she had to admit she'd probably miss this place.

It was late afternoon before she was able to head home, stopping by a produce stand to grab a few ears of corn for dinner. Just as Rory was getting home, it had started to lightly rain. She didn't get too damp, just the top of her hair and coat as she unlocked the front door. Setting aside her things, she quickly set to work in the kitchen.

Upstairs in their room, Light had books scattered all over the floor as he furiously flipped page after page, finding what was important for the subject at hoof. He scribbled down notes hastily with the pen in his teeth, before turning to another book, cross-referencing facts to make sure everything made sense. He never heard her enter, over the soft sound of the rain falling, his excited breathing, and his furious concentration.

Rory was busy plugging away in the kitchen when a thud from upstairs startled her half to death. Reasoning that Storm wouldn't be back, and unaware that Light was actually home now, Rory began to slightly panic that there was a not-so-friendly stranger upstairs. Grasping her kitchen knife firmly with her magic, she very quietly made her way up the stairs and towards disgruntled sounds coming from her room. She paused a few moments to work up courage, before bursting into her room screaming, not realizing it was Light heart, and sending a book that was in front of the door flying.

The book hit him square in the head, sending him backwards and hitting his head against the bed, thankfully the mattress. The pen in his mouth, however, didn't feel very good jamming into the back of his mouth. Spitting it out and gagging a bit, he looked up, his ears back against his head. "Next time use the knife, it would be quicker...." he said irritated, glancing at the assailant book on the ground that "Idiots Guide to Equestrian Law"

Faltering and almost dropping the knife, Rory's ears set back as she tried to catch her breath. She set the sharp object down on her desk and stepped over a minefield of books to get to Light Heart. Picking up the one book that managed to do damage, Rory's heart sank when she read the title. "Luna's stars... they... they didn't-" She felt a lump rise in her throat as she let the book fall back to the floor, speechless.

He simply nodded, motioning for her to sit next to him. "Just sit here for a moment Rory, before you overwork yourself. It may not be as bad as you think." He said quietly, still rubbing his head. He knew she would react this way...because he would too, if he were her. But she didn't need the added stress right now.

Using one hoof, he draped it over hers on his leg as he used the other to remove hers from her mouth. "Rory, it's alright, I promise. I expected this, and I am fine. I am just doing a little bit of prep work before I see a lawyer tomorrow. But from what I know, this could be an open and shut case before it even gets to court."

Rory cleared a spot next to the pegasus, placing one forehoof on his leg while she mindlessly nibbled at her other. She took a few moments to try and regain her composure before speaking again. "Are you alright? What did they say to you?"

"Oh, what did they tell me...." He chuckled a little. "Like most immediate fill positions in the hospital industry, after turning in the application and having it reviewed, they called me back for an interview. A grizzled old pony, whom I am assuming was a department head, gave me a strange look when I entered his office, as I was told to do by his secretary. He asked who I was and what I wanted. From that point on, I knew it was a wasted interview. The questions were vague and simple enough that even an undergraduate could answer them. When I was dismissed, I didn't close the door behind me all the way. I watched him laugh, then toss my resume into the fireplace. I wasn't angry; I braced myself for this. I immediately went to the library and...well, here we are."

"That's so rude..." She huffed, crossing her forehooves over her chest. "So how is this going to be an open and shut case? Do you have any real proof that he burned your resume? " Her head was spinning at the thought of lawsuits and the like; if there was one thing she understood little of, it was law.

Light Heart scratched his head "Well, it's a simple matter of qualifications, an immediate and desperate need, and them having no good reason OTHER than that not to hire me." Light put his hooves to his chin. "If I can get a few employees to give testimony or come forward as witnesses to either defend the need and/or with evidence of previous discrimination, it will make it easier." He sighed, closing the book at his hooves. "Or at least i think...or hope."

Rory frowned once more, turning to look at him. "Will you ever be able to get a job at the hospital after this?" She asked. "Will you want to?"

Light nodded. "I think it's just one pony set in his ways, that others are afraid of. If this goes through, he will most likely have an 'early retirement' and let somepony else fill his spot. Besides, waiting around for the interview, the other staff seem really friendly, like most others in town. "

She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. "At least there is hope; that much I'm glad to hear. I'm so sorry I hurt you earlier... you scared me. I wasn't expecting anyone to be here."

Light chuckled and kissed her forehead. " I am just glad you looked before hurling the knife. Remind me never to piss you off..." he said, quite seriously.

Her ears dropped a bit and she felt her cheeks burn. Standing, Rory took the knife from her desk and headed for the door. "I'll be downstairs finishing dinner if you need anything. I'll call you down when it's ready, okay?"

Standing, he quickly followed behind her, resting a hoof on her back. "Rory, it's alright. It's my fault, I should have been downstairs, left the door open, or listened for you to come home. Sometimes I forget that I am not living alone anymore is all." He smiled at her then "But then I see you and I remember just exactly where home really is."

Nerves finally settling, Rory melted at his grin. She planted a quick kiss on his muzzle before smiling and heading back downstairs to finish her work. It didn't take her too long to finish prepping the corn and dicing the onions for the salsa. Mixing in the vinegar and sugar mixture with the black beans and other assorted vegetables, Rory set the salsa to the side while she sliced some baguettes and toasted them in the oven. She retrieved two plates from the cabinet and a few other items to set the table. Rory paused as she caught sight of the flowers Light had brought home the day before and beamed.

"Light Heart! Dinner is almost ready!" She called out, lifting the vase and heading towards the sink to fill it with more water.

Light took a little while to get downstairs, picking up the unorganized pile of books and arranging them as neatly as possible on the desk. He winced as he saw a bump on his forehead where the book clocked him. He would put ice on it, but it was a bit too late to stop the swelling that already happened. Sighing, he made his way downstairs to see Rory already sitting at the table. "Sorry hon, just wanted to clean up a bit." The rain picked up at this point, coming down in quite a downpour.

"It's alright, love." Rory smiled. "I was just listening to the rain, it's very soothing." Noticing the knot on his forehead, she winced a bit and apologized once more. Aurora felt foolish for her little exhibition earlier.

She sat patiently while Light made himself comfortable, waiting for him to serve himself first before dishing out her own portion. She thought about trying to take his mind off of his studies for a bit with idle chat. "I'm looking forward to our trip this weekend, though I'll be more than happy to put it on hold if you need more time to sort out legal matters."

So much for idle chat. She cursed herself for inadvertently bringing up the lawsuit again.

Light shook his head. "No, I need this weekend as much as you. It will make sure my head is clear before going into next week, where I am sure things will be picking up." As always, her cooking never disappointed, and most of what she made was pretty healthy to boot, well, minus the pasta of course.

The storm raged on through the evening, and like every other night that week, Rory found trouble sleeping. She managed to catch a few hours before getting up in the morning to quickly pack a weekend saddlebag for herself.

Putting a hoof out the front door, she deemed it was officially cold enough to wear a coat this afternoon. Scurrying for her grey jacket in the closet, she paused as light was coming downstairs. "Do you have a jacket, hun? I think it's going to be pretty cold today." She asked, donning her own coat and signature scarf.

Light nodded, turned around, and returned with he only jacket he owned, a lightweight brown jacket he had since his college days. On his way out of the room however, he noticed a red and white scarf hanging by the door and threw it around his neck.

"All set hon? I usually travel light, but since you organized this trip, you're in charge."

Admiring the scarf on her stallion, Rory grinned and opened the door as she hoisted her saddlebags on her back. "Let's be off! It's a twenty minute train ride to Saddleworth. We can grab a quick bite to eat and then check in to a hotel. After that, sky's the limit! The only thing we have to do is stop at the art store. Once that's done, we can do a bit of sightseeing."

They had an uneventful, but cheerful walk to the train station as they left all of their cares behind them for just this one weekend. It had been a long, rough two weeks for them both as the mounting stress from their own individual issues as well as worrying about the other built up.

As they took their seats on the train, Light rested his head on Aurora’s shoulder. "Can you believe it's only been about a month since we first met?" he said randomly.

Laughing, Rory shook her head. "No. Some days it feels longer, others... like I only met you a few days ago." She rested her head against his and twirled a strand of her hair around her hoof. "I'm glad you're with me. I won't be so lonely with Storm gone."

He playfully nudged her in the side before giving her a little tickle with his hoof. "Oh, so that's all I am good for? And to think I thought we had something more!" he said with a smile and a faux harumph.

Feeling snarky, Rory rolled her eyes at him. "Nope, I just like you for your body." She snickered.

Looking around and noticing the train relatively empty, and feeling exceptionally playful, he quickly turned and straddled her lap, smirking down at her. "Psh, every mare in Equestria loves this body..." he said, flexing his hooves in mock bravado.

Howling in laughter, she slapped at his chest a few times, playfully pushing him away. "Oh yes, such a studly stallion!" She teased in as deep a voice as she could muster.

Looking around again, he realized that nopony was paying any attention to them. He kissed the top of her head, running his hooves through her mane a little. "But I guess they'll just have to wait in line. I only got enough stud for one mare." he gave her a playful wink "Lucky you, eh?"

The corners of her mouth turned up in a sly grin, and the look she gave him was one that seemed to suggest and ask a multitude of things at once. "You're awful." She tittered, pulling on the ends of his scarf to bring him down to her for a quick kiss.

Her lips on his made his mind reel as a jolt of emotion shot through his body. Touching his nose to hers, he gave her a sweet, telling smile. "The worst..." he said quietly, before he returned to his seat, and pulled her close to him to snuggle for the remainder of the trip.

The change of scenery was a tell tale sign that they were nearing the train station. As the locomotive pulled in and came to a halt, travelers flurried about on their way to untold destinations. The train platform was rather old fashioned; a simple concrete slab really, in the middle of the rolling green countryside. Taking in a breath of fresh air, Rory stepped down off the platform and started down the dirt road towards Saddleworth.

There was a small biscuit shop right as they entered the edge of town, and by the smell of things... they were fresh out of the oven. "I think this place is as good as any to grab a bite to eat. You hungry?"

"Only if we can eat outside, it feels amazing out here. A little warmer than back home, but with the sun shining....yeah, only if we can eat outside." To him, a new city, a small cafe, and the most exquisite mare in all of Equestria to keep him company flooded his brain with positive thoughts.

It was like the first day he met her all over again. Well, minus a shoe to the snout.

"Deal." She levitated her coin purse from underneath her scarf as they walked in through the open door. There were all manner of scones and pastries, but Rory went straight for the biscuits this shop was apparently famous for. Making their way back outside, they found a seat at the edge of a fountain.

"So, if I remember correctly, there should a bed and breakfast maybe two blocks from here. I'd like to try our luck there, but if it's a bust we'll stay at the big hotel on the other side of town."

Light shook his head and smiled that playful smile again "Screw that big hotel, we will stay at the bed and breakfast, even If I have to find a way to 'evict' a guest prematurely!" taking a bite of the biscuit, he gave her a slight wink before letting out a small moan. "Ugh...sweet Celestia..." Not as good as the garlic rolls, but still quite good.

"I love places like this." he said, savouring the taste in his mouth. "...quiet, quaint, charming....full of life in its own unique way."

Rory nodded. "I agree, and such a nice escape. The weather is nearly perfect, this town is perfect, and I've got the most perfect stallion in all of Equestria to keep me company." She winked, finishing her biscuit.

"Alright there Velveeta, you keep that up I might have to find a cheese shop and see how much I can get for you."  he couldn't help but be in this good mood.

"I learn from the best, Captain Kraft." She smirked.

Grinning, the pegasus replied "Let's go, I am itching to see more of this place. That, and I have an innkeeper to intimidate."

They took their time walking along the streets, looking into various shop windows at all the wares and knick knacks. It took them maybe thirty minutes to find the bed and breakfast called "Rolling Hills Cottage". It was a little white cottage with a thatched roof, and dark green trim around the window sills and door frame.

Thankfully, Light didn't have to persuade a current guest to surrender their room. In fact, not only did they get a room, Light's good mood and playful demeanor somehow made an impression on the innkeeper, and earned them the best room available for no extra charge. That, and apparently Light's assessment of a rash the innkeeper had on the back of his neck turned out to be nothing more than poison ivy turned his day a bit brighter.

"Just get some Calamine for that, it will definitely take the edge off." As they made their way up the small staircase, light turned back "Tell ya what, I'll pick some up for you on my way into town. My thanks for being such a kind soul to two grateful travelers." The innkeeper smiled and mentioned something about leaving something special for them in the room as he sauntered off to take care of something.

It was the very top floor, and as they let themselves in, Rory's jaw dropped. To the left was a large bed with an unbelievable amount of pillows, and a canopy overhead with sheer curtains draping down to the floor. There was a large window at the far side overlooking the countryside and the mountains beyond, the thick curtains pulled back to give a stunning display. There was a mini kitchen area with a small fridge and all manner of amenities stocked in baskets on the counter space. There was a fairly private deck outside the window, and there was a small jacuzzi just to the side of the large glass door.

"Wow... all this for a standard rate? This is amazing!" She set her saddlebag down on the coffee table by the windows. "This is certainly shaping up to be a fantastic weekend, dear."

"Don't jinx it..." he said laughing lightly, taking a diving leap into the bed. He wiggled around a bit, letting out a small moan. "Can we just move this into your room? I mean, I love our bed and all, but at least in this one, you won't starfish out and kick me off." He rolled over, looking at her across the room, taking in her graceful form. "Not that I mind you touching me."

Dismissing his comment on jinxes, Rory let her eyes wander the room and the gorgeous view of the outside world.

"Hon, if I could fit that thing in our house, I would." She wasn't sure why, but she felt the sudden urge to run and dive bomb Light Heart on the bed. She got a good bit of momentum up before taking a leap into the air, crashing down onto the bed in a fit of laughter.

She landed right into his hooves, then the pegasus proceeded to turn her on her back and start to furiously tickle her sides. "Having problems staying off your studly stallion? Just because I am in a bed doesn't mean you can have your way with me you know." he said with a goofy smile, hooves digging into her sides and under her legs where she was most ticklish. "But if you ask nicely..."

Shrieking and flailing, Rory almost couldn't breathe she was laughing so hard. One fling of her hoof landed Light square in the jaw. He winced and stopped his tickling (to spare further damage), but didn't break his grin as he lightly held her down and leaned in to kiss her nose.

"Just because you may like it a bit rough doesn't mean you can beat me. I am fragile! A delicate little flower, you know."

At first Rory felt bad, but had to cover her muzzle with her hooves to try and stifle her laughter.

She did a terrible job of that, her cackles echoing throughout the room. It took her a few minutes to calm down and catch her breath; she was laughing so hard she cried. "A wee wittle pansy? Hehehehe!" She giggled. "It's okay, I won't beat you up too badly." She winked, kissing him on the tip of his nose and flicking her tail around his.

Light touched his nose to hers and gave his tail a quick swish causing it to lightly strike the insides of her rear legs. "Let's see if you can keep that promise...." he said, smiling, as he pressed her lips open with his, letting loose a desire that fueled up in him quickly. His attitude, combined with the setting and her playfulness made him want her something fierce. His tail continued its less-than-innocent movements as he pulled the blanket over top of them with the kick of a hind hoof.

Some time later, Rory freshened up in the shower a bit before getting ready to head back out for the day. She arranged some of her things in the dresser and took a smaller saddlebag from her larger one to wear around town. She decided to pull her long mane into a ponytail, and once again donned her white and purple scarf and gray coat. Tucking her coin purse in, she walked over to the bed where Light Heart lie, waiting for her. "You ready to get going?" She asked quietly, nipping at his cheek.

Light growled a bit and returned the nip playfully on her ear. "You wear me out like that then ask me to get up and trot around town?" He chuckled as he stood, straightening his mane a bit. "You’re lucky I love you."

She answered him with a wink and a smile, opening the door to the room with her magic. "You know that works both ways, right?" She said quietly, as the made their way down the corridor and the subsequent stairway.

Outside it had gotten a bit windier and was slightly overcast, but it did nothing to dampen Rory's spirits. Trotting for about three blocks, they came at last to their destination. It was a little hole in the wall place, filled with all kinds of obscure and strange looking art equipment that many folks wouldn't know what to do with if they'd never seen it before.

Walking in after holding the door open for her, Light looked around in utter confusion; he was completely out of his element. He browsed the shelves while she set about her task, he wouldn't even know what to find if she asked him to look. Picking up a strange looking brush with 2 heads on it, he held it up to Rory. "Umm...what is THIS for?"

Giggling, she took the brush from him and put it back on the shelf. "It's for painting. You can more easily achieve wood grain effects with a brush like that. I'm here for new oil paints and a few custom-sized canvases I ordered at the beginning of the week. I prefer coming here because they can make any size I want, and I don't have to settle for the standard sizes at the local store in Hoofington."

Light nodded and continued to browse. He has a tendency to touch things and can't help checking out all the odds and ends while she conversed with the shop owner. Finally, he just made his way over to her. "Suppose I'll let you my back and hooves to get these back to inn before I break something in here..."

The shop owner smiled, handing Rory the reciept for her purchase. Placing a few tubes of oil paint in her saddlebag, the unicorn levitated the canvases carefully over her head. "I appreciate the offer, hon... but I'm very particular about my canvases. I'd rather just take these back to the room myself. Besides..." She nodded to draw attention to her magic. "I can levitate things and easily keep them out of folks' way on the street."

Light just nodded and turned to the door. He always forgets that around unicorns, his ability to "help" is more of a hinderance than anything else. "Well, I'll make myself useful and open the doors for you..." he said

Rory frowned. "I'm sorry, Light. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." She said as she walked out the door he held. "Thank you."

Light shook his head "You didn’t hurt my feelings hon, I just forget that you don't really need a stallion to help you with your things" He glanced at the canvas' from the corner of his eyes as they made their way back to the inn. Entering the room, he asked "What are your plans for them?"

She smiled, gently setting the canvases in a cool, dry area of the room. "I'm going to be painting a series of art nouveau inspired images to include with my senior exhibition. These will actually be the main focus." Light nodded as if he knew what she was talking about. He would look it up later probably. Yawning, Aurora loosened her scarf as she trotted back over to where the pegasus stood. "So, what would you like to do now?"

The stallion scratched his head as he sat down on the bed. "I dunno...if you are tired we can just enjoy the balcony or something. We have all morning and afternoon tomorrow."

“That sounds like a great idea, actually. I've been running myself ragged with all these preparations." Nuzzling under his chin, Rory sighed. "I'm sure my fatigue will be a thing of the past once everything is sorted out."

Light nodded, glancing over at the desk in the room. "I'll find us something to eat, we can have it delivered to the room. In the mood for anything in particular?" he said, throwing his scarf on the back of the chair as he made his way to the desk and threw open a small book of "Things to Do", turning to the restaurant section

"No, I don't mind what we eat. If something catches your eye, we'll go with it. If we are going to enjoy the balcony, we are going to need some towels and blankets." She stated, trotting into the bathroom to retrieve two of the remaining three towels left there. "It looks like tonight will be a perfect night for stargazing."

He smiled, loving nothing more than enjoying an evening under the stars with her. He ordered something local, fresh farm food that was terribly bad for you. The innkeeper delivered the food, as well as a bottle of champagne as a "thank you" for the lotion Light picked up on his way back to the inn. Taking the foot to the balcony, he set up a little picnic style dinner for the two of them. "Feels weird living it up like this with no job...." he said, looking off the balcony as he took a bite of a vegetable pot-pie. "Heres hoping to that changing soon."

Pouring two flutes of champagne, Rory set one before each of them before digging into her own pot pie. In her haste, she burned the tip of her tongue on the delectable dish. "Ow!" She let her tongue hang out for a moment, in what she was sure was her least graceful display ever. "Sthorry. Thathts hot..." She waved a  hoof over her mouth a few moments before feeling relief. "But yes, I'm confident we'll be putting that chapter behind us and moving to bigger and better things."

Light couldn't help but chuckle, making sure to blow on his to avoid the same fate. "And what exactly bigger and better things do you have in mind?" he said through a mouthful of food, somehow still managing to smile.

Finally feeling relief, Rory was able to speak while she let her pot pie cool down more. "Well, I'll be graduating this semester, you'll certainly find work... those things are exciting. And then there's the unknown." She smiled. "That's thrilling beyond all belief, especially now that I have you along for the ride."

"OH! Those things..." he said with a small hint of laughter while gently swirling his champagne glass. "Yes, big things indeed. Have you thought your plans after school?"

She let out a sigh. "Well, I'll be able to spend more time working for private clients, and I might be able to land bigger jobs elsewhere. I quite like it here, so I'm not ready to relocate just yet." She stated. "There is a lot I've yet to figure out, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, I need to focus on my portfolio."

Looking down, he quickly finished his pot pie, famished for some reason. "I suppose such is the life of an artist. A bit new to me, but the spontaneity is enticing. While my everyday job may vary depending on patients, it is, in a way, 'the same old thing every day'."

"It's nice working on my own terms, though it can be a sort of feast or famine industry. There are some months I don't make any income from art. I might have to take a second job with Storm gone to cover a few extra things. Thankfully we don't owe anything on the house." After taking a test bite and deeming her pie cool enough, she found she was quite suddenly hungrier than she thought.

Light sighed a bit "Hopefully this will all pass soon and I can more than enough support what we need." He looked up, but turned his head to side and slightly away from her. "And considering the future, I can easily support...us...should those famine months come."

Not quite catching what he said, Rory smiled, finishing the last few bites of her pot pie and scraping at the sides of the tin bowl. "I have no doubt things will work out in the end. It won't always be easy, but we'll always have what we really need." Gently placing the disposable fork and lid inside the leftover tin, she put it back in the bag it was brought in. She took another small sip of champagne, and her eyes drifted up to the darkening sky.

Light winced a little bit at her reaction to his comment. Not negative, so apparently she just wasn't understanding his intention. He took a large sip and chuckled as he laid his head down on the towel, using a pillow from the bed he brought with him to lay on He smiled up at the stars as he continued to laugh, more of a heavy breath, as he shook his head.

Hearing him sigh, Rory looked to where Light lay. "Something on your mind, dear?" She asked, putting her flute down and standing, walking around the makeshift table to him. She let herself down next to him, huddling under a blanket and as close to him as she could for warmth.

Sliding his hoof under her neck and pulling her close, he couldn't help but immediately stroke her mane. "Think about the last thing I said...replay the words in your mind." He smiled wide as he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Sometimes being subtle with you is a chore."

