I just wanted to start off this new story with this tidbit: it's my first MLP story ever! I've been mega addicted and in love with the series but never had enough ideas to cook up a good story for it and now, hopefully with this one I do. It's mostly romance with action/adventure mixed in and getting heavier down the line. Will features OC's for Twilight, Rainbow, AJ and Fluttershy (Sorry pinkie!). Plus Spike X Rarity! This first chapter is purely story set up so none of the lovey dovey stuff will show up til after this chapter. Anything you think needs fixing/improving let me know ASAP! I want to make this a great story for ALL so tell me what I'm doing right/wrong so I can make the best fic possible. I don't own MLP: friendship is magic or any of it's characters, terms etc. I do own my OCs: Moonstruck, Chimera Khan and Crowe.

Now that that's covered, enjoy the story!

Every day…

Every day I wake up and I keep hoping…

I keep hoping this is some sort of terrible dream…

The trembling pony lay slumped across the cold, chained floors of Tartarus; covered by a shabby hooded cloak that was black as coal. The pony sighed heavily with his head slumped down.

…the most Hellish dream ever.

His voice trembling with shivers every time he lifted his chained limbs. The sound of the clanking restraints could be heard from every direction of the dark prison. No one but the worst of the worst ended up in this soul crushing world of never ending darkness, so it's only natural to hear the clanking sound of metal rattling against restricted flesh.

This is Tartarus after all.

Ever since the Two sisters used their magic to guide Equestria into a more peaceful and prosperous place, there have been creatures who wreaked terrible destruction and darkness across the land. Creatures that have proven time and time again that they belong no other place than to be shackled and cut off from the rest of the world for all of time. The pony cowered into his cloak like a turtle shell. Every time he peered his silver eyes across the endless dark halls of the shadowy prison, he is reminded of the monsters that are the closest thing he has to friends.

"I swear when I get out of these wretched, vile chains; I will show those accursed ponies what REAL power looks like."

Doesn't that whiny old goat ever shut up?

"Those princesses…they think they're so smart with their magical powers. They'd be nothing but glorified swine without their precious magic."

Tirek.

That's the name of the cantankerous creep shackled right next to my cell. Every day and night he goes on and on about planning his revenge against Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. If I had any means or purpose to keep track of time in this place, I could set my watch to Tirek's complaining. Sometimes I feel being forced to be "neighbors" with him is a far worse punishment than anything this dungeon could concoct.

I often find myself wondering…

Do I really deserve this? Does Celestia enjoy torturing an innocent soul?

The pony closed his eyes and sighed heavily, feeling the comfortless touch of his tears trickling down his heaving chest. The tears softly splash against the cold metal around the pony's hooves. He opened his eyes slowly; the sound of growling and grunting alerted his senses.

Looks like Cerberus is making his rounds.

The monstrous 3 headed dog padded his gigantic paws past each and every cell; no criminal escaped those 6 blood red eyes. Cerberus snarled and bared his fearsome fangs from each head to each prisoner. Every crook, creep and creature froze dead in their tracks once Cerberus stomped past them.

Tirek snickered softly "I can sense it; there's a definite change in the stream of energy surrounding this place." He rubbed his hands together menacingly. "It may have taken countless years but finally, my dream of vengeance upon those pathetic little ponies will finally be realized."

The hooded pony rolls his eyes at that obnoxious creep.

Being here for so many years must have driven him crazy with delusions about escaping this place. I haven't even been in Tartarus that long and even I know that escape is impossible.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupts from the front gate of the prison. Blaring alarms begin screaming out like howling ghosts, the prisoners begin to panic and call out for answers as to what was going on. The pony's eyes bulged with intense shock. A large dog shaped hole was seen in the now busted front gates of Tartarus; Cerberus had left his post! The pony quickly darted his eyes to Tirek's cell; it was empty. Tirek is gone too! Every muscle in the pony's body froze with paralyzing shock.

I can't believe it, that old goat guy was right! I can finally escape and leave all these nightmares behind once and for all! Maybe I can even clear my name…

The pony shook his hooded head. Even with the gaping hole in Tartarus's entrance, there was still the matter of the shackles attached to the pony's hooves. The hooded pony pulled as hard as he could to slip his hooves out of his restraints. The pony grunted and groaned loudly, fiercely thrashing his purple furred legs against the clanking chains.

Come on come on! I'm not going to get another chance like this; I have to get out of here NOW!

The prisoner pushed and pulled with all of his might against the chains. Screams erupt from the pony's snout; he felt his hooves finally slip out of his chains. The pony dropped to the ground.

No time to rest, I can gather my strength back up AFTER I escape.

The hooded pony leapt to his hooves and charged towards the exit, his legs pumped with all the might he could muster. His joints racked with pain due the pony's lack of proper exercise in prison. But the pony knew freedom was just a few gallops away; so he pressed on through the pain. The pony passed the front gate and shouted for joy at his newfound freedom, he skidded his hooves to a halt and turned around to look back at the gate.

I might be out now but as long as that gate is left open, any one of those villains can make a break for it just like Tirek did. I've got to patch up the hole until Cerberus returns! I just hope the spells blocking my magical powers won't stop me from fixing this.

The pony closed his eyes; focusing all of his energy to cast a spell from his hidden horn. Red colored glows surged from the pony's horn. The red glow was faint and dwindling but it was there. Being imprisoned had exhausted the pony's magical powers; he was straining all of his muscles just to keep the glow going. Formless blobs of shadows were rapidly approaching the exit. The pony bit his lip nervously, he could already see the shadows glowing eyes and the sound of monstrous snarls getting louder and closer. The hooded pony expanded his horn's red glow into a towering mass of shapeless magical matter.

The crimson energy formed into a colossal tombstone, its height and width matched the hole left by Cerberus near perfectly. The inmates rushed towards the gate with greater speed. The pony gasped; he forced his aching horn to position the tombstone correctly before he was overrun by the prisoners. The pony was sweating furiously, the weight and pressure from carrying the massive hunk of stone was putting a tremendous amount of strain on his head and horn.

WHAM!

The tombstone fell to the ground with thunderous force; the pony felt the Earth beneath his hooves tremble like a vicious Earthquake. The former prisoner turned and ran, he ran as fast as his aching legs could carry him; never looking back and never stopping. After running for what felt like an eternity, the hooded pony collapsed to the ground almost instantly. His lips slacked wide open; desperately panting for air. The pony wiped his brow clean from sweat with a trembling hoof.

That tombstone blocker is a crude fix but the important thing is it works. That wall should keep Tartarus secure until Cerberus or Princess Celestia comes around, of course I'll be long gone by then. Sigh…I just wish I could have stopped Tirek from escaping. I sense he's going to be a pain in the flank in the future.

After a few minutes of resting, the hooded prisoner finally regained his strength. He stood up and slowly removed his shadowy hood for the first time since he was locked up. The pony's silver eyes shined like ground up diamond dust, his fur was a deep shade of dark purple; almost as dark as Twilight's mane. The pony's mane popped up from the hood like a bouquet of spiked flowers; it was spiky, dark jade green. The tail mane looked like two green colored scythes poking out of the back of the cloak. A curved unicorn horn sparked weakly amongst the spiky locks; it's magic still recharging.

No time to worry about that Moonstruck. I've got to find a safe place to hide until I can find a way to clear my name in Equestria, so that Princess Celestia doesn't hunt me down and send me back to that monster pit.

Moonstruck looked to his horn and winced at its feeble attempts to spark more magical energy. He looked to his back and winced, feeling some sort of strange pain across his back but he wasn't sure what it was. Moonstruck looked towards a hill and started walking towards it; hoping it would lead him to the nearest town. He flipped his hood back on and stayed off roads and any other paths marked on maps to avoid being spotted or detected.

I have no idea how long I was in Tartarus, time felt like nothing in there…but it must have done something to my magic because I can't use all of my abilities for some reason. Maybe I'm just too drained from the escape and need to rest for a while. Hopefully it's not the former because if it is, I'm gonna have to find someone who knows strong magic AND is willing to help an escaped convict. Either way…I've got to still have hope…hope that my world will change for the better.

Somewhere in the jungle…

The jungle was a beautiful scene of emerald colored plants, exotic wild beasts and a creeping sense of dark mystery that seemed to lie in wait behind every bush and boulder. A lone, looming shadowy figure stood at the center of a clearing. The figure was a mixture of shades of blue, jackal like in design; his eyes had a glare that possessed years and years' worth of greed unsatisfied.

His name is Ahuizotl.

The jackal like creature had spent months desperately rebuilding his forces after his most recent and humiliating of defeats at the hooves of his most wretched arch enemy: Daring Do. Ahuizotl loathed feeling this way; feeling defeated, powerless and humiliated. Despite ages and ages of untold treasures collected by his ruthless exploits, that wretched author not only continued to take every treasure and trinket from his paws; but turned him into a mockery in her insipid book series. His ape like paws paced in circles within the secluded jungle spot, Ahuizotl's mind filled with nothing but memories of past defeats to fuel his rage and pass the time.

Where is that mysterious dealer? He should have been here by now, Ahuizotl slowly brought his pacing to a halt. His dark yellow eyes slowly falling onto a black metal box he held in his paws. If it hadn't been for this pony's ridiculous promise and all the trouble I went through to secure this item…I would have left already.

Thinking back on the promise this mysterious pony had made, Ahuizotl growled fiercely. He clenched his paws so tightly; he practically crushed the box under his paws. The deal the pony spoke of was a bold one and it brought such painful memories of her back to Ahuizotl. He took a deep breath and relaxed his crushing paws before denting the box any further.

"If everything goes as planned and this strange pony can actually do what he claims to do; I'll be rewarded a treasure no golden trinket could EVER measure up to." Ahuizotl lifted the box towards his face and opened the lid; examining its contents. "All for a hard day's work," his low voice grew into a booming laugh. "Even if this was hard to come by; it'll be truly worth it!"

"What would you know about a hard day's work Ahuizotl? Stealing doesn't count you know."

Ahuizotl quickly closed the box. His head darted left and right, "Curses! Where are you? I know it's you Daring Do." Ahuizotl looked everywhere but saw no sign of the adventuring author.

"HERE I AM!"

Daring Do flapped her tanned gold wings, bursting from a trio of palm trees in her traditional "grand entrance" style. Daring Do looked exactly as Ahuizotl had bitterly remembered her: light green explorer shirt, iconic hat, black mane and a shimmering pair of fuchsia colored eyes, complete with a compass cutie mark. The adventurer landed before Ahuizotl, confronting her arch enemy.

"Don't you ever learn Ahuizotl? I won't let you rob Equestria's of its treasures just so you can misuse them for your own greedy purposes; not now not ever!"

"HA! These treasures are rightfully mine for the taking; they'd be nothing but dust collectors sitting behind glass cases if it were up to you Daring Do."

Ahuizotl snapped his tail hand; Daring Do immediately flinched and scanned all sides for possible attackers. Daring Do was a sharp mare; she knew Ahuizotl always had goon ponies or wild animals to his dirty work. The tanned Pegasus had always managed to overcome any obstacle Ahuizotl had thrown her way but she refused to be cocky and risk getting caught off guard.

Did he snap his fingers just to trick her, or was he signaling someone else nearby?

"All right, so where's your goon squad?" Daring Do looked behind her flank. Her eyes scanned to the left, to the right and then up to the trees and cliffs. "I know you got some muscle lurking around here somewhere, probably another pack of wild cats just lying in wait to rip me to shreds." Eventually, Daring Do ceased looking around frantically; her golden muscles relaxing slightly as gaze slowly fell back to Ahuizotl. Something about this whole situation felt off and she didn't like it one bit.

"This isn't like you. You've always got some pack of hench ponies or wild animals ready to jump me. What gives?"

Ahuizotl frowned, refusing to answer the explorer pony. Daring Do spotted the dented metal box in the jackal's paws.

"Or…is it that you don't need them around because of that thing you're holding there?"

"THAT thing as you so crudely put it does not concern you." Ahuizotl hid the box behind his back and placed it in his tail paw, "It's an item that means absolutely nothing to everyone…except to the one I am trading it with."

"You expect me to eat that load of hay?" Daring Do leapt forward, trying to grab the box. Ahuizotl swiftly dodged the Pegasus and laughed at her futile efforts. Daring Do growled fiercely and flapped her wings hard. "I could never let a valuable piece of history be misused by the likes of you. So why don't we just skip to the ending we all know is coming and you drop the item before-"

"Before you write the final chapter on our little adventure Miss Do? I think not! It's far too early for that; after all, we still have a twist ending that we've been dying to share with you!"

The dark mysterious voice came from behind Daring Do. She flinched in fear at the sound of such a twisted voice, her tanned fur rippled with goose bumps. Daring Do turned around to face this new presence.

Ahuizotl rubbed his paws together and cackled. "Oh how rude of me; I didn't tell you that we had company coming Daring Do. Allow me to introduce my new partner and trading associate."

A shadowy figure emerged from the blanket of darkness provided by the jungle trees; he approached Ahuizotl and Daring Do.

The figure was a pony, a male unicorn to be exact. The pony's body was completely covered from head to hoof in armor; armor that was unlike anything Daring Do had ever seen before. The armor was blood red; it shimmered dimly against gold colored markings that curved out like blades on the tip of each hoof sleeve. The markings almost looked like they were some sort of virus or thorn vine strangling the armor sleeves. The chest plate sported a strange logo at its center: a chrome pony skull with curved fangs, fractured halves of a sun, a moon and a heart with wings circled around the skull. Inside the chrome skull's eye sockets were two small emeralds that glowed with electrical energies. The armor completely covered the pony's flank; hiding his cutie mark and making it impossible to see a trace of fur or flesh on his body. The tail was covered by a spike coated shell that looked more like a morning star than a tail. The back of the pony's helmet and neckline featured a straight line of different gems, bone fragments and half melted jewelry.

"What's the matter Miss Do? Does my appearance disturb you?"

Daring Do swallowed hard at the pony's question. Yes, it disturbed her immeasurably; everything about this pony disturbed her. But what truly terrified her about this pony were his eyes…the only visible part of the pony's true appearance. The eyes were black, soulless, nothing but a pair of inky orbs with dark neon orange irises that surged like little lightning bolts inside those pools of never ending darkness. The eyes contrasted with the cold, dark red helmet mask that covered his entire head and face; adding a creepy echo effect to his already intimidating voice. Daring Do spotted a slot for the unicorn's horn at the top of the helmet; though oddly enough there were rows of Phoenix and Griffin feathers grafted across the top and back of the helmet in a Mowhawk like style as well.

Daring could feel every muscle in her toned legs quaking with fright, everything about this pony made her feel uneasy. She'd survived poisonous snakes, crushing spiked walls, flesh tearing carnivores and ancient booby traps…but none of those ever produced the same kind of dread and fear she was experiencing when she looked at this armored abomination.

The armored pony chuckled "Yes, I tend to have that effect on everyone." The armored pony approached Daring Do, she slowly inched back every step he took towards her. "Or...could it be that you notice something very familiar about my armor?" He stopped in his tracks; smirking wickedly at the frightened mare.

Daring Do gulped "T-t-t-that's the helmet of Diabolikuff your wearing and…and THAT there; that's the iron tail shell of Hannibal hooves." Her eyes continued to notice the pony's armor sections; she pointed a hoof at each one in alarm. "That's the Ghoulock braces of Baltimare's forbidden chasm. And along your back…that…that looks like scales from a sea serpent, a dragon's spinal bone AND Manticore talons?"

The armored pony smirked "Such a clever little mare, aren't you?" He pointed to his helmet, followed by his chest plate. "Don't forget the ancient thunder claw cuffs from the leader of the legendary cursed Reaper stallion clan AND the indestructible Star swirl center plate; crafted and empowered by the great one himself: Starswirl the bearded."

Daring Do kept her distance from both Ahuizotl and this metal masked maniac, everything about this situation had gone from bad to lethal!

I can't believe this. How did this guy get ahold of all those powerful pony artifacts? Any one of those items alone would make some pony a force to be reckoned with, but this nut case has made an entire suit of armor out of them! I've never heard of anyone ever doing that before. Heck, only a small few ponies in all of Equestria know about some of those artifacts; so how did this guy know about them and what kind of magic can he wield with them all put together? I've got to tell some pony about this. The princesses must know!

"So who the hay are you, what's this trade you're doing with old jackal jaws here? And furthermore, how did you get all those priceless pony artifacts together like that? THAT kind of power has been unheard of for centuries. Even I don't know everything about them and no pony in Equestria knows more about artifacts than me."

"My name is Khan…Chimera Khan; soon to be KING Khan as a matter of fact. As for my business with Ahuizotl, it does not concern you but it DOES concern my ruling of Equestria."

Daring do frowned and scoffed. "Oh please! Equestria is already ruled by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Not to mention Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight and I don't see any of them giving some metal faced freak like you a crown anytime soon."

"HA! Those pathetic peace spreaders will be nothing but piles of dust and bones once I reach FULL power." The armored pony's eyes surged with glowing orange sparks. "My mastery over the ancient magic's of these combined artifacts will leave me with no equal; I will crush and conquer each and every town, village and kingdom until MY kingdom is the only one left standing. Every Stallion, mare and foal will obey me or be obliterated by me."

"You're insane. Nothing but a sick, heartless monster messing with forces you can't possibly control!"

Daring Do positioned herself into a tackling position; ready and willing to slam this psychopathic pony down with all her might. Khan shook his armored head and laughed at Daring's intensely driven face. Ahuizotl remained on the sidelines; snickering with dark delight at this sudden turn of events.

"Come now Miss Do, you can't possibly be this stupid and arrogant to believe you stand a chance against the likes of me. You said it yourself; you know better than any pony what these items can do, so surely you must know you can't win."

The masked pony was right. No matter how fast she was, how clever she was or how many dangerous situations she had wriggled her way out of…Daring Do can't stop so powerful an evil on her own.

Daring Do chuckled softly.

"Your right actually…that's why I decided to take a page out of your book."

The Pegasus bolted towards Ahuizotl; her hooves quickly snatched the metal box from his paws before the cowardly villain could even blink. He blinked in shock at his own empty paws. Daring Do soared high above both villains, raising the box above her head. She knew that with all that magical firepower Chimera Khan was packing; the only way she could hurt him is to keep him from getting what he wants. Ahuizotl's rage turned his face from blue to bright red.

Khan stared intensely at Daring Do. "Clever girl, I can see why you've been giving my trading associate here so much trouble."

"Curse you Daring Do!" Ahuiztol growled; raising his fist in the air.

"Trouble is exactly what you got yourself into Khan. I don't know a lick about you but I DO know that whatever's inside here is valuable, and unless you want me to drop this into a quicksand pit or an active volcano; I suggest you back off and let me fly on out of here."

Khan's burning gaze never left the skies; completely devoid of any visible emotion under all that armor. Daring hated to admit it but this creep had her spooked, so much so that she'd rather run and tell the princesses about this new threat than worry about sticking around to maintain her pride.

All I need is to keep this guy back as long as possible. Once I get far enough, I'll head to Rainbow Dash and have her friend Twilight contact the princesses. Whatever's in this box can't be good if guys like these are after it.

Ahuizotl started heading towards a tree, no doubt trying to find a vantage point high enough to reach Daring Do. Khan raised a spiked knuckle hoof; ordering Ahuizotl to stand down. The jackal creature hesitated but eventually obeyed his armored ally.

"You know you're quite lucky Miss Do." Khan glared fiercely at Daring Do, dark magic circling his armored body like cyclone of electricity and raw power. "I could just blast you right out of the sky and put you into permanent retirement right here, right now!"

Daring Do sweated furiously but remained stern in her appearance and her threat. "You could…but," she raised the box high above her head. "You'd risk vaporizing this item along with me and something tells me you're not willing to risk that."

Khan powered down slowly; his dark voice chuckling softly. "Quite right my dear; quite right. What's say we dispense with the threats and violence and get right down to the business I came here for in the first place: trading."

"There's nothing you could offer that would convince me to give you what you want."

"Are you so sure?"

Daring Do looked at Khan inquisitively, she didn't like the sound of confidence in his voice. The author clutched the box to her chest and remained in the air.

Khan turned his head towards some bushes on the right. "CROWE! Get your worthless flank out here now, and bring our special guest." Khan's evil gaze turned back to Daring Do. "Miss Do needs to see what we brought to trade."

The bushes quaked and the faint sound of grumbling and whimpering could be heard coming from them. A lone Earth pony colt emerged from the bushes; carrying the tied end of a burlap sack in his teeth. The colt had a pale vanilla colored coat, dirty blond colored mane and royal blue colored eyes. The colt's cutie mark was that of a long dagger; the blade was wrapped in a binding of barb wire and rose thorns. Crowe was silently muttering how annoyed he was having to put up with the squirming sack. The colt brought the bag in front of Chimera Khan; who glared scornfully at Crowe for taking so long to bring the bag out. Crowe gulped and bowed submissively, fearful of his master's wrath. The colt slowly backed away from Khan and stood behind him quietly.

"I'm sure you recognize this particular mane Miss Do" Khan said, pointing at the bottom of the bag where a single mane tail poked out of a hole in the bag. Daring Do gasped as she recognized the tail, even from high above she could clearly tell who that mane tail belonged to: Rainbow Dash! "Ahuizotl told me ALL about your number one fan here, so I took the liberty of acquiring her in order to make sure this transaction went smoothly."

Daring Do looked in utter horror as her cyan colored friend struggled uselessly in that bag, at the mercy of this monster of a pony. How dare he use one of her friends as a bargaining chip like that! The tanned Pegasus felt her stomach churn, her blood boiling with furious anger at this masked stallion.

"Let her go RIGHT NOW!"

Khan raised his hoof above the bag, clearly threatening to crush the squirming pony inside. Daring Do clenched up; nearly falling from the sky from the shock of seeing Khan's murderous threat.

"It's quite simple Miss Do: surrender the item to me and leave us in peace and I will release your Pegasus friend unharmed. Refuse or try to snatch her from me and I will crush her head like a melon! This is a one-time offer and it's non-negotiable. So, what's it going-"

"All right, I'll do it.

Khan, Crowe and Ahuizotl blinked in unified shock. None of the villains expected Daring Do to give in; at least not that quickly! Daring Do sighed softly and dropped to the ground. The tanned Pegasus approached Khan and set the box down in front of him, Khan remained stunned in silence.

"What? Aren't you happy you got what you came for you sick freak?"

Khan frowned at Daring Do's cold response but quickly dismissed it. "Indeed I am, I'm just a bit surprised at how quickly you surrendered." Khan motioned for Crowe to push the bagged Rainbow Dash towards Daring Do. Crowe groaned as he nuzzled the bag towards the Pegasus and took the box, he immediately backed away from Daring and presented the box to his master. Khan smirked at Daring, "I would have expected someone of your reputation to resist or at least make it seem like it was a hard decision."

"Before Rainbow and her friends came to see me, I probably would have. But after they helped me defeat Ahuizotl I knew that my whole loner routine wasn't going to work for me anymore. I realized how special and precious a good friend can be. No matter what evil purpose you plan to use this item for, no matter how much jeopardy Equestria is put into because of it; none of it is worth risking a friend's life over."

Ahuizotl and Chimera Khan looked at each other before simultaneously bursting with maniacal laughter. Crowe waited until his master laughed before he joined in; nervously chuckling only after his master gave his approval. Daring Do frowned with disgust at the villains mocking her heartfelt sentiment and decided she should just take Rainbow Dash and go.

"Don't worry Rainbow; I'll get you out of there. Just hold still a minute."

Daring Do wrapped her hooves around the bag and quickly untied it, desperate to get her flying friend out of that filthy bag. However, once Daring Do removed the sack completely; she discovered that it was not Rainbow Dash at all. The squirming being was green, scaly, sporting reptilian bat like wings and a red spiked lizard tail. It seems the rainbow mane tail was merely a fake attached to the creature's real tail. The creature also had the legs of a chicken and the head of a chicken too, plus blood red eyes and fangs inside the beak. Daring Do gasped as the chicken reptile creature stared right into her eyes with a glaring flash.

"Oh no! It's a cockatr-"

The author's words trailed off as her lips suddenly turned to solid stone. Daring Do's body froze all over, everything from her hooves to her wings turned to rock in a matter of seconds. The Pegasus dropped on her side, forever frozen in stone in a state of shock at the true creature stored inside the bag: a cockatrice!

Chimera Khan generated an energy glow around his enchanted armor, the cockatrice responded to the glow as if hypnotized by it. The cockatrice closed its eyes, bowed its head and obediently backed away from the armored pony. Khan approached the petrified Pegasus and placed his metallic hoof upon her head.

"HA! Just look at you now miss Do. So helpless…so lifeless…so pathetic, you never stood a chance against my intellect; let alone my power." Khan reared back his hoof and kicked Daring Do to Ahuizotl. The armored pony smirked; though it was hidden due to his mask. "As promised, Daring Do put out of commission permanently; in exchange for the item we discussed. I take it you are satisfied?"

Ahuizotl stared in awe at Daring Do; he was completely flabbergasted at how easily she was defeated. The blue jackal had tried to take out the annoying author for months but was met with failure every time. His paws poked Daring Do nervously, like a child poking a dead body with a stick; trying to confirm she was indeed frozen.

"I can't believe it; I just simply cannot believe it! Daring Do is FINALLY out of my fur. I knew you said you could deliver her to me on a silver platter, but I had no idea you could actually pull it off so easily!"

Khan silently scoffed at Ahuiztol's lack of faith.

"If you are quite satisfied, I suggest we continue the deal now? I fulfilled my end of the bargain Ahuizotl; now show me what you brought me."

Shaken out of his state of shock, Ahuizotl quickly composed himself and picked up the metal box off the ground with his tail paw. The armored pony widened his eyes with ravenous interest. Ahuizotl slowly opened the box; revealing a broken blood red unicorn horn with grey coloring at the bottom of the broken base. Khan smiled a most sinister and wicked smile.

"As promised; for delivering to me my most hated enemy, I give you the horn of the darkest unicorn that ever trotted across Equestria: King Sombra!"

Khan's horn beamed with dark orange energy. He used his magic to lift the red horn from the box and place it across the horn holster where his own horn jutted from his mask. The horn clasped onto Khan's own horn; like snapping a jar lid shut. The horns sparked a powerful surge of black, red and orange energy upon contact. Ahuizotl backed away nervously from Khan.

"Yes….yes….YESSSSSSS! I can feel the dark unicorn's powerful magic surging in me, feeding me, making me stronger than ever." Khan's body became fully charged with the red, black and orange glow; electricity and sonic vibrations pulsated off his armored body. Both Crowe and Ahuizotl watched nervously at the armored pony's dark aura. Khan turned his gaze to Ahuizotl and chuckled "Congratulations Ahuizotl, you've done well. This horn is indeed the genuine article."

Ahuizotl nervously gulped "W-w-w-w-why of course Chimera K-k-khan, I wouldn't dream of giving you a f-f-fake. It wasn't an easy item to get my paws on you know. I had to scavenge around the outskirts of the Crystal empire for hours; remaining hidden as b-b-best I c-c-c-could. There wasn't much left of Sombra after he was d-d-destroyed."

"This was all I needed. Already I feel my armor and my magic increasing a hundred fold thanks to the dark powers of Sombra's horn." Khan suddenly became silent, his eyes squinting into an intensive glare. "But…it's still not enough. I will need to acquire more magical items if I want to fully control the forces of nature."

"Is that how you were able to control the Cockatrice so easily?"

"Of course you jabbering jackal!"

Ahuizotl flinched at Khan's sudden outburst, he quickly motioned his lips being shut and nervously nodded. Khan looked to Crowe and motioned for him to follow him. The armored pony began exiting the clearing, Crowe and the cockatrice followed their armored master with their heads hanging down.

"Our business is concluded Ahuizotl. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm on a bit of a scavenger hunt you see and the sooner I add these items to my collection….the sooner all of Equestria will be mine!"

To be continued…

2. The Letter

Chapter 2: The Letter

Nukem: Wow! I've never gotten favorites AND reviews that fast, you guys are truly awesome. I wanted to get this up sooner but I needed to do some fixing/tweaking to make sure it was JUST right. BIG NOTICE: This is an alternate take on the end of Season 4. I avoided using Twilight's new castle because honestly, I knew the creators put it in for a reason and that there's something special to it so I didn't really wanna "touch" it so I went around it so to speak and kept Twilight's old home. Also, I've developed a pic for my OC Moonstruck and working on pictures for my future OC's (except for Khan; he's too complicated for me to design online). I will eventually put links to the pics for those who want to see my OC's for this fic. I don't own anything or anyone related to MLP: FIM, all rights belong to Hasbro except my OC's Moonstruck, Crowe and Chimera Khan. Enjoy!

Ponyville glistened in the shimmer of the bright and beautiful weather on this fine, sunny afternoon day. The Pegasi had truly outdone themselves today. Ponies were out and about: walking, talking, laughing and enjoying their lives as if nothing dangerous had ever happened.

But a few months ago that was not the case at all.

A powerful villain known as Tirek caused much destruction in Ponyville, most noticeably to Princess Twilight's home; which was also the town library. The library was completely vaporized during Tirek's attack and Twilight, Spike and their pet owl; Owlicious were left without a home. Thankfully, the Rainbow chest provided Twilight with enough magic to restore her home back; along with all of her much treasured books.

"Ready my number one assistant?"

A small purple dragon turned to his winged Alicorn friend with a freshly inked quill and a parchment in claw.

"Come on Twilight; you should know I'm always ready."

Twilight smiled at Spike's eagerness. The purple Alicorn looked around her home with a sigh of relief, pausing to remind herself that this was real and her home really was back exactly the way it was. Every book, every step, every inch of it was back as if nothing had ever happened at all. Whether it was battling the forces of evil or feeling frustrated with a pony's personal problems; Twilight always could feel those problems melt away when she was home.

Twilight closed her eyes, cleared her throat and reopened her eyes. "All right then Spike, let's begin. Dear Princess Celestia: thanks to the magic of the Rainbow chest; I was able to restore my home back to its original state without any trouble."The purple Alicorn looked out towards a window."While I appreciate your suggestion of using the magic to create a castle to properly fit my 'princess' title, I feel more at home in simpler accommodations than living in some lavish palace. Ponyville is my home and I feel more at home in its library than anywhere else in Equestria."

Twilight's dictation was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door.

"I'll get it Twilight" Spike quickly said. The dragon put his quill into the same claw carrying the scroll. Spike approached the door and opened it. "Hi there, so what I can do for-" Spike's voice suddenly dropped upon seeing who was at the door. His green eyes had turned into pulsating pink hearts; scaly lips curving into a goofy smile that grew wider and wider.

Twilight rolled her eyes at her assistant's behavior. "Based on that reaction, I can only guess who's at the door" Twilight said with a dash of sarcasm in her voice.

Spike looked dreamily up at the white unicorn that had knocked: Rarity. The breathtakingly beautiful snow white pony giggled at Spike's reaction. The pony's shimmering purple mane bounced with each jiggling chuckle, Rarity never got tired of seeing Spike like that.

Spike shook himself back to reality and laughed nervously, his purple claws fumbling behind his back. "H-h-h-hello R-r-rarity, beautiful pony were seeing. ACK! I mean, beautiful day were dating. NO! I didn't mean date, what I mean is y-y-you look lovely today and so does the weather." Twilight slapped her face with her hoof and groaned. "Wait, let me start over. I meant the day is beautiful not you; n-n-no I mean you're beautiful too of course, obviously! I mean who would doubt that? Not that any pony would but, if the day was lousy then every pony could be comforted by your radiance AH! I meant beauty or did I mean beautiful, did I say that already?"

The dragon slapped his mouth shut with his free claw, silencing himself before he said anything else stupid. Rarity simply smiled and shook her head.

Twilight smiled to her designer friend "So then, what I can help you with Rarity? Come to check out the new place." Rarity blinked curiously at the word "new." Twilight shook her head and laughed, "Well sort of new."

"Actually darling, I was hoping if you would be so kind as to let me know when Spike would be available to help me out with something."

"Well actually; he was in the middle of helping me-"

Twilight was cut off when Spike buzzed like a bullet between Twilight and Rarity. The purple dragon bowed to the white unicorn, "Your wish is my command oh fair and lovely lady Rarity."

"AHEM! Spike, I thought you were helping me with this!" Twilight said, yanking the letter from Spike's claws. The pony waved the letter in front of Spike's face.

Rarity bit her lip softly, "Now I wouldn't want to impose Twilight. It's just I have a VERY important matter to attend to later tonight and I've got so much work I have to catch up on, it would be such a big relief if I could simply have sweet Spiky Wikey help me get done in time."

Spike smiled and turned to Rarity, seemingly ignoring the letter and Twilight. "Oh yeah I can totally help you with that stuff right now." The dragon turned back to Twilight and the letter, "Let me take care of that for you Twilight."

Spike belched a blast of green fire and engulfed the letter. Twilight gasped as the letter vanished before her eyes and teleported to Princess Celestia, slightly stunned at how quickly Spike zapped the letter from her hooves.

"After you, my lady" Spike said with another, chivalrous bow.

Rarity smiled sweetly at the dragon's gesture and proudly pranced out the door, quickly waving goodbye to Twilight as she does. Spike also waved to Twilight and walked out the door; shutting it behind him.

"Hey, Spike!" Twilight snorted angrily, the Alicorn princess rushed to the door and opened it with her magic. "I wasn't finished yet, get back here and FINISH THAT LETTER!"

Twilight blinked as she suddenly realized that Spike and Rarity were long gone…and she had been yelling out in the open to all of Ponyville. Numerous ponies looked at Twilight with confusion. The purple princess blushed sheepishly and sighed in heavy embarrassment.

"HEY TWILIGHT" Pinkie Pie screamed. Twilight gasped and fell onto her rump, ears straining from Pinkie's sudden screech. Pinkie smiled, oblivious to her friend's ear ache and leaned forward. "Gee, that's a funny place to sit. Actually it would be funnier if you sat on a banana cream pie; or maybe a chocolate cream pie." Pinkie's eyes bulged out wide, she began licking her lips. "Yeah and it could be filled with chocolate chips. Then you'd have a chocolate chip plot, then we'd call you smarty pants because you've got chocolate on your pants and everyone KNOWS ponies with chocolate on their pants are smarty pants."

Twilight didn't even have the slightest clue how to reply to that statement. Pinkie bent down and helped Twilight back to her hooves. The pink party pony was skipping up and down with unbridled joy, always smiling and always cheerful as Ponyville's number one super party pony should be.

"We'd have to get you some pants though first." Pinkie ceased jumping and scratched her chin, appearing deep in thought. "I mean, you can't call some pony smarty pants without pants; that just wouldn't make sense at all."

"Yeah….THAT'S the part that doesn't make sense" Twilight groaned sarcastically.

"Sooooooo you excited about the party tomorrow night? Cause you know I am!"

"Hmmm what party is that Pinkie?"

Twilight genuinely wasn't sure which party Pinkie was referring to. The pink mare throws so many parties over the most ridiculous and bizarre reasons, it's hard to keep track of them all.

Pinkie gasped "How could you forget? It's the super awesome welcome-all-the-new-ponies-to-Ponyville-who-came-because-they-heard-we-beat-a-super-evil-goat-guy-with-magical-rainbow-powers-congratulations party!"

"Oh yeah…how could I possibly forget a party with that name" Twilight rolled her eyes, "Must have slipped my mind."

However, Pinkie was right about one thing: Ponyville sure was popular since Tirek's defeat. Tirek affected countless ponies all over Equestria so it should come as no surprise that the news of Twilight and her friend's battling with him spread like wildfire. Ponies came from all over Equestria; some to visit and meet the 6 "heroes" and others who decided to move to Ponyville and stay. Twilight couldn't remember the last time her little town was so lively with so many new faces, seems like a good a reason as any to throw a party.

Twilight placed her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder and smiled. "Thanks for the reminder Pinkie, now I hate to cut this short but I've got to get back to my letter to Princess Celestia. Some pony or rather some dragon was supposed to finish it but he got…ahem…distracted."

Pinkie nodded and happily bounced along her way; humming to herself. Twilight returned to her home and closed the door behind her.

"Now then…where was I" Twilight said, magically lifting a new scroll and quill to resume her letter. "Dear Princess Celestia….again."

Moonstruck trembled nervously in the brief patches of shadows he could find in the sunny and cheerful town of Ponyville. The dark unicorn constantly surveyed the landscape, frantic and frightened at the possibility of being discovered.

I knew this was a stupid idea, I knew this was a TERRIBLY stupid idea! What kind of idiot hides in the town where Princess Celestia's number one student lives AND is a princess herself?! I can't believe my rotten luck. First I lose the best hiding spot in all of Equestria, now I find out Princess Twilight lives here too. Why'd I even come here in the first place?

Thunderous rumblings began to gurgle from Moonstruck's vacant and barren stomach, the unicorn clutched his gut and dropped to his knees in pain. The escaped pony was painfully reminded why he stopped at this town.

That's right, I haven't eaten in days and this was the closest town around. There are more discrete places to hide in but…ugh…I don't think I would make it much farther without getting something to eat.

Moonstruck continued to scurry in the darkness of the alleyways of Ponyville, hugging his dark purple fur under his cloak as tightly as possible. Ironically, Moonstruck knew that Twilight was the only pony in all of Equestria powerful enough to possibly be able to help him with his "problem;" even if she was Celestia's number one student.

It's not going to be easy but…if I can reason with Princess Twilight then maybe she can reason with Princess Celestia and convince her not to send me back to Tartarus. Maybe she could also break this…whatever it is that's inhibiting most of my magic. Any pony that could defeat Tirek after he had absorbed all the magic in Equestria HAS to know all kinds of powerful spells.

Thoughts of clearing his name and breaking his curse were dashed by a crashing sound. Moonstruck gasped and leaned his body up against the nearest wall, his hooves desperately tried to hide his emerald green mane locks from falling out of his dark hood.

"Honey, could you be a dear and throw out that batch that just came out of the oven? I'm afraid it got burnt, I know it's wasteful but no one's going to want to eat those."

The purple unicorn curiously crept towards the source of that voice. The voice was female; slightly older and had a sweet motherly like tone. The pony gasped at the source of the voice.

"What in Equestria is that place?! I feel like I'm getting a tooth ache just looking at it."

Moonstruck had spotted a large gingerbread like store; it had cupcakes on its roof and white cream frosting all along the roof edges like plaster. The building was some kind of sweet shop. Moonstruck had never seen any structure like this before; he pulled his hood down slightly to get a better look. It appeared that the voice was emanating from the back of the shop. The unicorn cautiously moved towards the back of the shop, hiding behind a number of silver trash cans.

The back door opened and outstepped a gangly, yellow colored Earth pony with orange hair and a red and white stripped hat; with matching bow tie. "Sure thing sugar plum" the pony said, no doubt speaking to the female who appeared to be his wife. The yellow pony chucked a pair of bags into the garbage cans and then went back into the shop.

Moonstruck slowly poked his head out. "Oh man, I was so sure he was going to spot me here for a second", Moonstruck wiped sweat from his brow. The purple stallion eyed the two bags that the Earth pony had tossed out, they reflected in his silver eyes like glowing treasure chests. Moonstruck opened up the two bags: one was full of burnt rainbow candy stuffed cookies and the other was muffins that appeared to be stale. Moonstruck swallowed loudly. "I don't care if this stuff is burnt or old; it's the best food I've seen in days." The pony looked around to make sure he wasn't being watched, he then quickly began scarfing down the trashed treats. Globs of saliva and crumbs dribbled down Moonstruck's lips as he swallowed.

"Here, try the cake. The frosting is delicious!"

Moonstruck quickly grabbed the cake being offered by Pinkie and scarfed it down in seconds. The dark pony sighed happily, he wiped his mouth and coat clean with his horn's magic.

"Oh man you weren't kidding about that cake. I can't remember the last time I ate something so sublime, thank you."

"You're very welcome weird Raccoon pony guy."

A brief moment of silence erupted between the pink and purple ponies. Moonstruck had apparently been so hungry he didn't realize Pinkie Pie had spotted him, approach him and offered him a large slice of cake. The unicorn's eyes bulged like baseballs in shock.

"AHHHHHHHH" Moonstruck screamed. He quickly backed away from Pinkie Pie, his cloak tearing partially on one of the trash can lids. "Oh no this is bad this is very, very, VERY bad", Moonstruck sweated furiously and began chewing on his hooves.

"Huh? Weird raccoon pony guy isn't that bad of a name is it? I mean you're a pony but you're eating trash like a raccoon: hence Weird pony raccoon guy."

"I can't go back, I can't go back. You have to forget you saw me; please." Moonstruck rushed to Pinkie's hooves, he got on his knees and desperately begged her. His silver eyes screaming with unfathomable fear. "This never happened I'm not here, just forget we met or had this conversation at all. I'm begging you Pinkie."

The party pony was puzzled; nothing this stranger was saying was making any sense to her. Pinkie Pie was usually the one who said random nonsensical things. One thing Pinkie was certain of: something was freaking this pony out.

"Wait how did you know my name? Every pony who's my friend knows my name but I don't remember being friends with you? Ooh! Wanna be friends? Wait, what do you mean you're not here? Is this like a new way to play hide and seek?" Pinkie giggled at the thought of a game. Moonstruck froze and stared blankly at Pinkie Pie's words. "I love games! Okay I found you so that means it's MY turn to play reverse hide and seek." The unicorn remained speechless; he slowly stood back up and stared at the pink pony.

"I have seen many strange creatures in the past 2 years but you are by far the absolute weirdest living thing I have ever come across."

Pinkie rolled her eyes and giggled. "Silly, I'm not a weird living thing; I'm Pinkie Pie." Pinkie's face quickly became serious and stern. "Now the time for chit chat has passed, now is the time for GAMES!" Moonstruck tried to say something but Pinkie pie shoved her hoof into his mouth. "Hey you already had your turn buddy. Now it's my turn to walk backwards and reverse hide while you keep up with me and watch me the entire time, got it? Great!"

Pinkie Pie removed her hoof and began to walk backwards, her baby blue eyes never losing contact with Moonstruck's silver ones. The purple unicorn continued to stand there without moving a muscle or saying a word. Pinkie Pie continued walking backwards and keeping her eyes locked on Moonstruck until she walked out of sight, eyes straining to maintain a lock on Moonstruck as long as possible. The dark pony pulled down his cloak and rubbed his jungle green hair.

"What the hell just happened?!"

Moonstruck knew he would never get an answer to that question, and yet he asked it anyway. The unicorn quickly hid his mane under his hood and continued to scurry through the nooks and crannies of Ponyville. Even though he had been spotted, Moonstruck was hopeful that crazy pink pony wasn't going to tell any pony about what she saw and even if she did; no pony would believe her…or so he hoped.

I can't allow a slip up like that to happen again. I need to find a new hiding spot before anyone else sees me, then I can recharge my magic and work out some spells to use in case I need protection. Hmmm, I remember hearing some pony mention some farm fields not too far from here…which means there could be a barn.

The escaped convict was set on using the local barn as his hiding place; his hooves pace quickened but remained as quiet as possible. Moonstruck burst like a shadowy bullet in search of that farm.

It's not as secure as my last hiding spot but it'll have to do!

Meanwhile at Carousel Boutique…

Rarity hummed a sweet little tune while rummaging her hooves through a clothing rack. "I just want to thank you again ever so much for helping me out today darling." Content with an outfit choice, Rarity walked towards a makeup mirror. The unicorn batted her fluttering eyelashes at the mirror. "I never could have gotten this done without you Spikey Wikey."

Spike paused while carrying a stack of fabrics upon hearing that nickname, a warm; innocent smile spread from cheek to cheek.

"Awe Rarity" his cheeks blushed into the most adorable shade of red, his claws nervously dropping the clothes. Rarity's little nickname for him always made him feel special inside; as if it was a treasure that he and he alone possessed. "You don't gotta thank me," Spike quickly picked up the fabrics and resumed putting them onto Rarity's neatly color coordinated fabric shelf. "It's my genuine pleasure."

Rarity stared into the mirror; using her horn magic to apply make-up and sparkles to her cheeks and purple mane. "I do hope I wasn't taking you away from anything terribly important with Twilight." The unicorn spritzed mists of crystal blue colored perfume towards her neck. "I'm so used to taking care of everything around here by myself; I never needed an assistant; except for right now of course. But I imagine with all of Twilight's studying and organization it makes perfect sense."

Spike rolled his eyes, "More like perfect craziness if you ask me. Twilight checks, double checks and TRIPLE checks everything so many times; it's a wonder I can get anything done at all. If she gets any nuttier; she's gonna make Pinkie Pie look normal by comparison."

Rarity found it impossible not to giggle at that remark.

Oh man…that laugh. Spike found his purple scales frozen once more, his hands locked around the basket of buttons he was carrying. How could such a simple thing as a laugh sound like the most beautiful song in the world? The young dragon placed the basket on Rarity's work shelf. Spike continued to clean up but could not resist turning his head in Rarity's direction every few seconds. Even though things didn't work out with Applejack *sigh* I sure wouldn't mind owing a life debt to Rarity. Working for a goddess like her sounds simply heavenly…

Rarity began slipping a gorgeous dark pink colored dress over her head. "Did you say something sweetie?"

Spike bit his scaly lip and immediately slapped his claws over his mouth. The dragon must have unconsciously let one of his inner thoughts slip out, he began to sweat and tremble with panic.

"Uh n-n-n-nothing Rarity just uhhhh wanted to know if I did a good job cleaning up the place or not." The dragon desperately wanted to change the subject. "So are you um maybe almost done by chance?"

The unicorn slowly turned to Spike from the mirror. Rarity had indeed finished "making herself look presentable" as she had put it, her sparkling blue eyes desperately seeking the young dragon's approval.

"Now darling, PLEASE be honest…what do you think?"

Rarity was dressed in a sleek, exotic pink dress that revealed her creamy white chest in the front; a curling train slipped down over her hind legs and curled under her purple tail. The dress curved in such a way that allowed her curvaceous flank and sparkling diamond cutie mark to be displayed in all of its radiant glory. The cuffs on the sleeves were a lighter shade of pink than the rest of the dress. Upon Rarity's hind hooves was a pair of sparkling ocean blue slippers; much like Cinderella's. The shade of blue sparkled as if the heavens above had been compacted into those beautifully worn shoes. A black choker rested upon Rarity's slender neck, coupled with a dazzling blue gemstone necklace that dangled 3 smaller blue diamonds below it. A pair of earrings matching the gemstone necklace shined brightly from the unicorn's ears. Topping everything off was a pair of shimmering silver chopstick like needles sitting in her purple mane; curled in a slight "wild" curl on one side.

Spike stared at Rarity; hypnotized and completely enchanted by the mare of his dreams standing before him in one of her most exotic and beautiful dresses yet. I can't believe it…she's even MORE beautiful than before. Spike's cheeks turned bright red, his green eyes shining with Rarity's radiant reflection. This is just too much. How can I look at this pure, white, majestic angel and NOT fall head over hooves in love with her? I know every pony isn't totally cool with me crushing on Rarity but…I just can't help myself.

"Spike, Spike are you all right?"

Why do my feelings have to always be questioned and doubted just because I'm a dragon? Is it really that weird that I'm majorly crushing on Rarity? More importantly, does she think it's weird that I like her this much? Oh I just can't think straight when my heart is pounding so hard inside my chest!

"Yoo-hoo Spiiiiiiiike, are you even listening to me? Spike?"

She's just so beautiful, so sweet and kind and that voice gah…it melts my scales like butter every time. Maybe I can finally talk to her about these feelings I have. Ever since my birthday, I've wanted to tell her about how I dream about her and how I love that her scent stays with me even after I leave her shop. Yeah! You can do this Spike; it's now or never; just be like Rainbow Dash. Be brave, be daring and say-

"SPIKE!"

Rarity's very unladylike scream jolted the dragon out his day dream.

"GAH! S-s-s-sorry about that Rarity, guess I just got a little…heh…lost there."

The unicorn smiled at Spike, a genuine smile of true affection and caring; one that Spike had always hoped she would bless him with. Something in Rarity's mind seemed to shift when she saw Spike's reaction to her dress. The young dragon had been looking at her not with perversion or immature thoughts like most colts would have. No, Spike looked at her with complete and utter admiration; quite an adorable look for the young dragon actually.

Rarity giggled "It's quite all right darling, in fact; I think you probably gave me the best compliment a pony could have asked for." She leaned in and nuzzled Spike's cheek, her perfume and mane gently brushing against his scaly cheeks. "You truly are too sweet for words my dear, dear Spikey Wikey." Rarity pulled her head back and smiled softly.

"Gee Rarity I just…I just don't know what to say." The unicorn waved her hoof at Spike, indicating he didn't need to say a word. She began heading towards the door. Spike scratched his head, trying to remember something he wanted to ask Rarity before she left. "Oh I almost forgot", the dragon snapped his claws. "You never told me what the reason was you had to get everything done so fast. I'm guessing for some kind of fancy art show?"

"Oh no nothing like that dear; I'm going on a date."

BANG!

Spike froze like he had just seen some pony get stabbed with a sword. The purple dragon slowly tilted his head to his chest, almost like he was checking to see if his heart cracked just a little. "Oh…I see" Spike slumped, his tail drooping down. "Yeah…I…guess I should have figured that."

Rarity reached for the door; quickly checking her mane in a mirror one last time. "Ever since Ponyville has gotten all this attention over that Tirek ordeal, my business has been flourishing marvelously! Not to mention the new stallions that have moved here; that's who I'm seeing tonight. It's someone new in town, he's such a charmer and SO dapper; I can't wait to see what-"

Rarity stopped suddenly, her eyes leaving the mirror and latching onto a rather gloomy looking Spike. The unicorn was truly perplexed. Spike was his usual adorable, smiling self a few seconds ago; now he looks like someone ripped up his favorite comic book.

"Is everything all right Spike?"

Not wanting her to see his sadness, Spike shook his head and recomposed himself. "Oh yeah it's nothing; just got some dust in my eyes. You know, from all the cleaning and loose threads in the air." Spike forced a weak smile upon his face. Rarity looked at him with concern and confusion; the dragon rushed to her behind and started pushing her slowly out the door. "Enough chit chat; you've got a lucky very date to greet."

"But Spike; are you absolutely sure-"

"No, no, no don't worry about it; really. And don't worry about locking up; I'll take care of that before I leave. Now go on and enjoy your date."

SLAM!

Rarity stood outside of her shop, blinking at the unusual behavior and speed in which Spike displayed in order to get her out of the shop. She looked to the door and pondered about opening it up and asking Spike what really was wrong. Unfortunately her date would be starting soon and Rarity didn't want to dare let herself be late after spending so much time preparing herself.

"Well he did say he was all right. Still, something did seem off about little Spikey Wikey" Rarity shook her head and headed off to meet up with her date. "I'll have to ask Twilight later if she's noticed anything weird about Spike lately *giggle* plus it'll give me a perfect excuse to share with her all the 'hopefully' juicy details of my date." Rarity smiled happily and trotted off with an extra bounce in her step.

Shortly after Rarity left, Spike turned off the lights in the boutique and closed the door behind him. His claws clicked the lock shut and placed the key under the pot of roses; just where Rarity had told him to put it.

"I shouldn't be surprised; Rarity is a total knock out after all. It makes sense she'd get noticed." He looked out across Ponyville and let loose a heavy, defeated sigh. "All I gotta say that is one lucky guy, one very lucky." The dragon started heading towards home. No wait…that's not right. Spike stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder, a bitter frown forming.

"That is one lucky…pony."

Darkness had settled in, Luna's beautiful night sky dazzled the shadowy heavens with the loveliest of stars. Twilight stared endlessly at the night sky. The alicorn seemed lost in the void of blackness and constellations; though her worried face indicated it was not astrology related. Ever since Spike came home, Twilight had been deeply concerned for her number one assistant. The purple dragon walked in, barely said 3 words, went up to bed and that was the last Twilight saw of him. Twilight's violet eyes shimmered with twinges of fear; fear of what might have been said or misunderstood between Rarity and Spike. The alicorn princess had always known of Spike's affections for Rarity but thought it was just puppy love that he'd eventually get over in time.

But he didn't.

If anything, Spike's feelings for the fashionista had increased. Maybe seeing Rarity's super form made him even more love crazy for her or maybe it was the fear of potentially losing her during the battle with Tirek that made him realize time is precious and he should seize the day before it's too late.

Twilight shook her multicolored mane and sighed. "No Twilight, enough of this beating around the bush. The only way you're going to find out for sure is if you ask him." The purple pony slowly trotted up the stairs, a deep sigh escaping her lips. "He may not want to talk about it but I'm just going to have to put my hoof down and-"

The alicorn princess stopped in her tracks; a motherly smile warming her cheeks at the sweet sight before her eyes. Spike was asleep, hunched over a desk with a quill in one claw and a parchment underneath his drooling lips.

Poor little guy, I haven't seen him work himself to sleep like this since he became jealous when Owlicious showed up. Twilight smiled and used her magic to lift Spike off the desk and tuck him into bed, her aura raising the blanket just above spike's neck. Sweet dreams number one assistant. Hopefully you'll be back to your usual cheerful self tomorrow. Twilight was about to head downstairs when she stopped, her head turning towards the letter Spike had been writing. Celestia's name was at the top of the letter. The purple alicorn bit her lip and shifted uneasily, Spike must have kept this letter private for a reason. I should respect his privacy but, Twilight approached the desk and curiously examined the letter. Maybe this will explain what's been bugging him.

Twilight's eyes widened, her gaze turned from soft to sad just after reading the letter. The alicorn looked at the letter and then looked at Spike in bed. Sorrow and sadness caused her voice to become soft and weak; like Fluttershy's.

"Oh Spike…oh poor, poor Spike" Twilight sniffed back tears and looked at Spike once more. "I had no idea."

To be continued…

3. Chance Encounters

Chapter 3: Chance Encounters

Quick author's note before we begin, I just want to say THANK YOU to any and all who have favorited, reviewed or followed this story. Especially Captain Alaska for all his wonderful advice and support. Every bit helps and counts so for all those sticking by this story, you deserve a thunderous round of applause. Now for the chapter; this ended up being longer than I expected but I felt it was important to keep the "party" stuff all together in one chapter. I tried really hard to get Applejack's accent and Pinkie Pie's behavior right. I'd love to know from you guys if I got them right or not. I'm really hopeful this chapter came together as nicely as I think it did. All characters, references and content related to MLP: FIM belongs to Hasbro, I claim no ownership over any of the Pony cast except MY pony OC's. Well enough of my blabbering, enjoy! And if you like anything, let me know, if you don't like anything, let me know, got any questions? concerns? thoughts? feelings? Please let me know!

Spike awoke from his bed with a loud yawn; spewing out a few flames before closing his mouth. The purple dragon hopped out of bed and lazily scratched his gut. "Man I must have been really tired last night, I don't even remember getting into bed" Spike said; smacking his lips softly.

It was at this time Spike realized he was WAY late in getting up and performing his daily chores, and yet, Twilight hadn't woken him up yet. The purple alicorn was so anal retentive on being thorough and getting everything done in an orderly and timely manner, that the last thing she would do is let Spike oversleep. The dragon peeked around the corner. Spike pressed his ear towards the staircase, waiting and listening for the inevitable screaming of his name from his motherly pony friend but instead heard nothing but silence.

"Huh…I could have sworn Twilight would have been all my over my tail by now." The dragon shrugged and smiled, his scaly feet stepping towards the staircase. "Oh well, don't want to tempt fate by taking any longer. Soon as I get my chores done I can get back to-" Spike suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He scratched his small chin as his green eyes squinted. Wait was I…working on something last night or was that just a dream? Spike turned around and looked at the small desk he was working on last night; there was no sign of any parchment paper or quills. I remember going to write a letter to Princess Celestia, I remember it being very important too; like I had to get it done that night. But if I woke up in my bed then…where's the letter?

The little dragon knew that the only other one around who would have seen the letter was Twilight, and maybe Owlicious. Of course, Spike had been feeling so down and sleepy that night that it's possible he dreamed the whole letter thing. Spike headed down to the library to get some answers. Twilight was already up of course, using her magic to continue her studies while simultaneously levitating breakfast into her mouth. Twilight smiled and greeted her scaly assistant with a "good morning", still locking her violet eyes on her floating study books.

"Sorry I'm so late Twilight. I was just super tired last night and I had the weirdest dream, it was so real." Spike scratched the side of his head, still debating on whether or not he dreamed that letter. "Just wish I could remember for sure."

"Don't worry Spike, it really seemed like you needed the sleep," Twilight levitated a new book in front of her eyes and began flipping through the pages. "I made sure Owlicious didn't do any of your chores so you didn't miss anything." The alicorn checked off some marks in one book and floated a biscuit into her mouth and then biting into it. "Just be sure you get all of it done before Pinkie's big get-together tonight, there are a lot of new ponies to meet and greet and were all expected to be there."

Spike nodded in agreement; bouncing the little green fin scales on his head. The purple dragon prepared to check off the chores on his check-list, but he couldn't start until he got this nagging suspicion in his mind cleared up. Writing that letter seemed more realistic than any dream he's ever had and if that really was a dream of his, why wasn't Rarity in it?! Something felt funny about this whole situation. Spike turned his gaze back towards Twilight who was sipping some orange juice through a straw.

"Hey Twilight, this may sound like a silly question but you didn't happen to find a letter I was writing to send to Princess Celestia did you?"

"GUURK" Twilight gagged on her orange juice; practically spitting it out of her purple lips. Spike stared at his female friend with much confusion. Twilight's reaction was quite extreme for such a simple question; the curious dragon raised an eyebrow. Twilight laughed nervously and wiped her mouth clean with her hoof. "Heh, heh, heh…a letter? What would I know about some random l-l-letter?" The princess fumbled her nervous hooves behind her winged back. "I'm sure a good friend like me would have told you if I came across an l-l-letter or n-n-not."

Spike crossed his arms across his chest, "Twilight you seem to have trouble saying the word 'letter' for some reason." The deeper Spike looked at his friend, the more Twilight seemed to look away; her fur was slowly building up mounds of dripping sweat. He unfolded his arms and rested them on his hips. "Look you don't have to make a big deal out of this, I'm just trying to find out if you've seen a letter I was writing or not. I may have been dreaming it so I just wanted to know if you ever saw me writing anything last night."

Twilight panicked nervously and Spike knew what it looked like Twilight was breaking down into a panicky mess; this is definitely one of those times. "Nope, nope, nope and nope! Totally must have been a dream, yeah, that's EXACTLY what it was." Twilight leaned in towards Spike with that crazed, nervous look in her eye. The pony princess poked Spike's nose, "You should totally ask Princess Luna about that totally-fake-not-at-all-realistic dream next time you see her." Twilight used her wings to flip Spike in the opposite direction and began pushing him with her wings. "Now you really need to catch up on your chores; that checklist won't check itself, bye now!"

SLAM!

Spike blinked in confusion, now he was standing outside his home with a rolled up chore checklist parchment in his claws. "Well…okay then…guess it was just a dream" Spike shrugged and took Twilight's weird behavior as just that: plain weirdness. "Better get some more quills from that sofa clerk before he runs out again." The little dragon shook the whole 'dream conversation' out of his mind and headed off into town to complete his chores.

Twilight peered out her front door window, waiting anxiously until Spike finally left. The princess let loose a deep sigh and slowly blinked. "That was a close one; I don't know how much longer I could have kept lying to Spike." The alicorn princess nodded to her pet owl, he returned the nod and released a rolled up parchment scroll from one of his talons. Twilight sighed looking upon the scroll laid out across her desk; "But I still don't know what to do with this letter." Owlicious shrugged in equal confusion. "I feel awful for taking this letter and lying to Spike about it but…this…worries me, I had no idea he's been thinking these kinds of things all this time." Twilight used her horn to magically pack the scroll into a small green bag and placed the bag behind her bed pillows. "I need to talk to the princess about this in person. I could always ask Spike to send it anyway and not tell him what it is, but I think pony to pony is the best way to address this." Twilight's violet orbs looked to Owlicious once again, "I just hope she can help me help Spike get the answers were both hoping for."

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres…

Applejack approached the barn, a wheeled cart full of apples being tugged along. The orange pony ceased tugging and paused to wipe sweat from her golden mane. "Whew doggy; sure glad ah got all mah chores dun in time. Pinkie's party is just round the corner" AJ smiled as she spotted her friends approaching, arriving right on time to head to Sugar cube corner for the party alongside her. "Speaking of what's round the corner" Applejack said with a smirk. Her freckled face twisted into a sour frown once she saw Rarity. The orange mare shook her head "What in tar nation is that mare thinkin? Ah told her NOT to bring that!"

The irritating item in question was draped over Rarity's back: a beautiful sea foam green dress for the party; or as AJ preferred to call it "fancy clothes." In fact it was the dress Applejack wore to intentionally frustrate Rarity when she was 'going country' over Trenderhoof.

"Ah perfect timing! We got here with just enough time to get you washed and cleaned up for the party tonight." Rarity smiled and levitated the dress to Applejack; the orange mare reluctantly accepted it. "Come now darling; let's wash all that-" Rarity shuddered at the mention of the word, "Sweat off of you; everyone expects us to be fabulous and I shant disappoint them!" Applejack remained still as stone, the frown she wore remained planted on her face. Rarity leaned close to AJ and raised her eyebrows "I've selected something quite fetching for you." The unicorn elbowed AJ and grinned "I just know you'll look simply divine in this."

Applejack tossed the dress back to Rarity and snorted angrily. "Rarity ah told ya once ah told ya a thousan times, ah ain't wearin no fru-fru fancy duds to some meet n'greet." Rarity gasped, genuinely disappointed Applejack would refuse to wear such a beautiful gown. "Parties are fun n'all but this ain't that big a deal that ah need to get dolled up for."

Rarity gasped. "Not that big a deal?! Making a gorgeously grand first impression is ALWAYS a big deal Applejack. These ponies have come here because of us!" She stood on a tree stump and raised her hooves to the air, as if acting out a play. "They've heard of our stunning exploits and come to our quaint little town; just to see the ones who vanquished the terribly tempered…and poorly dressed, Tirek." The unicorn hopped down and placed the dress over her back once more.

"Ah know they came here for us but why does that mean we gotta dress fancy for it?" Applejack pushed the apple cart towards the side of the barn. "Yeah we sure whooped that Tirek feller but that don' mean we gotta get praised for it." Applejack looked up to the top of the barn curiously; thinking she heard something. The orange mare shook it off and returned her attention to Rarity.

"The praise is more like a perk, like you said it's more of a meet and greet. Twilight thought it would be best to convince Pinkie having one big party and welcome every pony instead of doing it one pony at a time." Rarity's diamond blue eyes rolled annoyingly, "Need I remind you of her charming little stalk and singing routine with Cranky?"

Applejack shook her head. "Nah ah remember all too well; it would be nice to meet some new friendly faces round these parts." Rarity giggled with excitement. She once again hovered the dress in front of Applejack. The orange mare frowned and pushed it aside "But ah still ain't wearing that dress," Rarity frowned and huffed her nose up in a snooty manner. "Ya'll can dress as frilly and fancy as ya like just leave me out of it."

Rarity smirked "Suit yourself; I still say it's a wasted opportunity. More potential customers for me."

"Ah take it you'll be takin that new colt you went out with last night as yer date? What was his name?"

The mention of Rarity's date caused the white unicorn's face to turn beat red. Applejack blinked in confusion, she could see steam screaming out of Rarity's ears like she was a boiling tea kettle. Rarity screamed into the sky and went cross eyed; she looked exactly like she did when she was being 'covered in mud' during Trenderhoof's visit.

Applejack gulped "Uh…somethin ah said?"

"Slick Charmer…and he is the MOST repulsive, loathsome, despicable, uncivilized pony I ever had the miserable misfortune of knowing!" Rarity breathed heavily with fumes snorting from her nostrils. "To think I wasted my good chopsticks on him!" Applejack scratched her head at that remark.

"Calm down sugar cube; just tell me what happened."

"UGH where do I even begin? T-t-that….swine kept checking out the filly who was serving us, he trivialized my career; said making dresses was typical for a mare like me, and worst of all: he grabbed my flank on our way out of the restaurant." Applejack gasped; thoroughly shocked and disgusted. "I swear on Celestia", Rarity levitated an apple from an apple tree and placed it between her hooves. "If I ever see that obnoxious, filthy pervert again I'LL-"

SPLAT!

Rarity squashed the apple between her hooves; splattering juice and apple chunks over Applejack's face. The unicorn giggled in embarrassment and offered to wipe it off. Applejack stuck her tongue out and licked her face clean, swallowing down the apple chunks and groaning in approval of the delicious taste.

"Mmmm mmm! Now that is one tasty apple," Rarity twisted her lips in visible disgust at AJ's 'cleaning' method. "Now don't get yer tail in a twirl Rarity; that creep ain't worth a lick of yer time." The orange mare placed a hoof around Rarity's back and smiled sweetly to her. "What's say you and ah get washed up and meet up with the others?"

Rarity nodded and smiled back, "Sounds like a marvelous idea. Thanks for listening Applejack, you always tell me exactly what I need to hear and it really is a big help." The unicorn headed inside with a skip in her step; the sight made Applejack's smile grow even wider. "Now let's get ready to dazzle every pony with our stunning selves!" Rarity turned back to AJ and beamed. "Who knows? My REAL prince charming may be there already;" Rarity giggled loudly. "I can't wait!"

Applejack laughed and shook her head at her friend's reaction. "That pony I swear…," Applejack looked back to her cart of apples by the barn. The mare had to make sure to tell Big Mac about them so he could empty them out. The Earth pony called out to Rarity, "Ya'll get ready without me; first ah need to tell Big Mac about-"

The orange mare turned around to see the cart was now completely empty; every single apple had vanished. Applejack approached the cart and ran her green eyes over every inch of the cart. All the apples were gone and there wasn't a single clue as to where they went or how they vanished, it was a total mystery.

"What in tar nation is goin on here?"

"Applejack! Hurry up; I refuse to be fashionably late UNLESS I am fashion ready."

The orange mare swore there were apples in this cart but maybe the stress of work was getting to her and she just imagined there was a full cart here. AJ brushed it off for the moment and headed inside to join Rarity. Little did Applejack know a shadowy pony figure was sitting inside her barn's attic. The shadowy figure was softly munching apples, sounds of chewing and juices splattering could be faintly be heard. The weak glow of Moonstruck's horn could be made out but it soon dissipated along with the munching sounds.

"That was a close one", Moonstruck stuck his head out to make sure Applejack was gone. The dark purple unicorn sighed and returned into the darkness of the barn. "I've got to be more careful when grabbing food."

Rainbow Dash groaned from behind Fluttershy, the cyan Pegasus shoved, pushed and plowed her body into Flutteryshy. The butter colored Pegasus was fearfully resisting Rainbow at every turn. The rainbow flyer dug her mane under Fluttershy's rump and tried lifting her back end to force her forward.

"Come on Fluttershy; were going to be late for the party and I HATE being late!"

Fluttershy squeaked nervously. "B-b-b-but I told you, I really don't feel like going to this party," she dug her hooves into the ground in a vain attempt to halt Rainbow's shoving. "All those new ponies looking at me, staring at me, asking me questions and paying attention to me…EEK!" The panicky Pegasus buried her head under her fore hooves.

Rainbow sighed heavily. She ceased pushing and rubbed her temples, "Seriously? It's not like were being interrogated by dragons or something. They just want to talk about how awesome we are and make new friends." Fluttershy cautiously lifted her head back up. Rainbow smiled and flew above her friend's pink mane, beaming proudly. "But mostly talk how awesome I-" Rainbow stopped when she saw Fluttershy giving her a sarcastic look. The cyan Pegasus chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of her head, "I mean how awesome we are…of course."

The nature loving pony knew that defeat was inevitable. Rainbow had this special knack for getting ponies excited about things; even things you didn't actually care about or wanted to attend. Fluttershy actually does want to attend the party, it was written all over her face. The mousy Pegasus still hasn't gotten over her fear of receiving attention; even after all the improvements she's made while singing with the Pony tones. But lately Fluttershy has been fearing that the only company she'd have over at her cottage would be her animals…and no pony else. As much as she refused to admit it, Fluttershy wanted to socialize more and enjoy the company of more ponies; besides her 5 best friends of course.

"All right then; let's go" Rainbow blinked at Fluttershy's sudden change. The yellow Pegasus smiled sweetly and watched as her cyan friend floated to the ground. "You're right Dash, it would do me good to meet some new ponies and besides; Pinkie always throws the best parties." Rainbow and Fluttershy began walking towards Sugar cube corner. "I'd hate to hear I missed out on all the fun."

"That's great news Fluttershy; I'm totally digging this new attitude. I just know it's going to be all kinds of awesome!"

"Y'all mind waiting up? Some of us take longer to git ready than others."

The two Pegasi turn to the familiar southern sound of Applejack's voice, the orange mare was approaching from behind. Rarity was directly behind Applejack. The unicorn wore a light purple gown with rows of shimmering pink train lining the trim and center of the dress; each pink train was adorned with yellow and purple beads. Rarity's neck was covered by a golden necklace with a purple diamond at its centerpiece. Each fore leg had a brief shoulder cover; purple and pink just like her dress. The 3 ponies blinked watching Rarity adjust her neck against the bright pink, flower like collar.

Rarity raised a curious eyebrow at everyone's stares, "What? Is this not enough? I knew I should have brought my earrings."

Rainbow groaned; "I can't believe you think this is NOT enough. We're not going to the Grand Galloping Gala you know."

"Of course I know that! That's why I didn't bring the hat that goes with this."

Applejack, Rainbow and Fluttershy stared flatly at Rarity. None of the 3 ponies had a response for Rarity so they decided it would be best to say nothing and just head to the party. Once the 4 friends arrived, they spotted Pinkie at the door; smiling and ushering everyone in with her usual, infectious charm and spirit. The 4 friends looked around the sweets shop, their eyes widening at the abundance of colorful festivities, treats and friendly new faces.

"Hey guys, it's about time you all got here."

The friends turned to see Twilight at the punch bowl, levitating a full cup to her lips and sipping it. The girls joined their princess friend and immediately felt at ease despite all the new faces surrounding them. Spike popped up from behind Twilight, a jewel encrusted cookie munching between his puffy purple cheeks.

Pinkie popped up between her gathered friends. "I am soooooo glad you guys could make it, a party's not a party without a super duper party pony's party pals!" The pink mare hugged everyone in a tight bear hug, every pony's face started turning red from being suffocated by the hug. Spike was practically choking on his cookie under Pinkie's grip. "This is gonna be so much fun. There's so many new faces here, which means new friends and new smiles and best of all-", Pinkie released her friends from her iron grip hug. "New diving helmets," Pinkie proudly beamed and shoved the large, clunky, metal diving helmet over her head.

Twilight and the others just stared at their friend in silence.

Pinkie whipped off the helmet and tossed it aside. She bounced on her tail mane like a pogo stick and loudly cheered, "Enough politics! It's time to paaaaaaartaaaaaay."

For the first time that night, Pinkie Pie said something that everyone could understand and agree with. The party was filled with faces; both familiar and foreign to the mane 6 ponies. Twilight and her friends were honored with many compliments and words of praise from dozens of ponies for all they have done for Ponyville and Equestria. Two ponies in particular seemed to have a stronger than usual interest in the Mane 6. One was a somewhat tall dark grey Earth pony with a whitish, light grey mane and faint crystal blue eyes. He had a cutie mark of a golden arrow with the arrowhead pointed towards his tail mane. The other pony was a bright red Pegasus with hot pink eyes, black hair and a small orange bow tie secured towards the bottom of his tail mane. The Pegasus's cutie mark resembled a golden heart, two hooves holding each side of the heart and topped off with a golden crown. The Pegasus was shorter than the grey Earth pony and the Earth pony's hooves were a bit more scuffed than the red Pegasus's hooves.

Rarity giggled, "Don't look now girls but it seems we've caught the attention of a pair of stallions." Twilight and Pinkie giggled while Fluttershy and Applejack nervously tried to look away. Rainbow smirked and rubbed her nose confidently; taking pride in the admirers gaze. "Aren't they just divine looking? I wonder which one of us they're looking at" Rarity rubbed her chin curiously, "With all 6 of us together it does make it quite the charming little mystery doesn't it?"

Twilight smiled "Well if it's me then I'm flattered but frankly; I think I'll pass." The white unicorn pouted in disappointment, she was hoping Twilight would have indulged in some flirtatious fun. "I'm just too busy with my studies and princess duties to worry about going out with guys." Twilight took another sip from her punch, "Besides; being an alicorn isn't exactly an experience a lot of ponies can relate to. Where am I gonna find someone like that?"

"Come now Twilight, not every stallion has to be exactly like you in every way. Sometimes trying something new can be quite the daring adventure." Rarity batted her eyelashes at Twilight playfully, "Ever since I found those diamonds in that rock that lead to me getting my cutie mark; I've learned that wonderful things can come from the strangest of places." Spike curiously stood behind Twilight, partially hiding himself behind her tail mane. "Or in this case; the strangest of ponies," Spike smiled brightly at Rarity's words. The little dragon's heart beat just a little bit faster after hearing what Rarity said; he could feel hope and optimism refueling his passionate crush for the fashionista. It wasn't much but the love struck dragon would take it.

Rainbow Dash moved between Twilight and Rarity, "Rarity's right, you could meet some pony who is totally awesome and totally understands what it feels like to be a boring egghead; just like you" The alicorn princess groaned loudly at being referred to an egghead…again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to regale one of those ponies with tales of my amazingly cool adventures." The cyan Pegasus lightly elbowed Rarity, "Namely that sweet looking red Pegasus."

"Well then partner," Applejack took off her hat and bowed it in an inviting manner. "Y'all talked the talk now walk the walk, let's see ya in action speedy." The orange mare put her hat back on and winked to her blue winged friend. Rainbow flashed a shimmering smile to Applejack and nodded. The cyan Pegasus slowly began trotting towards the two colts.

The red Pegasus looked to the grey Earth pony nervously, he began chewing his hooves and glancing in every direction. "Oh crud this isn't good; no, no this isn't good at all! This is happening way too fast." The red flyer inhaled and exhaled rapidly but it failed to calm his nerves. "I thought I had more time to plan this out," the Pegasus looked to the tall gray colt for some kind of advice or plan of action. "What do I do?" the red pony grabbed the grey colt and shook him frantically before he could reply. "WHAT DO I DO?!"

The grey colt shook himself free from the Pegasus. "First off…breathe," he placed his hoof against the red pony's chest. "No pony's gonna want to spend 5 minutes talking to you all wigged out like that." The red pony breathed deeper and longer, slowly calming himself down. The grey colt smiled once he saw the red pony finally calmed himself down. "Now I don't know about you; but I plan on walking up to her, act like my natural self and well…see where the night takes us."

"You really think that's going to work? You make it sound so easy." The red Pegasus looked towards the mare in question. He swallowed down a large gulp and tried to calm himself down once more, the warmth in his cheeks and heart rising with every passing glance at the beautiful pony shining in his pink eyes. "I just….I just….don't know for sure."

The grey colt shrugged. "Well, only one way to find out." The Earth pony walked past the red Pegasus, his wings flapped nervously at his realization that he was about to miss his chance.

Rainbow Dash continued to wear that proud smile while noticing both the colts were approaching her. However, the cyan pony's ego was not prepared for what was about to happen next. Rainbow stopped to speak to the red Pegasus but found herself talking to dead air instead. The red Pegasus had walked right past Rainbow and approached the TRUE mare he was fawning over all this time: Applejack.

"Um excuse me fair maiden?" the red Pegasus said. Applejack ceased talking with her friends when she realized the colt was actually speaking to her, she looked around and pointed to herself with her hoof; checking to see if he was really addressing her. The colt nodded "F-f-f-forgive my disturbance but," his shyness caused his cheeks to redden. "I couldn't leave here tonight without at least getting to have the pleasure of meeting you."

"Um…ya'll sure ya got the right pony? I mean yer not mistakin me for some pony else, right?"

The Pegasus chuckled, "Absolutely not maiden; a beautiful face like yours is not something some pony comes across every day." Now it was Applejack's turn to blush. "But forgive me for not introducing myself, my name is Hopeful." The colt extended his hoof towards AJ along with the warmest of smiles, "Hopeful Romantic and what might your name be?"

Applejack felt nervous, uncertain and frankly; flustered. Like Rainbow, Applejack was certain Hopeful was going to talk to a fellow Pegasus. "Well uh that sure is mighty nice of ya…Hopeful." AJ looked to her friends with uncertain eyes; Twilight and Rarity smiled and waved their hooves in a "Go on" motion. AJ sighed and looked back to Hopeful, "My name's Applejack but ya'll can call me AJ if ya like." The orange mare extended her hoof to Hopeful.

The red Pegasus took AJ's hoof and instead of shaking it; bowed down to one knee and kissed it with the softest of pecks. "I wouldn't dream of shortening such a beautiful name, it's a true pleasure to meet you Miss Applejack." Hopeful stood back up and smiled tenderly at the orange mare. Applejack's freckled cheeks blushed brighter than a dragon's fire ball, she felt so hot inside she could have sworn one was standing right behind her.

Fluttershy and Pinkie both gasped at the cute display, while Twilight and Rarity made childlike "Awwww" sounds. None of them had seen any pony have this effect on Applejack before. Trenderhoof was the only other colt who treated Applejack like this, but she didn't even come close to having this kind of reaction to such affection.

Pinkie Pie munched loudly on some popcorn, Fluttershy looked to her and blinked in confusion as to where the pink mare got that bag of popcorn. "Such scandalous scandals! Who could have imagined such a turn of events." Pinkie watched Applejack and Hopeful intensely, as if expecting some sort of soap opera twist ending to take place.

"Gosh, I wonder how Rainbow Dash is feeling about all this;" Fluttershy asked curiously.

The 4 ponies looked at each other and blinked. They immediately turned their attention towards the grey colt and Rainbow, Spike was now munching on some of Pinkie's popcorn as well.

Rainbow Dash was so speechless by this realization; she didn't realize the grey pony was standing directly in front of her. "Hi there, name's Arrowhead and you must be the one and only Rainbow Dash", the colt smiled and shook Rainbow's hoof firmly. The cyan Pegasus flinched a little, actually surprised at how strong Arrowhead's grip was. "This right here…this totally just made my day."

"Look sorry about this but um," Rainbow nervously scratched the back of her head. "I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. You see-"

"Did you really save the Wonderbolts and your friend, win the flight contest AND perform the sonic rainboom in one go? Anyone of those would be brag worthy but 3? Man that's beyond impressive."

The cyan Pegasus bashfully grinned and rubbed her chest with her hooves. "Heh I wasn't exactly planning on doing ALL of that, but actually." Rainbow stopped and shook her head and resumed her original point. "Back to the point at hoof here; I'm flattered and all but this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Arrowhead blinked in confusion at Rainbow's remark. He smiled as an idea suddenly came to him, "Oh I get it; you'd rather talk outside." The colt stepped aside and motioned his hoof in an inviting manner, "Why didn't you say so? Lead the way."

"No, no, you're really not getting it buddy. What I'm trying to say is-"

"It's okay; I don't mind waiting while you tell your friends."

"I'M NOT INTERESTED; OKAY?!"

Rainbow immediately gasped, that came out much louder than she intended to and it appeared everyone in the party seemed to drag their curious eyes towards the pair of ponies. The Pegasus could feel the ponies' eyes on her; talk about embarrassing! Rainbow quickly flashed a glare towards everyone, visually encouraging them to go back to the party.

Arrowhead raised a curious eyebrow. "Um I'm s-s-sorry…I didn't realize I was interrupting you so much." The grey colt rubbed his white mane nervously; he could see Rainbow was desperate to avoid eye contact with him. "If you really want me to leave you alone; I'll respect that." Rainbow sighed with relief. "But I'd like to at least ask the reason why you're not interested. Am I unattractive to you, is that it?"

The Pegasus stopped avoiding Arrowhead's eyes; his question causing her to freeze in her hooves. Rainbow could feel her cyan colored cheeks turn bright, tomato red. What's with this guy? I know he was probably thinking that but I never expected him to actually ask me! Who does that? Rainbow laughed nervously "N-n-no actually…now that you brought it up-" She felt her cheeks blush even brighter and harder than before; unable to keep her eyes off of the colt's charming face. "You're actually…um…pretty hot."

Arrowhead's formed a smile, a much wider smile than he's shown all night. "Well thank you…heh I never thought I'd hear those words out of your mouth." He still maintained his composure and confidence in the face of such a compliment from the pony he had been eyeing since he got to Sugar cube corner. "So then why can't you give me a shot? I haven't said anything about myself that would freak you out so I know that's not it." Arrowhead laughed softly at his attempt at humor.

Rainbow tried to explain it gently but was having difficulty, "Well gee I uh…hmmm how do I put this…you see it's the whole, well you know?" Arrowhead looked at Rainbow as if she were speaking a completely different language; she knew she had to be more specific. "You see the thing is that" Rainbow paused and bit her lip, "You were looking for me…but I was looking more for these." The Pegasus pointed to her wings and then pointed to Arrowhead's backside. Slowly but surely, Arrowhead seemed to be getting the message Rainbow was sending. Rainbow shrugged her shoulders and offered a weak smile, "Does that help? Make any sense?"

That charming smile of Arrowhead's vanished quickly; so did Rainbow's. "Oh…I get it now; you have a problem with me not having wings." Arrowhead pointed his hoof firmly at Hopeful who was still talking to Applejack. "You may have been checking him out but he was looking at your friend. But clearly being flightless is such a deal breaker that knowing me doesn't even matter!"

Rainbow frantically waved her arms in protest. "No, that's not it; well yeah it kind of is but…NO! What I mean is I don't have a problem with you not having wings. I just-" she fumbled with her hooves against her chin, trying to find the right words to explain this. Even if Rainbow wasn't interested in this pony, the last thing she wanted to do was offend him. "Look, I have friends who don't have wings; It's just when it comes to dating I have my uh…my uh what's it called…a preference."

Arrowhead narrowed his eyes at Rainbow, clearly not satisfied with her answer. "Right…you're preference….it's your preference to be prejudice." The Pegasus face twisted in horror at Arrowhead's remark. The colt frowned and turned from Rainbow towards the exit. "I was so wrong about you Rainbow Dash."

"Ugh! No that's not what I meant, wait; hold up," Rainbow reached out to grab Arrowhead but missed his tail mane. The Pegasus bit her hooves nervously at this horrid realization. Did he really just say that? Did I really just do that? I didn't just diss a hot guy just because I was hoping to date that Pegasus…did I? Was I really being offensive by saying that? Rainbow slapped herself and groaned. "Buck this, he's gonna be gone by the time I finish throwing myself a pity party."

Pinkie popped up behind Rainbow and slapped a colorful, green and yellow spotted party hat on her rainbow mane. "Oooooh a party within a party; best idea EVER," Pinkie blew into a party favor with a loud cheer. Rainbow shoved Pinkie and the hat to the side in annoyance.

"It's not THAT kind of party!"

Rainbow turned back to Arrowhead and noticed he had already left. The Pegasus bolted and left a rainbow blur trail behind her hind legs; she quickly landed outside the sweets shop and began looking for Arrowhead. "Hey Arrow guy, look I'm sorry for what I said. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings or anything, I just-" Rainbow was shocked to see that Arrowhead was nowhere in sight, not even hoof prints or a sign of his shadow in the distance anywhere. "No way, how did he move that fast?" the Pegasus flew up into the air to get a better look but still couldn't see him. "This is nuts! He was only out the door for a few seconds. I got out here as fast as I could and I can't see him anywhere, how is that possible?"