She pondered a moment, brow creased. Biting her lower lip, her eyes shot up to meet his and she let her jaw hang slack. "...What future... exactly?" She asked, heart beginning to beat faster.

Smile widening he gave her another squeeze as he turned to face her. "Do you not think about the future? Our future?"

She was reminded of what she felt that first night Light Heart spent at her home. When she saw her family photos on the wall, her imagination had run away with her, just as it was doing now.

"Yes... I do." She whispered. "Many different things have crossed my mind, like where we'll be, what we'll be... who we'll be..." she trailed off

Kissing her lightly on the nose, he just slowly and silently nodded as he turned his head back up to the night sky. "I used to not think about the future much, but rather preferred to live day by day." He shifted his eyes to look at her, ever so slightly turning his head. "Somepony has convinced me to think otherwise."

Her breathing actually became slightly heavier and she wasn't really aware that she was actually quite tense. "A-and why is that, Light?" She couldn’t help but ask the obvious. She was burning to know what was on his mind.

He continued to stroke her mane, his tail flicking a bit with the thoughts on his mind. He turned his attention back up to the stars, concentrating. "Have you ever thought about starting a family? I mean, not now, but...in the future."

"Every now and then, sure. I mean... I was never the kind of mare who dreamed of growing up to be the perfect little housewife but..." When she said the word 'housewife' it felt like all the air was sucked from her lungs.

He turned his head toward her, a look of concern on his face. "I'm sorry, did what I say upset you? I...didn't mean to imply anything...really."

Her heart sank a little, but a smile found it's way back to her face. "No, you didn't upset me... I guess I was just flustered. I don't normally talk about these things... with anyone. Not that I'm opposed to it, I've just never really been asked." She placed a hoof over his to reassure him she was alright.

Relieved, his gaze returned to the stars, moving their hooves over to his chest. "I've never thought about it before. Like I said, I have always lived in the moment, worrying about the day to day life. Some things I plan ahead for, like finances and stuff like that, but when it comes to me and my future? Well, it has always been safer to just let things fall as they may." He turned his head back to her, using his other forehoof to brush her cheek gently.

"Then I look into those eyes of yours, and everything is different. I see....a future now."

She smiled, lowering her eyes for a moment before speaking.

"So what 'bigger and better things' do you see ahead of us?"

The pegasus closed his eyes, pulling her close up against his neck. He turned his head, nuzzle near her ear as he whispered "Some things are better left in secret." Giving her a kiss just on the base of her ear, he smiled as he looked up again. "It's beautiful outside tonight."

"Yes it is." She sighed, snuggling close to him. "I'm glad we were able to make this trip."

He cast his glance over to her once more. "You've been sighing a lot tonight. Is everything OK? Something you are not telling me?"

She looked up at him, an eyebrow cocked. "I don't think anything is wrong... I'm a bit tired, but it's been a long week. That's to be expected."

Light gave her a reassuring squeeze and just went back to stargazing. They laid there for no telling how long before Light's eyelids finally got heavy. Helping her to her feet, he shivered a bit from the cold. "How about a hot bath before bed? For some reason, it just sounds like a really good idea. Well, a "warm" idea at least."

Already nodding, she shook her head to rouse herself as she stood. "I think a bath sounds nice and relaxing. Lead the way, Captain." She smiled

Getting the bath ready with hot water and just a hint of a scented bubble bath that was left in the room. Light went about shutting the doors and getting the room ready for night. For some reason, he was adamant about keeping Rory in the bathroom while he set about his task. He returned a few minutes later, just in time to turn off the water. "Ladies first..." he said, motioning her to get in and offering a hoof to help.

She protested the tiniest bit at his insistence to stay put, but ultimately gave in. Smiling when he returned, she placed a small kiss on the side of his neck as he helped her into the tub. It was a bit warmer than she was comfortable with, wincing when she set her first hoof in. Eventually, she just gritted her teeth and stepped completely in, shifting her weight to let the water form little waves and splash up her legs.

After a few seconds, she was becoming accustomed to it, and submersed herself all the way up to her neck. Waiting patiently for Light to follow after her, she watched with a playful grin on her face. "So, what were you up to out there? You took quite a while to come back, I thought you'd forgotten me!" She joked.

He rolled his eyes with a smile, batting a hoof at some of the bubbles toward her face as he made his way in slowly. He too, took his time as the cold body temperature made the water feel even hotter than it actually was. "Just getting it ready for us to go to bed, nothing special." He sat opposite of her, sinking down to his neck too, swatting some bubbles away so he could make eye contact with her. "This..we need one of these outside back home, so we can watch the stars in warmth."

Rolling her eyes up then letting them meet with his once more, she moved forward until their noses touched. "I would love to have something like this... for when it's too cold to visit our place." She smiled. "But we'd need a porch, wouldn't we?" She grinned, batting her eyelashes. She thought about what she said after a moment, then laughed at herself. "Listen to me, I'm not even married to you and I'm giving you a list of things we 'need'."

Light smiled, scooping a few bubbles in a hoof as he arranged it neatly over her muzzle into a beard. "There...now we match, except you look like an old unicorn wizard now..." He kissed her forehead with a little chuckle before leaning back, crossing his hooves together. "Better hurry up and propose to me then. Remember, all those other mares are waiting in line."

Placing a few bubbles over her eyes to create 'eyebrows' she began to speak in a deep (for her) voice. "Oh dearest Light Heart, the Captain of the Kraft sigil and most esteemed cheese maker, wouldst thou takest mine hand in the most blessed union of glorious marriage, and produce little cheese minions to succeed my throne of astounding wizardry?" She giggled, trying to keep the bubbles from falling off her face.

Splashing her face with a loud guffaw, he left a trail of misaligned eyebrows and beard on her muzzle. "That was the worst proposal ever. A for creativity, F for delivery. I expected better from one who practices the art of fondue." He used his back legs to slide her closer to him, touching his nose to her bubble-infused one. "Try again." he said with a sly smile, his forehoof trailing up her hind right leg to her thigh

Gasping and biting her lip, she closed her eyes and wrapped her forelegs around  him. "And what kind of proposal is more befitting for a stallion of your stature?" She asked, though it was more rhetorical than anything. She planted little kisses over his damp neck and up to the place she knew would excite him. Nipping at his lower ear, she smiled, a small growl sounding in her throat. "Would you like me to tell you I want to spend my life with you? To grow old and grey, watching our children and grandchildren become something amazing? To care for you even when you've upset me? To support you in everything you do, from getting up in the morning to climbing the tallest mountain in Equestria? Because you know... I do want those things." There was the utmost sincerity in her voice.

Light shivered a bit, despite the hot (which somehow became hotter) bath. It wasn't so much the action, or the words, that caused it. It was the way she said it. Her physical touch, the clear tone and unbroken thoughts that she voiced into words. Where she normally struggled to say what she felt, here, she had no such difficulty.

And it made his heart melt.

"I do." Was all he could say breathlessly, knowing full well it wasn't a real proposal, but he wished it was. He doubted he could come up with words so beautiful and moving that sung the song his heart was composing since the day he met her. His eyes watered up as he brought a hoof to her cheek. He wanted to reply, to tell her that he couldn't see his future any other way than with her by his side, that he couldn't bear the thought of not growing old with her. She was his soulmate, destined by fate and bound by love; there was no other for him.

Not speaking another word, she chose to tell him what she felt with her actions instead. Locking eyes with him once more, she brought her hooves behind his head and slowly pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

He pulled her tight against him as his hooves played in her mane, lightly massaging her scalp. He finally broke the kiss, simply because he was having problems breathing. Resting his nose on hers, and slightly panting. "I think we needed this trip...." he said with a small smile, giving her a light kiss on her upper lip.

Not wanting to get too ahead of himself for the night, he used his hooves to pull her in close against his neck, nuzzling his muzzle just under her ear. "I have a little surprise for you outside." he said softly as he separated himself from her and helped her out of the bath and passed her a towel.

She pulled away, but never took her hooves off him. "A surprise?" Stepping gingerly out and quickly drying off, she wrapped herself in the towel she was given and found her way to the bathroom door. She hesitated, waiting for him to finish drying himself before moving further.

Putting a hoof on her back, Light Heart urged her forward out the door as he opened it slowly. "Go ahead...." he said.

The mare was greeted with sounds of orchestral music playing softly from a source unseen toward the bed. The room was dimly lit, the only traces of light being the starlight from outside, and about a dozen candles placed around the bed and tables of the room. Strewn about the floor creating a path from the bathroom to the bed were red and white rose petals and sitting on the nightstand next to the bed was a small goblet,  a tiny plate with food on it, and a small bottle. As she took another step, she could smell a very light hint of lavender mixed with vanilla.

Light smiled as he took everything in. This was his idea, but he needed help and it went off perfectly. "I had the innkeeper help out with this while we were in the bath." He continued to beam as he nodded to the bed "I do have one more thing for you though."

Rory's face lit up as she beheld the scene before her. It was like something out of a romance novel. She let her hoof play with a few stray petals, inhaling the wonderful scent of them mixing with the fragrant candles. Turning to face him, she beamed, biting her lower lip and briefly looking down before meeting his gaze once more. "I don't see how you could possibly do more than you already have, dear. This was so thoughtful."

He kissed her gently on the cheek, urging her to the bed with a hoof. "Lie down in the center, please." he said soothingly. "Also, there should be fresh cider in the goblet with a hint of spice to it, as well as a few light cheeses and fruits to nibble on." he added as he took the small bottle and positioned himself at the foot of the bed. "I know you have been stressed lately, not just with yourself but me as well, so I thought I would give you a massage. I got this special oil a few days ago, but I really had no idea when I would have a chance to use it. The opportunity kind of presented itself today."

To say Rory was surprised would be an understatement, but it was a pleasant surprise to boot. Following instructions, she lie down on her stomach, hooves stretched out in a relaxed position. Taking a deep breath and releasing, she smiled and closed her eyes. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?" She murmured. The candlelight flickered and flared, casting a red-orange glow over her dark brown mane.

Light chuckled as he positioned himself above her, straddling her lower half. "If I thought of everything, we would have a string quartet playing in the corner of the room, servants feeding you grapes off the vine, and a long swizzle straw attached to that goblet." he said as he carefully squirted a few drops of the oil onto her back. Starting at her shoulders, he slowly dug his hooves down into her coat as he worked his way up to the sides of her neck. "Besides, I don't really think about things like this for you. They just kind of come out of my head and somehow I want to make them real."

She laughed at him "Well just this makes me feel like royalty. I'll admit, I never expected it. I'll have to give my thanks to the innkeeper when we leave tomorrow." She grinned, letting out a deep sigh. "How is it that you say don't think of these things, yet you somehow get the idea just the same?" She paused, a little moan finding it's way from her lips. "That feels great, hon."

He worked his hooves lower, back to her shoulders, pressing in deep when he found a knot or two in her tissue, "Well, I suppose what I mean is I don't have to sit down and contemplate these things. They just kind of spring up in me...like 'Oh, I bet Rory would love this!'" Smiling, he leaned down and quickly kissed the back of her head "Much like the cheese I fling at you."

Aurora winced a bit as Light worked out another knot, but the pain eased after a few seconds. "I suppose that makes sense. You don't plan things ahead, they are more spontaneous... I like that." She grinned, even more so at his cheese comment. At that, she lifted a small cube with her magic and ate it slowly, letting the flavor melt on her tongue.

He worked his way lower still, down to her middle back. He stopped momentarily to apply a few more drops of the oil, which he could start to feel heating under his hooves and aiding in the deep tissue massage. He smiled wide as he pushed down on another knot. "I am glad my spontaneity meets your approval." he said quietly near her ear, keeping his head low as his hooves continued their work.

Her eyes rolled back and her neck slightly to the side as the stallion dug in with his hooves. Shuddering slightly, Rory mumbled "It's more than approved... it's encouraged. Especially if you keep doing things like this..." It was a strange limbo she was in; she was completely and totally relaxed, and yet she craved him.

He chuckled again "I hope you don't expect things in this scale all the time, but I might have set the bar a bit too high with this one. Even I will admit if the tables were turned on me, I would probably have melted into those sheets by now." He really felt the tension in her lower back, just above her hips.

"It would be unfair to expect anything of you, other than respect." She grinned. "And to be honest... I feel like I am melting into the sheets myself." Her tail flicked slightly, swishing gently underneath his. Finally, propping herself up with her forelegs, she turned her head to look back at him. "This is certainly interesting."

"Interesting is only the beginning...." he whispered through his grin.

He knew immediately something was making her uncomfortable and stopped the moment he recognized her distress. "It's OK Rory, don't make yourself uncomfortable on my account." he said, still trying to catch his breath.

She wasn't sure why she was surprised when he stopped, but for some reason she was comforted by it. "I'll be alright... I just... wow. I'm not entirely sure where that came from." She smiled, kissing his nose.

Light nodded and managed a small smile before turning to face her. "No complaints from me, that is for sure. I am glad to see you becoming more comfortable in expressing your, well, desires." he said, finally catching his breath.

Slightly confused, she raised an eyebrow at him. "But... what about you?" She placed a trembling hoof over his chest as her breathing finally eased.

Light turned and kissed her on the nose, giving her leg a slight rub. "I'll be fine. I am still a bit worked up but it will go away in time. Tonight was supposed to be about you anyway."

Somewhat taken aback, Rory simply smiled back and rested her head on the pillow. "I... thank you. You have definitely made me feel special."

Needing to work off some of his pent up energy, Light made his way around the room, blowing out the candles cleaning up a bit of the mess from the massage oil. Finally, he washed his hooves and made his way back into bed.

Still feeling a little guilty, Rory didn't say much when Light returned. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Light shook his head and turned head to the side away from her, hugging the blanket tight to him. His mind was spinning on how to properly reply. He wasn't sure if it was a mixture of embarrassment, not wanting her to feel bad, or a bit of frustration of her having to ask the question at all. In reality, it was all three that made him feel apprehensive. "I'll be fine, just need to sleep it off love."

She sat up slightly, unsure of what else to say or do. "Oh... alright hon." Stretching her neck, she let herself off the bed and made her way to the washroom to clean herself off. She started the shower on the far side of the room, quickly ridding herself of the massage oil rubbed into her coat. It wasn't long before she was finished, and she hastily dried what she could of her coat and mane, and pulled the mane back into a side braid. Turning out the light, she rounded the corner to face Light once more.

He had his eyes closed, but opened them a slightly when he noticed things got a bit quiet. She was quite attractive in her braid, something new to him on her; it wasn't helping his situation any. He smiled a little, despite the frustration. "Should have thought about the mess I would have made before the bath...sorry to make you wash twice."

Smiling back, she looked down then back to him. "It's alright, no need to apologize for doing something nice." Rory stepped towards him, placing a kiss on his cheek. She didn't say anything, feeling there was still quite a bit of tension between them. She guessed the reason he'd made quick work of clean up was to burn off his frustration quickly; though she wasn't sure it'd helped.

Light nodded, keeping the small smile on his face as he looked up to her. "Coming to bed dear or do you plan on staying up for a bit?" His curiosity of why she was still standing and not getting into bed wasn't making his situation easier. He felt guilty for being frustrated and knew it wasn't justified, but he couldn't shrug the feeling off.

Rory shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm tired I guess, but I'm feeling wired in a way. Did you want to stay up and talk?" She shuffled a hoof at the floor before trotting to the other side of the bed and sitting on the edge of it.

Light sighed a little, trying to keep it under his breath. "I am always up for talking to you, you never need to ask that." At the least, it would take things off his mind.

Lying down on her stomach, Rory clutched a pillow under her forehooves and shoved the covers down past her rear hooves. She patted the spot on the bed next to her with a small smile. "I know I don't have to ask, dear, but I wanted to."

Turning around carefully, he positioned himself next to her and mimicked her pose. "Something on your mind or just wanting to chit-chat and wind down before bed?" He wasn't sure what was on her mind. He wasn't stupid though; he knew she was aware of his frustration. That fact alone made him feel infinitely more guilty.

Looking to him, she smiled genuinely. "I was hoping just to talk for awhile, wind down. I enjoy my conversations with you, and I'd like to make up for the pitiful excuse of a conversation I gave you on the balcony earlier. I just think my mind was scattered.”

The stallion shook his head. "I wouldn't call it pitiful, but I could tell you were a bit distracted. I figured it was just the subject matter, or at least the timing in which I brought it up. I know there is a lot going on in your head." Light shuffled a bit, still uncomfortable. "And I know when we get back home, I have my own troubles to deal with. But for this weekend, I just wanted to throw that all behind us."

"I know, dear. And believe me, this trip has been absolutely wonderful. I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't terrified for you... but somehow I know things will be alright no matter the outcome." Rory twirled the tip of her braid idly in her front hooves, twitching her tail every few moments or so.

Light put a hoof over hers, a bit of his frustration subsiding. But he knew her signs, picking up on them quickly. She wasn't one to be subtle about her thoughts. "Out with it Rory, I know something is bothering you and it's not like you to keep something from me."

Sighing and shaking her head, she looked away from him. "You know I'm worried about you. I've been worried about you since the night you spaced out in the kitchen. I feel as if I set something off, or as if I'm doing something wrong. I'm terrified that I'm going to mess this up."

Squeezing her hoof, he nuzzled gently into her neck, his earlier frustration now all but forgotten. "Rory, love, you can never mess this up." He sighed then, keeping his head close to her neck. "Truthfully, I don't know what that was all about. But I know it wasn't your fault. Maybe...maybe it's just something I need to explore and deal with. I have been thinking about it a little off and on, and maybe you are right. Maybe I just need closure."

She nuzzled back, sighing once more, but not quite relieved. "I'm glad to know you have such faith in me. I don't have much to offer you, but..." She hesitated, thinking back to their conversation in the bathroom earlier. Shaking her head to regain focus, she continued. "I'm glad you've at least thought about closing that door... it's a start. I can't make the decision for you to go back, and I know it's going to be difficult..." She pulled away to take his face in one of her hooves as she held his gaze. "Whatever the case, you know I'll be with you."

Light slid her hoof gently off his face as he slid his own up to hers. "Now, it's my turn to tell you something. I don't ever want to hear you say you don't have much to offer me. Besides the tangibles, what really means the world to me is the things you provide for me that we often lack the words to describe. Your love and compassion make me feel that no matter what the world throws at me, I know I will always come out on top. Your smile, sense of humor, and loving touch keep this skyborn pegasus grounded, something I have come to not only love, but desire. You see in me, just as I see in you, things that nopony else has ever understood before, and it makes me feel lighter than air knowing I have somepony else to share that with. And I know that no matter what happens, you will always be there by my side to the bitter end."

Leaning forward, he planted a small kiss on her lips. "Rory, my love, you offer me life. A life I have always wanted and never had; a life of pure, untarnished, and boundless love."

When she broke the kiss and pulled back, her eyes were full of tears. Overwhelmed, she buried her face her hooves, and when they failed to stop the tears she hid in the pillow below her.

Wrapping her in his forelegs, he pulled her in tight. "Rory hun, what is it?" He wasn't sure if he said something wrong, or if she was just emotional, but he couldn't help but ask regardless.

She wasn't entirely sure herself why she reacted this way, but nevertheless, she couldn't stop crying. She tried to speak through her sobs, her voice muffled into his chest as she clung to him. "H-how do you do t-that?" She choked. There were a strange mixture of feelings running amok; joy and elation at the things he'd said, security in the way he'd been treating her and going to extreme lengths to make her happy, and there was that pang she felt earlier after dinner. She'd got the thought in her head, and she couldn't get it out. Of course she'd set herself up for disappointment, why should she have expect that anyway? "W-what I really want to say... when I said I didn't have much to offer..." She hesitated once more, before finally just letting go.

"I should have said t-that I had my life to g-give you. That all the promises and desires I disclosed in the bath were real, and that I want no one else in this world the way I desire your companionship."

Smiling and tearing up a bit on his own, he squeezed her a little tighter to him."Of course I knew they were real, and hearing those words from you sent butterflies through my insides. And I am very much looking forward to our journey. As much fun as the future is to think about, I would prefer to live in the moment with you. And you want to know why? I want to remember every, single, little detail about everything we experience. Too many ponies focus on what will be, and look past what actually is. I intend on savoring every single moment we spend together, be it joyous or trying." He paused for a while.

"You have already given me your heart, that is all I need to do my part in writing our story together. As so far, we have a hell of a prologue started."

Aurora laughed a little through her sobs, trembling as he held her. She didn't have any more words to speak; at least not for the time being. She simply clung to him, her sobs growing quieter and her body shaking less as she grew weary. Her breathing eased after a long while, and her eyelids became heavy as she lie there, listening to his heartbeat. Not quite taken by slumber she stirred. "You still awake, Light?" She whispered.

"Nope." he said with a smirk, ruffling her mane slightly. He was winding down from the emotional rollercoaster which thankfully ended on a high note. "What did you mean earlier, when you said 'How do you do that?'?" He was genuinely curious, and forgot to ask caught up in the moment.

She laughed lightly, nuzzling under his chin. "How is it you are capable of completely undoing me? It's like you can see my soul." She whispered.

"You gave me your heart, remember? It's the most powerful yet fragile weapon in the world." He leaned forward slightly to kiss the top of her head slowly as he joined her quiet laughter. "Truthfully love, I just look into your eyes and everything just clicks in my head. I have always been a bit of a romantic...but with you....I don't even need to try. I just know you."

Seemingly content with his answer, she let her forehooves relax and fall between their chests. "I shouldn't even be surprised at this point, but yet you always manage to knock the air from my lungs..." She murmured softly before closing her eyes. There were a few other thoughts that began to form in her mind, but the last thing she remembered was the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Two days later, Light opened his eyes and found himself in an empty bed at home. He peered around for a second before forgetting it was Monday and she had classes. He pulled himself to the edge of the bed and sat up a bit, the gears inside his head turning over what was going to happen today. Was his case as simple as he thought? He sighed as he stood, making his way to the bathroom. Why does he have to put her through this? She doesn't handle stress as well as he does, and shes already going through enough. Why couldn't he just suck it up and take a job pulling carriages or serving food somewhere?

He stepped into the hot shower, and as the water cascaded down around his body, he relaxed a little bit. Was he making the right choice?

It was always disorienting to Rory when she left for classes while it was still dark out, but she had a lot to get started on. She'd stored most of her supplies in her locker in the art building when she arrived, and made her way down the hall for her first class, her last art history requirement. Afterwards she at least had some time for a quick nap in one of the library work rooms, heading back to the art building after lunch for her three hour portfolio work block. The unicorn didn't make as much progress as she'd have liked; even after her nap she still felt tired, and she kept getting distracted by worrying over Light's appointment with the lawyer this morning. It wasn't that she was upset with him, but she feared for him if the case went against his favor. Deciding to take a short break, Rory left her canvas to dry for a bit while she stepped out to take a drink of water and attempt to clear her mind.

The rest of her day was much the same, as her remaining studio classes were in the same room. When left to her own devices, Rory thought of him, and she ached to get home to speak with him about it. Only another hour or so now, and she'd be free to go. She wondered if maybe she should stop by the market on her way home for something special to make for dinner. Whatever the case, she'd see him soon, and it filled her both with excitement, and dread.

It was late evening before Light returned home. He was mentally and physically exhausted from the days events, being out far later than he thought. He assumed she was still awake, or at least left a light on for him, as he quietly and slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

Rory hadn't expected him to be gone so long, and dinner had gone cold before he finally walked in. Doodling idly in her sketchpad, Rory's ears perked when the lock clicked, and she bolted for the door. "Hey, are you alright? How did it go?" She tried to give him some space, but her nervous energy got the better of her and she threw her forelegs around him in a hug, placing a light kiss on his cheek.

A bit overwhelmed, he tried his best not to show his annoyance at being tackled immediately upon arrival. He knew she couldn't help it, but he also couldn't help being hungry and tired. He let her hug him for a second before pushing her back very gently. "Tired, hungry, and it went fine." he said, exhaustion evident in his voice as he took off the scarf he started wearing the other day. "How about you?" he asked, making a beeline for the kitchen, searching for something alcoholic.

Letting out a sigh and following him, she stopped and stood just beyond the counter behind him. "Fine, I suppose. Just the normal routine. Tried taking a nap in the library but it didn't seem to help me feel better." She paused a moment while he rummaged around. "I'll heat up some food for you... is there something I can help you find?"

Light found one of the hard ciders he stashed away a while ago, in case of emergencies during his job hunting excursions. Cracking it open, he took a long pull from it. "Found it." he said catching his breath from the big gulp. "Thanks Rory...for the food that is. I really am famished. But I suppose it was well worth it." He closed his eyes as he took a seat at the table, slinking down until his chin was resting on it; a very dignified pose.

The mare trotted over to the stove, and upon opening the lid to their meal, was hit with a sudden wave of nausea. Distancing herself a bit, she scooped what she could onto a plate with her magic and quickly put it in the microwave. She must have eaten too much, she thought. When the timer went off, Rory levitated the plate and fork to where Light sat, turning a nose up slightly at the spaghetti. Swallowing, she carefully sat down at the other end of the table. "So, I guess that means the case will be as easy as you thought?"

Light immediately dug in, happily sucking down what to him was the best meal he ever had; considering his hunger level. The red splotches of sauce on his white coat near his mouth were evidence of that. "Well, it took four lawyers to finally find one to agree to help me. I was starting to get concerned, but she agreed with me on one thing; the others most likely turned down my case because there was no profit to them. She thinks it will never see the light of trial and they will settle quickly considering what my terms are."

Smiling at him, she let out a sigh of relief. "I'm very glad you at least found help, and that she thinks this will be quickly open and shut." She urped slightly, covering her muzzle with her hoof as another wave of nausea hit. "Excuse me..." Rory sat there a moment more, feeling as if the worst was over, before suddenly bolting towards the bathroom. She hovered over the commode, but the most she did was fight through a spell of dry heaving.

Light sat at the table for a minute, not really understanding what was going on. Finally, he hurried to the bathroom, and did the only thing he could until her episode was over; holding her mane out of her face and rubbing her back affectionately. There was no point in asking her if she was OK, he just patiently waited the episode out with her.

After a few minutes the dry heaving subsided, though a slight nausea still lingered. Trembling, she sat back on her haunches and turned her head away from the toilet. "I'm sorry... I-I don't know what that that was about..." Tears formed in her eyes and she just leaned backwards into his broad chest, bringing her hooves to her muzzle.

Light held her gently and continued to rub her back and mane. "Don't apologize love, I just hope you are ok." He kissed her forehead, closing his own, heavy eyes. "I hope you didn't worry yourself sick today..."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I just felt woozy when I opened the pot of leftovers and the smell just hit me in the face. I think I'll be fine if I just lay down for a bit." She sat there a few moments more, waiting to be sure she wouldn't be sick before attempting to stand. "I admit I was worried... but I didn't think it was quite that bad."

Helping her to her hooves, Light guided her to the couch in the living room. "You really need to stop worrying so much love, especially about me. I am careful about getting in over my head, and I have a reasonable head on my shoulders." He smoothed down her mane a bit, pulling her gently into him. "And let me handle the leftovers for the foreseeable future?" he chuckled lightly, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Sniffling, she let out a soft chuckle and nuzzled into his chest. "Please do, dear." She adjusted herself so that she was lying comfortably on the couch, with her favorite pillow tucked under her head. "Would you mind giving me a blanket, please?"

Nodding, Light quickly recovered a blanket, a favorite of hers that was odd colors of orange and blue. Covering her up, he made his way to the table and started to clean up. "Anyways, unless you are still ill tomorrow, I need to take a quick trip back to Ponyville and get some records from the hospital there. I would normally send for them, but I am too impatient to wait for mail."

She shook her head. "Even if I were ill, I don't mind you taking a trip. I'll most likely sleep it off." Pulling the blanket up to her chin, she closed her eyes while Light tended to the mess in the kitchen. Lying down did help, but there was still a bit of uneasiness in her stomach.

Quickly finishing the job, he made his way back over to the couch and laid down in front of it, his head near hers. Nuzzling her neck, he asked quietly. "Do you want me to try to get you any medicine or anything? I am sure I can run down to the pharmacy for a pill or potion or something."

She opened one eye and smiled. "It's not a bad idea. I don't know if this will keep up, so it'd be nice to have something on hand. Ginger ale and crackers couldn't hurt either. You sure you don't mind?" She asked meekly.

He leaned over, kissed her forehead, smiled, and stood. "Of course I mind. Maybe next time i'll put more poison in so it will actually work." He rolled his eyes and brushed her cheek with a hoof. "Be back in a jiff love." he said softly before head back out into the dark night.

She smiled, closing her eyes once more and turning her head to face the back of the couch until his return.

About 30 minutes later, Light walked in the front door. Setting down the food and a small, pinkish potion in a clear flask on the table, he carried one more item to the living room and placed it on the end table next to the couch. "Rory hon, you awake?" he whispered very quietly, really not wanting to disturb her if she was asleep.

She turned over and opened her eyes. She was dozing off until she heard movement behind her. "Hey, welcome back." She smiled. "Thanks for going to the pharmacy for me."

He smiled and nodded, making his way back to the table and grasping the potion in his teeth. Making his way back over to her, he set it down on the end table next to the other object, a small, purple unicorn on a stick with a very sad looking mane and tail. "I picked this up from some crackpot pony on the street corner. It was too adorably ugly not to pass up, and I know you love the color purple. I remember when I was little, my parents used to get me a little toy whenever I was sick to help cheer me up." He nodded to the potion. "Drink that, and I'll bring you the ginger ale and crackers later. But you need to let this settle for a bit. Pharmacist said this should keep you straight, unless something more serious is wrong."

She giggled at the trinket, poking at it with her hoof. "It looks about how I feel. How long will this potion take to go into effect?" She asked, carefully sitting up.

"Anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, it just depends on the nature of the discomfort and a few other factors." He smiled and poked her arm playfully. "Be thankful you have a pseudo-doctor for a lover. Comes with all this freaky medical knowledge."

She smiled, taking the potion with her magic and quickly setting the bottle down on the coffee table. She grimaced as the aftertaste lingered a bit, and settled back down on her pillow, rubbing her stomach. "Freaky medical knowledge? I had no idea." She smiled. "Thank you so much for taking care of me. I feel like such a pansy."

He shook his head gently. "Wait till I am sick, then you will see who the pansy is." He laid down next to her again on the floor, letting her stay sprawled out on the couch. "I hope this won't set back work on your projects. I don't want that added stress worrying you."

She shrugged. "It happens. I used to procrastinate a lot when it came to my work, so I know I can perform under pressure when it comes to art." She pulled the blanket up to her neck again and turned on her side to face him. "I should probably go to bed, but I'm too comfortable down here to move." She chuckled, feeling slightly better.

"Just sleep down here tonight then hun. I'll tell you what, i'll get my pillow and a blanket, and i'll join you down here. I know you're not THAT sick, but I really dislike being away from you, and i am sure you can use the company." Light started to make his way back to the stairs before he stopped. "Still want that ginger ale?"

Smiling, Rory shook her head in response to his question. "No thanks, I'll be okay. Thankfully I can sleep in a little tomorrow, my first class isn't until after noon."

Light went over and put the ginger ale in the fridge before fetching his sleeping supplies. He turned off the lights and set up right below the couch. Curling up and snuggling under the blanket, he reached up and took her hoof in his. If he couldn't be next to her, he wanted some piece of her to touch. "I love you Aurora..." he said, feeling oddly sentimental tonight.

Squeezing his hoof gently, she looked down at him behind half closed eyes. "I love you too, Light." She whispered. "You sure you don't want the other half of the couch? There's plenty of room at the other end." She smiled. "I figure you might have another long day tomorrow, and I don't want you to be tired because you couldn't get comfortable."

"I have you to hold on to. I can sleep through anything." he said sleepily. He really wasn't uncomfortable. And he knew she liked to spread out and wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.

"You just..." She sighed, but not out of frustration. "You always know what to say. But if you change your mind, there's always room." She adjusted herself a little more so that her neck wouldn't end up with a pain in it later. "What is your plan for tomorrow? Going back to the lawyer's office?"

"No, remember I said I needed to head back to Ponyville for some paperwork? I need to go back right-away. But it should only be a one-day trip. I'll hop the express trains and should be back around dinner time." He ran his hoof up and down hers, scratching her lightly. "We are making sure to emphasize my service and good work history."

She shook her head, and raised a free hoof to her brow. "Oh that's right, I completely forgot." She laughed, yawning about halfway through. "I guess I really am just off tonight."

Waking early that morning, Light rubbed his eyes, stretched, and stood. The ground wasn't the most comfortable,  but he didn't mind as long as there was a reason. Looking over at Rory, she was still fast asleep, blanket tucked up under her chin. He quietly made his way out of the room and started prepping for his day trip to Ponyville. He tossed a few snacks and some water into a saddlebag before heading upstairs for a quick shower. Throwing his scarf on, he made his way back to the couch, knelt down, and slowly kissed his love on the forehead. "Sleep well angel." he said, brushing back a bit of her mane gently.

The unicorn stirred at his touch briefly opening her eyes and smiling, before returning to her slumber. She had class in a few hours, so thankfully she could afford to sleep in a little. She was up again about an hour after Light Heart left, feeling well enough to attempt going to school. Taking a short shower and pulling her mane back into a ponytail, Rory headed downstairs to collect her things. She made quick work of a few pieces of fruit for breakfast, tucking some crackers and filling a small water bottle before packing up and leaving. She arrived on campus about ten minutes before her allotted portfolio work time, and chose to head straight for the studio. It was a slow day, as most Tuesdays were, and she was able to quickly work through two canvases, thanks to having nothing to listen to but the music coming from her headphones. That's not to say conversation wasn't stimulating, but sometimes Rory just needed to focus on her art. After a few hours. Rory began putting her supplies away for a short break.

That's when she suddenly felt the need to be sick again. Trotting quickly to the restroom, Rory tried to maintain her composure before having another episode in one of the empty stalls. Thankfully it didn't last long, and she did feel a little better afterwards. She still felt uneasy, and decided it would be for the best to finish clearing her work station and heading home for the day.

Just before sunset, Light got off the express from Ponyville and made a quick trot into the market. He made a beeline for the flower shop and waved excitedly to Fairy Floss as he made his way inside.....

"Rory? You home?" He called out, closing the door behind him excitedly before placing his scarf on the rack near the door; he really did come to love that scarf. Waiting for an answer, he made his way to the table to set down the small bouquet he picked up of tulips and tiger lilies.

Rory was upstairs, dinner had long since been put away for the evening. Feeling much better than she was earlier, the unicorn made her way downstairs and greeted Light Heart with a kiss on the cheek. "Hey hon, how was the trip?" She asked, glancing to the bouquet on the table. "Oh wow! These are beautiful!" She smiled, trotting over to smell them while she awaited his reply.

Light shrugged, already knowing where dinner would be after missing a few meals coming home late. "Boring. Train, Hospital. Records room. Lunch. Train. Flower shop. Home." He smiled and walked up to his beautiful lover. "Best part of my day is just beginning though..." he said quietly with a sly grin, parting her lips for a tender kiss. "Been waiting to do that all day."

Suddenly very thankful that she brushed her teeth at least three times today, she leaned into the kiss slightly before pulling away. My day wasn't much better." She didn't really want to go into detail and worry him, but she knew he'd find out sooner or later. "I ended up not feeling well and just came home early. I feel like I slept most of it off, but I think I'll try to go to bed early again tonight in hopes that I actually fight it off." Rory idly twirled her hair as she spoke, bringing her hoof down to open the refrigerator to retrieve a portion of the casserole she made earlier.

"You sure it's wise to try and eat that? Maybe you should stick to something more....simple" he said worried, taking a seat for a second to talk to her. "Perhaps you should think about seeing a doctor? You might have a stomach bug or something."

She laughed. "It's not for me it's for you. Besides, it's not a very heavy casserole, and I'm holding over just fine." She tiptoed around his comment on seeing a doctor. If there was one thing she didn't want to do, that was it. She placed the small container in the microwave and poured them each a glass of water.

Sighing, it was too late to try and take over. "I can reheat my own leftovers hun.....you should be resting." He also knew it was pointless to tell her what she should be doing. His tone dropped a bit as he looked up to her. "And I am serious. If this gets any worse, you are seeing a doctor. The last thing I want is for you to be sick longer than you need to be for a silly reason."

Her ears flattened slightly as she backed away from the microwave. "I've been resting all day, love. I'll be fine." She sighed. "And I promise I'll see a doctor if it gets worse. I just didn't think it was anything serious." Her gaze fell to the floor and her front hoof pawed at it a few times. "I-I'm sorry if I upset you." She stammered, making her way towards the living room.

Sighing, he took the food from the microwave wherever it was in the reheating cycle, the water, and made his way to join her in the living room, sitting next to her. "Rory, I'm sorry. I know you are just trying to be helpful but you need to take care of yourself first. I know my limits and I can handle the mighty microwave myself." He put hoof on her back, giving her a reassuring rub. "Is something else bothering you?"

Her lower lip quivering, she just shook her head. "I don't know... I just don't feel right." She wiped a tear from her eye and turned to face him. "Maybe I should just take tomorrow off school?" She hated to do that so early in the semester, but if it would put Light's mind at ease, she'd do it.

Stroking her mane still, he gently pulled her head onto his neck. "Only take the day off if you can truly take the day off. Don't think about school, don't think about art. Just rest, get better, and see where you are the next day. Forcing yourself through will probably only make you feel worse." He sighed, reclining a bit and pulling her with him. "I'll stay home tomorrow and take care of you. One day hasn't hurt anypony."

She sighed, a few tears falling haphazardly from her eyes and she sniffled. "You don't have to do that, hun." She protested. "I'll take the day off, no art, no school, no cleaning, no cooking. I promise." She hugged him, clinging weakly to him as best she could from the angle she was sitting at, making sure not to poke his chin with her horn.

"Well, for all I know it might be a short day for me as well. Once I deliver the papers I picked up today....she could very well just tell me to come back later." Shifting his weight around, he allowed her to lay her head on his lap while he continued to stroke her mane. By this point, he didn't know if he was doing it for his own comfort, or hers. "Sorry, this should be a bit more comfortable for you."

Laying down, she wiped her eyes. "Whatever the case, don't put strain on yourself just to come back early. If I'm staying in, I'm staying in bed tomorrow." She rubbed a hoof on his thigh, just below where her chin rested.

He sighed, closing his eyes a bit. He wasn't exhausted, he was just worried. "It's never a strain when it comes to taking care of you. You are the most important thing in my life, and a job, lawyer, Celestia, or even the Sun itself won't stop me from doing what I feel I need to do." He opened his eyes, looked down, and gave her a little wink "Don't make me test it."

Smiling a little, she brought a hoof up behind his head and pulled him down to her, kissing him on the cheek. "I don't intend to. It wouldn't be fair to the Sun." She joked, feeling a little better emotionally than she had a few minutes ago.

Chuckling, he closed his eyes again as he brushed her cheek. "I hope this is all over with soon. You're illness, the lawyer, my needing a job....I desire nothing more than a quiet, but fun mind you, life with you. Not this."

She sighed, though not out of frustration or despair. "It's just life, we'll be alright in the end. We just have to jump through one or two hoops to get to the good stuff."

"Life can suck an egg right now for all I care..." he smiled a bit, usually keeping his frustration inside trying to be strong for her. "But I suppose you are right. At least the hoops are not flaming.....I think."

She giggled at that remark. "No, no flames that I can see, dear." Turning so that she lie on her back to face him, Rory opened her eyes. "Even if they were flaming, you'd probably punch them senseless." She grinned.

"Never know you took me to be the violent type. I could never hurt a fly! Well...unless they tried to hurt you. That's a different story..." He realized at this point that he was rambling, but perhaps it made her feel better just to ramble and take her mind off of everything going on. Why not keep it up? "If you could visit one place in Equestria, where would it be?"

She laughed for a bit, until the question he asked caught her slightly off guard. "I have to pick only one? Hmmm..." She pondered a moment, raising a hoof to her muzzle. "Either Canterlot or Neighagra Falls. I can't really decide between the two. What about you?"

"Canterlot....I should take you there someday. It's where I went to school after all." He continued stroking her mane while he thought. "I think where I want to go most..is somewhere not a landmark on any map. A quiet forest nestled in a mountain valley....perhaps a lake at the bottom. I Want to find a place, and all it my own."

“You went to school at the University in Canterlot? Wow, how did you ever afford such a thing?" She asked somewhat incredulously. "I've never had the chance to go, but if I had been able to pay my way, I'd have gone to there for my art instead of here." She paused a moment. "As spontaneous as you like to be, I can't say I'm surprised you'd want to chart a new course."

"Well, Scholarships help. And the money from my....parents.....took care of what that didn't" He clammed up a bit at the topic, his tone dropping slightly.

Sensing his discomfort, she decided to keep the conversation moving onward. "Well, I imagine Canterlot would be an amazing place to visit, much less live there for a while." She twirled her hair idly once more. "Okay, my turn to ask a silly question. If you won the lottery and never had to work another day in your life, what would you do?"

"What would I do? Well...I would probably invest a lot of it, donate a portion of it, and continue working just like I ....well...will be." Light thought for a moment more, before nodding. "Yeah...definitely what I would do."

She smiled. "Smart move." Yawning, she stretched a little as she made herself more comfortable. Using her magic, she levitated her favorite blanket over the back of the couch and laid it atop herself. "So, your turn."

"No, no love, it doesn't work that way. You have to answer the question too." He said, giving her cheek a little as he adjusted the blanket on her. "Don't skimp the rules."

"Blargh." She sighed, flicking her tail a bit. "Well, I'm not sure to be honest. I guess I'd save what I could, pay off what debts I have, and then try to keep my wealth under wraps. But mostly I want to pay off my debts."

"Do you mind if I ask just how much you have?" It's ok if you don't want to share, but I am a bit curious." He wondered if he touched upon something unsettling to her, but he really did no little about her financial situation.

"It's not much, compared to some. I chose to go to smaller schools with cheaper tution. So I'm only set back about ten grand, including interest. I never took out any other form of loan or credit, but paying these off is a big deal. I don't like buying frivolous things when I have a debt to pay." She blew her bangs up away from her eyes. "Once I graduate I'll have plenty of time, I just have to step up and work more hours to be able to make the payments and still maintain my standard of living. But the more I pay off now, the better off I'll be."

"Hard to argue that logic." He didn't want to say anything about his income, or inheritence, would certainly help. He was curious about her money sense, being a topic he hasn't broached with her before. After all..if they were going to....."Worst food or meal you have ever had?"

"Augh, my baby sister, bless her heart... she can't cook to save her life. She tried to make quiche one morning, and I couldn't even stay in the room with the stuff. It was awful. We let candles burn non stop in our house for a week." She laughed. The playful conversation was relaxing, and helped keep her mind off the stress they'd dealt with over the last few weeks.

"For me...I had some...'ethnic food' at a restaurant. I was told to put this sauce on the meal, so I did. It smelled a bit...funny for my taste. But the smell was nothing compared to the taste." HE cringed, the memory flooding back into him. "I scrubbed my tongue with a napkin...nothing helped. Water only made it worse. It was the most foul thing I have ever tasted. If I had sandpaper, i would have scrubbed my tongue raw."

She laughed heartily at that, coughing a few times. "Yikes, I can't say I've ever had anything THAT bad, aside from some awful cough syrup. Let's see..." She thought a while on what her next question would be, wondering which direction to take the conversation. "What's the worst injury you've ever sustained?"

Thinking a bit about this one before answered, Light scratched his head with one hoof while he ran the other down her chest and sides. "Fortunately I have been very lucky in that department. The worst I would say is probably from playing sports. I came very close to breaking a hoof before, bruising it from one side to the other from an impact with another player. I couldn't walk on it for 4 days about, and it swelled up to about one and half times its size. But other than that, just cuts, scrapes, bruises and the like."

She shuddered. "I did break my hoof once. My rear left hoof. I took a nasty tumble down the concrete stairs in my old dorm. I was wearing bedroom slippers, and my hoof caught the edge of a step instead of stepping flat-hooved, and I flew down two flights of stairs. All my weight landed just so on that hoof, and cracked it, nearly to the quick. It was the most excruciating thing I have ever experienced."

Light winced a bit. "Ouch. I have usually been pretty sure-hoofed but I tend to be a clutz from time to time. I walk into edges of doors, miss a step here and there, but I seem to catch myself or find my balance eventually. But nothing that bad...ouch." He thought for a second on the next question, surprised she was still awake but glad for the conversation. "Did you have an enemy growing up as a kid?"