The fact that Arrowhead had vanished so quickly despite Rainbow's fast response time left the cyan Pegasus truly baffled. Even if the grey colt had a head start, Rainbow should have been fast enough to catch up and at least see some sign of him leaving. The speedy flyer rubbed her chin with confusion and curiosity. Perhaps there was more to this pony then she originally thought, and perhaps he was more extraordinary than extra ordinary.

"Sigh, no matter what kind of pony he is; the way I handled things was totally uncool. I've gotta find him and apologize." Rainbow floated back down to the ground and brushed rainbow colored strands out of her eyes. "I just wish I had a clue on where to find him."

Suddenly Rainbow's contemplation was broken by the sound of a door being slammed open. The cyan pony turned to see Spike storming out of Sugar cube corner; he had a menacing scowl on his face. The little dragon looked like he was on a mission. Rainbow could see fierce determination in Spike's eyes, just like when he went on that quest of self-discovery.

"Uhhh hey Spike are you all right? You look a little peeved."

Spike merely grunted in response, not even looking up at Rainbow as he walked right past her

"Does Twilight know you're going home alone? Are you mad at me or something? Is that why you're not answering me?" Rainbow continued to watch Spike march off without so much as a wave, a wag of his tail or any kind of verbal response. The Pegasus cupped her hooves next to her cheeks and shouted, "HEY Spike! Where are you going?"

This time; the dragon stopped.

Spike turned his head towards Rainbow; he stared right at her with an intense looking gaze. "I've got a pony to find," Spike returned marching off into the night until he eventually walked out of Rainbow's line of sight.

Well, he looked really intense or maybe he was really angry over something? I guess this pony must be real important because I've never seen the little guy look this serious before. Rainbow looked back at Sugar cube corner entrance. She briefly spotted the combined colors of purple and white moving around, which means Rarity was still in there. Rainbow raised a confused eyebrow to this realization. But what other pony could Spike be so focused on? Rarity is still inside and so are the rest of the girls. The pony's concentration reverted back to Spike's actual words: he's got a pony to find. Rainbow sighed heavily and hanged her head, "Yeah…so do I."

10 minutes earlier…

"It's not THAT kind of party!"

Rainbow turned back to Arrowhead and noticed he had already left. The Pegasus bolted and left a rainbow blur trail behind her hind legs. Twilight and the others looked at each other with slightly worried eyes, their attention eventually returning to the awkward yet adorable conversation between Hopeful and AJ.

"Well it's been uh mighty nice meeting ya Hopeful," Applejack continued to flash red; blushing cheeks to the Pegasus. "But I've gotta get goin now. I've gotta get up early so ah can get started on mah chores, lots of work to do on the farm ya know." The orange mare lifted her cowboy hat to Hopeful and started to head towards the exit.

Hopeful had a fearful look in his pink eyes; he didn't expect AJ would be leaving the party so soon. "Wait, Wait! Please, I wanted to ask you something," Hopeful called out to Applejack. The orange mare stopped and turned towards Hopeful, waiting for his question. "Um this was like really, really, really nice; you know just talking to you." The pony nervously rubbed his hooves behind his back, fidgeting behind his twitching wings. "I w-w-was just wondering if we could…you know…do it again sometime." Hopeful looked at AJ with big old puppy eyes, she half expected him to whimper like a pup too.

Applejack bit her lip nervously. "Well gee that's mighty nice of ya there Hopeful but the thing is," the orange mare really was uncomfortable with this whole begging dog look of his. "I'm real busy with mah chores and all, and I just don' think with mah busy schedule that ah got any time for doin' this again." That wounded puppy look on Hopeful just got a whole lot more wounded looking. "Ah don' mean to hurt ya feelings; ah just got a lot on mah plate right now," she offered a small smile and lifted up Hopeful's sagging chin with her hooves; "That's all."

"Well what if I stopped by the farm and helped out with the chores? You'd get done a lot faster and I'm sure my wings could help make certain chores a lot easier." Applejack wasn't 100% sold on Hopeful's idea, but it looked like the Pegasus wasn't going to stop insisting until she said yes. "I promise I'll do my best. Just give me a chance, that's all I'm asking for."

"Well…ah never turn down a hard worker," Applejack nodded and finally caved in. The orange mare shook Hopeful's hoof in agreement. "Yah got yer self a deal there partner, ah expect to see you bright an early the day after tomorrow."

Hopeful nodded and let go of AJ's hoof, his smile stretched from ear to ear. "Oh thank you SO much Miss Applejack, I promise you won't regret this!"

Hopeful was so elated by Applejack's approval; he didn't realize he was sticking his wings out in the open at the worst possible moment. Mrs. Cake was coming out of the kitchen with a freshly frosted batch of gooey, chocolate cupcakes with white frosting and sprinkles. The wings slammed into the mare's face and plate, tossing the cupcakes into the air and splattering right back down on top of both ponies.

SPLAT!

Hopeful's red coat was completely covered in thick, goopy cupcake frosting and sprinkles. He could see nothing but brown fudge and white frosting and could feel it dripping off his feathers like sludgy icicles. Mrs. Cake groaned while wiping her face and pink hair free from the splattered remains of her freshly baked treats. Half of the ponies laughed at the amusing accident while others groaned at the sight of seeing such delicious looking goodies gone to waste.

"Whoops! Let me help you up there Mrs. Cake," Pinkie smiled and helped the cake covered pony back to her hooves.

Applejack helped Hopeful back to his hooves. The red Pegasus felt even more foolish looking than he already did, "Good grief….I am SO, so, so sorry Mrs. Cake. I guess I just heh got a little over excited."

Mrs. Cake chuckled softly, "Nonsense dear; it was an honest mistake."

Pinkie helped Mrs. Cake back to the kitchen to get cleaned up and get started on a new batch of cupcakes. Applejack helped the sticky, sulking red Pegasus back to the kitchen to clean up as well.

"What's say we get you cleaned up before ah head on out, huh lover boy?"

"That's awfully kind of you Miss Applejack, thank you."

The orange mare chuckled and rubbed Hopeful's cake splattered dark hair, mixing more white into his black mane.

"Awe shucks partner; ya'll can just call me Applejack."

Hopeful softly said her name out loud and felt the warmth in his heart and cheeks rise once more. AJ noticed the goofy grin forming on the pony's face; she rolled her eyes and laughed. The two ponies vanished into the kitchen. Mr. Cake exited the kitchen shortly after, carrying a small white box on top of his head.

The yellow Earth pony approached Spike and Twilight by the punch bowl. "Looks like I missed all the messy fun, though it looks like the ladies got it all under control in there." Mr. Cake leaned down to Spike and handed him the small white box. "Here's that special project of yours Spike," Mr. Cake leaned especially close to Spike and gave him a friendly wink and smile. "I think she'll be plenty pleased big guy."

Twilight blinked at Mr. Cake's words, watching as he headed back to the kitchen without saying another word. "What was that all about?" The Alicorn princess turned her attention to her number one assistant, noticing how happy Spike was once he looked inside the white box. "Did the Cakes make you another special diamond covered cupcake?"

The purple dragon shook his head, "Nah, nothing like that. I noticed Rarity's been real stressed lately so I thought I'd help cheer her up by making a special dessert just for her." Spike looked into the box and smiled, half proud and half uncertain about his personally crafted pastry. "I just hope I did a good enough job," he closed the box and started looking around the room for Rarity. "I just wish I knew why she was so on edge; maybe it's from some new big order she has to fill or something."

Twilight shook her head. "Actually, I heard she's angry because some jerk named Slick Charmer got grabby with her on their date and insulted her business."

Spike's scaly muscles froze in place, his eyes widened before slowly turning into a sinister glare. "What?" was all Spike could say; Twilight wasn't aware of the seething, raw hatred in Spike's voice.

"Yeah, Applejack said Rarity was planning on coming to this party with him before she found out what a creep he was."

"Hold this please."

Twilight looked down and saw Spike was handing his custom pastry treat to her. The purple pony took the box in her hooves, confused exactly why Spike wanted her to hold it for him. The little dragon began storming out the door; completely ignoring Twilight asking him about where he was going. The young dragon had a mission to complete and he wasn't going to let any pony stop him or change his mind. Spike didn't even realize he had forgotten that he wanted to give Rarity that pastry himself, however this "mission" seemed to dominate his mind. Spike exited left the party and walked past a confused, floating Rainbow Dash.

Present time…

A tall, good looking stallion smiled smugly at his reflection in the window of a building. He had mint green eyes, a slicked back dark brown mane, an ink blue coat and his cutie mark was a jar of hair gel.

"I know I just checked to make sure my hair looked good before I left, but when you want the ladies to notice you-" the colt paused and checked his teeth in the reflection. "You've got to look your best to attract the best." A yellow mare with a light orange mane and a yellow bug for a cutie mark walked past the colt. "Hey there sweet cheeks," the pony put on his flashiest looking smile for the mare.

Junebug stopped and turned her head towards the colt that addressed her. "Huh, you talking to me?" The stallion approached the yellow mare, his dark brown hair bouncing and shining in the moonlight. She could practically smell the hair gel the colt had drowned his mane in.

"You better believe it good looking. Name's Slick Charmer and it is my genuine pleasure to meet you…miss?"

"Um it's Junebug."

"Well Junebug, might I say that is a fine looking cutie mark you got there." Slick leaned in close to Junebug's face; the mare smiled nervously at his intense proximity. The smug pony wiggled his eyebrows, "And might I also say I'm dying to know what it tastes like."

SLAP!

Junebug huffed and walked away from the perverted creep after giving him the slap of his life. Slick rubbed his hoof against his cheek, half wincing and half smirking at the feistiness of the pony; despite the fact she just smacked him.

Slick shook the pain off and chuckled, "Your loss babe but more importantly; my gain." The pony began walking towards the direction of Sugar cube corner. "There'll be plenty of fine honeys at that party and based on the so-called stallions I've seen living in this dump; those mares will be ripe for the picking."

"Excuse me."

The pony stopped when he heard a young voice coming from below his line of sight. Slick looked down and saw a small purple dragon with green fins, green eyes and a very stern looking scowl on his snout.

"A dragon huh? Well this is certainly a first for me."

Spike stared at Slick, his arms crossed over his scaly belly. The pony didn't know how to react or respond to this dragon. Spike acted like he was in a staring contest with Slick and showed no emotions or signs of stopping.

"Um can I help you with something squirt?"

"Your name wouldn't happen to be Slick Charmer would it?"

The pony's smug smile grew twice as wide; actually pleased a pint sized dragon had heard of his reputation. "Squirt, you just hit the jackpot. I am indeed the one, the only: Slick Charmer!" Spike stared flatly at the obnoxious pony's macho display, trying hard to keep his dinner down.

"And are you also the pony who took a white unicorn named Rarity out on a date, who also happens to be at the same party you're heading to?"

"Ugh, that nag is at the party? Sheesh! She's probably telling all the ladies there a bunch of crap about me that isn't true." Spike raised an eyebrow at that questionable statement. "Take it from me kid, if you see that pony than make tracks. She is SO high maintenance!"

Spike used all of his will power not to explode and claw this pony's face off for what he just said. Still appearing calm and collective, Spike pulled out a hoof mirror and extended it towards Slick. "Uh huh…can you do me a favor and please hold this?"

Slick picked up the mirror and nodded. His attention momentarily getting lost in his own beauty; staring fondly at himself in the reflective surface. "Sure thing squirt, you mean like this?" Spike nodded to the pony. "Not that I don't mind the view but what exactly is this for?"

FASCHOOM!

The little dragon engulfed Slick's head of freshly combed and gelled hair in a blast of sizzling green flames. Slick blinked in total shock; his face frozen and unable to produce any kind of response to what just happened. The pony's prized hair sprinkled off the top of his head in charred black cinders.

"There now," Spike smiled and took the mirror back from Slick. "That looks MUCH better if you ask me."

Slick screamed like a 5 year old filly, he ran his hooves along his head in a desperate attempt to find any remaining hairs. The pony ran off in the direction he came from and pathetically tried to hide his shame under his hooves.

The purple dragon sighed heavily, rubbing his claws against the sides of his chest like he was wearing suspenders. "Well then…that takes care of that!" Spike whistled to himself happily as waddled on home. "If he's really desperate, he can always try borrowing Cranky's wig," Spike laughed to himself.

To be continued…

4. A Fast One

Chapter 4: A Fast One

First things first, THANK YOU to all who have been following/favoriting this story. I appreciate it MORE than you can imagine! As for this chapter, this took longer than I thought. I've got a lot of RL stuff keeping me busy/distracted; plus I was debating on the direction to take this story in. Since this is story has multiple shippings, I thought it would make sense to develop them one at a time for the time being. Having said that, each chapter is going to be focused on one particular couple in order to develop not only their relationship; but also the new OC's and give you a better sense of who they are and where they're coming from. Eventually all couples will be merged into the primary story but since this is more of a emotional/romantic building story, I thought it would be best to build the couples up before getting back to the "big story" at hand. This one's all about Rainbow, with that said; enjoy! I claim no ownership over MLP: FIM or it's characters; except for my OC's.

The day after Pinkie's party, Rainbow quickly completed her daily Pegasus cloud chores and began searching for the gray stallion that had been on her mind since she woke up this morning. Her pink eyes darted across the landscape; soaring over town in search of that elusive pony that was fogging up her thoughts.

"Arrowhead."

The cyan Pegasus couldn't get that colt out of her head. More importantly however, she couldn't get what she said to that colt out of her head. Rainbow had always prided herself on being a brave, daring and loyal friend; somepony that any pony would be lucky enough to have on their side. And yet, Rainbow's words to Arrowhead were nothing short of mean and insulting. Even if the cyan Pegasus wasn't interested in dating that Earth pony; she could have phrased it better and not offended him as severely as she did.

"I still don't get how he gave me the slip last night. I'm the fastest pony in Ponyville; heh and most of Equestria, but STILL I lost him." Rainbow hovered in midair, scratching her chin softly as she pondered. "Guess there's no other way around it; I'm just gonna have to ask around and see if somepony has seen him or not."

Rainbow dropped her descent and began scanning every visible pony she could see. She checked on the streets, open windows, alleyways, farm fields, she even popped into a few restaurants and cafes but still no luck.

"Ugh this is nuts! I know every pony that lives here and still I can't find one single pony that just moved here recently; you'd think he'd stick out like a sore hoof or something."

The Cyan pony blinked upon seeing something truly strange: a colt with a paper bag over his head. The bag had eyeholes cut out so the colt could see.

"Hmmm…I wonder."

Rainbow zoomed towards the colt; suspecting it was Arrowhead trying to hide himself from being recognized. But even if this wasn't Arrowhead, this guy is still new around here which means he might know something about the other new ponies that came to town.

"Let's see who you really are…HA," Rainbow zoomed by and grabbed the bag off the pony's head. The Pegasus stopped and suddenly realized this pony's coat wasn't grey; it was dark blue. "Oops; sorry pal, I thought you looked like somepony I was looking for." Rainbow extended the bag to the pony, "Here's your-"

The pony was Slick Charmer; still suffering from an intense case of mane loss. His hair looked like specks of burnt curly fries that were left in a fryer too long.

"Do. You. Mind?!"

Rainbow couldn't even form words to respond, she just burst into a sea of roaring laughter. The Pegasus rolled onto her back and flapped her wings with every chuckle.

"Oh sweet Celestia, you're hair it's just….just."

Rainbow tried to finish her sentence, but a second look at Slick caused her to explode with laughter once more. Slick stared at Rainbow, angrily awaiting her to cease laughing. But the mare just laughed harder the longer she looked at him, her cyan face was turning bright red. Tears formed in Rainbow's eyes, her hooves thumping on the ground. Slick snatched his bag back and left with a furious scowl on his face.

"Gee Rainbow Dash; that must have been some joke you heard. Can I hear it too?"

The cyan Pegasus ended her giggle fit upon hearing a rather familiar voice above her. She looked up and spotted a goofy eyed grey Pegasus with blond hair, grey coat and bubbles for a cutie mark. The grey pony had a brown satchel stuffed with packages and letters.

"Oh hey Derpy, what's up?" Rainbow sat back up and hovered up towards the blond mail pony. "Well besides us that is; how's the mail business treating you?"

"Oh great Rainbow, my supervisor says I'm getting a lot better at handling fragile packages." Derpy reached into her satchel and pulled out a crushed box marked fragile all over in red letters, the box looked like an Elephant sat on it. "See? I only dropped it 6 times today!" Derpy smiled proudly.

"Uh yeah…that's really…an improvement. Look, I hate to cut this short but I gotta fly. I've got to find a certain pony and talk to him."

"Oh! Is he your special some pony? That's so cool! I'm so happy to hear that Rainbow, I thought this day would never come."

"HEY! First off, no he is not my special some pony; I literally just met him last night. And secondly," Rainbow leaned in and glared right at Derpy's uneven eyes. "What do you mean you thought this day would never come?"

"Oops, my bad" Derpy laughed nervously, trying to play it off as casually as possible. "I just think it's really cool; that's all. Stinks you can't find him though."

"Sigh I know. The guy is slipperier than I thought, I figured because he's new to town he'd be easier to spot; but I've looked all over and nothing, nada, zip."

Derpy rubbed her chin softly before looking into her satchel, her yellow eyes scanning over numerous letters. "Well what's his name? Maybe I got some mail for him and you can find him through that."

"Hey that's a great idea. His name is Arrowhead and…wait, isn't that illegal? You know, sharing other pony's personal information with some pony else?"

The grey Pegasus removed a letter with Arrowhead's name on it but stopped once she processed what Rainbow said. Derpy looked at Rainbow curiously, "It is? I'm not supposed to do that? Wow you learn something new every day."

Rainbow stared flatly at Derpy; deeply wondering and worrying how much Derpy actually knew how her job worked.

"Anyway here's that guy's address," Derpy extended her hoof with the letter to Rainbow. The blond mare fumbled with the letter and accidentally dropped it. "Oops, my bad; I'll go get it", Derpy soared down at top speed to capture the falling letter.

"Wait Derpy; slow down. If you go too fast straight down you won't have enough time to-"

SLAM!

The blond mare face planted right onto the ground, her hind legs sticking up; twitching along with her wings. Derpy landed right next to the letter while the rest of her mail was scattered everywhere.

"Sigh…stop," Rainbow shook her head and rubbed her cyan temples.

Derpy slowly peeled her face off the ground and spotted the letter right in front of her nose; she reached out and grabbed it. "I got it; want me to read you the address?"

"NO, no, that's fine; really don't worry about it. Tell you what, why don't you just point me in the right direction and I can find him from there."

"Hmmmm okay, Arrowhead lives around," Derpy looked around the town slowly before deciding on a direction. "That way," Derpy pointed towards Sweet apple acres.

"I see, well thanks for all your help Derpy."

Rainbow left the bumbling Derpy to pick herself up; flying off in the exact opposite direction she was told to go towards.

"Um hey Rainbow, you're going the wrong way; I told you that Arrow guy lived that way."

"I know…that's why I'm going this way."

Arrowhead stood outside his small cottage home; slightly farther away from other ponies' homes. The grey colt went to check his mail box…again for what felt like the 10th time today. He had no idea the mail service was this slow in Ponyville or maybe today's just not his day. The colt turned around and was about to head back into his home.

CLANK!

The sound of the mailbox clanking alerted him to turn back around. To the colt's surprise, there was a very familiar cyan colored Pegasus standing by his mailbox. Arrowhead's lips formed into a frown the minute he spotted this familiar mare.

"Hehehe hey there, expecting any good news today?" Rainbow joked, smiling weakly while fumbling with the metal box.

"Yeah…I was but now it looks like all I got was bad news instead."

Arrowhead turned around and headed for his front door; Rainbow zoomed in front of him and stuck her wings out like a blockade.

"Do you mind? I'm trying to get into my house."

"And I'M trying to apologize; I feel awful about what I said last night. It was a crummy thing to do and I'm just really, really sorry."

"There, ya said it; NOW can you let me get inside?"

Rainbow smiled; hopeful she mended things with the grey colt. Arrowhead moved past her and slammed his door shut behind him. The Pegasus was uncertain if things were really squared away. She knocked on the door and leaned in to talk to him.

"Soooooo are we cool? Do you accept my apology then?"

The only answer Rainbow got from behind the door was cold silence.

Dash frowned and tried to think of a way to fix this. I can't just leave things like this, he HAS to accept my apology or I'm never gonna stop feeling like an ass about this. I just wish I knew why he was taking this so personally…he said something about not thinking I would be like this; like he knew me or something. Rainbow shook her colorful locks and cleared her mind. That's it, I'm settling this right now.

The speedy mare rapidly hammered Arrowhead's front door like a Gatling gun, the door bounced so many times it looked like it was made of rubber. Finally Arrowhead opened the door. The colt looked peeved beyond words; his blue eyes staring at the unmovable Pegasus standing before him.

"You're not going to stop hounding me until I accept your apology are you?"

Rainbow crossed her hooves over her chest and sat firmly on the ground. The Pegasus looked as if she was going to sit out there in protest all day and all night if she had to, she was intent on seeing this through.

Arrowhead smiled and nodded. "That's what I thought, I accept your apology Rainbow Dash," the colt extended his hoof down and helped Rainbow back up. "How's a walk sound?"

The Pegasus slowly nodded; surprised at how easily Arrowhead accepted her apology and was already asking her to go for a walk with him. The mare and colt walked side by side down the road, perfectly calm and pleasant as if an argument had never taken place.

Rainbow stared at Arrowhead like he was some sort of rare bird; waiting to fly away at a moment's notice. The colt laughed softly, "Is there something on my face or did you enter a staring contest with me without telling?"

"I can't figure you out. You make a huge deal over what I said last night and instead of arguing with me for another hour or so; which you totally could have, you just brush it off and ask me to go for a boring old walk like nothing ever happened."

"I wanted to see how important this was to you." Rainbow blinked curiously at Arrowhead's words, "You only talked to me for a few minutes and didn't actually owe me anything. Sure what you said upset me, but you could have brushed it all off too; instead you stuck around to make sure a guy you knew very little about had accepted your apology. That was really cool."

Once again, Rainbow resumed staring at the grey colt. Arrowhead noticed the mare's gaze was more intense and driven this time.

"What, what is it?"

"You're a complicated guy you know that Arrowhead?"

The colt smirked and shook his head at the mare's statement, trotting forward with a slight spring in his hooves. Rainbow squinted her eyes as she mumbled to herself; "Well at I least I think you are."

"One thing you need to know about me Dash is that I'm as direct and to the point as they come. I'm straight with everyone; I don't believe in beating around the bush or playing games. You ask me something I'll answer truthfully, no hidden meanings or subtle tricks guaranteed."

Rainbow sported her own confident smirk; riding up alongside Arrowhead and flying a little off the ground. "Yeah, yeah that's what every pony says. I've seen it all pal and I can tell you there's always some pony out there whose got a game plan rattling around in their noggins whether you believe it or not."

"And you've never been wrong about assuming some pony is playing games with you?"

The Pegasus froze in midair; the humiliating memory of mistaking that one tourist pony for Miss Harshwhinny flashing right into her brain. Rainbow couldn't believe all that running around she thought was "playing games" was actually just some mare having a good time at the Crystal Empire.

Arrowhead grinned and lightly elbowed Rainbow, "Your stunned silence is very reassuring."

Rainbow shook her head and sighed. "Okay so not EVERY pony is playing games with you, my competitive side tends to take over more often than I'd like to admit." The mare confidently pointed her hoof at the colt's face. "But that still doesn't mean I'm buying that you're on the level. If you're so honest and straight with everyone, then why don't you tell me what you meant when you said you were so wrong about me last night? You don't know me so what was that supposed to mean?"

The colt shrugged, "Well I kind of had an idea of what you would be like based on what I heard and I was disappointed when I heard you said you weren't interested because I was an Earth pony. I didn't think you would be like that."

"So then why don't you tell me?" Rainbow plopped down in the middle of the road, blocking Arrowhead. "Forget all the stories, rumors and legends going on about me and tell me what you thought I would be like."

"Um I think you're a bit young to be having 'legends' just yet."

"Oh pony feathers, you know what I meant! Just spill already," Rainbow hovered over Arrowhead's head slightly and poked his chest with every following word. "What. Did. You. Think. About. Me?"

Arrowhead took a deep breath, closed his eyes and then opened them. "To tell the truth I didn't know what to think. The things I heard about you impressed me but I wanted to wait til I talked to you and get something confirmed first."

"And what's that?"

"How incredibly attractive you are."

Rainbow's wings slowed to a small flap, her stern gaze and hovering position melting into a soft blank state. "W-w-w-what did you just say?"

Arrowhead smiled, continuing effortlessly, "I think you're the hottest mare I've ever seen. I love your hair; the rainbow thing is so cool looking and unique." He pointed to her flank, "Not to mention that awesome cutie mark. It's so colorful and powerful; it really stands out. I mean, you have no idea how hard it was for me to stay composed and talk to you."

The cyan Pegasus had no idea how to respond to all of this wondrous praise, she rubbed her shoulders nervously and avoided eye contact. "What are you doing? Just s-s-s-stop it all right, you're kinda freaking me out." Rainbow briefly locked eyes with Arrowhead; his confidence and blue eyes caused her cheeks to flush with tomato red blushes.

"I don't understand. I just figured you'd be used to all of this, I imagine colts knock on your door all the-"

"Just STOP okay?!"

The mare's outburst silenced the conversation in one, cold, swift motion. Arrowhead was visibly shocked; confused at what he did wrong or said to cause such offense or uneasiness. Rainbow tried to hide her face behind her colorful locks, like Rarity did when she lost her fake eyelash on the train.

"Look I didn't mean to be insensitive; I was just paying you a compliment."

Rainbow could hear the hurt in his voice. He truly felt guilty by his words, as if his genuineness was a bad thing. This guy really was just being nice to me…nicer than any colt has ever been to me. The Pegasus flipped her hair back and looked at Arrowhead, a sense of sadness and shyness quaking in her softened voice.

"It's not that…it's just…"

"What? Please tell me," Arrowhead placed his hoof over Rainbow's. The colt knew he wasn't close enough with Rainbow to cross this boundary but she genuinely looked like she needed the gesture.

Rainbow softly sighed and nodded. "It's just that you make me sound like this amazing mare that everyone is trying to date but no pony really is, and for the most part I've been totally cool with that. I'm not into mushy stuff and all these warm fuzzy feelings; things like that just rub me the wrong way."

"But?"

"But when you started saying all those REALLY nice things to me, it reminded me of how barely any guys have looked twice at me." Rainbow rubbed the back of her head and shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it. I'm not guy crazy like Rarity or like to get dressed up and go out on dates or anything, but you know…it wouldn't hurt if once in a while some guy said I look nice."

Rainbow never used the words like "cute" or "beautiful" when describing herself, she always thought they were too "girly" or inappropriate for someone of her status. But in truth, the Wonderbolt fan secretly longed for a different kind of attention and praise. She feared accepting those feelings or desires would lessen her image as an awesome athlete, much like she feared reading books would turn her into an "egg head."

Arrowhead softly gasped at Rainbow's words. "So that's it…what I was saying was bothering you because guys don't come up to you and say that stuff on a regular basis." The colt's attraction to the mare seemed to be unique; something he was not expecting at all to hear. "I had no idea Rainbow."

Dash weakly smiled and shook her head; dismissing Arrowhead's inevitable but unnecessary apology. "Don't worry about it pal; ponies just don't normally talk to me that way." Rainbow paused for a moment and corrected herself, "Scratch that; ponies never talk to me that way."

"Well like I told you before, I'm straight with every pony; I tell it how it is and I don't change that for any pony." The grey colt walked past Rainbow and gave her a flirtatious smile and wink. "So the longer you hang around me; the more you'll hear about how awesomely cute you truly are."

Rainbow's cyan cheeks turned bright pink, "Um…okay" she squeaked softly. Clearly the mare still wasn't used to all of this.

The Pegasus composed herself from her sudden flushed cheeks. She could hear grunting sounds coming from behind her, Rainbow turned around to see Arrowhead stretching and bending. The colt looked like he was preparing to run a marathon based on his stretching.

"Ummmm what exactly are you doing?"

"Getting ready for a run" Arrowhead said as he cracked his neck left to right. "Or more accurately; a race" he smiled and pointed a hoof right at Rainbow. "A race with you: the fastest mare in Ponyville."

The Pegasus smugly scoffed at the challenge. "Puh-lease, I'm the fastest pony in all of Equestria; you can't be serious." Arrowhead raised a slightly irritated eyebrow at Rainbow's remark. The Pegasus sighed and rolled her eyes, "Right the whole 'I'm always straight and to the point with every pony' thing. How could I forget?"

"So is that a yes or a no?"

"Are you sure you want to do this? Wouldn't you rather dish all your mushy stuff feelings out on Applejack? She is an Earth pony after all; plus she's strong like you AND is totally honest about everything."

"I have no doubt she's a fine gal," the grey colt ceased stretching and walked right up to Rainbow's side. "But there's no Earth pony, Pegasus or Unicorn as fine as you Dash," he picked up Rainbow's hoof and held it. "And that's the truth."

Rainbow laughed nervously, feeling nervous and flattered at the same time. She removed her hoof from Arrowhead's and stretched out her wings. "Man heh…you really got a way with words there huh?"

Arrowhead shrugged, "If you say so."

"I do say you and I also say that you're nutty if you think you can beat me in a race."

"All right then why don't we make it interesting? How's a wager sound to you?"

"HA, HA you are SO on! What are the stakes?"

"If I win, you let me take you out on a date." Rainbow's face flashed bright pink once again, she swallowed loudly. "I pick the place, I pick the time and it's just the two of us; no friends or any pony else: a straight up date."

"And when I'm the winner; you're going to buy a great big lunch for me and all of my friends and we can order WHATEVER we want, Deal?"

Arrowhead nodded to the terms.

Rainbow made a finish line in the dirt with her hoof. "This will be where we meet, once around Ponyville and back to this spot. First one back here is declared the winner."

"Sounds like a game plan to me; let's get galloping then." The colt stood behind the line and flexed his hind legs; Rainbow went next to him and did the same. He looked to her and smiled, "Since I am an Earth pony after all, I'm sure it goes without saying that no wings will be allowed."

The Pegasus nodded, "No problem; I've raced before without using my wings. I did it back when I did the annual running of the leaves." Rainbow bit her lip nervously after recalling that race. I just hope this race ends better.

Rainbow started the count down and once she shouted "GO"; she and Arrowhead were gone in a blurry flash of cyan and grey. The Pegasus clearly had the lead in the beginning but was shocked to see that not only was Arrowhead keeping remarkable pace with her; he was gaining on her rainbow colored tail. The ponies zoomed around Ponyville in a matter of moments. Several ponies spotted the blurry trails of the 2 racing ponies; the speed and velocity of their dust trails made it near impossible for any onlooker to identify either pony or be able to determine who was winning. Arrowhead and Rainbow spotted the finish line dead ahead. The two ponies made a last ditch effort to surpass the other; both of them could feel their legs burning as the finish line came closer and closer.

The cyan Pegasus felt her hooves skidding over the finish line; her wings flapping hard to slow her body down. "Did I win? Am I the first one here?" Rainbow looked around to see any sign of Arrowhead. Suddenly a blurry gray blob was heading right for her at incredible speeds. Rainbow gulped, "Oh darn…"

WHAM!

Arrowhead collided into Rainbow, the two ponies rolled into the grass and off the road with the finish line. The two racers had stars swirling in their eyes. Rainbow shook herself free from the dizziness, staring down at Arrowhead lying on the ground; lifelessly.

"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! Are you all right, can you hear me?" Rainbow shook Arrowhead frantically. "Arrowhead; please say something."

Arrowhead groaned loudly, he rubbed his head and adjusted his spinning eyes. "Man…that was one heck of a race." Rainbow sighed happily; she was worried the colt might have been seriously injured. Arrowhead slowly looked at his "position"; Rainbow was sitting on top of him with her hind legs straddling him. Both ponies immediately turned redder than tomato soup. The colt chuckled softly, "You know…from this angle; second place it a lot more appealing than I thought."

BONK!

Rainbow angrily bonked Arrowhead on his head. "You big jerk" she huffed loudly; the mare flew off of the colt and landed next to him. "What kind of guy makes a move on a girl who is freaking out over the possibility of hurting him?"

"Hey YOU landed on top of me after we collided", Arrowhead grumbled and rubbed his throbbing skull. "Besides it's not that big of a deal; we just happened to land in an awkward situation. It happens."

"Yeah, yeah; whatever you say. Either way, I won so it's time to pony up the dough pony." Rainbow turned her head to the side and extended her hoof; waiting for Arrowhead to hand her the money. "I won fair and square."

Arrowhead smiled; Rainbow's behavior was amusing him. "That you did Dash; that you did and I fully intend on paying for you and your friend's lunch." The Pegasus ceased frowning and returned her gaze to Arrowhead. The colt slapped Rainbow's hoof and began walking away. "In fact, I'll take you and all your friends out to lunch…in person."

Rainbow gasped at the colt's words. "Huh?" She looked at her hoof and saw there was nothing in it. "Hey, wait a minute there buddy! That wasn't part of the deal; the bet was that if you lost that you would have to buy lunch for me and my friends."

Arrowhead stopped, turned to Rainbow and nodded. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do; but unfortunately, I just don't have any money on me right now." Rainbow groaned and snorted angrily. "Besides, you never said I couldn't attend lunch with you guys; you just said I had to pay." The colt winked to Rainbow, "So I guess if you want your lunch then you'll just have to let me join you. Let me know when your friends can get together with us, until then; ciao!"

The Pegasus's jaw dropped like a 10 ton anvil, her eyes frozen on that smooth talking colt who walked off with a cheerful bounce in his voice. Rainbow couldn't believe what just happened. She won the race and somehow this guy STILL managed to get her to go out with him…sort of.

"Ummmm what just happened?"

"Oh well…I believe that's what they call: pulling a fast one."

The speedy mare felt the fur on her neck stand up at the sound of that soft, sweet; recognizable voice. That voice was very familiar to Rainbow's ears. She slowly turned around, moving as if her muscles were made of molasses. Fluttershy was sitting in the grass by a tree, having a small tea party with her animal friends. The butter colored Pegasus smiled sweetly to her fellow flying friend.

"H-h-h-h-how long have you been there?" Rainbow felt like she was going to literally die from embarrassment.

Fluttershy rubbed her chin softly. "Hmm well not very long; when I got here I didn't see any pony so I thought it would be a nice peaceful spot to have a little tea party. I didn't see you and that other pony until you crashed into each other after the finish line."

Rainbow slapped her face with both hooves and pulled on it like it was a rubber mask. The Pegasus cried out in humiliated agony, slumping her face into her hooves. Great! That means Fluttershy saw all that awkward…rolling we did AND me getting tricked by that speedy grey colt. I feel like such an idiot!

"There's no need to feel bad Rainbow Dash; I won't tell any pony if you don't want me to." The yellow Pegasus smiled and patted Rainbow on the back. "Besides; he seems like a really nice guy."

Another loud groan escaped Rainbow's lips. The Pegasus's sour mood dissipated the more she thought about Arrowhead and his tricking her into spending more time with him. Rainbow Dash smiled and looked down at the muddied finish line, "Yeah…he does doesn't he?"

To be continued…

5. Whispers in the Dark

Chapter 5: Whispers in the dark

The silence of the dark jungle was violently shattered by an ear piercing scream. Exotic birds and insects recoiled into their tree house homes in fear of the echoing wail, rustling sounds emanated from within the jungle's dark center.

"GET ME THE BUCK OUT OF THIS PLACE!"

Crowe ran as fast as he could through the confines of the seemingly endless jungle, he could feel his heart race as his hooves rapidly clopped into a full sprint. Dozens of angry eyes followed Crowe like locusts; their voices howling after the fleeing Earth pony. Crowe had a brown satchel secured around his left shoulder, the satchel's contents jingled like wind chimes. No doubt the contents of that satchel were what brought such an angry horde of zebras and ponies onto Crowe's trail.

"Master and I seriously have to have a talk when I get back. Why I do have to be the ONLY one who picks these magical items up?" Crowe looked behind and screamed. "That's assuming if I make it back alive!"

The tribal zebras and ponies hurled multiple spears, hatchets and blades in Crowe's direction, the colt saw nothing but a sea of razor sharp steel showering all around him. One male zebra hurled a spear that sliced right into Crowe's green cap. The yellow colt squeaked like a frightened filly, he clutched his head to make sure the spear had only sliced into his cap; not his head. Another blade was sent whirling in Crowe's direction; striking him in his hind leg. He let loose another scream as he felt the blood dripping from his wounded leg. Crowe turned to look at his wound for a moment, but in doing so; failed to notice the rock he was about to trip over.

"This is SO going to hurt."

Crowe plummeted down a hill; his body smashing and sticking to every rock and branch he crashed into. He saw nothing but blinding blurs of the sky and earth violently mixed together in a whirring spin. Crowe violently crashed at the bottom of the hill; weakly groaning and slowly opening his eyes. The pony's yellow coat was covered with thick mud splatters and various leaves sticking to him like glue. He winced and looked at his wounded leg; the blade had fallen out and had left a large gash in its place. The sound of the angry tribal ponies and zebras approaching quickly jarred Crowe's attention back on track. Crowe looked forward and saw the maroon colored hot air balloon he arrived in, the blue Pegasus pilot was waiting for him to return.

I may not be dead just yet. I'll have to make a run for it but…ugh…with my leg the way it is, I don't know if I'll make it. Crowe listened to the angry cries of the tribal ponies and zebras coming for him; he can only imagine what they would do to him. Then he imagined what his master would do to him if he learned of his failure. Gulp! On second thought, I better risk it. Getting killed by these guys would be a blessing compared to what HE would do if I came back empty hoofed.

The yellow colt forced his crippled leg to work and ran as fast as he could towards the hot air balloon. He could feel the ground quake under the force of the stampeding tribe approaching; Crowe's hooves clutched the brown satchel tightly against his chest. Crowe felt his heart pound with terror; he closed his eyes and leapt into the balloon with every last bit of strength he had. The instant Crowe landed inside the balloon, the pilot yanked the gas chain and set the balloon soaring into the skies. The tribal ponies and zebras arrived just in time to see the balloon floating out of sight, yet still they screamed and flung their weapons into the sky. The yellow colt watched the tribal ponies and zebras as long as possible until they vanished from sight. Crowe sighed and collapsed, wheezing from exhaustion.

"Sweet Celestia, that was WAY too close," Crowe looked at his wounded leg and sighed. He tore off a piece of the satchel with his teeth and used it as a bandage. "I need a new job."

"I'll say; I just hope whatever you got was worth getting your flank skewered over."

Before Crowe could reply to the dark haired Pegasus, the pilot noticed something green and shiny inside the torn satchel. Inside was a collection of odd looking bones; reptilian like bones that glowed brightly. The bones appeared to be made out of jade or some kind of jade crystal like substance. The pilot had never seen anything like this before; Crowe quickly covered the bones back up and hid them behind his back.

"Wait a minute, are you telling me THAT is what you came all the way to the Rainfoal forest to get?" The pilot scratched his spiky hair in confusion. "What's so important about a bunch of moldy old bones? They look useless."

"These bones may be old but they are FAR from moldy or useless. You see, these bones and my boss are exactly alike: they're ancient, mysterious and very deadly." Crowe grunted as he tried to pull the spear out of his hat. "And if I don't come back with all these spooky nick-knacks he's collecting, I'm going to be the one who ends up as moldy bones in a bag."

"Man, you're boss sounds like one real nasty piece of work. How'd you ever get roped into working for this slave driver?"

Crowe sighed and rubbed his head. "You know it's crazy, it's been 2 years now and after all this time I STILL don't know how I ended up here. I was minding my own business, traveling around Equestria with my travel bag when he first approached me. I had never seen him before in my life, but he claimed that…he knew me."

"Knew you? Like he met you before or something?"

"No, no, he said he sensed something in me that was…familiar; like there was something inside me he recognized." Crowe shook his head, "I didn't know what he was talking about and I wanted nothing to do with him. But he said that if I didn't help him do…whatever it is he's doing, he would kill me."

The pilot gulped loudly.

"Not like I could do much: if I called for help he'd kill me and probably whoever came to help, and he's a unicorn and I'm just an Earth pony so there's no way I could defeat him. Two years later: I'm traveling around Equestria just like I always wanted…it's just now I have to bag mystical pony artifacts for a megalomaniac or he'll gut me like a fish."

An uneasy silence settled between the two colts, both staring at each other without a clue as to what to say next.

The pilot broke the eerie silence with a small chuckle. "Boy you weren't kidding; you really DO need a new job."

The balloon touched down, Crowe hopped out and tossed a few bits to the pilot. The yellow colt made his way towards a dark, secluded cave. The cave's entrance had jagged spikes that were curved like dragon fangs; Crowe always felt like he was entering the maw of a savage monster every time he stepped inside this place of darkness and dread. The sound of a demonic roar froze Crowe in his tracks, his legs wobbled like jello and his teeth chattered.

"Who dares to enter this place? Be warned that any pony foolish enough to enter here will die at the claws of me and my sisters!"

"It's m-m-m-m-me, C-c-c-c-crowe. Don't you r-r-r-r-remember? Our master s-s-s-s-sent me out on a mission f-f-f-for the c-c-c-cause?"

No response came from the beast inside the cave, Crowe didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one. The yellow colt was too paralyzed by fear to do anything other than stand there clutching his stolen prize. Out of the cave emerged a twisted, Chimera monster comprised of 3 different animals. Crowe bowed down frightfully in front of the monster. The creature had the front half of a tiger, a golden eyed ram on the left shoulder, goat legs in the back and a long, green snake for a tail. Crowe's blue eyes mirrored the sight of the monster's gleaming, sabretooth like fangs. The Chimera looked down upon Crowe as if he were a lowly insect.

The tiger head snorted angrily, "You're LATE; the master has been waiting on you for hours. What took you so long?"

"There was some 'complications' in retrieving the item."

"Never mind thaaaaaaat, did you aaaacquire the item like the maaaaaster aaaaaasked?"

Crowe didn't bother answering the goat head; he showed her the bag containing the bones instead. The 3 animal heads examined the bag and turned around, heading back into the cave. The snake tail looked back at Crowe and hissed.

"Hurry up and get your ssssssssorry flank moving; the masssssster doesssss not like to be kept waiting you know."

The pony groaned and collapsed on the ground, "Yeah my leg's killing me…thanks for asking."

Crowe eventually followed the Chimera into the cave. The deeper he went into the cave; the faster the dark consumed the light until there was nothing but darkness. The only light inside the cave came from the torches along the walls. The yellow colt noticed several new shadows surrounding his master at the center of the lair; he could tell Chimera Khan had taken control of some new monsters since he left to collect the bones. Khan turned his attention towards Crowe and the 3 headed Chimera as soon as they entered. The monsters controlled by Khan's magic followed their masked master; they consisted of a Manticore, a Timber wolf, the Cockatrice, two Phoenix's, countless Star Spiders and of course; the Chimera.

"Master, the lowly Earth pony has returned and he's brought you the item you requested…finally."

Crowe sneered at the tiger head's snide remark but quickly subsided once Khan approached him.

"H-h-h-here you are Master K-k-k-khan, just as you requested." He opened up the satchel and revealed the glowing jade bones to Khan. "The ancient crystal jade bones of the legendary Siren Queen, the only known evidence of the Siren's existence since the rest were banished into another world. Legend has it the bones still possess the manipulative magic that came from the Sirens voices. The tribal ponies and zebras I stole them from were worshipping them like gods; it wasn't easy getting them here but I-"

"Enough prattling you worthless; weak little worm. Hurry up and give the bones to the witch so we can start the ceremony, I have no time to waste listening to your concerns."

The yellow colt nodded and quickly headed to a room housing a large, black, bubbling cauldron. Crowe dropped the bag of bones by the cauldron and stepped to the side. Khan entered the room and stared at the mare stirring the pot.

"Bubbling Cauldron, I have a new magical item for you to attach to my armor. It's time for your grafting spell."

Standing at the pot with a large stirring stick was a light green unicorn with a ghostly white mane. She wore a witch's hat that had multiple cobweb designs over it; the tip of the hat was bent and turned downwards. Her cutie mark resembled a full black cauldron with bubbles coming out of it. The dark brown eyes of the unicorn stared intensely into the brew; giving no response she heard Chimera Khan whatsoever.

Crowe bit his lip and growled impatiently. "Will you just answer him already? The master asked you a question, we don't have time for your stupid ass theatrics Bubbling Cauldron."

Cauldron gasped. "Lies, blasphemy, how dare you trivialize my supreme awesomeness with such poisonous words!"

"Oh good lord, not this again."

"Yes, those whose mock the supreme power of the dark arts that dwells within this pot will suffer the wrath of the omnipotent power that I possess." Cauldron looked into the pot and grinned. "Only someone of my immaculate genius and unrivaled gorgeousness could forge mystical pony artifacts into one, super indestructible suit of armor."

The yellow colt slapped his face in annoyance.

"Bubbling Cauldron" Khan said with much annoyance, "Do you think we could move this along?"

"Beneath this churning liquid lie the secrets of the cosmos, unlimited magic and knowledge of ancient forces that only I…and my uncle Blurp, know about."

"Bubbling Cauldron…"

Cauldron dropped two purple and silver colored stones into the liquid. "I've gathered all of the rare and special ingredients for the brew: dragon scales, phoenix tears, tatzlwurm venom, the hair from a sea serpent and lots of random things I picked up off the road."

"Bubbling…"

"Soon all 4 princesses will be powerless against my magical abilities, and will have no choice but to admit that I am totally much prettier than every mare in Equestria. I'll get to have any stallion I want as my boyfriend and then totally shove it in my cousin's face. Every night will feature a mandatory theater piece starring, written, produced, and choreographed by me. I will have everything I want, be anything I want, I shall become GALACTIC PRESIDENT SUPERSTAR MCAWESOMEVILLE BWAHAHAHAHA!"

"BUBBLING CAULDRON," Khan violently screamed.

The unicorn immediately ceased her cackling. "My deepest apologies master," Cauldron laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "I got a little carried away."

Crowe rolled his eyes, "What else is new…fruitcake."

Cauldron heard Crowe's comment and used her magic to fling a glob of her brew at the Earth pony's face. The yellow colt squealed in pain and ran around screaming frantically, Bubbling Cauldron and the Chimera both roared with laughter.

"Ah it burns! Get it off, get it off, get it off; get it off!"

"HA, that will teach you to mock the future Galactic President Superstar McAwesomeville."

Khan's anger levels rose exponentially. The screaming and laughing from his minions drilled into his sanity like jagged knives; hacking, chipping away at what little patience the masked pony retained. His eyes unleashed a powerful, surge of orange colored energy that slammed all of his minions against the walls.

"ENOUGH…one more word from any one of you fools and I will personally see to it that each and every last one of you will be gutted, stuffed and mounted on the wall. Is that CLEAR?"

Crowe nodded nervously, "Of course master, please forgive me, it was just Bubbling Cauldron. If she hadn't thrown that glob of brew at my face, none of this would have happened."

The chimera pinned Crowe against the wall with her tiger claws. The tiger head hovered her sabretooth fangs inches away from Crowe's throat. The pony squeaked helplessly against the monster's might, he could feel his chest being crushed by the weight of the tiger's claw.

"The master said shut your trap already; don't you know how to take a hint?" The tiger claw pressed against Crowe's chest even harder. "Any more flak from you and I'll be picking my teeth with your bones!"

Crowe squealed frantically "I got it, I got it, uncle, uncle!" The Chimera released Crowe and turned her back to the Earth pony. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine. My lungs feel like they were crushed by a boulder and my leg is still killing me but yeah…I'm just…peachy."

Khan and Bubbling Cauldron returned their attention towards the task at hand. The bag of bones was magically lifted off the ground and deposited into the orange bubbling brew; Cauldron stirred the brew and routinely fired magical blasts from her horn into it.

"Demons and spirits from ages past,

Grant me the power for this spell to cast.

Let nature itself become my slave,

Spread forth the darkness from this cave.

Let the past and present become one,

Greater than the falling moon and the rising sun.

Bring forth the magic and monsters that I have decreed,

Mold him into the supreme god that fate has foreseen!"

The jade bones emerged from the brew and instantly flew towards Khan's armored body; as if they were being magnetized. A blinding white light engulfed the cave and temporarily blinded every pony. The light eventually faded and revealed the jade bones had merged perfectly with the metal structure in Khan's armor; as if they had been there when the metal was first forged. Bubbling Cauldron and the enslaved creatures bowed down before their master. Khan cackled wickedly at the feeling of the raw, magical power surging inside him. He felt as if a thousand supernovas had exploded inside his very being; giving him even stronger magic to control even stronger creatures. The armored pony watched lighting spark from his metallic hooves.

"Yes, yes, YES! I feel my power increasing exponentially, even stronger than I could have imagined. But it's not enough," he sighed and stomped his hooves. "It's STILL not enough…I need more….more magic. If I am to see my plans fully realized then I must become so powerful that not even the combined might of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will be enough to stop me, and the only way to do that is to acquire more magical artifacts."

Khan turned his attention back to Crowe. The Earth pony was slowly bandaging his leg, he wasn't even aware his master was already planning on sending him out on another mission.

"As soon as your wound is properly taken care of, you are to immediately depart for the Everfree forest. I require something from the ruins of the Castle of Two Sisters."

"Awe do I REALLY have to? Why can't that fruitcake witch get it, it's not like she does much around here other than attaching stuff to your armor."

ZAP!

Khan blasted Crowe with an orange lightning beam from his eyes; the Earth pony was burnt to a blackened crisp. Cauldron and the Chimera chuckled quietly in the back.

"Do not forget your place Earth pony or else I will be forced to remind you just how low on the totem pole you truly are."

Crowe coughed out a puff of black smoke, he weakly nodded in reply.

"Now…as I was SAYING…you are to go to the Castle of the Two Sisters and locate the machine that originally housed the elements of harmony. Then, you are to dismantle the machine and bring as much of it as you can back with you. The machine's super structure could prove useful in enhancing my ability to stabilize and control multiple magical items at once. If it could safely contain the elements of harmony, one of the most powerful magical forces in Equestria; then it should make a perfect addition to my collection."

"Um b-b-b-begging your pardon master but how am I supposed to bring all that back without any help? With my leg in this condition, I won't make it through the Everefree forest in one piece; much less carry back a machine that heavy. Plus I heard that Princess Twilight and the element wielders used to hang out at that castle, what if they come back?"

Crowe covered his head with his trembling hooves; fearing what punishment Khan would strike him with next. Khan was growing increasingly irritated as he listened to Crowe's excuses, he felt tempted to barbecue the yellow colt until he was nothing but a pile of ashes. The armored pony grunted and turned his back to his lowly servant.

"Your excuses are just as worthless as your information is. The only reason Princess Twilight and her pitiful friends visited the castle was to find information regarding the Rainbow chest, they no longer have any reason to return there. There was a squatter who used to live there but I heard he has long since fled."

"And in regards to my…um…request for help?"

"Very well…I will send the Manticore to accompany you. However, this means you have NO reason why you can't bring back the entire machine."

"Oh thank you so much my master. You're the greatest, the cream of the crop, the most generous and forgiving-"

"Just leave already before I change my mind!"

The yellow colt nodded and quickly exited the cave; the Manticore followed shortly. Khan sighed deeply with relief now that he no longer had to listen to his lackey's whining. At times Khan forgot what it was he saw in Crowe in the first place. Something about the colt still bothered Khan however, something he could not put his hoof on or explain; but he still sensed it was very important to keep Crowe close to him. The only thing that mattered now was getting as much power as quickly as possible.

"Pardon me interrupting your thoughts master, but I was wondering if you would be so generous as to let me know what your plans are regarding Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I have a feeling it's only a matter of time before they find out what we're doing."

Khan looked at Cauldron with a blank, uninterested stare. The armored pony began to exit the lair without facing Cauldron.

"They won't…trust me."

"But how can you be so sure? Even with all my supremely awesome bad-ass protection spells keeping the Princesses off our radar, I can't keep it up forever."

The armored villain stopped and turned his head towards Cauldron.

"I'm sure because of two reasons: Number 1 is because Princess Celestia thinks I'm dead. No pony would ever suspect a corpse of being up to no good." Khan reached up and pointed to his black unicorn horn, "Reason number 2 is right here attached to my forehead. King Sombra's horn does more than just boost my power and mental influence; it also makes it impossible for Celestia to sense where I am or receive any premonitions on what my next move will be. Plus it keeps all of our dreams closed off to Princess Luna. So don't worry my dear, no soul in Equestria will have a clue what's going on until it is far too late to do anything about it."

Cauldron smiled and clapped her hooves together. "Masterful stroke boss, your genius truly is an inspiration to us all."

"Just make sure your magic continues to supply me with more artifacts to add to my armored arsenal. Because if you fail to deliver what you promised witch," Khan leaned in and stared directly into Cauldron's eyes. "You will not live long enough to regret it."

The unicorn gulped and laughed nervously, "G-g-g-g-gotcha boss."

Night had fallen on Ponyville; bathing the small town in a beautiful mix of darkness and light from the stars and moon. The peaceful serenity of this quiet night served as the perfect cover for a particularly sneaky unicorn. Moonstruck routinely looked left and right before making his next move; his hooves kept his cloak tightly secure around his face.

"Why do I have to be THIS crazy? If Twilight or any other pony sees me, I am dead in the water; I shouldn't be out here at all." The purple unicorn sighed and adjusted his spiky hair. "Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make sure her magic is getting stronger. I do need her to be as strong as possible in order to break this hex on me. Yeah, that's why I am going to see her…that's it…no other reason."

Moonstruck approached the Golden Oak library from the side. He attempted to peer into the windows; keeping his head down to make sure Twilight or Spike didn't see him sneaking a peek. The purple unicorn heard two voices coming from inside.

"Good, both of them are home."

Moonstruck leaned in close to hear what they were saying.

"Make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight Spike. We've got a lot of re-organizing to do tomorrow and were gonna start bright and early."

"Awe come on Twilight; this is like the 3rd time this week we've re-organized your books."

"I know but this re-organizing is extremely critical. I have to make sure my transmogrification spell books are organized numerically instead of alphabetically; otherwise I might confuse them with the counter spell study guides and if that happens, I'll never be able to find anything."

"Ugh you've GOT to be kidding me. I was hoping to go see Rarity and ask her what she thought of that special pastry I made for her, I never got a chance to see what she thought of it."

"I know…because I'm the one who gave it to her after you ran out and refused to tell me where you went or what you did, remember?"

"Oh yeah…heh…it was nothing important, really."

"Well this IS important and we can't waste time while you try to indulge your little crush."

"It's not some little crush; I told you my feelings for Rarity are 100% for real. Twilight, I think I'm in lo-"

"I'm not going to discuss this with you again Spike, you've got chores tomorrow and that's that. I'm putting my hoof down."

Spike growled and stormed upstairs with a huff in his voice. Moonstruck winced at the sound of a door being slammed; he pulled his head back and rubbed his ear. He could hear the sound of paper flapping and the faint hum of a levitation spell. Moonstruck carefully peeked through the window, his eyes widening in awe at what he saw. Twilight was flipping through numerous books all at the same time, reading, writing and memorizing with effortless ease.

Moonstruck smiled "This is truly impressive, she's multitasking through advanced magic books like it's nothing. She's reading about counter spells, transmogrifications, matter reformation, even negative energy compression and destabilization. Princess Celestia couldn't have picked a better student."

Twilight's dark tail twitched as she passed from one book to the neck, her luminous purple eyes diligently fixated on her studies. Moonstruck let his chrome colored eyes slowly wander over Twilight, admiring her small but beautifully shaped body. He noticed her cute upturned nose, her shimmering hair, her sweet little smile….and also her perky looking rump.

That is really messed up you know, staring at Princess Twilight's ass.

Moonstruck gasped out loud; his cheeks burning bright red with blushes. He can't believe he was just staring at Twilight's flank like that.

You act like you've never seen an ass before you perv.

"Will you SHUT IT, of course I've seen a pony's…flank before. It's just been a while you know? I was locked up in Tartarus for two long years after all."

Not only is she a princess but she's the one who supposedly is going to help you break the hex. Two years or not, there's not a pony in Equestria who wouldn't think this is just a tad creepy.

The purple unicorn groaned and shook his head. He couldn't believe he was actually sitting here, staring at a mare's butt and quietly arguing with his own neurotic mind.

"Yeah well talking to myself outside the home of the pony I'm peeping ACK…I mean watching isn't much better."

Obviously your lonely and need someone to talk to; same reason you started talking to me while you were in Tartarus.

"Yeah well I'm out now so I don't need you or your advice."

…You want to know what I think?

He angrily slapped his face.

"NO, I literally just told you I DO NOT want your advice!"

I think you got the hots for that purple princess pony in there, why else would you be lying to yourself about why you came all the way out here to spy on her?

"That wasn't a lie; I really did need to make sure her magic was powerful enough to help me." Moonstruck nervously fumbled with his hooves and stared at the ground. The colt didn't look or sound like he believed his own words, he bit his lip anxiously. "I still got that h-h-h-hex to deal with, you know that."

Blah, blah, blah, you already knew she had to be strong in order for her to defeat Tirek. I don't know who your trying to convince plot peeper but it sure as Hell isn't me.

"See, this is why I stopped talking to you in the first place. Why can't I be like most ponies and have a voice that encourages me to be good instead of being bad?"

Just take it like real a colt and admit it, for once: you want to lock lips with that brainy babe and see just how spankable-

"You will NOT talk about her like that" Moonstruck shouted, he slammed his hoof into the side of the library. Twilight immediately dropped her books and approached the window. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!"

Twilight opened the window and looked around. "Who said that? Hello? Any pony there? I know I heard some pony's voice so just get out here and show yourself."

The princess looked all around but saw no sign of any pony nearby. She even looked up to see if Rainbow Dash was trying to prank her, but the only thing floating in the sky were stars. Twilight sighed and assumed she was just hearing things. She closed the window and returned to her studies.

"Whew…that was a close one," Moonstruck wiped the sweat from his horned brow. The purple unicorn decided that he made enough "progress" for one night and should head back to his home/hiding spot.

On the way back, let's see if we can find something good to eat. I'm getting sick of eating nothing but apples. You think that pink party chick will give us more sweets if we wake her up and ask? She's all kinds of cute and crazy, I bet she'd totally go for it; what do you think?

Moonstruck's face sunk heavily, "Brain…will you just shut up?"

To be continued…

Sorry this took so long to update, I actually had the chapter like 80% finished 2 weeks ago but then I got hit with a virus and lost the whole thing! Reviews are GREATLY appreciated! I wanna know what you guys think, so don't hesitate to offer a review, comment, question, idea etc.

6. Help Wanted

Chapter 6: Help Wanted

It was a bright and warm beautiful day in Sweet Apple acres. The sun's rays created a glistening shine over the red barn and the juicy red apples in the orchards, hardly any clouds were visible in the pristine blue sky. Applejack and the rest of the Apple family were doing their daily chores, each one taking care of a different task. Big Mac hauled away apple carts, Applejack bucked the trees, Apple bloom collected them and Granny Smith separated the good apples from the rotten ones.

The orange mare smiled, "Ah think that takes care of the South Orchard big Mac. Why don't ya get a plow over that area and start clearing some room for new crops?"

"Eeyup," the red stallion nodded and headed for the plow.

Apple bloom continued to bring the buckets to Granny Smith, that is, until she spotted something in the sky. The elderly Smith blinked curiously at Bloom's distracted gaze.

"What's wrong there Apple Bloom, did ya just think of another crazy, hair brained plan to get yur cutie mark?"

"It's that there in the sky granny. It looks like a Pegasus is headin toards Sweet Apple Acres," the little filly squinted her eyes to see. "But ah don't think its Rainbow Dash."

Applejack stopped suddenly upon hearing Apple Blooms words; she knew exactly who that was. The Earth pony remembered he was coming but she forgot to tell her family about him coming to help out with the chores. Mostly because AJ was worried what kind of reaction her family might give her over inviting a boy over, even if he was the one who insisted. She looked past her brown hat and saw Hopeful slowly flying towards the farm. Hopeful had a cheerful smile on his face, he raised a hoof and waved at Applejack; she shyly waved back.

"Hey sis, who is that pony; do ya know him from somewhere?" Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack motioned for Big Mac to gather with her and the others before answering her sister's question. The orange mare wasn't worried Hopeful would embarrass her or anything like that; she was more worried her family would embarrass her in front of the red Pegasus.

"Uh sorry bout this ya'll but ah kind of forgot to tell ya: ah met this pony at Pinkie's party a few days ago" Applejack explained.

Before the honest mare could even continue, her family responded in exactly the way she feared they would.

Apple Bloom beamed, "You met a pony and he's comin over? That is so cool!" The little filly hopped around AJ like a bouncing rabbit. "My sister finally has a special some pony, my sister finally has a special some pony."

"Well how do ya like that? My granddaughter finally met a nice feller, bout time if ya ask me" Granny Smith added.

Big Mac glared at the approaching Pegasus. The red stallion looked Hopeful from top to bottom; searching for any kind of reason to distrust the pony. He practically growled and acted like a bulldog fiercely defending its master. The orange mare slapped her face and shook her head. She knew this would happen, half of her family wants her to marry Hopeful and the other half wants to run him off the farm with a pitchfork.

"Now ya'll cut that out. Ah just met this pony so ah don't want any of you to be doing anythin or thinkin bout doing anythin til you get to know him" AJ instructed firmly.

Granny Smith and Bloom smiled and nodded to AJ's demand. Big Mac maintained his scowl and didn't respond to his sister; until she grabbed him by the chin and looked him dead in the eye.

"AH SAID, ya'll are going to keep an open mind before making any judgements; GOT IT?" Big Max gulped and nodded. AJ sighed and stepped back. "He said he wanted to help with the chores and even though ah said no, he insisted; so just let him help and that'll be that."

The Apple family turned to greet the dark haired Pegasus as he touched down. Hopeful smiled and approached the family, once again bowing and kissing AJ's hoof as he did at the party. AJ blushed slightly; still not getting used to that kind of treatment…especially not in front of her family. She could practically hear the death threats screaming inside her brother's mind.

"Hehe…n-n-nice to see ya again Hopeful; ah see your greetin style hasn't changed. Welcome to Sweet Apple acres, mah home" Applejack said nervously.

"It's a real honor to be here Applejack. You really do have a beautiful home, I could smell the apples from a mile away; I bet they're delicious!" Hopeful said.

"You'd win that bet partner; we all take real pride in our farmin and the quality of our apples. The business, the farm, all of it's been our family's way of life for generations" Applejack said with a nod.

The colt smiled warmly at that statement. "That's such a wonderful thing to hear, I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm real close to my family and we take our traditions and values very seriously." He briefly looked at the orange bow on his tail and smiled.

AJ could feel her heart grow warmer after hearing what Hopeful said. The orange mare represented the element of honesty, as such; she could usually tell when some pony was lying to her or not. Most ponies would say anything to get on a girl's good side just to make a good impression. But when Applejack listened to how important family was to Hopeful, she could tell his heart was sincere and that family was indeed very important to him.

"Allow me to introduce mah family; this is Granny Smith and Apple Bloom and-"

"Oh good grief, where are my manners? I should be introducing myself; I am the guest after all." Hopeful approached Granny Smith and Apple bloom; he took a bow and offered two pink roses to the young and old mares. "I'm Hopeful Romantic from the Heart family; it's a pleasure to meet both of you." He looked to AJ and then leaned in close to Granny and Bloom. "And might I add, I can tell now that being beautiful comes naturally to the women of the Apple family."

Bloom giggled and sheepishly turned red in the face upon accepting the rose. Granny giggled loudly and kissed Hopeful on the cheek, ruffling his slick black hair. The pony chuckled and quickly tried to smooth his hair back.

"My, my, such fine manners for a youngin. Ah can see yur mom and pop raised quite the gentlemen" Granny said happily.

"Absolutely ma'am, my mother always taught me that ladies deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and care. And my dad made it very clear that you never touch a mare unless she gives you 100% permission" Hopeful explained.

The orange mare couldn't believe how proper and sappy this guy was…and not one bit of it is an act. Ah knew he was friendly with females but ah didn't think he was this serious bout this whole Prince charming routine. AJ's thoughts were shaken when she saw Big Mac standing firmly in front of Hopeful. He intentionally looked as imposing and threatening as possible.

"Um h-h-h-hi there, and you are?" Hopeful gulped, his body was trembling.

Big Mac flared his nostrils. "Big Mac…her BIG brother," he extended his hoof to Hopeful's and crushed it like a toothpick. Hopeful winced as he pulled back a throbbing bruise instead of his hoof. "So you're here to help with the chores" Big Mac leaned in close, "Riiiiiiiight?"

Hopeful nodded.

"And that's ALL you're here to help with?" Mac insisted.

"Um I'm afraid I don't know what your-" Hopeful started to say.

Big Mac pressed his head against Hopeful's; causing him to shrink in fear. "Mah sister is OFF LIMITS, GOT THAT? Ah don't care what kind of squeaky clean act you're pullin here and ah don't trust it. You just try to help yourself to mah sister and ah swear; OW."

AJ violently yanked Mac's ear back as hard as she could. He squirmed and fumbled, anxiously shifting as his sister pulled him back like an immature child. Hopeful blinked in awe at seeing such a large colt being pulled so easily by his smaller sister.

"Ya'll need to excuse us, ah believe Big Mac here has a hearing problem. Ahm going to see if ah can clear things up for him inside" AJ said.

Granny and Bloom smiled at Hopeful's confused reaction. Apparently Applejack was stronger than Hopeful thought, or maybe it was just when certain lines were being crossed.

"Hey Mister Romantic," Hopeful looked down and spotted Apple Bloom curiously eying his cutie mark. "That's some fancy lookin cutie mark ya got there; ah don't think ah've ever seen one like it."

Granny chuckled, "You'll have to excuse Apple Bloom; she's been trying for what feels like an eternity to get her cutie mark. She and her friends even started their own cutie mark club."

The Pegasus chuckled and patted Bloom's hair. "Oh it's all right; I take it as a compliment."

"It kind of looks like its 3 cutie marks all stuck together. What does each one mean?" Bloom asked, tilting her head to the side.

Hopeful was about to answer the young filly but he stopped once he saw Applejack returning. He told her he'd explain his cutie mark later, Apple Bloom was a little disappointed but she understood. Big Mac stepped out hanging his head; like a dog after being scolded for making a mess. It seems Applejack 'straightened' her brother out, the red Pegasus however knew this wasn't a permanent solution. If he wants to get in AJ's good graces; then he definitely has to be on good terms with her family as well.

"All right, now that Hopeful is here, you can take a rest Granny Smith and let all of us take care of the remaining chores" Applejack instructed.

"Awe fiddlesticks! Ah may not be no spring chicken but ah can still do plenty to help round here, if ahm alive then that means ah can be helpful" Granny Smith protested.

AJ chuckled, "All right you can help clean up the kitchen if you really want to help out. Me and Apple Bloom will buck and collect the apples in the North orchard. Big Mac, why don't you and Hopeful plow the fields and plant the seeds? I reckon the two of ya working together will get it done faster than two shakes of a hog's tail."

Big Mac loathed the idea of having to work with Hopeful, but unless he wanted another good 'talking to' from his sister; he'd bite the bullet and work with him. The two sisters headed off into the North orchard while the two stallions approached the fields and the steel plow. Big Mac approached the steel plow but was cut off by Hopeful; he flew to Mac's eye level and shook his hooves.

"No wait, let me pull the plow. You've already done a lot of hard work today and I want to be helpful. Let me take a load off your back."

"Sigh…eeyup" Mac said, rolling his eyes.

The Pegasus ignored Mac's pessimism and remained positive he could win the Earth pony's trust by using the plow. Hopeful secured the plow line to his neck, positioned himself on the field line and flapped his wings as hard as he could. He pulled, tugged, yanked and flapped so hard he'd swear his wings were going to fly off on their own…but Hopeful could barely budge the plow. Mac painfully watched as Hopeful very slowly pulled the plow, inch by agonizing inch. It was like the plow was a 50 ton anvil being pulled at a snail's pace by a child, and the grunts and groans Hopeful made sounded like he was passing a kidney stone. Finally, Mac couldn't wait any longer. He walked up to Hopeful and yanked him out of the plow line.

"Look ah appreciates you trying but this just ain't going to work. You're not strong enough," Mac attached the line to his own neck and started to pull the plow. "Just sit back and watch, or plant the seeds behind me or somethin; ah don't care."

The Pegasus sighed and nodded. He knew he wasn't really cut out for all this physical farm work, but he made a promise to AJ he would do it and he intended to fulfill it. Hopeful spotted a cart full of seed bags. He picked one up and followed Big Mac's lead with the plow; dropping seed after seed into each marked area.

One hour later…

"Now we need to shovel dirt over the freshly planted seeds" the red Earth pony said.

Big Mac picked up a small shovel and placed it into Hopeful's hooves. The red Pegasus frowned at the child sized shovel, it was like Big Mac was treating him like a newborn foal. Hopeful dropped the shovel and hovered towards a larger one.

"Look, I get that you don't like me but you don't have to treat me like a child. I can handle a bigger shovel you know" Hopeful snapped.

Hopeful reached for a shovel with a dark brown pole with scrapes and dents by the helm of the shovel. Big Mac knew exactly which shovel the Pegasus had grabbed, he quickly tried to reach out and stop him. The Pegasus quickly raised the shovel above his head.

"No wait; not that one! The top isn't-"

SLICE!

The shovel blade flew off the pole and went right across Big Mac's head; slicing his orange hair style into a buzz cut. Hopeful stared wide eyed at his now "headless" shovel. He realized that Mac was trying to warn him that the shovel blade wasn't screwed on as tightly; it was an older shovel that had been thoroughly used and worn down.

Hopeful chuckled nervously, "Hehe….oops, my bad."

Mac was about to explode with unrelenting rage, veins pulsated around his neck. Hopeful could actually see Mac turning a darker shade of red. If he didn't get out of there soon, Big Mac was going to crumple the Pegasus up into a pretzel and punt him across Equestria like a hoof ball!

"I'm uh g-g-gonna go see how AJ and Apple Bloom are doing…heh…bye!" Hopeful said, darting off immediately.

Applejack slammed her powerful legs into the base of a tree, apples showered like red raindrops around the orange mare. Apple Bloom quickly ran to catch as many apples as she could with her basket.

"Hey ladies, how's the apple bucking going?"

The sisters turned to see Hopeful flying right towards them; he touched down softly and wiped his brow clean of sweat. Bloom smiled cheerfully at the friendly colt.

"Hey there Hopeful; it's going great! We got about half our work done so far. You wanna lend us a hoof?" Bloom asked cheerfully.

Hopeful bowed to them; raising a hoof like a professional gentlemen.

"Absolutely fair maidens; it'd be my pleasure to assist two beautiful damsels in their dire apple related crisis" he said in his most "princely" sounding voice.

The filly giggled at Hopeful's voice. AJ tossed a few more apples into Bloom's barrel and headed to the next tree, she looked back to Hopeful with curiosity in her emerald eyes.

"So lover boy; how'd the planting go with Big Mac?" the orange mare asked.

Hopeful gulped, "Oh uh yeah…that…well…let's just say that um Big Mac seems to have things under control." Applejack could clearly sense there was fear and hesitation in the colt's voice; did her big brother threaten Hopeful again? "I don't think he will need my help any longer."

"You sure you're okay partner? You're twitchier than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" Applejack curiously asked.

"I just think it'd be better for every pony if I helped you gals out" Hopeful explained.

"Well…all right if you say so; there's plenty trees left to buck" Applejack said, raising her eyebrows slowly.

The Pegasus thanked Celestia that AJ changed the subject. He knew AJ would find out he screwed up eventually, but he was hoping he could salvage this mess by succeeding with the apple bucking where he failed with Big Mac. Applejack demonstrated her technique; slamming her powerful hind legs into a tree. He was amazed at how powerful the orange mare was; making every thrust of force and power look like it was foal's play. A goofy grin and cherry red blush warmed Hopeful's cheeks as he thought about those lovely, powerful and curvaceous legs. The romantic stallion had always had a crippling weakness for girls with nice legs and this mare had the finest hind legs he'd ever laid his eyes on. His pink eyes shined vibrantly with reflected images of AJ kicking trees while her golden blond hair flapped side to side, it was downright hypnotizing.

"HEY, lover boy; wake up" Applejack's shout snapped Hopeful out of his love struck stupor. "Mind coming back to reality here and taking a crack at bucking apples, partner?"

He quickly shook his day dreaming moment off, he felt so foolish for staring at her like that. Hopeful quickly flew to the nearest tree and instantly focused on his task. The dark haired stallion looked up at the tree and swallowed, he felt like he was staring down the leg of a giant he had to topple. Being charming, witty and passionate where some of Hopeful's best attributes. Unfortunately; he knew none of them were even remotely useful when it came to physical labor. The fact the mare of his dreams and her sister were watching him only added to the paralyzing pressure. Still, Hopeful said he'd help Applejack out and he always keeps his word.

THWACK!

The Pegasus bucked the tree as hard as he could. AJ and Apple Bloom waited and watched for the apples to come crashing down, except nothing but leaves came falling down. Hopeful frowned and kicked again, even harder this time but still; nothing. He kicked again and again and refused to stop or let up until it worked.

"Look sugar cube; you can stop now. It's not a big deal if yah can't get the bucking right" Applejack explained.

Hopeful ignored AJ and continued kicking the trees.

"Come on now don't be stubborn just let me do the buckin," the orange mare approached Hopeful but he refused her help. "You can help through other ways." His face was looking increasingly fiercer and more determined; nothing AJ said or did was connecting with him. "Will ya please calm down? It's not the end of the world just cause the farmin life isn't for you."

The mare's words actually caused Hopeful to react this time, only instead of stopping; he tried a different tactic. Hopeful flew off the ground and aggressively slammed his whole body into the top of the tree branches.

THWACK!

The crashing sound was twice as loud when Hopeful kicked the tree, the apples almost instantly dropped and showered over Apple Bloom and her basket. He dropped out of the tree with a crashing thud. The poor Pegasus was wobbling side to side with a huge bump on his head, stars spun before his drooping eyes. The two mares gasped as they watched Hopeful slump onto the ground.

"Oh mah stars! Are you all right?" Applejack ran to the fallen colt and sat him up. Her emerald eyes shimmering with concern over her friend's disoriented state. AJ had heard Granny Smith mention that boys tend to do crazy things to impress mares but this was just too much, neither one of them could take much more of this. She cupped his cheeks with her hooves, "Now why in the wide world of Equestria would you do somethin crazy like that? You might've split yer noggin open like a melon."

Hopeful staggered to his hooves, "Nonsense; I feel just slime…uh I mean fine." The black haired Pegasus walked like he was inebriated, unable to say or do anything without shaking or wobbling. "Look, I got all these mangos down without any possums, now watch and log as I f-f-finish the r-r-rest." Apple bloom looked to her sister with fear filled eyes; both visibly concerned that Hopeful might injure himself again.

"Um I don't think that's a good idea mister," Apple Bloom said. The little filly slowly gathered up the fallen apples and tossed them into the bin.

"I can do this, REALLY I can, just watch me," the Pegasus shook his head and focused his blurry eyes on the next apple tree.

Hopeful flapped his wings and hovered in mid-air, preparing to launch himself like a rocket once more. AJ tried to stop him but Hopeful vanished in a rose colored blur before the orange mare could even snag her hooves around him. He crashed into another tree; creating the same apple showering he did before, and then proceeded to skull bash another tree and another and another. Hopeful rammed into 5 different trees headfirst and continued to feel skull splitting pain with each crash, but still he refused to give up; even after his vision became nothing but a foggy sea of swirling blurs of red apples and brown trees. AJ and Bloom's voices became nothing but static in his ears and getting weaker with each apple bucking. Eventually, Hopeful collapsed and dropped to the ground while attempting to buck his 9th apple tree. The Pegasus felt his world turn dark and distant, his eyelids growing heavy while his head felt numb and tingly.

"Get Big Mac over here right away Apple Bloom, and make sure he brings the wheel barrow. Hurry now!" That was the last thing Hopeful heard before he passed out completely.

SPLASH!

"GAH, I didn't eat all the chocolates; I swear!"

Hopeful's pink eyes flashed wide open; he jolted off the ground looked frantically looked around. The colt was surrounded by the Apple family. Applejack sighed in relief to see Hopeful was all right, Big Mac rolled his eyes as he placed the empty water bucket down next to Apple Bloom. The beefy stallion was clearly still pissed at his new "haircut," Apple Bloom couldn't help but giggle quietly at it. Granny Smith stood behind Hopeful; she had a soft smile on her wrinkly face; pleased and relieved to see the young boy hadn't been seriously injured.

"Ya'll gave this old mare a scare there youngin. When Applejack wheeled you back to the house," the green mare pointed to the blond mare. "I was worried somethin mighty nasty had happened to ya."

"Ugh, the last thing I remembered was a loud pounding in my head." The young colt rubbed his hoof along his hair, feeling a white bandage wrapped around his head. "I thought I could handle bucking the trees my way, but it looked like I bumped my head one too many times."

Granny Smith chuckled and slapped her knee. "Now that there is one wild idea you had sonny; looks liked it worked for a little while anyway, judgin by the haul." Hopeful turned his head to see several large bins stuffed to the brim with lush, juicy red apples. He must have been out for a while if they had time to pick him up, bring him back, tend to his wounds and then go back to get the rest of the apples.

Hopeful nervously chuckled, "Yeah it didn't exactly work how I thought it would; head butting is OW," he winced after touching the bandage; "A poor and very painful substitute for bucking." He turned to look at Applejack but found only a stern frown waiting for him. The orange mare was looking increasingly angry at him; he could practically taste the disappointment coming off her. "But at least everything worked out in the end, right?" he asked cheerfully.

BONK!

The Pegasus cried out in agonizing pain. He clutched his throbbing skull after Applejack had violently smacked it; the mare's siblings stared wide eyed at AJ's reaction.

"Are you out of yer DAMN MIND ya bucking blockhead!?" Applejack angrily shouted. "What in tar nation is wrong with you? Ah told ya to leave the bucking to me but like a certain sky diving filly ah know, ya'll thought scaring every pony to death was a better idea than listenin' to me."

"Hey," Apple Bloom flashed a snarl at her sister. "Ah wasn't the only crusader who tried that, we all thought it was a good idea at the time!"

"That is not the point right now Apple Bloom, the point is that ah was scared somethin' bad was gonna happen to you." Hopeful tried to reply but Applejack quickly jammed her hoof into his nose and silenced him. "Just like how ah KNEW somethin' bad would happen to you! You were out for a half hour, 30 whole minutes and ah had no idea if you'd be all right or not."

"But if you were so worried, why didn't you take me to a hospital?" Hopeful weakly asked.

"Because Granny Smith said it wasn't as bad as ah thought and ah trusted her wisdom" Applejack snapped back. She turned her head to Granny who nodded in affirmation. "You have no idea how lucky you are that yer bumps to the noggin weren't that serious. But now that yer up and able, ya'll can mosey on since yer help with the farm work is done."

Those words crushed Hopeful's heart like a hydraulic press, he felt his throat tighten and his eyes swell up with sorrow. Helping out on the farm was turning into a total disaster for the red Pegasus. Not only did Hopeful fail miserably at helping out with the chores, but now AJ was mad at him and wanted him off the farm, and based at the steaming look of anger brewing on her adorable freckled cheeks; she might never want to talk to him again! Hopeful shook his head frantically and pleadingly approached the orange mare.

"N-n-n-n-no, please, don't be mad. I swear I was just trying to help," Hopeful placed his hooves together in a begging fashion. "I just wanted to get a chance to know you and I thought I could do that by helping you with your chores, I'm just not used to farm work."

"That's mighty sweet of ya partner but ah just don't got time to be getting cozy with any colts right now." The orange mare pushed down Hopeful's hooves and sighed. "Thanks for the help but ah got a lot of work to do so; let's just leave it at that, okay?"

Applejack and Apple Bloom walked past Hopeful back to the farm. Granny and Big Mac followed but not before looking back at the sulking Pegasus, neither one saying how they truly felt about this. Granny felt sad seeing the spirited gentlemen reduced to such a blue and gloomy state; he could have been the potential pony that could give her granddaughter a lifetime of happiness if they got to know each other better. Big Mac however was all too pleased to see his sister set this "so-called romantic" straight, he grunted and returned his sight towards the farm.

"Wait, just give me another chance, I promise I won't screw it up this time," Hopeful called out to the Apple family. He waved his arms and wings around frantically. "I can do other things besides bucking apples, I can wash the floors, scrub the toilet, cook dinner; anything you want."

"Nope, nope and nope" Big Mac replied curtly.

If Hopeful blew this then the most beautiful mare he had ever laid his eyes on was going to literally walk out of his life and lock him out forever! He flapped his wings and soared up towards the top of the barn, Applejack and Big Mac stopped and turned to look up at Hopeful.

"Now what in the hey is he doing flyin around our barn?" the orange mare asked; irritated.

"See? I can be useful; I can fly and retile the barn roof or something. My wings make it super easy and it'd save you guys' trouble and time," the red Pegasus explained. "Or I could clean out the hay track for you; I wouldn't even need a ladder to-"

Something strange inside the barn's top floor caused the Pegasus to cease his rambling. Curious eyes looked inside the barn to get a closer look, he saw a dark purple blob that was curled around several hay blocks like a nest; there were eaten apple cores everywhere.

That's weird; they didn't mention any other relatives living on the farm. And even if there were, why would one of them be living IN the actual barn? Does Applejack even know this pony? Hopeful thought to himself, he floated closer inside to examine the shadowy figure.

"We all appreciate the offer Hopeful but really, you've helped out plenty" Applejack shouted to the flying stallion.

"Hey, um guys?" Hopeful replied nervously, "Do you by any chance have any weird relatives who like to sleep inside your barn? Cause if not, then I think you got a problem here."

The Apple family looked at each other in confusion; neither one of them had any clue who would be sleeping in their barn. Suddenly a crimson magical blast launched from the shadowy pony and struck Hopeful down. He crashed to the ground and cried out as his wings skidded across the earth, gravel and grass cluttered the colt's wings.

"HOPEFUL" Applejack screamed in horror. She ran to the fallen Pegasus as quickly as possible, the rest of her family followed her. Applejack clutched Hopeful's head in her hooves as tears started to run down her cheeks. "Come on sugar cube, tell me your all right; ah don't think ah can go through all this again."

Apple Bloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith watched the orange mare tend to the fallen flyer. Granny clutched Bloom to her chest and compelled her to look away; fearful of the worst. Hopeful's eyes flashed open in seconds; they appeared to be a mix of green and red colors instead of his usual pink.

"No, no, NOOOOOO! Wild Heart I'm sorry; I'm so, so, sorry I wasn't there," Hopeful screamed. He began thrashing wildly and trying to cover his face with his wings, eyes filled with unfathomable fear and sadness. "Please, it's not my fault; you have to forgive me Wild Heart, PLEASE."