She thought on that for a few moments. "Well, I had my fair share of bullies... and there were kids I didn't always agree with... but I don't think I ever really had it out for anyone. You?"

Light chuckled "Me? No no. I was too good as a kid growing up. I think I had a few kids envy me every year. Or I had one or two that I envied. But I wouldn't say a nemesis."

Rory yawned once more, her eyelids starting to droop. "Here's a lame one; what's your favorite color? I don't think I've ever asked you that." She stretched a little, desperately trying to stay awake. She was enjoying his company.

"Toss up between blue and red....hard to pick which one I like better." He knew her favorite color was purple. "Maybe the combination of the two is just right?"

She smiled once more. "I'd certainly say so... but that's just my opinion on the matter." Rory turned her head to kiss his stomach, mostly because that was all she could reach while maintaining her comfortable position. Gently, she took one of his large hooves in her own.

"Rory love, perhaps you should get back into bed. As much fun as it would be to fall asleep like this, you should get some proper rest. I'll finish up my dinner, clean up, and take care of a few things before joining you."

Too tired to argue, the mare sighed and nodded in agreement. "Don't be too long, I'll miss my snuggle buddy." She smiled, sitting up slowly and wrapping the blanket over her back and shoulders as she stood.

Light quickly lifted Rory’s hoof and gave it a delicate kiss. "Promise. Now go get into bed and get warm. Call down if you need me, for anything."

With a yawn, Rory nodded and wrapped the blanket tighter around her. "I will." Giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, she trotted upstairs, pausing in the washroom to brush her teeth (with the fourth new toothbrush this week), and headed straight to her room. She didn't bother lighting candles tonight, and made sure the curtains were drawn tight against the window. Throwing her blanket over top of her comforter, she snuggled under the sheets and brought the covers up to her neck, closing her eyes.

Watching her go up the stairs, he sighed to himself as he ate his already getting cold food. "I hope you're alright...." he said to himself as he ate, worried about her driving herself crazy to the point of getting sick. Cleaning up the kitchen a bit, his mind wandered from topic to topic. Her sickness, his building case, his frustration at not working, his parents, the future.....

"Ow...." he said sharply, withdrawing his hoof from the sink. A tiny cut on his hoof starting to seep out a little blood as he scowled at the assailant knife in question. "Really need to stop daydreaming..." he muttered under his breath, rinsing it out before wrapping it in a paper towel.

It wasn't long after that he joined Rory in bed, a small bandage on his hoof. He didn't want to bleed on her sheets and freak her out anymore after all.

Wednesday came and went, and Rory's strange illness still hadn't subsided. As promised, she called and made an appointment with her physician for the next available day; Friday. Thankful that she was ahead on her coursework, Rory decided to take the rest of the week off from class, and of course Light Heart was there whenever she needed him.

On that Friday morning, Rory woke feeling nauseous, though thankfully nothing came of it. She quickly pulled back her hair and wrapped herself in legwarmers, boots, a jacket and scarf, and made her way downstairs. "The appointment is in thirty minutes, are you still going to be able to go?" She asked, pulling a small coin purse from the coat rack.

Light nodded, shoveling some pastry in his mouth for a quick breakfast. His meetings with the lawyer were nearing an end with his case prepared; today the subpoena was being delivered to the hospital in an attempt to settle out of court. Brushing off his hooves, he wrapped his scarf around his neck and gave her peck on the cheek. "Let's be off then. I am just eager to figure out what is going on so you can get back to normal."

"Believe me, I am too." She sighed. She had her theories, but would rather wait for a professional opinion before taking any more potions or home remedies. Stepping out and locking the door behind her, Rory tucked her key into her little purse and headed off towards the private practice clinic on the opposite side of town from the hospital.

"It's not too long of a walk, and we'll pass by Cavatelli's on the way home. Maybe we can do lunch?" She smiled. "That is, if it agrees with my stomach." She was half joking, as her nausea hadn't set in today, or rather it hadn't set in yet.

"We'll see, one step at a time, hon. Last thing I want is making you worse." He kept close to her for the short walk, doing his best to keep her warm with the continually cooling temperatures.  "Sorry if I am a bit quiet today, just nervous about the delivery of the letter from the lawyer. I am just hopeful we can resolve something and not let this go any further. That way, we can eliminate one stressor in our life..."

Rory nodded. "I understand, believe me, I do." She snuggled in as close as she could underneath his wing. "I'll be glad when this  lawsuit is behind us." Maybe fifteen minutes passed and they came to a clean, white edifice on one of the busier streets near the financial district. Carefully making her way up the stairs, Rory was suddenly filled with dread. She paused, before pulling the door open and entering, Light Heart right behind her.

There was a very small lobby, where two other mares sat, one with two rambunctious foals ripping into magazines on the coffee table. Gulping, Rory stepped towards the front counter, greeting the receptionist and filling out the sign in chart. When she finished, Rory found two chairs on the far side of the room by the window and seated herself, twirling a lock of hair nervously in her hooves.

Placing a hoof on her leg, he gave it as much of a reassuring pat as he could. "Relax hon, remember, medical professionals are here to help you, not hurt you. The least they can do is tell you what you don't know about what you have. They don't create the problem, just identify it and fix it."

She only nodded in response, letting out a deep breath. After about five or ten minutes, Rory wasn't quite sure, a white mare with a silver mane called her name. "Well, here goes." She whispered to Light, kissing him on the cheek. She stood and approached the mare, and was led down the narrow hallway out of sight. There was a door at the very end of the passageway to the left where she was taken. As instructed, Rory removed her garments and folded them neatly on a bench.

After waiting for what seemed like forever, her doctor's familiar face peered from behind the door as he opened it. "Hello there, Miss Heartnote. It's been a while, what seems to be bothering you?" To which she responded with her strange symptoms over the last week, and the stressors that she was sure factored into it. After a while, the doctor stopped taking notes, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Well, I have a really good guess that it’s just a stomach virus ailing you, but I'll have to test to be absolutely sure. As for the other symptoms, I’ll need a urine sample." Setting everything to the side, he handed Rory a small container and gave her specific instructions. Rory's ears flattened, but she kept her composure as she complied with his orders. When she was finished, her physician took the sample and sent it out for a quick test. He was gone for what seemed like an eternity, and all the while Rory gnawed at her hooves and twirled her poor hair so roughly, one would think it'd fall out.

About an hour after being called back, Rory made her way back out to the lobby on shaky hooves. A small vial poked out of the top of her little purse, as it was too tall to allow it to close. Ears set back and eyes full of tears, Rory cast a glance to Light Heart, motioning for him to follow her outside.

With a confused look, Light followed her out, genuinely concerned as the look on her face was anything but good. His heart was racing, his breath heavy as he followed her outside. "What? What happened?" he said frantically as his gaze was set on the vial in her purse.

Her lower lip trembled as the tears now freely flowed from her eyes. She felt angry, confused, and sick, but most of all; terrified. She didn't know if there was any good way to put this. She just slumped down on her haunches on the sidewalk at the foot of the building's steps and gave Light the most desperate look she'd probably ever expressed. Her body was quaking, and she was  breathing heavily, panicking... until finally she just couldn't see any way to tiptoe around it.

"There were a few different things wrong. The vial is to ease my nausea brought on by a virus... it's caused an alarming amount of weight loss in the last week... considering that..." her voice cracked.

"I'm pregnant." the words were barely a whisper. She hung her head in shame and fear at what would come next.

Bittersweet

Light stood mute for a second, the concept rolling through his head like a tidal wave. In truth? He wasn't surprised. The signs were obvious and being a medical professional himself, he should have noticed this. But in a fit of personal denial, he obviously ruled it out.

The tidal wave ran its course, and he sat next to her, wrapping a hoof behind her to pull her close to him. "I...." he opened his mouth to speak, but the words failed. How was he to comfort her? It was obvious from her reaction to the news she wasn't thrilled, and he didn't blame her. They were barely just dating, not married, and she more than likely didn't want the burden of a foal at this point in her life with everything going on. Top that off with the irresponsibility of himself in letting this happen. Had he ruined her life? That thought shook him to his very core. The mare that he loved more than anything in this universe....and now he caused this. "Rory....." he stumbled out. "I don't know the right words...I would lie to you if I did. On one hoof, I am terrified that I have caused you a burden that has ruined your life. On the other.....it's...our...." He couldn't even finish the sentence. Here, in her womb, was their future; their family. He reached out a hoof, touching her stomach. The flood of thoughts that rushed through his head in that instant were incredible. The two of them in a park, flying a kite with a pegasus foal, laughing away the cares of the world. Another one, sharing the joys of their daughter's first accidental magical spell.

"What are you going to do?" he whispered finally, incredibly nervous for her answer.

Still shaking, tears silently falling, Rory shrugged slightly. "I... I don't know..." Her voice trailed off. "I want to go home." She muttered. "I don't want to talk about this in public..." She looked around, hoping she wouldn't see anyone she'd recognize. "But I... I couldn't wait to tell you until we were back...I would have..." her voice cut out and she simply shook her head, standing clumsily on all fours.

Light nodded and quietly escorted them both home. He didn't say much, well, nothing at all really, during the entire trip. Shutting the door behind them, he took her scarf off, placing it with his on the counter, and escorted her to the couch. "Let me get you some tea..." he said, hopeful that she would be the one to initiate further conversation as he made his way towards the kitchen, still shaky.

Aurora took hold of his  hoof before he walked away, shaking her head, but not making eye contact. "No thank you... just... please stay with me. I have a lot going through my mind, and I really just... I need to let this out."

Light froze, turned, and sat down beside her, simply nodding as he stroked her back. "Of course love...please talk to me. I'll just be blunt...I am at a loss..."

"I... I'm terrified, Light." She sniffled, tears still streaming as they had done the whole trip home. She clutched at his free hoof with her own, weakly trembling now. "In my heart... somehow I know I should keep it... but my family... you..." She cast an exasperated glance to the ceiling to try and hold back her tears, but it was of no use. She looked to him now. "Celestia, you haven't even met my family, we've barely been together for a more than a month... how could this happen?" She knew damn well how, but was still in utter disbelief.

"And what's worse, I don't have a well enough paying job to support a child... and what am I supposed to do about my last semester? Sisters help me, my father is going to be furious..." She shuddered, bringing her hooves to her muzzle now as her sobs began to take full control. Her little rant was justified, though all the things she mentioned were easily taken care of. Still, in her mind, the world was toppling over her.  As her body racked with each tremor, she shook her head. "And now... you're burdened with this atop your legal and professional problems... we just can't catch a break."

Light firmly planted his hoof on her leg, using the other to gently turn her face to his. "Don't you ever worry about money and taking care of this child. When I am employed again, there will never, ever, be a fear of that. Besides...there is something else I haven't really told you about. I have...an inheritance...but we can talk about that later." He did his best to smile despite the situation. "You, or anything associated with you, a child of ours included, could never be a burden upon me. I would love it as much as I love you. My problems are but tiny ripples on the waters of life, while my future and life with you are currents that push it along."

He sighed in sympathy. "I don't know what to tell you about your family, nor your choice on what to do. It is your body, and I will not judge or carry opinion on whatever you decide. I love you, and that love is unconditional as long as you want it. And I will be by your side through it all, be it getting a lecture from your father, or months from now in the delivery room."

Mouth slightly agape, she just stared blankly at him while she processed what he was saying. She did the only thing she knew she could do for comfort, and latched onto him in the hug of her life and just sobbed. She wasn't sure for how long, but was grateful that he was there for her, that he was going to be there for her no matter what she chose. She let that reassurance wash over her, and while it helped, it still wasn't enough to push the doubts from her mind. "I can't bring myself to forcefully end it... it goes against everything I am. I cannot deny that I don't think I'm ready for this, but I have plenty of time to think things over and decide what to tell my family. Or rather... when to tell them." She took a few deep breaths as she wiped her subsiding tears away. Blushing, she placed a hoof tenderly over her abdomen. "Who am I kidding? There is no good way to tell them, nor a good time. And no matter what I wish, the circumstances are as they are..." She looked to Light once more.

"If I'm going to do this, I don't want anyone else but you beside me." Her voice was still shaky, but her resolve was becoming more absolute. Sure, there was always putting the child up for adoption... but would that really be fair to Light Heart?

Light kissed her on the forehead, squeezing her tight against him as he melted her into him. "As if there was any doubt who would be by your side." Despite his earlier thoughts, he forced himself to worry about her first, and the consequences, responsibilities, and...excitement, of a family later. "There is always adoption...if you don't think you are quite ready for this. It wouldn't be fair to yourself, nor our child, if you were unhappy because of a mistake we made. Regardless though, as I said, I will stick by and support you one hundred percent, whatever you decide." Reaching up, he brushed some of the tears from Aurora’s cheek, which had already started matting her coat. "Worry about your family later...they are third in all of this. You are first, I am second, they are third. All things in time."

Letting out a sigh, Rory was becoming more and more calm in the pegasus' embrace. Her breathing evened out, and her mind slowed pace. "Time... at the very least that's something we have a lot of. I suppose we just have to take this day by day." She wiped her muzzle and laid there for some time, wondering what on earth was the next step.

"Well... now what?" She asked after a while. She knew he wouldn't have a real answer, but she needed to talk about something. Anything.

“Do you feel okay to go for a walk? Some fresh air, quiet...and no ponies around, could do you some good."

Rory thought for a moment, looking unsure as to whether or not she really wanted to go. "Well, you are the medical professional." She said finally. "If you think it'll help, then I'll give it a shot."

"It's more of my opinion as someone who loves you, and sometimes walking around somewhere quiet and tranquil is a wonderful way to put your mind at ease, organize your thoughts, and move forward." Giving her a final squeeze and a small kiss, he made his way to the kitchen and packed a small bag with a few bottles of water and some fruit. Fetching their scarves, he helped wrap hers around her neck, giving it a little tug to secure it. "I think I know just the place. I heard of a park just outside of town near the edge of the valley. Apparently there are some waterfalls there. Want to see if we can find them?"

"You mean Saddlebrook Falls? I've never actually been... and it might be nice and peaceful this time of year since it's getting to be so cold. I think I'd like that very much." She murmured, glancing back to make sure her boot laces were tied securely. Pulling her jacket on once more, she retrieved her house key from her purse and tucked it into the jacket pocket.

"That's the place..." he said, wrapping a wing around her as he shut the door behind him.

He kept her tight against him for the entire trip, and as before, not a lot of conversation was had. Both were deep in thought as they mulled over the recent events. The journey took about half an hour, and as expected, the park was quite empty. Being a weekday, in the middle of the afternoon, and a bit cold outside, the time was perfect for a relatively solitary but easy hike.

"The trail map here says the hike is fairly easy, but just in case, I'll be here to help you over anything too strenuous. I know you are still reeling about from your nausea. Whenever you need to stop, just do it. I don't care if it takes all day to get up there, I will go at your pace."

She nodded, giving a small smile. It was quite possibly the first she'd smiled all day. "Thank you for considering that... though my mind has been so preoccupied with other things since we left the house, I haven’t really noticed it. I completely forgot about the antiemetic my doctor gave me..." She felt a little silly. "I'll just try to keep my mind off it, and maybe it won't be so bad?" She thought aloud.

Glancing over the area and catching a chill from a gust of wind, Rory shivered and was glad to have dressed warmly.

"The mental battle of illness is seventy-five percent of it. Keep your mind on other things...like this handsome stallion right here for instance.." He flexed for her, giving her his best mock bravado. "...often does more good than even the strongest drugs." He chuckled a bit at his foolishness, but also happy to see a smile on her face once again.

She let out a pitiful little laugh, and she wiggled her way under one of his large wings. Placing a kiss on his neck, she let her nostrils fill with the scent of his mane; one of the most comforting smells she'd ever known. "Well then, if it's going to take me all day to get up the mountainside, we better get a move on." She said, feeling in higher spirits than she was before. It was remarkable how he could do that to her simply by being there and flashing that wonderful smile.

Leading the way, Light made his way up the trail that wound its way through the parks small mountain. The trail was lined with trees, leaves already turned from the autumn chill. He was waiting for her to initiate conversation, his job was just to keep her preoccupied so she could get well and make rational decisions without the frustration of illness bearing down upon her. The sound of the waterfall churned in the distance, but it was still a ways away yet.

"Have you ever been to a waterfall before?" She asked. "I can only recall ever visiting two or three, and it was when I was very small. My parents took my sisters and I up to the fish hatchery to feed some of the breeding specimens once, and I remember stopping at the side of the mountain and just filling water bottles straight from the stream flowing down the rock face. It had to be the purest, most crisp water I've ever tasted."

"I have seen quite a few..but being a pegasus kind of gives me an easy terrain advantage to find them." He turned his head to her and smiled "Maybe one day I can take you to a few of them. They are nestled so far off the beaten path that only pegasi, or incredibly adventurous non-pegasi would ever find them."

"I'd love that. I'd love to travel just about anywhere. There's not many places I've had the privilege of visiting outside my home town, and the few places surrounding it." She sighed. Fumbling through her thoughts to find things to discuss. "Where is the most beautiful place you've ever been?"

"Ask me that question when we find the waterfall. Until then, it may not be a fair answer." He said with a sly grin as he trudged along the path. "What about you?"

Her eyes lit up a little as she thought once more of her first flight. "The sky..." She grinned. "Our cloud... our little slice of heaven." She beamed. "Being up there with the clouds, the stars, and the utter silence, save the wind rushing past my ears. Looking down on the tiny towns and villages below, and feeling alive for the first time in my life. Just... seeing the world from a different view. It was one of the most wonderful things I've ever seen." She seemed to get lost in thought for a moment.

"It will always be just our place....an escape from the world we know whenever we want it. You  just need to say the word and I will take us there." His mind wandered as well. Those nights were nothing short of amazing, and the thought of them just made his heart stick a beat. "Do you ever wish you could go back in time? Not to change something....but to relive something?"

"Yes, I do sometimes." She smiled, and something occurred to her; it was perhaps the most clarity she'd had all day. She stopped walking, and turned to face him. "I don't regret a single moment I've shared with you. Not one." She sheepishly turned her face away for a moment, before embracing the stallion.

"Maybe... maybe a child won't be such a bad thing?" She wondered aloud. "If it was created from the most beautiful, raw, and powerful experience I've ever had... perhaps it's not the end of the world. And if..." she suddenly felt a lump rise in her throat. "... if it's anything like you, I have nothing to be fearful of..." She  kissed his cheek. "And most importantly... I have y-you. And, no matter what life throws at me, you'll be there every step of the way to see me through it."

Light stopped when she did and listened to her, his heart racing faster as she spoke. This is why he wanted to bring her here for; to search out her inner feelings and discover what it was that she felt in her heart she must do.

"No Rory, my love, it is certainly not the end of the world. It's quite the opposite in fact. You know, maybe that star we saw that night, the one connecting us together in the heavens,  wasn't a symbol of just us. Perhaps it was foreshadowing this....our child. A child born of pure love to shine bright and give us hope no matter how dark the skies get for us."

"He brought a hoof up to her face, brushing her cheek as he touched his nose to hers. "Not just a beginning for us, but a beginning for somepony else. Somepony who will grow up with two of the most loving, caring, and passionate parents that existed."

Tears formed in his eyes as the thought excited him more and more. "Our Little Star...."

The tears flooded once more from Aurora's eyes, and at the very last words, she broke down in his arms. The difference was that her tears now stemmed from a feeling very different than the despair and terror that gripped her once before. She dared to think it was joy, as she clung to him tightly, shivering as the wind scattered leaves all about them.

"I love you..." She managed to whisper after a moment. "And I am so, so very grateful for you, for your tenderness and understanding." She pulled away, smiling as she locked eyes with him, wiping a tear from his cheek with her hoof. "I-We're going to be parents..." She felt awestruck as tiny flashes of their future played out in her mind. What would the child be like? She found herself hoping for such things that  made her second guess reality. This...this wasn't a dream. And in spite of all the awful and terrifying things that come with something so unexpected, she found that she truly didn't hold any regrets, nor would she ever regret this decision for as long as she lived.

“I love you too...” he whispered softly as he nuzzled under her neck. “Come on....we still have a ways yet before we reach the falls.” A shiver ran down his spine as he wrapped his wing around her once more, urging her on up the trail. No, not a shiver, but a tingle that coursed through his body from head to hoof. It was the word she spoke; parents. Was all of his thoughts and dreams of their future he had recently simply coincidental, or was it something else at play?

As they walked he touched a bit more on the subject. “We got a long time to think about the little one, but we still have our own issues to attend to in the meantime. What are you going to do about school?”

Leaning close for warmth, Aurora didn't hesitate to respond. “I’m too close to graduation to stop here. I think I’ll push through with my course work. Three months out of eleven won’t be such a big deal, and I don’t need to spend money on the whole cap and gown thing.” She paced herself, cautious over a few damp and mossy areas. “Besides, slinging some paint on a canvas and sitting around with a sketchbook isn't that strenuous.” She grinned.

“What are you going to do about work?” She asked quietly. “I’m still incredibly nervous about the hospital ordeal.”

“This certainly changes things a little, yes, but I am hopeful for a positive outcome from all of this. The subpoena was delivered today actually, and within the next 48 hours we should hear more. We decided to just meet them officially in front of a judge rather than on the side. I not only shows we are serious, but that we have strong and valid case.”

He sighed. “But if all else fails, I will resort to frying hayfries and doing odd jobs for anypony if that is what it takes.”

Aurora sighed “I’m glad there is hope for things to go our way. And I’ll still be able to pull in some comparable wages from commissions. Maybe I’ll paint a few extra pieces and ask them to be displayed in the coffee shop downtown? They have been pestering me for something to display there, often times art will sell right off the wall. If my work is as good as others make it out to be, I shouldn't have any problems with that.” She nuzzled under his chin, minding her horn so she wouldn't poke his eye out.

They walked up the path for some time, Rory stopping every now and then to look at a few plants that caught her eye. She felt slightly sick, but it wasn’t something she couldn’t manage. The sound of rushing water becoming increasingly louder as time passed meant they’d arrive soon.

“So, how do you feel about all this?” She asked after a while.

“Well, right now, the sound of all that water is really making me have to pee.” He glanced out the corner of his eye at her with a smile. It might have been ill-timed, but he couldn’t resist a golden opportunity when it presented itself. Shaking his head after a few seconds, he replied “Nervous? Excited? Anxious? Scared? Try all of the above, and maybe a few other words I can’t think of to describe it.” Kicking at a few rocks up the trail, he could feel the moisture in the air growing heavier. “I’ll admit, I expected to have more time for, well, the two of us, to explore the world and enjoy some peace and quiet. But, I guess now we'll just have to accommodate?”