"What's he talkin about Applejack, is he talkin about the pony in the barn?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Ah don't know, ah j-j-just don't know. He looks like he isn't even lookin at me," Applejack stuttered. She noticed right away that Hopeful's eyes were pointed at the sky, as if he was seeing some pony that wasn't even there. "Ah think he's in some kinda trance or somethin, he doesn't seem to see any of us or even know where he is right now. Who knows what he's seeing or talkin about."

The shadowy pony leapt from the hay rack and landed in front of the Apple family, he used his magic to slow down his descent. The Apple family turned their attention away from Hopeful towards his attacker. It was a dark purple unicorn, silver chrome eyes, dark spiky green hair and a fiery red magic aura. The unicorn's cutie mark resembled an ordinary full moon but with a very distinct and disturbing difference. The base of the moon featured a snarling skull like face, as if the moon itself was a skull face, featuring razor sharp animal fangs instead of normal teeth. No one recognized the unicorn but were all certain of one thing: he was going to pay for hurting Hopeful.

"I'm sorry but I had no choice, you need to just forget you ever saw me and keep this to your selves. They'll be looking for me soon enough and I still have much to do," Moonstruck said. He looked solemnly to Applejack holding the squirming red Pegasus, her emerald eyes boiled with rage and wrath.

"Ya'll ain't going anywhere, how DARE you hurt mah friend like that" Applejack said. "Big Mac, what's say we teach this freaky freeloader a lesson or two?"

"Eeyup" Big Mac answered with a fierce snort, he pumped his hooves like a bull; preparing to charge.

"No, wait! This is all just a big misunderstanding, I can explain everything but you have to let me go first." Moonstruck's words fell on deaf ears. Big Mac and Applejack charged towards the unicorn, preparing to unleash all of their muscle and anger on him for blasting their friend. The unicorn shook his head frantically, "I never wanted to hurt anyone, honest, but if you're not going to stop then I'm afraid you leave me with no other choice. Please forgive me."

Moonstruck bowed his head and blasted a red beam at the 2 charging ponies; Big Mac gasped and quickly shoved his sister out of the way of the blast. The beam struck Big Mac and his eyes flashed green and red; just like Hopeful's did. The red stallion looked at Moonstruck with his cursed eyes and screamed in horror; he jammed his hooves into the ground and skidded to a halt.

"NOOOOO, SOME PONY HELP! IT'S A CRAGADILE, THE CRAGADILE IS AFTER ME" Big Mac shouted. He dropped to his knees and covered his eyes with his hooves.

"Big Mac, what are you talking about?" AJ asked. She looked to her brother with confusion, unable to see any Cragadile anywhere. The only thing Applejack could see was Moonstruck running away. She nervously looked back and forth between Moonstruck and Big Mac, unable to make a decision. "Ah'm sorry big brother but ah can't let that varmint escape, ah promise ah will be back soon as ah get'em."

Applejack left Big Mac and raced after Moonstruck at full speed. She felt bad leaving her brother cowering like a foal, but she knew Granny and Bloom would be there to take care of him while she settled this. Moonstruck looked back and gasped seeing Applejack was hot on his tail. He hated having to harm these friendly farm ponies but he had no choice, if they catch him and find out he's an escaped criminal from Tartarus; he'll be thrown back into that Hell hole for the rest of his life.

"I can't keep this up. Hiding in the barn gave me time to recharge my magic but I'm going to expel all of it at this rate, I need more time." Moonstruck bit his lip and tried to force his horn to generate more magic, he felt his horn glow bright red and fizzle out. The white wing like bone pattern on his back glowed and he felt a surge of pain throughout his body. "What is with this weird ass hex, it's like it's blocking my magic from-"

"Gotcha ya stinking rat" Applejack shouted as she tackled Moonstruck to the ground, cutting him off before he could finish. The ponies rolled in a struggling ball of punches and kicks. Moonstruck yelped as the blond mare sat on top of his chest and pinned him to the ground, she panted heavily. "No pony messes with mah friends and family and gets away with it, no pony."

"You don't understand what you're doing, I had to hide here or else they were going to find me and take me back." Moonstruck's eyes widened with terror at the thought of going back to Tartarus. "PLEASE don't let them take me back, I'm innocent I swear."

"Ya'll ain't making a lick of sense, and frankly, ah'm too ticked off to give a flying buck about whatever nonsense yer going on about" Applejack said. She raised a hoof, preparing to slug the unicorn unconscious.

"Wait, wait, you can't do this" Moonstruck said, wiggling his hooves frantically. "Please let me go, I promise your friend and brother will be just fine. It's a temporary spell. In a few minutes they'll be back to normal, now please, you HAVE to let me go."

Applejack tilted her head at Moonstruck, frowning. "Let some snake wiggle his way out after hidin in our barn, stealin our hard earned apples and then assaultin mah friends and family? Not a chance," she grabbed Moonstruck by the throat and yanked him up. "Ah'm draggin your sorry behind back to the farm so you can tell us everything."

"Then please forgive me for what I must do," Moonstruck said with a sigh.

The purple unicorn blasted Applejack's face with his fear spell at point blank range. AJ closed her eyes shut due to the red light; she slowly opened them up and saw a completely different creature in Moonstruck's place. She saw a walking, snarling pile of logs, branches and wood fragments in the form of a ferocious wolf. The creature had glowing, neon green eyes, yellow jagged fangs, two pointed stick like antlers and breath so fowl; it would strip paint.

"AHHH TIMBERWOLF" the mare shrieked out loud.

Moonstruck felt awful for doing this to such a friendly and kind mare, the pain was written all over his face. He quickly turned and ran off before Applejack or anyone else snapped out of their fear trances. Applejack scooted backwards in fear of the phantom Timber wolf, her eyes glowing red and green just like the others. Unfortunately, the orange mare hadn't realized how far she had chased Moonstruck. The two ponies ended up near a small cliff which lead to a river, a river filled with jagged rocks. Applejack was slowly inching back towards the edge of the cliff, too terrified by the illusion to realize how close her rump was to the edge.

"Some pony help; he's gonna eat me! Any pony, please, HELP" AJ shouted.

Suddenly the Timber wolf vanished like a mirage; the mare saw nothing but clear skies and an empty landscape. No sign of Moonstruck anywhere. Applejack blinked and slowly tried to stand up, but she found her hind legs struggling to find a stable piece of land. The mare turned around and gasped, she just realized she was right by the cliff's edge.

"Oh dang, oh dang, oh dang" Applejack said, her voice getting louder and more fearful.

The pony slipped off the edge and began plummeting straight down to the river, eyes shimmering with images of jagged rocks waiting to impale her body in a bloody, mangled mess. Applejack screamed out with every bit of breath in her lungs. The sound echoed and carried all the way back to the farm where Hopeful and her family were, still under the fear spell of Moonstruck.

"Wait a minute…that voice…I know that voice" Hopeful said groggily. His eyes were slowly returning to their natural color, the spell was fading away. Applejack's scream banished the dark magic clouding his mind and returned the Pegasus to his normal state. "That's Applejack…and she's…SHE'S IN TROUBLE!"

Wings of rose red flapped into action; catapulting Hopeful into the sky like a scarlet missile. Nothing would stop him from reaching the girl of his dreams in time. He soared towards the sound of Applejack's scream and dove down to catch the falling mare, his heart racing with adrenaline and fear. If Hopeful missed, then she'd fall to her death and he'd be forever haunted by yet another life he failed to save. The shape of Applejack's body came into view; Hopeful pushed himself even harder and flew directly under the Earth pony's form.

"I gotcha…I gotcha…I gotcha" Hopeful repeated nervously. Applejack slammed into Hopeful's arms like a sack of potatoes, the Pegasus grunted and briefly descended due to the extra weight. "I GOTCHA" he cheered proudly. Hopeful stabilized his flight stance with Applejack, slowly rising back up to the edge. "It's okay fair maiden; you're safe. You can open your eyes now."

Applejack was stunned to hear that soft and familiar voice. She was so terrified during her fall that she hadn't realized she stopped so suddenly, her eyes slowly opened and looked towards the face of her soaring savior.

"H-h-h-hopeful, is that you?" the mare weakly asked.

"Sorry I got here so late," Hopeful said with a small chuckle. "I tried to get here as fast as I could; I just hope you didn't hit anything on the way down. Do you feel okay?"

The blond mare was the strongest of her 6 friends, in fact, aside from Big Mac; she was the strongest pony in all of Ponyville. But for the first time in a long time; Applejack felt weak all over. Her emerald eyes shined like diamonds with the fiery red color and shape of Hopeful's body. She originally thought Hopeful didn't have much strength after having trouble with all the farm equipment. Yet here he is, holding her like a baby with hardly a strain in his voice or a sweat upon his brow. While she and Big Mac suffered from the crippling magic of Moonstruck's fear beam, Hopeful broke through it once he heard her voice. He soared to her aid without a moment's notice and saved her from certain death. This nervous, bumbling, sweet little Pegasus just transformed before her very eyes into her knight in shining armor.

"Ah…ah…don't believe it. You saved mah life, ah thought I was a goner for sure" Applejack said.

"Not on my watch fair maiden" Hopeful said, giving her a charming smile and a wink.

"Your mah hero!" Applejack beamed. She wrapped her hooves around him and tightly embraced him, nuzzling her freckled cheeks against his.

Hopeful's face turned dark red with blushes almost instantly, his pink eyes flashed into a pair of pink hearts. The colt felt his heart and mind simultaneously explode with fireworks of wonder and delight. That one hug turned his whole world upside down and made every mistake he made today worthwhile. Hopeful's wings slowly stopped; the shock of Applejack's warm embrace causing him to lose concentration. The two ponies momentarily plummeted down towards the river. The Pegasus quickly came back to reality and rapidly flapped his wings in order to regain his altitude.

"Oops…sorry about that I guess I just hehe…got a little excited" Hopeful said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

The orange mare frowned and just looked at Hopeful silently until he landed. Once Hopeful was back on the ground, Applejack hopped out of his arms.

"Yeah…ah noticed that," Applejack said dryly. "Ah appreciate the rescue partner; ah do, but maybe next time you could not drop the pony yer tryin to save?"

"Yeah that sounds like a good idea" Hopeful said with a weak laugh.

The ponies heard the sound of hoof steps approaching; they turned to see the rest of the Apple family walking towards them. Applejack saw her big brother was back to his usual self, just like Moonstruck said he would be. Still, the orange mare didn't like the idea of that creepy unicorn walking around town and casting fear spells on people. She still didn't know what he was talking about when she caught him.

"Ah think ah'll check with my family and then head on into town. Some pony has to warn others about that freaky unicorn we ran into, can't let him go runnin hog wild with that fear spell of his." Applejack nodded to Hopeful and started walking towards her family, she stopped when she felt Hopeful tugging on her tail.

"Hang on, I'll go with you. Together we could find him a lot-" Applejack quickly stopped Hopeful with her hoof.

"Like ah said before Hopeful, you've done plenty today and ah really do mean that." Hopeful sighed and looked to the ground disappointed, releasing her tail. "Aw don't take it like that sugar cube. You're a fine stallion that any mare would be lucky to have, ah just don't think ah'm that mare. Ah think were too different and we want different things. You understand, right?"

Hopeful tried to remain cheerful but his sulking heart weighed his optimism down like a ton of bricks. Still, the pony forced a smile and nodded to Applejack and she seemed to be satisfied with that. The orange mare trotted off into town after talking to her family. The sulking red Pegasus felt like he went from zero to hero to back to zero again; all in the course of one day. Everything Applejack said to him makes sense, and yet, it didn't make the pain of rejection hurt any less.

"I guess I was a fool to think this was going to work. After all", Hopeful rested his chin onto one of his hooves. His sorrow filled gaze looming over the cliff he rescued the girl of his dreams from. "What could a screw up like me offer such a gorgeous girl with a big heart like her?"

"A lot more than you think," a voice from behind said.

The Pegasus turned around to see Big Mac standing behind him. He couldn't believe the huge red stallion was actually talking to him, and paying him a compliment to boot! Hopeful shook his head and scratched his ears.

"Um I'm sorry but, did you actually say something…nice…to me?" Hopeful asked softly.

"Eeyup, ah sure did and ah meant it too" Big Mac replied.

"B-b-b-but you hate me; you didn't want me lending a hoof with the chores OR going near Applejack. You wanted me out before Applejack did, why the sudden change of heart?" Before Big Mac could reply, Hopeful looked down and pouted. "Oh what does it matter? Applejack wants nothing to do with me and frankly, I don't blame her. I'm a weak little screw up who can't even plant apple seeds without messing up."

The big red stallion placed his hooves on Hopeful's shoulders and picked the Pegasus up onto his hooves. Hopeful looked to Big Mac with woeful eyes, feeling too defeated and depressed to curb the colt's ill-fated attempts at cheering him up.

"We've been farming since we were foals and it's unreasonable for any pony to expect to get it right on the first try. You did yer best and that's what matters, and believe it or not, Applejack did see that." Hopeful looked to Big Mac curiously after he said that. "Mah sister is strong enough to defend herself from any creep who wants to get fresh with her, still, ah feel as her big brother it is mah job to protect her. I'm stubborn like that, but then again so is she. Sis doesn't like admitting she needs something, even when every pony knows she needs it."

"So what's your point?" Hopeful asked.

"Mah point is you risked yer life to save mah sister when none of us could do anything to help. Ya might think any pony would have done the same thing were they in your hooves, but you broke free from that weirdo's magic because of yer strong feelings for mah sister." Big Mac smiled and shook Hopeful's hoof. "And that makes you one very special pony in my book, Applejack's too. You didn't let anything or anyone stop you from caring for mah sis and she needs a pony like you in her life, she just doesn't know it yet."

"But she's made it clear she's not interested" Hopeful insisted.

"Give her time and keep at it Hopeful. You already got the pie cooking in the oven, now you just need to let it cook for a while and keep checking on it to make sure it comes out just right. Trust me mah friend," Big Mac winked and headed back to the farm with the apple family.

A slow smile formed on Hopeful's lips, he could feel his confidence and hopes restoring little by little. Hopeful stood up; tall and proud and more determined than ever. He looked over his shoulder at Big Mac and uttered two simple but very heartfelt words.

"Thank you."

To be continued…

This turned out much longer than I thought but I'm really proud with how it came out. We finally learned some more about Hopeful Romantic AND Moonstruck and his story are about to get a lot more exposure. Next up: Spike and Rarity get their turn in the chapter spotlight. Reviews are LOVED, feel free to leave one if you feel kind and opinionated enough to do so, bye for now!

7. Out of Place

Chapter 7: Out of Place

Spike sighed with great relief as he FINALLY finished his chores with Twilight. The little dragon exited the library; closing the door behind him.

"Boy, being Twilight's number one assistant sure isn't easy. I don't think my claws can handle another reorganizing like that."

He looked down at his throbbing purple claws. But despite his claws being sore, Spike was finished with his chores and that meant he was finally free to do what he always loved doing: visiting Rarity. Spike smiled brightly and began happily heading towards Rarity's boutique.

"This is great. I still got plenty of time to go ask Rarity about that pastry I made for her. I really hope she liked it, awe what am I saying; of course she'll like it! In fact, I bet she-"

Spike suddenly stopped; his words and thoughts were interrupted by the familiar words of a certain Alicorn princess.

"And we can't waste time while you try to indulge your little crush."

It was amazing how that one sentence could bring Spike's mood down into the depths of despair. He felt all his cheerfulness and enthusiasm melting away like an ice cream cone in the summer heat, Spike shook his head.

"Why does Twilight always have to do that? Why can't she just support my feelings? Hasn't she ever felt love like this?" Spike suddenly realized what he just said. "No….actually no she hasn't. I've been with her my whole life and I don't think she's ever had a crush, much less fallen in love."

The young dragon started walking into town; still heavily focused on Twilight's non-existent love life. Sure, there was that Flash Sentry guard back in Canterlot, but neither of them ever made a move or said anything to one another. Twilight has always been too focused on her studies, which is why she never had any friends in the first place other than yours truly, and her brother. If it took Twilight this long to make friends, who knows how long it'll be until she finds her special some pony…IF she ever does. Spike continued to walk aimlessly while he puzzled over Twilight.

"Maybe if Twilight actually knew what love was, maybe she'd understand my feelings better. I know she said she has no time for dating, but she also said she had no time for friends and look how well that turned out. If only I could find some pony as weird and neurotic as Twilight," he closed his eyes and laughed at that thought. "Yeah, like that'll ever happen."

Spike bumped into the purple colored chest of a stallion, he shook his head and looked up to see a unicorn with green hair and chrome colored eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. I guess I was just kind of day dreaming and I didn't see you there."

Moonstruck smiled casually, "No need to apologize; I was in a hurry and I wasn't looking where I was going either."

"You must be new here, my name is Spike and it's nice to meet you."

"Same here Spike," Moonstruck nervously looked around while shaking Spike's claw. "N-n-n-not to sound rude or anything buuuuuuut, I'm kind of looking for some pony and I need to see her right away. It's Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"Well today is your lucky day my friend, I'm Princess Twilight's number one assistant and I'd be happy to take you-"

"NO, no, no! That's okay, you don't need to take me," Spike looked at Moonstruck curiously. "I uh…kind of need to see her about a…personal matter; it's something only she can help me with."

"Oooookay, I'll just point you in the right direction then I guess."

Moonstruck sighed with relief, the last thing he needed was a dragon assistant hanging around. He wasn't sure if there would be any "problems" in securing Twilight's help, but if things did get dicey, the fewer ponies…or in this case dragons he had to deal with; the better. Spike pointed towards the library and explained how to get there as quickly as possible. Even though this pony was a stranger, Ponyville was a peaceful place and Spike knew Twilight was powerful enough to handle any pony who tried anything shady.

"Thanks oh and by the way, you don't know if Twilight has any other visitors scheduled to meet with today do you? You know like, royal ponies or guests or something?"

Spike almost laughed at Moonstruck's question. "Are you kidding me? Twilight's a princess but she doesn't care about all that fancy, protocol, royal stuff one little bit. You want to talk to her then just go up and talk to her, she's nice like that."

The dragon's words brought a warm smile to Moonstruck's face. Sure, he mainly asked to make sure no pony else would bother his time with Twilight in case any pony recognized him as an escaped convict; but hearing more about Twilight's friendly demeanor made him happy for some reason. Ever since he had been locked away, Moonstruck always feared the Princesses and figured they were too high and mighty and intimidating to approach. Observing Twilight from outside a window and meeting her in person are two very different experiences, hearing Spike's words actually calmed the colt down about talking to the princess.

"Thanks Spike, I really appreciate the help."

The dragon smiled and nodded to the unicorn, he started heading towards Twilight's library home.

I REALLY hope that dragon and that unicorn don't hook up.

"Ugh brain, why would you say such a thing?"

Are you kidding me? They would have like the ugliest babies in the world!

"Shut your trap, brain! I think it's great a dragon can love a pony, I wish him nothing but the best of luck."

You're the only one who needs luck buddy. Just because her dragon butler isn't around; doesn't mean it's going to make things that much easier. She doesn't know you at all.

"Hopefully this curse will interest her enough to look into it anyway. Besides, every pony is friendly around here; if I act the same way then maybe she'll see it as helping out a potential new friend."

Yeah cause EVERY pony wants to be friends with a pervert who stares at girls asses outside of windows.

"Watch it brain, I'm warning you."

Just try to reframe from sniffing her hair or staring at her hooves for a really long time, all right? Chicks don't dig creepy stuff like that.

"I do NOT want to do any of that stuff!"

That's not what the naughty section of your mind says. Seriously, I'm practically covered in filth from all these dirty thoughts of yours rolling around.

"I SAID SHUT UP YOU SICK LITTLE-"

Moonstruck stopped speaking as he realized he was talking out loud AND being noticed by several ponies; as well as Spike. The unicorn apparently didn't walk as far as he thought he had if Spike could still hear and see him.

The dragon scratched his head in confusion. "Um…who exactly are you talking to?"

Moonstruck nervously laughed, "Ummmm….my…brain."

The unicorn quickly ran off before Spike or any pony else could ask him any further questions. An awkward silence settled. Eventually, the other ponies just shrugged off the weird event and went about their business; Spike did the same.

"That…was weird, that was even weirder than something Pinkie Pie would do."

A pair of hooves covered Spike's emerald green eyes from behind, he froze in place. The young dragon didn't get a chance to see the color of the hooves before they wrapped around his eyes. A voice whispered in his ears.

"Take a wild guess partner…"

The voice was low, sweet and had traces of what sounded like a country twang. This voice didn't belong to Applejack though and it didn't sound like any of her relatives either. Spike sniffed the air and suddenly his cheeks became warm with cherry red blushes, he knew exactly who it was.

"Heh nice try Rarity but I know it's you."

The hooves lifted from Spike's head; Rarity pouted cutely at being found out so easily. The white unicorn stood in front of Spike with a coy smile on her lips.

"I thought I had you for sure with that phony accent."

Spike chuckled, "Nah no way; that's the same accent you used when you were trying to be more country to impress Trender." The dragon immediately stopped himself from mentioning Rarity's former crush. A sour frown appeared on Rarity's lips. "F-f-f-forget I said anything, actually, it wasn't just the voice you know, I uh knew it was you without even hearing you speak."

The Fashionista wasn't exactly impressed with Spike's attempt to hide his mentioning of Trender hoof. Though she parted on good terms with him, Rarity still had a shred of sadness lingering in her heart over Trender hoof fawning over Applejack instead of her; especially since SHE was the one who had a crush on him. It was a painful reminder that she was still without a stallion to call her own and the incident with Slick Charmer only added more salt to her wounds. Rarity raised an irritated eyebrow to Spike's nervous smile.

"Oh really, you don't say" Rarity said dryly. "Well then Spike; since you know me so well perhaps you could illuminate on just how you deduced it was me." She knew she was being snippy to Spike, but her track record with colts had been weighing heavily on her mind lately and it had left her a tad bitter.

"Well, for starters I noticed a hint of lavender and creamy vanilla on your hooves. You always have that kind of hoof wash in your bathrooms and I know that's expensive because you mentioned last Hearth Warming's Eve that it 'smelled sweeter than all the roses in Canterlot's garden and is totally worth the price'. And since it's expensive; I figured there aren't a lot of ponies who would have it on their hooves so I know it's not a common smell. Then, I detected the faint scent of Victoria Saddle's: Love is Celestial; that's your favorite perfume. You always spray it in two specific spots, once on your neck and the other at the tip at the front of your mane. You're the only pony I know that wears it in those 2 specific areas; add that with the fake country accent and it left me with no other conclusion that it must be you."

Rarity was speechless; all of her crankiness had drained away and was replaced with shock and awe. Spike bit his scaly lip nervously, did he just break Rarity? She didn't say a word or move a muscle except for blinking.

"Um, did I say something wrong?"

"Spike…you really noticed all of that? I just c-c-can't believe it; you remembered all of those things about me?"

Spike slowly nodded.

"I mean the hoof soap is one thing, but the perfume, the exact name and scent AND exactly where I spray it? Not even Sweetie Bell notices little things like that."

"Of course I notice them! They're things you love and if it's important to you," Spike looked down sheepishly and kicked his feet softly. "Then…they're important to me."

Rarity didn't know what to say; she felt so touched by Spike's dedication to her. She's been on a number of dates lately and not ONE of those stallions ever once picked up on things like that. It was like Rarity's spirit was an open book and Spike was the only one who took the time to read and memorize it. The unicorn embraced her dragon friend in a heartfelt hug; she cooed softly and nuzzled those adorable green spikes of his.

"Oh Spikey Wikey, you are just so terribly sweet."

Spike turned beat red inside the white unicorn's embrace, his green eyes turning into thumping pink hearts. He could feel his body turning to jelly in Rarity's hooves.

"If this is a dream, please, don't wake me up" Spike whispered.

Rarity looked down at Spike, "What was that dear?"

Spike gasped and quickly laughed it off. He returned the hug and smiled as he looked into Rarity's luminous, diamond blue eyes. Those eyes had always sparkled inside Spike's dreams but they never shined quite as beautifully as they did when he saw them in real life. The two separated and Spike was quite pleased to see Rarity smiling once again.

"So what I can do you for Rarity?"

"Actually darling, I wanted to thank you in person for that simply divine pastry treat you made for me."

Hearing those words brought the warmest of feelings to Spike's young heart, he felt joy filling him up inside. Rarity magically lifted the box with the pastry in front of the two of them. The box opened to reveal a pastry carved and shaped exactly like Rarity; a small bite mark had removed the purple mane frosting and unicorn horn. The dragon's green eyes flashed with vivid memories upon seeing his creamy creation once more.

"It took me HOURS to get the shape right. Pinkie Pie was kind enough to help me no matter how many times I asked; I wouldn't have gotten the size and curves right if it wasn't for her." Spike laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I was so worried about it looking like a foal made it; I wanted it to look perfect."

"Well you did a marvelous job Spikey Wikey and might I add", she paused to magically lift a scoop of the tail frosting to her lips. "It tastes just divine; like grape swirl and butter frosting mixed with vanilla oats."

Spike nodded, "Just like your favorite ice cream. I remember you couldn't get enough of it when you felt blue about the puppet show thing."

The unicorn smiled softly and felt a slight tinge of pink upon her cheeks.

He really does pay attention to the little things.

The dragon frowned slightly; Rarity blinked and nuzzled the dragon's cheeks with a small nudge. What could be troubling him all of the sudden?

"Is something wrong darling?"

"Well it's just…if you liked it so much then, why didn't you eat the rest of it? It looks like you barely touched it."

The seamstress smiled and giggled cutely at Spike's adorable confused face.

"Well there's a very simple reason for that sweetie", she turned and began walking away with the pastry. "A treat of such delicious divinity needs to be shared with a dear friend, wouldn't you agree?"

Spike's smile widened at Rarity's charming words, he shot off like a rocket after the pony of his dreams.

"Holy guacamole, you bet I do!"

Rarity decided to take Spike to a café she suggested; it was a bit more upscale and "fancy looking" than Spike expected; especially for just eating a simple pastry. Spike felt like he needed a suit just to sit down at a table. But the dragon always knew Rarity had expensive tastes, so eating such a simple treat at such an upscale place wasn't too surprising. He quickly pulled out Rarity's seat for her before sitting down himself; always her little gentle colt. Rarity was always impressed with Spike's charming manners, such devotion and attention to detail; it warmed her cheeks to the rosiest shade of baby pink.

"Gee Rarity; this sure is a nice place."

"Oh I absolutely LOVE coming here; they serve the best drinks and treats here." Rarity looked around the café, leaning against her chair. "Not quite as upscale as Canterlot but it's the closest thing in Ponyville."

"But if you liked my pastry so much then why are you eating it here?"

The unicorn sighed softly and bit her lip; looking like she was guilty of something naughty. Spike's curiosity intensified as he watched her look away.

"I…I have to confess something Spike." Rarity returned her gaze towards Spike, "When I first saw your gift, I was deeply flattered you chose me for its inspiration. But I was…well… a bit concerned about its taste after-"

"After that disgusting pie I made?"

Rarity blinked in surprise at Spike's brutal honesty about his disastrous first outing at pastry making, it was when he was serving a life debt to Applejack. She remembered how ghastly it looked AND tasted when Spike brought it to her, but she choked it down to avoid hurting his feelings. The dragon smiled and shook his claw at Rarity.

"It's all right, I know it was terrible."

"Really? But you were so eager for me to try it."

"Well at the time I didn't know it was terrible. I was too wrapped up with pleasing Applejack and wanting you to try it; that I didn't stop to think if it tasted good or not. But I was thinking back on that day and now I can't believe I forced you to eat that…that…toxic waste!"

Rarity giggled at that remark.

"Oh come now; you didn't force me at all Spike."

"I guilt tripped that pie right down your throat, I'm sorry for that and I totally get why you were worried about trying this. I worked extra hard to make sure I made something you'd actually enjoy and not have to choke down."

Rarity extended a hoof to Spike's claws and smiled warmly to him. Though his pie was abysmal to say the least, his heart and generosity were in the right place; just as they are now. Spike felt all his troubles instantly vanish upon feeling that soft, delicate hoof touch his claw.

"I truly am touched by your sweet gesture Spikey Wikey; I can tell you put a lot of care into this delicious cake. And to answer your question, I wanted to eat your pastry here so that I could give you something sweet as well."

A grey Earth pony waiter approached the table; he had light blue hair and a white vest with a red tie. He placed down two drinks and a small plate full of blue gemstones. Rarity magically removed the pastry from the box onto a plate and then sprinkled the blue gemstones over the pastry's "cutie mark." Spike's eyes widened eyes as he watched those delicious gems land over the creamy surface of the cake. Rarity lifted a knife up and sliced the cake in half, giving herself the front half and the back half with the gems to Spike.

"What better way to enjoy a diamond cutie mark than with actual gemstones on it."

Rarity grinned seeing Spike's excited face, now they could both enjoy this treat together. She couldn't imagine enjoying such a lovely gift without offering her own in return.

Spike picked up a knife and fork; practically drooling. "Oh boy; thanks Rarity! I was hoping to try the pastry out myself but your idea just made it even better."

"Thank you Spikey-poo."

"Man, those gemstones look incredible. I can't wait to eat that rump!"

Both Spike and Rarity instantly became silent, their cheeks burning bright red with blushes. The young dragon couldn't believe he actually just said that! Even if this was just a cake of Rarity, it's still Rarity's rump he's talking about munching on.

Rarity slowly sipped her tea and closed her eyes, "Let us never speak of this again."

"Y-y-y-yeah…good idea," Spike nodded nervously.

After getting past that initial bit of awkwardness, the two enjoyed their cake and company without fail. Spike can't remember the last time he got to be alone with Rarity like this. And while this wasn't exactly the kind of "date" Spike had envisioned; he wouldn't trade this time with Rarity for all the gemstones in the world. In any other town, the sight of a pony sitting down for a meal with a dragon might cause panic or at least some confusion. Ponyville had always been welcoming of Spike ever since Twilight first brought him here. This was the one place where Spike truly felt like he was welcomed and loved, even more so than when he lived in Canterlot. The young dragon felt no different than any other pony, like he had fur and hooves just like every pony else; despite the fact he breathed fire, had scales and ate gemstones.

"Oh sweet Celestia", Rarity fanned herself lightly. She licked her lips and beamed at the wondrous taste of the pastry still lingering in her taste buds. "That was simply divine! If you could get a cutie mark Spike, I have absolutely no doubt you would earn one in cooking."

Spike laughed bashfully at Rarity, "Ah go on; I'm not THAT good. Princess Celestia always told Twilight that when your creating something for some pony, always make sure you know what that pony likes; kind of like art. Knowing who your audience is really helps."

"My, my Spikey Wikey; what a wise little mind you have there." Rarity was genuinely impressed; she never knew Spike was so perceptive. She knew Twilight was Celestia's student but never realized just how much Spike had soaked up from their lessons. "You've certainly grown since you first came to Ponyville."

That was the greatest compliment Rarity could have given Spike. He looked down before locking eyes with Rarity once more, a small smile spreading across his lips. "Gee…thanks Rarity, I'd like to think I've grown a lot but it really means a lot to hear some pony actually say it." He placed his claws against his cheeks and blushed, "Especially you."

Rarity blushed at Spike's kind words and returned his sweet, sincere smile. The waiter came with the bill, Spike reached for it but Rarity quickly pulled it out of his reach with her magic. The unicorn strongly insisted she pay for the gemstones since she had Spike to thank for this lovely little outing. After a few protests, Spike eventually caved and saved his bits. Rarity paid the waiter handsomely and trotted out of the café with Spike.

Spike poked Rarity's side and looked to her with pleading eyes. "Come on Rarity, you've got to let me do something for you. I can't just let you pay for the meal without me paying you back."

"Nonsense, the pastry was more than enough. You don't owe me a thing darling." Rarity stopped and looked around town. "Now then I need to find Fluttershy. I'm designing a new line of fashion with animal themes and she said she could get me some beautiful bird feathers to use for one of the outfits."

The dragon rushed in front of Rarity, grabbing her attention. "Let ME find Fluttershy, you can go relax and go shopping or whatever you like. It's the least I can do."

Rarity was surprised at Spike's sudden clinginess; even the young dragon knew he was sounding and acting desperate. The fact is that Spike didn't want his time to end with Rarity and was willing to do anything just to spend a little more time with her. It's so rare he can enjoy alone time with Rarity.

Rarity sighed in defeat. "Very well Spike, I guess a little shopping could prove fruitful while you look for Fluttershy. She said she'd be going grocery shopping around this time so I know she's around here somewhere."

"My pleasure my lady" Spike said with a bow. Rarity couldn't help but chuckle at Spike's commendable dedication to treating her like a lady; it was simultaneously charming and adorable.

The dragon quickly went on his way to locate the yellow Pegasus while Rarity busied herself. He called out her name, looking from stand to stand; trying to spot her familiar pink mane or yellow wings. Spike got further and further away from Rarity the longer he looked.

"Excuse me."

A hoof tapped the dragon's shoulder from behind; Spike turned around to see who was trying to get his attention.

WHAM!

Spike fell to the ground from the crushing force of a hoof smashing into his face; he grunted and clutched his throbbing purple cheek. "HEY…what's the big-"

The dragon's voice dropped suddenly as he saw who had struck him: Slick Charmer. The Earth pony snarled and glared at Spike with the fire of a thousand of Celestia's suns. His hair was still charred to bits and singed split ends, enraged puffs of air blew out of his snout like a bull. Spike chuckled nervously as he slowly stood back up.

"Uh h-h-h-hey Slick, b-b-beautiful weather were having…isn't it?"

"You rotten little REPTILE, do you have any idea what you've done to me?!"

Spike was about to answer but Slick angrily cut him off.

"YOU RUINED ME! I'm the laughing stock of Ponyville, ponies are already telling their friends and family about my ridiculous mane in Los Pegasus." Slick jammed his hoof firmly into Spike's nose, "And it's all your fault you bratty beast."

"Now wait just a minute", Spike quickly shoved Slick's hoof off. "You had it coming, you were a total creep to my friend Rarity and even bad mouthed her in front of me." He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded firmly, "No pony insults my friends."

Slick rolled his eyes, "Oh spare me that load of cheese and bull; you really think that justifies assaulting me like you did, all because of some stuck up bitch?"

Rage instantly boiled in Spike's heart; like a ticking time bomb just went off. He roared and leapt towards Slick like a wild animal. Slick quickly dodged to the side and slammed one of his back legs into Spike's back. The dragon cried out and dropped to the ground once more.

"What is your deal, why are you taking this SO seriously?" Slick asked. Spike growled and stood back up again, emerald eyes still burning hot with rage and fire. "Someone needs to put you on a leash or something."

Spike looked ready to kill, his fangs and claws twitching erratically. "Take…it…back" Spike snarled, he never felt angrier in all his life than he did right now and it wouldn't go away until this creep apologized for calling Rarity such a filthy name. "Take back what you said about Rarity RIGHT NOW!"

The Earth pony flinched at Spike's sudden burst in volume, his anger was actually freaking him out. Slick couldn't believe such a dangerous creature was allowed to walk around Ponyville like this without any supervision. Why was he acting so violent just because of one lousy mare?

"This is nuts, you're going to just savagely attack me because of that chick? You act like she's your wife or something." Slick's mint green eyes widened, suddenly realizing something. "Oh…sweet…Celestia; I finally figured it out. It all makes sense now," The colt burst with laughter, his deafening cackling left Spike annoyed and confused.

"Mind telling me what's so funny, baldy?"

"YOU are, dragon. I can't believe I didn't see this before, but now it's as clear as day to me: you're in love with that pony!"

Spike loudly gulped, his fierce cheeks turned red. He could feel warm red blushes overpowering his anger and replacing it with embarrassment.

"W-w-w-what are you t-t-talking about? R-r-r-rarity and I are just good f-f-f-friends nothing more."

"I can see it in your eyes reptile, your reaction is a dead giveaway. HA, who'd thought I'd see the day when a fire breathing monster actually fell in love with a pony."

"I am NOT a monster; I'm a dragon and I don't see what's wrong with thinking a mare is cute. No pony else thinks it's weird."

That last part was a partial lie. Spike knew his friends knew he was interested in Rarity, Mr. and Mrs. Cake too but he didn't know how every pony else thought about his feelings towards Rarity. Slick approached Spike and looked right into his eyes, Spike nervously stepped back.

"Wrong? More like sick and twisted if you ask me. Earth ponies marry Earth ponies, unicorns marry unicorns and Pegasai marry Pegasai. That's how it goes; any other kind arrangement is a crime against pony nature. And if you can't get that through your head then I suggest you high tail it out of here before you get RUN out of here."

"What are you talking about? This is my home, I live here; all my friends live here. No pony wants me to leave. I belong in Ponyville."

Slick smugly smirked at Spike's words, he began circling the dragon like a vulture. The pony could see Spike's resolve was cracking and he couldn't resist picking apart Spike's fragile feelings as viciously as possible.

"You don't belong anywhere freak, you're an anomaly no matter what species you live with. You're too much of a dragon to be a pony but you act too much like a pony to be with other dragons. You walk in both worlds but belong to neither, nothing but a foreign object."

Spike could feel his heart aching and his mind racing. Slick's words were tearing him apart inside; causing all sorts of questions to pop into his head. What if he's right? He's a creep but this all sounds painfully familiar. It's like what that teenage dragon said to him when he went on his dragon quest, he doesn't know where he fits in.

"I'm n-n-n-not a freak…I'm uh…this is my uh."

The pony stopped circling and stood in front of Spike; directly confronting the nervous dragon.

"The only reason the ponies in this town tolerate you is because of your pathetic existence: a freak without a home or a species to call his own. Sure, you're small and weak now, which means they're not afraid of you…yet. But one day you'll grow up, and when you do; all those so-called 'friends' and neighbors of yours will see you for the REAL monster you are and cast you out."

The dragon's eyes began welling up with tears. He clutched his chest tightly, as if trying to feel some weak sense of self-protection from Slick's verbal assault. All of Spike's insecurities that he tried so hard to push down were flowing like a tidal wave inside of him.

"You're a damaged, demented little monster who has sick feelings for a mare he wouldn't have a shot with; even if you were a pony. Why don't you do us all a favor freak and go find some deep, dark, far away cave and stay there for the rest of your long, lonely life?"

Spike couldn't take it any longer, his lip quivered as tears began gushing down his cheeks. He felt like everything he's ever known and every pony he's ever cared for vanished from existence. The dragon felt like his world had been shattered and that maybe…just maybe…Slick was right and he had no place being with Rarity.

SPLAT!

The young dragon was suddenly shaken out of his disillusionment. Some pony had hurled a tomato at Slick; it splattered thick red sauce all over his face and burnt scalp.

"OW! Now who the hell threw that?"

Slick turned around and spotted Fluttershy holding a bag of groceries, she had a menacing scowl and a tomato in one of her hooves.

"Leave him alone!"

A small smile formed on Spike's lips.

"Stay out of this lady, this is between me and the freak! This doesn't concern you at all."

"That's my friend your harassing there, this absolutely concerns me. Now I suggest you beat it buster or else we'll make you sorry you ever stepped hoof into Ponyville."

Slick wiped his face clean from the tomato sauce and focused his attention on Fluttershy. He was about to scream something nasty to the nature lover, but he stopped. Something Fluttershy said visibly confused Slick. She said "we", who else was she talking about?

BAM!

A white hoof crashed into Slick's mouth from behind, he cried out in pain and skidded to the ground. Slick coughed up a few busted teeth from his mouth. He stood back up and wiped his mouth clean, horror stricken to see fragments of his pearly white smile littering the ground. The colt looked to see the loathsome face of his attacker and gasped at her identity: Rarity.

"THAT was for all the horrible, despicable things you said to my dear friend; Spikey Wikey. And if you continue to disgrace us with your vile presence, I promise to give you another slug or two to pay you back for how you treated me on that dreadful date."

Rarity's rage vanished when she turned to Spike, she pulled him close and gently wiped away his tears. The fashionista looked at him with concern and care; her heart aching to see her friend being treated so cruelly.

"Are you okay darling, did he hurt you or break anything?"

Spike sniffled and shook his head.

"Are you KIDDING ME? You're actually coddling that monster?! Look what he did to me."

Rarity's steely blue gaze instantly turned back to Slick.

"Call him a monster one more time and you'll be spitting out the rest of your teeth!"

Slick froze in fear and backed away from Rarity. Fluttershy and Spike both gasped, even they were surprised to see how intimidating Rarity was.

"He's an angel in scales, you on the other hoof are the lowest pond scum in all of Froggy bottom swamp. Of course I'm showing him care and affection, he's my closest and dearest friend…not that you'd ever know what one was."

"Look, I get that your pissed about what happened on our date but you can't seriously be choosing that thing over one of your own kind. He doesn't belong here, he's a dangerous dragon, I'm a pony; how can any pony be okay with him living here?"

Several ponies from the street started to converge and appear behind Rarity; as if forming a small army. Fluttershy, Vinyl Scratch, Derpy Hooves, Doctor Hooves, Cheerilee, Bon-Bon and Lyra and many other familiar faces all stood in defense of Spike. Slick's jaw practically hit the ground. Rarity stood proudly at the head of the gathering, Spike had tears of joy rolling down his cheeks this time.

"Spike is more of a pony and a colt than you ever will be Slick. We accept and love him for who and what he is, we always have and we always will. I don't know why you call him such vulgar, uncouth names. But I do know this much; the only one who doesn't belong here is you."

Slick was speechless, he didn't know how to respond or even if he could with that fierce mob of angry glares beading down on him. No pony in this town made sense to Slick; they were all crazy or just plain sick like Spike. Realizing he was outnumbered, Slick shook his head in disgust and turned to leave the mob and Ponyville behind. Spike wasn't worth dealing with this kind of madness. The group collectively sighed and cheered once Slick was finally gone for good.

Rarity wiped her brow clean and smiled, "Ah that felt SO refreshing and rewarding; I should have done that on our date." The crowd of ponies began to go their separate ways with the exception of Fluttershy. The unicorn looked to Spike with concerned eyes, "Are you sure your all right Spike? I feel just awful about you getting hurt over this mess of mine."

"Huh? What do you mean your mess Rarity? Slick was angry at me not you."

"Yes, but the only reason he was angry with you was because what you did defending my honor. I completely forgot I told Twilight about what happened with Slick and I should have figured you would have done something foolish to defend me."

Spike frowned after hearing the word "foolish," which is exactly what his actions were: foolish. The young drake was hoping for a slightly different reaction from Rarity.

"Yeah…right…that was pretty foolish of me."

The purple haired unicorn smiled and leaned down to kiss Spike right on his cheek. Spike's sunken eyes snapped open; he felt all his anguish and sorrow disappear in a heartbeat. Rarity giggled at the lipstick mark on Spike's cheek; just like the one she gave him when he gave her the fire ruby.

"Foolish and also one of the sweetest and most chivalrous things any pony has ever done for me. You are a true gentle colt Spike, I'm truly blessed to have a friend like you in my life."

It took Spike a moment to come out of his love filled day dream after that wonderful kiss. The dragon shook his head and looked to Rarity's eyes, he always felt his heart soar and cheeks redden when he gazed at that beautiful face of hers.

"Rr-r-r-rarity…there's something I've got to tell you."

"Yes, what is it darling?"

"Slick said a lot of awful things, I know he's a jerk and I shouldn't listen to anything he said. But certain things he said made me feel um uncertain about some very important matters. And I feel now more than ever that I need to talk to you about these…things."

Rarity nodded, listening with the utmost intensity and focus. After everything Spike just went through; listening to his feelings would be the least she can do. Both Spike and Rarity leaned in closer and closer, their eyes twinkling with their own reflections as they grew closer.

"Rarity…I…uh…l-l-l-lo"

"RARITY, SPIKE, FLUTTERSHY; AH NEED YOUR HELP!"

Applejack's violent scream broke Spike and Rarity's focus, they nervously looked away from each other; both of them blushing furiously.

"Perfect timing" Spike mumbled sarcastically under his breath.

The orange mare ran up to the trio and paused to take a breather, Applejack was huffing and breathing heavily; like she'd been running non-stop for miles. Fluttershy approached Applejack and padded her back kindly.

"Oh my goodness Applejack, what's wrong? You look like you've been running all day."

"Ah have; we all got a big problem here in Ponyville. Some crazy unicorn is runnin round casting fear spells on ponies, he just attacked me, Big Mac and Hopeful on our farm. I saw him headin towards town so I high tailed it down here to warn ya'll. We've got to find him and stop him before he hurts any pony else."

Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged worried glances. Spike was about to ask what the unicorn looked like; but the answer was already arriving.

BLAH!

Spike belched out a new message from Princess Celestia. The dragon curiously picked up the scroll and began reading it.

"That's funny; it looks more like a wanted poster than a letter."

The dragon's eyes bulged out upon recognizing the face on the wanted poster: it was Moonstruck!

"That pony your looking for; his name is Moonstruck and he's wanted for theft, resisting arrest, escaping Tartarus and." Spike swallowed loudly; he was too terrified to read the last charge. Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy nervously encouraged Spike to continue, "And…m-m-m-m-murder."

The three mares gasped in horror.

"B-b-b-but that's the same guy who was asking me directions to," Spike's voice trailed off. He just realized he sent an escaped murderer right towards his home…and to Twilight. "AHHHHHHH TWILIGHT!" he screamed out; running as fast as his legs could carry him back to the library.

Rarity and Applejack looked at each other before quickly following the young drake.

"What in Equestria is going on here?"

"Ah don't know but ah reckon Spike knows somethin, let's head to Twilight's and see if she has any clues as to what the heck is goin on here."

Fluttershy blinked watching her friends flee before her very eyes. She looked at her hooves; still full with groceries. The Pegasus looked in the direction of her home then back to her friends dust trails, she sighed and started flying after her friends.

"Oh I do hope Angel doesn't mind getting his dinner later. This is an emergency after all, I hope he understands."

To be continued…

Wow this chapter took a lot more work than I expected but I wanted it to be just right. So what do you guys think so far? Is the story working for you, not working for you, certain characters you want to see more of, learn more about? Reviews are VERY much welcomed and appreciated. I can't make this story any better without knowing what you guys like or didn't like. For the next chapter, everyone's gonna finally learn the truth behind Moonstruck...when he finally meets Twilight face to face! I took a long time building up before they met because I wanted their first meeting to be special, thanks to ALL who have been following/favoriting/reviewing the story so far. Bye for now!

8. Moonstruck (Part 1)

Chapter 8: Moonstruck (Part 1)

Hey everyone, I know I promised Moonstruck's full story would be disclosed here but I had SO MUCH FUN writing his interaction with Twilight, I thought of extending it and leave a bit more mystery to keep you guys coming back from more. That's why this may seem shorter than the last chapter, cause I had plans to make it longer but figured it would work better as a two parter. I want to thank everyone kind and awesome enough to follow/favorite/review this story, I live off your guys feedback and it means a lot to hear your thoughts and feelings.

tenshoru: Glad you loved the Sparity moments cause there will definitely be more! Thanks for the positive feedback on my OC's, that was my biggest fear; making them seem too much like Mary Sues and not actual believable characters.

agmalm 13: Don't worry, Hopeful isn't giving up on AJ. As for the big baddie for them to defeat, I think something like that can be arranged...

guest/Braveheart the posideon kid: Moonstruck's cutie mark and powers are tied to the "secret" that he hides, which you'll see a bit more of next chapter.

LemonSmoothie: Thanks so much! Expect to see more of all those things you listed enjoying!

Harmonydash9: You won't find out what was in that letter until further down the line.

Thanks again for all your amazingly kind words, and remember, reviews are LOVED and APPRECIATED!

Twilight immersed herself in an ocean of books and parchments. The Alicorn princess used her magic to levitate swarms of texts in front of her eyes; quickly reading one and then moving onto the next. She was so focused on her studies that she didn't even hear the knocking on her front door. The knocking persisted when Twilight failed to answer, eventually the pony discovered the door was unlocked and slowly pushed it open.

"Um hello, Princess Twilight, any pony home?" The unicorn looked around the immediate area for any sign of the princess. "Is this a bad time?"

Moonstruck stepped into library anxiously; it felt so strange to be inside the place he was staring into just a few nights ago. He felt like a sinner walking onto holy ground, just waiting for his body to burst into flames as punishment. Even though Moonstruck knew he was innocent of the crimes Celestia imprisoned him for; that didn't excuse all the sneaking and spying he did on Twilight and her friends.

"Princess, I know you're very busy and I'm sure you get lots of ponies coming in here; asking for help with their problems and royal…stuff and…oh man." Moonstruck slapped his face, "This is NOT going how I planned at all. Look, I know this is a lot to ask out of the blue but, I was hoping you could use your incredible magical powers and knowledge to help me with this…little problem I have."

Twilight didn't seem to hear a single word Moonstruck said, her face was still buried in floating books and scrolls. The unicorn groaned and stared at Twilight's back.

"You're kidding me…she can't be THAT much of a book freak that she can't even hear when a total stranger walks into her house and starts yakking her ear off."

Twilight tapped a quill to her chin and then resumed flipping through the pages of another book.

"Sweet Celestia does she ever stop?! How does she not hear me talking?"

Moonstruck started jumping around; waving his hooves frantically. He even made faces behind Twilight's back and blew raspberries at her, still nothing.

"I swear, Nightmare Moon could vaporize the library's roof and she still wouldn't come out of that 'studying trance' of hers. And to think that THIS is the pony that's going to save my flank." He hung his head and groaned loudly, "I am so screwed."

Moonstruck looked to his left and saw a table full of quills lying in a perfect row; organized around a series of different colored ink bottles, also lined up in a perfect row. Nothing was out of place or off center, not even by an inch. Moonstruck looked at a jar of green ink and turned it slightly towards him.

"AH!"

Twilight gasped suddenly, she felt a disturbance in her perfectionist force when Moonstruck moved the jar. The dark unicorn couldn't believe that was what shook Twilight out of her study trance. He was completely dumb founded; words couldn't begin to explain how rattled and confused he was over Twilight's neurosis.

"I…don't…believe…it."

Neither can I; you actually found a pony that is CRAZIER than you. Seriously, what are the odds? The princess of freaking friendship has more screws loose than the guy who talks to his own brain. You hit the wacko jackpot my friend!

Moonstruck rolled his eyes at his brain's obnoxious remarks; finding little comfort in finding a pony whose sanity was more warped than his own. Twilight dropped all of her books and scrolls and turned towards her uninvited guest.

"Spike, how many times have I told you not to" Twilight's voice trailed off once she saw Moonstruck's face. Her cheeks went from fire brick red to a rosy pink blush; the heat of embarrassment among other feelings rushing to her face. "Y-y-y-y-y-y-you're not Spike."

The unicorn could barely respond himself. He was frozen by those violet eyes, that dark colored mane, and that adorably confused face; Twilight was far more radiant than Moonstruck had ever imagined. He'd watched over Twilight many times from within the shadows, but he never thought seeing her up close would have that much of an impact on him. She looked at him with eyes so vibrant and curious; like she had a warmth and kindness inside her eyes that made him feel like he could trust her with his deepest, darkest secrets.

"Wow you are WAY prettier up close."

Moonstruck instantly blushed upon realizing his own awkward words, Twilight cheeks matched his with her own cherry red blushes. The princess has had many mares come to her home, some colts too, but NEVER has she met a pony who said anything quite like that to her. Twilight's eyebrow rose curiously at Moonstruck's words.

"Wait, what do you mean up close?"

"GAH I mean uh the thing is you see uh…it's like this."

You are so dead if she finds out you've been plot peeping on her at night. What are you gonna do now stalker boy?

"W-w-w-what I mean about the um whole 'up close thing' is that I uh…I've seen you before, YEAH like lots of times. But at like coronations and stuff, yeah! I've seen you around Ponyville and with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna at the whole sun…thing…that party summer thing. I mean I am sure LOTS of ponies have seen you; obviously, I mean you are a princess and you got like fans and probably worshippers since your royalty and wait…would that make them subjects or maybe…servants? No, no! You don't have slaves ER I mean servants, what I mean to say is I've see you at ceremonies and royal stuff and I've always seen you from afar so to see you up close is like nice and stuff."

An awkward silence crept into the room; Moonstruck looked to Twilight with a nervous smile. Neither pony knew what to say or do at this point.

Moonstruck rubbed the back of his head, "I'm really sorry about all that, I'm kind of rusty when it comes to this whole socialization thing." The unicorn bowed and closed his eyes, "You're majesty.

Twilight waved her hoofs and quickly pulled Moonstruck up from his bow.

"No, no, no please! Don't bow or worry about calling me majesty or your highness or anything like that. I don't like being treated differently than any other pony, okay?"

Moonstruck blinked and nodded; slightly shocked at how typical princess protocols seemed to bother her so much. Twilight moved to adjust the ink bottle very carefully back into place. Moonstruck backed away to allow Twilight room to "fix" the bottle; unknowingly closing an open book with a bump from his green tail mane. Twilight's eyes bulged in horror, she gasped and bolted towards the book; grabbing it and flipping it open.

"Oh no, oh no; nononononononononono NO!"

"Sorry, I was just trying to give you space."

The panicking princess flipped open the book to the page it was left on and closed it shut again. She proceeded to open and close the book several times; growing more terrified each time she looked at the page.

"This is all wrong, ALL WRONG! The page has a crease in it; all 368 pages of this book are perfectly flat and crisp but now this one has a…has a…CREASE IN IT!"

Moonstruck didn't see what the big deal was.

"Don't you get it?" Twilight shoved the book into his face and pointed at the page crease, "This changes everything! A proper book should be perfectly flat and smooth so any pony can gradually apply their hoof to the edges and allow the paper to rise and fall perfectly, like a flip book but without a matching picture. But now this has a crease and it's going to TOTALLY throw off the rhythm of the hoof application to the pages. I'll never be able to feel out the right page I want; it'll feel lopsided and off, the balance of the book's equilibrium will be thrown off course and no matter how hard I try to flatten it; it'll never be the same again…NEVER!"

"Wow…I mean just…wow…you are crackers. I'm sure there are a million other words that perfectly explain how your mind works but for right now, I'm sticking with crackers. Yup, the princess of friendship is 100% crackers."

Twilight put the book off to the side and focused her now enraged gaze on this smart mouthed unicorn. Moonstruck backed up nervously; he could actually feel the annoyance coming off Twilight's aura. The unicorn winced seeing such beautiful purple eyes glaring at him like daggers.

"Excuse me?" Twilight got right up in Moonstruck's face, looking him in the eye. "Who do you think you are coming into some pony's home and calling them crackers? You think you can just gallop right in, mess up my books and ink bottles and insult me like that?"

"Umm well yes ER I mean no! I mean I didn't mean to, it just sort of came out that way."

The Alicorn scowled bitterly; backing up slightly.

"Look I'm not really good at this whole 'talking to other ponies' thing, it's been a while."

"Well for starters, the POLITE thing to do in these kind of situations is to apologize when you're being rude to a mare, especially one whose house you just came into without asking."

"Uh I actually knocked…several times, and I called your name but you didn't answer."

"Well obviously I'm a little busy, as you can see." Twilight motioned to the numerous books surrounding her. "So why don't you take your creepy moon cutie mark, your wild green hair, your…cute little freckles and those….those…absolutely beautiful silver eyes and…and uh."

Twilight found it difficult to form words when looking at Moonstruck's face; it was as if his face was causing her brain to become foggy and blurry. She felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks blushing more and more with each passing moment.

What is going on with me, what is this strange pounding feeling in my chest? I feel like my face and chest is growing warmer but the temperature is perfectly comfortable inside the library.

The princess shook her head and hid her blushing cheeks from the equally red faced unicorn before her. She leaned in again and eyed Moonstruck like a bug in a jar, he avoided eye contact with Twilight as it was making him uncomfortable.

"Um can I help you with something, Princess?"

"Funny, that's what I was going to ask you Mr.?"

Moonstruck froze for a moment; he completely forgot to come up with a fake name before coming here. He can't risk using his real name in case Twilight heard about him from Princess Celestia.

"Oh uh right yeah my name, duh. You can call me ummm….L-l-l-l-lunar, Lunar Lando?"

"Are you asking me if that's your name or telling me?"

"Telling, yeah definitely telling."

Twilight could tell this guy was definitely weird but aside from a lack of manners, he seemed harmless enough. The unicorn quietly groaned at his own incompetence, he couldn't believe he came up with such a stupid name like that. The princess ignored his groans and properly invited the colt into her home, magically closing the door behind him.

"So Lando, I think we both got off on the wrong hoof and seeing as how you came here for my help with something, I'd like to start off fresh with no hard feelings; deal?"

Moonstruck smiled and nodded; shaking Twilight's hoof.

"Deal, I'm really sorry about moving your stuff around and making cracks about your sanity. That's no way to treat some pony who you're asking for help."

"Water over the bridge my friend, and I'm sorry too; I shouldn't have criticized your cutie mark."

"Oh don't worry about it your maj-"

"Twilight please," she sweetly insisted.

Moonstruck smiled just as sweetly "Twilight it is then, but yeah I'm used to getting weird looks about my cutie mark. I don't know how to act around other ponies and in turn, they don't know how to act around me."

"I used to be just like that before I moved to Ponyville." Twilight moved past the unicorn's face and examined his screaming moon cutie mark up close, smiling curiously. "And to tell you the truth, I actually find your cutie mark extremely fascinating!"

Moonstruck did a double take, "Y-y-y-you do?"

"Yes! I've never seen one like it, it's kind of spooky looking but it also has a unique shape and design. Most meanings behind pony's cutie marks are self-explanatory, but this one isn't as obvious as to what your special talent is. It's kind of like a mystery waiting to be solved."

The colt pondered the princess's words, he never thought of his cutie mark like that before. Usually ponies saw it as an early indicator of the darkness that lies inside his magical abilities. Even before he was wrongfully incarcerated, he always believed his "talent" was not something to be proud having. Moonstruck looked to see if Twilight had finished examining his cutie mark, he blushed bright red when his eyes inexplicably landed on Twilight's purple rump. He already knew his brain was going to have a filthy field day with this.

Holy crap, she is checking out your ass. Holy crap, YOUR checking out HER ass; STOP STARING YOU PERV!

Moonstruck shook his head and broke off his stare, nudging Twilight to do the same. The princess pulled back and laughed nervously. She can't believe she just walked up and stared at a colt's flank like that, her cheeks reddened immensely. Twilight focused on Moonstruck's eyes to avoid leering at his rump again.

There's that warm feeling again. Is it really because of this pony, this weird guy with such gorgeous silver eyes? GAH! Why did I think gorgeous? I don't think of gorgeous!

"So then Lando" Twilight said softly, casually rubbing the back of her mane. "What is it you needed my help with? A spell, history lesson, research paper?" She giggled and rolled her eyes, "Oh sweet Celestia I LOVE doing those."

"Of course you do," the unicorn said dryly as he rubbed his eyes. He looked to Twilight with a twinge of sadness, bringing the subject of his 'problem' was nerve wracking and a little bit embarrassing. "Actually, it's kind of hard to explain what I need your help with. You see, there's some kind of spell or hex or magical wall that's blocking my magic from working effectively. Every time I try to use a powerful spell or anything other than basic stuff, this mark appears and cancels it out. I don't know where I got it from or how long I've had it for."

"Hmmm that is strange," Twilight scratched her chin; her eyes deep in focus. "Canterlot guards uses magic counter spells to prevent ponies from using their magic to interfere in the Equestrian Games, and of course Princess Celestia and Princess Luna know a number of spells that specifically cancel other spells." She levitated 4 books off the shelf onto a table and began flipping through all of the books at once. "But this sounds like some really high level magic is at work here, restricting a pony's magic 24/7 is no easy task."

"So then, there's nothing you can do for me at all?" he asked, his voice trembled with dread and disappointment.

"Not necessarily" she said confidently. Twilight closed 2 of the 4 books and placed them back on the shelf; she walked to Moonstruck and sat down. "In order to help you, I need to see this magic blocking hex in action. Magic usually has a signature or a specific aura that can be identified, if you know where and what you're looking for."

"So when I use my magic and the hex comes out to block it; you'll be able see it and find out how to remove it?" Moonstruck asked nervously.

"That's the plan" she replied optimistically, smiling brightly.

Moonstruck bit his lip; he had to tread very carefully with his next move. If he uses his fear spell then Twilight could panic and be in no cognitive state to help him, not to mention the fact she'd be screaming and wailing over whatever it was that scared her. He had to cast a spell that was powerful enough to make the hex mark appear, but not too strong, otherwise the darker side of his magic will come out. Using dark magic is a sure fire away to get yourself run out of town. Only creatures like Tirek and Discord use dark magic, and the last thing Moonstruck wanted to do was to give Twilight any reason to think that he could be associated with them. Twilight watched him intensely, giving him her full attention.

"Ok-k-kay, here it goes," Moonstruck said anxiously. The unicorn looked around for something safe to test his magic on. He had an idea but it might ruffle a few of the princess's feathers; based on how anal retentive she is. Moonstruck sighed and looked to Twilight, "I'm going to try something that's going to be a bit disorienting so don't freak out, but I promise nothing will be damaged."

Twilight was confused by the unicorn's words but for the sake of scientific curiosity; she nodded and insisted Moonstruck continue. "All right, whatever you say Lando."

The unicorn closed his eyes and began to concentrate everything he had on casting this spell. A faint red aura emanated from his horn, the energy slowly began to grow brighter and brighter; the color shifted into a midnight blue color. Moonstruck felt his body straining, the hex was starting to take effect, but he knew he had to push harder if he wanted Twilight to fully understand what they were dealing with. He grunted and forced more power into the spell, the blue aura expanded across his body and spread across room like a shadow, every inch of Twilight's body and home was covered by the blue energy. Books and chairs began to float off the ground, the tables and quills went next; everything not bolted to the ground began floating higher and higher. Twilight felt her hooves leave the floor, she found herself floating without using her wings or magic. The princess couldn't believe her eyes.

"I don't believe it, you can cast GRAVITY spells?! That's incredible Lando," Twilight exclaimed.

"I can't hold it ARGH any l-l-longer," Moonstruck grunted. His eyes turned pure black before the spark on his horn fizzled out, the spell ceased and everything floating instantly dropped to the ground. The color of his eyes returned to normal. Moonstruck panted heavily, wiping sweat from his brow, he looked to his back to see the white hex mark on his back. "There it is; that's the mark that saps my strength every time I try to cast a powerful spell."

"Are you sure your all right? Maybe I should cast-" Moonstruck cut Twilight off with a shout, time was short and she needed to act fast. Twilight rushed to Moonstruck with a magnifying class in hoof, she quickly examined the mark. "Okay, it looks like some sort of…tribal mark or…weird bone design, I've never seen anything like this. And you say this ONLY comes out when you try and use strong magic?"

"Yeah," he nodded to Twilight's question. "It fades away shortly after but it always comes back when I use my strongest spells, I can never get a good look at it or found any pony who knows what it is."

"Well based on the outline of the marking; it seems it's suppressing a part of you from coming out, and I'm not JUST talking about your magic." Moonstruck was even more confused now about this mark, what did she mean it was suppressing a part of him? The mark started to fade, Twilight levitated a scroll and quill over and quickly traced the marking as best she could. "This is way more than just magic; it's affecting your body and quite possibly your mind as well."

Moonstruck blinked, "Wait my mind, what do you mean?"

"Well you see," Twilight placed the quill and scroll to the side and looked to Moonstruck. "You said that you don't remember how long you've had this hex or where you got it from. That indicates to me that the hex is affecting your mind; intentionally keeping you from remembering something that has to do with the hex's origins." Moonstruck nodded, that would explain why he could barely remember anything before he was arrested; or it could be due to being inside Tartarus too long. "Think of your self as a jigsaw puzzle and this hex is hiding several large pieces of you, making it impossible for you to be whole again."

"So then not only is my magic being affected by this hex, but now my mind and my memories too?" Moonstruck groaned and held his head. "This is really heavy stuff, heavier than I thought."

Twilight smiled and patted his back, "I'm not giving up on you Lando so don't you give up either. Like I said about your cutie mark, this is a mystery and I for one am not going to be able to sleep until I figure out how to make you whole again."

"Twilight I", Moonstruck said with a slight choke in his voice. He couldn't believe how warm and caring the princess was, he's known what her personality is but to see it; to physically experience it after so many years of pain and suffering, it's quite a surprise to him. Moonstruck can barely remember what being cared for felt like; it felt like a distant memory that was replaced with thoughts of running, hiding and living behind bars amongst Equestria's most wanted. "Thank you…thank you so very, very much."

"Of course, that's what friends do Lando" Twilight said, smiling and warmly hugging Moonstruck. The unicorn felt his brief moment of happiness fade once he heard that false name of his, a painful indication of what's to come if he keeps lying to Twilight. "It'll take a while to crack this case but I know we can do it," Twilight said as she headed towards the front door. "I just have to get my assistant so we can ask Princess Celestia for help."

"NO! YOU CAN'T" Moonstruck shouted, he rushed to the door and blocked it off with his body. Twilight moved away from the door in shock. "Please Twilight, you have to keep this between us, it's too dangerous to bring any pony else in on this."

"What do you mean too dangerous?"

The unicorn nervously looked around, mumbling to himself, trying to come up with a quick excuse. "Um, b-b-b-because uh w-w-w-what if it's contagious or something? I wouldn't want the ruler of Equestria to come out all the way here just to get infected herself. We really don't know anything about this hex and we can't risk any pony else getting sick or starting a panic if any pony else finds out."

"But Princess Celestia is my-"

Moonstruck rushed to Twilight and placed his hoof over hers, she felt her cheeks redden and her voice trail off before finishing. The dark unicorn looked at her once more with those hauntingly beautiful eyes of his. Twilight couldn't speak, couldn't move, she felt frozen and warm all over at the same time.

This is insane! I've read every book there is about pony anatomy and internal body chemistry and none of them ever described anything like I'm feeling right now. It's like he's making my body feel all warm and tingly through some magic…eye…charm…spell or something.

"Please Twilight; I'm begging you," Moonstruck desperately pleaded. "You have to keep this between us, no pony else can know about this; not even your closest friends or your mentor." He looked away from Twilight, pain echoing from his voice. "I can't explain how but if any pony finds out about this, a lot of bad things are going to happen to me." Moonstruck looked to Twilight and tightened his grip on her hoof. "You're the only pony I can trust to save me."

"Wow that's um…that's a lot of pressure," Twilight said; gulping nervously. "But if things really are going to be that bad for you if I tell any pony else, then I'll have to do my best to help you, alone." The princess felt a twinge of sorrow inside her after saying that. She hated keeping secrets from her friends, even more so from Princess Celestia; she always knew how to help her with any problem. But this pony is asking for Princess Twilight's help; not Celestia's.

Moonstruck sighed and released Twilight's hoof. "Thank you Twilight, thank you for everything you've done and everything you're going to do. I have complete and total faith in your ability to remove this hex from my body."

Twilight smiled weakly, "Well at least that makes one of us. But you should know that by going alone; it's going to take a lot longer and require a LOT more research. This is going to be a major project and I'm going to need help getting more resources."

"Whatever it takes, and don't you worry, I'll be here helping you every step of the way. So what's our next step?"

The pony's conversation was interrupted by a violent, thunderous rumbling from Twilight's stomach. She blushed bright red, embarrassed by her rather vocal stomach pains. Moonstruck's chuckling only made Twilight feel more embarrassed.

"Heh, after we get you something to eat of course. How do quesadillas sound?"

"No, no, NO quesadillas" Twilight blurted out, her whole body began shivering with fright. Moonstruck jumped back from the mare's reaction, his eyes bulging with shock.

"What, what's wrong with quesadillas? It was just a suggestion; we don't HAVE to go out for those you know."

"No it's not that it's just," Twilight said nervously. The Alicorn was shuddering and sweating, she chewed on her hoof frantically. "They're just…too cheesy…I don't trust something with THAT much cheese in it."

The dark unicorn was speechless; he didn't have the slightest idea how to react or what to say to such a ridiculous statement. Moonstruck stood there, letting the lunacy of Twilight's words slowly sink into his mind. Slowly, the colt let loose a roaring laugh that grew louder and longer with each passing moment. Moonstruck dropped to the ground, laughing harder and with tears forming in his eyes. Of all the peculiar things Twilight said and did; this one is by far the weirdest and the most hilarious. Twilight failed to see the humor in her statement.

"And what exactly is SO funny Lando?"

Moonstruck eventually ceased laughing and got back onto his hooves, he rubbed his tussled green hair back into place. "Wow, I haven't laughed like that in years and I'm not kidding; I literally mean it has been actual years since I laughed that hard." The princess pouted bitterly, seeing that only made Moonstruck smile even wider. "Awe come on, don't look at me like that Twilight. It's nothing to feel bad about or anything, it's just that I've never seen a pony that's so crackers."

"HEY, would you stop calling me crackers? Calling some pony nuts or weird isn't exactly polite."

"I actually find 'weird' ponies to be the most honest ponies around," Moonstruck said confidently. "A pony who acts weird is only acting out the most sincere parts of their personality. If we do or say something that's different or unusual, well, that's because were open about who we are and how we want the rest of the world to see us. There's nothing wrong with being weird or being crackers."

Twilight still wasn't convinced; she frowned and turned her head in a classic Rarity snub. Moonstruck smirked and playfully raised an eyebrow towards the princess.

"Besides, I'm plenty weird myself. I talk to my brain out loud all the time," Twilight was visibly shocked by that last part. Moonstruck smirked watching Twilight taking the bait and looking back at him once more. "I also happen to like weird girls; in fact, I find weirdness to be irresistibly cute."

The princess tried not to smile, she mentally fought the urge to grin as best she could, but eventually she caved and offered the sweetest smile Moonstruck had ever seen. He smiled in return and offered an apologetic look.

"There's a lot more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" Twilight asked coyly. Moonstruck winked to the princess, she rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're such a weirdo."

"So what do you say, lunch still sound like a plan?"

"It does, but YOUR paying the bill," Twilight said with a sassy smirk.

CLANG!

Before Moonstruck could reply, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, he dropped to the ground with a loud thud. Spike stood panting behind the fallen unicorn with a dented frying pan in his claws.

"SPIKE, WHAT IN THE WIDE WORLD OF EQUESTRIA ARE YOU DOING?"

That was the last sentence Moonstruck heard before he conked out.

A few hours later…

The unicorn's vision was dark, blurry and impaired. He couldn't tell where he was or what happened, the last thing he remembered was talking to Twilight and then blacking out. Eventually, Moonstruck awoke and straightened his vision out to see what was going on.

"Ugh…oh my aching skull…what the Hell happened?"

Moonstruck tried to move his arms and legs but found that impossible, he looked over his body and found he had been chained to the wall. His arms, legs and even his tail mane were spread out and bolted to the wall with numerous shackles. The unicorn tried to use his magic but felt no power coming out of his horn; not even a little bit.

"Trying to use that gravity spell of yours again? Well forget it, I used Dalgo the great's negatron spell to completely nullify all of your magic spells."

That was Twilight's voice, but it was coming from below him, which meant he was higher up than she was. Moonstruck had been shackled high on the wall in the library's basement, immobilized and powerless. Surrounding the shackled unicorn was Twilight, Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie. The ponies must have gathered together after Spike knocked Moonstruck out. Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack all gave Moonstruck dirty looks; Fluttershy shyly avoided eye contact, while Pinkie pie smiled and loudly munched on cupcakes.

"Would some pony PLEASE tell me what's going on here?" Moonstruck shouted. He looked down to Twilight, silver eyes shimmering with fear and confusion.

"Funny, that's exactly what we were going to ask you, Lando," Twilight said coldly. She magically lifted the wanted poster Spike had given her, Moonstruck gasped in horror at seeing his face lined up next to the word murder. "Or should I say Moonstruck, or how about MURDERER? Which sounds better to you?"

Moonstruck's worst fears had come true: Twilight knew who he really was and what he had done, except for the murder part anyway. The unicorn had absolutely no knowledge of ever killing another pony, but even so, no pony would ever believe him at this point; especially not Twilight after finding out he lied right to her face. If she turned him over to Princess Celestia; he was dead meat for sure!

"This time were going to have a real, honest talk," Twilight said with an icy tone. "You're going to tell us everything and I do mean EVERYTHING, but before we begin I want to make one thing perfectly clear: there's no point in lying or talking your way out of this. Applejack here represents the element of honesty so she can tell if you're telling the truth or not, and Rainbow Dash is the fastest mare in Ponyville so even if you do somehow manage to escape; she'll catch you and bring you back here in no time."

"Um Twi, that's not exactly how that works," Applejack said with a cough.

"SHHHH, he doesn't need to know that!"

The orange mare shrugged and nodded; she stepped back to allow Twilight to continue her interrogation. Moonstruck sighed sadly and hung his head.

"I understand and I promise I'll cooperate. But Twilight, I just wanted to say to you personally that I'm sorry for lying to you and all the pain I've-"

"SAVE IT LIAR," Twilight angrily interrupted. "I'm not interested in your lies or your apologies, none us are; so start from the beginning and tell us everything you know and everything you were planning to do. I want to make sure to give Princess Celestia a full report about all of this BEFORE we return you to Tartarus!"

To be continued…

9. Moonstruck (Part 2)

Chapter 9: Moonstruck (Part 2)

Hey, thanks everyone for the great reviews and support! I wanted to make sure I got this new chapter up and perfected BEFORE I take off for Bronycon tomorrow! I'm so excited! Hope this answers your guys questions about Moonstruck, some of them anyway. Speaking of answering questions:

agmalm13: Happy to do so!

Man undercover: I'm gonna assume you mean FIMfiction's website and if that's the case; I haven't put any new chapters up there yet because frankly, people have been quite rude and insulting to me on that site. One person actually called my story trash and refused to read it based solely on my cover pic and summary. I will put the new ones up there eventually but honestly, the harsh reaction has been rather discouraging.

Tenshoru: To answer all your questions: 1. don't worry it won't, 2. I think I might have a compromise there, 3. I got ideas/ways around it, 4. No worries, thanks for your rambling; much appreciated!

LemonSmoothie: Glad to hear you liked it! I wanted to use season 5 material if applicable, even though I am "tweaking" the season's storyline for my own sake. But I think the ending I have planned will work out pretty nicely in line with the season.

Thank you everyone for your support/reviews, keep em coming and I'll keep the chapters coming. Enjoy!

The 6 ponies and 1 dragon collectively stared at the dark unicorn; strung up on the wall like a morbid piece of decoration. Moonstruck could feel the weight of their glaring judgment dragging him down even further. He lost, he had failed, he knew his lies would have been exposed eventually; but he had hoped he would have made more progress in finding out about this hex mark before they discovered him. Twilight approached Moonstruck; her gaze was intense.

"Now then Moonstruck, if that is your REAL name; I think it's time you spilled the beans about everything."

Pinkie pie popped up next to Twilight, "Beans, why would anyone want to spill beans? Besides, I don't smell beans. I smell cupcakes; because I brought a whole bunch," she pulled out a tray of frosted cupcakes with a variety of colors and candies. "You want one?"

"PINKIE, will you please focus? We have a very serious situation on our hooves. This pony is a wanted killer; we don't have time for cupcakes."

The pink mare giggled and rolled her eyes, "There's ALWAYS time for cupcakes Twilight."

"Ugh," Twilight smacked herself in the face as Pinkie started hoofing out cupcakes to every pony. "Could you stop being Pinkie Pie for one second so we can ask this pony some very important questions?"

"Your absolutely right Twilight, we do have very important questions to ask him."

Pinkie stopped hoofing out cupcakes and turned to Twilight, smiling and nodding. The princess let loose a sigh of relief and returned her attention to Moonstruck.

"So then which tastes better Weird Raccoon pony guy, the one with the sprinkles or the one with the jelly beans?"

Twilight spotted Pinkie on top of a ladder; feeding cupcakes to Moonstruck. The unicorn happily munched on the two tasty treats despite his situation. The Alicorn princess felt her eye angrily twitch, she felt like she was going to rip her hair out in frustration.

Moonstruck slowly licked his lips. "Hmmmm, I have to say I definitely like the one with sprinkles." Pinkie clapped happily and was about to feed Moonstruck a second sprinkled cupcake. "Um Pinkie, I think Twilight is trying to get your attention."

Pinkie looked down and saw Twilight; angrily insisting she stopped feeding him cupcakes and get down off the ladder. The party pony quickly shoved a new cupcake into his mouth and then hopped down off the ladder. The other element wielders rolled their eyes; not the least bit surprised by Pinkie's behavior. Twilight however, still couldn't believe her party pony friend was being this casual about dealing with a convicted murderer.

"PINKIE PIE," Twilight shouted at her friend's face. "This pony is our prisoner; not a new friend, were supposed to be interrogating him; not giving him sweets from Sugar cube corner!"

"I know Twilight, that's why the cupcake I just gave him a cupcake didn't have sprinkles OR jellybeans." The mare's statement left Twilight bewildered, she could actually feel her migraine expanding after hearing that remark. "He doesn't deserve the good stuff" Pinkie said, crossing her arms and nodding.

"Twilight's right, this creep is a stone cold killer and a thief; we don't owe him a stinking thing," Rainbow Dash said. The cyan speedster flew up in front of Moonstruck and smacked her hooves together; her pink eyes eagerly looking for a fight. "And I say that if he doesn't start talking real fast; we bust him up before we send his sorry flank back to Princess Celestia."

"Please Rainbow Dash; you got the wrong pony. I'm not a killer and I certainly don't want to kill or fight any of you."

"That's not what your wanted poster says," Spike said. He pulled out the wanted poster and pointed at the words 'wanted for murder' under Moonstruck's name. "I can't believe I was the one who directed you to my home. If I had gotten here a few minutes later, who knows what you would have done to my mom." The young dragon would have never forgiven himself if something had happened to his adoptive mother; especially if he was responsible for the cause.

"Look, I know you don't trust me and your all very angry with me; rightly so too, but I'm begging you, PLEASE don't deliver me to Princess Celestia. I can't go back to Tartarus, I just can't! I'll tell you anything you want to know, anything."

Moonstruck's pleas fell on deaf ears, no pony in the room felt confident he was telling the truth. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were visibly concerned about this whole situation; neither one had the disposition for things like interrogation and threatening. Twilight scratched her chin as she pondered over the colt's words. She didn't like giving this lying creep a sliver of assurance that she wouldn't turn him over to Celestia, if the crimes listed on the poster are true; he absolutely deserves a seat in Tartarus. But if she wanted him to talk, he'll need some kind of incentive.

"Fine then," Twilight said; frowning. "If you agree to tell us everything about yourself and anything else we want to know, we'll see about reporting this to Princess Celestia." He knew this wasn't much of a guarantee, Twilight could still report him even after he tells her everything; but this was a risk he had to take. Moonstruck took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you so much Twilight; I promise I'll tell you anything you-"

"Save your thanks and your promises," Twilight interrupted. "I'm only listening to your side of the story out of scientific curiosity. Now start from the beginning and don't leave anything out; I want to know everything about what you've done and what you were planning on doing."

"Um, if you don't mind that is…please" Fluttershy softly added. Twilight looked to the yellow Pegasus, she squeaked sheepishly; "Just trying to be nice."

Moonstruck nodded, "Certain parts are going to be tricky to explain but I promise; I'll tell you everything I know. My name is Moonstruck and I spent the last 2 years incarcerated in Tartarus for crimes I did not commit. I escaped the same time Tirek did, though for the life of me I can't tell you how he managed to pull that off. Even though I escaped the same time he did, I couldn't stop him from fleeing the scene. I did however manage to seal Tartarus back up with a makeshift block before any other evil creatures got out."

"Hold on there, I thought Twilight said you had some sort of strange curse mark on your back that prevented you from casting powerful spells," Rarity said curiously. "If that's the case then how did you manage to summon something big enough to keep those icky beasts locked up?"

"The hex only cancels my magic when I use powerful spells frequently. The longer I reframe from using powerful magic, the more energy my horn can charge and build up. Think of it like an ink bottle: the more ink I use the less I have in my reserves, but if I limit my ink use to only for emergencies; then my ink supply will slowly replenish itself and I'll have that much more ink to use. I couldn't use my magic for 2 years straight, so when I got out of Tartarus, I had a great deal of magic saved up. Almost all of it was spent by making that wall block though, same thing happened when I fled Applejack's farm."

The orange mare looked to Moonstruck, "Is that where you've been hidin out all this time, at mah barn?"

Twilight shook her head, "No that can't be possible. Cerberus came to Ponyville months before we found out about Tirek escaping, and it was even longer after we defeated Tirek that we found out about Moonstruck. If he had been around here for that long hiding in AJ's barn, some pony would have seen him at some point; no matter how careful he was."

"Actually, after I escaped Tartarus I spent most of my time living inside the Castle of the two sisters."

The ponies eyes widened in shock at that statement.

"Wait a minute, yer tellin us that you've been hidin out at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's castle since you escaped? Then that would mean-"

"That's right Applejack; I was living there when all of you came to the castle to read up on the rainbow chest."

The ponies had no idea Moonstruck had been this close to them all this time; without them ever knowing it. Twilight felt even more suspicious about this unicorn now, who knows what he could have learned or observed when they were there. She just couldn't believe a pony so dangerous was so close to them without them ever even knowing it.

"Well, I for one cannot imagine living in that dreary place for so long. All those crumbling walls, creepy shadows and those ugh…outdated furniture and pony armor suits," Rarity said with a shudder. Moonstruck rolled his eyes at Rarity's distaste for his previous accommodations.

"It's not like I had much of a choice. I had to stay out of sight and away from public places; any pony that recognized me could have reported me to the royal guard and had me sent back to Tartarus. Sure, it was run down, crumbling and drafty, but it was better than living in caves. Of course, after I failed to scare you guys off I had to go live in caves anyway until I found Sweet Apple acres."

Rainbow Dash shook her head, "Wait a minute; hold it right there. What do you mean scare us off? You didn't do anything! We were all freaking out because we were scared…AH I mean I wasn't scared heh, I mean obviously; but every pony else sure was." Every pony audibly groaned at Rainbow's remark. "Plus Pinkie Pie was screwing around with the pipe organ and causing all those booby traps and secret doors to switch on."

"Ha, ha, ha; you said traps," Pinkie giggled loudly. She tried to stifle her laughter with her hooves; Rainbow rolled her eyes at her pink friend's giggling.

"I know; I saw everything, the Castle of the two sisters has even more hidden passage ways than you could imagine. What I was referring to was the thunderstorm that appeared; I summoned that to try and scare you guys off discreetly. I figured there's nothing more discrete than using bad weather as a means of getting you guys to leave before you discovered me. Unfortunately it didn't work, and when you kept routinely coming back for more research, I knew it would only be a matter of time until you found me. So eventually I left and stayed out of sight and out of Ponyville until I heard Tirek was defeated."

Spike suddenly gasped, "That means YOU'RE the Pony of Shadows. I KNEW he was real, I saw him at the castle just before we left for the night." He crossed his arms and frowned, "But Twilight said I was just seeing things; that I was letting the castle spook me all over again. I told you I saw the Pony of Shadows, I saw him looking right at us from the shadows but noooooooo."

"So you're saying that it was YOU that caused the thunderstorm to appear?" Twilight said, ignoring her assistant's attitude.