Aurora laughed “You always find a way to make me smile.” Brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, she ducked from underneath his wing and trotted towards the edge of the overlook. Bracing a hoof on the wooden rail, she looked out at the misty valley beyond them, taking in the beautiful sight and smell. “More time for us to explore...” She murmured. “I don’t suppose we’ll be doing much of that for a little while.” Huffing a laugh, she kicked a pebble off the edge. “I don’t suppose we can still have peace and quiet with a foal, can we?” She didn’t look back at him as she asked.

“Well. no, not much peace and quiet with a foal...” he joined her at the railing, looking down as his eyes chased the pebble down into the frothy water. “Or exploring...” Sighing, he kicked his own down, trying hard to make it follow the same trajectory. “But, we do have each other, and so far that has been an adventure in its own right. We will always have love, happiness, and laughter, regardless of what changes come our way. I suppose we might have to make our own adventures, closer to home, with the company of another whom we will love and cherish.”

Aurora leaned against the pegasus, laying her head over the back of his neck and nuzzling it, letting his familiar scent mixing with the moist and fresh air around them overtake her senses. “We’ll make our own adventures alright. I think raising a child is an adventure in and of itself. I haven’t the slightest clue where to begin.” Swishing her tail back and forth, she let it intertwine with his, taking another deep breath. “I’m glad we came here today.”

“I know you aren’t feeling well, and your head is probably a jumbled mess, but I know you better than you maybe know yourself sometimes, and I knew you needed to get away.” He went quiet after that, just enjoying her presence, her touch, and the tranquil scenery. From the corner of his eye, he could see another couple approaching on the trail, but at the sight of them, they quietly turned around and went back down the path. Light nodded politely at them, but he was sure they couldn’t see the gesture.

“Let’s take our time here, take it all in, and then let’s go get something light to eat. With your medication, you should be able to hold some food down if it is what I think it is. And we really need to get you plumped back up...you are turning into skin and bones!” he said with a hint of a smile, playfully poking at her side.

Smiling as she cast her gaze back to him, Aurora sat back gently on her haunches. She took a moment to levitate one of the canteens from Light’s saddlebag and took a few long swigs from it. “I won’t argue with that. I’ll have to take better care of myself now more than ever.” She put the canteen back where she found it, looking back over the falls.

Nodding, he too, turned his gaze back down into the frothy waters. “You’ll have help of course. Not that I was going anywhere anyway...” he said quickly, hoping she didn't think that this is the only reason he planned on staying with her. Who was he kidding; she knew him better than that, and he knew she knew that, but sometimes you just need to hear it. “And I meant it when I said I would have loved you regardless of the choice you have made. I am with you because I love you; no conditions, stipulations, or pre-requisites. Just you, and you alone. Everything else in our life is just icing on the cake.”

“I know that, love. My dilemma was making a choice that I could live with, no regrets.” She said, still smiling. “And actually... I could go for some cake right about now.” She giggled. “Maybe some yellow cake and chocolate icing. The classics are classics for a reason, and I have never in my life turned down cake.”

Chuckling, and tapping her cheek lightly with a hoof, he gave it a quick peck before nodding back down the path. “Far be it from me to turn down that combination. But perhaps you should get something a bit more nutritious in there first. Then we can have the sweets.”

Walking down the path, the mood that this trip started on was completely reversed. They talked, joked, giggled, hit, nuzzled...and thought. Thought about the abrupt change in their life, and what it was going to hold in store for them.

Despite feeling more at ease by the end of the day before, Aurora’s thoughts kept her up a good bit of the night. She attempted to sleep in, to catch a few more precious moments of rest even though the sun was shining brightly through her window. The unicorn glanced around and noticed her other half wasn’t in the room; most likely downstairs doing chores or some such thing. With a yawn and a stretch, she crawled lazily out of her bed and trudged into the upstairs bathroom for her morning routine. The shower felt better, it seemed, than any other shower she’d had in her life. Spending a bit of time just standing under the hot water, Rory finally decided to get out when the water refused to stay warm, even with the knob turned all the way to hot. Her nausea wasn’t quite so bad today, though it was still early. Drying her mane and braiding it to the side, Rory slipped on a baggy sweater and some wool socks and made her way downstairs.

Upon her arrival downstairs, she was greeted with a set table complete with a small bouquet of flowers ( picked outside from the looks of it) and a light breakfast. Light was bringing the last plate onto the table from the kitchen when he noticed her make her entrance.

“Good morning dear.” he said with a smile, setting the plate down before sliding her chair out. “I figured we could both use a good meal to start the day, considering the meeting with the judge today and you needing to take better care of yourself.” He put two pieces of the french toast on her plate and slid over the syrup. He himself scooped a few pieces of fresh fruit next to his toast, which he proceeded to cover in a light coat of honey; his favorite.

Rubbing an eye and smiling in reply, Rory seated herself carefully as Light held the chair for her. “Thank you, hun. This smells really good. Did you sleep well?” The unicorn asked, pouring just a bit of syrup onto her breakfast, and daintily cutting the slices of bread. She also partook of some fruit, avoiding the blueberries. It took her a moment to notice the flowers arranged on the table, but when she did, her smile grew wider.

“Well as I could have considering what is happening today. I am hopeful this will all be resolved. I was confident going into today, but now, I am starting to worry.” He chuckled nervously as he played with his food on his plate. “The stakes are a bit higher now....” he said quietly as he cut an eye back to her. “Regardless, they did agree to meet in front of the judge, so that means they are nervous, but not forthright going to settle for our demands.”

Rory’s ear twitched as he looked at her, though she continued on with her meal. “Well, nervous is good, right?” She asked hesitantly. “I guess... I guess I’m still confused as to how all this is going to work. I thought it was a sure thing that they were going to settle.” She paused to take a bite. “Would you like me to come with you?”

Reaching across the table, he laid a hoof gently atop hers as he shook his head. “No hon, I wouldn’t want to subject you to what might happen given how much of a worrywart you could be. While I appreciate the concern and would always welcome the support, it’s probably best if Star and I handled this alone.”

Sighing, he skewered some of the pineapple and strawberries before shoving them in his mouth. “I should probably be getting ready soon. I feel as if I am doing everything I can this morning to stall.”

She cast a downward glance at his hoof over hers, not feeling up to arguing over it. “Alright dear, if you think it’s best.” She was mostly finished with her now soggy toast, and only a berry and slice of pineapple remained. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, Rory stood and levitated her plate from the table. Pausing, she smiled and placed a soft kiss on Light’s cheek. “Better get going then, I suppose; but not without a few good luck kisses.” She planted a firm kiss on his muzzle then. “If you are finished, I’ll take your plate to the sink.”

Nodding, he couldn’t help but feel some of the tension ease up as he returned the kiss to her cheek. “You always know the right thing to do to make me smile....” he said softly before nuzzling her gently and retreating upstairs to get into the shower.

After watching the pegasus leave her sight, Aurora made quick work of disposing of trash and rinsing off the dishes. One of the perks to being a unicorn was multitasking, and it allowed for quick clean up. When she was finished, Rory poured herself a large glass of water and brought it over to the coffee table with her. Finding a comfortable position, she pulled a sketchbook and pencils from the side table and began doodling various gesture drawings and warm up exercises. If she was going to be home all day, she might as well do something productive for school. She hoped it would help time pass faster, so that it wouldn’t seem so long that Light Heart would be gone.

Hours passed, and morning turned to late afternoon. The door to the house creaked open as Light made his way into his house. Peering over at the couch, he saw her diligently at work on a canvas in her “workstation”. Her attention turned immediately to him, ears perked up wide. His expression was stoic and emotionless; well, emotionless as he could make it given his nature.

“Rory, are you at a point where you could stop? I suppose there is a lot to tell but I am starving, and would much prefer to share without my stomach rumbling or us having to work in the kitchen. Cavatelli’s?” he suggested with just the hint of a smile.

The mare nodded in response, turning to wash her brush in a cup of water, and thoroughly drying it in a towel. “Sure thing, dear. Let me fetch my coat.” Slowly standing and stretching her long legs, Aurora sauntered over to where Light stood, stealing a quick kiss before bypassing him to retrieve her things. Levitating her small coin purse and tucking it once more under her long scarf, she stood by the door. “Ready when you are, love.”

His walk was a bit faster than usual as he made his way to the restaurant they have come to know and love, especially when feeling lazy or needing a meal in a pinch. However, he made sure not to push her too fast and tried to stay mindful of her pace. He made small talk along the way, asking about her day and the projects she worked on. He only told her once to hold off until they got to the restaurant for questions regarding his meeting, and it wasn’t long before they arrived and he pushed the door open for her.

The restaurant was oddly quiet for this time of night, but it was easy to see why. The place was empty. And not just lacking of patrons; literally empty save the two of them and a few workers.

Shrugging his shoulders at Rory, Light made his way to the table they sat at on the day they first met. To say they were both sentimental would be an understatement; they made a habit to have this table any chance they had.

“Before I start, is there anything you are dying to know so I can put your mind more at ease, or would you rather I just start from the beginning?” he said, nodding politely to the waiter as he inquired about their usual drink order and appetizer.

Biting her lower lip, she thought carefully before speaking. “Is it bad?” She whispered, eyes set on the pegasus, hooves pressed firmly on the table’s surface. She nodded only when the waiter placed the drinks in front of them, but never reached for her glass.

Placing his hooves firmly on hers, his mouth turned up into a small smile. “You take away all the fun and drama of telling a good story when you want to skip straight to the end.” He chuckled a bit as he gave them a pat. “No love, it’s not bad. There is a question today that has yet to be answered, and is it making me nervous, but hopefully it will get resolved soon and it will be the answer I desire. Anything else?”

She shook her head, smiling sheepishly. “No, I don’t want to spoil anymore of your fun.” She snickered, feeling slightly relieved. Sure there was worry in the back of her mind, but she dared not show it. “So, the question of the day; how did everything go?”

Taking a sip of his drink, and a quick nibble from the newly delivered garlic rolls, he cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll try to skip some of the boring details and stick to the general gist of what happened. First, and foremost, we were right; they were nervous. It became apparent to Star and I both, quickly, that they have had problems with this in the past but nopony ever took legal action about it. They turned a blind eye simply because of his tenure and and his families “contributions” to several hospital funds and refurbishment projects. This time though, they found a pony who wasn’t going to put up with such backwards methods in me.” He took another nibble before putting the roll down, his stomach clenching up a bit. “It wasn’t 5 to 10 minutes into the conversation when they offered me a job. Not just a regular nursing job mind you either, but head ER nurse, which is exactly what I held in Ponyville.”

Nearly choking on her own garlic roll, Rory dabbed at her muzzle with a napkin before speaking. “Head ER Nurse?” She gulped some water. “I mean, that’s fantastic, but what’s

the catch?” She twirled a lock of hair in her hoof, and her tail twitched slightly behind her.

He sighed. “Well, there was no catch. At least for me. It was mine, all I had to do was drop the case and promise not to pursue anymore legal action regarding gender inequality. With that said....I declined. And boy did they raise some eyebrows then. But they didn’t meet my one demand of them, one that even if I didn't get a job there, that I insisted that they execute; that pony has to go. If I am going to work in that hospital, I refuse to do so under the same roof as him.”

Rory was thankful she hadn’t taken another sip of water. “Hon, that is a catch. Sure, you get the best possible job you can get, but you have to drop your case. Who’s to say he won’t fire you later? Or worse? Can it even get worse than that?” She nibbled at her hoof, eyes rolling around in thought.

“So... now what happens?” She asked, eyes wide.

“Well, that is what took the rest of the day. That discussion, argument, case....whatever you want to call it.” He looked over and nodded at one of the employees as he pulled out a small unsealed envelope from his bag he always carried on him. “I could just tell you what happened, but it is much more fun to read about it.” He set the letter down on the table between them before making his way out of the booth. “Excuse me hon, I need to head to the restroom. Hopefully that will explain everything a bit more than I could possibly summarize, and stay here.” He gave her a quick kiss with a smiling face before retreating to the back of the restaurant.

Confused, she glanced at the envelope for a moment without blinking. Looking around the room, she levitated the letter and carefully pulled the seal open. Rory slowly unfolded the parchment, bringing it closer to the candle on the table so that she could read it without straining her eyes.

There were two pages, the first being a court letterhead that, summarized, stated that it was the  will of the court that the actions of the hospital were in violation of Equestrian Equal Opportunity Employment regulations and recommended the immediate termination of any employees found in violation of this practice, or be subject to immediate and strict financial penalties.

The second letter, was a bit different. It was a simple piece of paper, scribed in what Rory

recognized was Light’s writing. It read...

"But even though the proceedings are over, the question of the day still lingers in my mind. How do I ask it? I know what I want to say, being one of the simplest questions a pony could ask. But the precedence and meaning behind it make it almost as if I am trying to move the earth itself to get it out of my lips. Can I even do it justice with words when words have failed me so often before, especially when it comes to you, and us? So here I am, resorting to one of the ways I have no difficulty with when it comes to putting words to thoughts, and that is through paper. Trying to tell you how much I love you, how much you mean to me, is never easy for me because I never feel it does it justice. I could tell you a hundred times over and it would feel as if I simply told you hello or goodbye. But when I see you and you smile at me, when we walk huddled close together, when we cook meals together, when we huddle up close in the darkness and pour our hearts out to each other...and when we kiss. Those are the only ways to show you just how much I really love you. I have been searching for words ever since I met you, and I never found them. But what I have been searching for this entire time has been right in front of me; actions. Sure it is a cliched saying, but actions really do speak infinitely louder than words. Through actions, I can show you what my heart truly desires.

And right now what my heart truly desires, is right behind you, if you simply turn around...."

Rory felt her hooves become shaky and her heart raced in her chest. She hesitated, taking a deep breath before bracing herself on the tabletop and turning her head.

Hovering behind her quietly, Light held out a silver chain on which was attached a silver ring. In the center was a traditional-cut diamond, roughly half of a karat. Surrounding that diamond were 3 smaller amethyst stones. The ring itself was simple, and so was the chain.

"If you do me the honor of being yours forever and always, I would love to put this around your neck in my first act as your husband to be." Still smiling, he said with a broken voice paired with tear-filled eyes. "Rory my love, will you marry me?"

Aurora’s jaw dropped, and her magic faltered, letting the letter fall listlessly to the table. She felt a rush of things at once; surprise, happiness, nervousness... it all muddled together in the strange and subtle cry that left her lips. She felt as if the air had been forced from her lungs, but was surprised to find that she did not shed any tears. She always expected that she would, but tears never came; only a grin as wide as she could muster as she looked up at him, nodding her answer.

As he landed gently to the side of the booth, a loud cheer erupted from the backroom of the restaurant as the owner and staff celebrated the happy occasion. Light raised a hoof to them with a smile, and they nodded understandingly as they slowly began to return to work. Sliding the necklace over her neck, his smile was beaming as a tear made his way down his cheek. “It took me almost two weeks to find this, but it couldn’t look more perfect on you. The amethyst really brings out your eyes.” he said quietly, sliding in to sit next to her and resting a shaky hoof over her thigh.

Squealing, she threw her hooves around his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. After holding him for a moment, Rory sat back and took a good look at the ring. “This is beautiful...” she paused, admiring it, then suddenly letting it fall back to rest over her chest as she looked back to her now fiance. “Wait, two weeks?” She was already reeling from the proposal, but knowing that he’d been searching for weeks for this raised another question. “How long have you been planning this?” She had to admit, in the back of her mind, there was the thought that he’d done this simply because of the foal they discovered the day before. But now, that thought was slowly fading.

Chuckling a bit, Light Heart finally had the nerve to eat, so he took a quick bite of the garlic roll he had been neglecting. “Truthfully? Since the day I moved in. I knew it was inevitable, so there was little stopping me from acting on it. But I do have a bit of a confession. Some of the trips to the lawyer were not exactly as long as I claimed, especially the last week. I spent a lot of time shopping, and working with these knuckleheads here...” he waved a hoof to the kitchen “... to plan this with little notice. I figured we could celebrate a few things at the same time. I wasn’t expecting the news regarding the foal, but that is just one more reason to celebrate.” He panted a bit at his sentence, realizing in his excitement he had been forgetting to breath. His ears dropped slightly as he squeezed her hoof. “I was tired of the negativity; your illness, my struggles with the job, my flashbacks, and your fears regarding your family. I wanted something good for us, something positive and concrete to look forward to. Something...happy.” His eyes cut back to her as his ears perked up again. “Now we can be a proper family.”

The smile never left Aurora’s face as she listened, fidgeting slightly from excitement. “So is that why the restaurant is so empty on a Saturday?” She looked around to confirm that they were still the only ponies in the place. Glancing back down to the necklace, she nuzzled close to Light. “You sneaky stallion.” She chuckled. “Thank you, for all the trouble you went to. This is hooves- down the best surprise I’ve ever had.” Rory paused once more, trying to gather the chaos of thoughts swimming around in her mind.

“Family...” she let the word roll off her tongue; it held an entirely new meaning for her now.

“I know unicorns sometimes wear the rings on their horns, but I figured you might like the necklace better. Less flashy.” He said, tingling a bit as he watched her eyes lock-in as she became lost in thought.

Through the excitement of everything, and the relief of having it out of him, Light Heart just sat there, unsure what to do next. Looking over to her, he chuckled “Now what?”

As if in response to Light Heart’s question, Aurora’s stomach grumbled. “Heh, well let’s get through dinner and just enjoy the rest of the evening. Then I suppose making the announcement tomorrow to friends and family will be in order. Oh Sisters, you still have to meet the rest of my family.” She giggled, levitating her water glass and taking a small sip.

Light almost dropped his glass as he choked a little bit. “Dear Celestia you are right, I still haven’t even met anyone aside from Storm. Why do I keep forgetting that?” His brain started turning again, the gears going into overdrive as he started to get nervous. “How do you think they are going to take...everything? Are you going to tell them EVERYTHING?”

Rory chuckled nervously. “Well, we’re going to have to tell them everything at some point. It wouldn’t do us any good to be dishonest about the foal, but we should also make it painfully clear that it’s not the only reason we are going through with this.” She downed the last garlic roll and guzzled more water before carrying on. “I definitely want to tell Storm and Dusty first. They’ll be on our side, and make breaking the news to my dad much easier.”

“I suppose a little trip to the observatory and Cloudsdale are in order then?” he said after exhaling heavily, once again able to partake of the meal. “Maybe we could even swing by my place in Cloudsdale, if it hasn’t fallen to pieces by now.” The muscles in his stomach contracted a little bit at thinking of his childhood home. “And I am excited about meeting the rest of your family, despite the circumstances. I just hope I can make a good impression on them . I know what happened with us was a bit...unplanned, but we are consenting adults and not foals ourselves, and I am sure that eventually they will understand that.”

The look Rory gave Light Heart was almost incredulous. “I’m surprised, actually, that you’re okay with going to Cloudsdale. The only issue is the fact that I’m a Unicorn. I know we have the Featherwieght spell, but it only lasts for an hour at a time. I don’t know how many times I can feasibly cast it, either.” She let out a sigh and shook her head, returning to the meal. “I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. I’m sure we’ll figure something out when it comes to making the trek to Cloudsdale. And we have a little time yet to tell my parents, so let’s just take it easy and not over think things.” She wasn’t sure if she was saying it more for his sake or for her own.

“I have heard of a cloudwalking spell, but I am no unicorn so I have no idea how difficult it is to actually perform. While I am fascinated by magic and loved studying it growing up, I’ll still never comprehend spell difficulty.” He realized he was starting to ramble and cleared his throat. “But you are right, all things in time, of course.” He smiled, leaned in, and kissed her on the cheek. “For the time being, lets celebrate our child, my job, and our future together.” He lifted a hoof and waived it toward the kitchen, sending a few scurrying around behind the scenes.

“Gladly.” the unicorn beamed, taking a sip of water. “Do you have any more tricks up your sleeve? I was wondering if maybe we could take a longer route home tonight; catch a glimpse of a few stars?” Aurora flipped a corner of the fallen letter up and down a few times before looking up to Light Heart. “I’d like to revel in this current state of happiness.”

He let out a quick, but quiet laugh deep from his gut. “No dear, no more tricks, I promise. Didn’t think much beyond this point. Heck, I didn’t even think about your family despite in the back of my head knowing that it would eventually come to that.” Squeezing her hoof a bit, the smile that planted itself on his face the moment she agreed to be forever part of his future never faded. “I am in absolutely no hurry tonight. If I could stop time and linger here for ages, I would.”

Turning to face the pegasus, Aurora gently cupped Light’s face in one hoof, while holding his hooves with her other. “So would I, but we’ll have to make due by just enjoying the time we have. Though it feels a lot more like flying than ‘making due’ to me.” She slowly brought him in for a gentle kiss, letting a wave of calm and happiness wash over her.

His eyes fluttered a bit from the kiss as his heart skipped a beat. It didn’t matter that it was probably the 100th or 200th time his lips touched hers; it still felt electric. By the time he pulled back from the embrace, the waiter made his way over with a small, personal size cake, and two wine glasses. One was filled with a champagne, the other, a sparkling cider. “Well, I had one more surprise I suppose...” Light said with a chuckle as he nudged the cider to her. “I swear...last one!”

Throwing her head back in laugher, Rory thanked the waiter who grinned in response as he shuffled away. “You and your surprises. I trust that mine isn’t alcoholic?” She asked as she sniffed at it, and Light nodded in affirmation. Looking at the cake, she gently placed her dinner plate to the far side of the table and used her magic to scoot the cake plate towards them. Casting a mock look of disapproval at Light, Rory asked “Are you sure this is the last surprise? Not that I’m complaining, so far the surprises have been phenomenal.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Well, maybe the last for tonight. But you committed to me now, so you signed up for a lifetime of surprises.” He nuzzled into her neck as he dug his fork into the cake. “I just hope that the majority of them are good.” He said with a hint of mirth in his voice. He paused for a second after the first bite, and cast his glance sideways to her. “I know we might get flack for jumping into this so soon...we are doing the right thing, right? I mean, I should feel doubt, trepidation, or hesitation, but I don’t. That is a bit scary to me, to say the least.”

Taking a sip of cider, Rory paused before taking her own bite and lowered her fork. “If I felt this was the wrong thing to do... I wouldn't be doing it. My heart is telling me that this-no, you are the right way. I have a bit of a confession to make myself.” She placed the fork on the plate, cake untouched. “The very first day you spent at my house, I had... well I let my mind wander. Looking at photographs of my parents and sisters, I realized that that was a future I wanted.” She paused, placing a hoof over her stomach.

“And in that moment, I knew I wanted that future with you, and you alone. Surprises and all. So honestly? There is no fear, no reservations or doubts. You are the stallion I want to spend the rest of my life with, and that truth does anything but scare me. To hell with what others say or think.”

“Oh it’s not the truth that scares me. I just never expected myself to fall so hopeless, madly, and deeply in love so quickly. But, if the shoe fits...” he couldn't help but grin at the reference, wondering if she got it. His smile was classic Light heart; big, dumb, and goofy.

He raised his glass to hers and continued his grin. “Then I propose a toast; To hell with others!”

Aurora couldn't help but smile wide at him, the tears she couldn't muster before suddenly surfacing as she raised her glass and took a sip. She most certainly caught his reference, and a flurry of memories came to her once more. She was lost in that beautiful gaze, his lilac eyes echoing the cries of her own heart. The thought that he loved her like he loved nothing else in Equestria filled Rory with immense pride and at the same time, humility. The way he looked at her told her everything she needed and wanted to know; the kind and gentle twinkle that shone only for her. Setting the champagne flute back down on the table, Rory slipped her forehooves around the stallion’s neck in a firm embrace.

His smile wavered from goofy to a genuine, heart-felt purse of his lips that echoed the sentiment carried in her eyes. As her hooves locked around his neck, he touched his nose to hers as he closed his eyes. “Remember that trick I taught you on the first day we met, how to capture a memory? I want to capture the look in your eyes right here forever, because I want this to be the last memory on my mind should anything ever happen to me. I want to recall this moment, and feel the love radiating from you, because I know that even in the worst pain, it will bring me peace and serenity.” With that, he closed his eyes and the world around him fell still as he burned what would be the most important image in his life, into his mind.

Following suit, Aurora closed her eyes and brought him tightly within her grasp. She would have gladly stayed like this for an eternity, if not for all the obvious hindrances. After a long while the unicorn let out a heavy sigh, opening her eyes and brushing a lock of Light’s hair from his forehead and firmly planting a kiss.

Just Like Heaven

"No. NO NO NO NO NO!!! Where IS IT?!?!?!" Rory searched frantically through her closet for some lost trinket or another, flinging clothing and all manner of apparel throughout the room. One small shoe managed to make it out the window, plummeting from the second story onto whatever unfortunate thing lie on the ground below.

Humming quietly to himself, Light took a different route home today from work. As usual, he chose to walk rather than fly, enjoying the sights and sounds of the town. Walking down a small street, he chose today's route in order to get to the market faster, needing a few fresh vegetables for dinner tonight. As he ran through the checklist in his head, the oddest thing happened; hearing some shouting above, he looked up, only to have a shoe land directly on his snout, a near perfect fit. The force of the impact wedged it on to him, making him unable to talk. "MRjfkdsjfdsfs" he mumbled rather loudly, bringing his hooves up to forcibly remove the object.

After a few moments more of rummaging, the white unicorn bellowed in triumph "AHA! You rotten little thing!" She grinned, straightening her long brown mane as she used her magic to wrap a scarf around her neck. She quickly grabbed a light saddlebag and slung it over her back and leapt from her room and downstairs in moments. Quickly checking that all was in order, she flung the door open and exited, quickly locking it behind her. Rory turned to head down the street, but suddenly found herself face to face with a stranger... with what appeared to be…

"My shoe??? How did you end up-" The light bulb clicked and she looked up. Her window, directly above the front door, was hanging wide open.

"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry! I must have thrown this out the window in my frenzy."

The minute the unicorn opened her mouth, Light successfully worked the shoe off his muzzle, giving it a cautionary wipe with a hoof to make sure all was in place. As annoyed as he should have been, he couldn't help but smile as all seemed in order with his facial features. "I must say, your aim was impeccable. Are you sure you didn't intentionally just hurl that at me as I walked by?" he replied, his head slightly cocked to the side "I know I am quite the sight, and maybe quite a catch, but your method was certainly the most unique I have seen...." he chuckled, hoping she had a sense of humor at least.

She blushed, slightly embarrassed as she took the shoe from him with her magic. "You know, I've been perfecting my aim for weeks, now! I'm glad I finally made a suitable catch, and so MODEST!" She laughed. "My name is Aurora Heartnote, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Light laughed, annoyance gone as he bowed his head slightly "Light Heart, but Light is fine." Shaking his head, he continued "And I assure you that I am quite modest, but sometimes my sense of humor gets a mind of its own and I can't seem to rein it in." Remembering something, his head rotated the other direction. "As lovely as it is to meet my new assailant, you seemed to be in a hurry. I don't want to keep you from...whatever it is you're rushing off to."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Well, I was running VERY late for class, and at this rate, I don't think there's much point in me trying to rush over. By the time I make it back to the campus, there will most likely only be a few minutes left in the lecture. To be honest, I'm not sure why I didn't just make the choice to skip class sooner..." She pondered out loud. "Anyway, I am truly sorry about pelting you with my shoe." She said, stuffing the offending accessory in her saddlebag.

"Well I normally work at the Ponyville ER as a nurse, but I just happen to be here for a conference. I was one of the lucky ones selected from the hospital to attend." He rolled his own eyes at the mentioning of the word. "But today was the last day, so I was going to hit up the market and fetch some local produce before I made the trip back to Ponyville." His hoof dug at the ground lightly "So what are you studying?"

Aurora seemed disheartened, but immediately perked up when he inquired of her field of study. "Oh! I'm finishing my degree in fine arts! I'm already working full time as a freelance illustrator though." She scratched at the back of her head a moment, wondering what to say next. "I should probably get some groceries myself while I'm out of the house. It's been ages since my sister last did any shopping, and even when she does shop she brings home more junk food and sweets than produce." She laughed, rolling her eyes.

Light looked appalled "Hey, I love sweets! That's blasphemy!" He said the mock look of surprise wavering into a smile. "If you would like to join me, I am certainly not in a hurry to head home..." That was for sure, his life was in chaos enough right now that this trip was actually a relief. He started to walk slowly back down the street, making sure she fell into step with him. "Fine arts eh? Definitely not my strong suit. But then again, it was better suited for unicorns anyway. I think being a Pegasus makes me too...jittery?"

She laughed, "Well it's easier for unicorns to hold quills and brushes, and our magic allows us maximum accuracy with each stroke. It's much harder to do without magic, but we are all taught to learn the traditional way before starting advanced studies. It really does make you appreciate the art more, and you really gain a new respect for non-unicorn artists."

Light Heart shrugged "We each have our talents I suppose. Far be it from me to question them. But I do enjoy many hobbies that I am not ‘super’ talented in, yet still bring me joy. For instance, I love working with wood. The smell, feel, and simple exertion of the whole process is just relaxing to me. That and when I am done, I have something I built with my own hooves, beautiful or not!" he chuckled at the last bit, knowing that a lot of his projects were not exactly perfect, but in fact, were far from it.

"Well there's nothing wrong with enjoying something like that as a hobby! I like to make jewelry and clothing in my spare time, though I'm not the best at the last bit. I'm good at drawing the designs, but sewing is a struggle." She laughed. "So what got you into woodworking?"

"I have always been fascinated with building things. Even as a foal, construction toys were my favorite. I have always been a bit of a busy-body, and I try a lot of things to keep me busy or pass the time. Woodworking was one of them, among a dozen others." he smiled, rolling his eyes at the stupid amount of hobbies he’d dabbled in.

The unicorn gave a knowing smile. "I too have tried my hoof at many different hobbies. I guess I really just like to try new things for the sake of doing them." They walked in silence for a few moments, and Rory took a deep breath. "So, how long have you been a nurse? Do you like living in Ponyville? I've only ever been a few times for various art shows, but it was never for an extended period of time. It seems nice."

"For a few years now. I moved to Ponyville to escape Cloudsdale really...." he quieted a bit, an ear dropping some. "I don't mind Ponyville, but I am not sure if it's the place for me or not. The ponies are nice and my job is quite lucrative." He was quiet for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "Friends are a bit on the lacking side I suppose. I have met a lot of friends in other towns, but other than my-" He was going to say marefriend, but with everything going on lately, he decided not to mention her "-well, my coworkers, there isn't much there for me."

Rory frowned "That's a shame. It's never fun to feel alone, especially when you are surrounded by countless others. Have you been considering branching out or leaving? I'm sure with your field you could find a job anywhere you wanted!" She replied, trying to cheer him up a little.

Light Heart sighed as they continued the walk, getting nearer to the market. "I have, and I love travelling. Just makes me wonder if the problem lies more in me than the place I live. I try to be friendly and social, but I tend to meet friends, fix problems, and move on. But if I was going to leave, soon would be the time..." he said a bit quieter. "How is Hoofington? Seems like a lovely place. This is my first time here." he changed the subject, not wanting to seem like a depressive on his first meeting with her.

The tall mare raised an eyebrow, but decided not to press the matter. "Hoofington is nice. It's pretty big, if you hadn't noticed. It's all the benefits of living in a city, but it's still peaceful like you're out in the country. The only thing I don't like is how far it is to get to any other towns in Equestria, but overall? It’s... well it’s home. More so than my home town, you know? Maybe you should come back for an extended visit? Get to see how well you like it out here?" She smiled once more to her new friend as her nose caught wind of something delicious. "Oh my, I'm suddenly quite hungry, and that smells amazing. I love it when the bakers bring out fresh loaves to the market."

Light Heart 's nose picked up the scent and he too started drooling on the inside slightly "Yeah, that does smell great. Think we should make a detour and devour whatever lovely smell that happens to be?" he said, his ears picking up as he put his present woes behind him for the time being.

Rory grinned "I'm all for it! I haven't eaten since breakfast!" She led him slightly to the left, down a road away from the main one that led to the market. There were various little boutiques and cafes, but she was headed for one in particular. At the far end of the alley was a tiny mom-and-pop looking place with an old weathered sign above the door. Most of the paint had long since faded, but one could barely make out the image of a portly stallion with a mustache and a tall toque atop his head. "This is my favorite place in town, and I can't pass up an opportunity to get Cavatelli's fresh garlic rolls!"

Light's mouth was watering at the smells coming from this place. Garlic was on the top of his list when it came to seasonings. "This all seems like a dream...." he whispered outloud, probably louder than he should have. "Can't say we have any place like this back in Ponyville. I would have had to go to Canterlot or something. But since you were nice enough to take me here and treat me to your company, allow me to take care of this." Once inside, Light ordered a few of the rolls for the pair of them, and found a comfortable table near a window. "Sorry if I came off a bit....down back there. I can assure you I am normally quite upbeat. Life has been a bit, well, screwy lately."

Rory shook a hoof in front of her as if to negate his apology. "There's no need for that, life gets that way for all of us, and when it does, we need cheering up." She smiled, then nodded her thanks to a server who placed two cups of water at the table for them, and poured olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh pepper into a small dish for dipping the rolls. "If you don't mind my asking, screwy in what way?"

Light idly started to swirl one a piece of his roll in the mixture "I suppose talking about it would be a good thing...." He let out a quick sigh. "Alright, here goes. A few months ago, I took pity on an old friend. She was alone and pregnant, essentially abandoned by her husband. I took her in, not wanting her to be alone as she went through the pains of pregnancy and being a new mother. Not too long into this, she developed feelings for me and I suppose from the closeness of our relationship, I thought I had them in return. Turns out...I was very, very wrong." He stopped for a bit to take a bite of the delicacy, and his eyes rolled back into his head briefly as a tiny moan of pleasure escaped his lips.

The unicorn sat contently, a small smirk across her face at his reactions. "I told you, these are the best. Can't go wrong with garlic. You really ought to try their pasta dishes sometime. Some of the best homemade sauces I've ever tasted." She took a sip of water and nibbled at her own roll before speaking once more. "It's quite nice of you to take in a friend in such dire need. It speaks a lot of your character... though I am sorry to hear things have come to the point they have." She frowned, looking away from him. "It can be all too easy to think you love someone, or to think you really know them..." She seemed to snap out of a daze after a few minutes. "In any case, continue."

Light Heart smiled "Then I suppose I may just have to come back in the future and meet the matching shoe that introduced us, maybe take it out for some pasta?" he chuckled before taking a drink.

She grinned. "They might like that quite a bit, actually. These shoes haven't left the house in almost a year. I never have much reason to dress up anymore."

"Anyways, I talked to her about it, told her how I felt. She kinda went a bit nutty. 'I'll change, be the mare you want me to be'...blah blah blah. She really didn't understand. But her guilt trip worked, for a time at least. I am at the end of my rope. She had the foal recently, cute little booger, but I don't want to be its daddy. It's not mine and I don't love her. It wouldn't be fair."

He paused for a second, and looked her in the eyes "Aurora, I need a way out. And I am too nice to just...leave..."

The smile leaving her face, she thought a moment before replying. “ You're right, it'd only be living out a lie and eventually, it'd end up hurting you all more than if you were to just leave this all behind you. But I'm wondering if perhaps her heightened emotions have put up this false sense of love for you, because you took her in? Either way, I don't imagine this will be an easy thing to face. But again, better to do it now before the foal grows attached to you."

Light nodded silently as he took another bite. "I already wrote a letter....assuming that I left in the middle of the night, leaving her almost everything she would need to survive; house, food, and a lot of money. I told her I was running off for somepony else, to give her a reason that I left that 'makes sense' to her. Apparently not loving her isn't one, tried that route. I am not worried about finding a job, but I have nowhere to go really, except Cloudsdale. And I am NOT going back to Cloudsdale.”

Rory looked up suddenly at this, nearly losing magical grip of her snack. "If you've left her already... why are you returning to Ponyville? Wouldn't that just cause more heartache and confusion?"

The Pegasus shook his head quickly, waving a hoof. "No no, I just WROTE the letter. I haven't actually ...well....left it yet. As I said, I haven't found the courage yet to do it."

The slender mare frowned. "This really is eating you up. And what is it that /you/ want most? If you were to leave her with this letter and all your assets, what would you chase after?"

"Other than my job and one or two friends, I don't have much else there. What would I chase after? I have no idea really, maybe just, a third start I suppose. Already had two, and they always say the third time's the charm..." He let out a nervous chuckle as he finished the roll. "However, if I have another one of these, I might just have to move into the cellar here or something..."

Aurora let out a hearty laugh, so loud it attracted the attention of the other patrons in the restaurant. "Well if you ever find yourself in Hoofington, I'd be glad to help you get off on the right hoof with getting set up. I know a lot of folks in this town who'd be more than willing to rent out a room while you get situated. And Cavatelli's is always looking for extra help in the kitchen. You just have to promise not to eat all the goods!"

Light smiled graciously in return "I appreciate that, I really do. I might look around here and see if the local hospitals or clinics need any help. I would feel much better securing a job before just...randomly leaving." He looked out the window, quiet for a while as he silently just took it all in. "It is a lovely place here, certainly a change of scenery....." His mind started to wander off, his emotions starting to take hold as a tear formed in his eye. Realizing what was happening, he shook his head briefly and turned his attention back to Aurora. "I have no idea why I am venting all this on you....I am so sorry."

The smile that had graced her face since the beginning of this outing appeared once more. "No need to apologize, Light. I'd like to think we could be friends, if you'd approve. And this is simply something friends do for one another. And besides, I got a free meal out of it." She winked, hoping it would lighten the mood.

Light Heart felt a warm feeling inside, something he hadn't felt in a while. Relief was it? Friendship? Buck if he knew, he just went with it. Raising his glass of water, he held it out to her "I would love nothing more than if we could be friends, and I certainly hope that one day maybe I could provide a return service for you. In terms of...babbling of words." He winked back "Never said this was free though, I'll come collecting for it later."

She raised her glass to his with a resounding 'clink' and replied "Please do." She took a long sip of water before devouring her final roll.

Light finished both his water and roll as well, taking in a deep breath, before exhaling, politely away from his conversation partner, and smiled "This was not exactly the afternoon I had in mind, but I must say that it was not only enjoyable, but much needed." He chuckled as he made eye contact with her. "Glad this wasn't a date either, garlic and dates are not a very good combination, unless you are into garlic breath."

"I say if a stallion can't handle garlic breath, he has no business dating me. I might as well brush my teeth with the stuff." She chortled.

Light Heart smiled "Well you would love my cooking then. Remember one of those hobbies I mentioned? Add that to the list. Never thought I would meet a mare who could meet my match in that area though...." he laughed out loud, as the imagery swirled in his head "I guess if two ponies ate enough separately, could they even tell when they kissed? I suppose it would just cancel out...."

"HAH! Are you kidding? My whole family is just a bunch of foodies, myself included. My father is a renowned chef in Maretta, and he owns a handful of restaurants in various places like Manehattan, Baltimare, and Las Pegasus! If there is one thing he passed to me and my sisters, it's a good sense of taste, and skills in the kitchen." She took the last sip of her water, wiping any excess away from her muzzle with a napkin.

The stallion raised in eyebrow in reply "Well then, I stand corrected. To me it's just a hobby I love, with no formal training. Just years of living alone and testing it out myself; and maybe if I am lucky a date or two." His smiled fathered a bit "I would have offered to repay your amazing listening and comforting skills with a home-cooked meal, but now I am intimidated!"

She frowned "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you! I've had my share of flubs in the kitchen, and I am by no means a professional." She hoped he was joking again, but she really was worried she'd upset him.

Light tossed a few bits on the table in tip, and his smiled returned in full. "Oh no, it's quite alright. Just a little surprised at meeting somepony who has a lot of similar interests as me. It's, well, rare. At least for me. That's all."

Relieved, she let out a sigh. "Well, maybe it's not as rare as you think? Maybe you've just been looking in the wrong

places."

Light nodded emphatically "Of course. But then again, I never really actively went out seeking friends. And spending nights alone reading by the fire, it's hard to be social." He nodded to the door. "Still need to head to the market?"

Aurora nodded and stood, stretching her long legs. "Well then, perhaps I should get you out more. At the very least, you could come have dinner here every so often. It'd give you an excuse to leave Ponyville for a while." She grinned

Light Heart beamed. "That would be wonderful, but I don't think I'll be needing to get out of Ponyville, as in, I don't think I'll be there much longer regardless. Go figure it takes the comfort of a new friend to help give one the courage to do something they should have done a long time ago." He motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

"We shall." The unicorn murmured as she trotted out of the shop and down the busy street.

Light Heart hesitated for a second, still trying to process the conversation they just had. It'd been a while since he had a real friend to open up to, and even more important, one that actually gave some meaningful consideration and insight into his situation. As his mind pondered this, he glanced up to see her trotting away without him. He gave a tiny snort and rushed to catch up to her. "Sorry..." he muttered, falling into step with her.” Don't mind me; I get spacey from time to time. If it happens again, just give my brain, via a knock on the skull, a kickstart."

Aurora laughed. "It's not a problem, but I'll remember you gave me permission to assault you if you're zoned out." She led him down the cobblestone alleyway back to the main road. The sun was starting to set, but the market wouldn't close for another hour or so, so they had plenty of time. It was also a pretty sight once the string lights came to life. “So, you're still going to make the trip back to Ponyville tonight?" She asked sincerely. It'd be a late train ride if he did.

He glanced up, noticing how low the sun dropped. In all honesty, he probably wouldn't make the last train anyway. He could fly, but considering the distance, he would be useless by the time he got home anyway. He sighed, and shook his head "No, I suppose going back tonight is not an option now. I guess I lost track of time venting to you and devouring those delicious garlic rolls." As if on cue, he tried his best to suppress a burp, but failed as a faint noise escaped his lips. "Heh, sorry..." he said, blushing a bit. For some reason though, the thought of not going home immediately didn't bother him.

It would be a lie if Rory said she didn't feel at least a little bad about dragging him on their little side quest, but she was very excited to spend a bit more time with him. "No worries, you don't have to be shy around me with that kind of stuff." She laughed at his little spurt. "So would you mind it terribly if I showed you around town a little bit since you'll be taking an extended stay?"

Light smiled, probably the brightest he had in a while, and certainly today. "I can't think of anything I would enjoy more right now. Just keep me away from more delicious food, I have a figure to watch you know!" he chuckled a bit, glancing up again as he watched the sun set ever so slowly "And it's not that I am shy, I just try to watch my manners a bit in front of lovely mares. I have to give the impression of being chivalrous at least"

She grinned "I'm glad to know you're up for it. Now, where to start?" She put a hoof to her muzzle in thought, tilting her head and rolling her eyes every now and then. "Ah yes! Once we go to the market, we can drop all the produce off back at my house, and we could visit my sister's observatory! It's after hours, so no one will be there, but I have key! I'm sure Dusty won't mind. Sound good?"

"An observatory? Wow, I have always wanted visit one but, well, never had the opportunity. Most of my stargazing is done with just my own two eyes, but I do have quite an amazing vantage point that not many know of." He smiled as his gaze wandered around and took in the sites, sun just about setting below the cusp of the horizon. "Ponyville and Canterlot are a bit too bright to observe the cosmos, so I had to find my own place, undisturbed, and untouched by the distracting lights of the cities."

"Ah yes! She runs the place and lives up in the loft. She's actually out testing some new equipment at the University of Equestria, so she won't be home until sometime tomorrow night. We could always raid the kitchen too, she always keeps extra stock for company." The unicorn continued walking, her long strides would have been silent if not for her hooves clacking on the cobblestone. She was extremley light on her hooves. "So, I assume you live on the outskirts of town then? I suppose that's the only way to properly stargaze." Then she looked at his side a moment. "Unless you have wings. Then you could just pick any cloud you wanted and look from an even better vantage point. Sometimes I wish I could walk around up there."

"Well, I actually live in the middle of town but..." he shuffled his wing a bit "While you can just pick any cloud as a pegasus, there are better places, if you have a little bit of creativity and ingenuity." He lifted an eyebrow to her and eyed her horn for a second. "Know any spells of self-levitation or something to make you a bit lighter?" he said with a sly grin.

Her brow furrowed in thought. "I've never really studied advanced magic like that... and to be honest... the thought hadn't occurred to me. I suppose I could check out a spell book from the library, see what I can find. Should we head there instead, and go to the market first thing in the morning?"