"Yes, I knew it would drain all the magic energy I had saved up, but it was a risk I had to take."

"I thought your talent was gravity spells since you have a moon cutie mark," Twilight said. The princess trusted Moonstruck less and less with each new tall tale, she's never heard of a pony having enough talent to create gravity spells AND manipulate the weather.

Applejack nervously raised her hoof and called every pony's attention towards her. "Actually, ah thought yer special talent was castin those fear spells like you did to mah brother and me. Ah figured it had somethin to do with that skull face on yer cutie mark."

A dreary silence slowly settled in the room as the ponies awaited Moonstruck's answer. The dark unicorn hung his head and bit his lip; he could feel the sorrow and sadness in his heart overflowing. His cutie mark, his "talent," his magic's true power; all of these were poisonous topics that caused his already aching heart to suffer even more. Fluttershy noticed a single tear dripping from the unicorn's cheeks; she swore she even heard him sob a little. None of the other ponies seemed to notice Moonstruck's silent pain.

"Please Moonstruck," Fluttershy said softly. She flew up to the prisoner and gently cradled his cheek, despite her friend's protests. "It's all right, I know your hurting and you're scared; I can hear it in your voice." He sniffled and slowly looked into the mare's gentle, light blue eyes. "But whatever pain your feeling or hiding; keeping quiet about it won't help anything. No pony should be ashamed to talk about what makes them special, it's a part of who you are."

"If you really knew what the source of my magic is…you wouldn't be saying that," Moonstruck said with a low, hushed tone. His eyes were red from crying. "You'd see me exactly the same way I see myself: a monster."

Fluttershy smiled and wiped his tears away with her hoof. "Well, why don't you try me? I'm friends with lots of animals that many ponies see as monsters or dangerous beasts. And you want to know something? Even scary monsters have feelings; we just have to find the right way to communicate with them to find out what makes them so scared."

"T-t-t-t-thank you Fluttershy," Moonstruck said with a warm smile.

Rainbow yanked Fluttershy down by her tail mane before she could say "your welcome" to Moonstruck. She knew her friends were upset at her for talking to the prisoner, but the butter colored Pegasus couldn't help herself. Moonstruck took a few deep breaths and regained his composure.

"Technically Twilight, Applejack; you're both right. The face on the moon represents the darkness that every pony has inside their hearts, their inner madness if you will. Every pony has a bit of madness inside of them; it's just a part of pony nature, my magic brings that madness to the surface. The word moonstruck actually means to be deranged or crazed. My magic uses dark magic to amplify the deepest, darkest parts of a pony's subconscious and uses it to actually manifest and manipulate their fear energy. That's how I was able to summon the storm; it was a fear that one or all of you dreaded happening while you were at the castle."

Aside from Twilight, none of the other ponies or Spike had a clue what Moonstruck just said. "Would some pony PLEASE tell me what he just said in proper English?" Rarity groaned loudly.

Moonstruck sighed, "In other words, my talent is to bring out the worst in ponies and spread fear and terror. I AM dark magic itself and the only thing I will ever be able to do with my magic is to scare the crap out of ponies." Two tears rolled down Moonstruck's cheeks, "I'm no different than Tirek; just another monster designed only for darkness…not love."

Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity were visibly shaken by Moonstruck's words; their resolve for punishment and justice was wavering. Despite the royal poster's listed charges; the ponies were finding it harder and harder to believe this unicorn was a thief and a murderer. His tale struck chords in their hearts; they started to wonder if he really is innocent of these times. Twilight, Spike and Rainbow Dash however were certain of their beliefs, they had no doubt Moonstruck was guilty. Fluttershy began to fly towards Moonstruck once again.

"No more puppy pep talks Fluttershy," Twilight said firmly. The yellow Pegasus stopped midair and returned to the ground. "You may be fooling some with that weepy backstory but I'm not buying it. If Princess Celestia says you're a killer and a thief, well then that makes you a killer and a thief and I think it's high time you told us about what happened when you committed those crimes."

"I know this sounds like I'm copping out, trust me I REALLY do, but I swear I don't remember ever committing those crimes. Everything before Tartarus is a blur to me."

Rainbow flew up to Moonstruck and flashed a glaring bright light into his face. "That's it! I say we sweat this guy out and make him tell us the truth, if he wants to make things rough then so will we." He vainly tried to turn his eyes and face away from the searing search light, the heat was driving him crazy.

"Rainbow Dash; that's not how we do things," Twilight said. She magically yanked Rainbow down and removed the light. The cyan Pegasus pouted being grounded and blew a raspberry at Twilight; the princess simply ignored it. "I'm going to ask you again and I strongly insist you tell the truth this time, what did you steal and who did you kill?"

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU! I don't know about any of those things, I can't tell you something I didn't do or can't remember."

"Not doing something and not remembering doing something are two very different things."

"Look, the only thing I remember are bits and pieces from the day I was arrested. I remember staying at a friend's home in the Whinny city, at least…I think he was a friend… but I don't remember what he looks like or what his name was. Anyway, I was taking a nap when suddenly Princess Celestia and a group of guards burst into the home and came after me. I didn't know what was going on or why they were after me so I panicked and ran. The guards caught me and I remember struggling and resisting. I was so confused and scared I didn't know what to do.

Celestia was saying something to me, something about what I was being arrested for; but that's when things got blurry. I remember a bright light, lots of screaming, Celestia's voice and then…nothing. When I awoke, I was in Tartarus with chains on. I discovered the hex mark when I first tried to use magic to escape. At first I thought all prisoners had this spell on them so they couldn't use magic while inside Tartarus, obviously I was wrong after seeing what Tirek could do. I learned the mark was still affecting me even after I was out of Tartarus, but thankfully I still managed to block the hole with a makeshift plug, and as you now know; the rest is history. Maybe the hex Celestia put on me does affect my memory just like you told me it affected my body Twilight, or maybe living in Tartarus made it impossible for my mind to think about life before being imprisoned, either way; that's everything I know."

The mane 6 looked at each other; processing everything Moonstruck said. If Moonstruck's words were to be believed, then they were holding an innocent pony prisoner who has been wrongfully incarcerated for 2 years. Twilight noticed the uncertainty in some of her friends; she could tell this won't be settled easily.

"Well then, thanks for the information Moonstruck. Girls, Spike? Let's head up stairs and come to a decision about what to do next," Twilight said; turning her head to her friends. Each pony made their way up the basement stairs and into the center of the library. "As for you," she turned to Moonstruck; the scathing and anger in her voice had subsided a little. "Regardless if what you told us was the truth or not, I'm going to get to the bottom of this; you can count on it."

The princess headed upstairs; slamming the door shut behind her. Moonstruck attempted to say something before Twilight left, but he stopped himself. He knew anything he said would just make things worse. Twilight was furious with him and she had every reason to be, she took a chance trusting him and it blew up in both their faces. Now Moonstruck's fate rested in the hooves of the very same ponies that were famous for defeating dangerous villains; just like him.

Moonstruck stared at the door with longing, sorrow filled eyes. "Now all I can do is pray, pray they make the right decision."

"I don't care how much he cries or how sad he looks," Twilight said; angrily slamming her front hoof on a table. "I say he's guilty and we need to report this to Princess Celestia immediately. There are just too many holes in his story, none of which we can corroborate UNLESS we talk to the Princess about him."

Rainbow grunted and nodded, "I totally say we send this creep back to Tartarus as soon as possible. Like Twilight said; it's way too convenient that he can't remember the most important details we were asking him about. I don't trust a thing he says and neither should you guys."

Fluttershy meekly raised her hoof, "B-b-but what if he's telling the truth? Some ponies do get amnesia; especially if they have something horrible and painful happen to them. The poor thing couldn't even remember anything before he got arrested, like who his parents are, what they look like or if he has any brothers or sisters or not."

"I for one don't even want to imagine what it would be like being locked up in such a dreadful place like Tartarus," Rarity said with a shudder. She raised her hoof above her horn, adding a dramatic sigh to the gesture. "All those terribly, nightmarish creatures surrounding you day and night for 2 years straight; that would drive any pony mad."

Spike looked down and scratched his scaly chin, "I don't know; there's something about the guy that just seems weird to me. He knew where Twilight and I lived but he still asked me for directions." The dragon looked up and put his claws on his hips. "If he was going to hurt Twilight or something, wouldn't talking to me draw too much attention to him?"

"He probably wanted to make sure you weren't home so you wouldn't get in the way of tricking me into breaking that hex spell," Twilight explained. She hunched over and growled; every pony could see the aggravation fuming off Twilight's body language. "I can't believe I let that lousy, lying, no good, back stabbing JERK into my home!"

Applejack raised her eyebrows at Twilight's grumbling. The orange mare spoke with concern and care in her voice, "Now Twi; ah know you don't wanna hear this but, is it possible yer being extra hard on em because yer mad at him for lying to ya?"

Twilight gasped, "Do I really have to have a good reason to be mad at KILLER? He's a liar, a thief and way too dangerous and powerful to trust; even with that hex on his magic." The princess smacked her hoof on the table once more, the force knocked Pinkie's cupcake over. "I don't think any of us are being hard enough on him!"

"But Twi, none of us know for sure if he really did do these things. All we have to go by is what the wanted poster says. He just seemed so sad and heartbroken; like a pup separated from his litter, that don't sound like no killer to me."

"I can't believe YOU of all ponies are actually defending him," Twilight pointed at Applejack. The country mare had a surprised look on her face. "You almost died because of one of his fear spells, if that Pegasus had been paralyzed by that spell for a few seconds longer; you wouldn't be here right now."

Applejack nodded, "Ah know and this trouble maker dun got to pay for all his peccadillos; no pony here is arguing that. But you didn't see him on the farm, he was plum scared out of his mind and he even told me and Big Mac that he didn't want to hurt any pony. The fear spell wears off anyhow, ah was just unlucky cause ah was right by the edge of the cliff at the time." AJ thought about it for a moment and smiled softly, "Thank Celestia for Hopeful Romantic."

The fashionista swooned with a song in her voice; her giggling caused Spike's eyes to become hypnotized with her. Rarity had been giddy as a school filly ever since Applejack told her about Hopeful's heroic last minute rescue. "Oh Applejack, he sounds like such a divine colt; risking life and limb to save you from a fatal fall, catching you in his arms and then turning to putty once you embraced him." She spun around and cupped her cheeks; giggling loudly, "Oh it's so romantic."

Applejack blushed sheepishly and tipped her hat over her eyes. "Ahm not sure nearly dying is all that romantic Rarity," she paused, lifted her hat back up and smiled. "But ah think ah know what ya mean."

All of this talk of romance and mushy stuff was making Rainbow want to barf; she loudly gagged and pointed to her mouth. Rarity and Applejack both frowned.

"PUH-LEASE, can we drop the whole lovey dovey thing? It's such a waste of time, not to mention embarrassing." The Pegasus hovered above the table, pointing at Applejack. "No offense AJ, but I think your losing your touch if your letting some smooth talking pony sweep you off your hooves." The orange mare didn't bother dignifying Rainbow's comments with a response.

Fluttershy blinked curiously, "But Dashie; that's exactly how you sounded when you were talking to me about that Earth pony that raced you."

The cyan speedster widened her eyes, her cheeks turning an embarrassingly bright shade of red. Applejack, Rarity and Pinkie Pie smiled smugly; their eyes all looked to Rainbow.

"FLUTTERSHY," Rainbow shouted. She flew to Fluttershy and looked down at her with an immensely embarrassed face, "I thought I told you not to mention Arrowhead's name to any pony."

Fluttershy weakly smiled, "Um…I didn't; you did."

Rainbow groaned out loud and smacked her face; her cheeks were practically glowing now. The Pegasus only mentioned the charming Earth pony to Fluttershy; she was still unsure about the colt and worried that admitting she liked a guy would ruin her "tough girl" image. She always thought romance was nothing but fluffy girly stuff that ponies like Rarity obsessed over. The rainbow mare knew she'd have to bring this guy up sooner or later; since he's insisting on having lunch with her and her friends, but she was hoping to have more time before bringing him up.

"Soooooooooooo Rainbow Dash, who's this Arrowhead feller? He wouldn't happen to be the same Earth pony that was acting all warm and fuzzy like with ya at the party now; would he?" Applejack asked; her voice dripping with smug sarcasm.

Pinkie Pie tackled Rainbow before she could answer. The Pegasus tried to push Pinkie back but the party pony was stronger than she looked, she shoved her face right into Rainbow's. "Ooh, you have a new pony friend? That's great! Where's he from, what's his favorite color, can I meet him, what size party hat does he wear, does he like cake, does he know how many chickens it takes to pull a chariot? I need to know by Friday."

The speedy mare grunted and shoved Pinkie off. "Give it a rest Pinkie; I barely know the guy. He challenged me to a race and since I won; he promised to buy lunch for all of us. But now he's saying he won't just give me the money and that he wants to have lunch with all of us in person." She huffed and whipped her hair back, "Of course I'm WAY too cool to be hanging out with him anyway."

"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me! I try for weeks to find a decent date and end up only meeting uncouth pigs, while you and Applejack BOTH scored dates with a charming pair of stallions without even trying?! It's just not fair," Rarity pouted.

Seeing Rarity so downtrodden over all this boyfriend talk only caused Spike to feel just as lonely and dejected. Deep down though, Spike was always grateful things didn't work out with Rarity's dates because that meant he still had a shot with her; or so he hoped.

"Um Rarity," Spike gently poked Rarity's side; offering her a hopeful smile. "I know this isn't really the best time to do this." The unicorn seamstress ceased her whining and looked to the young dragon curiously. "But, since we're talking about dating and stuff, I wanted to know if maybe you would like to-"

WHAM!

Twilight levitated the table off the ground and slammed it down; shaking the other ponies off of their derailed conversation. "How exactly did we get to THIS point? We're trying to discuss the fate of a dangerous pony chained up to the wall in my basement, and yet every pony is acting like were at a slumber party!"

Pinkie's bouncy mane popped up from beneath the table; she was wearing a blue and yellow nightcap and white pajamas with yellow smiley faces and tacos on them. "You mean were not at a slumber party? I thought chaining Weird Raccoon pony guy to the wall was a new slumber party game Twilight came up with."

The Alicorn princess could see they weren't getting anywhere at this rate. The group had wasted enough time arguing about this Moonstruck situation, its time to put all of this to a vote and finally decide what to do with him.

"Look we've talked this over long enough, Moonstruck told us everything he knows and now it's time to put this to a vote: who thinks he's guilty and needs to be delivered to Princess Celestia and who thinks he's telling the truth about being innocent. Every pony raise their hoof, or claw in Spike's case, and decide which side you want to vote for" Twilight announced to everyone. The princess raised her hoof first, "You already know my stance; I say it's back to Celestia with him."

Applejack raised her hoof next, "Ah don't think he's entirely innocent but ah don't think he belongs in Tartarus either. Ah say he should stay and we should find out the truth about these charges against em."

Fluttershy nervously nodded, "I agree w-w-w-with Applejack; I think he deserves a second chance. We've got to give ponies the benefit of a doubt and learn to trust them when they ask us to. After all, Trixie and Discord were both bad once and now were friends with them; I think Moonstruck deserves the same fairness."

"Well I don't trust him and I think we should let Princess Celestia straighten him out. That guy spent days spying on us when we were in the Castle of the two sisters, he's been creeping around doing who knows what behind our backs. I'm not gonna let him endanger my friends or Ponyville just because he turned on the water works," Rainbow said firmly.

Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack and Rainbow looked to the ponies who didn't vote yet: Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Spike. The mares leaned in and awaited their response.

Pinkie pie giggled "I like him; he should definitely stay." The mare paused and scratched her chin; looking deep in thought. "Although, he does stink at playing reverse Hide and seek. I walked backwards the entire time waiting for Weird Raccoon pony guy to follow me and he NEVER made a single move; some pony seriously needs to teach him proper game play."

"It pains me to do this to that poor soul but, I must confess that I side with Twilight on this" Rarity said, a twinge of sorrow in her voice. "This Moonstruck seems deeply troubled and he's struggling with so many things right now, I can't possibly imagine what living in such awful conditions could do to a pony. I do believe him when he says he doesn't mean us any harm, but I worry what damage he could do unintentionally; as well as intentionally with that dark magic of his."

Twilight nodded, "So that's 3 for Moonstruck staying and 3 for him going, which means it's down to you Spike."

The dragon gulped nervously, "M-m-m-m-me, why me?"

"You're the tie breaker; you're the only one of us who hasn't voted yet. I don't mean to put pressure on you Spike but I think it's important this decision be made tonight. I promise none of us will think any less of you or be upset; no matter which side you choose."

All eyes went to Spike; everything now depended on him and him alone. Even though Twilight said no pony would be mad at him; there's definitely going to be problems if he makes the wrong choice; not to mention what happens to Moonstruck. Spike bit his lip and started to sweat furiously. He started to fumble his claws against his belly; rocking back and forth on his toes; unable to sit still or look his friends in the eye.

This is crazy, what am I supposed to do?! Everyone is expecting me to make the final decision, otherwise; we'll be stuck here all night and Moonstruck will have to just hang there; waiting while we sort it out. This is nuts! Both my mom and the mare I love are on the one side, but on the other hoof; I don't agree with their side. I know Twilight said no one would be mad at me, but how can they NOT be mad? Either decision is going to make problems.

"I'm thinking I uh…I want to choose um…the side that uh."

What if I vote for him to stay and that totally ruins things with Rarity AND makes my mom mad? Voting against her is like undermining Princess Celestia; I'm arguing against royalty! But that's not fair to Moonstruck. I feel for the guy; I don't know what I feel but I definitely feel something and if I vote against him just cause mom and Rarity are on that side; how is that fair to him? This is his LIFE were talking about, not like losing a game of hoof ball or something!

Spike darted his eyes left and right; he gripped his head and bent his knees. The young dragon felt like his mind was going to explode from all the worst case scenarios popping inside. Twilight looked more and more concerned with Spike's stress level; she could see him trembling all over.

I don't know what to do; I don't know what to do! Rarity, she's so beautiful and angelic and yet, she doesn't feel safe around Moonstruck. If I vote to keep him here; she might worry I'M unsafe to be around because I want him to stay. What if this totally destroys the one chance I have to be with her, what if her opinion of me changes because of this one decision? Argh! But that's greedy; letting a potentially innocent pony suffer just because I want someone to like me.

"RAAAAAAAAAH" Spike screamed into the air; clutching his claws tightly. Twilight and the others went to comfort Spike; he raised a claw up and motioned for them to stop. "I'm a-a-all right, I just needed to blow off some steam; clear my head a little." He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and calmed himself. "I've made my decision and I just want to say that…I'm sorry."

The 6 mares looked at each other with confusion; unsure of which pony or which side Spike was apologizing to. Twilight motioned for Spike to continue.

"I know how this must sound; coming from the guy who whacked him upside the head with a frying pan but, I vote for him to stay."

Applejack and Fluttershy sighed and patted Spike's back, happy to hear he made the right decision. A small shower of confetti rained down on Spike's head; curtesy of Pinkie's handy party cannon. Not every pony was pleased however.

"Are you kidding me? You can't seriously want that guy to stick around," Rainbow snapped. She flew over to Spike and looked him right in his emerald eyes; her glare made Spike freeze with fear. "How can you be okay with a potential killer living in your house, I mean come on, you ran all the way over here freaking out Twilight might have-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH Rainbow Dash," Twilight shouted. Her magical aura yanked the cyan Pegasus back and plopped her next to her, "Spike made his decision; we all agreed to vote on this and we can't yell at him just because he didn't pick the side we wanted." The Alicorn princess softened her tone and turned to her scaly assistant. "Thank you for being honest Spike, though there is one part I do agree with Rainbow on; you did seem like you wanted Moonstruck out of here more than any pony else."

"I agree Spikey poo, what could have possibly made you change your mind about letting such a dangerous stallion stay?" Rarity asked. The white unicorn spoke with confusion rather than irritation in her tone. She agreed that Spike shouldn't be shamed for being honest with his decision, but she was puzzled by his change of heart. Spike was just grateful her view of him hadn't changed.

"To be honest, I don't like the idea of him hanging around here; wanted poster or not. He's a stranger and with all the weird magic he can do and this whole hex thing; it makes me feel uneasy." Spike placed his claws on the table and rested his chin on them, his green eyes watering a little. "But then I thought about what Fluttershy said about him not being able to remember his parents and family…and it reminded me how I don't know who my family is."

Rarity gasped, "Oh darling; I hadn't even thought about that."

"None of us did, even though I should have. I was the pony that raised you Spike and I know there are still a lot of questions about your past that I couldn't answer," Twilight added.

Spike nodded, "I know and I still think of you guys as my family; it goes without saying. But I do wonder about my dragon mom and dad, if I have any brothers or sisters, or how my egg ended up where it did. I also know Moonstruck has some pretty scary magic, but I've got powers that can be scary too; every pony in Ponyville got to experience them."

The mares all nodded in agreement; remembering Spike's monstrous transformation on his birthday. It was a day of darkness for the young dragon. Just like the vote he just finished, he still worried about hurting others because of a choice he made; even though every pony forgave him in both cases.

"I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, if Moonstruck could get his memories back; he could remember about his family and find out if he really did those things or not. That's an opportunity no pony or dragon should be denied. And even if he is bad and is just putting on an act, I know you can handle him. After all, you guys defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis and Tirek; I know you can do anything."

"Now hold on there partner" Applejack said; nudging Spike's side. "Don't you go on forgettin to throw yerself into the mix; you've helped save Equestria just as much as we have."

Twilight smiled warmly at her dragon son, "Applejack's right; you're a hero too Spike. It was thanks to you the Crystal Empire was rescued from King Sombra's evil, and you saved an entire stadium full of ponies from that ice cloud at the Equestrian games." Spike blushed sheepishly at all this praise, he kicked his feet lightly. "You've been with us all this time and we wouldn't want any other dragon or pony by our side during battle; I'm very proud of you Spike."

"We all are Spikey Wikey" Rarity said, nuzzling Spike's green scales. She lifted Spike's chin with her hoof, the purple dragon blushed even brighter. "We've all seen your strength and bravery and we know it took a lot of both to speak your mind about what to do with Moonstruck. No one should ever feel embarrassed about being true to themselves." Rarity flashed a stern gaze towards her Pegasus friend, "RIGHT Rainbow Dash?"

"Heh, sorry there bud; guess I got carried away with the whole 'winning' the vote thing," Rainbow said with a sheepish smile. She shook her hoof with Spike's claw. "There's nothing cooler than a pony err dragon who has the guts to tell it like it is; even if the odds are stacked against him."

Spike smiled and shook his head. "No, thank you guys for being the best family a dragon could ever ask for." The ponies collectively cooed at Spike's touching words, they moved in for a giant family hug. Everyone eventually dispersed and returned to the business at hand. "So, what do we do now?"

"Even though we agreed that Moonstruck is going to stay until we find out what happened to him, I still have to talk to Princess Celestia about what happened when she arrested him 2 years ago. She's the only pony who can fill in the gaps to Moonstruck's amnesia," Twilight explained.

"But are you sure you're going to be okay keeping a secret from Princes Celestia? You almost cracked just trying to lie to the guards when I took Philomena," Fluttershy said worriedly. "This is an awfully big thing to hide."

Twilight sighed and nodded, "Yes I know, that's why I am going to ask her as many details as I can without revealing that I've encountered him. I trust the princess and her wisdom without question, but she always taught me never to make a judgement without having ALL the facts so that's what I'm going to do; get all the facts."

"So what do we do in the meantime while yer gone?" Applejack asked.

"For the time being, keep him here and don't tell any pony about him. I don't expect all the responsibility of watching him to fall on Spike alone so I'm going to ask the 5 of you to come and take shifts every couple of hours. That way all of you aren't sacrificing all your time here, and no one will be here with Moonstruck alone. Just keep him locked in the basement but bring him food and water when he needs it."

"We should probably get him down off the wall then," Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash was about to ask why, but then a loud groan from the basement interrupted her. Moonstruck was shouting something to them.

"I need to use the bathroom; like really, really, REALLY badly!"

The cyan Pegasus cringed, "Oh yeah….kind of forgot about that part huh?"

Twilight began scurrying about the library; magically lifting several books, scrolls and notes into a satchel across her back. "I should only be gone for a day, 2 at the most, so the sooner I leave the sooner I get back here with answers. I trust you guys to figure out who watches first and who follows, I know this is a last minute emergency to drop on you guys, but I wouldn't be leaving you with this unless I trusted you guys completely."

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Spike followed Twilight to the door; giving her warm hugs and wishes of good luck. The princess exited the library and waved to her friends; smiling to them as she left. She was determined to find the answers to the mystery behind Moonstruck's past and powers, and she knew her friends would be able to keep him safe and hidden until then.

I don't know why, but I sense there's something bigger at work going on here than just Moonstruck himself. Maybe digging into his past will help me find out what his future has in store for him…and for us.

Twilight thought back to her first meeting with Moonstruck, her eyes briefly looked back to the library's basement window.

He's such a fascinating colt; I've never met anyone like him. I just hope what I find out about him will be helpful, and hopefully dispel this nasty feeling I have in my gut about something bad surrounding him. I'm sure I'll feel better about everything once I talk to Princess Celestia; she always knows what to do.

The princess stopped for a moment, she looked down at her bag and levitated a scroll from her satchel. It was the scroll that Spike was writing that she hid from him.

I just hope she knows what to do about this too…for Spike's sake.

To be continued…

10. Truth aches

Chapter 10: Truth aches

(Hopeful Romantic's POV)

Good grief; how do I get mixed up into these things?

I stood in the market, my mind fogged over with questions and images, distracting me from even realizing I was trying to buy something.

"Oops, sorry; here you go mister" I said; hoofing him the bits for the juicy red apple. I take the ruby fruit and sink my teeth into it. Everything tastes just fine, smooth and delicious; just like a properly harvested apple should. And yet, I sense it's lacking something special. "It's just not the kind of apple I'm craving I guess" I said somberly; staring at the half eaten apple, its red color starts to turn to a familiar shade of orange. I shake my head and sigh; thinking of another apple I wanted to lock lips with.

I shouldn't think of her that way, the fair maiden deserves better than that…

It's been 2 days since I last spoke with Applejack. Every time I tried to talk to her, she would always be busy with something like her chores, talking to her friends or something like that. Lately I've noticed her going to the library for a few hours at a time…it's the only time I get to see her anymore. I hate to be seen as a stalker but, it really is the only time I get to see her and even though she said she's not interested, still, I just can't stop thinking about what her big brother said to me.

"You didn't let anything or anyone stop you from caring for mah sis and she needs a pony like you in her life, she just doesn't know it yet."

I always thought my chances with Applejack disappeared along with that creepy unicorn, but if what her brother said is true, how am I supposed to get her to notice me when she's busy all the time?

"Any sane pony by now would have probably given up; can't say I entirely disagree with that sentiment" I said softly. Looking around the market place, I check for any signs of Applejack coming by for her visit to the library. I take a deep breath to calm myself so I don't come off like a stumbling fool again. "But still, something tells me she is interested but doesn't know how to approach this sort of thing. I just wish I could find the right way to get her to talk to me for more than 5 minutes and get to know me."

"PSSST, Hopeful, over here" a young voice said from behind. I look around to find the source; it belonged to a familiar yellow filly with a red bow: Apple Bloom. She was hiding by a barrel near a Pony selling vegetables, "Come on over, ah got more intel for ya."

"Apple Bloom, you don't have to be THAT secretive," I said; rolling my eyes. The little filly had been helping me get on AJ's good side by telling me things her sister liked, she's been helping ever since I left the farm. "It's not like you got top secret magic scrolls or anything," I say dryly; walking up to the filly.

"Hey now, ahm tryin' to lend ya a hoof here with mah big sister, this is VERY important," she said with a serious tone. She probably thinks this will get her a cutie mark in spying or being a secret agent. "If mah help isn't appreciated, you can always go back to your old methods of trying to get mah big sis to notice you."

"NO, no, no I'm sorry; trust me," I said with a desperate plea in my voice. "I really, really, really, REALLY do want your help. Nothing I tried has worked so anything you can help me with would be tremendously useful." I felt like I was using cheat codes by talking to AJ's little sister and getting info like this. I know it was Bloom's idea to play matchmaker in the first place, but still, I've never needed help like this talking to a girl before.

"Glad to hear it, now listen up; mah sis loves country music, lots of physical outdoors kind of stuff and sunflowers" the filly said. She patted my shoulder and leaned in; like a coach prepping a boxer for the fight of his life. "Personally, Ah think yer approach needs to be a little bit less heavy now that you've tried so many other ways to get her attention. But don't let that get ya down, my big sis is as stubborn as Granny Smith is, she just needs LOTS of effort to get her to notice ya."

"But won't all this pushing and hounding just make her more annoyed with me?" I asked, unable to contain my anxiety. "I know my dad always said strong women find persistence endearing, but I'm just worried she'll drop kick me if I push any harder."

"Just think of sis like Winona; all bark and no bite. She's plenty strong enough fer sure but she'd never harm a pony unless they were trying to harm her. Trust me, she doesn't find ya annoying" the filly said; trying her hardest to support me. I'm just worried she's making this sound easier than it actually is. "If she did; she wouldn't have kept all that stuff ya sent her."

"Really, she kept everything I sent her?" I said, gasping softly. I genuinely had no idea she kept all the things I had sent her: poems, love letters, original songs, flowers, chocolates, I even baked her apple pie. "I thought she would have thrown them out; she sure acts like she didn't get any of it."

"Like ah said, you've given her plenty of stuff, now's not the time for talkin; now's the time for ACTION" she shouted. I immediately tried to hush her in case Applejack was around; luckily she wasn't. The filly blushed sheepishly and pushed me towards the path to the library. "Remember all the stuff ah told ya and don't give up, fight for yer special some pony! Be fiercer than a grizzly bear fighting bumble bees during honey season."

"What is it with you guys and all these metaphors?" I asked, feeling confused and a little embarrassed. This filly is pushing and ordering me around like I was the child, what about that makes sense?

"Just get out there and treat mah sister right!" Bloom shouted, literally shoving me out into the open.

CRASH!

The minute Apple Bloom shoved me, I crashed right into someone or something before I could see who or what it was I hit. All I knew was that it was strong and I hit it like a ton of bricks. I remember seeing stars and spots; the whole world was a dizzying blur of orange and yellow. Wait a minute, orange and yellow? There's only one pony I know who has that color scheme: Applejack!

"WAH" I screamed; realizing who I literally just ran into. The country mare groaned, holding her throbbing head and searching for her cowboy hat. "Why can't I get one thing to go right for a change? ONE stinking thing, is that too much to ask?" I mutter to myself. Things are already off to a crappy start.

"Huh? Oh hey there Hopeful, sorry about that," she said sincerely. Applejack shook her head and slowly stood back up. "Don't know how that just happened but must've not looked where I was going, mah mistake." I rammed into the mare of my dreams while trying to get insight on how to talk to her and SHE'S the one apologizing?

"No, no, absolutely not, it was totally my fault and I'M the one who should be apologizing to you fair maiden" I said just as sincerely, hoping she can sense the sorrow in my voice. I knew she had to go to the library for whatever it is she does there, but I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do like Apple Bloom said and kept trying.

"Ha, ha, you always crack me up with that sweet maiden talk," AJ said with a hearty chuckle. "Ah think you're the only pony in Equestria who talks like that, heck, yer certainly the only pony in Equestria who talks to ME like that."

"Heh I guess you just bring the out the best in me" I say with a soft, purring tone. My smile widened when I saw that adorable blushing color on her freckled cheeks, she tried to hide her flushed face under her hat. "You know, you look much cuter when you don't hide it like that."

She frowned a little, damn; I hated seeing her without a smile. This is exactly how she looked after I nearly dropped her back by the cliff. I knew I was pushing too hard like Apple Bloom said, but it's just so hard not to do it around some pony you're so deeply attracted to; at least with me it is.

"Look partner, those are mighty kind things to say to me, and ah appreciate the gifts you've been dropping at mah door step but-"

"Did you get to read the letters, or the songs, or the poems? I REALLY wanted to know what you thought of them" I said; interrupting her. I knew it was rude to cut AJ off, but once she mentioned the mail I sent her, I was so eager to know her feelings on my work that I couldn't contain myself. "I know I sent a lot, but I figured it would be a less intrusive way to talk to you without disrupting your chores."

"Actually", Applejack started; her eyes nervously looking side to side. "Ah haven't read any of it," her words cut me like a jagged knife. My heart, smile and optimism sank like a stone in a river. Apple Bloom said she got them; I only assumed she did read them but turns out I was wrong. The orange mare looked to me and sighed, "Ah really am sorry but ah just don't got the time to have a feller in mah life right now. My friend Twilight is out of town and me and the girls have been keeping an eye on her assistant Spike, which means ah gotta get going."

She started to walk towards the library, I had to say or do something to try and get her to keep talking to me, anything!

"Um well t-t-that's okay, how about I come with you? I'd love to meet more of your-"

"NO, YAH CAN'T" she suddenly screamed; I definitely wasn't expecting her to shout like that. I backed up a little and raised my wings slightly in defense. "Ahm sorry for screaming like that, it's just that this um…chore…I guess you could call it that," I noticed her eyes wandering side to side as she tried to form the right words. "This responsibility Twi has trusted me and the girls with is a complicated thing, and we kind of have to keep it to ourselves. Ah know that doesn't make much sense but that's the way it is."

"Oh a-a-a-all right, I get it" I said with a weak nod. "Okay well I DON'T get it, since you're not really telling me anything except that…you can't tell me anything but, I get that it's complicated at least." I put on a fake smile and just try and accept this awkward rejection with some dignity.

"Thanks sugar cube, see ya round" she said, waving and walking right out of my life.

That's what it feels like anyway.

I watch as the orange pony walks towards the library, my false smile deteriorates a little bit more with each step. What took a matter of moments felt like hours as I stood there watching Applejack walk away. I shook my head and decided to head on out as well. I don't know why I thought this time would be different; maybe I have been too pushy; maybe everything was too much. I guess I just wanted her to know me a little before making her mind up about me. Heck, I don't even know if I like her as much as I think I like her, just wanted to see if this could be something or not.

"So, wha'd she say? Is she gonna meet ya after she's done library sitting?" Apple Bloom asked enthusiastically. She hopped out in front of me, cheerful and chipper as Pinkie Pie at a birthday party. I pat her head softly and continue going on my way. "Does that mean she said no, maybe, some other time, Hopeful?" she called out to me, but I didn't feel like talking…I didn't feel like much of anything right now. "What happened to never giving up?" that question did make me stop; I turned and looked at her.

"I used to think that way Bloom, back when I was different," I said with a mournful tone. Bloom tilted her head to the side, deeply confused by my words. "You see, I didn't use to be this way, I wasn't always nervous, jittery and unsure of myself. I used to be confident and had no trouble talking to mares, in fact; I used to be quite the ladies colt once upon a time."

"So then what changed? What happened to ya that made you all scared and nervous?"

I couldn't tell her, I couldn't unload such a terrible story on such a sweet little filly. But I wanted to tell her, badly even, I wanted to tell someone in hopes that the pain would hurt less if I do. Every time I start to tell someone I stop so I don't make them feel sad just because I'm suffering. Just thinking about talking about it brings tears to my eyes, my voice is already started to choke. I quickly recompose myself and make sure I keep it together so she doesn't see me cry.

"Let's just say I lost something that was irreplaceable, something that I didn't even realize how much I took it for granted until it was gone" I said, wiping my eyes clean of a few drops that escaped. "I'm just not the same pony I once was. But don't worry about me; you just keep taking care of your sister. It's a beautiful thing you're doing; trying to find some pony that would make her happy." I slowly look at the orange tail bow; bouncing with every wag, my gaze lifts back to Bloom's young eyes. "Never stop loving her Bloom, never."

I take to the skies before she could ask me any more questions, my fragile heart couldn't stand to endure another. Leaving Apple Bloom sad and confused there was a crummy thing; I don't deny it one bit, but becoming a blubbering mess in front of her wouldn't have made things any better either. The wind against my face brings me little pleasure, despite how beautiful the sun and sky looks today. Maybe this is for the best; she was out of my league anyway.

"But for what it's worth, at least she noticed me," I said, staring out into the puffy white clouds. That thought was enough to put a smile on my face; it was a sad smile but a smile none the less.

(No one's POV)

"All righty RD, ahm here to switch out with ya," Applejack said, entering the library. "You too Spike, ya'll can take a break or get somethin' to eat while ah watch over our special guest."

Rainbow and Spike looked up from their game of cards; they dropped their sets, stretched and yawned loudly.

"It's about time, my wings were starting to feel like they were collecting dust," Rainbow griped. The cyan Pegasus flew out the door and nearly blew AJ's hat off, she laughed and waved to her Earth pony friend. "I'm taking my awesomeness out for a swim, catch you guys later."

The earth pony rolled her emerald eyes at Rainbow's attitude, if she didn't want to help out Twilight she could have just said no. She looked to see a number of books on the floor where Spike was sitting. All of them seemed to be circling around a specific theme: relationships, courtship advice, dating and one that was called "How to woo your lady in 9 easy steps."

"Twi would have a heart attack if she saw these all over the place" Applejack said to herself. She lifted her hooves around the books, many of them were open and she'd hate to be the one to leave a tear or marking on Twilight's precious collection. "Spike, ya'll better clean this up before you go; ya hear?"

Applejack saw Spike was by the basement door where Moonstruck was secured, he was talking to him through the door. The girls had released Moonstruck from his wall shackles, but kept him locked in the basement and made sure there was nothing around him that he could use to try and escape. Every couple hours Spike would open the door, under pony supervision of course, and slip a tray of food and water to Moonstruck. She was mighty surprised to see how chatty Spike was with same pony he clocked upside the head with a frying pan not too long ago.

"Thanks again for all that great advice Moonstruck, it was way better than what was in Twilight's books" Spike said cheerfully.

"My pleasure Spike, just remember to do it just like I told you. You've already got all the information you'll need inside yourself," he said. Spike nodded, listening attentively. "Be respectful, be persistent but above all else; be yourself."

"Right, be myself, gotcha."

"And don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want."

Applejack coughed loudly and tapped her hoof; trying to get Spike's attention.

"Ya'll done jibber jabbing? Cause Twi is gonna be plenty peeved if she sees this mess and ah ain't cleanin' it up" Applejack said firmly.

Spike shook his head and quickly hopped to cleaning up his mess. The dragon cleaned up the books in record time, almost as fast as Rainbow Dash one could say. He was just about to exit the library when he stopped and turned to AJ.

"You sure you're gonna be all right by yourself?"

"Ahm fine Spike, really, Pinkie Pie will be here soon to watch over Moonstruck with me," she said with a nod. "Now get on now; go on and have fun little guy."

The dragon frowned being called 'little guy'; that made it sound like she expected him to go play on the swings like he was a school filly. Spike knew he was younger than his mom and her 5 friends, but he wasn't the foal they kept treating him like. He closed the door and left Applejack to her guard duties. The orange mare turned her attention towards the red basement door, she walked up to it and knocked.

"Ya'll still there Moonstruck?"

"Naturally, it's not like I can go anywhere else," Moonstruck said with a dry laugh. The lack of laughter from the other side indicated AJ didn't find the humor in his statement. He quickly adjusted his tone, "Not that I don't understand why you guys are taking precautions like this, I'd do the same if I were in your position."

The country mare folded her legs under her tummy and sat down in front of the door. Moonstruck heard her every move, he assumed her sitting there indicated she had a long talk planned for him, why else would she be getting comfortable right in front of the door?

"Is there something I can help you with Applejack?"

"Look Moonstruck, ah want you to know ah was one of the ponies who didn't want you brought to Princess Celestia. Ah personally wanted to make absolutely sure if you were tellin' the truth or not. Havin' said that; ah don't know how comfortable ah am with you influencin' mah friends."

"Influencing?"

"The way you and Spike were talkin, ah'd reckon you boys were two eggs hatched from the same chicken. Mighty strange considerin' he was fer sure convinced you were a killer and all."

"Well if you must know," he leaned his back against the door. "There aren't a whole lot of books in here, mostly rusted junk and some science equipment Twilight hasn't used in a while; according to Spike. At one point Rainbow got bored and fell asleep and Spike didn't have anything else to occupy his time. So, I started calling and asking if he wanted to talk and surprisingly, he said yes." Moonstruck shrugged and shook his head, "I didn't think he'd want to talk with me but apparently, he had a lot on his mind."

"Ah reckon this has to do with this advice you were givin' him?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Applejack's tone sounded tense, like the idea of him helping Spike was a bad thing. He couldn't see anything beyond the door but he could hear the conviction in her voice when she spoke to him. Moonstruck faced the door so he could properly "look" at Applejack when he spoke to her.

"If there's something bothering you Applejack, then by all means, tell me. I may not be able to see you but I can definitely hear the irritation in your voice."

She took a deep breath and exhaled, "Ah want to know if you've been filling Spike's head with any funny ideas about tryin' to date mah friend Rarity."

Moonstruck paused before answering, "What makes you think our conversation had anything to do with that?"

"Don't try and horn swaggle me; Spike had this whole place littered with dating books. And nearly every pony in Ponyville knows there's only one pony he's pining for."

The unicorn sighed and slumped his horn against the door; he wasn't able to see what shape the library was in so he wasn't aware Spike had left so much "evidence" out for any pony to see. No point in beating around the bush now.

He lifted his head back up and blew green locks out of his eyes, "Look, anything Spike and I talked about happened because he wanted to talk to me about it. Obviously he wasn't finding the right answers from those books and no offense, but Rainbow Dash doesn't sound like the pony he could talk to about this kind of stuff, so I listened to him and helped him as best I could." The colt's silver eyes glared slightly, "There's nothing 'funny' about the ideas in his head."

Applejack couldn't argue with that, RD was the last pony who would want to hear about "lovey dovey feelings" as she'd put it. "So what exactly did you say to him? It's very important that ya tell me."

"Based on everything Spike told me, I suggested he stop trying to worship the ground Rarity trots on and just show a genuine interest in her and be true to himself when he's with her. I can tell even without seeing his face how important Rarity is to him and how much he cares for her."

"Ah know and that's what got me more twitchy than a bull in a rose garden," she said, her voice sounding more hurt than irritated. She had known about Spike's crush on her friend for a long while now, it had always been her hope that the young dragon gave up his puppy love crush, but it's only gotten stronger and that worries the country mare greatly. "Ya'll didn't know any better but you should've told Spike to let this Rarity thing go."

Moonstruck had trouble processing what he was hearing, none of this made any sense to him. "I know you guys aren't sure about trusting me but trust me when I say this: Spike's feelings are without question, I can hear it in his voice when he talks about her. Spike is in love with Rarity."

"Ah know and THAT is the problem!"

"WHY? How could you say that about two of your closest friends, why would the idea of them being together be a problem?"

Applejack stood up, her eyes buried at the center of the door; imagining she was facing Moonstruck face to face. The anger in her voice raised higher and higher, "Because it ain't right! Spike's a dragon and Rarity is a pony, it's not going to work; it can't work. Spike needs to grow up and give up this crush before he gets hurt, it's gonna happen whether you boys like it or not."

"You know THAT is your problem right there, you don't have any faith in anyone or anything that's different," he said angrily. The unicorn was standing and growling just as fiercely at the door as AJ was. The country mare had a shocked look on her face; she was genuinely surprised he would imply she doesn't support those different from her. "You talk about being close friends and how friendship is magic, yet all I'm hearing is you picking apart your friend's heart's desires and make him think the way you want him to."

WHAM!

AJ slammed one of her hooves against the door, causing Moonstruck to back up a bit. "Ya'll wait a darn tooting minute now; you can't talk to me like you know me OR Spike. You barely know us so what makes you think you can claim ahm trying to mess with my friend's mind?"

"Look at how you talk about him: funny ideas in his head, telling him to grow up, saying it's not right or it wouldn't work, and calling it a crush when we both know it's love. Where's the support in that?" Applejack tried to reply but was quickly cut off. "You're the element of honesty and yet you've been lying to Spike all this time by hiding how you really feel about his feelings towards Rarity. You talk like every pony shares your point of view but I have a feeling that's not the case so what makes you think your view is right?"

"Because he's too young to know the difference and besides, it's traditional that ponies go with other ponies. That's how things have always been done, wings with wings and horns with horns."

"Is that why you keep suppressing and denying your attraction to Hopeful Romantic, because of tradition?"

Applejack couldn't even begin to form a response to that surprisingly accurate question. She never spoke about her feelings to any pony, not even her own family knew exactly how she felt. It was like Moonstruck dug right into her core and saw everything she was hiding in her heart.

She didn't know if she should be angry at him for asking such a personal question, or to be angry with him because he was RIGHT and she refused to believe it.

"H-h-h-how in the hay did you know that?" she asked, her voice trembling. She tried to sound angrier but the shock had clearly softened her tone.

"I told you all before, my special talent is seeing into the darkness inside of other ponies. I can sense many conflicted emotions in your mind: fear, confusion, resistance, denial, pride and sadness. You can't accept Hopeful's advances because you dread that being different pony races will make things complicated. I sense your uncertainty and inner struggling," Applejack shook her head; she didn't want to hear OR believe this. She stuck her hooves into ears to try and block it out. "Your pride for traditionalism is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness; I can sense that you're worried about losing out on a potentially wonderful relationship; just because he's different than you…Spike is worried about the exact same thing with Rarity."

"Knock, knooooooock" a voice sang from outside the library.

Applejack cried out loud and tried to calm herself down, she couldn't believe how worked up she got by talking with Moonstruck like that. She felt sweat dripping from her blond locks under her hat. Pinkie Pie's knocking jarred her out of her anxiety attack, she felt better after a few deep breaths and downing a fresh glass of water.

"It's open Pinkie pie, come on inside."

The pink pony pouted outside the front door. "Awwwwe Applejack, you're supposed to say who's there?" Pinkie entered with a balloon, a cream pie with a plunger sticking out of it and a bull horn in her hooves. "I had the perfect punchline lined up for it too!"

Applejack felt now was as good a time as any to break off this uncomfortably close conversation with Moonstruck. The unicorn had made his point and AJ was too rattled to continue talking about her feelings towards Spike and Rarity; let alone her feelings towards Hopeful.

"Time's up partner; ahm afraid ah can't chit chat with ya no more," she walked away from the door. She paused and turned her head to add one more thing. "As fer the whole Spike n'Rarity situation, ah think this is something Twilight needs to handle."

"She really is a special mare isn't she?"

Moonstruck's question caused the orange mare to stop once again; even Pinkie Pie's interest was piqued, "Come again partner?"

He took his time preparing his answer. It was the strangest thing; Twilight was a pony bound by duty and loyalty to her teacher: the ruler of all of Equestria. In his time observing her activities, Twilight has proven herself to be an air tight, rigid rule follower and every form of logic and instinct was telling Moonstruck that Twilight is the last pony he should've asked help from.

And yet, for some reason he trusted her.

Maybe it was because she was the princess of friendship, or maybe it was that she went out of her way to help all ponies, or maybe it was the fact she remained her same old self despite the new power and title she received. Whatever the reason was, Moonstruck knew in his heart that it had to be Twilight and no pony else; she was the one destined to help him. Her magic, her heart, her spirit; none of those carried any trace of darkness that he could sense. Of course, there was always the simpler answer: that Moonstruck found her to be just as beautiful on the outside as he did on the inside, and convinced him to go to her for help despite the risk of being sent back to Tartarus.

"Spike told me that Twilight raised him after he was hatched, she's been like a mother to him and she's been teaching him all these years; even when she was a young filly." The thought of Twilight raising a lone, lost dragon all by herself brought warmth to Moonstruck's heart that he had not felt in ages. The two mares continued to remain silent and listen to the unicorn. "When I was talking to Spike, I could tell by the way he carried himself that he was raised in a kind and loving home. Not every pony could raise a child so well after being saddled with one at such an early age; especially a dragon. Everything that's good inside of Spike is thanks to Twilight's guidance and influence. Spike's lucky to have such a lovely and wonderful pony as his mother, that's all."

Moonstruck sighed heavily and headed down into the basement. He felt a weight lifted from his shoulders after saying his piece, he had nothing more to add. Applejack had already become upset from his earlier conversation so he figured enough was enough. Pinkie Pie and Applejack stayed silent for the next several minutes; eventually the girls busied themselves with books, games and anything else they could do to keep their mind off what just happened.

One thing was for certain though; Moonstruck was getting harder and harder to figure out with each passing day.

(Arrowhead's POV)

Love's a funny thing.

I think that to myself every time I notice those cyan colored wings soaring through the sky. Looking up at Rainbow; spiraling and spinning her way through clouds, I couldn't help but think how amazing it was to watch her work.

Still, at the same time; she's got some problems. She's a self-glorifying, egoistical, hyper competitive pain in the ass who buries herself under this obnoxious, 24/7 cool gal image so much that you can barely stomach her arrogance without gagging a little.

"Hot damn, love's a funny thing."

I laugh out loud; not giving a damn if any pony looks at me funny. Although, the fact I am standing in the middle of the street just staring up at a certain rainbow tailed vixen is probably attracting more stares than my private chuckling. I track her every move, keeping that colorful tail locked in my line of sight.

"I may not be as fast as you are on hoof Dash, but I'm definitely fast enough to keep track of you."

I watch her descend towards the water fountain at the center of town; she lands right in front of it and takes a bow; as if performing in front of a stage of thousands. "A sky cleared of clouds and a freshly dried coat in 30 seconds flat, a new pony record." She clapped her hooves above her head and cheered like a wild woman, a pair of maroon colored trunks with dark gold flowers covered her hips. "Thank you, thank you; I'll be here all week!"

"I certainly hope so hot stuff", I shout to her. Rainbow gasped and started losing balance on the fountain's edge, apparently my shout out took her by surprise. She fell back and landed right into the icy cold waters of the fountain with a mighty splash. "Oops, that is unfortunate", I cringe slightly. She is definitely not going to be happy to be soaking wet after just drying herself off, at least she still had her trunks on.

Rainbow gave me a death glare sitting in the fountain; soaked and scowling while drops of water dripped off her rainbow locks. "Not cool pony, Not. Cool. At. All."

"It was an honest mistake Rainbow, I was just trying to cheer you on; not cool you off." The mare turned her head to the side and frowned bitterly; ignoring both me and my apology. "Oh come on don't be like that," still giving me the silent treatment. I rub my chin and try to come up with a way of making it up to her; I smile as a light bulb appears over my head. "Hey, I've got it!"

SPLASH!

I cannonballed right into the fountain; Rainbow quickly swam clear from my splash down zone. My cheeks, hair and hooves were completely soaked and I was dripping from every part of my body; just like Rainbow was.

She looked at me, still soaked, still irritated and still unimpressed with me. "What? Now were both soggy in the fountain, it's like we match now," I said with a great big wet smile plastered on my damp face. Rainbow responded by splashing me right in the face, I smile weakly and offer a shrug. "Eh it was worth a shot."

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you that your end of the deal was to buy a great big lunch for me and all of my friends." Rainbow hopped out of the fountain and shook herself furiously; drying off like a wet shaggy dog. "And that can't happen until all of my friends are here, and since Twilight is out of town for a few DAYS; that means I don't need you popping up until the gang's all here and good and hungry, got it?"

I hopped out of the fountain next to Rainbow, "I know I know; I listened to every word you said Dash." A quick shake of my body sends the water off in every direction EXCEPT Rainbow's. I couldn't stop mentally laughing at seeing her looking all grumpy and soggy in the fountain, but I wasn't going to risk pissing her off even more by getting her soaked a second time.

"So then why are you bugging me right after I get done with work?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood and I said to myself; self: what could be more fun than watching the hottest member of the Wonderbolts doing her own thing?"

Rainbow rolled her eyes and groaned. "Do I look like a piece of toast? You can't butter me up by saying stuff like that. I'm the only one flying around in the sky, not the Wonderbolts, just admit that you were watching me."

I raise an eyebrow and smirk at her remark, "Well you are a member of the Wonderbolts reserve team are you not?" Her frowning face softened as she just realized he knew she got accepted onto the team's reserve ranks, she merely nods to answer his question. "Then technically what I said is true: you're a member of the Wonderbolts and I came here to watch the hottest member of the Wonderbolts, so that means I'm right and you're right too."

The Pegasus tried to argue or find some reason to logically be angry with my answer, but instead, all she got was just plain angry. I can see her trying so hard to prove me wrong but she's clearly failing miserably. Rainbow grabbed her hair and tried to yank it out she was so frustrated, I bit my lip and tried not to laugh at her little tantrum.

Her frustration was ridiculously adorable.

Even now when I watch her trying to yank her face off or rip her hair out, I can't help but find her to be so stunningly attractive. I love the way her rainbow hair bounces when she throws her head back, how her hooves dance anxiously with nowhere to go, and how that amazing rump of hers twitches its muscles. She's such a firecracker and a livewire; a total hottie with a totally hot temper and I'm loving every minute of it.

"UGH! There you go being grrr complicated again, why do you always have to be this way?" Rainbow paced left to right, periodically looking at the ground and then looking at me when she wanted to snap to her heart's content. "No matter what I say, you always got something to say back and it's driving me nuts!"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "I never thought I'd see the day, the brave and amazingly awesome Rainbow Dash driven to insanity by a regular, boring old guy like me."

"That's right! I AM awesome AND 20% cooler than you and your so-called smart jokes, in fact, I'm way too cool to be putting up with this." The Pegasus turned her winged back to me and started to head off.

Teasing and flirting had only gotten me so far, now it looks like Rainbow's frustration; cute as it may be, has reached its breaking point. It's time to be as daring as her favorite author and take a shot.

"You're right Rainbow, you are way too cool for the likes of me and I know it too. There's no reason you should stay and put up with this," Rainbow stopped and slowly turned her head to me. "But I'm asking if you will put up with it a little longer, for one night, just one night out at dinner…with me."

She looked at me like I just asked her the riddle of the Sphinx; she truly didn't know how to respond. I know she said she's not used to being flirted with by other guys so I imagine asking her out is an even stranger experience for her.

That still gets me.

Thinking that such a fine beauty like Rainbow doesn't get noticed for the fox she truly is; that's a head scratcher if I ever heard one.

"What's your deal? You really think I'm going to do your half of the bet just because my friends aren't all here right now?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Not at all, this is something completely different," I shake my head and make sure I am clear and concise with my words. "I'm asking you out in addition to taking your friends out to lunch, both meals won't cost you a single bit; it's all on me."

Rainbow tilts her head and processes everything she's just heard. This is a strange situation I've put her in, but I don't regret putting her in it. I wipe my hooves under my belly; pathetically trying to appear like this wasn't making my hooves sweat like crazy. It totally was though. Dash isn't the kind of girl you can fumble around and appear silly in front of, I knew from the moment I first became interested in her that I had to be just as cool and slick if I wanted to get her attention.

"Okay, back up a bit", she rubbed her head and looked straight at me. "I'll give you an answer AFTER you let me ask something first," I assured her I'd answer her question honestly and respectfully. "And don't laugh or look at me funny after I ask it; I don't like looking dumb."

"I would never do that to you" I said, sweetly but intensely enough that she knew I wasn't messing with her.

She half smiled at my response. "The question I want to ask is: why me, what is it about me that makes YOU; Arrowhead, go through all this just to ask a Pegasus like me, out for dinner?"

"Well that's easy," I lift my hoof and rattle off her finest qualities. "You're brave, tough, fast, an amazing athlete, loyal, a Hell of a fighter-"

"No, no that's just stuff I'm good at," she waves her hooves in the air to grab my attention. I quickly stop and put my hoof down. "I'm asking what about ME interests you? Not my looks, not the things I can do, my speed, being a Wonderbolt or any of my generally awesome things. I want to know what the real Rainbow Dash looks like to the real Arrowhead."

For a moment there I froze; I didn't realize how shallow I was sounding by just listing off her attributes and talents. I had to think very carefully about phrasing my next words correctly. I'm usually good in on the spot situations but this one was different, because this girl was different.

She's special, and I need to let her know why I see her as special.

"I think there's so much more to you then you're letting on." Her magenta eyes lock with my own, it looked like her body was on pins and needles waiting for my answer. I mentally smile at the thought of me having this effect on her; but I can't lose my train of thought. "I look at you and I see this wild, crazy and brave girl who feels she has to be on all the time. Sometimes I wonder if there's a side you're too afraid to show for some reason, or maybe there's something you're trying to prove to someone and you're the only one who knows why."

Rainbow gulps loudly; her eyes show the briefest of sparkles.

"It's like you're a turtle with this indestructible, awesome shell that makes you look invincible to everyone on the outside. You barely show your true face and stay inside where it's cool and safe. But sometimes on certain little moments, you pop out of your shell; even if it's only a crack at a time. THAT is why I'm drawn to you; I want to make sure I'm seeing the turtle and not just the shell." I take a moment to breathe out, felt like I just gave a speech in front of all of Canterlot.

Rainbow hasn't said a word; she's just standing there; staring at me as if frozen in time. I can't tell if what I just said moved her beyond words or scared her out of my mind. Either way, she hasn't left yet so I take that as a good sign.

"Arrowhead", she started to say; her voice wavering and shaken. "That is the most-"

"Hey Rainbow Dash," a voice called out.

I didn't see who it was, but based on the look on Dash's face; she knew who it was. She cried out and grabbed me, I found myself being shoved behind the fountain and out of sight. Rainbow leaned against the fountain on her elbow; trying to look cool.

"H-h-h-h-hey squirt; what's up?" Rainbow said, desperately trying to hide the fact she was talking to any pony.

A little orange Pegasus with magenta colored hair whizzed past on a scooter. "I just learned this new trick on my scooter, wanna see?" Scootaloo asked. She noticed Rainbow looked tense and on edge; like something was bugging her. "Um are you okay Rainbow Dash? You look really nervous."

"Nope, I'm good, good as gold, super awesome gold." Her voice was erratic and unusually fast, she looked at the sky and fake gasped. "Oops-look-at-the sun-gotta-go-bye, I'll have to see that trick later Scootaloo. Bye now." Rainbow started pushing Scootaloo on her scooter until the filly eventually left; she was confused out of her mind but she did what Rainbow asked her to do.

"Whew, that was a close one." She wiped her brow and sighed in relief.

"OW what the buck was that all about?" I shouted, my head throbbing from smacking into the concrete from the fountain. Rainbow flinched and turned around, she looked at me with a sheepish smile. "Mind explaining to me why you just chucked me head first into a concrete fountain just because some kid on a scooter wheeled by?"

"You see the thing is," she looked down and nervously shuffled her hooves. "That was Scootaloo she's kind of my adopted sister; sort of." Her gaze meets mine, her nervousness hasn't dissipated; and neither has my anger. "She looks up to me as this bad ass, super awesome athlete. Actually, all of Ponyville knows me that way and it's kind of created this reputation I've got to keep up. I just didn't want-"

"Let me stop you right there," I cut her off; too pissed and confused to listen anymore.

"Look I didn't mean to bump your head or anything, I was just trying to, you know," she laughed nervously, trying to make it not sound like a big deal. "Hide you." Not much of an apology if you ask me, but then again, it didn't matter because the bump wasn't the real reason I was upset.

I approached Rainbow and stared down at her. "So you're telling me that after you asked me to dig down deep and tell you the truth about why I'm interested in you, you threw me behind a fountain because you were worried that just talking to me about your emotions would ruin your precious reputation?" She nervous backed away from my growling, grumbling face.

"Weeeeellllll…when you put it THAT way" she started to say.

"Forget it," I turn around and start heading home. A trickle of blood drips down the side of my head wound.

Perfect, that's just what I need.

"Hey, you're hurt; let me at least bandage it or something", she said. Rainbow tried to touch my wound but I angrily swat her hoof away, she backs up with a hurt look on her face.

"Don't bother, I wouldn't want you to lose cool points by helping out a pony your too embarrassed to be seen in public with." I thought about using my speed to get out of this ugly situation faster, but I didn't want to risk it with my head throbbing and bleeding like this.

"Come on Arrowhead, I never said I was embarrassed to be seen in public with you" she called out to me. It sounded more like she was clarifying rather than comforting.

"Didn't you though?" I don't bother looking back to her; I've been hurt enough today; physically and emotionally. "Come back and talk to me when you figured out what's more important to you: being yourself or being Rainbow Dash."

The Pegasus hangs her head and sighs; she rubs her face and tries to clear her mind. Once again she turned a normal conversation into a mess that needed to be cleaned up. She stares at her saddened reflection in the fountain water; ripples cause it to blur.

"Not cool pony…not cool at all."

(No one's POV)

Princess Twilight followed the royal purple carpet with golden stitching towards the twin thrones. Her heart and mind raced with butterflies, neither which could be calmed no matter how hard she tried. Her duties and her emotions clashed like she and Tirek did not long ago; neither one strong enough to overcome the other. The train ride over didn't give her nearly enough time to decide what to do with Moonstruck.

"If I don't tell Princess Celestia about him, then I'm betraying my mentor's trust; not to mention lying to royalty. But if I do tell her about him, I could be sending an innocent pony back to a nightmarish prison, where he'll spend his entire life suffering."

Twilight shook her head and tried the relaxing breathing trick Cadence taught her. It wasn't helping, she sighed in defeat.

"I barely know this pony; I just spent half a day talking to him." Twilight started hyperventilating; she held her head and felt compelled to scream. "So then WHY am I thinking about him this much? This doesn't make sense! What about him is affecting me this much, did he cast a spell without me knowing it, did I overwork my brain studying again, WHAT DO I DO?"

"Princess Twilight, what a pleasant surprise," Celestia said. Her gentle, motherly voice shocked Twilight out of her stupor. Twilight hadn't realized she had still been walking all this time and had already reached Celestia. "What brings you to Canterlot? Not that I don't mind the surprise visit of course."

The purple Alicorn blocked all negative thoughts out of her mind and focused on the task before her. Twilight bowed before Celestia, she bowed in return.

"Princess Celestia, I know I'm dropping in unannounced but I have something very important to tell you and I'm afraid it can't wait." She felt her heart rapidly beating in her chest. This was the moment of truth, she had to make a choice and she had to make it now. "I have information regarding the escaped criminal known as Moonstruck."

To be continued…

Talk about social drama! Seems everyone's love life is a bit rocky, I haven't done much first person writing so forgive me if it didn't come out right. I felt it was appropriate for this chapter. Next time: Twilight has a special talk with Celestia, Apple Bloom has a new idea on how to get AJ and HR together, Dash visits Fluttershy for advice and a very SPECIAL guest will be popping in *wink*! I don't own Ponies or anything related to it; except my OC's. Reviews are LOVED and MUCH appreciated! Please and thank you!

11. Secrets and Flies

Chapter 11: Secrets and Flies

Finally an update! Sorry about the long wait but I've been thinking over all the excellent feedback and suggestions you've guys been giving me, making adjustments and what not. Plus having trouble with the job hunt, personal conflicts and other big RL stuff. Before I knew it, this chapter became the longest chapter in the story...so far. I appreciate and love all you guys for giving me your 2 cents on my story and I hope you continue to do so because I feel its making me a better writer and making this a better story as a result. Now, shout out time!

Danville Bengal: Thanks for all the kind words! I'm surprised; a lot of people responded well to the whole Applejack/door scene. Moonstruck isn't the only one who has strong opinions about Spike and Rarity, expect to see more from others. Yeah, I LOVE Paleowriter, my absolute favorite MLP author and one of the best I've ever seen. Everyone should TOTALLY check out Paleowriter's work, DO IT NOW...after my chapter of course ^^

Tenshoru: Make the chapters longer? Check! I was actually worried I was making AJ seem like too much of an ass but I'm glad to hear that I got her right. As for more flustered ponies, this chapter is chock full of em.

Lemon Smoothie: I always find inner thoughts to be tricky to maintain for long periods of time, so it's good to hear you liked how I portrayed them. Wanting to see Sweetie Bell and the other Crusaders eh? I have a feeling you'll find this chapter satisfying then...

Braveheart the Poseidon kid: THANK YOUUUUU!

A Man Undercover: I'll answer your questions in the order you asked them: You'll find out, cussing is used for more emphasis in the language used in the situation, today, and ONE of those characters is actually in this very chapter.

Thanks again for all the great feedback, enjoy!

Here it was, the moment of truth.

The very purpose for Twilight's journey was standing right before her violet eyes, her lips grown dry, heart pumping furiously from the rising fear of the towering task before her. She felt like her heart was being weighed down by cement blocks attached to razor sharp hooks. Princess Celestia was standing there; waiting, waiting to find out whose trust her prized pupil would ultimately betray: hers or the 6 friends back at Ponyville who already voted on this matter. Twilight felt like she should be banished to rot in a dungeon for even thinking about lying to Princess Celestia; especially for such a strange, creepy pony who was already marked as a fugitive, not to mention spying on her and her friends and assaulting them with dark magic. The legitimacy of Moonstruck's charges weighed heavily on the purple pony's mind however, as did the consequences that would come with those charges. One wrong word and a potentially innocent pony could be sentenced to an eternal nightmare; all because she did what was expected rather than what was just.

"Princess Twilight, is everything all right? You look flustered," Celestia extended a wing to Twilight's forehead. "I do hope you're not coming down with something, perhaps you'd like to lie down or have a glass of water?"

Celestia's endless kindness always put Twilight at ease, except in this case. The sweetness of her mentor only made this decision all the more difficult to make. How could she ever betray such a benevolent ruler, who had always been so kind and caring to even the lowliest of subjects?

"No, no, I'm f-f-fine P-p-p-p-princess," Twilight hyperventilated; trying desperately to focus her rattled nerves. Celestia watched her pupil with deep concern, her milky white cheeks wilting upon seeing her treasured student panic like this. "There's just SO much going on in my head now, I don't even know where to begin."

The white Alicorn levitated a pair of large, rose colored pillows underneath their flanks. She motioned for Twilight to sit, she followed. Celestia remained silent until Twilight finally calmed down enough to speak without wheezing and shaking. Twilight's state deeply troubled the Sun princess; she hasn't seen her frazzled like this since she overreacted to being tardy with her friendship report, or when she first heard of the crisis at the Crystal Empire.

"Now then, let's start from the beginning. I believe you said you had something to tell me regarding Moonstruck, the unicorn who escaped from Tartarus?"

Twilight's brow became thick with sweat; she wiped it clean with her wings. "Yes, I uh…I uh," she tried to speak but her words fell apart like crumbling pastries. No matter how hard she tried, Twilight's mouth would open but no words or sensible sounds would come out. She felt like her soul had robbed her of her voice; as if the universe itself was punishing her for not protecting Moonstruck as she had promised her friends she would. The princess forced her vocal chords to function but still sputtered out only a few words, "You see…uh…the thing is…I uh."

Why can't I say the words? He's at my house, I HAVE Moonstruck in my basement, I've caught an escaped murderer; I should be screaming this at the top of my lungs! This is supposed to be the right thing to do. Twilight placed a hoof on her chest; she felt an aching sense of sadness inside. But I don't feel like it is…I feel mortified, like I'm making a huge mistake even though every thought and brain cell is telling me this is the most logical thing to do.

"Yes, go on Twilight."

This is just crazy! I feel like I have the biggest secret in the world and the one pony that I normally would seek guidance from, can't be told. Even with all these weird feelings I can't explain, there's still so much about him I don't know about. Does he really possess dark magic, what other abilities is he hiding, was he born with this gift of sensing madness or was he cursed, is he REALLY a killer? I don't know what to do, I don't know what to say, I just…don't…know!

"Twilight," Celestia softly said. She was about to stand up and call the royal doctor to examine Twilight.

"I MADE A MISTAKE", Twilight suddenly screamed. She clasped her hooves over her mouth, her eyes darting around nervously; cheeks burning bright with embarrassment. Her scream echoed loudly in the castle halls; causing some guards to tilt their head and muse over the strange sound. Twilight took a deep breath and corrected herself; "I didn't come with information on Moonstruck; I came to ask about information on Moonstruck."

Celestia slowly returned to her seat; never taking her eyes off Twilight. This was very strange, this wasn't like Twilight at all, the sun princess could sense a strong change in Twilight but she could not tell what had caused it. She nodded and leaned closer, "Of course I'm willing to tell you everything I know about this pony, but why come here to ask that? You could have had Spike send a letter and I could have explained everything via mail."

"I know, I got the wanted poster and I thought that was enough to go off of," Twilight sighed and stared at her reflection on the smooth, polished floor. "But it's not, there's no information detailing exactly what happened with this unicorn," her eyes looked pleadingly to Celestia. "Please don't ask me how, but I've learned that you were there when Moonstruck was arrested, which means you know more about him than any pony else does. If he really is a killer then I can't take any chances, I need to know everything there is to know about Moonstruck if I encounter him."

The word if raised many questions in Celestia's mind, she couldn't help but sense Twilight wasn't entirely sincere in her pretense of this request. She could however sense the desperation and concern in her voice, that much was clear. Celestia rubbed her chin, pondering Twilight's request; her reluctance caused Twilight to wonder if Celestia knew she was hiding something.

"All right then, I'll tell you everything I know about Moonstruck and what happened the day he was apprehended." Celestia stood up and started walking towards the royal vault; motioning for Twilight to follow her. Twilight may be acting strange, but Celestia never once doubted the purity of her heart. Twilight has saved Princess Luna, Princess Cadence, and Celestia herself on more than one occasion; not to mention all of Equestria. The angelic Alicorn had total faith in Twilight, and though she didn't understand why she was hiding something; she knew Twilight must have a good reason for doing so. "But to do that, I must show you something first."

The young mare followed her mentor into the vault room. She remembered this place; it was the same vault that housed the Elements of harmony; the same one that Discord broke into when he stole the Elements. The beauty of the room still impressed Twilight; the vault was just as gorgeous and immaculate as the rest of the castle. There were various objects sealed under impenetrable, magic proof containers. Some of them looked familiar to Twilight; others she was seeing for the first time.

Celestia stopped moving, her gaze cast downward; looking sad and wounded. "To explain what happened with Moonstruck, I must first explain my current state 2 years ago." Twilight looked up at her mentor with a confused glance, why did she sound so sad? It's as if telling this story was tearing open an old wound the princess would have preferred stayed shut. The pain, the sorrow, the heartache in Celestia's voice, it all made Twilight feel guilty for asking for this.

But she had to know.

"I'm afraid I don't understand princess, what do you mean your current state?" Twilight asked, softly.

"As you know, my dear sister was trapped in the moon as Nightmare Moon for a thousand years. It was not until you and your friends defeated her and restored her to her true form," Celestia smiled sweetly and turned to Twilight. "Of which I am eternally grateful," Twilight blushed sheepishly at the praise. She nodded and watched the sun princess look towards the object Moonstruck stole; her gaze and voice felt like they were off in another world of ancient memories. "But on the day that Moonstruck made himself known to me; it was the same day that I had been forced to celebrate in solitude: my sister's birthday." Twilight gasped the instant those words left Celestia's lips. "Something I had unfortunately become all too familiar with during her thousand year imprisonment."

Twilight bit her lip nervously, now she understood why her mentor sounded so sad. She couldn't even begin to imagine how it must have felt to celebrate your own sister's birthday alone for a thousand years, especially if you were the pony that locked her away.

"I tried to busy myself with my duties as ruler of Equestria so I did not dwell on my sister's birthday, it became harder and harder each year to keep myself distracted, the pain always surfaced sooner or later. However, on that day, something far worse was happening in the castle." Celestia's voice grew low and dark, her stare intensified to the point Twilight felt uncomfortable. "Somehow, a thief broke into the castle, snuck past the guards and made his way to the vault," Celestia extended her wing towards the object before them. "This is what the thief came to steal."

Inside the sealed container was a silver colored metallic plate, it looked like the center piece of a suit of pony armor. The center of the plate featured a chrome pony skull with curved fangs, wings and fractured images of the sun, moon and a heart. Twilight looked at the plate like it was a puzzle. The plate was familiar looking, but the young princess couldn't quite put her hoof on where she had seen it before.

"Why does it look so…familiar?" Twilight examined it closely, circling it like a vulture. The purple mare always thought she was on top of her studies, but clearly she's grown a bit dull if she can't recall why this looks so familiar. "And more importantly, why would he want this?" Suddenly her eyes widened; she knew exactly what this was. "Wait a minute, is that Star swirls-"

"Correct as always Twilight, this is the indestructible Star swirl center plate; hoof crafted by Star swirl the bearded himself." Twilight turned into a giddy filly upon hearing her mentor's answer. She looked over the plate, every inch, her eyes sparkling with the plate's shape. The sun princess couldn't help but giggle at her student's enthusiasm. "Yes, it's quite a sight, one of the most powerful artifacts Star swirl ever created."

"I heard it can absorb the most powerful spells ever cast, not even the darkest magic can put a dent in it," Twilight said, her voice full of pep and energy. The purple mare couldn't believe her eyes, she only wish she had someone who knew Equestrian history like she did; she won't have anyone to tell this exciting news to! This was a truly remarkable piece of Equestrian history AND magic. "I really should lecture more ponies about the history of Star swirl the bearded, no one is going to really appreciate how amazing this is."

"Yes, the plate is indeed powerful, Star swirl originally designed it as the ultimate defense against any opposing force. Ponies could use the plate to protect themselves from any spell, dragon's fire or magical based weaponry; it would absorb the magic directly into its core and make the plate's defenses even stronger." Celestia raised her hoof and ran it along the curve of the glass, Twilight's eyes followed. "He wanted to shape it like a proper shield, but he ran out of the special indestructible material he was using and only had enough to make this single plate."

"So," Twilight placed her hooves under her chin and hummed, "This is what Moonstruck was after. Not that I approve of stealing, but at least I understand why it was this particular item he was after."

Celestia nodded in sullen agreement, the sadness of the memories slowly returning to her voice. "Yes, but sadly, this wasn't the only thing Moonstruck stole that day," a single tear dripped from the Alicorn's snow white cheek; it splashed softly by her golden hooves. Twilight looked to her mentor, her face strained with worry; oh how she hated to see Celestia like this. "Before the vault was moved to this location, it was originally in a different part of the castle and protected by my two best guards and most trusted friends: Cage Chamber and Trail Blazer. When we found out the thief was in the vault, my royal guard and I teleported to the vault as quickly as possible. We arrived to see that Trail Blazer had been killed."

Twilight covered her mouth in horror. Celestia cringed at the memory; biting her lip, a mixture of anger and sadness overwhelming her; still horrified by the image of Trail's bloody corpse lying on the floor. "Trail had been fatally stabbed, Cage was being held hostage with a knife to his throat by Moonstruck. He had already stolen the plate. He said that if we didn't back down and let him escape, he'd slit Cage's throat and I would have 'Two corpses blood on my precious white hooves' as he put it. Not wanting to lose any more friends, I agreed and sent my guards out of the room; giving Moonstruck my word I would not try and stop him."

"And then what happened, did he escape with the plate?" Twilight asked, fearful of the answer.

"He did" Celestia said, pausing for a moment, a choking sob weighed heavily in her trembling voice. "But not before he slit Cage's throat…laughing." The sun princess broke into tears after finishing her sentence, Twilight immediately joined her. She couldn't take it anymore, even after 2 years; the pain was just as fresh and severe as if it had just happened. Celestia's voice became more shrill and hysterical as she recalled the events, moment by agonizing moment. "His b-b-blood splattered across my face, I watched it happen; watched my friends die right before my eyes."

Twilight couldn't form words; she was too busy trying to stop her own heartbroken tears from continuously falling.

"Cage and Trail's lives meant nothing to him, nothing, and the only reason I lost track of him," Celestia hung her head; tears splashing against her rainbow flowing mane, "Was because I was too shocked at seeing my loyal friends; dead in front of me." The white Alicorn raised her head, staring at the container, the twisted face of Moonstruck laughing appeared on the reflection.

"Oh my gosh, Princess Celestia, I am SO, so, so sorry. I had no idea; I didn't think ANY pony could be that…that…heartless."

"I vowed to find Moonstruck, reclaim Star swirl's plate and punish him dearly for Trail and Cage's deaths." Twilight was slightly scared at her mentor's tone; she had never heard her sound like that in all her time knowing her. Her heart was always so kind and generous to others; always showing infinite patience and love, to think some pony could shock her to her core like that. "I'll never forget that face, that sickening laugh and those horrible, lifeless dark blue eyes."

"Thank you for telling me this Princess Celestia, I finally know the truth about-wait; did you say BLUE eyes?!" Twilight shook her face in shock. She could still be too mortified from Celestia's story to think straight, but she was positive Celestia just said Moonstruck had blue eyes.

Celestia looked to her student curiously, "Yes, why do you ask? You sound so surprised."

"Oooooh n-n-n-no reason r-r-r-really", Twilight laughed nervously. The young princess couldn't believe it; Moonstruck was actually telling the truth! Twilight knew this thief sounded way too evil to be the REAL Moonstruck, even with all his weirdness and dark magic; the Moonstruck she met would never do something as monstrous as murder. "This proves it then," Twilight quietly said to herself; "The Moonstruck that stole the plate was an imposter, he's the real guilty party."

"Princess Twilight, are you sure everything is all right? You seem anxious over something" Celestia looked to her with a worried frown. "Perhaps we should finish this talk another time; this story seems to be-"

"NO, no, no I'm fine, really I am" Twilight quickly interrupted. "It's just a very emotional story and it's hitting me um harder than I uh expected." Once again, Celestia was suspicious of the purple pony's odd behavior. Twilight never had to lie to her before, it's obvious something is wrong and yet; she keeps hiding what it is or changing the subject. This was unusual behavior even for Twilight. "Could you please finish the story, when you're ready?" Twilight gently asked.

Celestia nodded and reserved her thoughts about Twilight's behavior for later. "Very well, we tried to follow Moonstruck's trail but it had gone cold by the time we had gotten a proper search party arranged. A few days later, Moonstruck was spotted living inside a house in the Whinny city; it belonged to a friend of his. Once the house was secure and surrounded, the guards contacted me and I made my way to the location; I wanted to be there when they apprehended this murderer." Twilight winced at the coldness in Celestia's voice; she'll never get used to hearing her like that.

"What happened when you confronted him?" Twilight asked, insistently.

"When we entered the home, we found Moonstruck sleeping in the master bedroom; he was completely unprepared for us. When he awoke, he claimed he had no idea why we were there and had no recollection of stealing Star swirl's plate or killing Trail and Cage." Celestia turned and pointed to the container with the plate. "A quick search of the home revealed the plate was in fact there, Moonstruck again claimed he had no idea how the plate got there."

"What about this friend Moonstruck was staying with, did he or she have any answers?" Twilight pondered. She was hoping to find some clue or shred of doubt that would help change Celestia's mind.

The white Alicorn shook her head, "Even though the pony that lived there was reported being seen with Moonstruck; there was no pony else found in the house. In fact, strangely enough, all evidence inside the house indicated that Moonstruck was living there alone. Moonstruck did try and call out for some pony; searching the house for this friend of his but didn't find him, and no matter how hard we searched or how many ponies we asked; we never found any trace of this friend either." Celestia scratched her chin softly, concentrating on the name Moonstruck called out for. "I'm afraid I can't seem to recall the name he was calling out for," she sighed and shook her head, "I was quite infuriated at the time."

"So then what happened next?"

"We read the charges and attempted to apprehend Moonstruck, but he went into a violent, confused rage and unleashed the full force of his dark magic. I had never seen a pony display such destructive power like that, it was almost like a switch had been flipped; he was completely different than he was before."

"He didn't kill or hurt any pony else, did he?"

"No, I used a great deal of magic but I was able to stop Moonstruck and knock him unconscious. After making sure my guards were all right, we secured Moonstruck and transported him back to Canterlot for trial; he was sentenced to an eternity in Tartarus. But before he was incarcerated, I cast the most powerful concealment spell I knew to suppress all of Moonstruck's magic. I made sure that no matter what he tried, his magic would be forever restricted; he would never use the power he displayed that day on any other pony ever again."

Twilight was beyond puzzled; none of this was making any sense. If Moonstruck was truly innocent, then how does that explain the violent mood swing he went through to defend himself from Princess Celestia? And what about this imposter, what's his story? She briefly thought it might have been a changeling, but changelings are perfect copies of the ponies they're imitating; so then Moonstruck's eyes should have been silver instead of blue. Besides, changelings feed on love; they don't kill needlessly and they certainly don't have any use for ancient magical artifacts.

"Thank you, thank you very much for sharing all of that with me. I know it must have been painful to bring up those dreadful memories," Twilight smiled softly and placed her hoof over Celestia's, "It must have been difficult to carry so much pain on your sister's birthday."

"It was," Celestia looked into the distance; her eyes getting lost in the clouds and sky visible from the window. "I've often worried that I was too hasty in my decisions regarding Moonstruck, between losing two good friends and being painfully reminded my sister was still locked away on the day of her birth; I worry that clouded my judgment at sentencing time." She shook her head; shimmering her flowing, colorful mane locks, "But that is another concern for another time. We must first locate Moonstruck and prevent him from taking any more lives; I've doubled security around the vault in case he tries for the plate again."

"Something tells me this is the last place he'd be heading to", she said with a nervous laugh. Twilight and Celestia exited the vault; the door was sealed shut behind them with the white Alicorn's magic. "Well, thanks for all your help princess. I think you've given me enough info to work off of for now, I'll write you if anything comes up or I have any other questions, say hi to Luna for me."

"Aren't you forgetting something Princess Twilight?", Celestia's voice caused Twilight's purple hooves to stop dead in their tracks. Twilight tried to play dumb and pretend she had no idea what her mentor was talking about, but Celestia saw right through her pupil's ploy. "Come now Twilight, you know you can always talk to me about anything, besides, it's clear something is still troubling you." Twilight gulped hard, she knew she was busted for sure! She slowly turned around, forcing herself to face the inquisitive stare of the majestic sun princess.

"P-p-p-p-p-p-p-princess Celestia, I SWEAR I can explain," Twilight said nervously. Her face twitched, veins pulsated, sweat dribbled down her cheek and her eyes were blinking erratically; she felt and looked like her head was going to explode. "Y-y-y-y-you s-s-see I-"

Celestia interrupted with a harmonious giggle. "Oh please, no need to panic Twilight; forgetting to show me a scroll isn't worth getting all worked up over," Celestia explained. Twilight was baffled, she didn't have a clue what her mentor was talking about. Celestia levitated the scroll from Twilight's side and brought it towards her rosy pink colored eyes. "I figured you brought this for a reason. Someone as organized as you forgetting little details; what would Spike say?" she joked. Twilight sighed heavily.

Spike! That's right, his letter; THAT was what Princess Celestia was referring too. Whew, I thought for sure she knew I was hiding something about Moonstruck. Well, I DID want to talk to her about that letter; I just got overwhelmed with everything she told me about Moonstruck.

Twilight smiled softly, for some odd reason; the thought of knowing Moonstruck wasn't a killer gave her a great sense of pride and comfort. There was still a lot to figure out about the mysterious unicorn, but at least this put one of her biggest concerns to rest. She approached her mentor and began explaining the story behind Spike's letter.