Light put a hoof to his chin. "Since I am not exactly inclined in magical arts, if you think such a spell wouldn't be...too difficult to do...I have something pretty amazing I would like to show you, in exchange for your kindness of listening to my problems earlier. However, I would like to see this observatory first." He put his hoof down, his interest in vegetables suddenly an afterthought. "I think the market could wait, if that’s OK with you."

Rory turned tail and started to head in the opposite direction. "Well, standard levitation is the most basic spell Unicorns learn. I might not be able to completely lift all my weight, or lift myself for a very long period of time..." She thought for a few minutes. "I could try to rent a hot air balloon, if all else fails. And if that fails... then the observatory for the rest of the night!" She laughed.

Light chuckled and matched pace with her again, their new adventure infinitely more exciting than cucumbers and squash. "If you could just make yourself a bit lighter, I can do the rest of the work. Not being boastful, but I am pretty stout. I just need to be able to well...carry you...if you don't mind the thought of a little flying of course. And don't worry, the destination is perfectly safe for you to rest on your own four hooves, or flank if you so choose."

It was just a quick walk to the library, and thankfully they still had half an hour before they closed for the night. "Okay, I'll look for a spell to make me lighter. If you could help me search for a spell book; either one about levitation spells or weight adjustment maybe? If you see anything, just let me know!" She trotted towards one end of the aisle of spell books, leaving Light at the other.

The stallion nodded and set about his task, searching amongst the titles for something useful. He mumbled the titles out loud as he ran a hoof down the shelf "Magically enhanced produce, 101 homegrown spells for hiccups, Magical bird calls..." the list went on and on. Nothing seemed to fit what he was looking for. "Any luck over there yet?" He called out, not worried about disturbing anypony as the library is pretty much empty.

Rory climbed the nearby ladder up to one of the top shelves in the 'T' section. Casting a small purple-ish blue glow from her horn she scoured through tomes until she found what she was looking for. Levitating a large and heavy book titled Transmutation for Beginners, she slowly let herself down from the ladder. Still holding the book in front of her with magic, she flipped through the pages until one spell caught her eye. "Hey Light, I think I found something I can pull off!" She grinned, motioning with her hoof for him to join her.

Putting back a potential candidate, he looked over and saw her hanging off a ladder, engrossed in a book. He took flight, and carefully made his way up and over to her. Coming up beside her, he took a gander at what she was reading. He was enthralled by magic, and has read texts before, despite not having any ability. It was always a dream of his as a foal to be a magician, but as he grew older, he came to appreciate the science and theory behind it. "What is it?" he said quietly, not wanting to disturb her.

She pointed with the hoof not clinging to the ladder. "This spell here: Featherwieght. It only lasts for about an hour, and I can probably only cast it once or twice... but it should do the trick!" She pulled parchment and a quill from her saddlebag and jotted down some notes, returned the book to its rightful place and bagged her supplies once again. "Alright, let's get close to where this place is, and I'll cast it there. That way, we don't waste any precious time."

Light was excited, and quickly began to do some calculations in his head. Having to think three dimensionally, he looked up for a bit as he mumbled to himself quietly. Finally, he nodded "Ok, I think i know the perfect spot we can leave from. It's a bit of ways out of town though; maybe an hour’s trot from here, if that's OK with you?" He smiled as he landed, folding his wings back in. "You seem a bit excited about this; I hope it's not a disappointment."

"Oh not at all! I packed some art supplies; maybe I'll be inspired by something I see?" She grinned. "So lead the way, esteemed guide. Our journey awaits us!" She was just being silly now, but at this rate she didn't care. She was genuinely having fun, more fun than she'd had in a while. School had really bogged her down.

"Right! Well, let's go then!" He said, heading out of the library and out of town. He kept a brisk pace. Being used to trotting rather than flying almost on a daily basis, his legs were toned and while not a /natural/ runner, he was more comfortable than the average pegasi on the ground. He kept pace with his new friend, making small talk about little tid-bits of his job and the conference. Boring stuff really. After a while, they ended up in a clearing, outside the edge of a tiny wooded area the road disappeared into. "Ok, if I am right, we should be about a 50 minute flight from here. The angle to our destination, combined with your spell, should be perfect." He smiled as he unfolded his wings and stretched them a bit "Ever flown before?"

She smiled, taking the scroll from her bag. "I've flown once in a hot air balloon, so this'll be my second go around. First time with a set of wings though." She winked. After a moment she cleared her throat, concentrating on the scroll. She stared at it for some time while mumbling to herself, and suddenly her horn came to life. It fizzled and popped, and her brow was wet with sweat. Her hair began to whir around her and she was encapsulated in a soft glow. Then just as suddenly as the spell began, it was finished and the light flickered out.

She reached up to wipe her forehead, and landed a smack in the face. "Ow..." she slowly lifted her hoof up to try again. “Well, I think it worked. My foreleg is a lot lighter than it should be..." her face flushed in embarrassment.

Approaching her, Light couldn't really tell there was much different with her, but he was so enthralled with the process of the spell that he didn't really study the before and after effects. There was, however, one way to test it out. "Do you mind?" He asked, and upon receiving her acknowledgement, he carefully placed his forehooves under her belly and lifted her up...and up she went! Not really thinking about the spell, he used all his strength to lift her, and ended up flinging her in the air about 12 ft.

Rory let out a yelp as she went careening across the field, landing -oh- so gracefully on her back. "AH! GENTLY PLEASE?!?" She yelled, sitting up and rubbing her sore rump. "I really hope I don't regret this." Shaking her head and standing on all fours (carefully) she began walking back to Light. She stopped a moment, before crouching and leaping into the air and landing with the same poise as her earlier fall.

Face flushed, Light scooped her up in his forelegs as he leaped into the air."I know this may be a bit, well, /intimate/, for just meeting, but if you wrap your hooves around my neck, this shouldn't be a problem at all. That spell has literally made you about as heavy as a sack of potatoes." His wings worked gracefully through the night as he turned upward about 45 degrees, and heading back toward the direction of Ponyville. After a while, helped Rory shift around so that she was riding piggy-back, making it a little easier for him to navigate (though he still held her forelegs for extra security). He turned his head down slightly to catch her eye, an ear dropped as he quietly said "Sorry about that, forgot about the spell I suppose. Are you OK?"

Still clinging for dear life around his neck, Rory sighed, burying her face in his long mane. She stayed like that for a moment before working up the courage to look down again. "It's alright. I might be a little sore tomorrow, but nothing serious." She couldn't put her finger on his scent, but it was relaxing. Peering over his shoulder to the ground below, she could see tiny lights as they made their way up to the clouds. Eyes wide with wonder, she carefully let one hoof go for a moment, touching the soft white bodies flying past them. "Wow...." she felt a slight jolt and quickly jerked her leg back around his neck.

Light Heart smiled as he could sense her wonder at the sensation she was probably feeling. Even though he preferred to walk around everywhere in towns, he truly loved flying, and can only imagine what it must have felt like for her. He slowed his ascent slightly as he took a small detour to skim the cloud tops, letting the poofy balls of fluff hover just below them. He tightened his grip on her, feeling that she wouldn't mind the extra security despite how intimate the contact was. He said softly to her. "Let a hoof down, and drop it into the cloud. Let it meander, using the tip of your hoof to carve into the cloud tops. You are an artist, let's see what you can do...just tell me when and where to turn..."

Her face flushed a bit, but she did as she was instructed. She gently dipped a hoof in, squealing in delight, and her smile was so wide it almost hurt. Instructing him to take a few slight curves and dips, she got a little more adventurous as she was immersed in her work. She shaped and 'carved' her way round and finally when she thought she was done, she wrapped her hoof back around him. "Fly straight down, I want you to see it."

He nodded and changed direction once more and once they were well below her creation, he stopped. Looking up, Rory had created a crude image of Princess Luna in the clouds, her mane flowing organically as the white fluffy masses, with stars overhead twinkling in various patches, just as if it were her real mane. Satisfied, Rory smiled. "I wish I had a camera for this... I don't know that I'll ever get to make anything like this again."

"Just do what I do when I see beautiful things up here in the night sky. Take a nice, long, look. Pull in everything: The design you created, the stars above it, and the moonlight cascading down around it. Take it all in. Then close your eyes. Remember it. Burn it into your brain, but don't open your eyes again. Then, you just leave..." He watched her carefully, and saw that she was complying with him as he softly spoke the instructions. As her eyes closed, he resumed his original flight path, cutting through her amazing creation straight through Luna’s eye.

He didn't know this however, as he too, followed his instructions. It was nothing short of stunning, and he knew that he would probably never again see anything quite like it. But he wouldn't let this scene be forgotten. And part of that scene, in the corner of /his/ image, was her face, beaming in delight.

With her eyes closed, all her other senses heightened. The cool rush of wind blowing past them as Light picked up speed, and their manes flicking around and tickling her nose... the fresh, damp smell and soft texture of the clouds touching her coat, the near-silence and peace that came with the absolute solitude. She finally opened her eyes again at all the twinkling town lights below them, the rivers and streams all looked like a toy model. And above her there was a view of the stars the likes of which she'd never seen before. Breathtaking was an understatement. Her heart raced in her chest, her ears perked and her eyes were wide.

"Thank you..." She whispered, unsure if he'd even hear her.

A tingle ran up his spine at her words, before settling into a small smile. He chose not to respond, but rather jus gave her the smallest of squeezes against his neck as he continued the journey. Onward, and upward, they traveled. Far above the cloud layer, the night sky turned from purple to a a deeper black. In the distance, he could start to make out what he was looking for, a faint glow, close to his projected path. He picked up the pace a bit, eager to arrive.

But the detour was pushing things. He was about to ask her to cast the spell again as his head counted off the time. He figured he could manage her weight for a short time, but would it be enough? Could she cast the spell again in this state? As he thought about all this, the weight around his neck subtlety grew heavier, his forelegs buckled just a bit as he realized something; the spell was wearing off. Not wanting to panic her, he sucked in his breath, flapped his wings harder,and pressed on.

"Just a few...more....feet" he said quietly. "Almost ....there-" and he lost her. She fell, all of 5 feet onto a fluffy white cloud, dangling all by its lonesome in the night sky.She landed softly in it, and to her probably astonishment, supported her weight. "Welcome to my spot..." he said, collapsing at her side on it.

Above them, the stars were almost indescribable; a curtain of twinkling whites in with a hint of color here and there. This was as high as any pony can survive and far, far above the cloud layer of the atmosphere.

Rory looked around her in slight shock and amazement. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to fall or not. "A-are the clouds up here denser?" She asked, voice quavering slightly. She had to gather her wits a moment, letting everything sink in. Her heart still raced faster by the minute it seemed.

He laughed, and patted the fluffy cloud below "Look closely, you'll notice something is different about it." He dug a little bit, and on the bottom side of the cloud, it glowed a feint blue. "Magic. Pretty powerful from what I am told. A friend of mine back in Ponyville helped me with this. It was originally created for a friend of mine, to do what we are doing today. But....she disappeared on me. She created the cloud, I parked it here. The magic keeps it anchored, and more importantly, allows non-pegasi to, well, use it!"

Her eyes lit up once more, then she frowned. "I don't know what I should do! The artist in me is screaming to paint... but I just want to take it all in, enjoy the scenery. I've never seen anything so amazing..." She warily sat up, inching her way towards where Light was sitting. Sensing the friend who created this was a touchy subject, she let it be for the time being. "So what's your favorite thing about this place?" She asked.

"This..." he said, laying down, wedging his body into the cloud. Reaching out, he gently took hold of her and guided her down beside him "Lay like this, look up...and you can do what you said. Paint. But paint with your eyes, or maybe your hoof if you’re feeling like a foal." He put one hoof behind his head, and the other he extended "I paint my own constellations. Up here, you have a much bigger palette to work with. Stars much farther away can be seen up here, as you can probably tell." He smiled as his hoof weaved in and out in front of him. He wasn't an artist, but if he had a reference image, he wasn't too shabby. He saw the image as his hoof traced it; neck, cheeks, ears, horn, mane......she came to life in front of him; well, in his mind at least. He chuckled as he dropped his hoof, pretty sure his companion had no idea that he was tracing her. "Give it a try, but don't tell me what you are creating. There is fun in guessing I suppose."

Her hair flopped about her as she nestled into the softly glowing cloud, using it as a pillow of sorts. She took her hoof and began tracing a circular pattern in the stars, a much simpler and faster one that Light's. Laughing, she said "Alright, try to guess what I just drew." She grinned. "I bet you'll never get it."

"A donut?" He chuckled, and maybe a bit of craving lingering in his brain for a sweet treat.

"NOPE!" She cried. "It was a garlic roll, just for you captain breath. Your turn!" She took his free hoof in hers and slung it up towards the great black beyond. Reluctantly, she released it, letting her own hoof fall back to her side.

Her touch was soft, and his heart raced a bit as she help his hoof up in hers. He didn't even feel her let go at first, having to clear his throat before smiling once again. "Alright, let’s see here...." He drew one continuous shape, full of curls and swirls. He ended the shape in a tight curl, before drawing three separate, small geometric shapes on the left side of it. "Alright, what is it?"

She tilted her head to the side, then turned it so she'd be facing him. "Was... was that my cutie mark?" She asked.

Light turned and looked into her eyes, a sly smile on his face. "Perceptive. But you are a student of the fine arts. I hope I did it justice."

Her lips curled into a smile to match Light's. "Indeed you did. The first thing an artist must learn is that all art is subjective to the audience. There is no 'good' or 'bad' art. Only art." She smiled, raising her hoof and gazed once more to the stars. She lifted her hoof to ‘draw’ something, starting low left, arcing up slightly and then coming down and around in a slew of odd shapes, then ending at her start point. Then she repeated the steps to her right, but in the opposite direction, adding an extra peak before coming out and around, then down again and to the right, ending the second shape.

"Alright then, tell me what I just drew."

Light studied the drawing closely, but at the same time, his peripheral vision was distracted by her. He glanced down, and saw the concentration in her eyes as she worked, a smile gracing her face. He could see the starlight twinkling gently in her eyes...."OH!" he said, having her voice interrupt him. He looked up quickly, and knew that he stood no chance this round. "Sorry, I guess I got lost on that one...."

She laughed, the kind of laugh the feels as if it comes from one's soul. "It's okay, I figured it might be a bit too ambitious..." The white mare turned her gaze back to her companion. "It was a drawing of us."

He turned his head, back to her, this time her gaze was directed at him. He locked eyes with her, and fought back a hint of blush in his white coat. "Really? I think I could see the horn....but I guess the rest was a blur." As he spoke, his hoof found hers, involuntarily. He really didn't know why, it was just comforting to him for some reason. He missed that sensation before. "Can you show me again?"

Rory's body tensed when she felt his hoof take hers once more, and she took a slow, deep breath. "Alright." She turned away again, mimicking the same hoof movements as before, but a little slower in hopes that Light might keep track this time. She came at last to the peak of her horn, then curving around her muzzle and then down her long neck, then closed the shape. Oddly enough, there was one VERY bright star right between the two silhouettes she 'drew'. She wondered if he'd see it too.

Lifting the hoof that was joined with hers, he pointed at the star. "I bet you that is another planet." he said quietly, his voice shaking a bit " I wonder, if there is a pair of ponies, or something else, there right now, looking up, and seeing what we are seeing..." his thoughts drifted as his heart raced a bit. He wondered if she intentionally centered the drawing on the star, but couldn't get the courage to ask.

She smiled. "Dusty would know, she knows everything about the wide unknown, it seems. But that's an interesting thought..." She pondered a moment, before taking her hoof from his and turning her body on its side so that she was facing him. "To think I was excited about showing you around the lab." She shook her head. "This is far more special."

His heart raced a bit as he mimicked her, turning to face her. He didn't really think about what he was doing anymore, and for some reason, simple words just didn't seem like the right answer. He knew he just met her, but like that star, or planet, between them, there was something here. Bold, or stupid, the heart knows what the heart wants. He gently reached a hoof, out, stroking her cheek as he lifted a bit of her mane from her face. He leaned forward, and gently put his lips to hers, his hoof shaking slightly. He kissed her, slowly, but gently, before leaning back once again and smiling "I hope that made it a bit more special...." he said, realizing a bit too late that his cheesy comment may have killed the mood.

Her heart felt like it would leap from her chest at his touch, and she found herself leaning a little into the kiss, closing her eyes. They remained shut, even after he moved away and she took another deep breath. Her ears were ringing as he spoke to her then, her eyes shooting open to meet his gaze. Despite the amount of Velveeta layered into his statement, she grinned and pressed her nose to his for a moment and then withdrew. There was sincerity in his statement, she sensed, and chose to embrace it. "Indeed, it might have... just a wee bit." She grinned. She opened her mouth again as if to speak, but no sound could escape her lips. Words had failed her; this was one of few times in her life that had ever happened.

Light chuckled very lightly, gently took his hoof, and closed her mouth by gently raising up on her chin. "Sometimes there isn't a need for words...." he said softly before lying on his back, sliding a hoof behind her head, and pulling her gently to cuddle up next to him. "Or sometimes words just don't exist to describe something...." he said, holding her hoof up in his to point at a shooting star slowly moving by, leaving behind a sparkling trail in its wake.

He was warm, and she felt comfortable as she nestled her head on his shoulder. She only turned her head briefly to watch the passing comet, then drew her attention back to Light. She brought her hoof down and gingerly laid it across the stallion's chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. She began softly humming; swishing her long, brown tail from side to side.

For some reason, the nerves of before vanished the instant her hoof touched his chest, The feel of her coat against his was unbelievably comforting, and he couldn't help but close his eyes and smile in the pure peace of it all. Reaching up with his other hoof, he laid it gently over hers, letting the vibrations of her humming, touch of her hoof, and gentle tickle of her tail all sink in. As before he had with her cloud carving, he took a moment to let this settle in. After a little bit of this, he finally spoke "Why do you put me at ease so easily? I have dated plenty of mares, had my share of first kisses with them, first touches, and first confessions like this....but none of them have ever felt like this. I have no fears, no nerves, no reservations. I just feel, peaceful."

Her ear twitched and she stopped humming to look up at him. "I'll admit, I really don't know. But I'm comfortable around you. I feel like I've known you my whole life somehow." She sighed. "I suppose the shoe just, fit." She snickered, giving him a quick bump of her muzzle against his own. "The question is, what do we do now?" There was no fear in her voice; in fact, it rang with a curiosity, much like a child's.

He sighed. Not one of despair, frustration, or any other feeling of negativity, but simply out of ideas. "I really don't know myself. Right now, I just want to stay up here as long as I can, enjoying this feeling and your warmth. But I know tonight will end eventually." He lifted a hoof and gently started stroking her mane. "Leaving Ponyville shouldn't be a problem now. Everything is already prepared, I just need to notify the hospital." Continuing to stroke her mane, he leaned down ever so slightly and kissed her forehead, then smiled "Then I suppose I'll see what kind of work I can find here. I guess it takes a rogue shoe to the face for somepony to realize a town might be more special than it first appears." Nuzzling her a bit more closely than before, he said softly, near her ear "I have no idea what the future holds for us, but I'll be dammed if I don't see where it goes. Not after having one of the most amazing nights of my life."

"I certainly won't argue with that." She grinned. She let the silence fill her hears, the quiet calm of night surrounded them. "I'm... finding that I'm suddenly overwhelmed with inspiration to paint, draw, dance, and even sing all at once. I don't know that happiness has ever taken such a firm hold of me before." She propped herself up with one arm and looked Light in the eye. "Dance with me." She asked, though she fully expected him to laugh at her, considering there was no music, and such a small space in which to do so.

All he could do was smile, stand, and take her into his arms. "Can't say I have ever danced to no music, nor on Equestria's smallest dance floor..." he said with a hint of laughter in his voice, which died down as he rested his nose on hers. "But I have come to quickly discover that when those eyes of yours lock upon me..." he chuckled "Just be careful what you tell me to do, I just might do it without much thought." He accented his statement, giving her a twirl and a dip, minding his steps on the small space.

She didn't need a spell to be lithe and light on her feet. Her every movement was as if it were water flowing in mid-air. "If it helps, I could always just sing, though I kind of like the silence for once." It was mostly because of how intimate everything seemed. They were at the highest altitude they could reach, far from prying eyes. "Do you have a favorite song?"

Light Heart made light use of his wings to keep one step ahead of her. Since there was no music, there was no rhythm to time to, so he just let her lead and go with what was fueling her passion at the time. "I would love to hear your voice sometime, but I think the quiet is serene. And it's much nicer up here with beautiful company than it is by myself." he said as slowly waltzed his way around the cloud. "Favorite song? Probably Runaway Train from Soul Asylym. But I really don't have a "die-hard" favorite because my tastes are so varied. I know this might make me sound old, but I am a sucker for the orchestral music and classic rock." He dipped her down slightly, the glint of starlight twinkling once more in her eyes. He wanted to kiss her again, to feel those lips upon his again, but for the moment he resisted. "You?"

She smiled. "There is a reason my cutie mark includes a Treble Clef. Music is what fuels my artwork. Without music... I don't know if I could paint or sculpt. And to say that I appreciate classical and instrumental music is an understatement. While I do enjoy electronic and other genres, I always come back to Classical. There's something so soothing, so... magical about it." She moved her back hooves effortlessly to her own beat. "I don't know that I have any one favorite over another. I suppose I just have a favorite of the week or of the month. I always change things, move them around, and revisit other things. It just depends on my moods and what my work calls for."

"Working in a hospital, music is a luxury that is hard to find. However, when I go home, there is nothing I enjoy more than curling up by the fire with Bach or Mendeleev and reading a good book." he followed her, as best as he good, letting her internal metronome do the work as he gently fluttered his wings. "But I suppose it's also why I don't get out much, or why others consider me a hermit. While in fact I am quite friendly and outgoing, I just find that I prefer the company of good friends, rather the company of a bunch of strangers." His ears dropped a bit "And good friends are hard to come by."

She pulled him in closer to her, placing her forehooves around his neck. "Does that not make them more valuable? I'd rather have only one kindred soul than a thousand others endlessly doting on me as they saw fit." Her gaze bore into him as they made eye contact once more. "Can you not say the same? There's no sense in pursuing endless relationships if they are hollow and draining. We only get one chance at life, why not fill it with those who make it that much brighter on a dark day?"