Meanwhile, at Chimera Khan's cave…

Crowe and the Manticore trudged into the cave. The clanking sound of metallic spires and pipes echoed loudly in the monster filled cavern; both returning creatures had the metal pipes strapped to their backs. Every time Crowe stepped hoof into the cave, he felt like he was wrapping a noose around his neck, everything about this place and the creatures that live here send chills up his spine. He noticed some new additions to Khan's creature horde: a Bug Bear, several Cragadile and a group of vampire fruit bats. The Earth pony was surprised so many monsters could fit under here all at once.

"This place looks more like a freak show than a base of operations," Crowe muttered silently. The Manticore snarled viciously at the colt, his fangs and claws aiming to slice the pony's flank into confetti. "I didn't mean it like that, honest! Please, f-f-forget I said anything" Crowe frantically pleaded. The Manticore snorted angrily and stormed off, he swiped his scorpion tail at Crowe's nose but narrowly missed.

"You're late…again", Khan said; staring at a wall covered with scrolls and maps. "I expected you two back hours ago, what pitiful excuse have you prepared this time?" the armored pony turned and blasted Crowe into a wall with a beam from his horn. "Rhetorical question" Khan shouted, not even giving Crowe time to attempt to respond or recover from his sizzling wounds. "There's nothing you could say or do to excuse your tardiness, so just hurry up and hoof it over."

Crowe weakly nodded, he coughed up puffs of black smoke and slowly stood back onto his wobbling legs. The metal rods from the element containment device dropped to the ground from Crowe's back; the Manticore did the same. Khan levitated the rods towards Bubbling Cauldron, she quickly began preparing to cast her magic grafting spell; knowing all too well what would happen if she didn't hurry.

"Master, if I may?" Crowe asked timidly, he raised his hoof up like a child in class. "I actually do have a very important reason why I'm late; in fact, I think it could be extremely useful in all your conquering…and evil plans…and stuff."

"Keep stirring" Khan ordered Bubbling; the green mare nodded and continued preparing her spell. The blood red armor on Khan's body shined like freshly polished fire rubies in the eerie glow of the cauldron's brew, the glow made Crowe even more terrified of Khan's menacing appearance than before. "You've got 5 minutes, make them count" Khan said coldly. Too late now, Crowe had Khan's attention and he knew there was no backing out now; not unless he wanted another blast to the face.

"Well sir, after the Manticore and I disassembled the machine and strapped it to our backs, I discovered a staircase that leads to a cave beneath the castle. Inside, I found a tree, but not just any tree; the tree." Crowe had faint sounds of hope in his voice; he hesitantly smiled and leaned closer to Khan, "I found the Tree of Harmony sir."

"That's 2 minutes wasted Crowe," Khan replied; clearly unimpressed. Crowe backed away and gulped loudly, he was treading on very thin ice. Crowe is the only minion Khan thrashes on a regular basis, if he doesn't say something that will impress the armored tyrant; Celestia knows what kind of torture he'll inflict. "Better make good use of your remaining 3 minutes; otherwise, you'll be spending the next 30 in agonizing pain."

"W-w-w-well s-s-s-sir, I figured that since you were trying to conquer ALL of Equestria, if you destroyed the Tree of Harmony then that would destabilize the world's sense of balance. Everything would be thrown out of whack, which would make it much easier to conquer" Crowe explained. He was certain this information would have been valuable, surely Khan would be impressed with him, or at the very least; be less inclined to sick his monstrous pets on him. "That way, you wouldn't need to directly attack the princesses and the element wielders and you know" his voice sank; unable to finish his sentence without trembling and shaking all over, "Kill so m-m-m-many ponies, so what do you think?"

WHAM!

In the blink of an eye, the Manticore lunged at Crowe and firmly pinned him to the ground, the monster dug his lion claws into Crowe's shoulders. The Earth pony begged and pleaded for Khan to call off the beast but he said nothing, he walked into Bubbling Cauldron's room. Crowe screamed and writhed, the Manticore jabbed his scorpion tail at the pony's head; failing to hit Crowe's squirming head and throat.

"I'm sorry sir, please, I totally meant no disrespect whatsoever," he cried out, feeling blood soaking his shoulders from the Manticore's claws. "Uncle, uncle, uncle!" the winged beast wrapped his scorpion tail around Crowe's neck; he picked him off the ground and flung him into the air. The Manticore smashed his lion paw into Crowe's chest as he fell; slamming him back first into a cave wall. "Well that was…ugh…excruciating" Crowe groaned; his legs dangled in front of his face; slumping down in a most painful upside down position.

"That will teach you to waste my precious time with your worthless suggestions for my conquering plan," Khan coldly stated, emerging with his newly grafted armor additions. "Destroying the Tree of Harmony would bring untold forces of chaos into this world. Discord would reign supreme and be able to upset the balance of all magical power; including the Alicorns. Even if he's been reformed", he said sarcastically; "I am not taking any chances that will tip the balance of power out of my favor."

"Duly noted master," Crowe said; coughing and wheezing in pain. "So, what's next on the old world domination game plan?"

"You will go to Saddle Arabia and acquire the mystical gem known as Colton's third eye," Khan said commandingly. "After that, you will track down the last two magical items I require to complete my armor. They are all important, but it is these last two that will truly maximize my armor's power to its fullest potential." Khan's orange eyes sparkled with dark magic, his twisted smile growing wider with every word spoken, "Not even Celestia and Luna will be able to stop me with that much power under my control."

"What are the last two items, master?" Crowe asked; slowly standing back on all four legs. The armored villain levitated a scroll with images and descriptions of the two items, Crowe grabbed it and gasped. "B-b-b-but these are going to be impossible to get! One of them is locked REALLY deeply in the heart of Cloudsdale; I don't have a clue how to get up there without any wings." Crowe could already see a dozen negative outcomes popping up in his mind, he's being ordered to go on a suicide mission. "No balloon would be fast enough to get me out of there in time, and as for the other; I don't even know where to begin searching for that one."

"No excuses this time Earth Pony! I want all 3 of those items found and brought back here within the next couple days," he screamed angrily; glaring down at Crowe. "I don't care what you have to do or who you have to talk to; just. Find. Me. Those. Items! As for getting up to Cloudsdale, I suggest you use that special contact of yours to get you up there."

"Special contact? Master, I'm afraid I don't know what-"

"Oh yes you do Earth pony," Khan said, interrupting Crowe and leaning his armored mask into the yellow colt's face. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, as I said; I don't care how you do it so long as it's done when I get back." He headed towards the cave's exit, leaving Crowe cowering like the frightened little weakling he always saw him as. Chimera Khan's metallic joints clanked loudly as he trotted; turning his head briefly back to Crowe, "I'm off to recruit some of the more challenging associates to our cause. Even with the added firepower from those 3 final items, I'm not taking any chances with Princess Celestia. I have personally seen how powerful she truly is," he said solemnly, hanging his head, "And how heartless she can be."

Crowe didn't hear Khan's last words, and frankly, he was too terrified of his master's wrath to dare ask him to repeat it. The armored villain exited the cave and vanished into the foggy mists. The yellow colt took a deep sigh and wiped his brow, his heart and his nerves felt exceedingly better now that the psychopathic unicorn was no longer around.

"You are one pathetic, sorry ass excuse for a pony, you know that?" a crass, obnoxious female voice said from behind. Crowe frowned and turned to see the voice's owner: a light green unicorn; snickering at him behind her precious cauldron. "You walk, talk, sleep, eat and crap pure failure; that's a new level of sucking I didn't think was possible," Bubbling Cauldron said.

"It's bad enough I have to put up with that lunatic's abuse" Crowe replied, angrily stomping his hoof. "I don't need cheap commentary from a second rate witch who makes green snot that smells like Yak farts, so just stir your sludge and keep out of my dealings with the master."

"But it's MORE entertaining than going to the movies, it's the only fun thing I get to do around here besides grafting magic items to Khan's armor," Cauldron said causally. "So I figured; might as well enjoy the show and see which body part gets twisted into a pretzel next." The unicorn paused and licked her lips; drooling heavily in a trance like state at the thought of munching on pretzels. "Yeah, I could totally go for a few of those right about now."

"Would you stop being demented for 5 minutes and just LISTEN?! This guy is a legitimate psychopath; he's going to burn Equestria to the ground and all you do is laugh like a maniac and help him every step of the way" Crowe said, exasperated at Cauldron's laid back attitude. "Why would you help some pony like that?"

"Uh, HELLO" she said, rolling her eyes and brimming with sarcasm. "He's an all-powerful, monster bad ass who controls every creepy crawler and blood thirsty beast with his voodoo magical armor, why would I NOT help some pony like that?"

Crowe slapped his face in frustration, "Because he's PURE EVIL; what makes you think he's going to keep us around OR alive once he's done getting everything he wants? We're not exactly talking about the Princess of Friendship here."

"Ha, puh-lease" she said dryly, "Don't lump me in with you. My magic makes me invaluable to the master's cause; one that you keep questioning; rightfully earning you all those beatings." Cauldron dropped some Piranha skeletons into her brew and continued stirring. "I make him stronger, you on the other hoof are nothing more than a delivery boy; replaceable and expendable whether or not the master succeeds. Of course he's going to keep me around."

"How can you be so sure, and furthermore, you never answered my question" Crowe stated, surprising Cauldron with his insistence. "He found me during my travels and forced me to work for him, but you never said why you started working for Khan and Khan never explained how he found you either. So, why are you willingly following his iron clad hoof steps?"

"You just don't get it, do you Earth pony?" Crowe cringed at that name; he hated being reminded he was just a regular pony; no powers or wings whatsoever. Bubbling stopped brewing and approached the colt; sporting a sinister looking smile on her face. "I've wanted to smear my almighty name across Equestria ever since my cousin first boasted about how great and powerful she was when she was a little filly. I worked my flank off to be the baddest stack of awesome sauce that I am today and not once did my brain dead parents appreciate my powerhouse potential. THAT's where the master came in. He found me during one of his mystical scavenger hunts and saw how badly I wanted to be the top pineapple."

"Ugh that's banana, top banana dingbat" Crowe groaned; rolling his eyes.

"Whatever! The point is, he needed the most powerful super-deluxe-combo-top-of-the-line unicorn to help him magically super glue all his creepy armor pieces together; like some jacked up jigsaw puzzle," she said; puffing her chest out with an arrogant tone. "He said I was perfect and I signed up for this cause right then and there. With my magic, Chimera Khan will be the most unstoppable force this world has ever seen, and I'll be right next to him; walking over every pitiful pony like the glorified stepping stones that they are; MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" she cackled; maniacally.

"You can't possibly be serious" Crowe said; shaking his head wildly with disbelief. "He's going to kill countless ponies and turn every town and kingdom into a pile of ashes and rubble, there won't be anyone or anything left! How can you support this…this…slaughter?" he frantically shouted; his voice shrill with terror and tension.

"Because, I will be left and if there's no pony else to challenge me or mock my awesomeness," she said with a cruel, coy smirk. "Then I'll go down as the greatest unicorn that ever lived; aside from our master of course."

Crowe was shocked into silence; the realization of Cauldron's twisted ambition wounded him like an icy blade to the heart. The only response he could muster was a bunch of nonsensical stuttering sounds. He knew Bubbling Cauldron was crazy, but now he knew she was just as crazy as Khan; if not crazier.

"I may not be number 1, but at least this way no pony else will either" Bubbling coolly remarked.

Back in Canterlot…

"And after I found this letter Spike wrote, I quickly hid it and made him think he dreamed it all up" Twilight said; a twinge of sadness in her voice. "I hated lying to him like that but once I read the letter, I knew I had to show it to you and get help with proceeding to the next step."

"Next step?" Celestia asked, curiously.

"Yes Princess Celestia, after hearing everything I've told you about Spike, Rarity, their relationship and the letter, I need to know what you think I should do about all this."

The white Alicorn rubbed her chin with her hoof, a radiant shine emanated from the combined glow of her flowing mane and gold plated hoof piece. Twilight always knew she could count on Celestia to guide her down the right path. Not only was Celestia her teacher and mentor, but she was the only other pony who knew Spike as well as she did; she should've talked to Celestia about Spike months ago. Celestia looked down at Twilight; smiling confidently.

"All right, I think I have the perfect plan," Twilight smiled hopefully. Finally she would get some answers. "There's this wonderful restaurant in Canterlot, it's exotic, fancy; so I know Rarity will enjoy it, and they cater to special tastes so Spike could even enjoy gemstones there." Twilight's jaw dropped like a boulder, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I'll make a special reservation just for the two of them, do you think tonight is too short notice or do they need a few days?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Twilight shrieked, tugging at her purple locks in frustration.

Celestia sighed and nodded, "Your right; that is too soon. Spike's a bit shy; it might take him a while to work up the courage to ask her out, that fancy restaurant may be too much stimulation for a first date. Let me see if I can find some place that's low key but still nice."

"Princess, with all due respect," Twilight rushed against Celestia's chest; frantically shaking her mentor's long forelegs. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! You're talking like you're completely okay with Spike and Rarity actually going out on a date…together?"

"Of course I am, aren't you?" Celestia replied, calmly.

"NO, NOT AT ALL, this is the exact opposite of what I was talking about. I don't think Spike should be dating ANY PONY period; let alone one of my closest friends" Twilight said frantically. She began walking around, rubbing her hooves along her face in annoyance. Celestia remained completely unphased by Twilight's panic attack. "This isn't right, none of this is right, were talking about a baby dragon in love with an older pony; what part of that makes any sense?"

"Twilight, while it is true our knowledge on dragons is minimal, you and I both know for certain that what dragons consider to be babies is clearly different than foals," Celestia explained.

The young princess hadn't really thought of that. If Spike really was a "baby" like your typical foal, then he should be drooling and walking around in diapers like Pound and Pumpkin Cake. If Spike waited to be a teenager or a fully mature dragon before he started dating, every pony he knew would be as old as Granny Smith…or be dead already.

"But still, he's too young to be dating. Spike doesn't have a clue what it feels like to be in love, this is just some puppy crush that he's fixated in, he has no idea how things work in a relationship" Twilight said; matter-of-factly.

"Based on everything you've told me on how Spike acts around Rarity", Celestia lifted the letter with her magic. "And this letter he wrote, I'd say that he understands a great deal about love; at least more than you realize. The thoughts and feelings expressed in this letter are not those of a simple crush." Celestia extended her wing and gently placed it against Twilight's back; trying to ease her confusion and resistance.

"I just don't understand how this could have happened, or how it could have grown like this when Rarity never really returned his feelings."

"Oh Twilight, I've been around for thousands and thousands of years and even I can't explain how love works" she said with a giggle. "Love is an elusive and mysterious force that is unexplainable, unmeasurable and defies logic and reasoning." The young princess looked up at her mentor; listening like a child being lectured by its mother. "The only thing I can say for certain about love is that when it hits you, you'll know it. You won't be able to explain it or put it into words, but you'll know it."

"No wonder I can't understand it," Twilight said dryly; rolling her eyes. "Without logic or reasoning, everything turns to madness; the same thing happened when I tried to understand Pinkie Pie's 'Pinkie sense'." The truth was; Twilight didn't really know what it felt like to be in love. The only example she knew was her brother and sister-in-law, and she didn't find out they were together until their wedding announcement; not enough information there. There was Flash Sentry of course, but neither one of them ever made a move and she never saw him enough to build a strong enough connection. She's far worse at this whole "love thing" than she first thought.

"And to address your first question, it doesn't surprise me at all that this happened," Twilight blinked wide eyed at Celestia's statement. "It was only a matter of time before Spike fell in love with a pony," Celestia smiled. "Rarity's quite lucky to have a sweetheart like Spike care for her."

"How do you figure that?" Twilight asked, incredulously.

"Well, let's look at it using the means you understand best: logic and reasoning," Twilight nodded and sat down. The young mare's face was focused and intense; as if being presented with a pop quiz. "Spike is a dragon that was given to you as an egg at a young age, when he hatched; he imprinted on you, a pony, as his mother and grew up with you in Canterlot and then Ponyville. This means that for Spike's entire life, he has been raised and surrounded by ponies: he works with them, socializes with them and makes friends with them; everything he knows he learned from ponies. So it's really no surprise he's attracted to ponies because that's all he's ever known."

"But he's still a dragon, that's a very big difference that just can't be ignored," Twilight solemnly replied; shaking her head. "I understand what you're saying princess, but I always thought…eh I don't know, someday he'd find-"

"A female dragon to love?" Celestia interrupted.

Twilight knew how close minded that made her sound, but ultimately she nodded in defeat. She couldn't help the way she felt about Spike's love life. In her mind, she still thought Spike was too young to even have a love life, let alone have one that involved someone from a completely different species.

"Let's say we go down this route you've suggested, all right? Let's say Spike does find a female dragon to date," Celestia proposed. Something in Twilight's gut told her that she wasn't going to like where this outcome lead. She had a bad feeling stirring inside of her, one she knew Celestia was leaning towards, but she had to hear it even if she didn't like it. "What do you think that dragon would be like, and furthermore, how do you think she would treat a dragon raised by ponies?"

Horrible images appeared in Twilight's mind, like a relapse of long lost dragon filled nightmares. The dragons from the migration that Spike met on his quest were violent, prejudicial and total bullies. Spike was treated like an infantile outcast, deemed too weak to participate in their awful activities. When in truth, he didn't have the heart to be that nasty; a fact which made Twilight infinitely proud. Dragons are by nature angry, destructive and selfish creatures; none of which sounded like ideal girlfriend qualities for her number one assistant.

"I think I understand Princess," Twilight raised her head up; looking at her mentor with sincerity sparkling in her eyes. "The fact is everything I know about love I've read about in books and stories. I don't understand everything that Spike is feeling, I didn't even understand friendship until I came to Ponyville; so to try and understand romantic love is difficult for me." She imagined Spike's face lighting up every time he saw Rarity; the image brought a warm smile to the young Alicorn's face. "But for Spike's sake, I'm going to try and understand this as best I can. I have a feeling the answer is right in front of me, but it's going to take me some time to really sort it all out."

"As always Princess Twilight, I have complete and total confidence in your abilities," Twilight blushed at her mentor's kind words. "You've raised a wonderful son in Spike and perhaps by helping him with his understanding in love; you can discover your own understanding of love," Celestia said; adding a knowing wink.

"Um yes…t-t-thank you Princess," Twilight rubbed her neck nervously. She knew her mentor was wise, but had she already sensed the nature of her conflicted feelings about Moonstruck? Actually, did she even have feelings over Moonstruck or was it just hiding Moonstruck she was conflicted over? "Well, I really should be going now; I've got a lot of work waiting for me back home. Sorry again for the impromptu visit."

"Think nothing of it Twilight, I always enjoy spending time with you" Celestia said; cheerfully. "Just be sure to write me and let me know what happens with Spike and Rarity. Being the ruler of Equestria means I don't get to hear juicy gossip like this often, it's so much more fun than dealing with royal duties."

"Princess!" Twilight said, in a loud; scolding tone.

Celestia giggled, "I know how it sounds; but it's true!"

Twilight waved to her mentor and exited the castle; heading towards the train station to make her way back to Ponyville. She only hoped things hadn't gotten too out of hoof with Moonstruck. To be in Canterlot for even a minute longer than she planned was risky, she didn't like shackling her friend's lives to this situation for too long. But, she trusts them with her life and they've been in much tougher situations than this before. The young princess felt much better about Spike after talking to Celestia; she feels like she has a whole new perspective on her assistant and her Fashionista friend. Princess Luna trotted into the room, she approached Celestia's side.

"Ah dear sister, there you are. You just missed Twilight" Celestia said; turning to see her Alicorn sibling.

"Forgive me sister but I was conversing with the royal guard; hoping to hear if any news of our missing prisoner had surfaced," Luna said. She frowned and sighed, the sound of frustration echoed in her voice. "I'm afraid there's still no sign of the scoundrel Tia, what news did Princess Twilight bring with her?"

"She came to ask about the very scoundrel we've been hunting, though something tells me she knows more than she's letting on."

"Sister, are you suggesting Twilight is aiding this villain in some way? I find it impossible to conceive she would house an enemy so vile."

"As do I Lulu, which is exactly why I believe it is best we be patient and trust in Twilight's judgment for the time being."

"But you told her of the misery that took place on the day of my birth did you not? I just do not understand what manner of madness would possess Twilight to conceal such a fiend from us."

"Perhaps Twilight knows something we do not about Moonstruck and did not want to tell us until she was absolutely certain of her findings. I am well aware of the severity of the situation at hoof, but as I said before; I have total faith Twilight will be able to handle this. She's never let us down before sister."

"And no pony has a greater appreciation for her accomplishments than me; I just fear what may become of her if she allows herself to be drawn in by one such as Moonstruck."

Those last few words brought an odd but pleasant smile to Celestia's lips; something inside her couldn't help it. Her sister's confusion was expected. Celestia giggled in reply; pondering about Twilight's connection to Moonstruck. She felt an odd sense of familiarity with this predicament; as if she had felt it long ago and was still enchanted by it from time to time. It was like a dream she had once: unable to remember the faces and the names, but the feeling of attraction and warmth amongst a figure in shadows; that she would always remember without fail.

Something tells me something wonderful is happening to Twilight…she just doesn't know it yet.

Meanwhile at Sweet Apple Acres…

Applejack entered the kitchen through the back door; she let loose a loud yawn and vigorously shook her face. The sky was getting darker and the sun was about to set. The country mare had been exhausted keeping up with her chores on the farm and keeping an eye on Moonstruck. The chores were always physically exhausting, but now she's been mentally exhausted with all the trouble he'd been stirring in Spike, which in turn stirred some mighty emotional problems in AJ. "Never knew pony sitting a locked door would be this draining, Ahm more drained than a water balloon popped over a cactus." She opened up the fridge, poured herself a cup of apple cider and gulped it down. "Ah swear, Ah wish Ah knew where Pinkie Pie got all that energy from; Ah was plum tuckered out just watching her."

Click!

All the lights in the kitchen suddenly turned off, Applejack stood there; bewildered by the sudden blanket of darkness. A single light flashed on above the dining table, there were 3 shadows sitting in the dim light surrounding the table. The trio looked like they were some sort of mysterious cult.

"Now what in tar nation is going on here?" Applejack asked; irritated. She raised a curious eyebrow at these 3 familiar looking shadows.

For a moment, silence was the only answer given. "Applejack, we the Core Council here have gathered here to discuss a very important matter", the middle shadow said. "You are makin' a grave mistake, one that will cost you a lifetime of happiness if you do not act now." The middle shadow leaned forward and poked AJ's nose; the orange mare blinked and shook her head. "You must act now, act now; ACT NOW" the shadow said; in a moaning; ghost like tone.

THWACK!

"OW" exclaimed the shadow on the right.

"Granny Smith, what'd ya do that for?! You totally ruined the ambiance Ah had going."

Applejack had enough of this shadow game; she clicked on the other kitchen lights and finally got a full view of her so called shadowy visitors: Applebloom, Granny Smith and Big Mac. "Ya'll mind telling what in Celestia's name you three are doing?" Applejack demanded, her gaze hardened on her younger sister.

"It wasn't mah fault! Ah was tryin' to have this set up like one of those fancy ghostly science meetings so Ah could get yer attention." Apple Bloom frowned and turned towards Granny Smith; still holding the flyswatter that bopped Big Mac on the head and ruined her ghostly intervention.

"Awe pony feathers Ahm sorry there Big Mac. Ah wasn't tryin' to whack ya, Ah was aimin' for that confounded fly that's been after me all day," Granny Smith replied. Her aging eyes followed the buzz of a grey fly zipping around her head; she swung the swatter but just couldn't land a single hit. Big Mac rubbed his head and gave an accepting nod to Granny's apology. Apple Bloom sighed; annoyed by her grandmother's vilification of a common house fly. "Ah am telling ya, this little critter has been harassin' me all day!"

Applejack and her siblings just ignored Granny Smith's eccentrics and turned back to the current situation. "First off Apple Bloom, ah think you mean séance meetin', not science meetin' and that's fer summoning ghosts; not interventions," she explained.

Apple Bloom looked to her brother and grandmother for verification, they both nodded. "Oops, guess Ah got mah set ups mixed up" she said, blushing brightly with embarrassment.

"And secondly, what's this about grave mistakes and actin' now stuff?"

"Ah talked it over with Granny Smith and Big Mac and we all came to a decision: You need to go out with Hopeful Romantic and live happily ever after together" Apple Bloom said. Applejack's eyes widened temporarily before closing, she rubbed between her eyes and groaned; annoyed. "This is the whole reason we assembled the Core Council together, ya know, like an apple core? To salvage yer love life" Bloom explained.

"The Core Council? Heh that's pretty clever Apple-" Applejack started. Before the orange mare could finish, she suddenly realized the last part of her sister's statement, her eyes bulged wide and a fiery shade of red appeared on her freckled cheeks. "SAY WHAT NOW?! MAH LOVE LIFE IS NONE OF YER DARN TOOTIN' BUSINESS!"

"You have to have one before we can stay out of it," Big Mac snapped.

A quick dagger filled glare from his older sister instantly silenced any further remarks from the red colt.

"Look, ya know nothin' means more to me than mah family; but this is going too far," Applejack protested. "Whether Ah choose to date Hopeful, or not date him, or any other stallion is none of yer concerns. Ya can't just lasso me down a date without even askin' me."

"But he's been so nice to you and us. He's always polite, sweet and gives ya all those nice, fancy gifts. Why don't ya at least give him a chance?" Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack shook her head, she removed her hat and ran her hoof through her blond locks; frustrated. Why does everyone have to ask her about her personal relationships? First Apple Bloom, then Moonstruck; now she's got the whole family ganging up on her. At this rate, she may just date him just to shut everyone up. "Look sugar cube, it's complicated and Ah just don't feel right discussin' this in front of ya'll. The gesture is sweet and all but Ah just don't got the time to be foolin' around with fellers."

"This wouldn't have anythin' to do with the fact he's a Pegasus and not an Earth pony now does it?" Granny Smith asked; firmly. Applejack bit her lip nervously, her emerald eyes darted around the kitchen. The question clearly left the orange mare uncomfortable. "Cause if yer askin' me, this whole 'not havin' any time for a man' talk sounds like a whole load of bull squirt."

"It's n-n-n-not bull squirt," she countered; nervously. "Ah got too many chores on the farm to be courtin' around with some pony. Besides, he's too pushy for me anyhow; always overloadin' me with all these love gifts and-and none of our interests match." AJ crossed her forelegs across her chest and nodded, "We just don't mix right."

Granny Smith pounded her hoof on the table, Bloom and Big Mac flinched. Applejack was equally stunned. "That's a big fat load of fiddlesticks and you KNOW IT too! You talk about havin' no time cause of the chores, yet you ALWAYS seem to find plenty of time to spend going on adventures with yer friends and travelin' round Equestria." The elder pony's words cut through Applejack's defense like a fiery knife, she continued hammering on; getting louder and angrier. Applejack bit her lip and fumbled her hooves nervously. "Work comes first; that's a given, but to say the work's keeping ya too busy to go out on one stinkin' date to give that honest colt a decent chance, well now that's the biggest load of horse apples Ah ever did hear!"

"Besides, Ah know fer a fact that you liked that stuff he made for ya" Apple Bloom added. "I saw ya readin' some of the poems he wrote for ya, you looked like you were ready to cry and Ah NEVER see you get that weepy." Applejack turned beat red in the face, Apple Bloom quickly cowered behind Granny Smith to escape her sister's menacing glare. She knew her sister was gonna be peeved for spying on her.

"Look, mah reasons and mah feelings on this matter are personal and PRIVATE" Applejack shouted; glaring once more at her sister. "This is one part of mah life that Ah can handle mahself."

"But Applejack, Ah just don't want you thinkin' that just cause our family is made up of Earth ponies that doesn't mean you can only see and date other Earth ponies."

The orange mare did a double take; she was genuinely surprised by Granny Smith's statement. Even though it was never explicitly stated anywhere, Applejack just always assumed that there was some tradition involving dating ponies of the same race. She stood there, scratching her head and trying to make sense of this, "Huh, it d-d-doesn't?"

"Of course not honey! There's no Apple family Earth pony dating tradition rule, everyone in our family just happened to marry other Earth ponies. It wouldn't make a lick of sense to cut our kin off from other kinds of ponies that could make em happy. You can date, marry and be with whatever kinda pony you want. Heck you could marry a Tatzlwurm if that's what ya really want."

Applejack didn't want her family to think of her excluding Hopeful just because he's a Pegasus, still, a part of her felt better knowing there never was any tradition that prohibited her from dating outside her race. She knew she was stubborn and resistant to change, things were always much simpler and easier to deal with when it's your normal routine. The blond mare wondered why she would deny herself happiness over something as frivolous as physical differences. After all, she's friends with a dragon, the Breezies and to a…lesser extent, Discord. She just kept on feeling uncomfortable about this whole situation. Why was she making up excuses and denying things she knows are true? She's the element of Honesty for Celestia's sake!

"So what do you say sis, can you give Hopeful a chance?" Apple Bloom sweetly pleaded.

"Ah uh…well maybe Ah could um…Ah don't know," she stormed off upstairs; shouting. "Ah just don't know!" There was a loud slam that followed, Applejack had slammed her bedroom door shut and locked it.

"Well…that went about as smoothly as Ah expected it to go," Granny Smith said; sighing heavily.

Apple Bloom and Big Mac hung their heads in defeat, sighing in unison; "Eyeup."

"DAG NABBIT" Granny Smith shouted; wildly swinging her fly swatter. "Ah swear that little bugger is mocking me, Ah know he is!"

The next day at Fluttershy's cottage…

Rainbow Dash finished explaining what happened with Arrowhead to Fluttershy. The Pegasai sat on couches, opposite from each other. Two cups of tea had been placed on the table between them. The Wonderbolts fan had desperately needed some pony to talk to, bottling up everything due to pride was driving her nuts and she couldn't stand it anymore. Rainbow knew Fluttershy was the only pony she could talk to about this, her other friends would listen of course; but Fluttershy knows better than any pony else how complicated this Arrowhead situation has become. Plus, she's the only pony who's seen him up close and has an idea of what he's like.

"I really messed up things with Arrowhead, not only did I hurt him, but now he thinks I'm a selfish jerk who cares more about my pride then him." The cyan Pegasus sipped her tea and slowly placed the cup back down. She hated feeling like this, but worst of all; she hated to think that what Arrowhead said might be true. "I just don't know what to do Fluttershy," Rainbow's wings sagged.

"Well, it sounds to me that you really do care what Arrowhead thinks of you. Otherwise, his opinion of you wouldn't be making you feel so sad," Fluttershy explained. "You care about what he thinks of you and after you tried to hide him from Scootaloo, I'm not really surprised he reacted the way he did."

"But what was I supposed to do, let every pony in town think I'm a mushy little filly with a crush?" Rainbow said; dripping with sarcasm.

Fluttershy paused before nodding, "Well yeah; if that's how you really feel about him." Rainbow huffed in protest and crossed her arms; looking away from her pink haired friend. Fluttershy couldn't help but giggle at her friend's bashful pout, "It's nothing to be ashamed of Dashie. Just because you like a pony doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you, there's no need to hide your crush."

"PUH-LEASE" Rainbow snapped, "I never actually admitted that I have a 'crush' on any pony" she said; using air quote marks. "This girl doesn't get suckered into sappy things like holding hooves or romantic dinners or anything like that, not one little bit. I'm way too cool for that kind of junk" she boasted, sounding more like she was reading off a script rather than her true feelings. Fluttershy knows when Rainbow is full of hot air; she always does it with things she really likes, like having Tank as her pet or enjoying the Daring Do books. "I think your just twisting it to make it sound like I like him, he's just a casual acquaintance."

The butter Pegasus had an idea; she knew exactly how to get her friend to open up. "Well that's great to hear" she said; smirking. "Then based on what you told me, you wouldn't mind it if I asked him out on a date." Rainbow's eyes bulged, that smug look of pride quickly melted into a panicky mess. "Sounds like he's got a thing for Pegasai, I sure wouldn't mind having him over for tea sometime."

"KEEP YOUR HOOVES OFF MY MAN, HE'S MINE" Rainbow screamed. She blushed furiously at her sudden outburst; Fluttershy stared wide eyed at her friend's reaction. The cyan mare instantly backed down and looked from side to side; trying to play it off causally. "I mean uh…yeah…uh…you can do what-whatever you want, I d-d-don't care. He's j-j-just a guy, no big thing, heh it's not like he's anything special."

"Yeah, your probably right Rainbow" Fluttershy's smirk grew wider and wider, Rainbow was so easy to read it was foal's play. The cyan Pegasus rested her shoulders and exhaled. She felt much better knowing her nature loving friend was no longer interested in Arrowhead, even if her pride refused to admit it. Fluttershy sipped her tea and decided to poke the bear a bit harder this time. "After all, he's not really my type; plus he looks out of shape and his butt looks kind of flat."

"Out…of…shape?" Rainbow floated off her seat, her face twitching like her sanity was about to unravel. "ARE YOU BUCKING KIDDING ME!? Have you seen his body? He could probably give Applejack a run for her money, he's got those chiseled abs, iron tight legs and that butt of his." Rainbow's face turned bright pink; she starred into nothingness with a dreamy look on her face. "He doesn't know it, but I totally check out his plot EVERY time he-"

"Well now that sounds like some casual acquaintance you've got there Dashie," Fluttershy interrupted; her voice had an all-knowing tone. "That is, for some pony you claim you don't have a crush on."

Rainbow was stunned silent; her cyan cheeks seemed permanently locked into blushing mode, despite her best efforts to hide it. Nothing she said would ever be able to undo what she revealed, and still, she looked as if her world had collapsed by confessing her feelings. She didn't understand why she saw love as something to be embarrassed about; or why she's so afraid to talk about this in front of Fluttershy; especially since she can clearly see right through her tough girl act.

"I just…I just", she couldn't finish the words; all the shame and confusion tor her up inside and she couldn't hold it in any longer. "I just don't know what to do. Everything feels weird, I don't know how to deal with this kind of…mushy stuff," she clutched her head and groaned. Rainbow felt like her pride was like a life support machine: it's keeping her alive but it's also keeping her bed ridden and stagnant. Bravado and earning fame was her bread and butter, but now they felt like poisons corroding her from the inside out. "Nothing makes sense, everything I feel hurts…but like in a weird good kind of way," she looked to Fluttershy pleadingly; "What do I do?"

"I'm sorry Dashie, but this is a decision that only you can make" she patted her friend's head; smiling sweetly to her. "I've always known there's more to you than just acting tough all the time, I believe in you and I know you can do anything you put your mind to." Rainbow perked up slightly, she sniffled loudly as Fluttershy gave her a tissue, "But you have to believe that yourself; you got to find out how important Arrowhead is to you. You're the only pony who knows your own heart," she flapped her wings and flew towards the front door; she exited the cottage and looked back at Rainbow. "I've got to head to Twilight's for my Moonstruck shift, but you stay as long as you like to think things over."

Rainbow smiled and nodded; waving as her friend flew off towards the library. She shuffled her hooves and sighed, thinking over everything Fluttershy said, not even noticing the small gray fly buzzing around her head and then flying out the window. The fly buzzed all the way to downtown Ponyville, its flight path circled around 3 particular fillies walking together. One was a yellow Earth pony with red hair and a bow, one was a white unicorn with purple and pink hair and the third was an orange Pegasus with magenta hair and tiny wings.

"So how did the Core council meeting go?" Scootaloo asked. "Did Applejack agree to go out with Hopeful Romantic?"

"Nah, she got all upset and ran off to her room, Ah didn't see her for the rest of the night" Apple Bloom said; her bow wilting. "All we were tryin' to do is help and she acted like we were bullying her."

"That's a shame, especially after you went to all that trouble of coming up with that cool group name" Sweetie Bell said.

"Ah know, right?" Apple Bloom replied; having much confidence in her "Core council" nickname. "She's just too stubborn to appreciate when someone's tryin' to help. Now Hopeful is all bummed out, so now every pony is miserable and it's like we can't do anything about it."

"Yeah I know how you feel" Apple Bloom turned to Scootaloo, "Rainbow Dash has been acting really weird too. I saw her talking to a stallion and she freaked and tried to hide him, it was like she was scared of me seeing them talking together or something," the orange filly rolled her eyes. "What's with every pony lately? It's freaking me out seeing them acting all crazy."

"Ah agree, Ah say we try bein' detectives again and find out what's going on with our sisters," Apple Bloom placed a Sherlock Holmes hat over her head.

"Hold up Crusaders", the two fillies turned their attention to Sweetie Bell, "Have you already forgotten the first mystery we said we'd solve?" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo pondered their friend's words a moment; they smiled and nodded, remembering their first mystery. "We've got to figure out what's going on at the library. Our sisters and her friends keep going there and acting all sneaky and secretive, and we said that it's our mission to find out why."

"Ah was so wrapped up tryin' to fix my sister's love life; Ah completely forgot to ask her about that," Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Eh I doubt she would have told you anything Bloom," Scootaloo shrugged, "I asked Rainbow Dash about it and she didn't want to talk about it anymore than she did bringing up that stallion."

The 3 girls stood there, putting their heads together to try and come up with the best means of finding out what's really going on at the library. All of their sisters wouldn't say one word about it and their friends are being just as quiet. "We could try sneaking in through the windows or somethin'," a light bulb flashed above Bloom's head.

"Won't work, Twilight has Owlicious flying around like a hawk…or an owl I guess? He'd bust us before we even got close," Bloom's smile and bulb vanished after hearing Sweetie Bell's comment. The filly knew she was right, Twilight probably had a checklist of other security measures set up after she left. "What we need is some pony on the inside who already knows what's going on but is willing to talk."

"Where we going to find a pony like that?" Scootaloo frowned, "Pinkie Pie always lets something slip out; but Twilight made her Pinkie promise not to tell and you know how seriously Pinkie takes promises." The 3 fillies all nodded in agreement, they continued thinking who they could trick to spill the beans on this mystery activity.

"Hey there girls, beautiful day don't you think?"

The girls turned to see Spike walking past them with a stack of comics in his claws. The Crusaders looked at each other and had three mischievous little grins on their faces, it looks like they just found their inside man. "Oh Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiike" Sweetie Bell chimed, Spike stopped and turned his head, "We were wondering if you happened to know what's going on at the library with our sisters and their friends."

"Oh nononononono," Spike shook his head and waved a nagging claw, "Just cause I look like I'm the same age as you guys doesn't mean I'm that easy to trick." The Crusaders frowned slightly; they also hated to be treated like children…even though they actually are children. "Twilight made it crystal clear that I wasn't allowed to tell any pony under any circumstances, and there's nothing you can say or do that'll make me change my mind," Spike said firmly. He headed back on his way carrying his comics, smiling confidently that he stood his ground.

"Even if I put in a good word for you with my sister?" Sweetie bell said, smirking just as confidently. Spike instantly dropped his comics and bolted towards the young unicorn, she practically jumped out of her curls she was so shocked. He looked to her with pleading eyes, desperately seeking confirmation about her offer. Sweetie Bell winked to her friends, she turned to Spike and smiled, "Give us the scoop and I promise Rarity will think your sweeter than chocolate."

Spike blushed at the thought, to have Rarity think of him so fondly and sweetly; it just filled his heart with a swarm of butterflies. "All right then; I'll tell you" Spike looked sternly at the Crusaders, "But you can't tell ANY PONY; this has to stay just between the 4 of us," the fillies nodded and Pinkie promised. "Your sisters are helping Twilight and the others watch over an escaped Tartarus criminal," the fillies started to gasp but Spike hushed them and reminded them to stay quiet. "His name is Moonstruck; he's a dangerous and powerful unicorn that we're watching over until Twilight gets back from Canterlot. She went to ask Princess Celestia what to do about him," the girls looked at each other; their eyes and smiles bustling with excitement.

"That's amazing, it's like we got a real live super villain under our noses," Scootaloo bounced up and down cheerfully.

Apple Bloom grabbed Spike and shook him wildly, "What was he locked up fer, what's his special talent, does he wear a mask or a costume or anythin' like that, where's he from, how did mah sis and the others catch him, how long has he been out?" Spike shook himself free; he placed a claw on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Sorry Apple Bloom but that's all I know, I've told you everything I can tell," the filly nodded and hugged Spike; thanking him for talking. "Just remember to keep your guys lips sealed about this whole thing or were ALL gonna be in big trouble," the fillies agreed and helped Spike pick up his comics. He waved goodbye to them and went on his way. Spike could feel that familiar warmth he always felt when Rarity was on his mind, it's the kind of warmth he hoped Rarity would feel when her sister talked about him with her.

The Crusaders also went about their way; ideas and theories buzzing around their little heads about this mysterious new guest in Ponyville.

Speaking of buzzing…

The gray fly that circled the Crusaders flew off as soon as they were finished talking with Spike. The insect continued flying farther and farther away until it was out of Ponyville; away from any pony's line of sight or near any buildings or homes, it landed on the base of a tree.

SNAP!

The fly morphed into a strange, dragon Chimera like creature with various horns, limbs, wings and different colored fur sections over various parts of his patchwork body. It was Discord: spirit of chaos and disharmony.

"AH HA, HA, HA, HA, talk about some extra juicy gossip", he materialized a carton of orange juice with the word "Gossip" on it. The chaos spirit guzzled down the carton's contents and then liquefied the carton itself; drinking it as well, he wiped his mouth with his white tail tip. "Here I am, thinking I FINALLY mastered all the sophisticated trappings of friendship making, only to find my friends are secretly hiding OTHER friends and not sharing them with any pony," Discord scratched his chin curiously; his horns morphing into the shape of a single green question mark. "There must be something that a charming and good natured Draconequus, like me, could do to help my pony friends with their particular predicaments," Discord grinned a wickedly evil grin, he snapped his claws and materialized an octopus into his lion paw; stroking it like a cat. "I'm especially tickled pink at the thought of meeting this delightful Moonstruck character", he momentarily turned himself bright pink before vanishing his entire body and the octopus into thin air; leaving only his yellow eyes floating behind. "Perhaps it's time to pay this fugitive a visit; after all, I have just the chaos in mind to keep the girls busy while we have a little…chat." The eyes slowly vanished; Discord's laugh could be heard echoing hauntingly in the wind.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Discord's playing matchmaker, Twilight returns home from Canterlot and Moonstruck gets a surprise visit/jail break from the Master of chaos. Like the story so far? Love it? Hate it? Let me know, enjoy the chapter and bye for now!

12. Courting Chaos

Chapter 12: Courting Chaos

Man I had SOOOOO MUCH STUFF to put into this chapter! This chapter ended up taking a long time and I'm sorry it took as long as it did but things just kept evolving out of control and I ended up having to save Twilight's return from Canterlot for the next chapter. I kept on coming up with more great material to flesh out Hopeful and Arrowhead and I had loads of fun writing for Discord. I hope you guys that read the story "Fallen Eagle" by Captain Alaska noticed Hopeful Romantic's cameo in his latest chapter, if not then you totally should ^^ I really tried to personalize my OC's a bit more this time, give them some more back ground and stories to tell, which is why this chapter ended up taking so much time and space that I decided to save Twilight's return for the next chapter. Before I do shout outs, I wanted to give a big round of thank yous to Alaska and Tenshoru. They helped out with a lot of story details I needed help/advice on and they REALLY have helped me overcome some large speed bumps in the future plot points to come. Thanks again, you guys have been a tremendous help. Now, shout outs:

Guest: It's being updated right now and thanks!

DanvilleBengal: You'll find out more about the Moonstruck imposter down the line, as well as the fate of Crowe. Pinkie Pie is actually the one pony I have the most trouble writing for. I'm not good at random humor! But you'll see her in this chapter so hopefully I've improved.

Tenshoru: So glad you liked how Twilight and Celestia came together, I always felt Celestia has had unquestionable faith in Twilight and no situation would really shake that. I'm really glad to hear the Sparity elements interest you on some level. To hear that it works for a person who is not a Sparity fan is an extremely high compliment and I thank you for that! I hope you enjoy how it plays out. Fluttershy's love interest has yet to appear...or has he...or she? Be on the look out in this chapter for some hints involving Discord and Celestia's potential dates. As for Luna, I have something "special" planned for her so don't worry, no pony is going to be alone. As for your thoughts on Spike and Sweetie Bell, I completely agree with you. Spike is the middle between the CMC and the Mane 6, he's older than the CMC and more mature than they are but still prone to making mistakes. You'll notice everyone has made bad judgment calls when it comes to their respective crushes: Twilight, Rainbow, AJ etc. This is new to all of them and Spike's mistake will not go unnoticed as you'll find out in this chapter and the next. There will be consequences!

A Man Undercover: Once more, thanks for the questions! And once more, I will answer them in order: 1- Both: Celestia has met Khan before but he is a new enemy to her as well, it'll make more sense eventually. 2- Patience my friend, patience. 3- Twilight and Rainbow have yet to find out what happened to Daring Do but I haven't forgotten her. 4- Yes, I've been watching every episode of Season 5 and while I originally planned to avoid incorporating S5's episodes, I'm re-valuating that decision and I'm working on (what I think) a clever way of bringing the episode's events into this story.

Lemon Smoothie: Everyone seemed to love Rainbow's talk with Fluttershy ^^ I'm so glad.

Mystic Panda 01: Glad to hear your still digging the story! As for the "Fluttercord" thing, let's just say I have a few plans in mind.

Now onto the story! Oh and also, I don't own MLP: FIM or the lyrics to the song being used.

The humid temperatures of Froggy bottom bog glazed over everything with a gleaming mist like shine. Insects buzzed, frogs croaked and lizards scurried under the pale yellow green sky. The armored unicorn known as Khan stood in the center of the bog, standing as still as stone. Not an ounce of emotion visible underneath his blood red armor. He appeared to be staring off into nothingness like he was lost in a trance, but that was only to those looking outside. Inside, his mind was racing with memories from times long since passed.

Patience, it is a virtue that only the privileged minds of Equestria can possess. I've been here for hours; waiting, yet he has still not arrived. I can wait though, I can wait days if need be.

He thought about the "good old days" when he walked side by side with Princess Celestia. The Alicorn princess had taught him many wonderful things, and he in turn offered her wisdom and knowledge that she relied on. It felt like a lifetime ago to Khan; a dream of happiness and peace that had been eroded by time and pain. The idea of time itself made him chuckle, the laugh soon faded.

Time, it means nothing to the likes of you princess. Oh how I envied that about you…you and your sister. Millennia come and go but you remain, ageless, endless…always able to learn more. I could use every spell and potion in existence and STILL I would never live long enough to obtain all the knowledge this world has to offer. But you could…couldn't you princess?

The murky swamp waters began to ripple; thunderous footsteps were approaching Khan's position. He closed his eyesand began to concentrate. The thunderous steps did not worry him; they were in fact the reason he had come to Froggy bottom bog. His thoughts intensified as the monstrous force approaching him stomped closer; Khan could feel his calm nature morphing into sorrow.

You could have done more princess; you could have done SO much more. But instead you decided to sit on your precious perch and coddle your kingdom as if it were made of glass.

The footsteps got louder as they got closer, tree branches started to snap and fall into the swamp water. Animals scurried away in fear. The demonic howl of the approaching beast crackled like storm clouds. Khan remained still, slowly charging his armor, black and red energies began to glow around the armored tyrant.

I tried to tell you but you didn't listen, and when I took it upon myself to do what you lacked the courage to do…you ABANDONED ME! You left me to die and erased me from your mind and your life; like a bad dream. I did everything for you and your kingdom, but you ignored all my warnings and continued to push your citizens towards the edge of oblivion. How dare you…how dare you turn your back on me and leave me to burn.

The shadow of the beast consumed Khan; it lorded over his metallic frame like the lingering cloak of death. The monster's body blanketed darkness everywhere, no critter or pony could escape the scope of the shadow. Khan opened his eyes, sparking wild with powerful orange colored energy. He stared directly at the monster and sneered.

"This is your fault," he spoke as if he was speaking to Celestia; caring little if this beast understood. "This is ALL YOUR FAULT! Everything I had, everything I did, it was all burned away and now there is nothing left inside me but darkness and suffering," Khan began to levitate off the ground. "The day is coming princess, the day is coming very soon and I want you to remember it. I want you to remember why you needed me," the beast roared and lunged at Khan with all its might. "I want you to remember the pain I went through, for all of your eternal life…WHEN I BURN EVERYTHING YOU LOVE TO THE GROUND!"

At Sugar cube corner…

Pinkie Pie dished out chocolate malt shakes with whipped cream down the counter. One had rainbow sprinkles and a red cherry on top, and the other had chocolate peanut butter cups. The drinks stopped perfectly in front of the two stallions sitting on the stools. The peanut butter cup malt belonged to a sulking red Pegasus with pink eyes and slicked black hair, the rainbow malt had been purchased by a frowning grey Earth pony with short white hair. "Awe come on guys, no pony can be sad while sipping Sugar cube corner's finest super-duper-dreamy-creamy malt shakes," Pinkie beamed, sprinkling confetti everywhere.

Arrowhead sighed heavily, blowing a few rainbow sprinkles off his shake. He can't help thinking what a stupid idea it was to order rainbow sprinkles on his malt. The colt was trying to feel better about his problem with Rainbow Dash; not feel worse about it. "Not even all this sugar and sweetness is gonna change my sour mood," he slurped his drink through a red straw. "I just can't believe she would do that, just up and hide me, like I'm some bad gift your friend got you and you don't really want it but you have to be polite so you take it anyway." He slurped some more of his drink, wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head, "And then get rid of it first chance you get."

"At least you got a chance to talk with the mare you're interested in," Hopeful replied. "Mine won't even give me the time of day without coming up with some excuse or shooting me down before I can even talk." The Pegasus didn't know what was wrong with him or what he was doing to make Applejack so turned off from him; he used to be so good at talking to girls. "I just wish I knew where her head was at," he swirled his straw slowly, watching with little care or interest.

"Trust me, sometimes you're better off not knowing what others really think of you", Arrowhead replied. "Even the prettiest of mares can hide the ugliest of truths."

The pink party pony hated seeing the two colts have such sad faces, even if she didn't know them that well. Smiling is a wonderful gift that she loves giving just as much as she loves receiving. "Hey now, no need to let those frowns bring you down," she spritzed an extra layer of whipped cream onto both malts and then sprayed the cream over her face in the shape of a long beard. "Applejack and Rainbow Dash are two of my absolute bestest, most amazingly, wondertastic friends ever! I know them better than they know themselves and I think you guys would totally be just what they need." Pinkie loudly slurped up her cream beard; giggling and squeaking.

"How could you possibly know that?" Arrowhead asked, resting his elbow on the counter.

"Because, I know all of the things that makes Rainbow happy and she's got this super mega happy special smile that she only shows when she's reeeeeeeeeeeally happy." She pulled 3 muffins out of nowhere and laid them in front of Arrowhead; one with yellow frosting, one with green frosting and one with white frosting. "The first time was when she met the Wonderbolts and got to spend the day with them," she chomped the yellow muffin down, "Second was when she met AK Yearling", then the green muffin, "And the third time was when she first met you", and down went the white muffin.

Arrowhead looked confused, not to mention red in the cheeks, "Are you sure, I mean are you 100% positive you saw her smile like that when she met me?" Pinkie Pie smiled and nodded; bits of frosting dripping from her grinning lips. None of this made any sense to him. If Rainbow really did feel that way when she first met him, then why does she keep acting like she doesn't want to be seen in public with him? "Maybe I'm just deluding myself about who she really is. I always admired and looked up to her, could be that she just isn't the girl I was hoping she'd be."

"I always hoped I would be a pineapple, now THERE'S a fruit that knows how to party," Pinkie placed a pineapple on the counter; decorated with licorice lips, grape eyes and bananas for dreadlocks.

"Um…yeah", the grey colt was too weirded out to say anything else. His teal colored eyes nervously darted left to right. "That's nice…I think."

"If you ask me, it sounds like Rainbow just has a hard time expressing her emotions about things," Hopeful said. "My dad always told me that true love is like a volcano: if you really do have that love, that true passionate fire for another pony, then you need to let it explode and melt down every obstacle that's in your path like lava. Nothing and no pony should keep you from the pony you love, not even yourself."

"But right now, I feel like the only thing that fire is doing is burning me," the Earth pony countered; pointing to the bandage on his head. "I want to get to know her better, but not if she's going to shove me into closets or behind walls every time one of her friends comes by while were talking."

"Well, has she tried to make it up to you?" the Pegasus asked.

He shook his head and frowned, "I've been avoiding her since I hit my head; I just didn't want to hear any more excuses." Arrowhead hated resorting to running away from his problems, it's something he's always done when things got rough. Remembering all the years he spent running from his problems; nagging at him to take the easy way out once again. Even though he feels he has a legit reason for avoiding Rainbow, between the pain in his head and the aching in his heart; he can't tell which emotion is stronger: anger or fear.

"Hey, you don't need to make a decision right away," the pink party pony chimed in. She leaned in and lifted Arrowhead's chin upwards; her sky blue eyes desperately seeking a smile from him. "Rainbow's not going anywhere and I'm betting you're not either, which means if you're sticking to Ponyville, then Rainbow is going to be sticking pretty close to you!" Pinkie squirted globs of syrup onto two waffles; she voraciously ate both within seconds, right before Arrowhead and Hopeful's slightly alarmed eyes. "Every pony in Ponyville knows each other, but that didn't happen overnight silly. It takes time to really get to know ponies that well and you're still new here, and still new to Rainbow Dash, you both got plenty of time and chances to make each other smile."

Arrowhead hadn't thought of that. He was so worried about instantly solving his problems that he hadn't thought about giving it some time to really mull it over. After all, he didn't HAVE to make a decision about Rainbow this instant, right? "Heh, I guess you're right," he smiled softly. The urge to turn and run quickly dissipated, he really did feel better about his crush on the cyan Pegasus.

"YAY! Pinkie-solves-every-pony's-problem-party", streamers and confetti shot out of her hooves like magic. Arrowhead inched away from his seat and stared blankly at the crazed party pony. "Now as for you," Hopeful looked up from his malt; his straw sticking out of his mouth. "Applejack is a tough nut to crack, did you know she only cries on the inside?" she pulled out a jelly donut and pulled it apart into two pieces. "But once you get past the sweet, crunchy outside, you'll find a whole lot of gooey good stuff on the inside," she stuffed both pieces into Hopeful's mouth before he could speak.

"But she wants nothing to do with me" he said, munching the donuts halves and then swallowing them. "Everything I say and do just pushes her further away from me," Pinkie Pie nodded and leaned closer. "My brain keeps telling me that I should just give up and move on, but my heart is telling me something else."

"What's your heart telling you?" the pink Earth pony asked.

Hopeful's lips formed the sweetest smile Pinkie had ever seen on his face, he sighed heavily and placed both hooves on his cheeks. "It's telling me that every time I hear her sweet voice; my heart melts like butter, I feel tingly all over when she looks at me," his cheeks blushed brighter and brighter with each passing moment. Pinkie noticed how content and peaceful Hopeful was when he talked about her apple bucking friend, as if all of his troubles and pain disappeared just by thinking about her. "I think she's the most beautiful pony in existence. She has a natural glow that is so rich, so captivating, like all the forces of nature came together to craft a beauty that no dream of mine ever could."

"Soooooooo, why don't you tell her already you big goof?" Hopeful came out of his daydream, Pinkie smiled and nudged him with her elbow.

"Because she's totally out of my league AND we have nothing in common. She's into plowing fields, picking apples and doing all kinds of farm work with her family," Hopeful said; gloomily. "Everything I have to offer her is the exact opposite of the kind of stuff she looks for in a boyfriend."

"But you don't know that for sure" she poked his nose with her hoof. "The only way you could know that is if you ask her or if you're psychic, you're not psychic are you?" The Earth pony jammed her cheek against Hopeful's; he was clearly uncomfortable with the party pony invading his personal space. She looked over the red colt's face, waiting for any kind of sign of psychic powers. "Nope, guess not, too bad too because I was going to ask if you could tell what I was thinking."

Hopeful shook his head, "Sorry but I don't know what-"

"OH MY GOSH! You ARE psychic, I totally was thinking about exploding donut cakes," Pinkie gasped in shock. "That's what you were going to say right, right?!"

"Um…sure?" he answered; nervously.

"Nailed it," Pinkie beamed loudly. She picked up Hopeful's hoof and hoof bumped with him, unphased by the bewildered expression on the colt's face. Pinkie blinked as she suddenly spotted a familiar blond mane trotting past the window. "What do ya know? There's Applejack right now," Hopeful suddenly spat out his straw, "I'll just call her in to say hi."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, not now, I'm not ready for more rejection," he rubbed the sides of his head; sweat starting drip down his shaking eyebrows. "I can't keep doing this to myself; it's just too much to take." The Pegasus bolted from his seat and flew right past Pinkie, over the counter, into the kitchen and out the backdoor. He knew it was rude to run through the bakeries backdoor without asking, but the fear of Applejack seeing him looking this sad and pathetic was too terrifying to comprehend. "Sorry about this, there's another girl I gotta see about something important, like right now!" he called out. Pinkie tilted her head curiously and looked back to Hopeful's seat; noticing he left a few bits behind.

"I'm gonna take off as well," Arrowhead said; slowly standing up. "My exit's less dramatic though, thanks for the malt and the advice." He tossed Pinkie some bits and exited the bakery, she smiled and waved bye to the beefy grey colt.

Outside Sugar Cube corner, Applejack noticed a grey colt with white hair trotting by. He smiled and nodded to her, to which she kindly did the same. She was just about to pick up some treats for her Moonstruck shift with Rainbow.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

"Now what in the world is that?" she looked around.

Applejack spotted Spike, pounding his head against a wall; over and over again. "Idiot, stupid, blabbermouth, what is wrong with you?" he asked himself. The young dragon had been berating himself for spilling the beans about the dark unicorn to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He stopped banging his head and started to rub his eyes, a bruise was forming on his forehead. "Twilight trusted me and I totally blew it, how can I expect my friends to take me seriously if I keep doing stupid stuff like this?" he sighed and hung his head; tail drooping limply. "I just wish she was back from her trip so I can get my punishment over with."

"Punishment over what Spike?" the orange mare asked.

Spike nearly jumped out of his scales, he was too busy wallowing in his own problems to even notice AJ had been standing right next to him. The young dragon was nervous; a feeling he never thought he'd feel around his friends, but AJ is another story. He knew she didn't approve of his romantic feelings for Rarity, every fantasy and dream he had of the white unicorn earned him nothing but judgmental looks from the apple bucker. "Oh h-h-hey there Applejack," he said nervously.

"Hey there partner, any particular reason you were talkin' to yerself just now and, you know," she pointed to the dragon's forehead, "Givin' yerself a lump there?"

"I don't really want to talk about it," the young dragon said. He looked down at his feet, trying to avoid answering the question, but he knew his friend wouldn't stop asking until she found out the truth. "It's so weird," he thought to himself, "The only time some pony notices me is when I have a problem that I know they won't help me with. Every other time I want to help out, I'm just in the way."

"Come on now, why don't you tell old AJ what's buggin' ya?" she put her hoof around Spike's shoulder, "Ahm sure we can work this out together."

"The only way you can help is by not telling Rarity or Twilight what I did, I need to tell them myself."

"Yer not makin' a lick of sense partner, what exactly did ya do?"

"I may have, kind of, sort of…told your sister and her friends about Moonstruck."

"You did WHAT?!"

"I know it was a stupid thing to do, I know that, I just….wasn't…thinking straight at the time."

"How the hey did this even happen?"

"Well they were all curious about why we've been so busy at the library lately. I wasn't going to tell them about it but then Sweetie Bell offered to put in a good word for me with Rarity and-"

Applejack frowned and pulled back from Spike, he knew this was going to happen the minute she asked him what was wrong. "Not this again Spike. How many times have Ah told ya that this puppy dog crush of yers was goin' to cause trouble? Now Ah gotta make sure Apple Bloom doesn't tell any pony and that Rarity and Rainbow do the same for Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo."

"NO, please! I told you that you can't tell Rarity. I know I screwed up and I want to apologize to her and to Twilight in person," Spike pleaded. He hated being treated this way. It was bad enough being seen as too young to do anything important, now he has to have his feelings about Rarity judged…again. "And would you please stop calling it a crush? My feelings for Rarity are totally legit; I've gone over this a million times in my head and in my heart", he placed his arms at his sides; huffing.

"No sweetie, you just think you're in love, you don't know any better," Applejack tenderly said.

"YES. I. DO", Spike stomped his foot angrily. "Why is it every time I mess up, every pony gets on my case and lectures me, but when you guys make a mistake, everyone's okay with it and treats it more like a big misunderstanding?"

"But this isn't yer run of the mill goof up Spike. Tellin' the Crusaders about Moonstruck could put every pony in sorchin' hot water; this is some seriously dangerous info yer slippin' out," she insisted.

Spike turned his back to Applejack, his tail twitched from irritation. This was a song he's heard many times before, and every time some pony tries to talk to him about something he did wrong, he knew it wasn't the real issue; the Rarity issue was always the true source of conflict. "This is about Rarity more than Moonstruck, isn't it? You know, I wouldn't have to ask Sweetie Bell if I got a little support from you guys once in a while," Spike griped.

"Yer darn tootin' this is about Rarity, we've got traditions for a reason Spike," Applejack said; her voice fraught with frustration. "If you try courtin' Rarity, it's just gonna cause a whole heap of trouble for everyone involved. It's best to just leave it be and-"

"Ugh! I can't take this anymore," he cut her off; Spike turned around and looked at the orange mare's shocked face. "I'm going to the train station to wait for my mom to come back, at least when she lectures me she actually listens to what I have to say," he said sternly.

He walked off without saying another word or giving Applejack a second glance, she tried to call him back but he just kept on walking and ignored her. The blond farmer was one of the few ponies in Ponyville who had difficulty understanding or accepting Spike's feelings for Rarity. She knew she was more vocal about her position than Twilight was, but still, she felt the sooner Spike gave up these feelings; the better. "This is just like that life debt fiasco all over again," she rubbed her head and adjusted her hat, "He goes about everythin' the wrong way and won't listen to a single thing Ah say."

"I know, some ponies just can't see eye to eye on certain things; can they?"

"You said it partner," she replied to the mysterious voice beside her. Applejack turned to the pony that spoke to her; it was a grey Earth pony with a camera for a head and face, her emerald eyes practically jumped out of their sockets. "AHHHH!" she screamed; dropping to the ground and shuffling backwards.

FLASH!

The camera headed creature snapped a photo of the orange mare's horrified face; it popped out of the creature's "mouth" and landed in front of AJ's hooves. The strange camera pony suddenly morphed into Discord. He was laughing and rolling around in the air in circles. "Oh sweet Celestia, THAT was absolutely brilliant! I haven't seen a pony look that scared in centuries," he landed on the ground and picked up the photo. "Normally I'd say you should have seen the look on your face, but now, I don't have to!" Applejack frowned bitterly as Discord pointed at the photo.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Ya'll scared me half to death", she shouted; standing back on her hooves.

"Only half? Hmm, I must be losing my touch", Discord said disappointingly. He turned his attention back to the photo and snickered. "Oooooh yes, this one is definitely a keeper, I'm framing it and putting it right up above my bed so I can see it every morning," the chaos spirit snapped his eagle talon claws and caused the photo to vanish.

The orange mare dusted off her hat and started to head towards the library. "Ah'd be lyin' if Ah said it was fun chattin' with ya…so Ah won't and Ah'll just be on my way", she said.

"Oh come now", Discord hovered behind Applejack; following every hoof print like a lost puppy. "At least rent a sense of humor, I was only kidding of course. Why not rest your rump and have a little chat with me?" he materialized Applejack onto a brown therapist couch and a black chair for himself. "We never sit and talk; just the two us" the chaos spirit said, magically dressing himself in a green and brown sweater and glasses, holding a pen and notebook.

"There's a reason for that," she grumbled.

Discord raised a disapproving eyebrow towards his patient; he idly tapped his chin hair with the pen before sticking it into his ears and making it vanish. "I know you're the stubborn Sally of our little social circle, but you can at least try to be a bit more patient with your friends," Applejack was visibly insulted by that jab. "Or does this pathological sense of stubborn resistance have something to do with your compulsion to watch over a certain tall, dark stranger living in Twilight's basement?" Discord asked in an all-knowing tone, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Did Spike blab that to you too?" she asked dryly.

The furniture and therapist attire suddenly disappeared, Applejack gasped at the sudden fall. Discord stared down at her; glaring yellow daggers at her frowning face. "You know, you should really give Spike a break. All this boring talk about traditions and following rules," he said using air quotes, "I'm getting just as bummed out about it as Spike is."

Applejack looked at the twisted creature in confusion, since when did he care about Spike enough to defend him? "Ah didn't realize you two were that close," she said.

"Wellllllllll not close per say, but we actually do have a LOT in common," Applejack was visibly unconvinced by that statement. Discord gasped, "What? It's the truth! We both like to have fun; we both like to be involved in our friends business, and were both one of kind guys." He snapped his claws and was now dressed in a Prom tuxedo suit, holding a bouquet of weeds. "Which, as you know, makes finding suitable dates quite the challenge for charming chaps such as ourselves," he said.

"Now wait a cotton pickin' minute, since when are you interested in datin?" Applejack asked. "And for that matter, who would you even want to date if ya were? The only ponies in your age range would be Princess Celes-"

"OH UM well yes, you see, I j-j-just remembered what I wanted to talk to you about," Discord said; coughing loudly and nervously. His cheeks were turning red with blushes; Applejack had never seen the spirit of chaos turn red like this; not even a little bit! It's like almost saying Princess Celestia's name triggered something. The chaotic trickster quickly composed himself and brushed off that momentary sign of weakness.

"Yeah, and what might that be?" Applejack asked.

"I wanted to congratulate you on officially becoming the only pony crazier than me", he magically conjured up a straitjacket and placed it on Applejack. The Earth pony stood there; flabbergasted as Discord shook her hoof vigorously. "Congratulations! You really took the fruit cake this time", he said proudly.

The orange mare stared silently at Discord for a few moments, she didn't even try to get out of the strait jacket; she just stared at him while he wore that ridiculously weird smile of his. "Ah know this is real hard for ya to do, but Ahm gonna ask ya anyway," she slowly made her way out of the straitjacket, "Can you please just TRY makin' sense for once?"

"Not too long ago you met an absolutely delightful red Pegasus by the name of Hopeful Romantic, ring any bells?" he nudged Applejack with his elbow, her face quickly turning red. "Thought so, imagine my surprise to learn that a fetching mare, such as yourself, catches the eye of such a thoughtful, devoted and loving stallion; practically throwing himself at you…and you turn him down? Only a pony who is truly crazy would do such a thing" Discord said; disapprovingly.

"That is none of yer buckin' business, and while we're on the subject, Ah'd like to know how ya'll found out about this," Applejack said.

"What? Don't all good friends use transmogrification spells to disguise themselves as house flies and buzz around; eavesdropping over personal conversations?" Discord asked innocently.

"OF COURSE NOT" she snapped back.

"Oh…you know, sometimes I think you girls just change the rules so I'll never understand how friendship really works", he examined his nails casually.

"Look, Ah have mah reasons for handlin' things the way Ah did and Ah don't really feel like explainin' em now, so if you'll excuse me", she moved past Discord. Of all the creatures in the world, Discord is the absolute last one she'd want to talk about her relationship problems with. She couldn't help but wonder why everyone thought she needed a man so badly. She's strong, focused, hardworking and honest, is that what Hopeful is drawn to? The orange mare shook her head and tried to focus on getting to the library. Rarity and Fluttershy's shift was just about done, Rainbow Dash would be there shortly to help.

"Fine, be that way if you must. I just wanted to see if you had an actual reason for stubbornly staying single," he turned his nose up snootily; crossing his arms over his chest. "Just don't be surprised when Hopeful starts showering another mare with flowers and chocolate goodies," Discord said.

Those words "another mare" caused the stubborn Earth pony to suddenly stop, her hooves seemed frozen; locked to the ground like metal to magnets. Even though he couldn't see it, Discord could tell AJ was looking just a tad unsettled by his words, his lips curving into a mischievous smirk. "Another…m-m-m-mare?" she asked uneasily. Slowly she turned around to face Discord; hoping this was just another trick or lie to ruffle her feathers, but as always, the orange mare had no way of knowing for sure. "You d-d-don't really think he would, d-d-do you?" she asked, sounding more desperate.

Discord rolled his eyes, "You think any pony actually LIKES being rejected on a regular basis? You're hardly the only fish in the sea." Discord snapped his fingers and materialized a fishing vest, hat and rod in his paws; the lure sank into a small puddle and reeled in a red fish with small wings and slick black hair. "And sooner or later, some pony is going to realize what a great catch he is, maybe some pony already has" Discord netted the red fish and tipped his hat.

"N-n-n-n-not that Ah care but, you wouldn't happen to know who that pony might be?" she asked, anxiously.

"Why I believe it was that adorable local mail mare of yours, you know, the one with those striking eyes," he replied.

"D-d-d-d-derpy? Hopeful is pining for DERPY?!" she shouted. Applejack always thought of herself as a pillar of emotional strength, always able to work hard and avoid distractions, but her mind was racing with all kinds of frightful thoughts right now. She knows Discord is right, it was only a matter of time before Hopeful got fed up and started romancing a girl that would actually romance him back. The farm pony just thought she had a bit more time to figure things out before the sweet colt moved on. Applejack started to pace back and forth; she rubbed her head with her fore hoof and tried to calm herself down.

"Come now Applejack, sour apples aren't very becoming of you," the draconequus said as he was now dressed in a card dealer outfit; flipping cards along his tail like dominoes. "Besides, I figured you'd be happy to hear this."

"Why would you ever think a thing like that?" Applejack asked.

Six cards were suddenly tossed at Applejack's hooves: two had Earth ponies on them, another pair featured Pegasai and the last two had unicorns. Each card had one half of a pink heart looming high above them, like two halves of a heart shaped rising sun. She looked down at them and sighed sadly; guess she should have expected this. "Derpy and Hopeful are both Pegasai, and since you're such a star supporter on upholding traditions, I figured nothing would make you happier than to see two ponies who are supposed to be together hit it off."

"But Ah never…Ah mean…that was just", she fumbled her words nervously. Applejack's babbling slowly ended in silence. She blinked as something happened to the cards, all but the Pegasai cards had vanished, and now they were sporting pictures of Derpy and Hopeful. Her mind raced with images of the two ponies cuddling and laughing together. Could she really be jealous, jealous of a relationship that never even happened because she turned him away? She felt empty, fractured; like a piece of her had been cleaved away and she was just now discovering the scar. "Ah know what Ah said about traditions, and Ah still strongly believe in them."

"Buuuuuuut?" Discord leaned in, raising an eyebrow.

"But it isn't enough. Ah know how I feel about my traditions, and Ah know how Ah felt whenever Hopeful called me-" she started to choke a little, "Whenever he called me…fair maiden." Discord couldn't believe he was seeing a tough pony like Applejack tear up a little, her cheeks growing redder as her voice grew more distraught. "Ah felt this surge of warmth in mah heart every time he called me that. Ah never thought of myself as bein' especially beautiful, Ahm a hard workin' Earth pony and proud of it, so Ah never worried too much about mah looks. But every time he was with me, talkin' to me, kissing mah hoof; Ah felt like Ah was the prettiest mare in all of Equestria." Applejack wiped her nose and tilted her hat down; hiding shamefully from her outburst.

"Well standing around here weeping all day long isn't going to help", he snapped off his white tail tip and offered it to AJ as a tissue. She stared at it, momentarily showing signs of disgust at the "tissue" offering, but she was too upset to care and used it anyway. "If you really do have these feeling things for him, even the tiniest one, then I wouldn't waste a single moment longer." Discord's horns formed into arrows, they both pointed in the opposite direction of the library.

Applejack took a moment to think about this. She knows all too well that anything Discord says or does is reason to be suspicious, this could be a trick or some magical means of keeping her cut off from her friends. Heck, Discord could have made the whole Derpy thing up just for kicks. "But what if he's really telling the truth? Ah would always be worried and wonderin' if Ah missed out on someone amazin' just cause it's comin' from Discord," she thought to herself.

A few minutes passed as AJ finally made up her mind; she left Discord without saying another word and rushed in the direction the horns were pointing.

The chaos creature snickered and rubbed his claws together mischievously, "One down, one to go." He snapped his fingers and turned his entire body into a collection of bubbles; vanishing completely once they popped.

Rainbow Dash sped through the sky; slicing through clouds and clearing up the skies without breaking a sweat. Her pink eyes kept a look out for a certain hunky, grey colored Earth pony. Now there's a word she never thought she'd use to describe someone: hunky. She hated how she left things with Arrowhead; she hated it even more because she still hasn't been able to find him so she could apologize. Finished with her weather management, Rainbow landed and bought herself a bottle of water.

"Ah now THAT hit the spot", she said after guzzling half of it down, "Didn't realize how badly I needed a tall drink of water."

The bottle's contents suddenly turned grey, Discord's head popped out of the bottle. "Oh you don't know the half of it sister," he said; winking to the Pegasus.

"GAH!" she screamed and dropped the bottle. The chaotic trickster oozed out of the bottle and wiggled his winding body, adjusting and popping his bones. "Dude, that is so gross! I was drinking out of that. Why can't you just say hi normally like every pony else?" Discord looked at her with a blank face; as if he didn't understand the question. "Right, right, master of chaos and all that other junk," she rolled her eyes and stood back up, "What do you want? I've got ponies to find so let's get this over with."

"Well talk about rude! Is that anyway to treat a friend who was willing to go out of his way to help you find your elusive Earth pony stud?"

"Wait, how did-"

"That's not important, what IS important is that we get to the heart of the matter; YOUR heart as matter of fact. And it's got Arrowhead's name written all over it."

Rainbow shifted her eyes nervously, that unwanted blush rapidly coloring her cheeks, she hated when ponies could see through her tough side so transparently.

"Ah ha, touched a nerve didn't it?"

"Will you keep it DOWN!? All I'm trying to do is find him so I can apologize for what I did, I don't need any of your crazy chaos magic making things worse."

Discord groaned and hovered in midair; completely unconvinced that Rainbow didn't need his help. "So you say my dear Dash; so you say, but I've got the perfect game plan to put you back in Arrowhead's good graces. Of course, after hearing such distasteful things about the quality of my help, I'm not so sure I want to share it with you," he spat a raspberry at Rainbow and then vanished. The tongue lingered a bit longer after Discord left before it ultimately disappeared as well.

"That's just fine with me. I can take care of this myself, I'll show you, I don't need your help to fix this," she snapped back; despite the fact Discord was no longer there.

"Is there any particular reason your yelling at the air?" a voice from behind asked.

The Cyan mare flinched, "I know that voice," she turned around and found Arrowhead standing right behind her. She'd recognize that husky, sexy voice anywhere. Even when he looked at her with disdain, like he was now; she couldn't stop admiring those immaculate muscles, his dashing white hair, and a body that just made heart surge like someone just ran 10,000 volts through it. "H-h-h-h-hey Arrowhead, I've uh actually been kind of looking all over for you," she rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah I know, that's exactly why I was avoiding you," he pointed to the small bandage still on his head.

"Yeeeeeeeah, I'm guessing you're still pretty mad about that."

"Wouldn't you?"

"Point taken, but that's exactly why I wanted to talk to you."

"I know, you wanted to apologize for hurting me…again," Rainbow bit her lip and gulped; this was not going how she thought it'd go at all. "I accept your apology, we have a few laughs and then some pony you know is going to come by and you're gonna freak and try to hide me or lie about who I am because of your pride or because I don't have wings; does any of this sound painfully familiar to you?"

"I've been a sucky friend to you, I get that, and I'm really sorry for all the things I've said and done. I know it feels like the same thing is happening all over again, but it's not I swear," she insisted.

"But I don't know that's true, I don't even know who you're trying to be," he said. "What if you're just apologizing because you don't want to look bad in front of others, what if you're the kind of pony who lies about who she is or who she hangs out with?"

Everything he was saying was true, painful and damaging but true. Rainbow hasn't given him much reason to think she's anything more than a two faced, two timing flip flopper. "You don't understand. When I'm talking to you, I feel like I don't know what to say or think. It's like when I met Daring Do: I end up doing the wrong thing every time I try to do the right thing, I mean well but I still end up hurting ponies and causing problems, but I would never intentionally do something so uncool to a pony I-"

"Just STOP, okay? Please stop, I can't keep buying these apologies when I don't even know who I'm really buying them from," he rubbed his head; frustrated. "I can't believe this is happening again."

"Wait, what do you mean again?"

"Years ago when I was in school, there was a unicorn named Sketch Pad. Every pony knew him. He was an incredible artist, he could turn anything into a canvas: desks, chalkboards, sidewalks, napkins; that kid created the most beautiful works of art with using nothing but everyday objects and a backpack full of markers and paint brushes," Arrowhead said. Rainbow sat down and listened closely. "He got in trouble lots of times for painting on things he wasn't allowed to paint on. Some ponies bullied him because they saw his talent as too weird or freaky to understand, but Sketch didn't care about any of that noise; he just kept on drawing and got better as he got older. I always admired his passion and creativity, he wasn't afraid of being who he was because he found a calling that he loved, and he would have become one of the greatest artists Equestria has ever seen."

"Would have? Oh my gosh! He didn't die did he?" Rainbow frantically asked.

He sighed and shook his head, "No…but I think the most beautiful part of him did. You see, the one thing Sketch was afraid of more than anything else in the world was…being alone. Sketch always wanted a special some pony to share his imagination and heart with, but no pony really understood him or took the time to understand him. Eventually all that loneliness wears you down; like a knife being worn down to a dull nub. Not too long after I went to college, I actually ran into Sketch, he was with a unicorn named Jade Locket. Sketch didn't get a chance to say much other than the fact he and Jade were dating, mostly because she acted like she owned his ass and told him to 'shut up' constantly. He was quiet, hair was hanging over his face and he never smiled once, he looked like Hell and definitely not like the guy I remembered. It was like all the spark and life had been drained out of him. Jade demanded that Sketch take her somewhere nice immediately and she stormed off. But before Sketch left, I grabbed him by the hoof and I asked him: Why are you with this awful pony, and what happened to you? I'll never forget what he told me next."

"What did he say?"

"He said: sorry, but no girl was ever going to touch me by being myself. Sketch gave up everything that made him who he was just so he didn't have to be alone. Jade didn't accept him so she forced him to change; she turned his fear of being alone into a whip that she could use on him anytime she wanted. Sketch felt embarrassed about being himself because of Jade, so much so, that he would rather live miserably ever after with her then to be left alone again."

Rainbow held her mouth in horror. That was one of the saddest things she's ever heard. "Oh man Arrowhead, that's terrible, I-"

"I'm NOT finished Dash" he cut her off firmly, "That was the day I earned my cutie mark and learned my special talent was always being true to myself and encouraging others to do the same. I swore that I would never abandon my true identity for anyone under any circumstances, there's nothing worse than seeing some pony you care about kick you to the curb because you don't fit their ideal image. I asked you what was more important: being yourself or being Rainbow Dash. Now either you tell me your answer, right here right now, or I walk away."

But she didn't have an answer! Her brain felt like scrambled eggs; everything was melting and mixed up and she didn't have the time to sort it all out. Rainbow cares deeply what Arrowhead thinks of her, but if she doesn't do something fast, he's going to think she's just as horrible as Jade Locket. "I'm not uh…wait no…I haven't really…I mean…what I really care about is…no wait; that's now how I wanted-"

"I can't take this anymore!"

Arrowhead stormed off and left Rainbow; stunned and speechless. The daring speedster had faced mystical villains, kicked dragons in the face and pulled off the sonic rainboom twice successfully, but she just can't stand the thought of Arrowhead hating her. "Being 20% cooler than every pony is great and all, but it's not worth it…not if it hurts one of the most awesome colts I've ever met," she thought to herself.

The cyan mare didn't know what to do next. She could easily catch up to Arrowhead and talk to him, but what would be the point? He's too angry and tired of being hurt to listen. Anything Rainbow says will be seen as nothing more than a phony apology that she never intends to keep. She needs a game plan, a strategy; something big and grand that will prove to Arrowhead how serious she feels about him.

"I don't want to say I told you so but…awe who am I kidding, I LOVE to say I told you so", a voice said from behind.

Rainbow groaned at the familiar sound of Discord laughing, she turned around and confronted the trickster as he was eating an ice cream cone upside down. "Okay fine, let's hear this so-called perfect game plan of yours."

"Are you absolutely, positively, 100%, unquestionably sure you want to hear it? It's a bit on the grandiose scale and you're probably-"

"Just hurry up and tell me what I have to do!"

He smirked and snapped his fingers; materializing a parchment scroll into his hands, he then removed his tooth and used it as a quill. "First, you'll need your DJ pony friend to bring a few things; I'm writing down the specifics as we speak. Secondly, assuming you don't already have one of these from your school days, you're going to need to a particular outfit that I know you'll look absolutely adorable in," he giggled thinking about her in the outfit.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up there! Music, outfits, adorable, what exactly am I going to be doing here?"

Discord leaned in and whispered his plan to Rainbow. She nodded along; listening to everything he said, and then something he said caused her eyes to bulge and cheeks to turn bright pink. "You want me to do WHAT!?" she gasped, backing away from the chaotic prankster.

"Keep it down! You want him to be surprised, don't you?"

"I c-c-c-can't do t-t-t-hat, I don't do things like that; like ever, ever, ever, EVER!"

"Well if you'd rather just let him slip through your hooves…"

"Of course I don't want that to happen. But this-this is just like way, way too much, I'll be the laughing stock of Ponyville if I do this! Every pony knows I would never do anything like this."

"That's exactly why it's going to work. You are being presented with a unique opportunity to tell him just how important he is to you, presentation is the key! Your mission; should you choose to accept it, will successfully prove that you are willing to risk damaging your reputation in the pursuit of something, or in this case, some pony greater and more rewarding."

The Pegasus was still unsure about all of this. Discord was the last person she'd voluntarily put her trust in, and all of the stuff he's suggesting is way out of her comfort zone. However, maybe that was the whole idea behind the stunt: doing something she would never do because she feared ruining her awesome streak. "This is what he was trying to tell me before," she looked where she saw Arrowhead last; staring longingly, "Is being cool more important than being with him?" She turned to Discord and nodded, her face was stern and serious, "All right, I'll do it."

"Excellent!" Discord handed the list to Rainbow and watched gleefully as she flew off to get started. "Now that both of his jailers are off on a wild boyfriend chase, I think it's time Moonstruck and I get better…acquainted," he said with a villainous chuckle. He snapped his fingers and disappeared completely.

AJ ran across Ponyville; her legs were starting to ache but she refused to slow down. Her emerald eyes desperately searching for any signs of the red and grey Pegasai. For all she knew, this could be a giant waste of time chasing one of Discord's red herrings, but she had to know for sure. The orange mare finally spotted Hopeful Romantic and Derpy Hooves. The ponies were standing next to each other; staring into each other's eyes. Derpy reached into her mail bag and pulled something out to give to Hopeful, from what Applejack could see, it was a rose red envelope with a glittery heart embroidered on it.

"Jumpin' June bugs, is that a love letter for Hopeful? Oh mah stars, Ah think it is! How long have they been together, are they serious, is Hopeful just goin' out with her because of what Ah did, have they even kissed yet, what am Ah gonna do?!" She shook her head to stop all the frantic questions from popping up. AJ wasn't getting anywhere standing around and stressing herself to death, if she wants to know the truth about this whole Hopeful/Derpy situation, then she better act right now!

"Thank you for doing this Derpy, you don't know how much this means to me," Hopeful said.

"WAAAAAAAAIT," Applejack screamed as she ran over to stop the 'romantic' gesture.

"Applejack?" the Pegsai said in unison, they turned to the screaming mare as she rushed towards them.

Applejack panted heavily, all the running around had left her thoroughly drained and out of breath. Hopeful offered to help but AJ raised her hoof and motioned for him to step back. "Ahm all right, Ah just need a moment to catch mah breath," she calmed herself down and wiped her brow.

"Applejack, why were you running and screaming like that?" Derpy asked, scratching her blond hair.

"Yeah, is there a family emergency at Sweet Apple acres you need help with?" Hopeful said.

"Naw, it's nothin' like that, Ah just had to get to you guys before it was too late," her answer caused the Pegasai's faces to twist in confusion. "Hopeful, there's somethin' Ah have to tell ya and Ah don't care how bad it sounds or even if Ahm too late."

The red Pegasus didn't understand what AJ was talking about. The last time they spoke she said she didn't have time to even walk to the library with him; now she's running herself ragged just so she could talk to him? Whatever was going on, the look on her freckled face indicated it was extremely important to her. Hopeful looked to AJ and nodded, "All right, you got my attention." She opened her mouth to speak but was quickly cut off, "Oh wait, hold that thought for just a sec."

Hopeful flew over to a stand and bought a bottle of water; he returned and quickly handed it to Applejack. She thanked him kindly and gulped the bottle's contents down. "Shucks partner, you really do have a heart of gold don't ya?" the colt blushed furiously at the compliment.

"So what's this big important thing that you needed to tell me?"

"Actually, Ah should have told you this a while ago, but Ah was bein' more yellow bellied than a bumblebee in a honey bath. And if ya still want to date Derpy after Ah've got this off mah chest, Ah completely understand and respect yer decision."

"Date Miss Hooves? Wait a minute…Ooooooooh, you saw us-"

"Please sugar cube, this is tearin' me up inside and Ah can't take it anymore. Just let me talk and Ah promise it'll all make sense."

"Well um, all right…if you insist."

The orange mare felt so relieved that Hopeful was willing to listen. Derpy was about to leave as it looked like these two were having a 'special moment', but Applejack said it was important that she hear this too and insisted that she stayed. The cross eyed mare shrugged and decided to stick around.

"There was a colt named Trenderhoof that came to Ponyville a few months back, he writes for magazines and was here to write a story about mah friend Rarity's design for the Ponyville day's festival. She had a massive crush on him to boot. Trouble is; he didn't give two bits about her and spent most of his time droolin' over me. He was hoverin' over me so much he was practically mah shadow. He even started likin' farm work and apple buckin' just because those were things that Ah did. Ah tried to tell him and mah friend that Ah wasn't interested, but it didn't work and a rift started growin' between me and Rarity. Everythin' ended well enough, but ever since then, Ah have been real suspicious about guys that show interest in me."

"W-w-wait, I came off as suspicious to you?"

"No, not you personally, but when you were bein' all friendly and flirty with me; it reminded me a lot of Trenderhoof. Ah was worried you were just like him: just crushin' on me because of how Ah looked and not interested in gettin' to know the real me. Ah know now that it was wrong of me to assume you were like him. You were treated unfairly because Ah made assumptions bout you and Ahm truly sorry for that."

The orange mare removed her hat, placed it over her chest and bowed her head in apology. Derpy's eyes started to water as she sniffled loudly, she picked up her mail bag and blew her nose into it with a loud honk. Hopeful and AJ both looked at each other awkwardly after seeing that. "Thanks for telling me all that, I can tell that it took a lot of heart to say that fair maiden," AJ's heart melted upon hearing her nickname again, "Your apology is most definitely appreciated AND accepted."

"Oh thank you, thank you, THANK YOU," she rushed in and hugged Hopeful tightly. He cringed as he felt his bones crunch under her hooves, the red fur on his face started to turn blue. "Oops, sorry about that partner," she said as she quickly released him. "Ahm just glad you took the time to listen to me. Now Ah don't know for sure if she asked ya yet, but if you haven't already made plans with Derpy, Ah'd be honored to have dinner with ya Hopeful."

Hopeful's eyes exploded like a pair of pink supernovas. His face made the most adorable looking smile; he looked like a foal looking at a mountain of presents on Hearth's Warming Day. The colt launched himself into the sky and shouted from the top of his lungs, "YEEEEEEEEESSSS-wait, plans with Derpy?" Hopeful came down from his initial buzz and looked at AJ curiously, Derpy did the same. "What do you mean plans with Derpy?"

"Yeah and what did you think I was going to ask Hopeful?" the ditzy Pegasus asked.

"Aren't ya'll talkin' bout goin' out on a date?" the Earth pony pointed at the red letter in Derpy's hoof. "And isn't that a love letter holdin' all yer feelings that you wanted to confess to Hopeful?"

The Pegsai looked at each other before simultaneously bursting with laughter. Needless to say, Applejack didn't have a clue what was going on or what was so funny.

"Applejack, this isn't a love letter, this is a letter Hopeful wanted me to deliver to his family. He ran over here to stop me because he said he had to change something on it before I mailed it out," Derpy explained.

Applejack was starting to feel awfully foolish. "But-but then what's with the romantic red coloring and the big honkin' heart on it?"

Hopeful giggled, "That's the kind of stationary everyone in my family uses. I'm from the Heart family; all my letters and packages are red with big hearts on them." The colt turned to Derpy and waved his hoof, "That reminds me, forget I said anything Miss Hooves and just deliver the letter as is."

"You sure?" she asked, slowly stuffing the letter back into her mailbag.

"Absolutely, I thought I made a mistake while writing the letter but it turns out I had everything right the first time." The red Pegasus laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry to have wasted your time Miss Hooves."

"Awe, don't sweat it Mr. Rom-" she started to say.

"Please, call me Hopeful" he insisted.

The grey mare giggled, "Okay…Hopeful, and it was no trouble at all. I make goofs like that all the time."

Applejack felt like the biggest fool in all of Equestria, her freckled cheeks turned beat red with embarrassment. All of this running around and panicking over a great, big, fat misunderstanding. A frown formed as she thought of the twisted trickster that fed her this load of manure. "Ah can't believe Ah let that lyin' snake trick me into thinkin' you two were courtin," the orange mare said through gritted teeth.

Derpy couldn't help but laugh at AJ's words. "Now that was a real big goof Miss Applejack. Hopeful is a great stallion and all, but truth be told, there's only one pony I've got eyes for," she turned her crossed eyes towards a farm stand where a brown Earth pony stood. He had dark brown hair, a white collar with a green tie and a cutie mark resembling an hour glass.

"See now, this is what I love about life; it can be so wonderfully baffling to me!" Dr. Whooves said to the vegetable vendor. The time pony was running over an eggplant with a slender, glowing, electronic device. "You say it's an eggplant, but it looks like neither. It's purple though, I LOVE PURPLE. How many folks just stop and say: hey, that thing is so purple? It's like the Queen's cloak stretched out like a big, floppy, wibbly-wobbly sword toy. Ever meet the queen? No wait; you guys have princesses not queens, why is that? No, wait, better question: Do you have any of those wobbly toy swords?! Fascinating little toys, makes any army no matter how vicious they are; look unimpeachably adorable!"

"Are you going to buy the eggplant or what?" the vendor griped.

Doctor Whooves continued to ponder over the purple vegetable, much to the vendor's extreme irritation. The mail mare was giggling loudly and biting the bottom of her lip; staring endlessly at the peculiar speaking stallion. Hopeful and AJ noticed Derpy's cheeks were blushing immeasurably bright. Applejack understood now why the idea of Derpy dating Hopeful was so farfetched.

"Isn't he just the dreamiest pony ever? He means more to me than all the muffins in the world," Derpy sighed happily. "I just wish he'd look at me the same way he looks at that eggplant."

"Well…there's a sentence I thought I'd never hear", Hopeful said.

The bubbly Pegasus was so fixated on her Doctor watching, she didn't watch out for the house in front of her as she flew back onto her route.

WHAM!

Hopeful and AJ cringed as Derpy planted face first into the house. She dropped to the ground and wobbled, little blue phone boxes hovered above her spinning eyes. "Oops, my bad, sorry about that" she said; calling up to the pony whose house she hit. "Heh…I guess I just got a little distracted," Derpy turned to her friends and waved. "It was good seeing you guys, have fun on your date!" She flew off but kept her gaze on the Doctor, not surprisingly she crashed a few more times as a result.

"Sooooooo" Hopeful trailed off as he turned back to the southern mare, "Sorry about all that confusion between me and Derpy. I want you to know it means a lot to me what you said and I promise I'll be a total gentlecolt on our date, how does tomorrow night sound?"

"Sounds just dandy sugar cube, 7:30 work?"

"Perfect! Until tomorrow night; fair maiden."

The colt bowed and flexed his wings. He gently picked up AJ's hoof and planted a delicate kiss on it; she blushed at the sweet gesture. Hopeful took the skies and started heading home. Applejack waved goodbye until the red colt was out of sight, her expression instantly turned sour as she growled with frustration.

"Wait until Ah get mah hooves on that no-good Discord. Ah swear, Ah don't know how Fluttershy puts up with that-that HORNSWAGGLER!"

Rainbow spotted Arrowhead; he was at Vinyl's shop trying to look inside through the windows. There was a sign on the door that read "Sorry, Temporarily closed, will be rocking on back in 20 minutes." This wasn't a stroke of luck in Rainbow's favor, she knew Vinyl closed up shop so she could help out; she was waiting behind her music shop for Rainbow to give her the signal to start.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't believe I'm doing this, I REALLY can't believe I'm doing this" she thought to herself.

Everything inside her brain told her this was a ridiculous idea; destined to fail and leave her glorious reputation in shambles. But as absurd as this idea sounded, a large part of her really wanted it to work. Even if she gets him to laugh or smile and he never wants to see her again, it'll totally be worth it. She never thought looking at another pony could stir such wild feelings in her; maybe this is what ponies meant when they talk about feeling all "warm and fuzzy" inside. Is this what Derpy feels when she looks at the Doctor? She couldn't help but think she needed a checkup from her own doctor for even considering Discord's plan.

The Cyan speedster never saw herself in predicaments like this. Kicking dragons in the face? Sure, totally her thing, but this was dangerous on a whole new level. She was almost scared how powerful these feelings were; like a virus that kept on spreading and growing stronger inside of her.

Well, if this is how love actually feels, she hopes she stays sick forever.

"Oh pony feathers, he's leaving! I gotta do it now", she mentally screamed.

Arrowhead blinked as he heard Rainbow calling out to him, he couldn't see where she was hiding but he could definitely hear her. "Where are you Rainbow? I'm seriously not in the mood for this so just come out and say whatever it is you want to say so we can get this over with," he said bitterly. The colt looked around his immediate area but still saw no sign of her rainbow mane or cerulean wings. "All right I'm out of here," he started to rev up his speed.

"WAIT, just wait, please. This isn't another excuse or weak apology, I swear. You don't have to do anything else other than watch…that's all I ask," Rainbow said; hidden somewhere in the shadows.

"Watch what?" the Earth pony asked.

Slowly Rainbow stepped into view. Arrowhead couldn't believe his eyes, he felt like his jaw was going to drop right off his mouth. Rainbow Dash was wearing a cheerleader outfit! The top was cream yellow, the skirt was dark purple layered with various neon hues of colors and the pom poms were rainbow colored. The collar of the top had 3 fluffy pom-pom like balls around it, one was white, one was crystal blue and the other was grey: the exact same colors as Arrowhead. Completing the outfit was 2 faded neon green ribbons in Rainbow's hair by her ears.

"What in the-"

"Don't say it okay, I already know" she interrupted. The Pegasus felt like a total clown. Her cheeks couldn't have gotten any redder; she tried to hide behind her pom poms. "T-t-t-this is for you, okay? This all f-f-for you…I uh…hope you like it."

Rainbow whistled loudly, Vinyl suddenly appeared with her DJ gear and a record in her hooves. Arrowhead looked at the two mares in confusion. He briefly thought of running before this stunt began, but when he saw the desperation and sweetness in Rainbow's pleading eyes, he decided to stay and humor her for a little bit.

"Okay, crank it Vinyl!"

The DJ unicorn smirked and cranked the volume to its max capacity; she inserted the record and eagerly hit the play button. Rainbow's hips began bouncing along to the music; she moved her pom poms from side to side and started dancing to the groove of the music. Arrowhead felt indifferent about this, he appeared to be forcing himself not to enjoy this, but his eyes were irresistibly glued to Rainbow's shaking hips.

When I had you to myself, I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch, one glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me to take a second look.

Rainbow approached Arrowhead. She hovered in the air, shaking her pom poms and looking at him with shimmering pink eyes.

Oh baby, give me one more chance
(To show you that I love you)
Won't you please let me back in your heart
Oh darlin', I was blind to let you go
(Let you go, baby)
But now since I see you in his arms
(I want you back)
Yes I do now
(I want you back)
Ooh ooh baby
(I want you back)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
(I want you back)
Na na na na

Arrowhead tried to move back and avoid eye contact, but the singing mare followed his gaze and refused to let him leave. Her persistence forced the colt to keep on watching her, listening to her, noticing her in all her wild, enchanting glory. He could feel his heart thumping faster and louder.

Trying to live without your love is one long sleepless night
Let me show you, girl, that I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on, I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl I didn't even want around

Let me tell ya now
Oh baby, all I need is one more chance
(To show you that I love you)
Won't you please let me back in your heart
Oh darlin', I was blind to let you go
(Let you go, baby)
But now since I see you in his arms

The Pegasus flew into the sky and wrote out Arrowhead's name in the clouds. More and more ponies were noticing Rainbow's stunt, they started to gather around Arrowhead and Vinyl. Rainbow slowly descended down to the grey colt as she shook her skirted rump like a Hula dancer. Arrowhead gulped loudly as the warmth in his cheeks and heart grew exponentially.

All I want...
All I need...
All I want!
All I need!

Oh, just one more chance
To show you that I love you
Baby baby baby baby baby baby!
(I want you back)
Forget what happened then
(I want you back)
And let me live again!

Oh baby, I was blind to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
(I want you back)
Spare me of this cause
(I want you back)
Give me back what I lost!

Oh baby, I need one more chance, hah
I tell you that I love you
Baby, oh! Baby, oh! Baby, oh!
I want you back!

Vinyl killed the sound and flashed a smile to Rainbow. The Cyan Pegasus landed and set her pom poms on the ground, she looked around uneasily at all the ponies staring at her. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop from a mile away. "This is totally what I was worried about happening! Now every pony is going to think I'm the biggest joke in Equestria" she thought to herself. But she had to remember that wasn't what mattered, what mattered was whether or not he thought she was a colossal joke. This was all about him and how he saw her. "Oh please don't hate me for this", she bit her lip nervously and waited for him to say something; anything.

The Earth pony's steps rustled loudly in Rainbow's ears. He walked up to her, leaned in close and looked her right in the eyes. Her heart raced like crazy as sweat started to build up on her brow. "Rainbow Dash…you have pulled off some of the most unbelievably shocking stunts imaginable. I don't know what I'm supposed to think or how I'm supposed to feel, but there is one thing I can tell you with absolute certainty."

Rainbow closed her eyes and braced herself for impact; she knew this was a terrible idea!

"That was the most bucking awesome thing I have ever seen!" Rainbow's eyes bulged; did he just say he LIKED her dance? "You were amazing, you were on fire, I can't believe you just did all of that in that outfit…all for me," he said; smiling widely.

"R-r-r-really, you really-actually-no-fooling-seriously liked it?" she asked, incredulously.

"Liked it? I LOVED IT" he shouted. The other ponies burst into cheer, a rowdy round of hooves clapping together surrounded the awestruck Pegasus. Rainbow sighed with relief and felt loads better about her public image staying intact.

"I'm totally stoked to hear you say that, and I was also wondering," she looked down and sheepishly rubbed her hooves into the ground. Even after all that public dancing, Rainbow still got butterflies when she spoke to the handsome colt. "If that offer for dinner was still…available?"

"You bet your fine ass it is!" he exclaimed. The crowd of ponies chuckled at Arrowhead's enthusiasm; several of them elbowed each other and whistled.

"HEY, dude seriously," she protested; her cheeks blushing furiously. "Save that kind of stuff for the date okay? I'm still new to all this…mushy…flirting…stuff."

"No can do true blue. I told you before, you're hot and you're definitely going to hear about it", he said; flashing his most seductive smile to her.

"Welllllll…if you insist" she said with a growing smirk. Guess she was getting used to it faster than she thought.

"So, I've been hearing really good things about this outdoor restaurant called Endless Illusion. How about we grab some chow there, say tomorrow; 7ish?" Arrowhead asked.

"Oh, I've actually been wanting to eat there! I hear they got good grub," she flapped her wings with excitement.

"Perfect, I'll meet you there then. Now I've got some shopping to do at your friend's store," he motioned to Vinyl as she was reopening her shop. "Should go a lot more smoothly since she's not too busy helping you pull any more crazy stunts," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah and I've got to go home and get out of this ridiculous get up," she laughed along with him.

"Speaking of the outfit, I don't suppose you could be convinced to wear that on our date, could you?" he flirted, raising his eyebrows.

"Not happening," she said defiantly as she turned her back to him, "Perv."

"Eh was worth a shot. Just do me a favor then," he leaned towards her ear and whispered seductively. "Don't mothball that suityou saucy little minx you."

"Um…okay" she squeaked nervously, those cheeks flared up like crazy. Damn is she adorable when she's nervous.

The pony crowd dispersed, Arrowhead waved bye to Rainbow and headed towards Vinyl's shop. The cyan mare returned the wave and flew on home to change out of the cheerleader outfit. She originally was going to return it to Pinkie, but now she's thinking she might want to hang onto it for a while longer. She giggled to herself at this sudden wave of excitement and warmth inside of her. Rainbow had never felt a rush quite like that before, all that awkward dancing and singing paid off big time! Now she's cleared the air with Arrowhead, salvaged her reputation and has a date lined up…with some new ideas for fun after dinner, if it came up of course.

"I can't believe that actually worked! I thought Discord was nuts when he suggested this, well, I still think he's nuts but he was right about this at least," she smiled cheerfully as she reached her front door. She tossed the outfit into her closet and moved to her bookshelf to read "Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny" for the hundredth time. "Hey wait a minute," she suddenly stopped before she could reach the book, "Where is Discord? I thought for sure he'd want to see me make a fool of myself. Also, I could have sworn I forgot to do something…important."

The basement door suddenly unlocked and opened. Moonstruck curiously poked his head out the door; he looked around and was confused to find no pony was there. No Rainbow Dash, no Applejack, no Spike…no one. His purple hooves cautiously moved forward. Moonstruck knew something was wrong, he knew he shouldn't be out of the basement per Twilight's rules, but he couldn't deny how good it felt to be out of that dark basement.

"Twilight, Spike, is any pony here?" he asked nervously.

Discord suddenly materialized into the room. He was wearing a red smoking jacket, carrying a martini glass and had a tiny black moustache on his face. Moonstruck cried out and jumped back from the creature's sudden appearance.

"Greetings mister-Moonstruck I believe it is? I'm Discord, the master of chaos and I think it's time you and I had a Nice. Little. Talk," he chuckled sinisterly.

To be continued…

So what'd ya think? Like it, hate it, love it, I wanna know! I know "I want you back" by the Jackson 5 doesn't completely line up/apply to Rainbow and Arrowhead's relationship, but I just LOVED the idea of her dancing to that song for him. I couldn't resist! I also hope you guys liked how Pinkie and Dr. Whooves came out. I modeled Whooves more after Tenant's 10th doctor more so than how the show portrayed him in "Slice of life." It was REALLY hard trying to copy the Doctor's personality into him, so I hope it came out all right. Next chapter: Twilight returns (I mean it this time) to find Discord talking with Moonstruck, Discord proposes a "bargain", and Spike works up the courage to apologize to Twilight and Rarity AND ask the later out on a date! Bye for now!

13. What Just Happened?

Chapter 13: What Just Happened?

WOO HOO new update! I really wanted to get this chapter done before the new year ends, hope you guys like it because this is the LAST CHAPTER EVER...of 2015. Christmas and New Year's are coming up, so naturally, the rest of this month is pretty much booked for holiday fun. This story keeps turning out better than I could have ever hoped and I have no intentions of leaving this story unfinished, but it's far from completed just yet. I've decided that I WILL BE adapting Season 5 into this story, but with my own twists and additions that I think will make it work with this story's current arc just fine. More on that will be explained in chapter 16. Before I go to shout outs, I want to wish everyone a Happy Holidays and hope whatever your celebration is, you enjoy it to the fullest and be grateful/happy for those you have in your life.

Lemon Smoothie: I thought Pinkie would make the perfect bartender/friendly shoulder for the guys to lean on. I worked hard to get her mannerisms down right, I always feel like Pinkie is too tricky for me to write correctly but so far everyone seems to like how she's progressing. Perhaps you'll find out Discord may have had *other* reasons for playing match maker, other than getting Moonstruck alone of course.

Tenshoru: I appreciate you not reading/reviewing this in anger! Khan definitely has some serious history with Celestia, I'm intentionally keeping his origins cryptic as Celestia is the only one who really knows the truth behind his past. Parts of your theories on him are true and other parts of them are not. I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed my humor with Derpy and Pinkie! I always thought Derpy crushing on the Doctor was just adorable and it was lots of fun to play around with (and I will continue to do so.) I'm glad you mentioned Rainbow Dash acting OOC because that was the point! I felt Rainbow needed to make a grand gesture to prove that even the possibility of him being her true love is worth humiliating herself for. It's uncharted waters for her and I'd like to think she'd be willing to try something scary if she thought the end result was worth it. As for the Spike/Mom thing, I read a story that utilizes their relationship as a mother/son angle. And while the show never really handles it that way, I think it's a level of family interaction Spike needs. Rarity will address the issue directly to Spike in the next chapter when they go on their first date, as well as some other issues he's been struggling with.

Mystic Panda 01: So kind of you to say that, thanks! Discord and Moonstruck are actually going to have a very interesting conversation regarding Celestia, so keep an eye out for that. The Timber Wolves will definitely be causing trouble but not until Chimera Khan makes his move. He's still building up his army and his armor, I won't be cranking him out until the time is right so you'll have to be a bit patient since it could be a few chapters til he does.

Man Undercover: WOW, the BEST MLP romance story ever? I'm truly flattered, many thanks. As for questions 2 and 3: you'll find out the answer to both in this chapter and as for Question 1, I think this is an answer everyone might be interested in hearing. I shared this with one other person and I thought, what the Hell, why not let everyone in on the fun?

Everyone has their own idea of what OC characters sound like when they read a story like this. I of course have specific voices in mind when I created them, and after hearing who I had in mind to play whom; you guys of course can still envision that they sound like whoever you think they sound like. Just for fun, I'll include names of Youtube videos that contain examples of the voice actors who I think would fit my OC's best. Since I can't put links in here, I'll just mention the name of the Youtube video by the OC's name and you can just search it on Youtube. Again, this is just what I personally imagine them sounding like in my head. If you know any of these VA choices already then don't worry about using the Youtube examples.

Moonstruck VA: Yuri Lowenthal, Youtube example: Voices of Yuri Lowenthal

Hopeful Romantic VA: Greg Ayres, Youtube example: Tribute to Greg Ayres PART 1

Arrowhead VA: Jason Douglas, Youtube example: Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040: Leon Gets the Cold Shoulder

Crowe VA: Robin Lord Taylor, Youtube example: 11/12 Cameron Monaghan, Jerome Gotham 203

Chimera Khan VA: Eugene Lipinski, Youtube example: Evilness today- an insightful inteview with Visser three (go to 0:19 to hear his normal voice, 1:05 to hear Khan's enraged voice)

Bubbling Cauldron VA: Tara Strong

Thanks everyone for reviewing/reading/following and enjoy! See you all in 2016!

A dreary silence settled in the library. Moonstruck couldn't find the courage to move or say anything; he was too shaken by the appearance of this twisted chaos creature. He had heard stories about Discord, every pony has actually, but to see him in the flesh…well…it wasn't an easy sight to process. All of the vile creatures rotting in the bowels of Tartarus paled in comparison to the rumors circling Discord's unusual abilities. The fact Discord had such a disturbingly strong interest in Moonstruck wasn't helping his rattled nerves either.

Moonstruck tried to walk backwards into the basement but Discord snapped his claws and closed the door shut; locking it with a padlock and chains.

"What kind of convict wants to go BACK into his own jail cell?" Discord asked; irritated and insulted that Moonstruck would rather stay locked up than be out and about.

"The kind that doesn't want to get involved with the likes of you," Moonstruck curtly replied. He tried to move away from Discord but found little success due to the library's limited space.

"Now why in the world would a fascinating individual such as yourself," he teleported and suddenly appeared above Moonstruck; staring at him upside down, "Be weary of little old me?" A small gold halo appeared over Discord's horns.

What's with the innocent act? He was so shady looking, he practically had "don't trust me" tattooed on his forehead.

"Because I don't trust anyone I can't sense," Moonstruck griped. Every time the unicorn moved to one side of the room, Discord appeared there seconds later. He magically levitated a cluster of books and constructed them into a wall; cutting off Discord. "Haven't you ever heard of respecting another pony's personal space?" Moonstruck asked, blowing his jade locks out of his eyes.

"Now where would the fun in that be?" the trickster said. He casually opened up the wall of books like a door and walked right through it. "And what exactly does that mean: not trusting anyone you can't sense?" Discord asked.

"I'm really not comfortable with any of this," Moonstruck said, sulking. The cornered colt sighed and slumped into a chair; finally acknowledging that nothing he did would keep this troublemaker off his back. Even if he did manage to get out of the library, there's a whole town of ponies out there that could report him to Celestia and he really didn't want to risk that. "But if I have to," he took a deep breath and looked to Discord, "I can sense the dark sides and feelings in other ponies."

"Really?" he said with a sly smirk. Discord materialized a set of clothes onto his body. He was now wearing a dark royal purple jacket, a white collar, a red tie, a gold and rose red buttoned up vest; clutching a sliced open coconut with a smiley face painted on it. He sipped loudly out of his drink through a yellow crazy straw. "Good sir, you had my curiosity but now you have my attention" he replied smoothly.

"My special talent is to sense the dark feelings and emotions ponies try to hide," Moonstruck explained. "The closer I am to them, the more clearly I can make out what emotions or dark feelings they're experiencing." He shifted uneasily as he spoke, even if it is his special talent, the sinister nature of this ability weighed heavily on his heart and mind. Moonstruck would gladly give it up if he could.

"Oh, so then that's why you don't want to trust me?" Discord scoffed as he turned his back to Moonstruck. "You sensed something nasty in my aura, is that it? How rude! I'll have you known that I have been-"

"NO, it's nothing like that, I don't trust you because I can't sense anything about you at all," Moonstruck said; nervously biting his lip.

Discord ceased pouting and turned around; intrigued at this development.

"Think of my sensing ability like reading a book. Every pony walking around is like an open book; I can look at each one and find out a lot about what's on their minds if I just look hard enough," the colt explained. Moonstruck pointed at Discord. "But with you, there's so much going on I can't make heads or tails of anything. Everything about you is moving constantly, which makes it impossible for me to read. Trying to read your aura is like trying to take an eye exam in a blizzard," he gulped and shuffled his hooves, "That's why I'm so edgy about you."

"Ah well that's normal," Discord sighed and relaxed his long, lanky neck right to the ground. "I feel SO much more at ease after hearing that, I was worried you already knew what I came here to talk to you about." The chaos spirit retracted his head like a water hose by cranking his bat wing with his lion arm. "Springing surprises on ponies IS my number one favorite pastime after all."

"So yeah," Moonstruck said; inching away from Discord and all of his disturbing body changes. "You've never actually explained why you're here exactly, you just said you wanted to talk to me about something" he stated. Hopefully, Discord would say his piece and leave before Twilight sees them together and assumes the worst. That's the last thing his reputation needs.

"Well you see, things have become dreadfully boring around here and I was thinking you could be just the pony to help me shake things up a bit."

"Wait-what?" Moonstruck shook his head, "I don't understand. Why would you want my help for something like that?"

"Because you're NEW and exciting, not to mention delightfully dark, I can only imagine what kind of fun we could have with that nifty fear spell of yours," Discord beamed; shaking his arms like a sugared up foal.

"If you want to cause mischief and all that; why not just go ahead and do it yourself, why drag me into this?" Moonstruck asked; failing to see the amusement in such mean spirited playtime.

"Welllllll, as I was trying to tell you earlier, I'm reformed now and I assured my friends I would keep my chaos to a minimum. They trust me enough in that regard."

"Lucky you," Moonstruck scoffed; he couldn't believe someone like Discord walked around freely while he had to sulk in the shadows because of a crime he didn't commit. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm trying to get my name cleared; not drag it through the mud even further."

The unicorn shoved past Discord and headed upstairs, but Discord used his tail like a whip and dragged Moonstruck back into the living room. His hooves desperately clung to the steps; skidding loudly as he eventually lost his grip. "Oh don't be such a fussy foal! I'm not asking you to melt their brains; all I'm asking is for you to use those special skills of yours for some harmless fun."

"Nothing about my special talent is fun", Moonstruck said angrily as he jerked away. "Besides", he stomped his hoof down, "I couldn't use my powers to help you screw around with ponies even if I wanted to. Not as long as this weird hex keeps restraining my magic."

"Of course not, that's precisely why I'm offering to remove that pesky hex for you." Moonstruck's eyes bulged at Discord's statement. The dark unicorn couldn't believe what he was hearing; his whole body froze in place. "Ah ha, looks like I just said the magic word" Discord snickered as he materialized a black magician's hat onto his head.

"Y-y-y-y-you could really do that? I mean, you REALLY have the ability to remove the mark Princess Celestia put on me?" the colt asked; his eyes watered as his voice trembled with hope. He could finally have it all back: his memories, his magic, he could find out who impersonated him and clear his name!

"PLEASE! You're talking to her former arch nemesis here," Discord proudly announced. "I know Celestia's magic quite well. That's why she and Princess Luna needed the elements of Harmony to stop me way back when, I know exactly how to counteract their magic," he examined Moonstruck's back with his eye; morphing it into an obscenely large magnifying glass. "Oh ho yes, this hex practically reeks of Sun butt's work; I'm sure of it."

"And you're absolutely certain you can remove it and restore my magic?" Moonstruck insisted, his eyes desperately seeking confirmation.

"Of course, I'm as certain as I am Celestia's favorite perfume is Exotic Marelit Dream," Discord boasted confidently.

"Why would the arch nemesis of the princess know what her favorite perfume is?" the colt asked.

Discord jerked his head back and gagged nervously, his cheeks were blushing furiously. Nothing about Discord made sense but this was by far the most confusing thing he's done. Could it be that Moonstruck wasn't the only ex-criminal who was attracted to an Alicorn princess?

"You really do have a thing for her," Moonstruck raised his eyebrow curiously, "Don't you?"

"W-w-w-w-we have far more PRESSING issues to discuss than that p-p-p-p-preposterous accusation of yours," he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his face to the right; trying to hide the increasing levels of red in his cheeks. Moonstruck was sharper than Discord anticipated, even without his sensing ability.

Moonstruck laughed softly, shaking his head. "Who would have ever believed the master of chaos and disharmony has fallen-"

"WOULD YOU JUST ZIP IT ALREADY?!" Discord shouted as he snapped his claws and turned the colt's lips into a coat zipper. "If you keep bringing up this-this NONSENSE about me having a thing for sun bu…err I mean Princess Celestia," he quickly corrected himself, "Then you can just keep that magic muffler on you for the rest of your days!"

"No, no, no, I'm sorry" Moonstruck replied; muffled behind the zipper. He magically unzipped his lips and bowed his head. "I didn't mean to offend you; honestly. Getting rid of this hex would give me my life back, I'd finally remember who I was before I was sent to Tartarus; it would mean the world to me." The unicorn was willing to do whatever it took to be whole again.

"No need to worship me, those days are long since over", he motioned for Moonstruck to stand up. "Though the groveling was very much appreciated," Discord chuckled.

"So then, what do I have to do, how do we get this thing off my back?" Moonstruck asked.

"Oh it's quite simple really. All you have to do is leave Princess Twilight without telling her where you're going and what you're doing," Moonstruck suddenly felt his heart twist and crack. "Once you've done that, all it takes is one snap and you'll be free as a bird. Then you'll use your newly restored powers to wreak a little chaos around town so that I can have some fun and YOU can take the credit for it," Discord said cheerfully.

"B-b-b-b-but I'm barely on good terms with the girls as it is," Moonstruck weakly protested. He couldn't stand the idea of them hating him again…especially Twilight, just thinking about her looking at him with hate filled eyes made him shiver. "I can't betray their trust now."

"They trust you about as much as they trust me," Sweet Celestia he hated it when Discord was right; he really hated it. "Why work so hard to be them like when you're already hanging with the right crowd? I think you're exactly where you're supposed to be: right here with me!"

"No, I'm not a bad guy, I'm not even a former bad guy," Moonstruck shook his head as he breathed heavily. All this agony and anguish was crushing him. He felt like he could barely stand, his hooves wobbled as the pressure twisted his thoughts into a panicky mess. "I just have dark magic inside of me, and the truth is; I don't want dark magic inside of me. I never asked to be like this…I…I NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG" he screamed as he blasted out a crimson horn beam. Discord gasped and dodged the beam; it struck the padlocked basement door and vaporized it into chunks of burnt wood and sizzling metal. Such a destructive display of dark power only turned Moonstruck's stomach even further.

"Right, wrong, good, bad, fun, chaos; they're all pieces on the same board," Discord conjured "The Game of Life" board game in front of the unicorn. The board had sections of Ponyville, Canterlot and various other locations. Every one of the Mane 6 had pieces on the board; including Moonstruck and the princesses. "And unless you want your get out of jail free card, you're going to have to play by my rules," Moonstruck blinked as the game vanished in a puff of smoke. Discord leaned his Eagle claw elbow on the convict's back and grinned. "So what do you say friend? Are you ready to get your life back? Just say the word."

Spike stood at the train station and waited, his claws fumbling nervously behind his back as he paced around. Now he knew how Twilight felt when she wore a trench in the library that one time. For years the young dragon had received countless lectures from his adoptive mother, she always had something to tell him, some new lesson or speech that he would have to memorize. Sometimes they bugged him but most of the time, he valued everything she taught him and wouldn't trade their conversations for all the gems in Equestria.

But this was one conversation that he genuinely feared having.

He hated being treated like a child. This feeling had been crawling under his scales and festered inside him for some time now; like an itch that could never be scratched or reached. The dragon thought he was getting better at being more mature. But then again, Rarity always made his sensibilities melt into a puddle of goo, and Celestia forgive him if he loved every sensation the fashionista afflicted him with. Spilling Moonstruck's existence to the Crusaders was an inexcusable mistake. At best it was a juvenile sign of weakness, at worst; it was a betrayal of his friends trust…and Twilight's of course.

The look of judgment in AJ's eyes caused Spike's emerald orbs to ache with sorrow and regret. He wondered, maybe if he could handle his feelings towards Rarity in a more dignified manner, maybe then he would be taken seriously, and maybe his Southern friend could be more accepting of his affections towards Rarity.

"Maybe they'd stop leaving me behind all the time too", Spike said; hanging his head.

He idly played with his tail and sat on a bench. Once Twilight hears how badly he botched their little secret, he doubt she'll allow him help Rarity at the shop anymore. What was it she said to him once? Oh yeah: he didn't have a shot with Rarity.

TOOT! TOOT!

The screeching whistle of the train shook Spike out of his dreary daze. The train from Canterlot had returned, which meant Twilight was finally back. The doors opened, a variety of ponies exited the train and walked past Spike. He smiled to those that nodded to him. Knowing Ponyville welcomed a dragon as one of their own was a privilege Spike was immeasurably grateful for.

Twilight always went out of her way to encourage others to accept him,always.

"Boy it feels good to be back home, not to mention get a little wing room" Twilight said; flexing her wings as she got out of the cramped train quarters. She trotted towards the station entrance and scanned for any signs of her friends. "I don't know what it was but that train felt like it took forever to get here" she remarked to herself.

"You're telling me," Twilight turned her head towards Spike's direction. "I hope everything with Princess Celestia went well," he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"As always, Princess Celestia knew exactly what to say," Twilight said cheerfully. She approached Spike, petting his head with her wing before pulling him close for a hug. "I've missed you so much," she said as she nuzzled his cheeks, causing them to blush. "My special, sweet boy," Twilight added sweetly.

"Awe come on Twilight," Spike blushed; faintly trying to brush her off, "Not in public" he said. The Alicorn princess giggled at her scaly son's remark. She hadn't originally thought of herself as acting like a mother to Spike, but the more she thought about it, she really was the only pony that raised him as her own. And if acting more motherly towards him made him feel more "at home"; then she'd gladly do it.

"That's what I'm here for Spike," Twilight countered; playfully.

"I missed you too, things haven't been the same at home without you asking me to reorganize all the books for the 15th time," Spike said with a chuckle.

"Very funny," she rolled her eyes at his little jab, "So how did everything go with watching over Moonstruck? I hope he didn't cause any problems for any pony," Twilight said. Though despite her concern for her friends, it was Moonstruck himself she was more worried about. He's been on her mind a lot more ever since her talk with Princess Celestia.

"Everything's been going great with him. In fact, he and I had a long talk and he's been really helpful; giving me advice and stuff," Spike said. Twilight blinked in confusion, Spike sure warmed up to him fast.

"I see…well that's good, surprising but good," Twilight shrugged; at least Spike seemed more upbeat than last she saw him. "No problems during everyone else's shifts?"

"Nope, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are watching over him right now," Spike answered.

"Well now that I'm back, you guys won't have to worry about watching over him," Twilight nodded. She started to head towards home as her tail idly twitched. "Let's go home Spike, there's a lot we got to talk about and Moonstruck needs to hear it too." She stopped and turned her head to see Spike wasn't moving. He was just standing there, staring at his feet. "Spike, is something wrong?"

"Look Twilight, I uh," Spike couldn't bring himself to face his adoptive mother. All the warmth and joy from seeing her again was washed away by the painful reminder of why he really came to meet her at the station. He clutched his tail like a security blanket; twisting it anxiously. "I l-l-l-lied…something actually did happen, it wasn't during a shift or anything but," Spike bit his lip and sighed heavily, "I did something really, really stupid."

"Spike, look at me", the dragon refused her request, Twilight approached the young drake and gently lifted his chin with her hoof. Spike's green eyes locked firmly with Twilight's shimmering violet orbs. "It's all right, it's me, whatever happened; I promise we'll figure it out together and it will be all right," Twilight said in her most gentle, motherly voice.

"I accidentally…no…I uh," Spike corrected himself, "I intentionally told the Cutie Mark Crusaders about Moonstruck after you told me not to tell any pony else."

"Spike, why would you do something like that?" Twilight asked. She was upset but she refrained from shouting at him. Spike could have hidden this from her, but instead, he's being honest to her right off the bat and she had to respond to this in a respectful manner.

"They already knew we were hiding something before I even talked to them. Sweetie Bell said she'd put in a good word for me with Rarity, and like an idiot…I caved in and told them everything," Spike felt like he needed a 7 hour bubble bath. He closed his eyes and waited for whatever punishment he rightfully deserved to be inflicted.

Twilight looked at her number one assistant, thinking about how to handle his confession. She raised her hoof and was about to speak but Spike cut her off.

"And before you remind me this is all because of my silly crush on Rarity that's never going to go anywhere, let me save you the trouble…I already know it is," Spike said with a tearful choke in his voice. "I hate that my feelings for her caused me to betray your trust, and I hate myself even more for wasting her time. If I didn't lo…like her, then I could get more things done at the library, I wouldn't be tempted to break the secrets you trusted me with, I could help out my friends more and I could-"

"NOT another word Spike" Twilight firmly shouted. Spike's scaly muscles clenched fearfully; he always got chills whenever she yelled at him like that. He knew he was dead meat. "After hearing everything you've said, I've decided on what your punishment will be," Spike closed his eyes and braced for impact, "You will go over to Rarity's boutique and tell her everything you told me."

"NO, NOT THAT, ANYTHING BUT-," Spike ceased flinching and opened his eyes, "Wait what?"

"You heard me young dragon! You're going to march over there and tell Rarity why you told her sister and her friends about Moonstruck," Twilight said. Her tone was slightly stern, but a little smirk on her lips calmed the young dragon's nerves. "We all know how seriously you take your loyalty to being my number one assistant, and how loyal you are to our friends. So believe me when I say I know that the only thing that would make you break my trust is something just as precious to you," she said as she patted Spike's shoulder with her hoof.

"Y-y-y-you mean that? You-you r-r-really mean that?" Spike stammered; his eyes were starting to tear up. He quickly wiped them off with his claws and tried to stop his sniffling.

"I do Spike. I had a long talk with Princess Celestia, and she helped me realize that this is very important to you and you need to figure it out. The last thing you need is me making it harder for you by being judgmental," Twilight explained.

"Wow I…I don't know what to say," he started to smile but his face turned serious quickly, "I just hope Rarity will take this as well as you have." Spike just realized how this was both a reward and a punishment: he has to tell her what happened, which means tell her about his feelings for her, but that also means potentially losing her trust in him once she finds out he told Sweetie Bell and the others about their secret new friend. Rarity's trust was just as affected as Twilight's.

"Well…I'm still not entirely sure I am absolutely-definitively-unquestionably-beyond-all-reasonable-doubt 100% okay with all of this, but like I said," she patted Spike's head and winked to him, "You've got to figure this out for yourself. Treat this like a science experiment: take a hypothesis and test it out for yourself and see what happens."

Spike couldn't hug Twilight fast enough. He nuzzled his face into her purple chest; feeling nothing but warmth and love, this was exactly what he needed to hear. Twilight smiled and hugged him just as tightly. They separated and Spike ran off to Rarity's boutique.

"Hey there Twi, Ah didn't know you were back," a familiar; southern voice said. Twilight turned to see Applejack approaching her. The orange mare had a large smile on her face; it was so wide that her freckled cheeks were practically glowing. Twilight hadn't seen AJ this happy since the last Apple family reunion. "Ah have got some great news that Ah just had to share with ya," Applejack said.

"HEY TWILIGHT," Rainbow screamed as she touched down next to Twilight. Her speedy landing briefly startled the Alicorn princess. "I got over here as fast as I could, you totally won't believe what awesome thing happened to me today," she said as she fidgeted excitedly. The Pegasus blinked as she just realized Applejack was there and she had interrupted her. "Oh, hey AJ, sorry to butt in like this but something unbelievable happened to me today and you guys have got to hear about it," she started to say until Twilight cut in.

"Wait-wait-wait, every pony just wait a minute," Applejack and Rainbow stopped talking and turned towards the anxious Alicorn. "Why are both of you HERE and not back at my home; watching over Moonstruck?" Twilight nervously asked. The two mares widened their eyes as they slowly just realized the important thing they had both forgotten to do.

"Awe dang, Ah knew Ah forgot to do somethin'," AJ said as she smacked herself in the head.

"Oooooooooooh…THAT'S RIGHT," Rainbow said with a groan. She shook her head and started to explain to Twilight what happened. "Sorry about that Twilight, I just got so caught up in-"

"You mean there's no one there watching him AT ALL?!" Twilight screamed. Panic overloaded her mind, there were so many things that could happen if Moonstruck got out; BAD things mostly. She didn't bother to wait for an answer to her rhetorical question. Twilight used her magic and teleported herself right to her front door, leaving Applejack and Rainbow to look at each other sheepishly.

Twilight appeared in front of her door in a flash of sparkling magic. She tried to calm herself using Cadence's trick. Her hair and wings were both flustered; like she just came spiraling out of a tornado. Realistically, it would have made more sense for her to teleport into the library rather than appearing outside by the front door. However, Twilight wanted to assess the situation before just popping in there. Who knows how some frightened pony or Moonstruck would react to her suddenly appearing? She might misunderstand the situation, or make things worse, or cause the pony to run off and scream about Moonstruck to all of Ponyville in a blind panic.

Assuming some pony else is in there and Moonstruck got out of course.

"Let's not assume the worst Twilight. Just open the door a crack, and see if you can make out what's going on without drawing attention to yourself," she said as she reached for the doorknob with her hoof. She pulled it open slightly and nearly gasped, she already recognized one person in there: Discord!

"Oh for pony's sake, you can't POSSIBLY be serious about this!" Discord shouted; incredulously.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life," Moonstruck firmly stated.

That was Moonstruck's voice, which means he DID get out of the basement! Now he's arguing with Discord over something….but what? Twilight was so terribly confused. Why is Discord here, how did he even find out about Moonstruck, did he find out when Spike told the Crusaders and was Moonstruck willingly working with Discord? Is it possible she was wrong about him and he really is the same villain from Celestia's story? Twilight had to know! But she knew that if she broke up their argument, Discord would disappear and she'd never find out the truth about what they're talking about. She decided to calmly wait and watch to find out the truth.

"Look, I appreciate the offer but the answer is still no," Moonstruck said as he pointed to the door, "I believe you know the way out." Twilight squeaked and quickly hid before her horn or dark hair was spotted.

"This is absolutely ridiculous and that's saying something coming from ME," Discord pointed to his chest. The trickster shoved his face right into Moonstruck's, but the unicorn refused to budge at the pressure. "I'm offering to remove that accursed mark, thus restoring your magic and your memories, and you're telling me you'd rather rely on an-an AMATEUR instead?" Discord growled. He yanked on his ears in frustration; pulling them off with a pop. The bitter draconequus snapped his fingers and regrew new ones in a second.

"Princess Twilight is NOT an amateur," Moonstruck firmly defended. "Just because she can't get rid of the mark right away doesn't mean she can't do it at all."

Discord crossed his arms across his chest; frowning. The trickster had no idea why Moonstruck was trusting Twilight over him. Sure, obviously he's the spirit of chaos and that isn't something that screamed trustworthy, but he was sure Moonstruck's inner darkness would be a perfect match for his own. "Why would any pony want to do something the hard way, when the easier way is literally a finger snap away?" he asked.

(Flashback)

"I'm not giving up on you Lando so don't you give up either. Like I said about your cutie mark, this is a mystery and I for one am not going to be able to sleep until I figure out how to make you whole again."

(End Flashback)

It was because of those words that Moonstruck knew that trusting Twilight was the right decision.

"She swore that she would do everything in her power to help me…me…a perfect stranger who walked right up to her doorstep and insulted her," the colt said. He almost couldn't form the words he wanted to say, emotions were overwhelming him from thinking of just how charitable Twilight has been to him. "I owe everything to her. It sounds funny I know. She hasn't gotten the mark off and I'm talking like it's already happened," he said, laughing softly.

The chaos spirit rolled his eyes like a slot machine. He yanked on his blue horn and stopped them: one eye had the letters BO on them and the other eye had RED on it. Moonstruck ignored Discord's indifference and continued.

"Sure, she's anal retentive, neurotic, a know-it-all and at times…kind of a tight ass," Moonstruck regretfully admitted. Discord couldn't help but snicker at the "tight ass" remark. Twilight pouted in silence, she looked at her flank and mentally cursed Moonstruck for claiming she had a tightly wound rump. "But she trusted me when I gave her no reason to. She wants to help me, not for any kind of gratitude or compensation; she wants to help because she said she would and because she views me…as a friend." Moonstruck smiled softly at that thought, "I know she can do it, I believe in her."

"Oh poo, I had such high hopes for having fun with you," Discord grumbled; regretfully resigning his attempt to bargain with Moonstruck.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm sticking with Twilight on this one," Moonstruck replied.

The front door swung open suddenly. Discord and Moonstruck turned to the door and gasped in alarm. Twilight was standing there with a great big smile on her face.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that," Twilight started to say.

Moonstruck screamed in shock from Twilight's sudden entrance. He fired a red beam from his horn, the beam blasted Twilight in the face. Twilight's eyes turned bright red and green. She began screaming as she ran around the library; blasting random books with her horn beam in a fearful panic. Launching the fear spell was a kneejerk reaction whenever Moonstruck got scared or attacked.

"AH! I need to get out of here," Discord snapped his fingers and was now wearing a "Men in Black" costume and holding a neuralizer. "You never saw me, this never happened," the device blinded Moonstruck in a flash of light. When the unicorn's eyes came back into focus, Discord was gone.

"Twilight, just hold still for a minute," the colt pleaded with his panicking friend. Twilight couldn't stop screaming and blasting, her hooves frantically trampling over everything in her path. "It's just a temporary fear spell. You just need to WHOA," he ducked under a horn blast. "Just sit down and ride it out," Moonstruck pleaded.

"No, can't stop, the Quesadillas…they're EVERWHERE! THAT MUCH CHEESE CANNOT EXIST," she shrieked. The Alicorn looked towards Moonstruck, but in his place, she saw nothing but floating books with big red stamps on them. "It can't be…my library books are…OVERDUE!" Her screams caused the windows to wobble and shake; she tried to fly away but ended up smacking her head into her ceiling.

"Sweet Celestia, how could a pony this smart have such stupid fears?" Moonstruck groaned.

"Celestia, she's here!?" Twilight exclaimed. Moonstruck slapped himself in the face. The last thing he needed to do was feed into her paranoia. The purple princess started looking down at the ground, seeing hundreds and hundreds of stern looking Celestia clones. "I didn't mean to lie to you Princess, honestly I swear. But I was worried you would lock Moonstruck up if I told you where he was, and then you'd take away my princess title and send me back a grade or give me an F minus and I've NEVER gotten an F before and I-"

"TWILIGHT, listen to me," Moonstruck shouted. The frantic mare was still lost in her own manic mind; his voice was like a fly buzz to her. Just static she couldn't focus on. Moonstruck forced out a gravity spell and dragged Twilight to the ground. He leapt onto her body and pinned her down, looking her right in the eyes, "You need to calm down and breathe normally."

She rambled on incoherently, still too terrified to make sense or cease fidgeting.

Man he hated seeing her like this. Such a confident, intelligent and beautiful princess; reduced to a babbling mess because of his own dark magic. It was eating him up inside. Sometimes he hoped the hex would stay on him forever, maybe then no pony could be hurt by magic that seems only made to cause pain. She didn't deserve this, no pony deserved this.

"Please Twilight, I'm sorry about the fear spell, I didn't mean to do that. It was an accident I swear" he pleaded, shaking Twilight's shoulders. The mare's eyes widened fearfully. Nothing he said or did was working. Moonstruck sighed and rested his head on her chest, "I can't stand seeing you like this Crackers. PLEASE come back…come back to…me."

Twilight's eyes suddenly changed back to her original colors. She shook her head as if waking up from a dream. Moonstruck looked up to her, eyes gleaming with hope. "What the? Ugh, I thought I told you quit calling me CRACKERS," she snapped angrily.

"Thank Celestia your back!" he happily exclaimed as he embraced Twilight in a passionate hug. She felt her cheeks redden as Moonstruck tightened his embrace, she didn't know what was going on but she definitely seemed to like this part. "I knew my fear spell was only temporary, but I just couldn't stand seeing you like that for one minute longer," he said with a heavy sigh.

"Um…thanks I guess?" Twilight replied, still shaky and uncertain about everything that just happened.

"Oops, sorry about that," Moonstruck suddenly realized the awkward position he was in with Twilight. Both of them looked into each other's eyes, their cheeks blushed furiously. He leapt off of Twilight's body and stuck his hooves behind his back. Celestia knows how even more awkward it would have become if any pony had walked in on them like that, even worse than being caught talking to Discord. "I g-g-guess I was just startled by your-your sudden entrance," he said nervously.

"Not half as startled as I was when I saw you out of the basement," Twilight stood back up and dusted herself with her wings, "Or when I heard that it was Discord you were talking to. If I had to guess, I'd say Discord let you out and wanted you to help him cause some trouble. Am I far off?"

Moonstruck hesitated to confirm his dealings with Discord; despite the fact it wasn't by choice, but eventually he nodded in agreement.

"I can explain everything, if you'll just give me-", the colt was cut off before he could finish.

"Actually Moonstruck, I'm the one that needs to do some explaining," Twilight placed her hoof over her chest. His silver eyes blinked curiously at her words. "I've learned a great deal from my conversation with Princess Celestia, I believe I may have some clues, and possibly some answers about what happened to you before you were sent to Tartarus."

Moonstruck feared this potentially damaging truth, but still, he had to know everything he could if he ever wanted to learn the truth about his past; the good and the bad. He sat down and motioned for Twilight to speak.

"All right then. Please, tell me everything you know," he said.

The young dragon approached Carousel Boutique; he stared at the door for a few moments before finally mustering the courage to reach for the handle. He's been to this shop countless times but this was definitely the first time he hesitated entering. Any pony with a functioning pair of eyes could tell Spike worshipped the ground Rarity walked on. Heck, if she asked him, he'd leave a trail of rose petals wherever she walked. He used to think that was the way to get her to notice him.

But it didn't.

Looking back on it now, almost everything he's ever done for Rarity has been tainted; poisoned by a sea of immaturity and clinginess. That's not how a colt shows a mare how he feels about her, and they certainly don't break their trust by telling their little sisters important secrets. Spike vowed, right then and there, he would show Rarity the true dragon that treasures her friendship and company; like the most precious gemstones in all of Equestria. He's done being a love sick puppy.

"She deserves a real stallion, a special some pony special," Spike whispered to himself. He clutched his claws around the handle; holding onto it tightly with every scrap of bravery he could gather as he slowly pulled it open. "I just hope she can forgive me…well…here goes," he said; more confidently.

The moment Spike entered the boutique, his emerald eyes witnessed a miniature storm of levitating fabrics, needles and tape measures flying through the air. All the objects had a familiar crystal blue colored aura around them. It reminded him of her sapphire colored eyes. Rarity was working on several projects at once, she kept darting from one dress to another to another; it was like a frantic one pony assembly line.

She hadn't even noticed Spike had entered the shop yet.

"Hey Spike, how's it going?" the squeaky voice of Sweetie Bell drew his attention. She could already tell what Spike was going to ask before he even said anything. "I haven't had time to talk to my sister about what we talked about earlier. As you can tell, she's been pretty busy catching up on all the orders she was delayed on during her trips to the library." The pink and purple haired filly was getting tired just by watching her sister work.

"That's okay Sweetie Bell, that-that's actually what I came to see Rarity about," Spike said softly.

"So the beryl goes on the shoulder piece on that order, and then I still need to re-stitch the skirt on the order from Baltimare," Rarity hummed to herself. She dashed to her jewelry drawer and levitated a number of gems out. "Ugh, what was I thinking? Rubies on the cuffs, I must be losing my mind!" she stated. The unicorn moved to her sewing table and started working on an elaborate headdress.

"Maybe I should come back another time," Spike said as he rubbed his arm.

Rarity's head suddenly turned at hearing a familiar voice. "Spike, is that you Spikey Poo?" she asked. The young dragon blushed at her little nickname. He didn't mind "Spikey Wikey" because she called him that so often he'd grown fond of it, but Spikey Poo? He could hear Sweetie Bell snickering.

"Uh y-y-yeah I mean uh yes Rarity, it's me," Spike smiled nervously and waved. "Sorry to bother you when you're so busy, I have something I wanted to t-t-talk to y-y-you about. It's kind of important."

"Oh don't be so bashful darling, you know you can always come and talk to me about anything at all," she cheerfully replied. Spike started to reply but was quickly cut off by a sudden shriek. "Sweet Celestia, IS THAT THE TIME?! I'm more behind than I thought," she bolted from her chair and levitated dozens of needles to start working on multiple outfits at once. "I'm so terribly sorry Spikey Wikey, but I'm afraid now isn't the best time, I'm swamped with deadlines," she said as she focused on the outfits.

"Well do you want me to help? I could help you get done faster," he offered.

"That's terribly sweet of you to offer but I'm afraid there's too much going on to explain," she replied hurriedly. The mare stitched a pattern across a teal colored fabric; she scratched her chin and immediately decided she didn't like how it came out. She unraveled it and tried it on a new outfit. "I know how everything is supposed to be in my mind, but if I stop to explain how it's laid out; it would take even longer and I'm afraid I'm far too behind as it is already," she said.

Spike frowned slightly. He was a little disappointed he couldn't help out, helping out Rarity always made him feel so special, he loved being helpful to her. But he did come here unannounced after all and there will always be other times when he could lend a claw. Assuming she doesn't hate him after hearing what he has to say.

"N-n-n-no I totally understand Rarity. I mean, we don't have to talk like NOW-now," he started to twitch and fumble with his claws. He knew this was a lousy time and he should come back later, but a part of him feared that if he didn't say something now; he may never work up the courage to do it again. "It's just important and uh…I already said that, and well you, might be mad at me after you hear it and," Spike stammered.

Sweetie Bell shoved Spike forward; trying her best to encourage him.

"What was that Spike? I'm sorry but I can't keep track of what you're saying with all of this going on," she said; rushing her words quickly. The seamstress put on her cherry red glasses and focused intensely on the patterns before her. "Just say what you need to say," she said as she kept back to Spike.

"Well you see the thing is…I um…kind of…think", his eyes nervously look to Sweetie Bell before returning to Rarity. His cheeks turned bright red when he caught himself staring at Rarity's posh, snow white rump. "I think it'd be nicer-ACK I MEAN b-b-better if it was just us talking," his voice and eyes were trembling with hope.

This was it; her answer could make or break the dragon's heart.

"Maybe to make the t-t-t-talk seem less awkward we could do something nice, l-l-l-like eating dinner…together," he paused to take a deep breath and force the words out. "Sort of like um, you know a…a….date?" he said; almost whispering that last word.

"Yes-yes darling, that sounds just fine," she said quickly; nearly cutting Spike off.

"R-r-really, you'd REALLY like to?" Spike said, struggling to contain his excitement.

"I said YES ALREADY," Spike and Sweetie jumped at Rarity's sudden snap. She quickly shook her head and sighed, "I'm sorry I snapped like that but I really must get back to my work, you can tell me all about…uh…whatever it is you need to talk to me about tomorrow."

"I don't believe it," Spike clutched his little claws and inwardly squealed, "This is the greatest day of my life." He waved bye to Sweetie and Rarity, even though Rarity didn't see it. The drake almost bolted through the front door, he was outside in a matter of seconds.

"Yes, she said YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSS" Spike screamed at the top of his lungs.

The sudden shout jarred Rarity out of her daze. The needles, threads, outfits and tape measures continued to float above her plum colored hair. A quick look around the boutique revealed to her that Spike had left. She knew he was here a minute ago. Why would he have left in such a hurry, did she unknowingly shun him away when she was curt to him? The only one who would know would be her dear little sister.

"Sweetie Bell, what happened to little Spikey Wikey?" she asked curiously.

Those sparkling blue eyes of hers looked at her sister with a perplexed reaction. Sweetie had an odd, almost giddy like grin on her face and Rarity didn't have the slightest clue why she looked like that.

"And why are you looking at me like that? I don't like it," Sweetie just kept on grinning as Rarity stared at her. "Did you just come up with another brilliant idea for you and your friends to acquire your cutie marks or something?" she said. A hint of sarcasm dripping off her melodious voice.

"I'm shocked sis, I never EVER thought you would do something like this," Sweetie chirped. She hopped around Rarity like a rabbit; her pink and purple curls bouncing wildly. "This is the most amazing thing that's ever happened," she said with a giggle.

"Sweetie Bell, it is most un-lady like to prance around like that in a place of business; this is not a birthday party," Rarity scoffed. Sweetie Bell suddenly stopped bouncing and looked up to her sister's disapproving eyes. "And what in the wide world of Equestria are you talking about, what amazing thing?" she demanded.

"Gee sis, I was just happy that you finally agreed to go out on a date with Spike," she said innocently.

Rarity's eyes bulged before shrinking back into tiny, terrified blue little dots. Her aura vanished and everything she had been working on dropped to the ground. All the fabric and sewing materials rained down over the two unicorns. A pink scarf landed on Rarity's horn and over her purple curls, but she was so stunned she didn't even notice. The white mare looked like her brain had snapped in two.

"I DID WHAT?!"

Meanwhile, underneath the city of Cloudsdale…

Crowe looked up at the mass city of swirling clouds and gulped. He stood behind a tree; his hooves clutching it tightly; trying to cease his trembling.

"This is bad, this is very-very-very-very-very bad," he stammered to himself. The yellow colt looked down at the saddle bag strapped over his bag as he bit his lip. "I have Colton's third eye, but I still don't know how I'm supposed to get the last two artifacts within the master's timeline."

He slowly pulled out a metallic grey box from inside the saddle and opened it, inside was an ocean blue gemstone. The stone was eye shaped and was bound by solid gold bands littered with ancient markings. Crowe gulped loudly before putting the box back into the saddle.

"It's gonna take me forever to get them," he started chewing frantically on his hooves, "And I have no bucking clue where the last one is. I am so SCREWED!" Crowe bent over and clutched his head and green cap. He closed his eyes and vainly wished this was all a bad dream and that he would just wake up from it.

But wait…he wasn't dead meat just yet.

He knows the master needs the magical artifacts. If he returns home now and just delivers Colton's 3rd eye, he'd be skewered for sure. But if he sends the eye back to Khan, then that will tide him over for a while and it might allot him more time to find the last two artifacts. Better to come back late with everything master asked for then to come back on time empty hoofed. The idea of just running away and never coming back occurred to him, but he knew Khan would find him eventually.

The yellow colt stood up and stared at the ivory bottom of Cloudsdale, "He's going to be mad, pissed off for sure, but he's less likely to kill me as long as I bring everything back he asked for," he said somberly. "This is going to take some time so I better get started now," he turned towards the opposite direction of Cloudsdale and started walking.

"I just hope Khan hasn't figured out what I'm really planning. He already knows more than I thought he did," Crowe said; grimly thinking about Khan's discovery of the "special contact" he mentioned. "If he finds out the truth before I can get in touch with Princess Twilight and her friends, everything I've been trying to accomplish will fall to pieces."

The majestic city of Clousdale beamed with pillars of frosty blue and white. Pegasai flew around, going about their lives; smiling and laughing. Several ponies in white lab coats flew into the weather generator building. A pink Pegasus mare with purple hair chatted with a black Pegasus colt with a teal colored Mohawk.

WHOOSH!

The Wonderbolts soared over the city. Several ponies cheered and whistled at the famous flying squad, the Bolts' cloud trails rained down multi colored cloud particles like rainbow colored snowflakes.

A lone Pegasus approached the entrance to the postal office. She wore a thick, dark brown cloak that covered almost every inch of her body. Her wings idly twitched under the shadowy cloak as she licked her lips. As soon as the Wonderbolts were completely out of sight, the cloaked mare entered the post office. She approached the front desk.

Behind the desk was a female Pegasus, her fur was a golden bronze color and her cutie mark resembled a bubblegum bubble popping. The girl's hair was done up in a tight pony tail and had two different colors striping through it; one was light blue and the other was white. She had a sweet but childish looking smile; her eyes were a sparkly shade of mint green.

"Hi there, my name is Amber Pop," the clerk pony cheerfully beamed. The cloaked mare grunted in annoyance at the clerk's sweet demeanor. "How can I be of assistance to-hey wait a minute," she leaned in and examined the cloaked mare's face, "Don't I know you? You look so familiar, just like-"

"NO, you're mistaken," the cloaked pony snapped.

"Are you sure? You look exactly like her. Are you like hiding your celebrity status so you won't get mobbed or something?"

"Ugh, I told you I am NOT who you think I am. Now can we cut the chatter and just get down to business? I have a very important package that has to be delivered."

"Oh, right, sorry about that! What would you like to send?"

The cloaked mare slammed a metallic box on the counter; it was wrapped in dark brown packaging paper. It was covered in "fragile" and "do not break" stickers. Amber stared at the box curiously. The cloaked mare pointed firmly at the box's destination address.

"I need this package rushed to this address with the fastest shipping speed you guys have. I don't care how many bits it costs, just get it to this EXACT address; is that clear?"

"Umm yeah but…ma'am this isn't an address, these are longitude and latitude coordinates. We don't deliver to-"

"OH JUST CUT THE CRAP!"

Amber flinched at the customer's sudden shout. She looked around nervously, trying to avoid the intense glare the cloaked Pegasus was giving her.

"You ponies are supposed to be the fastest delivery service around. I've already agreed to pay whatever it costs to get it there ASAP. I'm not asking you to do bucking long division, just follow basic coordinates."

The mare dumped a sack of bits onto the counter and shoved the package towards Amber. She was about to protest until the cloaked figure showed her how many bits were in the bag. Amber's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. Without saying another word, the pony clerk took the bag and the package and rushed to the back room to get the package out on the next delivery.

"Good," the cloaked mare said as she turned away from the desk. Her hidden hooves shuffled towards the exit. "I swear; these mares would forget to breathe if it didn't come naturally. Brainless little twits! It's a wonder anything around here gets-" she stopped when a familiar face walked past her.

It was a sky blue colt. He had slicked back dark grey hair, faded yellow eyes, a white scarf and a dark bomber jacket. That Pegasus was none other than Wonderbolts legend, Wind Rider.

"Well slap my ass and call me a skank…looks like I just found my all access pass," the cloaked mare said with a snicker.

Wind Rider dropped a mouth full of letters into a mail slot and exited the post office. A few mares stopped the old colt outside the office for autographs; he happily flashed his signature across the mare's pictures and notebooks.

This was her chance.

"Hey you there, Wind Rider right?" the cloaked mare said as she rushed to the colt's side.

Rider blinked and turned to see the cloaked figure approached him. The fan mares quickly thanked Wind Rider and left; overjoyed with their signed memorabilia.

"Yeah, that's me but who exactly are you?" he asked, stepping backwards a bit as the cloaked mare got closer. Something about this girl rubbed him the wrong way. "And what's with the cloak, you're not some crazed cult fan member of the Wonderbolts are you?"

"Let's just say I'm going to be your best friend once you hear what I've come to warn you about," she said cryptically.

"Warn me about?" he said, slowly raising his eyebrow. The older Pegasus sensed something was very familiar about this girl, but he just couldn't put his hoof on it. "Who are you, why won't you show me your face? I swear you sound awfully familiar."

"What about the name Rainbow Dash, that ring any familiar bells for you?" she hissed, ignoring the questions.

"Yeah, she's one of the newest Wonderbolts reserve members. What about her?" he asked suspiciously.

"You need to keep a real close eye on her. She's going to be a problem for you in the future, a BIG problem and you need to be prepared," the mare said. Wind Rider rolled his eyes at her foreboding tone. This was ridiculous nonsense and the old colt wasn't going to stomach much more of it. "Very soon she's going to break your speed record and make you look like a has-been," she said.

"Now I know you're full of it," he said as he laughed and pointed to his chest. "I'm the Wind Rider, one of the most famous and decorated Wonderbolt members around, and your honestly trying to tell me some fresh-off-the-cloud rookie is going to beat my record?" The stallion waved his hoof at the girl's claim. "Don't make me laugh cloak girl."

"I'm SUPER serious you old fart! Every Bolt' member is talking about how good Rainbow is", she leaned in and stared down Wind Rider. He stepped back in shock; cringing at the girl's forcefulness. "She cranked out a Sonic Rainboom when they said it couldn't be done, and she's impressed the team on so many occasions; they've starting adapting her morals into Wonderbolt regulations."

"Hold on a second now I remember where I've heard your voice from," he finally deduced. "Yes, yes, of course it's you! Why are your hiding your face-" Wind Rider said, preparing to announce her identity before being abruptly cut off.

"Shut your pie hole", she snapped in a silent, hushed tone. She shoved her hoof over Rider's mouth. "Who I am isn't important, and if you try and talk to me about this again, I'm just gonna pretend we never had this conversation," she stated firmly.

"You're bucking crazy! What are you getting at with this nonsense, what is it you expect me to do?" Rider demanded; his voice and chest rising in an irritated huff.

"This is a Phoenix feather, it holds many magical properties," she said as she hoofed it to Wind Rider. "I have one too," she pointed to a second one she had under her cloak. "I know you think I'm crazy now, but when you finally come to your senses and realize how REAL of a threat Rainbow Dash is, I want you to mark an X on this feather."

"What for?" he asked, still having a hard time believing any pony could ever beat his record.

"These feathers are linked by a magical connection," the mare explained. "If you want to make sure your precious record doesn't go down in flames, mark an X on your feather and it will appear on my feather. That'll signal me to return and help you destroy Rainbow Dash and make sure your reputation stays unbroken."

Wind Rider was about to counter but another screaming fan distracted his attention. When he turned back to the cloaked mare, she was gone. The mysterious Pegasus had completely vanished and all that was left was a single red feather. Rider looked at the feather with mixed emotions. He decided "buck it" and pocketed the feather; at the very least he got a fancy souvenir out of the strange meeting.

"Well that was weird," he thought to himself.

Rarity frantically paced back and forth, much to Sweetie Bell's chagrin. The seamstress has been freaking out ever since she found out she accidentally told Spike she "agreed" to go out on a date with him. All of her projects would have to wait until she sorts this out.

"This is the worst thing, the absolute Worst. Possible. Thing!" Rarity squeaked. The mare levitated a dark blue pillow to her face and screamed into it with all her might.

"You feel better now?" Sweetie Bell asked.

"No…not really, if anything I feel worse the longer I sit here thinking about it," Rarity griped. "I need to tell Spike this has all been just a terrible misunderstanding, apologize for it and move on."

"Ugh, this is why I don't understand grown-ups," Sweetie Bell huffed, glaring at her sister's now surprised face. "Why can't you just go out with Spike? Your freaking out like it's the end of the world. I know you're a drama queen but come on sis, just give him a chance."

"Ladies are NOT drama queens; nor do they freak out" Rarity said haughtily. "Not unless they have a good reason to freak out, and in this case, I most certainly do. I can't go out on a date with Spike."

"Why not?" Sweetie Bell bluntly asked. Rarity found herself fumbling with her own words; she assumed it would be obvious to her sister why she couldn't date the young dragon. "All you've been saying is that you can't date Spike but you haven't given me one reason why."

"Well you see Sweetie Bell it's because…we um are…the problem is that he and…um he and I can't…because of the um…the," Rarity trailed on and on. Every ounce of her Canterlot lady etiquette told her this date was a very bad idea, and yet, she couldn't think one of real reason why. "It's c-c-complicated you see, yes v-v-very complicated," Rarity said, her voice shaking and lacking any conviction.

"Uh huh, that's what all adults say when they have no excuses," Sweetie Bell said, dryly. The Crusader didn't look or sound convinced one little bit.

"Spike and I are very close friends but that is all we are," Rarity huffed as she turned her nose up. "I shall date and not date whoever I choose," she nodded firmly, "And I have no reason to offer up any explanation."

"But you don't want to date any pony else," Sweetie Bell insisted.

"And how would you know that sister dear?" Rarity said. She turned around and sharply glared at young unicorn.

"Because I've seen you date all kinds of stallions and not one of them has treated you half as nicely as Spike has," Sweetie Bell stated firmly. "He listens to you, he helps out all the time here and never asks for anything in return, not to mention all the flowers and gemstones he gets for you," Sweetie Bell was making more and more sense with each statement.

"Y-y-y-y-yes that's true but-" Rarity started to say.

"And don't tell me it's because he's a dragon or that he's too young. We both know those are bogus reasons, you wouldn't share so much personal stuff with him if either of those were true," Sweetie Bell said, interrupting her sister.

…She was right. Celestia help her; Sweetie Bell was right.

It's true, I trust Spike completely. I never avoided doing something or saying something in front of him because of his appearance. Perhaps it wouldn't be exactly unthinkable to accept his date request. Oh but, what if some pony sees us and spreads rumors and…

Rarity shook her head, trying to empty her head of such useless negativity.

Why am I trying to come up with excuses? I thought the answer was crystal clear, but Sweetie Bell is proving how terribly wrong I am…and all she's doing is reciting what I already know! Does the idea of dating Spikey Wikey disgust me THAT much?

"He's happier around you, and you're happier when he's around too," she said, matter-of-factly. Rarity vainly tried to deny it; Sweetie Bell could already see it starting to form on her sister's lips. This wasn't something that Rarity was going to talk her way out of. "What's the problem if you're both happy together?" Sweetie Bell sincerely asked.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple dear. Relationships are complicated and quite sensitive," she said as she prepared a pot of tea for the two of them, "Sometimes they can even cause more harm than good. I have a very special relationship with Spike, that's true. But personally, I think you're overestimating our connection and I'm quite happy with things the way they are now," she calmly stated.

The seamstress started to pour the tea into two cups. Sweetie Bell knew Rarity better than she realized, she stared at her as she poured the tea. The filly had a stone like stern look on her face. If she was going to break through her sister's diamond covered exterior, she was going to have to dig a little deeper to find the sparkling truth.

"Is that why you call out to him even when he's not here?" Rarity's horn jerked; causing her magic hold to spill the tea. She wasn't expecting any pony to know she did that. "Sometimes I get home from school early and see you working on a dress, you look around for him and even ask him to get you something…even when he's not there," she said, with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

Rarity tried to compose herself and just focus on the tea. Her big, shimmering eyelashes started to twitch nervously.

"There's even a couple times I walked past your bedroom to get a glass of water and I hear you mumbling his name in your sleep," Sweetie placed her hoof over Rarity's. "You don't have to act like liking Spike is bad just because you think it might be."

"W-w-w-w-what have I told you about s-s-s-snooping on ponies like that; didn't you learn your lesson from that Gabby Gums incident?" Rarity deflected. She avoided eye contact with her sister. The mare levitated a napkin from her countertop and quickly tried to clean up the mess she made, sweat began to form on her brow. Her irritation was increasing every second longer this conversation lasted.

"Do you have any idea how happy he was when you said yes? He was jumping for joy Rarity," Sweetie Bell used her magic to pull the napkin out of Rarity's reach. The older unicorn was forced to pay attention to her sister's pleas. "LITERALLY jumping and screaming for joy, doesn't that matter to you?"

"THAT IS THE LAST STRAW! I will not stand here and be lectured on who I have to date," she said as she stomped her hoof. "I'm walking over there this instant and clearing this matter up!" Sweetie Bell tried to stop her from leaving but the element of Generosity was unreachable at this point. "I will give Spike my sincerest apologies for cancelling, he WILL understand. I am not going to risk warping our friendship due to a misunderstanding just because he has a little crush."

The young filly winced as Rarity slammed the door behind her. She hung her head in shame, unable to not blame herself for making things worse for Spike and Rarity; instead of better like she promised.

(Rarity's POV)

I cannot believe the nerve of her!

Here I am; overwhelmed and overworked with mountains of orders I've fallen behind on, and when I'm at my most emotionally sensitive crisis with dear Spikey Wikey; she takes HIS side?!

I could run to the library; get this over in a much timelier manner. But no, it's most uncouth for a lady to go frantically galloping through Ponyville like some sort of mad mare. I don't feel I could really run if I wanted to. My hooves for some reason feel like they're standing in the most repulsive, fur sticking muck in all of Equestria.

Maybe that's why they're moving so slow…and sweating like crazy. I shake my head and try to rid my nerves of this emotional nonsense. This just doesn't make sense. Why is the idea of me talking to Spike sending all kinds of shivers down my spine? I've never felt this way when I think of him…him and his adorable green scales, and those cute little cheeks of his.

Wait, did I say cute in the "Aww, isn't he cute?" way, or cute in the "I like him more than a friend" way?

"GRRRR, Sweetie Bell! I can't believe I'm reacting this way because of you," I gripe to myself. I do hope no pony else was listening to that.

My hooves slowly come to a stop. I'm half way to the library but my legs don't seem to want to work anymore, something more powerful in my body is controlling my movements: denial.

Sweetie Bell didn't do anything but tell me things I already knew, things I blocked out of my mind for some reason. But I can't possibly figure out why. I look to a shop window and stared at my reflection, it felt more like I was looking at a complete stranger.

Why am I denying the kindness and sincerity of Spike's actions? He's treated me like a queen, helped me out countless times, and even though I have barely given him anything to latch onto, he still cares for me…like a fool in love.

"What kind of representative of generosity treats some pony with such carelessness?" I asked my reflection. All the beauty and makeup in the world couldn't hide the ugly truth of my answer. "The kind of pony that uses a kind hearted young man for pin cushions, leads him on, and even insults his personal hygiene while he's taking out your own trash," I stare at the ground in shame letting my hair fall across my eye. "That is the kind of pony I am."

I look around town and see nothing but happy couples; walking arm and arm with smiles on their lips and hearts in their eyes. Even when there are no couples to be seen, I still feel like they're out there; painfully reminding me that I am without a special some pony of my own. My mind is aching; I raise my hoof and try to comfort the anguish of remembering the unworthy few colts I foolishly tried to welcome into my heart.

Blueblood, Trenderhoof, Slick Charmer and Celestia knows how many others I dated but weren't worth remembering. Each experience stung like knives against my skin, all different wounds but still painful. I've been treated like a doormat, shoved off to the side and violated by the most vulgar so-called "gentlemen" I have had the gross displeasure of meeting. Like I'm some disposable toy every mongrel can chew on before they discard.

But Spike never treats me like that.

He always treats me like a lady. I always thought Canterlot types or royalty, like that obnoxious clod Blueblood, understood how to properly treat a lady. Perhaps it's just an old fashioned notion, a foolish fancy that exists in dreams and bedtime stories for foals….and me of course. And yet, Spike takes it so seriously because it's important to me, everything he's done for me is because it's important to me. Not to mention the fact he was so excited when he asked me out, he actually jumped for joy!

"Perhaps it wouldn't be entirely out of the question if I," I start to say. My voice shakes slightly as my mind and my heart shift in a new direction. "Maybe the idea of Spike and I isn't completely inconceivable and-" I stop myself before I go any further. Reality slaps me in the face, like being woken up from a bucket of ice water being dumped over my body. "No, no" I shake my head sadly, "As lovely as spending an evening with an honest admirer such as Spike sounds, I can't accept his offer. The rumors and silent judgements that would follow would cause too much drama for either of us to stand it." There I go again, lying to myself. At least about the last part. "Well maybe I'm the only one who couldn't take it," I correct myself.

It doesn't matter. My mind may have been swamped with foggy thoughts of romances with dragons, but deep down my decision was as clear as Celestia's daylight. I finally reach the Golden Oak library. The front door looks so daunting to me. I'm shaking like a leaf, a gorgeous well-manicured leaf, but still shaking none the less. It's like I'm afraid my hoof will turn to stone the moment I knock on it. "I can't help but wonder if this is how poor Spikey Wikey felt when he asked me out earlier," I wonder aloud. Celestia help the poor dear if that's the case.

KNOCK, KNOCK!

Well no turning back now. Maybe I'll be lucky and Moonstruck or Twilight will answer, then maybe I can avoid-

"Oh, hey Rarity, I'm so happy you stopped by," Spike said with a cheerful grin. No such luck for me today. Just watching that heartfelt smile of his widen is picking apart my resolve; so sincerely happy to see me. "Well heh, I'm always happy when you stop by, what's up?" the dragon asked.

Take a deep breath girl. You can do this; you went over it a dozen times in your head, just open your mouth and speak the words.

"Terribly sorry to disturb you darling, I know you and Twilight are busy with your special guest and all," I keep my tone polite and graceful. "But there's something I forgot to tell you before you left the boutique." My lip quivers but I bite it down and maintain my position, the sooner I do this the sooner it will be over. "It's about our…ahem…date Spikey Wikey."

"Oh yeah, what about it?" Spike asked innocently. He looked so certain, so unquestionably sure that everything was all right. Maybe he doesn't read me as well as I thought he could.

"Well you see the thing is I…I," I start to say. My words keep fumbling though, I know what I want to say but my brain won't allow my mouth to say it. He's looking at me with those green eyes of his. Emerald green, the most beautiful shade of green in Equestria, oh why does he have to keep drilling me with those adorable eyes of his? "I came here because I n-n-need to t-t-tell you that-"

"Need to tell me what?" Spike interrupted. His voice cut with curiosity, no trace of impolite intentions.

"I just…I just." I just don't know what to do; that's what I REALLY want to say! My legs are shaking so much, I feel like I'm going to fall over. Maybe I should just scream it out, drop the lady image and just be blunt with him. Of course, what a brilliant idea! I'm sure Spike will be eager to remain friends after I stomp on his fragile little heart and scream what an awful idea this date is. Yes, he'd completely understand that!

"Rarity, are you all right?" I feel a warm claw on my shoulder following his gentle voice. Looking down, I see my body has ceased shaking, all from the warm; slightly tingling touch of Spike's claw. "Do you want to come in and lie down while I get you a glass of water or something?" he asks. Such kindness, such genuine concern. Not one of my so-called dates cared this much for my well-being, not one.

"N-n-n-no I'm f-f-fine, thank you though Spike; thank you very much in fact," I feel so much calmer after feeling his soft, scaly digits on my fur. It was like a rubbery little heater. "I just came to tell you that I forgot," my throat swallows tightly, "Forgot to tell you what time to come over to my place for dinner tomorrow." Looks like there is some going back after all.

"Duh, I knew I forgot something," he groaned and smacked himself in the head. The filly in me couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. It was so unbelievably cute. "Sorry I forgot to ask Rarity. So what time's good for you and should I bring anything over?" he asked, looking for a parchment and quill in case he needed to write anything down.

"Think nothing of it darling, all you have to do is bring your sweet self to my shop at 7 o'clock sharp, and that will be more than enough," I smile tenderly to the loveable little dragon. The door swings open from my magic; I was just about to leave when I suddenly remembered something. "Actually Spike," I giggle with a slightly embarrassed look on my face, "If you could bring one of your divine pastries you made for dessert?"

"It would be my pleasure my lady," he said; taking a small bow. Oh I just love it when he calls me my lady!

"Til then good sir" I reply with a giggle, the light from inside the library vanishes as Spike wave's goodbye and closes the door behind me. Surprisingly enough, the air seems fresher and more pleasant now that I've left the library. "I feel so…uplifted after that" I say with a content and chipper tone. My heart's pounding like I just drank an entire tea pot filled with sugar, and I can't stop smiling for some reason.

Hmm…maybe this date won't be the worst possible thing ever.

To be continued…

So reader, what did you think? Like it, love it, hate it, got questions or ideas or comments, I WANNA KNOW! Feel free to review and give me your 2 cents. As I said, this will be the last chapter update in 2015, but hopefully chapter 14 coming out in 2016 won't take too long but hard to say when it comes to real life. Next chapter: Moonstruck learns more about his past, he and Twilight do some "private" studying together, and Spike FINALLY gets to have his date with Rarity. Will it go well, will it be a disaster, and what personal secrets will the young dragon finally reveal to his beloved crush? Have to read the next one to find out, bye for now and Happy Holidays to everyone everywhere!