The temptation now was almost overbearing; the feel of her hooves around his neck, the warmth of her body, the sound of her voice, and those eyes....those amazing, magnificent eyes. "It took me a long time in life to finally realize that, and I suppose it is why I would rather live for a few that know me inside and out, than die with many who barely know more than my name." He leaned forward, gently touching his nose to hers "But I think I may have found somepony that I wouldn't mind having by my fire, to share my cocoa, tea, and blanket with, as we listen to the beautiful sounds of violin and piano, and just enjoying the presence of one another."

She smiled, blinking once to look away before looking back at him. Her movements gradually slowed almost to a halt as she slowly and softly pressed her lips against his, eyes closing once more. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion around them, time holding itself back just for them to enjoy each other's company.

His heart nearly burst from the anticipation, but the moment the connection was made, it almost stopped. He could feel nothing, hear nothing, see nothing, smell nothing; nothing but her. In this, the one tiny sliver in time, high upon the world, there was nothing in Equestria but them. Her lips were as soft as velvet and the soft touch of her mane on his face and shoulders made his coat tingle. There are no words to describe the kiss as it was driven purely by emotion; not lust or carnal desires. He completely gave himself to the moment, pulling her tight against him as he continued the embrace.

Her back left hoof lifted slightly behind her as she leaned into him, her heart pounding, the wind blowing her hair all around them. It was like a scene stripped from a story book, too perfect for words. After a moment, she gently pulled away from the kiss to look at him once more. This time, she didn't try to speak, she simply smiled, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

It wasn't that the world came crashing back, it was more like he came crashing back to the world. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was her smile, those stunning eyes, and a..tear? He pulled one of his hooves back and wiped it away gently. He didn't need to ask if she was OK. This tear was no different than the ones he was holding back, and the sight of hers caused one of his own. "As perfect as this place is now, we probably shouldn't be up here too long. We didn't bring a blanket, and it does get quite cold. While I can provide the seat, mother nature still controls the thermostat."

She frowned a little, though the corners of her mouth remained upturned. "It's a shame. We'll have to return soon with more provisions." She stayed there a moment longer, reluctant to let go of him. "I suppose I'll need to cast my spell once more."

Light Heart thought for a moment. "If you want to really draw something while we are here, I think i can keep you warm enough. I'll leave that choice up to you though."

Rory shook her head. "No. My memory of this place will always be more beautiful than anything I could put to parchment or canvas." She finally let go, standing slightly back and using her magic to lift her scroll. After a moment or two, as before, she was enveloped in a soft glow as the spell weaved around her. When she finished, she hoisted her bag onto her back, and smiled. "Ready when you are, captain. Where to next?"

Light chuckled, slipping Rory onto his back once more. As he literally dove off the cloud, his wings extended and they entered into a gentle glide down "Not tired yet?" he asked as he leaned back and gently nuzzled into her neck.

She shook her head. "No, I'm wired. I feel like I could run a marathon." She smiled, burying her face in his mane once more, then kissing the side of his neck. "I haven't worn you out, have I?"

“Worn me out? You got a lot to learn about me dear...." he said with a playful nudge from his foreleg. "We could still try the observatory, if you want of course. I think you mentioned something about food there...." he said with a sly grin that she couldn't see....or at least he thought.

"Oh yes! We could still go! There's a full kitchen and a guest room upstairs in the loft if you need a place to stay. She'll sometimes board a foreign exchange student." More confident than the flight up, she let a hoof free to skim the clouds whisking by them and they tickled her foreleg. "Would you like to try cooking? Or would you rather munch on snacks and tea?"

"Cooking eh? That could be fun; it's been awhile since I had somepony I would enjoy cooking with, or for. Tell you what, we make a tag-team effort out of it, you have a deal." He lingered again a bit in the clouds, quickly picking up the impression that she enjoys this part of the flight. "And a place to stay would be great, as long as she doesn't mind of course."

"Tag team it is, then. And it's not a problem. If I trust you, she will. So long as we don't trash the place, it's completely fine." She jolted a little as she felt a change of pace and they leveled out a bit. They glided in silence for a few minutes, as Rory simply closed her eyes feeling the moisture and softness flit past her.

"This sensation..." she said finally.” I can see why you build cities in the clouds. It'd be so difficult to leave... then again I suppose this is commonplace for you." She laughed. "I don't think anyone would believe me if I told them I flew so high."

"I spent so much time on the ground that it makes me relish nights like this. And while it may be commonplace, it's still an amazing feeling honestly." He chuckled as he nuzzled back into her again "I'll share a secret with you about me later, don't let me forget before the night is done, OK?"

Nearing the ground, he flared his wings back and gently touched down, helping her gently to the ground. He was able to get them nearer back to the city, but it was still a little bit of a walk.

Rory headed north, the observatory was on the other edge of Hoofington. "We have to walk right through the center of town. Is there anything you need or would like to stop for before we make the trek to the observatory? It's on the northern edge of town." The spell was wearing off, making her steps a little awkward. She leaned into the pegasus, in part to stay warm, but also because she felt drawn to him like a magnet. It was strange that she felt like she didn't want to be apart from him, considering she'd only met him mere hours ago.

Unfurling a wing, he wrapped it comfortably around Rory, pulling her tight against him for support and warmth, well, the closeness he couldn’t seem to resist. "I'm with you, I think I got all I need." He smiled and turned his head to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Unless you want more cheese than I can provide, of course. Otherwise, just tell me where to point my snout."

She smirked. "Just stay this course through town square, Captain Kraft. The main road leads right to it." Rory nuzzled under his chin, casting a small glow from her horn to make the path easier to see until they got to town.

The pair made their way back to town, and under the guidance of Rory, her light, and the sure-footed body of Captain Kraft, they made their way through town and closed near the observatory.

"....and that is how I saved a family with 5 foals from a horrible bout of gastrointestinal destress!"

The unicorn erupted with laughter as she fumbled with the keys from the bottom of her saddle bags. She slipped out from under his wing and unlocked the giant steel door, swinging it outwards revealing a pathway lit with led lights. She motioned for him to enter first, then followed behind, shutting the door with her magic. "Flip the switch on the wall next to you, please?" She asked.

Light Heart did as requested and turned on the light. "Must admit, we don't have anything quite like this in Ponyville, or even in Cloudsale for that matter. Not many ponies there really care about what is out there beyond the air we can fly through."

"It's sad really. Hoofington didn't have an Observatory until a few years ago. When my sister graduated, she was granted funding to build one and run it, doing work for various institutions around Equestria. This is a really good spot, apparently, because the board didn't drag their hooves or really debate the issue."

Rory placed her belongings on the table then sauntered down one of the offshoot hallways. "So, shall we start with the grand tour?" She grinned

Light smiled as he made his way over to her. "Lead on, mi ‘lady."

She led him past several large areas, explaining various uses of the rooms. The building was circular, the center housing the main telescope and the other rooms forming a large circle surrounding it. There was an image gallery and museum for public use that was nearest the main entrance, and a slew of locked or closed conference rooms and labs. She led him then to the second floor, which housed a full kitchen, the guest room, and two restrooms. Finally, she led him up to the loft where Dusty stayed, revealing a large open window with a perfect view of the clear night sky. There was a door leading to a rooftop patio, where a small charcoal grill, a few stacked chairs and a hammock were situated.

"Alright, now that you're familiar with where everything is, would you like to start cooking? I'm not particularly hungry right now, but you seem like you're itching to have a decent meal." She smiled.

The stallion took it all in with rapt attention. The subject has always been fascinating to him, and this was his first time visiting a place like this. He is pretty sure his jaw dropped a few times along the tour, and this was a tour he would never had without meeting her.

"Truth be told, I am kind of in the mood to bake something sweet. How about helping me out with something? Baking is my least creative form of cooking, and I would love to try something new and fun with you."

Her eyes lit up like the stars overhead. "OH! Baking is my specialty in the kitchen! I picked up the knack from my

mom, I guess." She laughed. "Come one, let's go down to the second level and see what Dusty's got stocked. I can bake cupcakes, cookies, cakes, tarts, pies... you name it! What have you got the itch for?" She took him by the hoof and excitedly rushed out of the room, scurrying down the stairs and to the left back to the kitchen.

He almost fell being halfway pulled by the excited mare. He couldn't help but laugh as he caught his footing finally and fell in step with her. "I think a cake would be fun, it's been awhile since I have done something like that."

"Alrighty then! Let's see..." Rory mumbled and as she flung open the pantry, she rummaged around for flour, spices, and extracts. She then danced her way across to the other side of the kitchen to the refrigerator and found lemons and fresh blackberries. Once verifying they'd have enough eggs, milk, and whipping cream, she gathered the rest of the supplies and placed them on the island in the center of the room. "Alright, how do you feel about Lemon-Blackberry cake?" She asked, though she really didn't leave much room for debate with the slew of produce and other goods sitting before them.

Light 's mouth dropped and almost drooled at the prospect. "Never had it, but that sure sounds really damn good. Let's do this! He made his way over to the island next to her and started to mix the basics into a large mixing bowl. "Flour, sugar, eggs, and milk to get things going. "I don't think I've ever had somepony else to cook with before. Normally it's me working solo in the kitchen...this is a nice change of pace." he said, while meanwhile loading up a hoof with a bit of flour when he back was turned. As she turned to reply to him, he lightly tossed it at her, hitting her squarely in the muzzle.

She coughed in response, sending what didn't stick to her flying out into the air in front of the pegasus. She coughed a few moments more, in tears half from her inability to breathe because she was laughing so hard. "Oh, you want to play around?" She chortled after a while. "How do you like this?" She smashed a hoof full of blackberries into his muzzle.

Light Heart was a bit taken aback at first, not expecting something so sticky mashed in his face. But he started it, and deserved it. He licked just a little bit of the blackberries, and admired the tart taste for a second. "Oh now that is just LOW!" he said with a grin, slowly advancing on her. "I suppose I just need to sink myself down to your level...” he said slyly before leaping and tackling her as gently as he could to the ground. "Or maybe we should kiss and make up?" he chortled out, before burying his muzzle into hers, giving her a mixture of blackberry nuzzles and slobbery kisses.

She had tried to escape his grasp at first, attempting to keep his fruit-filled kisses away from her, laughing all the while. Eventually she succumbed and kissed him back a few times, but found it increasingly difficult because of how hard she was laughing. "S-stahha HAHHaa- stop stop STOP!" She screamed, snorting loudly and causing her to laugh harder. A few tears came from her eyes and she desperately fought the laughter in favor of breathing.

Satisfied he got the upper hoof on her, he sat up slightly, folding his forelegs in front of his chest as he smiled down at her with an incredible moist, blackberry stained muzzle. "Had enough I see? What I thought!" he said matter of factly, standing abruptly but immediately hitting his head on the table above him. As he sprawled out on the ground below, the container of flour was apparently resting precariously on the edge, and toppled over, emptying itself on his mane, face, and pretty much his entire upper body.

Rory was also showered in powdery white, coughing and laughing, flailing her legs wildly. After a moment or two, she propped herself up to look at her guest, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "You alright Captain Kraft?" She chortled.

Light smacked his lips together a few times. "Blackberries don't taste good with flour mixed in." he said with a tiny laugh, before snorting heavily up into his mane. Clouds of white, floury smoke billowed in the air from his forced exhale. "I am pretty sure it's in my ears...."

A small smile still on her face, she forced her way up off the ground and brushed some of the bigger clumps of flour from her and Light's coat. "Come on, let's get most of this off the floor. We'll beat as much flour out as we can and you can use the shower upstairs while I mop the floor." She gingerly lifted a hoof up and tapped Light's ears down, a few sprinkles of flour falling out as she did.

Light genuinely looked embarrassed as he took his own hoof and carefully shook out some of the larger clumps from her own mane "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to cause such a mess. I wouldn't be a proper gentlecolt if I didn't offer you the chance to clean yourself up first. I can handle the mop; just point me in the right direction."

She laughed at him. "Oh it's not a problem." She pointed to her horn. "I can multitask and have this place cleaned in a jiffy. I didn't get much of it in my coat, you go ahead, I insist." She placed a hoof on his shoulder to gesture that it was alright.

Light nodded in acknowledgement and planted a kiss on her floury forehead "I shouldn't be loing, try not to miss me too much." he said quietly with a grin as he trotted out of the room and upstairs, a fog of white smoke trailing lightly behind him.

She shook her head, using her magic to retrieve cleaning supplies from the pantry. She dampened a few rags to get most of the bigger areas clean, wiping the counters and chairs. After dumping the rags in the sink to rinse and ring out, she quickly mopped the remaining mess from the floor and put whatever supplies weren't drying away. There was still a good bit of flour left, probably enough for actually baking. Rory used a clean rag to wipe her face and dab at the few spots of her coat that were mussed. When she was finished, she headed upstairs to find a towel for Light to use.

Light spent the time in the shower thinking. He bounced around from thoughts of his exit of Ponyville, to quitting his job, to what he will do her, and the most prevalent thought in his mind right now; Aurora. Tonight just felt too surreal and he expected to wake up any minute from the shower in a pool of sweat or something. As he worked the flour out of his mane, scrubbing it down within something flowery that most likely belongs to Dusty, he couldn't help but put on a warm smile as he replayed that adorable snort she made when she couldn't control her laughter. To him, it was the simple things that made impressions in his memories. Shutting off the water, he shook himself a bit before opening the curtain to see her standing in front of him. "I told you not to miss me! I was only gone 10 minutes you know." He said warmly, shaking a bit of water out of his ear.

She smiled, "I realized I forgot to give you a towel, so I figured I'd try to make your life a little easier, and save Dusty's bathroom from a huge mess of water by not making you search all over for one." She tossed it at him with her magic. "The kitchen floor is drying, but I left some of the ingredients out. Do you still want to bake? Or are you sworn off that for a while?" She held a hoof to her muzzle, muffling her laughter.

Light scrubbed himself dry with the towel while talking "Darn I love scavenger hunts. And I would have cleaned up behind me!" he retorted with a chuckle and a smile. "How about you take care of that cake, while I find something interesting for us to gaze upon in the telescope? I am pretty sure I can figure this stuff out given enough time."

She raised an eyebrow. "Promise not to knock anything else over?" She teased, turning around and flicking her tail gently at his face as she trotted away.

Light's nose twitched as her tail brushed against it. Try as hard as he could, this grin has been almost impossible to wipe off his face the entire evening. "I'll try my best, just don't come batting those eyelashes at me or anything else to distract me." He chuckled as he folded the towel and left it neatly on the counter before following her back downstairs.

He made his way to the large area with the main telescopes, slowly walking around to get his bearings and understanding of what h was dealing with. Finally, he made his way over to a set of charts, organized by moon phase. "I really need to meet Dusty someday, I have so many questions for her..."

Rory, in the meantime, headed back to the kitchen to do her work. She finished the cake batter and decided to make the icing while the cake was baking. After about twenty-five minutes, Rory removed the cakes, and set them on wire racks to cool. Once the cakes were cool enough to ice, Rory placed the bottom layer on a platter, and piped a ring of the Lemon Buttercream on top of it. Inside, she spread Blackberry-Cassis Jam, and then placed the second layer carefully atop it. She then iced with remaining buttercream and topped with whatever blackberries they hadn't destroyed and some lemon zest. Satisfied with her work, she levitated the cake, two small plates, a knife and some forks with her to the main lab where Light had preoccupied himself.

"Fancy a taste?" She smiled.

Looking up from a particular chart that matched this moon phase, Light's eager smile matched the eager rumbling of his tummy. "Wow Rory, that looks incredible. And I see you had some blackberries left after that incident." He made himself comfortable, and made sure she had someone to sit with him as well. "I think I found something for us to look at, I just have to align the telescope to the right location."

She gingerly set the cake down on the workbench, slicing two generous pieces of cake for the two of them, and handing one to Light with her magic. "Sounds interesting. Have you ever used a telescope before?"

Taking a bite of the cake, Light closed his eyes and let the taste savor in his mouth, rolling it around on his tongue before finally swallowing. "Tastes as amazing as it smells. You are quite the baker my dear." He took another bite before answering her question. "Simple telescopes, yes. Taking a look at these, it seems tha they operate the same in principle, but just have more calibrated ways of being aligned. I simple need to input the proper azimuth and elevation of the general area of what I am looking for, and then use fine-adjustments to seek out my prey."

She smiled. "Thanks, most of this comes from years of baking with my mom. You should see the kinds of things she comes up with." Nibbling a bit at her own cake, for some reason, she decided she wasn't very hungry. After only getting through half her slice, she set the plate aside and began looking over the charts Light had out. "So what did you have in mind?" She asked, yawning.

Taking a few moments to scarf down his cake in as most polite of way as possible, he slides the chart away from her with a grin. "It's a surprise...come with me!" He said, locking his hoof around hers and guiding her over to one of the telescopes with the largest lens. She seemed to be growing tired, and was mindful not to pull her along. "Alright, let me just make these adjustments here....31 azimuth, 42 elevation...." he said to himself as he turned the coarse knobs, whisking the large telescope around on its mount. As he got closer to the number, he would turn the fine adjustment knobs. Laying down on the ground, he adjusted the viewfinder to a comfortable angle for them both. "Come down here, and take a look through here....tell me what you see." He extended his wing again to her, offering her more of his warmth on the slightly colder floor.

She snuggled in close under his wing, peering into the viewfinder. She could see a familiar purple light right in the center of the picture. Or rather, the 'picture' she 'drew' earlier of her and Light Together. There wasn't much she could see, but it emitted that same strange glow as the planet from earlier... that /had/ to be it.

She didn't say anything, she instead nuzzled under his chin and smiled.

"Your lack of response tells me you recognize it." He smiled widely as he took a look himself, playing with the focus to make it a bit more clear. "Shall we name it?"

She nodded. "Yes, I recognize it. I don't see why we can't name it; or at least give it a nickname. I'm sure Dusty could tell us it's real name and all of it's quirks if she were here." She laughed. "What would you suggest we call it?" She wrapped her tail around his, looking once more into the viewfinder.

Light thought for a second, and then almost jumped with excitement as he squeezed her tight to him. "What about 'Alpha Cognatio'? Do you recognize the words and what they mean?"

She tilted her head as she looked back at him. "I know what Alpha means, but I'm not familiar with Cognatio. What is its significance?"

"Relationship. Not quite love, but not quite friends. I find it very applicable."

"Fair enough, Alpha Cognatio it is." Rory leaned against him for a while, not speaking. She almost wished they were able to stay up on his cloud for the night, but perhaps it was best if they saved that for some other time.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked him, for the second time tonight. She wasn't sure if she meant in terms of tonight, or further into the future than that.

Light took a hoof to again stroke her mane. "I know you are tired Aurora. And what you asked is a bit of a loaded question. We got nothing but time now. I won't lie to you, spending the night away from you tonight given everything I am feeling right now and considering what we experienced, it's going to be hard. But I don't want to presume, or more importantly, push anything. We got nothing but time."

She sighed, nodding in reluctant agreement. "Storm will probably worry if I don't head back soon anyway. She was always protective of us."

Light smiled, and helped her to her feet. "I presume I won't be chased out of the upstairs bed by somepony with a broom or worse tonight or tomorrow morning?"

"No, just so long as you use the guest room on the second floor, and not Dusty's room on the third floor." She smiled, wrapping a hoof around him in an embrace. "I'll show myself to the door. Make yourself at home, and feel free to take any cake with you that you want back to Ponyville. There should be some tupperware in the cabinets. I'll replace whatever you take."

Light Heart held her tight, and it took a serious amount of willpower to eventually let her go, giving her a sweet, soft kiss on her nose. "Goodnight Aurora, and thank you for what has been nothing short of an amazing evening. I'll find a way for us to stay in touch, until I get things squared away back home." He pulled back slightly, smiled wide, and bopped her on her nose "And don't go letting any other pegasi whisk you away, now the you know how to make yourself lighter."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "No, thank you for catching my shoe. If you hadn't, I'm sure of exactly where I'd be right now, and it's nothing that even comes close to the things you've shown me tonight." With one last caress of his face with her hoof, she turned to walk down the main corridor to retrieve her things. "I'll come by sometime tomorrow after you've left to lock up before Dusty returns. And please, do keep in touch, Light Heart."

Light called out after her, he wasn't sure if she heard or not before she left the building "Nothing short of Celestia herself will keep me from coming back here to you...."

Leaving the observatory, Light made sure to clean up after himself, leaving the appearance he was never there. He gathered his single travelling saddle bag and slung it around his back. Inside of it, was one item that he did not come here with. He was unsure or not if she would notice right away it was missing, but he would feign ignorance to the fact of having it, for the time being at least. He took the letter he wrote, tucked it under the strap of the saddlebag, and made his way to the alley in which he was "assaulted". Finding the door she emerged from earlier, he took the note and stuffed it under the door, before departing to the train station.

During the ride, his mind wandered to the night before. He mentally flipped through all the images in his mind; the meeting, the restaurant, the cloud carving, the painting, cooking, and the goodbye. It all felt surreal, and his heart sank a bit as he knew it would be weeks before he saw her again. But he would see her again...that is all that mattered to him.

My Dearest Aurora,

Words cannot easily express the magical evening we shared last night. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that when I met you, that what has happened, would happen. I feel as if I have known you for an eternity, yet, I yearn to see you again to learn everything about you. Your hopes, your dreams, your fears, and your desires. After you left, I tried to sleep, but my thoughts kept coming back to Alpha Cognatio, and what it signifies to us. I thought upon it, and maybe it is not a planet, but a small dwarf star. Small, but burning bright, with a long future ahead of it. A future that will provide an eternity of warmth for those who choose to live under it.

I depart tomorrow back to a temporary life. My direction before was unclear, but over dinner, you helped me come to realize I needed to make my change now. And under the stars, you made me realize that my change is most likely centered around you.

Sleep well sweet Rory, and know that in a few weeks, I will have you in my embrace once more, and we will return to our special place, this time, prepared.

Love,

-Light

Rory slept through her alarm that morning, missing her only class of the day. She lazily made her way downstairs to see that her sister had already left for work, and had left something in her designated mail slot. It was a folded letter with no envelope. *Storm must need me to run some errands for her...* she thought, but when she unfolded the parchment, she was given a pleasant surprise.

She felt a small pang when she read that it'd be a few weeks before they'd meet again, but she had no doubt that Captain Kraft would keep his word. The unicorn sighed, closing the letter and taking it up to her room, where she tucked it safely into a jewelry box on her dresser.