14. Date Night (Part 1)

Chapter 14: Date Night (Part 1)

50 Reviews! WHOOO! I know lots of authors get hundreds and hundreds of reviews on a regular basis. But I'm super appreciative and grateful for every single one of my reviews. You guys have all been amazing and tremendously generous with your reviews and I take everything you guys say seriously. After all, this story wouldn't be going anywhere without great reviewers like you guys. I'm sorry to say it's going to be a lot more difficult for me to get new chapters up as fast as I'd like to get them up. I've gone through some MAJOR RL changes. I got a new job that takes up a lot of my time and a baby on the way! So needless to say, I've got a lot on my plate right now. That doesn't mean I'm giving up updating this story, not by a long shot, it just means you guys will have to be a bit more patient is all ^^ Now for shout outs:

Man Undercover: Thank you kindly! I originally used ship Fluttercord as well. But after thinking it over a while, my mood changed and I started to see stronger connections between Celestia and Discord and I always thought that aspect of the purest pony and the former villain hooking up would be an interesting story element. But don't worry, Fluttershy isn't going to be left out. I've got plans for her. As for who the cloaked pony is, tell me your theory. I wanna know! Even if your guess is correct, doesn't mean I'll tell you if your right. I have a feeling people will be very surprised when they find out who is under that hood.

Danville Bengal: Interesting insight with Moonstruck's reaction to Discord! Moonstruck has suffered a lot but he still has strength and I felt this would be a good way to have him "fight back" without needing to actually resort to magical combat. I know I keep bringing up the quesadilla thing with Twi, but I can't help it, hearing that on the show was just SO crazy and hilarious; I just had to use it again. With Spike asking Rarity out, I tried to put it in the most plausible way it could happen in the show, like: what's the most realistic/honest way something like this COULD happen? Rarity's overthinking of it I felt was a natural reaction not only for her, but for anyone who ended up in a situation they didn't realize they were in. It forced her to think on something she's known about for a while but has intentionally avoided dealing with. This allows her to not only see it may be a blessing in disguise, but maybe that she shouldn't have been avoiding this all this time. As for Sun butt and her chaotic crush, they're "relationship" won't be as center staged as the Mane 6's couplings are, but I have some fun little ideas for how they can get close.

Lemon Smoothie: Everyone seems to really love how Moonstruck is developing, I am SO glad to hear that. Of all my OC's, I really wanted him to come out right most of all. I'm really happy to hear he's "charming" and he's developing well. Crowe was never really meant to be seen as comedic, not heavily comedic anyway, its mostly to reinforce what his life is like working for Chimera Khan but some humor was intended. I am very pleased to hear the comedy works with Moonstruck though, I've got a great comedic moment coming up for him in chapter 16. Yeah it always irked me Rarity dismisses Spike so often when EVERY GUY she dates treats her like a doormat, so i figured it needed to be brought to attention.

Tenshoru: Discord's motivation is definitely one I don;t think people will expect, and again, glad to hear people are responding well to Moonstruck. He's kind of the "center OC" so I feel satisfied knowing he's coming along nicely. Despite all of his snarky remarks about Twilight, she has stood by him every turn even when she had the chance to spill the beans about him to Celestia. I felt that was a very important component to their growing relationship. Sweetie Bell I imagine sees lots of Rarity's oddball behaviors and sometimes the simplest solution is often the correct one. In this case: having a child look past all the grown up BS and pointing out the obvious good. I especially felt this was important since Rarity is all about dignity and grace and sometimes those manners we set for ourselves inhibit us from getting what we really want. I worked REALLY hard on getting the Sparity done properly and I feel so honored knowing I helped inspire it in someone else! Thanks for that! As for Spike and the CMC, I think they work better as friends or playmates/partners in adventures rather than romantically involving. But that's just me. Yes I am indeed setting up some interesting connections/developments for Season 5 episodes, I'm going to be "mixing" them into the main story with my own tweaks included of course. It'll make more sense how it all fits once I get to chapter 16.

Thanks again for EVERYONE who reads this story, and who was kind enough to be leave reviews and being patient. Enjoy!

A snow white Pegasus landed in front of a ghastly looking cave. He was wearing a dark blue postal uniform, hat, and wore a tan colored satchel across his waist. A quick look of his surroundings revealed no other ponies could be found. This place looked more like a dragon's lair then any kind of home for a pony.

"Hello, any pony here? I've got a delivery for-" he started to say; examining his mailing list sheet. A look of confused wrinkled his face as he examines the package; the box had no name on it. "Whoever lives in this creepy looking cave," he mumbles to himself.

AWOOOOOO!

"GAH, what was that?" he shrieked. His hooves fumbled nervously around the box, almost dropping it. The haunting howling noises chilled him to the bones.

The Pegasus looked around the area once more, but not for the source of the howling, no, he knew exactly where the howling came from: the cave. Deep down he was hoping he was mistaken. The postal colt was searching for any kind of life to exist except whatever monster lived inside that cave, some pony or creature that could save him from what's to come.

"Y-y-y-you know what? I think I'm j-j-j-just gonna leave this h-h-h-here and you can-"

AWOOOOOO!

"Yeah that's good," the Pegasus said as he bolted into the clouds; leaving the box on the ground. He flapped his wings as hard as he possibly could. The blue cap flew off his head, revealing short brown hair. The frightened flyer didn't dare go back to retrieve his cap. He's just lucky he got out of there in one piece.

Two howling creatures stepped out into the light. Their toxic green colored eyes glowed like neon searchlights, their jagged teeth filled jaws snarled at the package.

They were Timber wolves.

One wolf picked up the box in its jaws, it made sure not to puncture or damage the box with its teeth. The other wolf scanned the area to make certain no one was watching nearby. The two wolves returned to the shadowy blackness of the cave. The wooden creatures walked past Bubbling Cauldron and her pot as they approached Chimera Khan. The wolves instantly bowed and placed the package in front of their master.

"Very good," Khan said as he levitated the package to his eyesight. He used his Sombra horn to blast the packaging right off; revealing Colton's third eye inside. "Very good indeed," Khan looked to the wolves, "Be gone from my sight."

The wolves nodded and backed away from their master.

"Oooooh, is that a new mystical doohickey I get to work my voodoo on?" Bubbling Cauldron asked. The green unicorn clapped her hooves together eagerly. Khan groaned and rolled his eyes at her insipid mannerisms, such an infantile mind. "I've never played with one of those before" she said as she tried to get a closer look at it.

"IDIOT" Khan screamed thunderously. Bubbling Cauldron cowered like a foal at her master's booming voice, she tried to hide behind her bent witch's hat. "This is not some play thing," Khan angrily stated; pointing to the Eye with his armored hoof. "This is the legendary Colton's third eye. It is the most powerful artifact in all of Saddle Arabia and you will take extra care when grafting it to my armor."

"M-m-m-my sincerest apologies master," she whimpered; trying her best to stay on her master's good side. "Please tell me, what does it do oh great and powerful metallic one?" she said with a forced smile. Her teeth chattered as she put on that grin. She knew Crowe was more despised then she was, but still, Khan would roast her into charcoal just as quickly if she angered him.

"Hundreds of years ago, Colton was said to be the most gifted psychic pony of his time," Khan explained. "After years of perfecting his mental craft, he claimed to have the ability to see into other ponies' minds, read them, and even alter them if he wished it so. Fearing the toll the power would inevitably take on him; he used a magical spell to expel all of his hard earned psychic abilities and channeled them directly into this orb."

"Whoa, like major mind blown whoa," Bubbling exclaimed. Khan rolled her eyes at her gaping ignorance. Once again, he was reminded how annoyingly juvenile she could be.

"This will provide additional assistance in keeping that back stabbing cow; Celestia, off our backs," Khan said. "That; along with the protection were currently receiving from King Sombra's horn."

"How exactly does that work again boss?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"As you know," he turned to the witch and flashed a projection of Sombra's story above her, "Sombra was able to suppress the entire Crystal Empire into another dimension with his final act. The powers of darkness that he possessed were unrivaled by any other unicorn in Equestria. After he and the Crystal Empire reappeared, Sombra's magic kept all of the crystal ponies in a constant state of amnesia." Khan removed the projection and pointed to Sombra's horn, "This horn does not wield as great a power as its owner once did, but, it has enough to suppress Celestia and Luna from tracking our location, our dreams or even the ability to receive premonitions about us."

Cauldron was greatly impressed. She knew that old dark unicorn fart was strong, but who knew his severed horn could work such major magic all by itself? Once Colton's 3rd eye gem is added to the armor's structure, the master's mental powers will be unstoppable. Chimera Khan sure did know his history! She surmised that he's either a fanatical history buff, or his intimate knowledge of royal magical items came from spending time working with some pony like Princess Celestia.

Either way, she's just glad she's on his side.

"I'm not going to bother wasting time waiting for that little twit to come back with the other two items," Khan said as he tossed Colton's eye to Cauldron. "Graft the eye to my armor immediately. The instant Crowe gets back with the other two items; we'll quickly graft them on and assemble every monster together to prepare my army."

"Sounds like a bucking good time to me boss," Cauldron shouted enthusiastically; raising her hooves like she was at a party.

"They will all be linked to me. Whatever I feel, they feel, whatever I see, they'll see; they'll all be completely under my control and work together as a unified force," Khan said. Cauldron continued to cheer and holler as Khan's tone and intensity continued to rise. "I'll save the larger creatures when things start getting extreme; I still have a few more I have to acquire anyway," he surmised as he rubbed his chin with his hoof. "But I think what we have will be more than enough to level Ponyville, and take care of Princess Twilight and her pitiful little friends."

"Whoa, hold it" Cauldron suddenly stopped, her eyes staring blankly at her master. Did he just say what she thought he said? "Were going after Princess Dorklight and her bimbo buddies?" she leaned on the cave wall, resting her arm sassily on her hip. "I thought your beef was with Princess Sunshine and Ink Blot," Khan's voice turned to a fierce, low growl. "Why are we wasting time blasting some hick pony town when we got royal rumps to roast?" she said obnoxiously.

That was the wrong thing to say.

Chimera Khan lunged at Cauldron and tackled her painfully into the wall; cracking it along her backside. The mare cried out in pain as she heard the crackling crunch of her bones merging with the cracked walls.

"ARE YOU ACTUALLY QUESTIONING MY ORDERS?!" Khan said, howling viciously at her face.

"N-n-n-n-no sir, of c-c-c-course not," Cauldron said nervously. She swallowed a lump down her trembling green throat. "I was j-j-j-j-just thinking-"

"YOU are not allowed to think, you're not even permitted to take a piss unless I tell your bladder to do so," Khan sneered. His armor began to glow brightly with red and yellow energy colors. It looked like his armor was turning into lava, the heat from the energy sizzling Cauldron's chest felt like it too. "Question me again and I'll rip out your tongue and eyes and boil them in your precious pot" he said; glaring intensely at the cowering witch, "Are we clear?"

She simply nodded; too terrified to form words. Khan pulled back and Cauldron slumped to the ground in a crumpled heap. She clutched her hat like a security blanket and stared up at her master, trembling all over.

"Princess Celestia wasn't the one who defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, Sombra, Chrysalis or Tirek; Twilight Sparkle and the other element wielders did," Khan explained. It took Cauldron a moment to process everything in her shaken state, but slowly and surely, she started to realize her master was right. Celestia wasn't their biggest obstacle; Twilight was.

"They are the real problem, that's why we're taking them out first. Besides, it's not enough that I simply destroy Princess Celestia," Khan looked towards the wall; seemingly staring at nothing. Sombra's horn started to glow just as Khan's eyes turned blood red. "I want her to suffer; I want to kill everything and everyone that is precious to her. I want her to experience all of the misery and agony I went through when she left me for dead. She will know death when she knows absolute pain. Everything she did to me will be paid back a hundred…no…a thousand fold" Khan coldly stated. He levitated a chunk of rock from the wall with his magic and stared at it, "I want to crush her heart-"

CRUNCH!

Cauldron gulped as Khan crushed the rock with his magic like it was made of paper.

"Before I crush her skull" Khan finished, his eyes turned back to their regular orange color. Bubbling Cauldron shuffled her hooves nervously as Khan looked back to her. "And what better way to crush her heart then killing her most precious pupil and slaughtering each and every stallion, mare and foal in Ponyville? That is why we attack Ponyville first," Khan said with a sickening laugh. He sounded like a deranged hyena.

"P-p-p-p-point taken boss" Cauldron said with a nervous nod. She stood back up, grabbed Colton's 3rd eye and made her way back to her cauldron.

Everything Khan said couldn't be denied; even though she'd gladly do so if she could come up with a good reason. The green unicorn just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that a bookworm; like Twilight, was a bigger threat than Princess Celestia and Luna. Yes, she did defeat all those villains without Celestia lending a hoof, but it still peeved her to think that dork was made a princess.

"Princess Twilight does not carry herself in the traditional princess manner," Khan explained. "But make no mistake; she is without a doubt the deadliest threat to my plans."

"And that is the history of how ponies first used magic to create fires for the very first campfire gathering," Twilight announced; proudly smiling.

The purple Alicorn stood in front of a chalkboard, covered with pictures and drawings and dates detailing every conceivable historical fact about pony campfire gatherings. Moonstruck stared blankly at Twilight's odd grin. It was like she was waiting for him to praise her or something, like she was expecting a grade or a round of applause.

She was kind of weirding him out.

"Ugh…all I asked was if you had any marshmallows," Moonstruck said; sighing heavily.

Twilight's purple cheeks turned beat red. She hadn't realized she had gone off on another lecture rant, Celestia only knows how long she went on this time.

"Oops…sorry," she sheepishly apologized, "I just got started and I couldn't help myself." Moonstruck rolled his eyes at her abnormal enthusiasm for lectures. It was killing him how incredibly cute she is, but her love of boring lectures may be actually killing him for real. "I mean, all that rich magical based history is just so fascinating," she beamed, sounding as cheerful as a filly. "I could talk about stuff like that all day!"

"Of course you could" Moonstruck said with a groan. Twilight found his sarcasm irritating, she watched him continue searching her cupboards for marshmallows.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow, "You've been acting kind of strange."

"Why, because I'm craving marshmallows?" he asked.

"Well…yes actually but" Twilight shook her head, trying to get back on track. "I was referring to the fact you haven't said anything about what I told you Princess Celestia said" she stated.

The stallion stopped suddenly, his hoof still holding open a cupboard door. She was right. He hadn't said a word about everything she told him last night; all he did was thank her, wish her goodnight and then went back into the basement for sleep.

Moonstruck turned to Twilight; a grim, sunken look on his freckled cheeks. "Oh yeah…that" he said, idly poking the floor with his hooves. Twilight figured he would have been happy to have learned something; anything about his past. But now he looks more depressed than ever, like giving him that news only made things worse, but why?

"Look, I know it's not a lot to go on but at least it's something and I can still-" she started to say. Moonstruck shook his head and quickly stopped her before she went any further.

"No-no-no it's not that. Believe me, I'm super grateful that you did this for me, I know it couldn't have been easy lying to your mentor" Moonstruck said, twitching his tail. "It's not the amount of information that bothers me," he said, trying to explain.

"Then what it is it then?" she asked, insistently.

"It's the nature of it" he answered. Twilight tilted her head to the side; clearly that wasn't helping his explanation. "I have fragments of the memories of those incidents Celestia told you about: finding me in that house, discovering Starswirl's plate, even freaking out and attacking Celestia and her guards," he said with a twinge of sorrow in his voice. "What if my memory problems happened before Tartarus, what if I really did black out and do things without remembering them?"

Moonstruck started to cry, Twilight could see the water filling up in his eyes. His voice began to strain and choke with sadness.

"And if that's true, that means it's possible I…I" his lips trembled, purple muscles quaking all over. He looked like he was going to collapse to the ground in tears any second now. "It's possible I really did ki-"

"STOP it right there," Twilight shouted as she rushed towards Moonstruck. He gasped softly, her hooves planted gently on each cheek of his; she could feel tears dripping along her dainty hooves. "I want you to listen very carefully to me Moonstruck. You. Didn't. do. It. Do you understand?" he tried to pull away without answering but she kept him in place. "You didn't kill those ponies. It was some pony else, some thing else. It may have looked like you, talked like you, walked like you and even smelled like you, but it wasn't you."

"How, h-h-how can you be so sure?" Moonstruck cried out.

"Because when Celestia looked into that pony's eyes, all she saw was darkness and cruelty" Twilight explained. "When I look into your eyes, all I see is kindness and courage, I see a pony that has gone through so much pain and still does what's right over what's easy. You've taken the hard way on every step of your journey and avoided all the easy way outs. You avoided them because they weren't the right way," she said; smiling confidently at him. "That is why I'm sure that you were framed, and I promise you I will help you clear your name and restore everything you've lost."

"I don't know what to say," he managed to say between tears. Moonstruck knew he made the right decision by sticking by Twilight. It was like Twilight knew exactly what to say to make him feel at ease. "I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me", he said as he wiped his eyes with a tissue.

"I'm happy to help, really. And I want you to know that no matter what we may find out about your past," she said as she placed a hoof on his shoulder, "You won't have to face it alone." Her lips curved into the sweetest, most genuine smiles Moonstruck had ever seen. His heart felt like it melted into a pile of warm butter.

"Thank you, thank you; thank you SO much" he exclaimed. Twilight couldn't help but giggle at seeing him so cheerful and optimistic. "I don't know how I can ever repay you," he leapt forward and embraced Twilight in a passionate hug. Her cheeks flashed pink, eyes widening a bit, she certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Um you're very, very; VERY welcome" she nervously replied. The mare looked down at the spiked green locks of her colt friend. It was so strange. Though the sudden hug took her off guard, the longer she remained in it…the better she felt.

Okay, this is certainly a new development. I've been hugged by my friends lots of times, but none of them ever made me feel like…this. I feel warmer; his fur feels so comfy I swear I could fall asleep like this. And what's up with his chest muscles? They're amazing! They're strong like diamonds and yet they're as comfy as pillows, how is that scientifically possible? Are these romantic symptoms? Is there a book I should read that tells me if this means I'm attracted to him or not?

"You smell nice," Moonstruck murmured tenderly into Twilight's ear. The colt realized what he said and immediately stepped back from the hug. "S-s-s-sorry I um that was uh a-" he started to say before being interrupted by Twilight.

"Mistake?" she interjected. She looked at him with concerned eyes, like she was worried he was going take what he said back.

"Yes NO, ugh I mean no," he slapped himself in the face and groaned, "I meant to say that was my brain talking again." Sweet Celestia what a stupid excuse! Sure, his brain tells him dirty stuff all the time, but this wasn't one of his immature thoughts. He genuinely thought she smelled nice, just like lavender flowers.

"Oh I see" she replied; biting her lip with uncertainty. The curious mare believed Moonstruck when he said his brain talked to him, after all, she's seen stranger things happen with Pinkie Pie. But something didn't smell right about this one. "Is your brain…still talking?" she asked, casually circling her tail around her hind leg. "Like is it saying anything else?" she asked as she leaned a bit closer.

The colt loathed conversing when his brain whenever it came to Twilight. Still, he decided to give it a try and see what his brain is thinking about. If he's going to lie to her then he might as well play the part to it's fullest.

Tell her you want to get a quarter so you can test how tight her ass is. I bet you could bounce one half ways to Canterlot off that fine backside!

"Nothing worth repeating" Moonstruck dryly replied.

The princess sighed hopelessly. She really didn't know why she played along with Moonstruck's lie, or more importantly, why his words held such power over her. Everything was numbers, figures and magic with her. Nothing she was experiencing made a lick of sense. These feelings, these thoughts; none of it could be measured or documented into a scientific form; it was just like when she first experienced the concept of friendship.

And just like with friendship, love felt like an alien concept she couldn't get her head around. Like a test she wasn't ready to take yet.

"Sooooooo" Moonstruck said, trying to break up the awkward silence. "What's the next step? Perhaps trying some unlocking spells or some kind of barrier breaker magic to try and crack the seal on my back" he suggested.

Twilight snapped back to reality and shook her head in response. "I don't think that would be a very good idea" she explained, "Celestia's spell was designed to repel any kind of magical energy; from within or from the outside. Best case scenario: any spell we try just bounces off, worst case scenario: you could get seriously hurt or make the mark even stronger," she rubbed her chin curiously. A trio of books levitated from Twilight's shelves and hovered in front of her face as she read through them.

"What are you looking for?" the colt asked.

"I'm still going to see if there is some way I can remove the seal with my magic, but in the meantime, I want you to explore another angle" she answered; focusing on the books. Two books were levitated towards Moonstruck. One was black and green and contained all the information regarding changelings, the other was orange and royal blue and was titled: Tips and tricks with transformations.

"You want me to read up on shapeshifting?" he asked, examining the books.

"Getting your seal broken and returning your memories is only half the battle. Even if we accomplish that, there's still the matter of the murderous imposter that framed you," Twilight explained. "We have to find out how he, or she, took on your appearance and track them down."

"Oh I get it", he nodded in agreement, "That way if things go south with breaking the seal, then at least we can clear my name and Celestia can just pardon me and remove the seal herself; after we catch the imposter of course."

"Exactly, you catch on fast," Twilight said with a warm smile.

The upstairs bathroom door opened. Both Twilight and Moonstruck looked up to see Spike walking out; wearing a towel over his waist and head. The dragon's purple scales shined like gold coins, he just finished a 7 hour bubble bath in preparation for his date.

"Hey Twilight, hey Moonstruck, how's the research going?" the young dragon asked as he dried himself off.

"Hit a few dead ends but were branching off and trying some new angles. Were still trying to dig up information on Moonstruck's hex, but were also investigating the imposter that framed him" Twilight politely answered. She kept her attention focused on her studying; another trio of books was swapped into her line of sight. "We've got a lot of ground to cover on both fronts so were pretty much going to be held up in here studying all night" she added.

"Heh, what else is new?" Spike chuckled.

He walked into his room to get dressed and spray a little cologne on, Spike wanted everything to be perfect tonight.

"Oh that reminds me Crackers," Twilight looked up from her books and glared angrily at Moonstruck for using that accursed nickname. "Oops, I mean Twilight" he immediately apologized, "I was thinking then we should probably get some takeout since were going to be in for the long haul. How do hay burgers, fries and some soda drinks sound to you?" Moonstruck asked.

"That sounds perfect! I can't remember the last time I had a good hay burger," she cheerfully replied. The mare's gaze slowly turned from her books to Moonstruck, her brief irritation over that nickname vanishing quickly. It was amazing how that colt simultaneously annoyed and enchanted her so easily.

Moonstruck chuckled softly at Twilight's reply and charmingly returned a glance her way.

"So, how do I look guys?" Spike announced as he exited his room.

He was wearing a small black suit, similar to the one he wore while attending the Grand Galloping Gala; only he wore a silver shirt instead of a white ruffled one. Adorning his neck was the red bow tie covered with gems that Rarity gave him a while back. Spike had a small bouquet of roses under one arm and a sealed up box from Sugar cube corner.

"What do you think? Too much, too little, should I lose the tie?" Spike asked; still anxiously waiting for a reply.

Spike looked at both ponies with a sour frown. They were giggling and smiling at each other, so much so they didn't even look at him or hear his question. He recognized that kind of look, that's the same kind of look he made towards Rarity. Maybe they were too busy making googly eyes at each other to remember the young dragon was standing right in front of them while they were doing this.

Either way, he didn't like it.

"Hey, could I talk to you over here for a minute?" Spike asked the dark unicorn.

"Huh? Oh yeah sure," he replied as he walked over to the side with the small fire breather, away from Twilight. "So what's up Spike? Did you need advice for your date with Rarity tonight?" he asked; smiling proudly as he hoof bumped Spike, "Congrats on that by the way. You clean up nice bud."

"Yeah, now you notice" Spike replied sarcastically. "Thanks for that, but actually, I needed to give you some advice," he said firmly. His scaly face had a serious edge to it. Spike preferred being the same sweet little dragon every pony knew; opposed to being aggressive like most dragons, but he felt this situation needed him to be a bit more direct.

"Advice? I don't understand, what do you think I-" he started to say before Spike interrupted him.

"Just because I'm younger and smaller than you, doesn't mean I don't recognize when two ponies are making kissy faces at each other," Spike stated.

"Whoa, whoa, KISSY faces?!" Moonstruck gasped. The colt waved his hooves in front of Spike's face, frantically trying to clear up this miscommunication. "Look, Spike, buddy, I assure you that-that wasn't-" he said; trying to explain his side.

"Either way, here's my advice: Don't hurt her" Spike said. Moonstruck continued to babble on nervously, he felt like he was being interrogated by Twilight's father! Spike leaned in and pressed his claw firmly into Moonstruck's chest; hammering in each and every word, "Don't. You. Dare. Hurt. Her."

Moonstruck didn't know how to reply, he was actually scared of this pint sized, purple reptile! The look in those emerald green eyes, they look like they would burst into flaming daggers at any moment. He nodded and smiled nervously to the young drake.

Spike nodded in affirmation and headed on out for his date with Rarity. Twilight turned to him and complimented his snazzy wardrobe; wishing him the best of luck on his date. He smiled and hugged his adoptive mother before exiting the library.

The dragon felt confident Moonstruck wouldn't try anything. He wasn't worried about Twilight getting physically harmed or assaulted, Princess Celestia's story confirmed he wasn't a killer and he trusted Twilight's judgment on the matter.

But still.

Twilight was the most precious Pony in his life, along with Rarity of course. Spike saw her as his best friend and adopted mother, and he would always see her and think of her that way…even if she or any of his other friends didn't understand that relationship. Dragons are instinctually protective of their horde of gems. Each piece was just as important as the next one, and if anyone dared try to steal or break a dragon's precious gems; they would pay severely.

"I really do think he's a nice guy, I just want to make sure he treats my mom right. Eh I think they'll be all right tonight," Spike said to himself. The dragon's eyes were deadlocked on that beautiful little shop ahead of him; eagerly awaiting to greet the shop's even more beautiful owner.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"7 on the dot, just like I asked" Rarity said with a giggle, "Such a punctual little dragon."

Rarity used her magic to open the door. Spike stood before her, offering flowers, dessert and the most charming smile his scaly lips and cheeks could pull off.

"Good evening my lady, for you" Spike said as he bowed. He offered the gifts to her, like a queen being presented with her crown.

He looks like such a gentlemen, and he's wearing the tie I made for him, how terribly sweet of him! I knew he was bringing over dessert but I didn't think he was doing all of this too.

The dragon looked up as Rarity took the flowers and dessert. Now it was his turn to be surprised. Rarity was wearing the fire ruby necklace around her neck, the same ruby he gave to her on his birthday. That was the same day she kissed him for the first time.

"Wow, you look absolutely amazing" Spike said. He was almost too stunned by Rarity's beauty to speak clearly. Her beautiful mane was shining like there were stars embedded in the strands, and that heavenly scent brimming off her snow white fur; it had to be Victoria Saddle's: Love is Celestial perfume.

"Oh you" Rarity giggled, she waved her hoof in a playful manner at Spike's compliment. "So nice to see some pony who actually appreciates all the hard work I put into my fabulous looks. It's quite taxing really, but still, I feel it's worth it," she explained.

"Me too" Spike said, cheerfully agreeing.

The seamstress welcomed Spike into her home and closed the door behind him. Spike was pleasantly surprised to see a cozy little table set up for just the two of them, complete with candlelight, a royal gold colored tablecloth, two chairs and two plates. He could feel his nose twitch from the smells wafting from the kitchen.

"Mmmm that smells good, smells like gemstones coated in honey" Spike commented.

"That's part of it darling but there's certainly more," Rarity explained, "I don't know much about gemstone cooking so I decided to be creative and try to give you some new ways to enjoy your favorite dish."

Spike looked around the shop and noticed it was fairly dark, aside from the candle light. Everything looked so secluded and fancy, like it was a private restaurant closed off for just the two of them. The seamstress smiled as she noticed Spike was enjoying her cozy little dinner-for-two set up. She levitated the flowers into a vase filled with fresh water and placed the dessert off to the side.

"Now go on, please take a seat," Rarity said as she winked towards the young dragon. "I'm bringing out dinner as we speak." The dragon nodded and sat down at the table, he tucked his tail to the side of his leg so it wouldn't be jammed against the back of the chair. Rarity sat down as well; levitating several dinner plates across the table. Two glasses were added as well, Rarity's had sparkling grape juice and Spike's had regular cola.

"Whoa, now THAT is what I call a spread" Spike exclaimed.

There were gemstones on numerous plates, each one coated with a different sauce, seasoning; or paired with oats and hay. Rarity had imported oats coated with cinnamon and a sweet, royal jelly like sauce. Her plate was surrounded by fresh rose petals from one of Spike's flowers.

"Why thank you Spikey Wikey," she beamed, "I certainly do hope it's to your liking. Being creative comes naturally, but I must admit, cooking fine cuisine for a dragon certainly was a culinary challenge."

"Are you kidding? If it tastes half as good as it smells and looks, I know I'm going to be blown away" Spike happily replied. The unicorn blushed faintly at the drake's kind words; it felt good to hear someone actually appreciate her hard work. He took a bite of the honey coated gems and nearly jumped out of his scales; Spike greedily took several more gulps and stopped when he had to breathe. "This is amazing, it's like a sonic rainboom of flavor; I love it!" he beamed.

"Music to my ears" she sweetly said after sipping her drink. The two sat there in comfortable silence eating their dinners. Rarity's batting eyelashes never leaving Spike out of her sight, watching his body movements and reactions; as if studying him. The seamstress seemed to be searching for something, but as for what, she may not even be sure.

"Is everything all right Rarity, do I have sauce on my face or something?" Spike asked hesitantly. He raised his claws towards his cheeks in search of any sauce stains.

"No-no nothing like that darling, I just had something on my mind" she answered softly.

"Well what is it? You can ask me anything. That is what you do on dates right, ask each other questions and talk?" he asked curiously.

"Yes most dates go that way, though some can end up being a bit more," her cheeks burned bright red, "Different, yes let's go with that word; different." Spike's innocence towards the world of dating was rather obvious.

"So then what's on your mind?"

"Well you mentioned there was something terribly important you wanted to talk to me about, and I was just wondering what it was" she asked as she swirled her drink.

Spike nearly choked and gagged on his gemstones, he quickly slammed his chest and worked the stones down his throat.

In all the wooing and romantic dinner arrangements, Spike nearly forgot he had to have that talk with Rarity. More likely he wanted to forget having this talk altogether. His body felt like he'd crumble into a million pieces if he told her the truth. Once she hears the truth, she'll be furious and this date will be over. Seeing her angry or in pain was one of the most horrible things Spike had ever experienced, and if she lashes out at him; rightfully so too, he knows her words would cut him down without any difficulty.

"Oh yeah…that" Spike said solemnly.

"Is everything all right darling? You look so wounded," Rarity asked, sincerely concerned.

"I didn't bring it up because I knew the minute I did this date would be over," Spike answered as he stared down at his glass.

"Darling please" Rarity said with a small laugh, "Nothing you could possibly say would make me want to end this lovely little evening with you."

"Even if I told you I told your sister and her friends about Moonstruck in exchange for her putting a good word in for me with you?" Spike said as he cringed. He knew he was one dead dragon but he couldn't lie to her, not to Rarity.

Even if it meant she would throw him out of her house for this.

Rarity's blue eyes widened with alarm. She tensed up as her smile quickly vanished; the mare wasn't expecting to hear that. An uncomfortable silence settled that neither one had the courage to break apart. Rarity continued to stare at Spike, she appeared composed but her body language clearly indicated she was deeply bothered by Spike's confession.

"I see" Rarity said in a sterile tone. Spike tried to explain himself but the seamstress stood up and turned her back to him, she headed towards the kitchen to pour herself another glass of sparkling water.

Spike didn't know what was worse, being yelled at by Rarity or being given the silent treatment. Both scenarios made his stomach twist up like a pretzel. He felt like he wanted to scream, get on his knees and desperately beg her for forgiveness.

"Rarity PLEASE; say something," he pleaded as he approached her. "I know I screwed up, I know it was wrong of me to break your guys trust like that but I was just-"

"I am VERY disappointed in you Spike" Rarity snapped; quickly cutting Spike off. He flinched as he felt her enraged voice piercing into his heart like a jagged sword. If he wasn't visibly wounded before, he certainly was now. "Now I understand why Sweetie Bell was defending you yesterday, and why the Crusaders stopped pestering us about our collective secret," she said as she stomped her hoof.

"It was stupid, it was a terrible, unforgivable mistake and I know it was the wrong thing to do," Spike clutched his fists and looked down.

"Then why Spike, why would you so blatantly break our trust in you like that?" she angrily asked. "We trusted you; I trusted you and you gave up such an important and dangerous secret because a filly, MY filly sister promised she'd butter you up for me?"

"You don't understand, it's complicated and I just-"

"Well un-complicate it and tell me right this instant!" Rarity demanded. Her chest rise and fell rapidly, cheeks puffing up with volatile anger. If the seamstress didn't get an answer that would quell her bubbling rage, she would do exactly as Spike feared: demand he leave her sight and possibly lose her as a friend and…whatever else she could have been to him. "I want an answer and if you don't give me the honest truth, then whatever-this-is between us ends RIGHT NOW. So tell me Spike" his name sounded cold as ice from her lips, "Why? I want to know WHY!"

"Because I wanted you to notice me and like me," he shook his head and clarified, "I mean like me like me."

"Oh PLEASE! Are you honestly telling me that getting me to like you is worth risking the potential safety of Ponyville and all of Equestria?!" Rarity fiercely asked.

"YES, YES IT IS" Spike blurted out. The dragon slapped his claws over his lips just as quickly as he spoke those words. Rarity gasped in shock, her eyes shimmering like ripples in the ocean.

It was like Spike cast a magic spell of his own; freezing time and Rarity herself by uttering those 4 simple world shaking words. The very nature of their night and relationship forever changed. Where do they go from here? Spike and Rarity just stared at each other, too terrified to want to keep looking at each other, and yet, both felt incapable of leaving the other's line of sight.

"S-s-s-spike, I uh" Rarity started to say. Her voice trembled; she raised a shaky hoof to hold her throbbing head. The mare was confused in ways she never thought possible and she wanted, no, she needed to know why. "How could you-" but Spike interrupted her before she could finish.

"I know what I said sounds crazy," he clutched his tail as he spoke, "I know it's selfish and stupid, and Twilight would probably never let me ask you out ever again after hearing that." The young boy slowly found his courage. He released his tail and looked right at Rarity, staring right into those sparkling orbs of hers with all the courage that burned inside his young dragon heart. "But it's the truth and I don't think it's bad that I feel this way."

"Oh darling" she said, her voice softening. Rarity couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the sadness in Spike's words. He sounded so guilty, so ashamed. She can't imagine how long he has been shouldering all of this for fear of being separated from her company.

"You asked me why I wanted Sweetie Bell to help boost my image with you," Spike firmly stated. Rarity silently nodded in reply. "I asked her because I'm desperate and I need all the help I can get. I mean come on", Spike motioned to his body and then motioned to Rarity's, "Look at me and then look at you."

"I'm afraid I don't understand darling. What do you mean look at you then look at me?" she nervously asked.

"You're you; THAT'S what! You're a total knock out, you run a successful business, your creative, you get ponies asking you for a date or new outfit left and right," Spike said; flailing his arms in exasperation. The fashionista never stopped to think about it but yes, he was right, she was successful in almost every angle from every area of her life. "And then look at me," Spike said with a heavy sigh; slumping his shoulders. "I'm short, immature, I don't have big fancy connections or charming good looks to offer, and worst of all…I'm a dragon" Spike's voice grew low and heavy with that last word.

Rarity felt her eyes soften and form small tear droplets. She sniffled loudly; the poor thing still suffered from low self-esteem after all this time.

"One step out of Ponyville and I'm reminded that I'm the thing that parents tell their foals to hide under their beds from," Spike said somberly. He looked to Rarity before heading towards the door; slowly turning his back to her. "What chance does a guy like me have with an angel like you?" he waved goodbye to her without looking back, "I'm sorry I wasted your time; enjoy the dessert."

"Don't you dare take one more step Mr. the Dragon!" Rarity shouted.

Like being scolded by an angry parent, Spike stopped in his tracks; flinching like an electrical current just ran through him. His iron tough scales softened like jelly at the shrill, heart piercing ferocity of that once lovely sounding voice. Spike slowly turned his head to look at Rarity, his eyes full of uncertainty and dread.

"We've known each other for quite some time now", Rarity stated, she approached Spike step by step. Her voice was strict and focused; like a demanding drill sergeant. "And while there are many things about you I have yet to learn about, there is one thing I know about you that has always been unquestionably true," Rarity looked directly at him.

Spike was too terrified to reply; he simply nodded in compliance and frightfully waited to be slammed with another negative trait. He just hoped she'd do it quickly so this disastrous date could end.

"You have always been, without a doubt, the most chivalrous, most respectable young gentlemen that I have ever known," Rarity said matter-of-factly. Spike calmed down, he felt all his sadness and frustration melting away as Rarity walked back towards the dinner table. Rarity turned her head towards Spike and gave him a tender smile. "And the last thing a fine, upstanding young colt like you would do is leave a lady to dine all by her lonesome," Rarity said sweetly, she magically pulled out Spike's chair. "Care to give this date another try, Spikey Wikey?" she asked.

Spike once again found himself unable to speak. But this time, his silence came from a warmer, more content and happy place. He nodded and eagerly sat down to join his beloved seamstress.

"Mmmmm Mmm this is so good!" Twilight stated, her cheeks puffing out from the burger she happily munched on. Red sauce was splattered all over her purple cheeks. Twilight and Moonstruck had taken a break from their research to enjoy their takeout dinner.

"Man for a princess you sure-" Moonstruck started to say. One angry glare from the purple mare quickly stopped him from finishing; he needed to choose his next words very carefully. "Uh er I mean for a princess you umm s-s-sure do have excellent…taste! Yes, excellent taste in the uh b-b-burgers" he corrected; laughing weakly. Twilight soothed her scathing gaze and returned to enjoying her meal.

Nice one slick, you sure do know how to charm the ladies. Why don't you just call her the Princess of Fatness while you're at it? She'll be dying to show off a prize jackass like you to her folks.

"Don't make me come in there and kick your brain ass" Moonstruck silently hissed.

"Did you say something Moonstruck?"

"Oh n-n-n-no Twilight I was just saying I uh," he quickly looked around for the closest book to him and flipped it open, "I was having trouble coming up with any other leads on the whole transmodificiation thing."

"Actually its transmogrification," Twilight politely corrected. Moonstruck blinked curiously at her explanation, he examined the word closely in the book and saw she was correct. She walked up to his side to examine the book, cheeks still stained with red sauce. "Here let me help you with that," she said.

"Transmogrification spells" he looked to Twilight to make sure he said it right, she smiled and nodded. "Transmogrification spells are very difficult for ponies to cast themselves" he explained, "Many have tried to perfect this spell but no pony has ever been recorded as being successful in creating a perfect body duplication. The only ones on record who are capable of this are Changelings and Discord," Moonstruck sighed and hung his head.

"And we know both of those candidates aren't responsible for framing you," Twilight surmised. She knew Changelings to be malicious little monsters but they crave love; they'd kill for it most likely, but not for magical artifacts. And as bad as Discord used to be, he never would have done something that cruel. "Wait, what's this smudged section over here?" Twilight asked as she leaned in closer to look at the page.

"Huh, I never noticed that before" Moonstruck added. He curiously leaned closer as well; squinting his silver eyes to try and make out the words. The section was at the bottom of the right corner of the page. The words were muddied, dirty, smeared and even burnt a little, as if an attempt was made to burn it off. "I think it's talking about one of the pony groups that tried to duplicate the spell and failed," both ponies leaned closer as Moonstruck went on, "It says the group that came the closest was called the…the…Wing and Horn Society."

"I've read every book there is about ancient pony groups, cults and long lost civilizations," Twilight started to say.

"You are such a librarian," Moonstruck said; rolling his eyes.

"As I was saying," Twilight ignored the remark and continued, "This is the first I've ever heard about this Wing and Horn Society. They sound important, like they had a big following, why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"Twilight, I know your brilliant and all but you can't possibly-" the unicorn started to say before his voice trailed off.

Suddenly Moonstruck and Twilight realized how close they were to each other. Their cheeks had inadvertently rubbed together; smearing sauce on Moonstruck's cheek as well. The two ponies found themselves trapped in the simple beauty of each other's eyes. They didn't speak, didn't move, they just stared and felt the world seemingly dissolve away into the background.

It was just the two of them…alone.

"Here you got a little something on your" they both said in unison. Twilight and Moonstruck simultaneously lifted their hooves to the other's cheeks; they slowly and softly wiped the sauce off each other's faces. Though the gesture was simple, the skin on skin contact sent both of their hearts into a feverous flurry of raw, intoxicating emotions. Their hooves simultaneously stopped at the edge of each cheek, they felt the heat of their mutual blushing warm the tip of their hooves.

It felt so good, sweet Celestia it felt so unbelievably good. They stared at each other like they wanted to remain in this moment for all of eternity. The ponies slowly started to lean closer, their eyes closing as their lips began to purse. Twilight and Moonstruck were on the edge of experiencing a brand of happiness neither one had ever experienced before.

Flashback

"GET AWAY FROM ME," Moonstruck savagely screamed. The dark pony's voice roared like thunder, his magic was wildly attacking Princess Celestia and her guards. "You have no idea who or what I am," he bellowed.

A dark cave appeared; surrounded by monsters shackled to the ground. The snapping jaws of Cerberus chomped saliva soaked fangs towards every living soul in the prison known as Tartarus.

Several hooded ponies were fighting against two unicorns, one male and one female. They were screaming and struggling about something but their voices were silent.

"You both agreed to this! He is our one chance to achieve all of our life's work, and I will not let you ruin everything because you don't have the balls to keep your word" a cloaked pony said. His cold, unnerving words were directed at the two unicorns.

Everything was engulfed in a violent explosion; blurring everything from white to dark.

KABOOM!

End Flashback

Moonstruck snapped out of his fractured flashback, he was drenched with sweat and trembling with anxiety. He gasped and jerked back from Twilight before their lips could lock. Twilight was jarred out of her romantic moment with the same sense of alarm; she looked to her colt friend and saw he had become an emotional wreck in a matter of seconds.

What just happened?

"Moonstruck, are you all right, what happened to you?" she asked insistently. The mare raised her hoof to Moonstruck's shoulder but he backed away in fear. Twilight felt a twinge of pain seeing him avoid her like that. "D-d-d-did I do something to offend or frighten you, was it that… you know…did that scare you?" Twilight said, nervously stripping over every word.

"NO, no-no-no-no nothing like that" he quickly assured her, "I just had something weird happen to me; that's all." Moonstruck rubbed his arm as his ears twitched.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah-yeah, please, d-d-don't worry about me" he answered; licking his lips softly. "I think I'll be better once I eat something, preferably a marshmallow" he started looking around again for the sugary treat, even though he had already checked Twilight's home from top to bottom for marshmallows and found none.

"You know, for a pony who thinks my love of reading is weird, you got a pretty weird obsession with marshmallows," Twilight said as she raised a curious eyebrow.

"Did someone say PISTACHIO?" Pinkie pie shouted.

Both Moonstruck and Twilight practically jumped out of their skins. Pinkie suddenly popped in through a-now-open window, holding a carton of pistachio ice cream and an ice cream scoop in her hooves.

"PINKIE, you nearly gave us a heart attack!" Twilight angrily huffed, "And he was asking for marshmallows; not pistachio."

"Oops, sorry about that" Pinkie giggled and shrugged, "Common mistake."

"Who commonly mistakes marshmallows for pistachio ice cream?" Moonstruck asked; turning his head to Twilight. She shrugged and rolled her eyes. It was her way of saying: that's Pinkie Pie for you, don't question it.

"Any who, you needn't worry, I got marshmallows stashed all over Ponyville," Pinkie said. She pulled a bag full of them out of one of Twilight's book shelves and hoofed it to Moonstruck. "In case of marshmallow emergency" she added.

Moonstruck tried to ask another question but he remembered what Twilight said and just accepted it. Pinkie waved goodbye and vanished just as quickly as she appeared. The two remaining ponies looked to each other and shrugged, they figured it'd be best just to forget what just happened and continue with their conversation.

"Yes, man I cannot tell you how long I have been craving one of these" he happily stated. The unicorn levitated a cup from Twilight's cupboard, poured some hot chocolate mix into it, heated it up and dropped in several marshmallows. "Mmmmm freedom never tasted so sweet," he said after sipping from his cup. Twilight stared blankly at the colt as he munched on his marshmallows.

"Okay seriously, you have to tell me what your deal is with marshmallows," Twilight said with a bit of impatience in her voice.

"It's kind of hard to explain, in fact, it's kind of sad and it might be stupid too" Moonstruck shyly admitted.

"Why do you think it might be stupid?" Twilight asked.

"Because…I think it's something my mom told me about," he sadly replied, "I don't know for sure though. My memories about everything, including my family, are a real blur." Twilight couldn't hide her sadness. Moonstruck lightly scuffed the floor with his hoof, trying to avoid eye contact as he expressed his confusion and sadness. "I remember bits and pieces of things but I don't remember the when, the why or who. I don't even remember what my mom looks like or even if she was the one who taught me about this" he said.

"Please," Twilight said as she lightly rubbed the colt's shoulder. Moonstruck looked up and saw that beautiful, adorably nerdy face of hers looking right at him; eyes so loving and caring. Her touch felt like when he escaped Tartarus and felt the sun on his face for the first time in years. "Tell me anyway?" she sweetly asked.

"All right, if you insist" he caved and agreed to tell her. He lifted the cup of hot chocolate with his hoof; idly staring at the marshmallows floating around. "I remember some pony telling me that marshmallows are the greatest thing pony kind has ever created. They're soft, sweet, tasty, they mix well with almost everything, but most of all…they're pure," he said with a warm smile. "There's no hidden dark side to them. No matter how you look at them or what you put them with; they always retains their pure sweet shape and core. I like that; it's like it's always good on the inside no matter what you layer its outside with."

Twilight looked at her colt friend with fondness and content. There he goes again, saying something sweet and wonderful when she least expected it. Here, right here, right now, this was all the proof she needed to know Moonstruck was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated of those terrible crimes.

"Plus I really just like saying the word: marshmallow", he chuckled softly, "It's my favorite word."

How could anyone think this pony is a cold blooded killer?

"Thank you, thank you so much for sharing that Moonstruck," Twilight said. Her smile widened as she saw him smiling in return. He looked so much better when he was smiling.

"No, thank you for listening Twilight" he replied. He closed his eyes and let loose a lengthy yawn, Twilight's smile disappeared. Is he going to bed already? "I think I'm going to hit the hay, my mind feels like it just ran 50 miles," he stated.

"Are you sure? I mean we still have lots more research to go over and I don't mind-"

"I would love to help you Twilight, I really would" he politely interrupted, "But I haven't been sleeping well lately so I figured I should turn in early and try and catch up. Besides, you'll be up studying long after all of Equestria goes to sleep", he said with a laugh.

"A-a-a-all right then," Twilight said. She really wanted him to stay up with her and continue doing research, or perhaps, she just wanted him to stick around in general. Regardless, he had made up his mind. Twilight sighed and nodded in defeat, she weakly smiled to him as he headed towards the basement. "Goodnight Moonstruck" she said.

"Goodnight Crackers" he replied.

Twilight's cheeks puffed out like a red colored balloon. Oh how she hated, hated, HATED that nickname! She turned around and buried herself into her research, trying anything she could to forget about that stupid little pet name he gave her. Why couldn't it have been something cute instead of something as insulting as…ugh…crackers?

"I wonder if Spike is having any better luck with his night then I am," Twilight said with a heavy sigh.

Spike chuckled loudly inside the Boutique. The dragon and fashionista were sitting at the dining table enjoying Spike's homemade dessert. Rarity looked at him with a slight, sheepish pink color to her cheeks; slightly embarrassed about Spike's sudden outburst.

"I don't believe it, so you're a closet detective fan girl?" Spike asked.

"Well, I don't know if I'd use those words but-" Rarity started to say. Her tone and manner was shaky and nervous, as if scared for revealing this secret to the young dragon.

"That's awesome!"

Rarity blinked in surprise at that statement. Spike wasn't mocking her, no, he actually liked that she liked detective stories.

"W-w-wait, you don't think it's s-s-silly that I like detective stories?" Rarity curiously asked.

"No, of course not" Spike quickly answered, "Your talking to some pony who lives in a library and reads superhero comic books all day. I always thought of detective stories like super hero adventure stories, but you know, without super powers." Spike wiped a piece of pie from his face with a napkin, "Like fighting crimes with their mind and stuff."

"Ah yes, I guess that is one way of looking at it" Rarity said as she giggled. She should have known that since both Spike and Twilight live in the library, admitting she loves any kind of book series wouldn't have been too shocking to either one of them. "I just can't resist the cunning charm of such intelligent and independent women like Shadow Spade and Nancy Horseshoe," Rarity smiled contently as she rattled off her favorite detective characters.

"So why'd you think I would think your silly for liking detective stories?" Spike asked as he chomped down another chunk of dessert cake.

"Well when I mentioned it to that," Rarity almost vomited just mentioning his name, "Uncouth cur, Slick Charmer, he said broads like me should worry more about keeping our bodies in shape; rather than keeping our brains sharp with pointless literature." The unicorn felt like she needed a full day spay treatment every time that creep popped back into her mind.

"Awe what does he know? That guy was a total dick" Spike bluntly stated.

"Spikey Wikey! That is a dreadfully vulgar word that should never be mentioned in front of ladies, nor should someone of your age be using it" Rarity huffed. She always kept an air of professionalism and grace; even when bad mouthing a womanizer who deserved it.

"Oh, sorry Rarity", Spike weakly nodded and scooped more cake into his mouth.

"But to be perfectly honest", Rarity's proper tone turned giggly and immature, "You're absolutely right; he really was a dick!"

Both Spike and Rarity burst with laughter. Rarity laughed so hard she even snorted like a pig, she held a hoof to her lips; slightly embarrassed by such a crude reaction. Spike simply laughed harder as a result and seeing that made Rarity laugh even harder and louder. The fashionista couldn't remember the last time she enjoyed another colt's company this much. This is the best date she's had in months, and to think, it was with the very same adorable little dragon that had been at her beck and call all this time. Who knew?

"Man, mom would be so mad if she heard me talking like that," Spike chuckled.

"Mom?" Rarity curiously asked.

"Oh I um mean eh Twilight, that's what I meant to say" Spike quickly corrected. The dragon was feeling so comfortable around Rarity, he forgot he didn't normally call Twilight mom in front of other ponies. Well this just got awkward real fast.

"Darling, I hope you won't find this terribly rude of me to ask but," Rarity started to say, her eyes twinkling with sincere curiosity. She wanted him to know that she wouldn't dare mock him for his answer if he did tell her the truth. "Why did you call Twilight mom just now? I understand she raised you, but you've known that and yet you always just call her by her name. So why call her mother now?" she raised a hoof politely, "You don't have to answer if you're not comfortable with it sweetie. I completely understand," she added.

"After my quest to find other dragons ended, I started calling Twilight mom only in my head. I didn't want to freak her out and make her feel uncomfortable by calling her mom out loud," Spike explained, "But after I thought Moonstruck was going to hurt her, I realized that if anything happened to her, my only real family would be gone and I'd be left all alone."

Rarity reached her hoof out towards Spike's claw; she gently held it and gave him the sweetest smile. She batted her eyes endearingly towards him. The dragon returned the smile and gently held her hoof back.

"Don't get me wrong, I think of you guys as my real family too, honestly I do" Spike clarified.

"I know what you meant Spikey Wikey, and it means so much to all of us that you feel that way" Rarity kindly replied. Still holding onto his claw.

"It's just," Spike stared at his empty plate and looked at his food smeared reflection. "I don't know if I'll ever find the mom and dad who laid my egg, or if I have any brothers or sisters out there. Everything I learned about dragons just makes me glad I'll never be one of them," he said, looking back to Rarity. "But at the same time, I feel like I need something to call my own, to have some part of the family I never was a part of; like having a mom. So I decided that Twilight is my mom. She raised me, educated me, fed me, gave me a roof over my head, and a job as her number one assistant. She's the one figure who has always been there for me and I know she always will be. So, who cares if ponies think it's weird? I don't care, I'm just lucky that Twilight is the mom I ended up with."

"Oh Spike that is", Rarity let go of Spike's claw and grabbed a handkerchief, she immediately started to sob into the cloth; mascara slightly running down her cheeks. "That is the sweetest, most touching thing I have ever heard" she wailed, tears gushing out like waterfalls.

"Uh thanks Rarity…I think?" Spike said, not exactly sure if Rarity bawling her eyes out is a good thing or a bad thing. He quickly tried to change the subject. "A-a-actually the fact that I'm a dragon is kind of why I like superhero comic books so much" Spike said.

"What do you mean darling?" she asked; finally ceasing her crying. She placed the handkerchief to the side and composed herself more properly.

"The Power Ponies have super powers and they kick major butt, no doubt about it, but it's those very same powers that actually keep them cut off from the other citizens of Maretropolis," Spike explained.

"I don't understand, wouldn't the citizens be grateful to have such strong and fabulous heroes protecting them?" Rarity asked; wiping off her smeared mascara stains.

"Having super powers makes them different. Every pony knows how strong they are, but that's also what makes ponies scared of them sometimes. Sometimes ponies only see the bad or the potential bad in others, like they're only cool and helpful until they prove to be too dangerous to control one day," Spike said. He remembered all the damage he caused on his birthday when he turned into a rampaging monster. Everyone in Ponyville had been nothing but warm and welcoming to him, and while they forgave and understood about his greed transformation, that still doesn't mean he forgave himself.

"You relate to the Power Ponies because you're special and you're worried that one day, the very thing that makes you special, will scare everyone off and you'll end up all alone" Rarity stated. Spike nodded sadly, it's amazing how perceptive she can be when she pays attention to him for a change.

The seamstress stood up from her seat and approached Spike. He watched her curiously; unsure of what she was doing. Rarity embraced Spike in a warm and tender hug; wrapping her hooves around him and nuzzling him close to her frosty white chest. Both of them remained speechless. Spike felt his cheeks redden; being this close to Rarity was mesmerizing; he felt completely at peace and completely on edge at the same time. His tensed up tail slowly unrolled like a carpet, the mare could feel all of the dragon's stresses and anxieties melting off his little body.

"Your right about one thing Spikey Wikey" she said softly. The young drake lifted his glimmering green eyes upward upon hearing her voice. "You are special, and while I can't speak for everyone in Equestria, I can say with absolute clarity that everyone in Ponyville loves and accepts you just the way you are" she sweetly stated.

"Thanks Rarity, I really needed to hear that" he said; smiling back to his beloved unicorn friend. "I mean, I knew that; I really did, but hearing you say it? It makes a world of difference to me."

"Anytime darling, anytime at all" Rarity giggled.

The two separated from their hug. They started cleaning up the dishes and clearing off the table. Rarity insisted Spike didn't need to help clean up since he was the guest, but the dragon said it would be most "un-gentlemen like" if he didn't help out. Spike let loose a hearty yawn as he finished drying off the last dish. Rarity took a quick glance at her nearest clock and saw it was getting rather late. Her eyes wandered back to her scaly, purple companion; her smile widened as he rubbed his eyes with his little claws.

The poor thing, he must be exhausted from all this emotional stress. I had no idea he had so much weighing on this shoulders. Perhaps I should have had a heart to heart with him ages ago. Still, even though it's been a long night and were both quite tired, I'm rather sad that our evening has come to an end. This was far more…special than I thought it would be.

"It looks like a certain young dragon needs to get his beauty sleep," Rarity pointed out.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I guess it is pretty late," he said as he yawned once more.

"It's been a long and wonderful night darling" Rarity leaned in and nuzzled Spike's cheek, "And I think I could also benefit from a good night's sleep."

He nodded and gave Rarity one more tight hug before heading towards the door. Oddly enough, as sad as Spike was now that his date was over, he felt happy with how it all turned out. Sure, there were some rough patches but he managed to get through the whole date without acting like a lovesick fool or clinging to her every word and whim. It felt good to end the date on a high note.

"Well, this has been the most awesomely amazing first date I've ever been on," Spike happily exclaimed. Rarity let loose a melodious giggle at that remark. Of course it was an amazing first date; it was the only date he's ever been on! Still, his enthusiasm and warm smiles were infectiously endearing. The dragon pushed the door open and was about to exit the boutique.

"W-w-w-wait just a minute dear" Spike stopped and turned, still holding the door. Rarity's cheeks were slightly flushed; her once composed and regal like demeanor had been replaced with a shuffling, nervous demeanor that made her look like a high school filly trying to make a speech in front of a classroom. Rarity was never nervous or antsy unless she was meeting some big fashion designer she admired, or meeting a pony she had a major crush on.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"It occurred to me that you did most of the sharing tonight. A proper date requires that both parties contribute personal stories and discussions, and it would be unfitting for a lady of my stature to not share something personal after you've shared so much."

"Umm okay, what would you like to tell me?"

"Well, since we were talking about your beloved comic book superheroes, I thought I would tell you who my favorite super hero is."

"Wow, I didn't know you liked super heroes enough that you had a favorite! Heh, mine is Radiance, if you couldn't already guess that."

Rarity's cheeks turned a few shades pinker. She wasn't the least bit surprised by that answer; nevertheless, hearing it still made her heart flutter.

"So who's your favorite hero?"

The mare hesitated answering for a moment. Her eyes sparkled luminously in the star studded night sky as they stared down at her purple, scaly, loveable little friend. She bit her lip and grinned to the confused dragon. Rarity leaned down and planted a soft, yet, powerfully sweet kiss on his chubby purple cheek. The soft smack of her lipstick coated lips crackled like thunderstorms in Spike's ears. His eyes bulged before shrinking into tiny little pink hearts; he felt his whole face fill up with every shade of red.

"You are Spikey Poo," Rarity said; in her sweetest, most seductive voice. It sent shivers up and down Spike's plated spine and through his tail tip. "Goodnight darling, this has been a most wonderful evening and I look forward to the next one" she said with a sultry purr.

Spike was too awestruck to form a coherent response. Every time he had been kissed by Rarity, he felt as if the effect she had on him got stronger with each peck. He mumbled a string of nonsensical words and stumbled out of Rarity's shop as if he were drunk. Spike nodded and waved blindly to Rarity; his best effort to wish her a goodnight and a fond farewell. Rarity let loose the most adorable little chuckle as she watched him wobble his way home.

She closed the door and locked it shut. Every part of her felt tingly, so refreshingly warm and content. Rarity sighed as she leaned back against the door; letting her purple curls slide up the door as she dreamily smiled. "Now that…was a lovely date" Rarity blissfully cooed.

CRASH!

Twilight jerked up from her research book, her half dazed eyes quickly adjusting back into focus. She looked around the room to find the source of that deafening crash. It sounded like something was being broken.

"Spike, Moonstruck, is that you?"

The princess waited for a few seconds but no one bothered to reply to her call. She didn't hear or see Spike come back yet, so either she was so tired she missed him coming and going to bed, or most likely; he hadn't returned from his date yet. Owlicious had been right by her side this whole time so she knows he didn't drop or break anything.

RAHHHHH!

"What in Equestria is that?"

It was a scream, a scream from a pony, a pony that was living in her basement. Twilight almost didn't believe it was Moonstruck. The scream sounded so angry, so dark and violent; it sounded more like a monster than her silver eyed friend.

"GET THE BUCK AWAY FROM ME!"

WHAM!

Something slammed against the basement door. The sound of broken wood planks could be heard, a crate must have been smashed against the door. Twilight approached the door but flinched when she heard another violent crash. She knows she's a powerful Alicorn and can handle anything or anyone that comes against her, but still, she didn't like this one little bit.

Moonstruck is down there and it sounds like something is in there too, and trying to hurt him! I don't know what's going on but I can't just stay up here and listen to him suffer down there. I've got to figure out what's going on.

"Moonstruck, are you all right down there?" she asked impatiently. She tried leaning her ear up against the door but she was afraid of something slamming against it again. "Look, don't be scared" she magically opened the door and shined a flash of light from her horn, "I'm coming down."

The young princess didn't know what she hated more: the violent screams and crashing sounds, or the eerie silence from her friend. Either way, she had to investigate. Twilight stepped down into the basement, her glowing horn shined over the room like a flashlight. There were boxes shattered, glass jars broken and fragments of various objects scattered across the room like confetti.

"I don't understand, did some kind of wild animal-" Twilight started to say.

Moonstruck leapt out of a pile of mangled debris; scaring Twilight and causing her to jump. His eyes were half open, they had a glazed; almost hypnotic look to them. The colt wasn't awake but neither was he fully asleep. He was experiencing some kind of horrible night terror or post traumatic shock.

"Moonstruck, thank Celestia your all right" Twilight happily exclaimed.

"NO, GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FILTHY BEASTS" he screamed in reply.

The unicorn charged at Twilight like a rampaging bull, he bent his horn down and plowed forward. Twilight gasped and flew up high enough to dodge the attack. Moonstruck collided with a stack of boxes filled with paper documents and science materials. The boxes collapsed and scattered their contents everywhere, Moonstruck shook it off.

"Moonstruck, look at me, please look at me" she insisted, "It's me, Twilight. You know, Crackers? I'm your friend. All I want you to do is calm down and listen-"

"I'm nothing like you freaks" Moonstruck interrupted. He fired a laser beam from his horn, Twilight gasped as it sliced across her cheek. She hadn't expected him to react so violently like that. The mare rubbed the burn mark on her cheek with her hoof; she winced but ignored the pain and focused back on Moonstruck.

"Moonstruck, PLEASE just listen to my voice," she said firmly; yet with a soft and soothing undertone. She had to get his attention and calm him down before he hurts himself. "You're not in Tartarus anymore, your safe and sound in my home" Twilight looked to him with pleading eyes. "No one is trying to hurt you; there are no monsters or beasts in here at all."

He looked around the room as if searching for multiple foes. Moonstruck was sweating furiously, muscles twitching; he looked like he was deranged and feral. Nothing around him made sense and Twilight's words seemed only to agitate and aggravate his unstable condition. "Y-y-you don't belong here, no, I don't belong here; NONE OF THIS MAKES ANY SENSE" he collapsed and clutched his head.

Twilight extended a friendly hoof to the poor pony, he angrily swatted it away. She quickly stepped back from Moonstruck. He snapped at her like a wolf, growling and snarling like he was going to bite her if she tried to touch him again.

"I'm only trying to help. Please, you have to believe me Moonstruck."

"N-n-n-n-no, there's t-t-t-too much darkness. It's around me, its inside m-m-m-m-me, it's all I see when I shut my eyes and sleep," he babbled. "C-c-can't escape it, I can feel it in my lungs and in my heart; choking me, suffocating me!" He went down on his knees and screamed out loud, he pounded his hooves against the ground and cried louder with every punch.

Twilight felt sick to her stomach. Hasn't he suffered enough, why is this happening to him? He didn't deserve to endure this mental Hell. "Moonstruck, just listen to my voice, all you have to do is breath slowly and listen to my voice. Pay attention to nothing else but the sound of my voice. I can help you, I promise I won't hurt you" she leaned forward and tried to reach for him again, "Just take my hoof; it'll be all right…everything will be all right if you just-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he violently screamed.

Moonstruck unleashed a powerful shockwave of magical energy. The red sphere blasted Twilight away from Moonstruck like a force field, dozens of broken boxes and various items went flying back along with her from the shockwave. Twilight grunted as she was buried under the piles of basement junk like an avalanche. She teleported out of the mess and groaned as she felt a bruise forming on her temple, the scar on her cheek was still stinging as well.

"P-p-p-p-p-please…make it s-s-s-s-stop…someone please just…m-m-m-make it stop" he whimpered.

Twilight's body was sore from that last attack, but what she saw next, would cause her heart pain like she never felt before.

Moonstruck was cowering on the ground, his hooves held behind his neck in a duck and cover formation. He was shaking, trembling, every inch of him was rattling with overwhelming fear. The poor colt looked like a foal trying to hide under his bed from a lighting storm. His eyes were frightfully staring straight ahead, tears pouring down his face, sobbing uncontrollably. "I didn't do anything wrong, I swear. I'm a good boy, I swear I am, I just want to go home" his voice became more shrill, "I don't like it here…I don't like being this way. Why was I left in here, why was I left with the monsters, where's my mom and dad, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?!"

He broke down into an inconsolable, weeping mess; burying his tear soaked cheeks into his hooves. Twilight clutched her chest and blinked out tears of her own, seeing this was breaking her heart. This wasn't a killer. This is a pony who is devoted, determined and intelligent; not some cold blooded thief. To see him reduced to this was one of the most gut wrenching things Twilight has ever seen, and she refused to let him stay down here and suffer any longer; even if it's going to cause problems.

This…this is just…horrible! What in Celestia's name has that imposter done to this sweet pony? I've never seen such pain and suffering before. Look at what 2 years in Tartarus has done to him! He doesn't deserve this, he's in absolute misery.

Twilight blinked as she suddenly noticed something about their surroundings. It was dark, grungy, spooky and very isolating. No wonder he still thought he was in Tartarus.

Of course, living in the basement must have reminded him of what it was like to live in Tartarus. Oh Moonstruck I am SO, SO sorry. I had no idea I was putting you through this by keeping you down here. I've got to get him out of here before he gets any worse.

Twilight approached him silently this time. She was worried if she tried to verbally console him again before she could get to him; he might automatically back away and try to fire another spell at her. Luckily he still had his face buried in his hooves so he couldn't see her. Her soft hooves gently and quietly padded across the room at a slow and delicate pace. She stretched out a single fore hoof right above the sobbing Moonstruck. Before he could react, Twilight moved in and embraced him in a comforting but tight bear hug.

"GRRR" Moonstruck snarled. He instantly resisted her hug and squirmed against her; fighting back like a wild dog. Twilight cried out as she felt a stinging pain in her hoof. Moonstruck actually bit into her fore hoof and drew blood; he shook his head vigorously and intensified the bite until Twilight would have to release him. The princess remained strong and held him down.

She fought against the pain and continued trying to calm him down. "Shhhhhh its okay," she sweetly whispered into his ear, "I'm here now…it's just you and me…no pony else." Twilight started stroking Moonstruck's spiky green hair.

The angry unicorn continued to bite and resist, but his anger was slowly starting to subside. His teeth lessened up little by little until he eventually let go of Twilight's hoof.

"That's it, just relax and take it easy," she nuzzled his cheek softly. Moonstruck's squirms ultimately stopped altogether and his eyes returned to their normal silver color. "I've got you Moonstruck; it's just me and me alone. Just stay here, stay here with me and I promise" she gently pulled his face towards her chest, "I won't let anyone ever hurt you again."

Though still not fully awake, Moonstruck's night terror/freak out vanished and he returned to his normal self. He buried his face in Twilight's chest and just cried, cried for what seemed like ages. Twilight kept him close to her and continued stroking his mane, her hooves stayed around him; keeping him warm and safe. Moonstruck couldn't speak, he could only cry; harder and louder with every sob choked breath.

Twilight leaned down and softly kissed his forehead. "It's all right now, I'm here and I'm never letting you go", she leaned closer into the hug and wrapped her wings around him, "I'll always be here for you…always."

To be continued…

So how'd you like Rarity and Spike's date? And how about Twilight and Moonstruck's...sort of date? I figured it'd be best to limit it to just having 2 dates in one chapter, that way things didn't get too crowded. Next time: Rainbow, Arrowhead, AJ and Hopeful go on their dates and end up double dating, Fluttershy meets a tall, dark stranger and Discord reveals a shocking secret he's been keeping. Thanks for reading, bye for now!

15. Date Night (Part 2)

Chapter 15: Date Night (Part 2)

Man it has been too long and I have been WAY TOO BUSY to update this thing. So sorry for the delay, but everything has been happening at once: busy with new job, always busy with new baby, moving to a new place soon, completed a very difficult test for my career and everything else life can throw at me! All of this has made it nigh impossible to find time to write but finally I got the next chapter done. Now IMPORTANT NOTE: I am NOT going to be incorporating Season 6's episodes into my story. As some may know, I started this story will season 5 was on hiatus and am already working my brain overtime to mix the season 5 episodes into the story. It's tricky but I think I found a way to do it, which will be explained in chapter 16, chapter 17 at the latest. I also want to give a special thank you to Tenshoru for all the help he/she has provided me with input, feedback and ideas. As a token of gratitude, look for Tenshoru's OC Holstein to show up in this story. Now for shout outs:

Man Undercover: Hope that explains why its taken so long to get up! As for that mysterious pony you think is Lightning Dust, I'll say this...it's definitely someone you've seen before on the show. The swearing I feel is necessary for certain chars to get their point across, I feel it adds maturity and intensity when needed. Plus there's one char in this story will uses it a lot as its part of his personality. As for Fluttershy, I kind of got her covered...sort of...you'll see. Every relationships has it's speed bumps to overcome and everyone still has some ways to go.

Lemon Smoothie: Thanks for all the kinds words, much appreciated!

Guest: Yup, hope it keeps ya hooked, thanks for enjoying it so much!

Tenshoru: Khan's backstory/connection to Celestia will be explained in due time. Yes, Trixie is indeed sisters (or I may have said cousins) with Cauldron. Its not a big revelation or an important one so I thought I'd throw it in for fun. That's actually a really amusing idea with the inner voice, I may use that to a degree! The colt friend remark was a goof on my part. I didn't think of that term meaning boyfriend at the time since I was just gonna use boyfriend to explain the relationships. I corrected it on the last chapter (or at least I tried to) so to answer your questions: no you didn't miss anything, they're still awkwardly tipping towards dating and those flashbacks tie into Moonstruck's origins AND future complications for his relationship with Twilight. Spike and Rarity I felt needed a chance to see what dating each other would look/feel like. Its important because as I mentioned before about speed bumps, they have much more tough terrain to cover because they have a longer history then any other couple here and due to events that will be further explored in my season 5 connection.

Thank you all for staying with my story, for reviewing it honestly and all new comers who have just discovered this. Enjoy the story!

(Rainbow's POV)

This is just too weird.

I can't believe I'm standing here, in front of a mirror; trying to look good for an actual date. Stranger things have happened though.

"Heh, that Earth pony stud won't know what hit him," I stated proudly. Now, let's see if we can't make this fine looking mare look 20% foxier for Arrowhead.

I look at everything laid out on the counter. Rarity was generous enough to loan me some things to get ready for my date, but looking at how much of this junk she dumped on me; I think she was being a bit too generous; even for her.

"Lipstick? Nah that's not me," I said; tossing the tube to the floor. "Make up: no, hairspray: Puh-lease, earrings: not even close, hoof polish? Come on! Rarity knows I don't like getting my hooves touched, even for polishing." I can't believe mares actually walk around wearing all this stuff. It's like they're preparing for battle or something, only it's the lamest, cutesiest, flowery looking battle I've ever seen.

I had just about had enough and I was all too eager to knock everything onto the floor. The jars and tubes rattled across the floor loudly. Well…except for one item; this one caught my eye. It was a blue bottle with a black and gold cap, it was sparkling and the logo on the bottle featured a bronze lightning bolt inside of a tidal wave.

"Hmm what's this stuff?" I ask; picking up the bottle and examining it closely. This must be that perfume stuff Rarity always soaks her neck in. "Aqua rush perfume" I read the label aloud. All the other stuff was a bust, maybe this will be easier; all I gotta do is just spray it on right?

The cap made a slight popping sound as I pulled it off. I lean in and take a whiff, WHOA!

I practically jumped out of my wings, this stuff smelled totally awesome! Who knew perfume could smell this good, no wonder mares put this stuff on.

"Well…maybe a spritz or two of this won't be so bad" I silently giggle. I take a quick look around; making sure no pony saw me being all girly like this. I spray it twice on my neck and set the bottle down. My hooves run through my rainbow locks, got to make sure it looks good; I don't want to go out looking like I just flew through a hurricane. "I don't think he'd mind even if I did though," I smile cheerfully at that thought.

I take a quick look at the time: 10 minutes to 7. Eh, with my speed, I could leave at 6:58 and still make it on time. Still though, I've been awfully lucky with Arrowhead giving me a second chance.

"Best not to tempt fate," I reach for the door and open it.

Imagine my surprise when my muscular, grey colored date was seen standing in front of my door; just casually shuffling his hooves amongst the clouds. Arrowhead was here already?! And I thought I was fast!

"Hey there good looking, looks like we both wanted to be earlier than usual," he said; smiling with that fine looking grin of his. It's scary how easy this guy ruffles my feathers.

"WHOA what are you-GAH" I barely get to finish. My hooves fumbled around all of Rarity's glamor junk I tossed onto the floor. I found myself headed right for a crash landing.

CRACK!

Arrowhead winced at my sudden fall. I groan as I hold my head and try to find out where that cracking sound came from. "Oh for the love of," I groan. The sound came from my left hind leg; the hoof looks all busted and disjointed. OW, man that REALLY stings. I SO didn't need this tonight.

"You know, I'm no doctor but that sounded like something cracked" Arrowhead said.

"Gee ya think?" I ask; every ounce of my irritated voice dripping with sarcasm. Arrowhead helped me stand up, well kind of; I'm hopped on one hoof and used my wings to stay balanced. I feel like a carriage coach trying to drive with a missing wheel. "What are you doing up here? Earth ponies can't walk on clouds and I thought our date wasn't til 7?" Despite my pain, I'm actually more concerned with how he got up here.

"I figured I'd show you how fast I can be by meeting you here first instead," he replied, "Plus, I actually said 7ish, not 7 exactly." The colt jumped on the clouds as if they were bouncy pillows, he chuckles as they wobble. "Your friend Twilight used this spell to make it so I can walk on the clouds; temporarily of course" he answered. He motioned behind his flank and I spotted a lavender colored hot air balloon, "And that's how I got up here in the first place."

If it wasn't for the fact that I'm standing on a half busted hoof and flapping my wings off just to stay afloat, I gotta say; I'd be a lot happier about this. I was worried how a relationship with any pony other than a Pegasus would work with the whole cloud walking thing. I don't know if whatever we have is going to be like, you know, a dating thing, but at least it's nice to know he can come up and see me if I want him to.

"So do you normally keep your make up stuff on the floor for you to trip over?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I couldn't reply to his question fast enough. "NO, no way, this is not my stuff AT ALL", I drop down to the floor and quickly try to hide all this girlie stuff. The last thing I need is for him to think I'm some sort of flowery mare who wears this smelly stuff. "My friend Rarity loaned it to me even after I told her not to. None of this stuff is mine, just forget you saw any of it, okay?" I don't care how desperate I sound; I can't let him see me like this!

"So what if it was?" he asked, "You really think I'd think less of you because you have lipstick and make up?" I look up at him with a confused look on my face. He sounded so indifferent, like he didn't care either way.

I look around nervously; I figured the answer would be obvious. "Ummm yes?" I asked hesitantly.

"Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow" he said; shaking his head and stifling a small chuckle. The big oaf wrapped a hoof around my back and helped guide me towards my bed. If I wasn't in so much pain from my busted hoof, I probably would have noticed how strong and firm his arm left. "What in the world am I going to do with you?" he smirked.

"Uh DUH, were going down to Ponyville to get some good grub," figured that was pretty obvious. I press up on my arms to try sit up so I can stand up straight. "I'm starving", my stomach felt like it was going to eat itself if I waited any longer.

"Hold it right there speedy, the only place you're going to is a hospital" he said sternly.

Ugh, my least favorite H word: Hospital. I practically went nuts being cooped up in there when I sprained my wing, and if I have to sit in a bed and eat that nasty hospital food, YUCK! No way am I eating hospital food when I can have fancy restaurant chow.

"You've got to be kidding me! You think I want to spend hours filling out paperwork and then sitting in a hospital bed staring at white walls and eating garbage?" I angrily shouted. Arrowhead flinched at my sudden tone change. My wings flap as I try to get back onto my sprained hoof, "Besides it doesn't even hurt that bad. It's not broken or fractured, it's just a sprain, seriously," I offer him my least pain filled smile.

"Look, I don't like it anymore then you do but we've got to-" Arrowhead suddenly stops. He scratches his chin with his hoof and hummed, sounds like he's got something on his mind. "I've got it, I'll fix your hoof" he said proudly.

"You'll WHAT?" he's got to be bucking kidding! He's no doctor, what does he think he can do? This has bad idea written all over it.

"You said it yourself; it's sprained not broken. I'm strong enough I can pop it back into place and fix you good as new" he said confidently.

"Look, I d-d-don't know about this" I start to say.

"Trust me Dash, I wouldn't do anything that might hurt you" he said, I felt my heart skip a beat all of the sudden. There was such warmth and confidence in his voice, Arrowhead meant every single word and I could feel it. "All you got to do is trust me. Besides, the other option is we go to the hospital so what's it gonna be?"

This still doesn't sound like a great idea to me, but I'm too hungry and weary to want to go to the hospital so…guess I'm going through with this.

I look to him and nod, "All right let's get this over with." Arrowhead helped me lean back on the bed, I slow my wings down and try to calm down so he can do whatever it is he's gonna do. I lift my wounded hoof and feel his hooves move towards it.

"Okay, just relax, take a deep breath and this will be over in a flash" he calmly said; trying to soothe my nerves. Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Every time he reached for my leg, I pulled my hoof away; even when he tried to reach for my one good leg. I recoiled every time he got close to my hooves. Arrowhead grunted in frustration, I could tell he was getting upset with me but I can't help it.

"Hold still, this will only take a second," Arrowhead grunted.

"Okay, this isn't going to work" I need to sit up and get out of this weird situation. I knew this was a bad idea! "I don't like any pony touching my hooves", I try to push past Arrowhead but he keeps cutting me off and keeping me stuck on this bed, "Would you just MOVE already?!"

Arrowhead gave me the sternest look I've ever seen. He didn't budge an inch; he just looked at me like some sort of angry disapproving father figure or something. He stepped closer and shoved me down back onto the bed with one push from his hoof. I knew he was strong, but he shoved me down like it was nothing!

"Better idea: sit down and quit whining" he said with a frown, "I know foals that are less fussy then you are. The longer you keep this up the longer it's going to take, so how about you quit squirming and let me finish, cool?"

I'm so annoyed with this big fat, jerk head for shoving me down like this; I almost don't answer him. But those cool teal colored eyes of his make it really hard to stay mad at him for long. I grumble and give him an irritated nod, "Cool" I eventually reply.

"Thanks rainbow babe" he replied; smiling sweetly.

Curse him and that stupid-perfect-awesome face of his. I swear if he wasn't an Earth pony he'd be a unicorn with that magical smile of his.

"Now, I'm gonna take your hoof and apply pressure to it," he calmly explained. "I'm telling you everything I'm going to do so there are no surprises. All you have to do is sit back, relax and pay attention to my voice; nothing else." I look away and simply nod, trying to get this over with. Just because I was being fussy like a foal doesn't mean he has to treat me like one.

"Yeah, yeah let's just do this already" I state impatiently.

Arrowhead still had that smile on his face. No matter how much he annoyed me or how hard I tried to look away from it, I kept coming back to that irritating, cocky….handsome face of his. I felt like a bug being drawn to the most beautiful looking bug zapper.

His hooves reached toward my busted leg. I slowly start to pull it back and cringe, I could already feel the pain coming and he hasn't even done anything yet. "Look at me Dash, just look at me and listen to the sound of my voice," he sounded so soothing and calm. My eyes slowly look up to his and instantly I was hooked. "It's me; it's just you and me. No one has to see this and no one has to hear about it. Just look at me and hear my voice, block everything else out, all your thoughts and all your fears and focus on beating this obstacle…focus on me."

What's happening to me, why does he sound all dreamy like that? I feel like I'm being hypnotized. Everything around his face looks so shiny, so warm and inviting. I don't even feel my legs anymore, I feel like I'm flying but I don't feel my wings attached to my back.

This is nice…this is really, really nice.

How did everything get so quiet? Arrowhead's voice is the only sound I hear, like all of Equestria vanished into thin air. I feel…warm too. This makes no sense! I'm not the kind of pony that feels all mushy and warm and tingly all over, l-l-like my heart is pounding so hard it's going to explode out of my chest and…wait…its over?!

"All done, there now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Arrowhead asked.

I don't believe it! My leg, it works just fine, I don't even remember feeling him touching it. "It's fixed? B-b-b-but I didn't even feel anything" I couldn't keep the shock in my voice from cracking it. This is unbelievable!

"What can I say, I'm that good" he confidently chuckled. The colt rubbed his hoof against his chest, his smile never fading.

He wasn't kidding either, I sat up and hopped off my bed and my leg felt like nothing ever happened to it. This guy must have magic hooves or something because I have never been able to let anyone touch my hooves without freaking out.

"T-t-t-thank you, that was…just…wow" I stutter; probably looking and sounding like a total girlie girl. My cheeks were turning as red as Applejack's apples.

"Anytime babe," he said as he placed his hoof on my shoulder. Here come those warm tingly feelings again. This is crazy, all he's doing is touching me and I feel like my face is burning up. "Come on then, let's get going" he said as he pulls me out of my house.

"Whoa, all right, I'm coming already" I say; slightly stunned at the sudden speed in which he yanked me.

You know, I've seen a lot of crazy stuff in my adventures with my friends. I've fought dragons, raced against the Wonderbolts, battled Discord, even traveled into a comic book alternate reality and fought a real live super powered supervillain!

But this…I never thought this would happen: being dragged to a date by a good looking stallion who likes me as much as I like myself. This is definitely the strangest thing that's ever happened to me. I feel my fur tingle and my wings becoming rigid and firm; all because he's holding my hoof. I think that I could get used to this…I think maybe…I could even…love this.

(Applejack's POV)

Ah never know what to do in situations like this.

Buckin' apples is easy; you walk up to a tree, buck it, haul the apples back and then you do it s'more. Farm life always made the most sense to me because it felt like home, it felt familiar and easy; course it kept me close to mah family too.

But this here courtin' stuff…Ah just can't make heads or tails of it. Ah feel like a dog without sheep to herd.

"Awe mom, pop, Ah sure wish Ah had you around to help me make sense of this apple sauce Ahm in" Ah mutter to myself.

Ah sit up from mah bed, takin' mah hat off mah eyes and look at the two ponies Ah always go to when Ah need answers. Looking at their picture on the wall when Ah talk, it makes me feel like Ah know what they would be sayin' right bout now. This feels like the sort of stuff parents are supposed to talk to ya about. Ah got Big Mac, Bloom and Granny Smith but sigh, some stuff can only be handled by yer parents.

"Maybe Ahm just being so stubborn Ahm makin' myself nervous," Ah said to the photo; pausing to take a deep breath. "Ah know how Ah am and Ah know Ahm stuck in mah ways, but Ah always felt like it was good to stick to traditions. That's what families do, they start traditions and they stick to em."

But then again…

Hopeful has been a real sweetheart to me. Ah have been livin' in Ponyville for years and years now and Ah never had a stallion look at me the way he looks at me, not even Trender Hoof looked at me as fondly as Hopeful does. "Maybe this is somethin' Ah always did want but just expected it to come from another Earth pony" Ah say out loud, idly poking mah hat as it lies on mah lap. "Tryin' somethin' new isn't mah cup of tea as Rarity would say", Ah brush a blond strand past my eyes casually. "Am Ah jittery just because he's a Pegasus, am Ah really?" Ah ask out loud.

"Give him a chance, give him a chance" a faint voice whispered in my ear. Ah look up and I notice a familiar filly soundin' voice was comin' from behind mah closed bedroom door.

"Dag nabbit Apple Bloom! Ah told ya to stop interferin' with mah personal life, what the heck you think yer doin' snoopin' outside mah bedroom door anyway?" Ah angrily shouted.

"Ah came to tell ya Hopeful is here" Apple Bloom said.

Thank Celestia the door was closed so Apple Bloom couldn't see how red mah face was. Ah didn't know how else to respond so Ah just gave her a simple "Oh…uh thanks."

Once Ah hear Bloom's hoof prints goin' downstairs, Ah take a deep breath and try and calm mah rattlin' nerves. Ah never back down from a challenge and yet here Ah am; cowerin' like a yellow bellied weasel because Ahm unsure bout backin' my claim. It wouldn't be fair to Hopeful though. Ah exit mah room and head downstairs, mah ears perk up at the sound of Hopeful's voice; sounds like he's chattin' up a storm with Big Mac and Granny Smith.

"Now then, make sure you show her a good time and bring her home back on time" Granny Smith said. She wrapped her hoof around Hopeful's shoulder. "Were coverin' her chores fer tomorrow so she don't got to be back too early, but Ah don't want her stayin' out too late neither" she stated.

"But don't show her too good of a time, if ya know what Ah mean" Big Mac coldly growled.

Hopeful looked around nervously, he tried to say something but was quickly cut off.

"Ah want you kids to have fun and don't worry bout nothin' else."

"Especially no other mares; Applejack don't take kindly to players, and neither do I."

"Just don't be discouraged if she seems like a tough nut to crack. She always did have the strongest stubborn streak in the family, so don't fret now son. A fine upstandin' colt like yerself is just what she needs."

"Mah sister is plenty strong too, so don't even THINK about gettin' any frisky fresh ideas with her."

The Pegasus was too terrified to speak. He felt sweat dripping off his valentine red wings, not to mention his legs were shaking like crazy. "Ummm…I uh think I'm getting m-m-m-mixed signals here" he weakly squeaked. Ah don't really need them to do this for me, but it's comfortin' to know they care enough to protect me from boys.

"All right now, ya'll can stop scarin' the stuffin' out of mah date," Ah announce as Ah break up the interrogation scene. Big Mac and Granny Smith nod and back away from Hopeful. "Ahm a big girl and Ah can take care of mah self" Ah quickly add.

Somethin' must be in the air tonight, because when Ah looked at Hopeful just now, he looked like some pony else. He was standin' there; hair slicked back with a mighty fine sheen on it, and he had a gold tie on with a fancy white collar. Looked like some kind of tuxedo top or somethin'. His right hoof was stuffed full of the most eye sparklin' sun flowers Ah had ever seen. Ah didn't know sun flowers could look that fine! Mah nose twitched at somethin' funny smellin' in the room. Hopeful must be wearin' some kinda special cologne, makes my nose tingly all over; heh, sure does have a good whiff about em.

"Good evening fair maiden" Hopeful said, bowin' all polite and charmin' like; as always. He extended the hoof holdin' the flowers to my muzzle. "A beautiful bouquet of flowers for an even more beautiful lady," he stood back up and smiled that handsome grin of his at me; Ah can feel mah cheeks gettin' redder by the second. "Thank you again for giving me this, I feel like I just won the lottery" he said cheerfully.

"Hehe…y-y-you sure do know how to charm a girl now don't ya?" Ah took the flowers and smelled them; croonin' at the sweet smell. Hopeful smiled contently, looking so joyful and blissful. He really does think datin' me is some sort of big deal. "Ya'll ready to go Hopeful?" Ah ask; tippin' my Stetson back a bit.

"Absolutely," he nods and turns to Big Mac and Granny Smith, "Don't worry, I'll have her back at a reasonable time." He takes the flowers from me and hoofs them over to Big Mac. Ah swear, Ah can practically feel the glare comin' from mah brother's eyes when he looked at Hopeful.

"Not too reasonable now, ya'll need enough time to really enjoy yourselves" Granny Smith replied coyly. Ah groan and slap mah face as Granny winked and nudged Hopeful with that suggestive tone; real smooth there Granny.

Ah start headin' out the door as quickly as Ah can before Granny starts askin' Hopeful when he's giving her great grandkids or somethin' like that. Hopeful dashes in front of me and opens the door. He smiles, bows slightly and flexes his wings like a cape. "Allow me my lady" he said.

"Well thank ya kindly good sir" Ah say, unable to stifle a little giggle. This fancy talk is kinda fun actually, reminds me when Ah was dressed up as 'Apple Jewel.' Ah bet Ah would really turn Hopeful's head if he saw me in that get up. Ah look to him as we start walkin' further out from the farm, "So where we headin' to lover boy?"

"It's a bit far from here so I was thinking," he started to say. Hopeful stretched his wings and opened his hooves up, like he was expectin' to carry somethin'. He smiled at me and raised his eyebrow in a funny way.

Now why in Equestria is he-wait a darn tooin' minute, is he actually suggestin' to…nah he can't be. "I figured it would be faster and I can give you a view of Ponyville like you've never seen before" he added, wings still twitching.

Ah was right, this crazy colt wants to actually fly me to the restaurant!

"Hold yer horseshoes there cowboy," Ah step back; this whole idea makes me feel mighty uneasy. "Ahm an Earth Pony, if the world would have wanted me to have wings then Ah would have been born with em," Ah explain, "Ah'll leave the flyin' to you, Fluttershy and Rainbow thank ya very much."

"Oh come on now, you've been in the air before haven't you?" Hopeful asked.

It's true, Ah have been in the hot air balloon many times, Ah flew when Ah was a Breezy, and there was that time we got all super powered from the rainbow chest when we defeated Tirek. Truth be told though, Ah was glad when the flyin' part was over. Ah much prefer keepin' my 4 hooves planted on the ground.

"Yes Ah have, but Ahm not exactly fond of soarin' through the clouds with nothin' between the ground and mah legs and yer butter hooves" Ah state firmly.

"Oh right," he replied sadly, "You're still upset about what happened at the cliff." Ah didn't mean to hurt his feelings, but Ah did nearly fall to mah death on his watch. He shakes his head and smiles confidently. "I know I goofed up big time, but I wouldn't suggest doing anything that would put you in harm's way."

"Well Ah uh, Ah don't know Ah-" my eyes shift around, fumblin' to find the right words.

"Just trust me," he extends his hoof to mine. Ah see a sparkling shine in those dark pink colored eyes of his. His hoof warmly touches mine. Ah feel the warmth spread to mah freckled cheeks and my whole face. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise" he sweetly added.

Is this really the same pony Ah met at Sugar cube corner? Hopeful seems so calm, so confident, where did all of this come from? Every other time Ah talked to him, he was more shaky then Winona after a bath. Now he sounds so sure of himself, it's kind of…comfortin' actually.

"A-a-a-all right" Ah slowly nod and take his hoof, "Ah trust ya."

When Ah said those last 3 words, Ah swear on Granny Smith's Zap apple jam; Ah had never seen a pony look so happy. His smile was just as soothin' as his touch was. "All right then, just relax and enjoy the view" he said. Hopeful opened up his hooves and waited for me to climb in.

"Ah can't believe Ahm doin' this" Ah mutter to mahself. Ah wonder if this is how Rainbow felt when she did that crazy dance for Arrowhead. Ah slowly step into his embrace and hop into his open arms. Mah eyes watch for any signs of strainin', nothin' makes a girl feel overweight like watchin' a colt strugglin' to carry his date. "Let's get this show on the road then," Ah still feel nervous bout this but Ahm doin' mah best to hide it.

"Thanks for trusting me fair maiden," he nods; still smiling like he was on top of the world. Hopeful's wings start flapping and Ah feel our bodies slowly lifting off the ground. He runs into a sprint and takes off into the night sky. "Here we go" he shouted as our bodies took flight.

"GAH" Ah flinch and grab onto him tighter than I intended to, Ah close my eyes just as quickly. Ah just couldn't help it. The feelin' of mah hooves suddenly leavin' the ground like that was just too unnervin' to me.

"You know, it's okay to open your eyes if you want" he says kindly, "Half the fun of flying is for the view." Ah frown slightly at him noticin' mah fear. Dag nabbit! Ahm a strong pony, Ah don't get spooked this easily. What is goin' on with me today? "You know, I knew your farm was impressive, but it looks even better from up above" he said.

"Oh all right, Ah give" Ah mutter in defeat. Mah eyes finally force themselves open, time to see what all the fuss is-

Oh. Mah. Stars!

Hopeful was right, everythin' looks just gorgeous up here. Ah can see everythin', the farm, the barn, acres and acres of apple trees; this is incredible. The sky looks like it's flyin' all around me. All the stars and the moon; it's like an ocean of blurry drops of light. It's like a whole 'nother world up here. Is this the kind of stuff Fluttershy and Rainbow see on a daily basis?

"You know, for all the times I went flyin', Ah never really looked at the world long enough to see how amazin' this is" Ah said as Ah stretched mah arms and legs. Ah felt like Ah was flying across all of Equestria, like nothin' in the world could touch me. "Ah can't believe Ah was afraid of doin' this" Ah confess.

"My dad always said that there are lots of ponies that fear what they don't understand," Ah look up as Ah hear his voice, "But if we never understand and learn new things then we never know what we're missing out on." He smiles to me but maintains his gaze on the sky.

Mah heart skips a beat when Ah look into those eyes of his, he's so calm and collective; Ah swear it's like he's somepony else now. He used to be all jittery and nervous like, now it feels like Ahm the one fumblin' around.

"There's a whole world of beauty that lies beyond what we know, we just have to have the heart to face it head on" he said; so charming and smooth like. Hopeful looked to me for the briefest moments, just for a moment so he didn't get too distracted from seein' where he was flyin' to. It was so brief it was only for a second, but to me…it felt like forever. "You never know if the next heart you meet could be the perfect match for yours" he said.

Consarnit, he's so good with words it's scary.

Rainbow Dash and Arrowhead were seated at their table at Endless Illusion, or as Rainbow liked to call it: "That ultra-swanky place with the cool fire entrance thing." They sat at a table on the outdoor portion of the restaurant; surrounded by fire lit torches and elegant music being played by Octavia and other instrumentalists. The chairs were made of solid oak, curved into twisted-yet-royalty styled designs. The table was covered by a faint lavender cloth over it with a centerpiece of gorgeous assorted flowers.

"And that's how I teamed up with Daring Do, knocked the stuffing out of Ahuizotl and ended up being a part of her awesome book series" Rainbow proudly exclaimed. She placed her hoofs on her sides; puffing her chest out in a boasting manner.

"Whoa" Arrowhead gasped, "Who would've thought that not only is Daring Do and all of her adventures real, but that you got to personally join her AND become a part of her story." He clapped his hooves and whistled. "Well done Madame, I am impressed" he added.

"Thank you, thank you" she stood up on her chair and bowed, never losing that prideful smirk of hers. "I'll be here all week", she sat down and brushed her rainbow locks out of her eyes.

"I certainly hope so" he said; winking suggestively to her.

Try as she might, Rainbow couldn't prevent the pinkness from blossoming on her cerulean cheeks. She bit her lip and chuckled. "I wonder if this the kind of stuff Derpy goes through" she silently wondered, Arrowhead was about to ask what she said but she quickly changed the subject, "So as much as I love talking about all my famous exploits, and I do, I wanna know about you."

"Oh um m-m-me, r-r-really?" Arrowhead said, taken aback by the question. The colt tapped his hoof on his drink, casually sipping it and trying to come up with a response. "I'm afraid that's a very boring and even shorter story. I mean come on, you battled monster plants, Chimera beasts, traveled across half of Equestria AND you have close relationships with all 4 of the princesses." He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "There's no way I can compete with that."

"Who said anything about competing?" she asked, Arrowhead looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Oh right, yeah, kind of ironic me saying that" she said with a small laugh, "But we've spent most of this date just having me talk about all the cool stuff I've done. Aren't we supposed to like, you know," she made a spinning motion with her hooves, "Share our likes and dislikes and stuff like that or something? At least, I think that's how it's supposed to work."

"Well yeah, typically that's what usually happens, it's just that," he slowly trailed off.

The grey colt drifted his gaze away from Rainbow. He felt ashamed he didn't have anything truly noteworthy to contribute to the conversation. Truth of the matter is; he loved hearing Rainbow talk about all her accomplishments. It made him feel good to see her so excited and happy, even if she's just boosting her own ego. Arrowhead felt a strange sense of peace and warmth knowing that there were ponies that lived such amazing lives compared to the tediously boring and ordinary life he was living.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

"Compared to your amazing life, mine is going to seem as plain as oatmeal" he sighed, "But if you really want to know."

"Totally, come on bro, lay it on me" she said; leaning back in her chair and getting comfortable.

"I used to live Apploosa when I was a foal, but my parents only lived there because it was more affordable at the time. They wanted their family to live in a more rural environment, so we moved to Phillydelphia and I went to school there," he paused to take a drink then continued, "Never specialized in any subject in particular; I generally did well in everything so I was an all-around okay student. My older brother excels at any sport he tries, so he went on to play professionally, now he's constantly shuffling around different cities so I don't see him as much." Arrowhead took a bite of his roasted oats. "I finished school and moved out here when I started hearing more and more stories about you, your friends and all the amazing things you guys did. I figured it would definitely make my life more interesting," he said.

"Soooo then" Rainbow sat up straight and leaned in closer, "Is that it?" she asked. Arrowhead solemnly nodded. "Man you weren't kidding, you really didn't have anything-" Rainbow started to say. Arrowhead frowned and raised his white eyebrow; Rainbow quickly shut her mouth and waved her hooves around. "K-k-k-kidding, kidding, seriously, just forget I said anything" she said; desperately trying to cover her statement up.

"I told you my life was ordinary," he bitterly snorted, "You don't need to remind me."

"No, no, no; that's not what I meant! Look, just because I had all this cool stuff happen to me doesn't mean you're not cool," she pointed out. Her grey friend didn't look convinced however. She paused for a moment and then smiled, she just remembered something important. "What about your super speed? You're definitely the fastest Earth Pony I've ever seen, how'd you learn to get so fast?"

"Oh right…my um…speed" he said glumly. Rainbow looked quite confused, now he seemed all depressed again. Was this another sensitive issue too? The cyan mare didn't understand how it could be, seemed like a talent worth bragging about. The grey colt hated appearing so gloomy, but being an honest and direct-to-the-point pony made it hard for him to hide his true feelings. "Kind of don't want to talk about that right now" he weakly confessed.

"Why not?" Rainbow insistently asked.

"Having a talent or a gift usually is worth bragging about, I'll admit that" he confessed, "But the truth behind my speed is deathly embarrassing." Arrowhead hung his head slightly; rubbing his arm.

"Are you kidding me, you're playing the embarrassing card on me?" Rainbow retorted.

"What are you talking about?" Arrowhead asked.

"I paraded my flank around all of Ponyville in a tacky cheerleader outfit, dancing to music just to get your thick skull pointed my way" she huffed as she crossed her arms over chest. Arrowhead chuckled nervously as his cheeks went slightly red at the memory. "So don't talk to me about embarrassing buddy," she added.

Arrowhead sulked his gaze down and groaned; rubbing his eyes with his hoof in irritation. "I never asked you to do that you know? I mean don't get me wrong, it was the best show I've ever seen," he smiled and winked to her, "But you never told me why you pulled that specific stunt to get my attention."

"I already told you, a 'friend' of mine" she said; making air quotes with her hooves, "Told me this was the best way to make things up to you." Arrowhead thought about asking who this so-called friend was, but judging by Rainbow's irritated disposition, now didn't seem like the best time. "I would never want to do something like that, so not my style" she pouted; angrily blowing her colorful locks out of her eyes.

"If it was so out of character for you, and this friend of yours isn't really much of a friend, then why'd you go through with it?" he insistently asked.

Rainbow froze in place, she looked like someone just blasted her with an ice spell. Her gaze casually drifted to her food, her napkin, her drink; anything to distract her from those piercing turquoise eyes that saw through her like X-rays. She felt like Arrowhead could drill through her thickest layers of armor and pierce right into her heart. No hesitation, no pulled punches; he cuts right through everything and exposes her in ways she never thought possible.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

"It's funny" she laughed softly, "I'm tough as nails and idolized by lots of ponies as this naturally, awesome, super athlete." Arrowhead chuckled and rolled his eyes at her self-glorification. "But when I thought about you storming away; being angry at me like that" her voice became serious and low, "It really scared me for some reason…like a lot."

Arrowhead blinked at his date's sudden intensity. For the briefest of moments, Rainbow looked…fragile; that was never a word he'd ever associate with the free spirted Pegasus. He leaned in closer and softly nodded in acknowledgment.

"I'm not afraid of anything, like you said: I can square off against the toughest bad guys and the meanest monsters," she paused and took a deep breath, "But I just felt all twisted and broken inside when I thought of you hating me and not wanting to be around. I really, really like talking to you and the thought of you not talking to me really, really sucked." Her eyes shimmered with faint shades of sadness as she looked to him. "I don't have any idea what I'm doing with all this dating stuff. To me, it's like a really complicated puzzle and I don't know if I have all the pieces to figure it out, but one thing I do know", her ears twitched nervously, "I really like it that you like me and I knew that if I wanted you to stay, I had to do something wild and crazy to prove that I'm not done with you yet."

The warmest of smiles appeared on the grey colt's face, it was a smile unlike any other, a smile that only the stunning mare before him could ever produce. Arrowhead finally felt like he had broken through Rainbow's indestructible wall and got to see a crack of the girl he knew was underneath all that bravado and rainbow colored locks.

Rainbow didn't know what to make of this weird grin. He looked like he was melting into a puddle of grey goo, it's kind of freaking her out. "What, what's with the oddball smile?" she asked.

"Heh, I knew you were the girl I hoped you'd be" he proudly stated.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, faintly brimming with impatience. She tried her best to sound upset but she was truthfully more curious than critical. The colt simply smiled and gave her a casual glance in reply, her cheeks puffed up a bit in anger. She had no idea how adorable and amusing she looked to him. "Fine," she pouted and turned her head to the side, "Don't tell me."

Arrowhead chuckled, he didn't mean to tease her but boy was it a lot of fun. He cracked his knuckles and decided he at least owed her some kind of answer. "I developed my speed because of you hot shot," she blinked in surprise and looked back at him, "You were the inspiration for me to work on my speed. I was good at running in general, but it wasn't until I started hearing rumors about you that I really turned it into a special ability."

"Okay," she said; understanding but confused, "But why would that be embarrassing? I mean, if I looked up to someone like me I would totally brag about looking up to myself about myself…wait." She paused and scratched her chin. "Does that make any sense?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I get it" he laughed, "I may be the only pony in the world who actually understood that but yeah, I get what you're saying."

"But that still doesn't explain why you'd be embarrassed about telling me that," Rainbow insisted.

"Hard as it may be to believe, dating can be just as scary as fighting monsters and super villains," Rainbow clearly found that hard to believe. "I mean it, it takes a lot of courage for a pony to walk up to a beautiful mare or handsome colt and asking them out," he explained, "Rejection doesn't always sit well with everyone and I knew that if I was going to ask you out, I had to be careful about what I told you."

"You really thought telling me that I was the inspiration for your speed would be a bad thing?" she asked.

He looked around, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "I was scared you'd think I was some sort of flank kisser or an obsessive fan boy with no mind of his own," he said, "I wanted to impress you with my own talent and prove I could stand on my own, that's one of the reasons I wanted to race you. I thought that if I told you about the reason behind me getting faster, you'd think I only did it to impress you or something." She slowly started to understand but still didn't seem entirely convinced. "No offense but, you're kind of intimidating" he added.

Rainbow slowly nodded, her sparkling locks bouncing with every nod. "Yeah, I think I get where you're coming from" she said, Rainbow leaned back with a small but smug smile on her face, "I do tend to give off that too-awesome-for-words vibe don't I?"

"Well that and I didn't think your giant head could stand getting any bigger," he couldn't help but grin at her bitter frown. She hated it when he poked at her ego like that, which is exactly why he enjoyed doing it so much. "Seriously, I was worried your head would inflate like a balloon and go into orbit if I fed your ego any further," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny", she grumbled. The cerulean mare felt her feathers twitching, she swatted her wings to straighten them out but she couldn't shake the flustered feeling. The speedy mare would probably be a lot angrier…if she didn't enjoy hearing Arrowhead laugh so much. It just made her feel so good inside hearing him laugh, like rock music to her ears. "You know, you're lucky you're easy on the eyes," she said with a smirk.

"You're not so bad yourself Rainbow Babe," he purred seductively.

Rainbow paused and thought about everything that had transpired in the past few hours. The way she reacted to his touch, his voice and how he actually enjoyed hearing her ramble on and on about her exploits. She smiled, tickled his hind hooves with her tail under the table and winked knowingly at him. "I think you just got 20% cooler," she said; flirting right back.

Hopeful and Applejack landed right in front of Endless Illusion. The red Pegasus gently placed the blond mare on the ground, flexing his wings like a cape once more. Applejack found it surprisingly easy to stand back on the ground without shaking after her flight. The dark haired colt smiled to his date and asked her to wait while he confirmed his reservation.

"Hello there," he said as he approached the front desk, "Name's Romantic, party of two?"

The colt at the front desk was a large Earth pony, not quite the same size of Big Mac but awfully close; with slightly smaller hooves. He had hazel green eyes, honey colored coat with some lighter spots around his body and a dark brown barrel for a cutie mark. His mane length was short and his tail was long, both colored black and grey, which matched well with his black vest, white button up shirt and boots on his back hooves. Applejack blinked at the noticeable half shaved whiskers on the waiter's face as she approached Hopeful at the front desk.

"Ah yes, got you're reservation right here Mr. Romantic" the waiter said in a firm, husky voice. "My name's Holstein Lager and I'll be your server tonight, now if you'll just-" he started to say. The yellow colt suddenly realized he was seating two different pony types together.

"What, is there a problem with our table? Ah don't mind waitin' if there is" Applejack explained.

"N-n-n-no it's not that it's just…I um…are you uh sure you're not waiting on any pony else?" Holstein asked as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, you did make the reservation for only two right, you don't have any other friends or dates waiting to join you?" he asked. The waiter's voice was muddled by his confusion.

"Noooo…why?" Hopeful asked longingly, getting slightly irritated by the waiter's inexplicable confusion. He flapped his wings and flew more closely to Holstein's eye level. "Is there something wrong with a Pegasus dating an Earth pony, is THAT what you're trying to say?" he folded his arms across his chest and tapped his shoulder impatiently.

"N-n-n-n-no, of course not! M-m-m-my apologies sir I just uh, well you know, it's not something you see every-" Holstein started to say. The waiter quickly zipped his lips before his fumbling made things any worse. He turned around, motioned for Hopeful and Applejack to follow him to their table. "I guess the first couple wasn't a fluke after all" he silently mumbled to himself.

Hopeful still had a sour look on his face as they followed Holstein to their table. He knows that reaction wasn't intentionally offensive, but still, the red colt didn't think dating outside your pony race was THAT much of an outrageous sight. Applejack didn't seem that bothered by the waiter's reaction, in fact, she kind of expected it. The country mare never thought she would wind up in a high class restaurant like this with a date, let alone a Pegasus date. She decided just to let the moment pass and not dwell on it in case Hopeful picked up on her indifference.

"Here, allow me" Hopeful said smoothly. He zipped behind Applejack's chair and pulled it out for her, she looked a little confused at the gesture but she put on a small smile and thanked him all the same. Hopeful returned to his seat and looked towards Holstein. "I'll have your finest cola and she'll have the best glass of apple cider available," Applejack blinked at Hopeful's boldness.

The waiter left, leaving the two ponies alone. Applejack had a strange look on her face. She wasn't sure what it was that was rubbing her the wrong way, her feelings were all jumbled up, whereas Hopeful looked right as rain; certain and confident without the slightest hints of confusion.

"Ya know, Ah could've ordered mah own drink AND pulled out mah own chair" she said, "Ya'll didn't have to do that for me."

"I know that," his face and voice softened, "I'm sorry, did it upset you? I was just trying to be, you know, chivalrous; like any gentlecolt should be."

The blond mare sighed gently. Her freckled cheeks forming a sad-yet-sweet looking smile, his kindness was difficult to criticize. "And that's mighty sweet of you, but Ahm a big girl and Ah don't need no pony doing things for me that Ah can do mah self" she explained.

"Think of it as just an extra form of kindness," he said; twitching his wings. "If you ever needed a book from Twilight's library, you could always get it yourself, but just because someone like say Fluttershy or Pinkie Pie gets it for you doesn't mean you're incapable of doing it yourself," he clarified. The orange mare blinked in surprise; she hadn't really thought of it that way. "My dad always said: a colt's true worth is judged by how he treats a lady" Hopeful recited; speaking as if he was reading a passage.

"Huh, you got yourself a point there," she admitted. The blond mare still was surprised at how accurate he was with knowing what kind of drink she'd order however. "So then, how'd you peg me down as an apple cider kind of gal?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, not judging him but merely satisfying her curiosity into how Hopeful been so insightful.

"Well, besides the obvious apple motif, I happen to know a thing or two about what a woman wants," he said smoothly. AJ rolled her eyes and half smirked. Holstein returned with their drinks, the ponies gave Holstein their orders and resumed their conversation.

"Let me guess," Applejack said; staring flatly at the red Pegasus; "It was Apple Bloom wasn't it?"

"Yeah, that too" he answered; not missing a beat. He slurped some of his soda down with a gulp.

Deep down, Applejack didn't like her sister meddling with her love life…or rather…trying to force her to have one. She loves her dearly, but why can't she pick her own date? So far though, this evening wasn't turning out to be as uncomfortable as she first imagined.

"You know it's kinda funny," Applejack started to say as she stifled a chuckle; "All this fancy chivalry stuff is what mah friend Rarity dreams about. She loves all this chair pullin' and bowin'. Ah imagine somepony like you would have no trouble sweepin' her off her hooves," she said.

"Nah, that's impossible," he said; waving his hoof at the notion.

"Why do you say that?" she curiously asked.

"Because, I've only got eyes for the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria," he raised his soda glass to her with a charming smile. He took another drink and set it back down.

"Princess Celestia?" Hopeful nearly spat his cola out at Applejack's statement. She looked down and rubbed her chin. "Huh, Ah guess Ah had no idea you aimed that high lover boy" she remarked.

Hopeful shook his head and wiped his muzzle clean from the soda. "No-no not Princess Celestia; YOU of course" he clarified, pointing directly at her with his hoof.

"Mm-m-m-me?" she blurted out, she looked around and pointed to herself just to make sure he was not mistaken. Hopeful eagerly nodded. "The most b-b-b-beautiful mare in all of-" she couldn't finish her statement, her lips felt like they were sealed shut. Her cheeks burned red with furious blushing. The silence that followed only made things worse, well, for Applejack it did anyway. "Yy-y-y-y'all can't be serious", she asked as she leaned in closer, "Are ya?"

"Well of course, you didn't really think I was referring to Celestia did you?" he asked; answering for her impatiently, "After everything I went through to ask you out?"

"Well…no, Ah know that sounds ridiculous but," she started to say. The blond mare turned her head to the side; too embarrassed to finish her thought.

"Hey, hey, it's all right, you can talk to me about anything," he stated. The Earth pony felt such genuineness and kindness shining in those pink eyes of his. She didn't detect a hint of deception in his voice, his honesty and warmth had a calming effect on her. She felt like she really could be 100% honest with him. "I promise I won't laugh," he added.

"Ah know you wouldn't, Ah don't know you that well but Ah can tell you'd never do a thing to hurt me" she sweetly replied. Hopeful's face scrunched up at the "hurt me" remark, like the very thought bothered him to the point that he felt physically revolted. She found that look on him to be irresistibly adorable. "It's just Ahm a big gal and Ah spend so much time workin' on the farm, ponies see me as just a hard worker or that pony who sells apples and loves her family", she looked downward; lightly rubbing her arm, "So while some ponies have commented on mah good looks, Ah never saw myself as the way you see me," she replied with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"Well pardon my language but I think that's just bucking garbage," Applejack's jade colored eyes widened at his remark. "Honestly, the first time I saw you, I was so scared of talking to you because I thought for sure you already had a boyfriend", he explained, "I was expecting Granny Smith to tell me about all the guys that come banging on your front door."

"Thank ya kindly sugar cube," her cheeks faintly blush once more. She looks towards him and smiles, "You really do got a way with words don't cha?"

"If you think that's good, you should read my poetry" he added with a chuckle. Applejack looked visibly uncomfortable about discussing his poems, she was about to say something about them when the red Pegasus quickly cut her off. "Oh no-no-no, don't worry, I wasn't trying to sound sad about you not reading the poems I wrote for you" he explained, "I was just saying is all. I completely understand why you didn't want to read them; after all, I was dumping a lot on you all at once so I shouldn't have-"

Applejack politely interrupted him; pulling out a small scroll of paper. Hopeful's eyes sparkled upon seeing the familiar scroll. She licked her lips, took a deep breath and started to read from it.

"Time meant pain and uncertainty, a terrible life to lead. Tears soaked with sorrow, mah emptiness continuin' to bleed. Yet through promises of hopes and dreams, they fail compared to you. You know not how deep you bless me; let me sing of mah truth. You are mah path to walk, my moon and mah stars. Your touch melts me inside and heals mah scars. You make time last forever, happy and grand. No one makes me happier than you, no one else can. You are the wings on mah back, the sparkle in the sea. No soul, nor spirit, nor saint shall ever take you away from me. Ah exist only for you and that's how it will always be. Please, don't ever doubt how much you mean to me," Applejack said; rolling the scroll back up as she finished. Her eyes shimmered with heartfelt emotion. "That one's mah favorite, just so you know" she sweetly added.

Both ponies were rendered speechless; but for very different reasons. Hopeful couldn't believe it. Not only did she read the poems he sent her, but she actually had a favorite one AND she kept it with her to recite on their first date. Applejack was drowning in a sea of confusing emotions. She didn't get all these chair pulling, fancy flower romantic stuff, and yet, hearing those words again set her heart into an thunderstorm of tingling emotions she had never experienced before. She was just a simple hard working country girl, never even considering the possibility of finding a colt to court; certainly not a Pegasus for that matter.

"Y-y-y-y-y-you read my poems, you honestly-no-kidding-for-real read my poems?" he asked nervously. The red colt's eyes lit up like shooting stars; he looked like he was going to squeal like Pinkie Pie. "But I thought you didn't-" he started to say.

"Ah didn't, not at first anyway," she confessed, "Ah told you Ahm not used to all this romancin' and stuff; Ahm just not the kind of girl who needs flowers and big romantic gestures in her life. But then Ah thought to mahself: you put a lot of hard work into these poems, and there's nothin' Ah appreciate more than a hard worker." Her words caused Hopeful to smile wider and wider. "So Ah decided to give ya the benefit of the doubt and gave one of your poems a try, and boy howdy, you sure know how to blow a sweet tune there Hopeful" she beamed.

"I'm honored," he replied energetically, "My dad always told me the best way to a woman's heart is to wound her with words." He thought to himself for a moment and then laughed at what crept into his mind, "Well that and through her stomach, which reminds me, did you try that pie I made for you?"

AJ's orange freckled cheeks suddenly turned a nauseating shade of green. She held her throat, trying to fight back the disgusting memory gurgling in her body. "Um the uh p-p-p-p-pie?" she weakly stuttered. The orange mare removed her hat and fanned herself; trying to fight back the nervous sweating dripping down her muzzle.

"Yeah, you know, the apple pie I baked for you?" he asked. Hopeful didn't understand why she was acting this way.

Before she could reply, Holstein arrived with their orders: spaghetti and veggie balls for Hopeful and honey baked oats; coated with a combination of cinnamon sugar and fried apple slices for her. "Oh look, dinner's here" Applejack loudly announced, "Boy Ah sure am starvin', LET'S EAT!"

The southern mare began voraciously scarfing down her food, desperate to stuff her mouth so she could avoid the conversation regarding Hopeful's pie. Holstein and Hopeful both looked oddly at Applejack, they continued to watch before ultimately looking at each other. The yellow Earth pony shrugged and left; leaving a most perplexed Hopeful to watch his date still frantically shoveling her food into her mouth.

"Um Applejack, is something wrong?" his question caused her to suddenly stop; bits of honey dripped off her muzzle onto her plate. "You know you can tell me if you didn't try the pie or didn't like it. It was my first crack at baking so I don't expect a glowing review," he calmly stated, "You can be honest with me, I expect nothing less from you."

She cautiously bit her lip, eyes nervously avoiding contact with Hopeful's. There's nothing Applejack hated more than telling a lie. She represented the element of honesty for pony's sake, and yet, honesty can be very damaging sometimes and she didn't want to hurt Hopeful's feelings. He insisted she be honest and assured her he wouldn't take it personally.

"Well…the thing about yer pie is," she started to say.

(Flashback)

Applejack clutched the bathroom toilet and buried her face into it; heaving and gagging with thunderous vomiting. Her orange face looked more like a freckled avocado with blond hair. She tried to speak but her cheeks quickly puffed out and then barfed once more into the toilet.

"Hey sis, how's that pie Hopeful made for ya? I was hopin' to try a slice" Apple Bloom called from the hallway. She happily trotted towards the bathroom door. "Sis, where are ya sis? Ahm dyin' to know how-" the filly's voice dropped suddenly when she saw her sister.

The orange mare weakly looked to her sister, her body trembling all over, as if the slightest movement from her position would cause another violent eruption of puking and gagging. "S-s-s-s-stay…ugh…stay away from the p-p-p-pie," she choked out, "Its evil Ah tells ya; PURE EVIL." Applejack gagged and ducked her head back into the toilet, shuddering after each gushing upheaval.

"Um…yeah, Ah think Ahm just gonna" Apple Bloom started to say. She turned and ran away as fast as her little legs would carry her; trying desperately to block out the sounds of her older sister puking her guts out into the toilet.

(End Flashback)

Hopeful's pupils shrank into horrified, tiny little dots; his fork and knife dropping from his hooves. He couldn't believe what he just heard. "Two hours? Your telling me the pie I baked made you vomit for TWO HOURS STRAIGHT?!" he frantically gasped.

"We thought about throwin' it in the Everfree forest for some critter to munch on, but even monsters don't deserve that kinda cruelty," she said; trying to play it off as a joke. This is exactly the reason why telling the truth sometimes caused more harm than good. "So yeah Ah reckon that you might wanna take a bakin' lesson or two before you, ya know, go poisonin' me again" she said with a weak laugh. Unsurprisingly, all of her attempts to add humor didn't make him feel any better.

"Y-y-y-yeah…I should…totally do that" he said, each word sounding frailer than the last. An uncomfortable silence settled between the two ponies, neither one made a sound other than the faint clinking of their silverware poking at their plates. Hopeful looked like he was about to break into a million pieces. Applejack raised her hoof and tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Hopeful's sudden outburst, "STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!" He banged his head into the table again and again; Applejack winced watching Hopeful hurt himself like that. "Great first impression Hopeful, just POISON the girl you're trying to go out with" he screamed as he slammed his face into his plate of pasta.

"Whoa, hold it right there sugar cube," she protested, "It's all right; seriously! You don't need to bash your brains in just cause ya made a mistake." The southern mare desperately tried to get her date's attention. She knew he'd be upset but she didn't think he'd take things this badly. "Look, Ahm just fine, don't be so hard on-" Applejack started to say.

Hopeful picked his face back up from his plate. The Pegasus had globs of sauce smeared all over like make up; the veggie balls stuck to his eyes like goggles and his chin had chunks of pasta sticking to it like a beard. Applejack bit her lip; desperately trying to not to burst with laughter, but once the veggie balls loudly popped off his eyes, she couldn't resist it.

"AH HA, HA, HA" she roared, slamming her hooves on the table and turning beat red. Hopeful had no idea what was so funny until Applejack showed him his tiny reflection in her glass. He squeaked and frantically tried to clean himself up. "Whoo doggie, you sure know how to make me laugh partner," she gasped out between laughs.

"W-w-wait, so you're not mad then about me ruining the date?" he asked curiously, "And making you puke your guts out?"

"Of course not you big goof," she said with a smile. The colt just sat there for a moment, processing everything and wiping chunks of sauce out of his black hair. "Ah haven't seen a pony handle food so badly since that time Ah was exhausted and ended up makin' toxic muffins with Pinkie Pie," she chuckled, "Besides, it's the thought that counts the most. Ya'll tried your hardest to make me somethin', sure it didn't turn out right but that doesn't mean Ah don't appreciate the gesture."

"But I made a total mess of things on our very first date; I mean come on," he gestured to his muzzle and face, "I was wearing my dinner! Doesn't that like, you know, ruin everything?" Hopeful was sure this mess of a night would be a deal breaker; at least it had been with past dates he went on.

"Are you kiddin' me? Ahm gonna remember this night for a looooong time, Ah can't remember the last time dinner was this fun," she said. The country mare let loose a deafening "YEE HAW" across the restaurant; causing some ponies to glare and shush her. Her freckled cheeks turned rosy pink at her sudden outburst. "Yeah so, not sure how your feelin' but Ahm havin' more fun than pig in a slop bucket" she chimed; much more quieter this time.

He smiled softly at the southern Earth pony. It's so strange; he couldn't believe that everything he had done wrong was somehow making everything end up right. A few ponies cast a few peculiar glances towards the laughing pair. Some were confused by their sudden outbursts in such a fancy place; others just found the idea of a Pegasus and Earth pony together unsettling. Either way, AJ and HR seemed to be enjoying each other's company far more than traditional pony society expected.

"Ya'll have to excuse me for a moment," AJ said as she stood up and headed towards the washroom. She paused for a moment and quickly turned her head back to her table. A sly foxy grin formed on her muzzle, she caught Hopeful staring rather hungrily at her rump and tail, like his appetite had suddenly changed for something more satisfying than pasta. "Heh, looks like we got a dirty boy hidin' behind that chivalrous mind of yours" she coyly remarked.

Hopeful turned beat red, his blushing cheeks were even redder than his own natural fur color. The peeping colt quickly tried to dismiss her claim of him checking her out. Unfortunately, his words just came out in a jumbled, nonsensical mess so he panicked and hid behind his menu; earning a laugh from his blond date. Truth is; she found his attention rather flattering rather than offensive. Felt nice knowing she had someone who looked at her with genuine attraction rather than pure lust. She rolled her eyes and headed off to the restroom. Little did she know that Rainbow was also heading to the rest room, neither of them was aware that both of their dates were happening at the exact same restaurant at the exact same time.

"URP, excuse me" Rainbow loudly belched; earning some scathing looks from just about everyone except her date. "Be back in a flash big guy," she started to fly towards the restroom but stopped, turned to Arrowhead and pointed to him; "And don't go ordering dessert without me."

The grey colt laughed and shook his head, "Wouldn't dream of it true blue." She chuckled as well and headed towards the washroom.

Just as the rainbow colored mare had left, a second mare seemed to be capitalizing on her disappearance. Sitting at the bar behind Arrowhead was a cream colored Earth pony mare with thick, bouncy, raven dark colored hair. Her hair was made up like a cluster of clouds sprinkled with glitter and shimmering decorations. The mare had caked on jasmine blue makeup on her eyelids, pouty dark pink lipstick on her lips and large gold colored earrings with a diamond encrusted "#1" in each earring. The mare's oversized rump displayed her cutie mark: a series of colorful club lights overlapping in the shape of a K. She had her chocolate brown eyes locked squarely on Arrowhead.

"Hey there hot stuff," Arrowhead turned his head at the sound of a husky; overly sexualized voice. His eyes widened at the abrasive nature of the approaching mare. "There's nothing sadder than seeing a fine hunk of stallion sitting alone on such a sizzling, sexy evening like tonight" she purred licking her lips.

"This night is…sexy?" he asked, clearly confused by her choice of words.

"Name's Knockout honey," she practically leapt into his lap; he flinched at her sudden and forceful jump, "And I've got a private room at the Galloping Inn with your name on it. Just you, me, the bed and one wild night you'll never forget." She pressed her backside firmer into his well chiseled chest, draping her hooves around his neck.

Arrowhead cringed and tried to pull himself away. His hooves pushed against this overbearing mare to get her off his body, but she was too forceful and growing more lustful with every passing moment. "Seriously, you're seriously doing this lady?" he thought to himself.

"So what do you say big boy?" Knockout purred.

"Um, I say I'm here with a date," he pointed the empty seat next to him; "She just went to the bathroom is all."

"And I've got a boyfriend," she replied casually, "What's your point?" Arrowhead couldn't believe how calmly she just said that. She just passively mentioned she's in a relationship and has ZERO problems cheating on him. Her grip tightened around his neck every time he tried to move, she was like an anaconda; squeezing him in place.

"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" a familiar female voice screamed.

Knockout let loose an agonizing groan, her wide rump tightened up firmly at the sound of that nagging voice. Rainbow Dash hovered in front of the two cuddling ponies. Her cyan cheeks were burning with volcanic rage, steam actually shot out of her flaring nostrils as she glared at Arrowhead and the overly grabby tramp with her hooves all over him.

"Do you mind? We're trying to get something going here, so why don't you just buzz off and let us get better acquainted."

"Do YOU mind? I was half way to the bathroom when I saw you practically wearing him as a coat," Rainbow snapped. She zoomed up to Knockout's face and pointed at the rude mare's muzzle. "He's my date, not yours, so get your hooves off of him before I show you mine," she landed on the ground and put her hooves up in a fighting stance.

"Listen Twiggy, you wouldn't know what to do with him even if you had half a chance with him, which you don't by the way."

"Twiggy, d-d-d-did you just call me TWIGGY?!"

Arrowhead raised his hoof to speak but was quickly silenced by the two mares savage growling. Rainbow and Knockout inched their muzzles closer and closer, the fire in their seething eyes was burning intensely out of control. Neither one was backing down or showing any signs of letting up.

"This gorgeous slab of meat needs a real woman, not some scrawny little boy who is trying to be a girl."

"What do you know? You don't even know his name; you just keep slobbering over him and talking to him like he's transferrable property. Talk about trashy."

"The only trash I see has rainbow colored highlights and two puny ass wings. He deserves the real thing, not settling for some speed junkie fly boy."

"I. AM. A. GIRL!"

"Keep telling yourself that Butch, now be a dear and fly away little birdie. Your testosterone is making me sick and I'd hate to sour this fine colt's evening by throwing up."

Rainbow couldn't believe it. She bent over backwards and jumped through hoops just to get Arrowhead's attention, and now this obnoxious cow is fawning over him and he's not doing a thing about it! Arrowhead just sat there, letting the cream colored mare caress him with her hooves and that absurdly large head of hair. She was rubbing herself all over him like she was a cat; smearing her scent on her territory.

"Aren't you going to say anything?! You're just sitting there, letting her man handle you and not doing squat," Rainbow exclaimed. He looked around the restaurant for something, or someone, but having no luck in finding it. The cyan mare grabbed her hair and yanked on it. Her voice became a garbled mess of vicious snarls, too frustrated to notice or care why he was looking for something. "Is this for real?" she hovered above his head, "Are you really just going to let this happen?"

The overzealous mare seemed quite pleased with Rainbow's frustration; she grinned and continued mushing her body closer and deeper into Arrowhead's. Rainbow wanted to scream and rainbow blast this tramp half way across the planet. But just as she was about to unload her insuppressible rage, she finally got a reaction out of her date.

"Ah, just what I was looking for" Arrowhead said. A dark grey Earth pony waiter with a black moustache, short dark hair and wearing a slick button up vest was passing by their table with a cart of dirty dishes and empty plates. "Excuse me, could you do me a favor and send this one back?" Arrowhead pried Knockout off his body like a clinging child and plopped her onto the cart, "It's really rotten."

Knockout, Rainbow and the waiter all stared at the speedy grey colt in dumbfounded shock. He reared back his powerful back leg and kicked the cart backwards as hard as he could. Knockout screamed indignantly, flailing her hooves back and cursing Arrowhead and Rainbow's names as the cart whizzed by several tables and ponies.

CRASH!

The waiter gasped as the cart smashed into another cart and waiter; dumping all of the plates half eaten remains all over Knockout. He gasped aloud and desperately ran to help clean up the mess soiling into the screaming mare's fur and hair.

"Now then," Arrowhead turned his attention back to his cerulean colored date, "Where were we?"

"Dude, that was unbelievably awesome-tacular!" she happily exclaimed, "You totally put that sleaze in her place." Rainbow dropped down to her seat and clapped her hooves together with rapid fire applause. "For a minute there, I thought you were just going to shove me to the side and spend the rest of the night with her" she added.

"Come on now," he said with a shocked tone, "You really think I would do that to you?" Rainbow laughed sheepishly, cheeks turning a pinkish hue once she realized how shallow her opinion of him sounded. She was about to reply when she suddenly felt warmth spreading over one of her legs from under the table. Arrowhead was rubbing one of his legs against hers; gently grinding it against her sensitive hooves and well developed calf muscles, her cheeks turned redder and brighter. "You're not the only one who knows a thing or two about loyalty" he smoothly purred.

Meanwhile; at the washroom…

Applejack sighed contently as she trotted out of the washroom, shaking her muzzle and throwing her blond locks back. Creepily standing outside of the women's restroom was a tall, all-too eager looking colt with raised eyebrows and chewing on a toothpick. His fur color was ghostly white, head full of ash black spiky hair; he wore a dark blue jacket with a large collar jutting out around his neck. The pony's eyes were a light shade of cherry red; they contrasted with his dark hair. On his flank, the colt had a red target/bullseye for a cutie mark. AJ gasped a little, startled by the dark stranger who seemed to have been lingering around just for her sake.

"Now this truly is a crime that needs to be rectified," the colt firmly stated, "I can't believe it's taken this long to happen."

"Um what in tar nation are you yakkin' on about mister?" AJ curtly asked. Her face crinkled up in mild disgust, this guy looked as trustworthy and decent as the Flim Flam brothers. She tried to move towards the direction of her table but the creepy colt dashed in front of her.

"Why, having the two of us meet of course," he lurched closer and actually sniffed along AJ's golden locks. She felt like she needed to go back to the bathroom and wash the sleaze out of her hair. "You are a deliciously scrumptious feast for the eyes darling. Name's Marksman and I aim to please" he smirked and wagged his tail side to side, "And you are too fine of a target to slip past my hawk eyes."

"Yeah, nothin' more charmin' then some hair sniffin' guy lurkin' outside the restrooms," she said sarcastically. This is exactly the kind of pervy attention she was getting from Trender hoof, and it was also what made her initially refuse Hopeful's invitation. "Now if you don't mind, Ah have a date to get back to," she added a twinge of hostility in her voice. Marksman once again cut her off as she tried to leave, and once again, Applejack was getting more and more fed up with him.

"Please, that puny waste of space with the red fur is your date?" he scoffed in reply. Before AJ could answer; Marksman spat out his toothpick like a bullet across the restaurant directly at Hopeful. The toothpick painfully sunk right into his left earlobe. Hopeful flinched and held his ear tightly; feeling stinging pain surging through it but having no idea where it came from. "That whiny ass twit couldn't hit a bullseye an away from his nose," he said. Marksman gagged and cringed at the disgusting thought of some pony like Hopeful with a mare like Applejack.

"HEY! He is MAH date and Ah will not just stand here and let you trash talk him or use him for target practice," she angrily snapped.

"Your devotion is adorable freckles," he chuckled softly, "But wasted on a boy who wouldn't know what to do with a woman even if he got an inflatable one." Marksman grinded himself against AJ's side, draping his disgusting hoof around her waist. His smug smile revealing a dazzling smile, his white hoof rubbing AJ's orange side like she was a melon being tested for ripeness. "I always hit my mark, always, and unlike that Romeo runt over there; I know how to handle a woman."

"Buster, yer pushin' mah last buttons," she growled under her breath. The southern mare was doing everything in her power to keep from bucking this creep's face like an apple tree. The more he groped her and spoke such defiling words about her and Hopeful, the harder it became to submerge her boiling fury. No pony should withstand such disgusting treatment, verbally or physically. "Ahm warnin' you" she hissed behind clenched teeth.

"How bout we ditch this dump and your loser date? There's nothing I'd love to do more than tap that fine ass of yours like a keg of beer," he whispered into her ear. His lips were disturbingly close to her, they wetted as if he was actually salivating over her body.

CRUNCH!

AJ hammered her hoof into Marksman's right hind leg. The crushing sound was deafening, several ponies could hear something shattering the moment it made contact. Marksman's eyes bulged out like soft balls. He shrieked like a 10 year old filly, clutched his shattered hoof and collapsed to the ground in agony. Marksman could barely speak his voice was so shrill and screechy.

"Gee, lookie that, Ah just hit a bullseye of mah own" she happily beamed. AJ smiled and trotted off back to her table as if nothing had happened at all. Marksman was left doubling over in pain; biting his lip so he didn't make any more humiliating cries. "Sorry about all that," she said as she approached Hopeful at their table, "Now then, where were we?"

"Um you were going to the washroom and then I uh" he paused and motioned to the toothpick he lodged out of his ear, "Then…this…happened and I…is everything all right?" He rubbed his ear tenderly as he asked.

"Yup, everythin' is just peachy" she happily replied, "Just had to let off a little steam, now there was somethin' Ah wanted to ask you." She paused and stared at her orange hooves idly circling her empty plate. "But Ah wasn't sure if it was appropriate since this is the first date and all and Ah think it might be too personal," she softly said.

"Don't worry about it, ask me anything you want," he quickly replied.

"Well, it's about when you were attacked by that weird pony at mah farm. He hit you with some weird kind of fear magic and you mentioned a name" she said. Hopeful's joints stiffened; his calm demeanor slowly melting away to reveal one of nervousness. Even though he didn't remember what happened while he was under that fear spell, he knew there was only one name he would call out that he'd be afraid to talk about. "Ah was hoping you could tell me who-" the Southern mare was suddenly cut off by a nearby pony.

"Huh, Applejack is that you?" a familiar voice said from afar.

The orange mare turned and blinked in surprise at seeing a very familiar face from across the room: Rainbow Dash. Arrowhead and Hopeful met each other's gazes and were also noticeably surprised to find each other.

"Rainbow, you're havin' your date here too?" the southern mare asked.

"Goodness gracious me, is this meeting serendipitous or what?" another familiar voice exclaimed. "Here I was thinking: Gee, I wonder how my good friends Applejack and Rainbow Dash are doing on their dates that I was kind and generous enough to set up for them. And low and behold, here you both are." Applejack and Rainbow gulped loudly in shock; they recognized that voice all too well.

"DISCORD?!" the two mares loudly exclaimed.

Right on cue, the misshapen trickster materialized right before their eyes dressed in the same waiter uniform Holstein Lager was wearing. He snapped his Eagle claws and zapped Applejack and Hopeful out of sight, a second snap materialized them into empty seats right next to Rainbow Dash and Arrowhead at their table. Every pony was shocked and perplexed by the chaos spirit's sudden appearance and actions. He chuckled with great delight upon seeing the frazzled faces of his friends.

"Hey what's the big idea, what do you think you're doing here?" Rainbow angrily barked. She had no trepidation about flying right up to Discord's face and poking his snout with her hoof. All the times she's put up with his bizarre style of magic; butting into every place he didn't belong, she was putting a stop to that right now. "Trying to crash our dates or something? I suppose tricking me to humiliate myself wasn't bad enough, just had to come back and rub some more salt into the wound huh?"

"Crash your dates, Moi?" he feigned the innocent act; leaning back and raising his arm across his eyes. "What an absolutely horrible accusation," he moaned, "To think I would go to the trouble of setting you fine guys and gals up with each other, only to THEN drive a wedge between the four of you? Please." Discord gasped his chest as if he was having a heart attack. His chest exploded and created a heart shaped hole where his "heart" would be. "The only one who is wounded here is me," he whimpered.

"Ah ain't got time for your bull squirt, none of us do," Applejack snapped. She crossed her legs impatiently, the light tapping sound of her blond tail smacking against the chair echoed in the silence of the awkward situation. The orange mare still had a bone to pick with Discord over lying to her about Derpy and Hopeful. "And why the heck are ya dressed like our waiter, did you do somethin' nasty to him?"

"Oh him," Discord rolled his eyes and waved his paw, "Of course not, he's just wrapped up in something at the moment."

Holstein grunted and groaned against his tight constraints. The yellow colt was locked inside a pony sized burrito; sealed up tight and dumped behind the restaurant. He tried to stretch his arms and legs but they became uncomfortably wedged in the tightly packed assortment of guacamole and beans inside his burrito prison. "Why can't he just tie me up with ropes like any normal pony would?" Holstein grunted.

The four ponies looked at each other nervously. Knowing Discord, they had good reason to be concerned about the fate of their waiter. "But enough about him, I'm here to talk about YOU", he cheerfully grabbed AJ and Rainbow; smushing their cheeks together in front of him as he awkwardly rubbed his snout against their muzzles. To say they felt weirded out and uncomfortable would be a gross understatement. "You two are so disgustingly adorable on your cute little dates, I swear, I just want to throw up from all of this romantic sweetness," he gagged and magically vomited up a vase of roses onto the table. The roses floated out of the vase and suddenly appeared on Discord's head as he materialized onto the table.

Though no actual vomit came out, Rainbow and Arrowhead still found the "magic trick" to be downright repulsive. "If you're not here to crash our dates then why are you here?" Arrowhead tapped his hoof angrily against the table. He's never met Discord before, but he's heard plenty about his pension for mischief and the grey colt never put up with this kind of nonsense.

"Please hold all questions until the ride has come a complete stop," he answered cryptically; blowing spittle soaked raspberries at Arrowhead. The ponies looked at each other and shrugged in confusion. As usual, no one had any idea what the crazed trickster was babbling about. "Hmmm yes, I see," Discord scratched his chin; looking deep in thought. "I'm afraid this won't do at all," he snapped his claws and teleported Hopeful next to Rainbow and Arrowhead next to Applejack. The two mares stared bewilderingly at their "new" dates. "Ah yes, that looks so much better" he dusted his claws and rested them against his hips.

Hopeful nervously waved to Rainbow who nodded and smiled weakly in return. Their encounter now felt just as awkward as when they first 'met' each other at Pinkie's party. "Um, how's it going miss…Applejack?" Arrowhead sheepishly asked. The orange mare groaned and slapped her face with a loud thwack. Everything about this situation was making every pony feel annoyed and confused; two things Discord excelled at. The chaos spirit smiled proudly, he was quite pleased with his date swapping skills.

"Discord, what in tar nation is goin' on here?" Applejack demanded, "You lied to me about Hopeful and Derpy and tricked me into thinkin' they were courtin' so I would chase down Hopeful and accept his offer." Hopeful blinked at AJ's statement, he had no idea Discord was the one that gave her that false information. "Now Ah finally go out on a date with Hopeful and your usin' your confounded chaos magic to muck it all up, what are you playin' at?" she slammed one of her hooves onto the table and snorted a shot of steam from her flared nostrils. The red Pegasus tried to interject but AJ was far too steamed to listen to reason now. She was genuinely enjoying her evening, and having Discord popping in and ruining everything was the last straw for her.

"What am I playing at?" Discord stepped back and clutched his chest, pretending to gasp in horror at the pony's flaring temper. He stomped forward and loomed over AJ's table with his arms crossed. He looked stern, bitter, but most importantly; he looked very angry. Something was off about him though, more off than usual. It's like something snapped inside the twisted creature and brought out a nasty side he hadn't shown since he was terrorizing ponies thousands of years ago as a villain. "No, no, no, the real question is what are YOU PLAYING AT?" he shouted thunderously. He jammed his eagle claw into AJ's muzzle; she cried out and clutched her nose tightly.

"Have you lost your scrambled mind Discord?" she said muffled; clutching her nose in pain. A venomous glare sizzled off of Hopeful's face. The red colt had zero tolerance for any pony that treated mares so disrespectfully.

"Yeah, why are you getting so worked up? Were the ones who should be mad at you for screwing with us," Rainbow chimed in.

"I merely took it upon myself to help my friends make such frightfully difficult choices by lending a helping paw," Discord explained. Though calm in presentation, there was an underlying tone of anger that was becoming more and more noticeable; little by little. He slowly walked around the 4 ponies like a towering vulture; casting a shadow of concern on the puzzled ponies. "It started out as merely a means of distracting you, but once I saw you two finally stepping up I knew I had to set you straight," he leaned in close to AJ as he sneered, "That's what friends do isn't it fair maiden?"

"You're not makin' a lick of sense" she shoved Discord back, "If ya got somethin' to say then just spit it out already." She was growing increasingly frustrated with Discord's antics, she was always sick of his magic mind games but this was really pushing her limit; as well as Hopeful's.

"I'm just giving you what you wanted, remember? Horns with horns, wings with wings, Earth ponies with other Earth ponies?" his menacing scowl slowly turned into a mischievous smirk. Based on the alarmed look on AJ's face, the crafty trickster knew he struck a nerve. "Isn't that exactly how you want things, sticking to tradition and what not?"

"N-n-n-no Ah didn't say that, Ah mean, well yes Ah did say that but Ah didn't mean-" she tried to deny it, but she was a terrible liar and it was painfully obvious. She quickly looked to Hopeful with worry weighing heavily in her eyes. He looked confused and slightly irritated; Hopeful didn't want to believe what he was hearing but AJ's reaction indicated Discord might be telling the truth. "Please don't look at me like that Sugar cube, Ah swear Ah can explain" she said nervously.

"Oh yes, I'm sure we'd all love to hear this one," Discord snapped his claws and teleported behind Arrowhead and Rainbow. He elbowed the grey colt off his chair and plopped himself down rather forcefully next to Rainbow. "Go ahead Honest Applejack, tell your date AND your good friend Rainbow Dash here how you think it's against the rules for all ponies to date outside their race and how you think it's unnatural and wrong?" he pressed Rainbow against her cheek so he could watch her face twist with anger.

"Whoa, hold it right there," she grunted and shoved Discord out of her face and turned back to her southern friend, "He's making all of this up…right? I mean, you didn't really say those things, did you AJ?"

"Well…not in those exact words but-" she started to reply.

"Are you kidding me?!" Rainbow leapt off her seat and hovered above the table, she looked like some pony just stabbed her in the back. The cyan Pegasus angrily beaned down against her friend. AJ gulped loudly and inched back in her seat; blond locks dripping with beads of nervous sweat. "I know I judged Arrowhead because he wasn't a Pegasus, but that was a personal choice of mine," she quickly turned to Arrowhead with an apologetic look on her face, "Of which I am totally, still sorry for." The grey colt grunted but nodded; deciding it would be best not to add any more fuel to this fire. Rainbow turned back and pointed at AJ accusingly, "But it is totally uncool to say it's wrong for all ponies to play for the same team."

"I would have thought the element of honesty would have learned that by now," Discord coolly remarked. Tensions continued to flare up in Discord, Applejack, Rainbow and Hopeful. Arrowhead kept calm as he saw how easily this situation was frustrating everyone to the point of blind rage. AJ turned to Discord and growled like a vicious guard dog. It was his fault all of this was turning into a disaster; all she wanted to do was have a nice evening with Hopeful. Not backing down, Discord craned his neck down towards AJ's eye level and growled right back. "You never accepted me as your friend, I try to help and you continue to make the same mistakes just because you're too stubborn to admit it. I bet if I was an Earth pony you'd have no problem with being friends with me."

"Stop tryin' to twist mah words, you know for a certified fact that Ah am friends with every kind of pony AND a dragon as well as you," AJ defended herself firmly. It didn't matter if he was a reformed villain or a close friend she's known for years, this was no way to treat a friend. "Ah may be stubborn as a rock but Ah would never turn down a good hearted stallion over somethin' like race, nor would Ah tell a friend to do that" she nodded and slowly adjusted her hat back, almost as if that was an act of defiance in and of itself.

"But if it wasn't for me you would have done just that," Discord turned his nose up snootily, "And we both know that latter statement isn't true, or have you already forgotten about a certain dragon and white unicorn you know?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Hopeful leapt from his seat and zoomed right in front of Discord's face, forcing him to stand up from Arrowhead's chair. The red Pegasus flapped his wings and positioned himself directly at the lanky chaos spirit. He knew he was outmatched, he knew Discord was powerful enough to do all sorts of unimaginable things to him, but at this moment all he cared about was defending his date's honor. "I don't want to hear one more negative thing about Applejack," he pointed towards her, "You say you're helping her but all you're really doing is insulting her and that is something I will NOT tolerate."

A collective ring of gasps filled the captivated audience of Endless Illusion. Hopeful was proudly defending Applejack despite what Discord revealed and he had no fear in doing so, not in front of all these ponies and not even in front of someone as powerful as Discord. The orange mare watched with widening eyes, her heart pounding rapidly upon seeing how fiercely Hopeful was defending her…even when she didn't need him to.

"Do you have any idea who your messing with little pony?" Discord cracked his knuckles and opened a portal to another dimension. His tail shot up like a snake and quickly snared Hopeful; binding his limbs and wings. Rainbow, Arrowhead and Applejack went to stop him but Hopeful shook his head and asked them to wait. "I'm Discord, the master of chaos; I can drop kick your sorry little butt into a dozen different dimensions with just a snap," Hopeful stared him down; unflinching, "You really think you stand even the slightest of chances against the likes of me?"

"No, not really, but my dad always said that you should treat a lady with the utmost respect," Hopeful popped himself out of his bindings and soared in front of AJ; defending her even though he knew she wasn't in any physical danger. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do no matter who it is I'm up against," Hopeful declared.

AJ couldn't believe it. After everything Discord revealed, after all the trouble and heartache she put Hopeful through; he's still defending her like the fair maiden he always said she was. Her green eyes shimmered with growing emotions, she was truly moved by his words and wanted nothing more but to tell him what she thought of all this.

"DISCORD, what do you think you're doing?!" the sweet yet enraged voice of Fluttershy suddenly sliced through the tension of the confrontation. Discord froze, literally; icicles and frost chilled up his body at the sound of his yellow friend's voice. The portal vanished and Hopeful slowly made his way back to his proper seat next to Applejack. They all sat and watched as the butter colored Pegasus flew over towards her frozen friend and hovered in front of him. "I don't know what you think you're doing mister but I've got a bone to pick with you," she angrily pouted.

Discord's frozen head slowly turned; creaking and crackling loudly. The frozen shell fell off Discord's body, quickly realizing Fluttershy was in no mood for his humor. "F-f-f-f-fluttershy what a s-s-s-splendid s-s-surprise," he stammered frantically; trying to mop up the sweat trickling off his brow with his tail tip, "I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw my f-f-f-friends here were having a nice double date so I just thought I'd-"

"Save it buster! I saw you harassing our friends and being up to your old tricks again so don't try to talk your way out of this," she shouted. Though her voice was soft and typically very sweet, Discord feared that slightly angered tone in her voice more than anything else in Equestria. She always knew how to set him in place. "Now then, were going to have a nice long talk and give these ponies some privacy", she flew up to Discord and yanked on his little grey ear like a mother dragging her child away, "Come on now."

"OW, OWIE, that really, really stings! Pp-p-please, I can explain," he faintly protested. He could feel the suffocating waves of embarrassment washing over him as Fluttershy yanked him out of the restaurant so easily, especially after all that power and authority he was trying to channel into Hopeful.

"Don't you try any excuses on me young draconequus," she grunted and yanked even harder on his ear, "And don't even think about making your ear fall off while I'm pulling you out. We're going to have this talk whether you like it or not." Fluttershy briefly waved to Rainbow and AJ, smiling and mouthing "congratulations" to them as she left. Discord and Fluttershy vanished out of sight and returned the evening back to normal.

All four of the ponies kept their stares fixated on where Fluttershy took Discord, still shocked and amazed at the control that sweet little Pegasus had over such a powerful creature. Neither one of them had a clue how to respond or how they could continue their evening after such a bizarre display of emotions and events.

"Check please," Arrowhead raised his hoof to wave down a waiter.

To be continued…

Whoo man I had to cut out A LOT of stuff I had planned for this chapter due to length. Since the chapter was called "Date Night", I wanted to keep the focus on the actual dates as anything else wouldn't really connect to the focus though. Next chapter will cover all the things I couldn't put in here and more. I promise they'll be more story about Khan and not just mushy romance, even though this is a romance story lol! Next chapter Preview: The Mane 6 get together and recap how their nights went, Fluttershy is greeted by a mysterious stranger, The Princess Sisters both have secret admirers and has Celestia FINALLY caught on to Chimera Khan? Find out next chapter, bye for now!

16. Secret Admirers

Chapter 16: Secret Admirers

Ho man has it been a LOOOOONG TIME! Feels like a year has passed since I last updated. I've been working on this chapter for some time now, but RL has been bombarding me with every major issue there is: moving to a new home, dealing with a growing baby, working at a stressful job AND seeking a new one. So yeah, things have been busy as you could imagine. Quick update on season 6, LOVING IT SO FAR! The Christmas episode, Flurry Heart, Stranger than Fanfiction and my personal favorite: GAUNTLET OF FIRE! Its about time my favorite little dragon got some respect and loving. *Fingers crossed for SOME Sparity in the future* And yes I know it's got a slim to zero chance of happening but hey, no harm in praying.

As I mentioned before, I won't be able to keep up with season 6 and I'm going to be sort of "rush integrating" season 5 into the current plot in the next chapter. You'll see more what I mean towards the end and in the beginning of the next chapter. This chapter and the next one will be using a lot of flashbacks so expect plenty of jumping back and forth. Things are about to get real intense for our couples, and some new ones are on the cusp of forming too. I'm really proud with how the humor turned out in this one and I think there's plenty of interesting seeds being sewn here that will hint at what's to come. I know it must seem like its taking forever for the villain/action to take place, but trust me, I'm pacing it this way for a specific reason and Khan is getting closer. You'll learn more about him each time he appears. Feel free submit your reviews and questions and comments. I'm happy to answer anything asked of me, plus knowing what you guys think helps my drive and helps me make my story even better. As always, all rights, likenesses and names of MLP:FIM belong to Hasbro and not me. I claim no rights or ownership over anything except for my OC's. With that said, enjoy!

After a night of dates and fine dining, the 6 ponies had returned to their homes. Celestia's sun radiated beautifully over the afternoon sky of the new day. Curious to see how everyone's night went, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie headed over to Twilight's home to share some date night gossip with each other. The 5 ponies smiled warmly at each other; idly chit chatting as they approached the Golden Oak library. Rarity seemed especially chipper. Her dove white hooves bounced with every step she made, almost as bouncy and giddy as Pinkie Pie. Everything and everyone seemed so peaceful and serene, nothing but gorgeous blue skies, golden sun rays and cheerful smiles as far as the eye could see. It seemed almost impossible to disrupt the harmony of this peaceful day.

CRASH! BAM!

Almost.

The ponies stopped dead in their tracks; flinching from the sudden violent eruptions they heard thundering from inside the library.

Fluttershy looked nervously to her friends, "Oh my, what's going on in there? I hope everyone's all right." She held her hoof to her mouth; nervously chewing on it.

"I SAID I'M SORRY, I SWEAR, NOTHING HAPPENED!"

"Oh yeah, like I'm gonna believe THAT!"

CLANG!

"Spike, put that frying pan down this instant!"

The ponies continued to stare at each other in bewilderment. Part of them wanted desperately to barge in and find out what was going on, but the other part of them was too nervous and too curious to stop whatever is happening.

"That sounds like Moonstruck and Spike causin' a ruckus" Applejack commented.

"But I thought they were on better terms," the yellow Pegasus asked, "What would cause them to fight each other?"

"Perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding darling," Rarity surmised. She listened closely and tried to put her developing detective skills to good use. "Moonstruck said nothing happened, that could mean a many number of things," she rubbed her chin with her hoof. Although whatever that "nothing" was, it must have been quite problematic to cause Spike to go into such a pan swinging rage.

"Yeah, it could also mean only one thing, if ya know what I mean" Rainbow added with a suggestive snicker.

Nearly all the girls turned bright red at the inappropriate implication Rainbow made, everyone except Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy muttered "Oh dear" over and over again, Rarity was beyond flustered and Applejack tried to hide her cherry red cheeks under her Stetson.

"Umm I actually don't know what you mean" Pinkie shrugged, her answer made Rainbow burst into laughter while the other ponies tried to shake uncouth imagery from their heads.

"What I'm saying is I think that Spike's mad because Twilight and Moonstruck-" Rainbow started to say.

"RAINBOW, PLEASE! You may not value your status as a lady, but some of us would like to keep our decency" Rarity replied haughtily. She "Hmped" at Rainbow's dismissal, tossing her purple curls back.

WHAM!

"If nothing happened, then how'd you end up in Mom's bed?"

Spike's words silenced any remaining chatter amongst the 5 mares. Things were sounding more and more confusing the longer they listened.

"That's it," the cerulean Pegasus flew towards the door and rushed her body against it, "I've gotta see this for myself." The other ponies tried to stop her but ended up collapsing and falling inside with her. "Would every pony just get off me already?" Rainbow screamed; stuck at the bottom of a dog pile of ponies.

The house was a complete mess, books and parchment scrolls were scattered everywhere. Rainbow grunted as she sat up from the dog pile and noticed how many books she had uncomfortably landed on when the door burst open. Twilight would be neat freaking out over this mess if she wasn't too busy trying to stop Spike from whacking Moonstruck across the head with a frying pan…again. The three purple figures were racing after each other along the bedrooms; heading towards the staircase.

"You put that pan down right now young dragon" Twilight scolded. Spike angrily ignored her and continued swinging the iron pan at Moonstruck like a baseball bat. She tried magically lifting the pan out of his claws but Spike's grip was too strong, she even teleported in front of him several times but he just ducked under her or went around her. "Spike, I can explain everything if you just calm down" she raised her bandaged hoof towards her cut cheek, "It's all a big misunderstanding."

The young dragon ferociously chased Moonstruck to the edge of the stairs, one slip of the hoof and they both could go tumbling down. "Come on, come on," Moonstruck tried to use his magic to teleport out but the hex was preventing him. Spike charged forward, swinging the pan wildly as he was inches away from clocking Moonstruck. "I swear Spike, NOTHING happened" he pleaded, "I'm your friend, I would never hurt Twilight in a million, million years."

RAH!

ZAP!

Spike was lost in such a blinding storm of fury and rage, he didn't even hear Moonstruck anymore; or notice that his frying pan had been magically blasted into a cluster of bubbles. Twilight beamed the pan into bubbles just before Spike moved in for the swing. "What the-" Spike gasped. The inertia from the now empty clawed swing sent him tumbling down the stairs, whirring into a purple and green ball spiraling out of control. He couldn't stop himself from zooming right towards his friends. The ponies scattered like mice; desperately avoiding becoming pony bowling pins. Rarity was far too concerned for Spike to budge; he could faintly hear her calling his name while he rolled. Twilight shouted for her unicorn friend to catch him. "GAAAAAAH" Spike wailed as he knew he was heading right for the mare he adored.

"OOF" Rarity grunted as Spike gut checked her like a hoof ball and slammed her to the ground. The snow white mare and purple dragon lay on the ground; both their eyes filled with spinning stars. Every pony in the room quickly rushed to their aid. Rarity's dizzy sapphire eyes slowly came into focus on the blurry purple blob sitting so comfortably on her chest. "Spike…Spikey Wikey?" she weakly groaned, "Are you all right darling, you're not hurt are you?" He shook his head at the sound of her sweet, angelic voice. His emerald eyes started to focus as well. "Oh thank Celestia your all right," she sighed with relief.

"R-r-r-rarity, is that…Oh my gosh!" Spike exclaimed, "Rarity I am SO, so sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt you, I was just so angry and I lost control and before I knew it-" The fashionista giggled and placed a hoof to Spike's lips. The dragon's anxiety instantly melted away, her touch was like magic to him; far more potent than any spell her horn could cast.

"It's perfectly all right sweetie, no pony was harmed" she soothed, "Even the pony you were trying to injure." Her curls bounced as she motioned her head towards Moonstruck. Spike turned and saw Twilight comforting the terrified convict, he was breathing heavily into a paper bag Twilight provided. Her eyes looked to her number one assistant and glared with fierce disappointment. Spike's cheeks turned bright red; he offered an apologetic smile and weakly waved. He knew he was going to get a long winded lecture for this one. "I must say though darling," she purred playfully; bringing Spike's attention back to her, "Last night must have sparked something because you seem especially bold today."

Spike had no idea what Rarity was getting at with that oddly playful tone. He looked down and suddenly realized his position: sitting on top of Rarity, claws resting on her chest and staring right into her eyes. "Ho boy" Spike gulped, his cheeks turned a million shades of red; every pony else staring at him was blushing almost as hard. The dragon leapt back and kept his claws secured behind his back. "I know that was an accident and you're not hurt but still," Spike immediately bowed to Rarity, "PLEASE don't be mad at me! I swear I've changed; I'm not the immature dragon from before. I don't do stuff like that, I'm still a gentlecolt; honest." Rarity used her magic to lift Spike's chin up; he looked at her with a perplexed glance. She leaned in and bopped him on the nose with her hoof. "OW" he grunted and clutched his nose, "What was that for?"

"That was for thinking I would ever see you in a less chivalrous light", she smirked and planted a long, tender kiss on Spike's cheek. The soft smack of her lips echoed loudly in the silent room. Every pony went wide eyed; especially Spike. "And that was for that absolutely lovely present you left outside my house this morning," she nuzzled the cheek she just kissed, "Spikey poo." The dragon felt his cheeks burning bright with blushes; he squeaked and collapsed in shock. Rarity couldn't help but giggle at his reaction.

Applejack frowned at the little moment those two just shared. "All right, all right, enuff messin' around", she walked between Spike and Rarity. Despite her openness to dating Hopeful, she still remained mostly stuck in her ways. It was hard enough for her to truly accept other ponies dating outside their race; let alone a dragon and a pony. She didn't want to be this way, she hated the fact she couldn't just be happy and support every pony to date and be with any pony they liked. But traditions exist for a reason and she believed in that reason. Hopeful may have changed her perceptions a little, but the stubborn southern mare still had a long ways to go. "So then," she looked around the room, "Anyone mind tellin' us what the Heck is goin' on here?"

"Oh, oh, oh, I know, I know!" Pinkie waved her hoof frantically in the air. The gang turned to her with curious eyes. "It's all so simple now, I should've known," Pinkie put on her detectives hat and pipe; bubbles slowly popping out of it. "Twilight, Moonstruck and Spike", she squinted her eyes, looking intense and serious. Every pony was hanging on her every word. "Were arguing over who was the first one to play this super-amazing-incredible game I JUST invented: blind folded water balloon limbo," everyone groaned and shook their heads. "What, what else could it be?" Pinkie shrugged.

"All I know is," Spike pointed at Moonstruck, "When I got home this morning, I saw YOU snuggled up to my mom, sleeping in the same bed and she had cuts and marks on her that weren't there before." Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy gasped, Rainbow secretly muttered "I knew it" to herself. Both Twilight and Moonstruck were looking awfully red in the face. "How do you explain that, Mr. Innocent?" Spike placed his claws on his hips.

Moonstruck bit his lip and looked to Twilight; she looked just as embarrassed and nervous to explain the whole story as he was. It was obvious however an explanation was going to be needed to cool some heads. "Well…" he started to say.

*Flashback*

The dark purple Unicorn groaned groggily at the nagging rays of sunlight bleeding through the curtains. His head was pounding and his joints were aching for reasons unknown. Silver eyes weakly open to his new surroundings. Moonstruck slowly noticed that he was no longer in the basement, but in fact, upstairs in a bedroom at the golden oak library. He saw an empty bed where Spike slept and a pile of comic books neatly stacked next to it.

"Wha-what happened last night?" he rubbed his head softly; "Last thing I remember I was in the basement and then I…then I…heard someone's voice. I thought it sounded like Twilight." A sudden shift around his body produced a sensation of warmth that was most unexpected. Moonstruck's eye lids half closed; overwhelmed by the surprising sensation of warm comfort flowing over his muscles. "This feels nice," he crooned and nuzzled closer to the warmth, "My body feels like it ran the running of the leaves last night, but funny enough, that was the best night's sleep I ever had." He didn't fully grasp where he was and at the moment he didn't care. Moonstruck felt at peace, felt comforted, everything just seemed so serene and soothing that every care that crippled him seemed to melt away from this blissful state.

"Mmmm" a voice moaned from behind.

The colt's eyes snapped wide open upon hearing that sweet yet startling sound. "What was that?" he nervously started to look around the room. Moonstruck was starting to realize exactly where he was: Twilight's bedroom…and in bed WITH Twilight! "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap" he sputtered frantically. He was terrified to find the source of that heavenly warmth, for he had a good idea where it was coming from, but he prayed to Celestia he was wrong. The colt saw a light purple Alicorn, snoozing peacefully right next to him; snuggling against him happily. She draped a hoof across his chest; just a few inches from his neck. "What the hell happened last night?!" he bit his lip, trying to keep his voice down but having difficulty due to the unshakable amount of fear in it.

To make matters worse, Twilight was wrapped around him so snugly that if he were to move or push her even a little bit; she might wake up and who knows how she'll react. Moonstruck noticed a band aid over Twilight's cheek and white gauges wrapped around one of her hooves. Did he do that, did his crazy pervy brain take over and do something with Twilight, did he cast spells in his sleep, but more importantly: how the hell did they end up in bed together?!

And here I thought you didn't have the guts to stick it to the princess…literally! I take back everything I ever said about you stud. This calls for a celebration, can I get a HELL YEAH?

"Will you shut your mouth, I didn't stick it to anyone" he whispered; his silent voice seething with irritation, "I don't remember a damn thing that happened last night."

No wonder I missed out, that makes it even better! Your imagination is gonna go crazy thinking of all the crazy, kinky stuff you guys did last night. Oops, already is…dude, you got a filthy mind up in here! You suck face with that mouth?

"Nobody sucked anything all right?" he gulped and just realized what he said, "Forget I just said that."

You think princess tight ass will be able to restore your memories from last night along with your past ones? I'm kinda hoping she does because I would love to find out what nasty stuff went on here last night. I bet she likes to use props, what do you think?

Moonstruck groaned in defeat and just slumped his head to the ground. Twilight stirred slightly but went back to sleep and nuzzled closer; cuddling with the sulking stallion. It was a shame this situation was so frightfully awkward because Moonstruck was kind of loving this attention from Twilight. Sure, she was uptight and dorky and she didn't know how to shut up sometimes, but this is the first time in 2 years he's felt so at ease. He felt so warm and relaxed feeling her soft furry body gently caressing him from behind. It was like sleeping next to a beautiful angel that felt like warm marshmallows and smelled of lavender; it was heavenly.

"I'm just grateful no pony else is here to see this", he chuckled and closed his eyes; "I don't even want to think of what would happen if Spike saw me like this."

"Better start thinking pal," Moonstruck's eyes widened at that painfully familiar voice. It belonged to another purple figure in the room. This one had shades of green, emerald colored eyes, dark scales and a glare so hate filled; it could drill through diamonds. Moonstruck gulped loudly. He looked up and saw Spike, standing there; clutching his claws in indescribable anger, a piece of grass stuck out of his teeth like a toothpick. "What. Did. You. Do. To. My. Mom?" Spike snarled. The grass melted like kindling from the brimstone sizzling inside the dragon's scowling lips.

Moonstruck lifted up his hooves as best he could, his movements still partially restricted from Twilight laying on top of him; a fact that wasn't helping the situation. "Okay Spike," he tried to calm the dragon down, "I know this looks really, really bad but believe it or not, I have an explanation." Spike crossed his claws over his chest and waited impatiently; tapping a claw against his chest. Moonstruck laughed nervously, always forgetting how deathly scary this little dragon could be sometimes. "Heh…well…I sort of have an explanation," he laughed nervously, "It's actually a funny story when you think about it, you see, I can't really remember what happened last night and-"

Spike reared back his favorite frying pan and lunged at Moonstruck with a fury unlike any he's ever unleashed before.

*End Flashback*

The ponies looked at each other and nodded; finally understanding why Spike was attacking Moonstruck when they came in. Twilight avoided everyone's eye contact. Her cheeks were beat red, she felt like she was going to keel over and die from embarrassment. She wanted to tell them how they ended up in bed but she's worried her friends might freak out if they knew Moonstruck had such destructive night terrors. Sure, he dinged her up a bit but she knew it was purely accidental and didn't blame the poor colt for anything he did last night.

"Wait a second, there's one very important detail you left out mister," Pinkie said accusingly. Everyone looked to Moonstruck and then back to Pinkie. "Why did Spike have a piece of grass stuck in his teeth?" everyone but Pinkie groaned and slapped their faces, "What? That's the only part I was confused about."

Rainbow shook her head shamefully, "Seriously, that's what you took out of that story?" Pinkie nodded. Rainbow rolled her eyes and groaned. The speedy mare pointed at Twilight's cheek and arm; she then grabbed Pinkie and forced her muzzle right up against the Alicorn's body to examine the wounds. "Aren't you even a little suspicious or upset with this guy? He hurt our friend, Twilight didn't get these wounds from flipping pages in a book," Rainbow said. She flew up above everyone and motioned with her hooves towards Pinkie, "How can you be so sure he didn't intentionally hurt her?"

"Because he makes Twilight happy," Rainbow's eyes widened at Pinkie's casual reply, "Twilight and Moonstruck spend a lot of time together and they both seem a lot happier whenever they're doing things together. So when Moonstruck says he doesn't remember doing anything, I know he's telling the truth because he would never want to hurt Twilight on purpose." Both Twilight and Moonstruck smiled sheepishly and looked at each other with blushing cheeks.

"T-t-thank you Pinkie Pie" Moonstruck said sincerely. He smiled softly at Pinkie's kind words, they were simple but they conveyed so much to the unicorn. She smiled back and winked. The colt originally thought Pinkie was a scatter brained sugar junkie who had nothing in her head but party balloons and confetti, but now he sees she's actually one of Twilight's sharpest friends.

"You're welcome Moonstruck," she popped a pipe into her mouth and put her detective's hat back on, "Now then, about the matter of the mysterious blade of grass in Spike's teeth." Rainbow groaned in frustration but Pinkie ignored it and maintained her detective persona.

"Um a-a-a-actually," Fluttershy nervously raised her hoof, "I was more c-c-curious how Spike didn't notice them-" She had to pause before continuing, her cheeks turned bright pink with embarrassment at the thought of discussing this subject. "Y-y-y-you know, t-t-t-together when he first woke up" she asked, "What were you're doing Spike, how come you didn't notice this? Of course if you don't want to answer, I completely understand and I'm sorry I asked."

The young purple dragon raised his claw to speak but was interrupted by a sweet and polite voice. "Um actually darling, I think I can explain that" Rarity said. Spike was surprised Rarity wanted to personally explain what he was doing that morning. He figured since their…relationship was still figuring out what it was; she wouldn't want to openly discuss the specifics of the very personal gift he left her. "If you don't mind me telling them that is," she turned her head towards Spike's direction.

"Um n-n-no, that's all right" he half smiled and shrugged, "Go right ahead Rarity."

"Thank you Spikey Wikey" she sweetly replied. The dragon muttered something that sounded like "awe shucks"; smiling bashfully at her sweetness. The unicorn looked to her friends and cleared her throat; she wanted to make sure she spoke elegantly and clearly. Applejack looked especially interested in hearing all the details. "You see, in a way, I'm the reason Spike missed them this morning," she started to explain.

*Flashback*

The snow white unicorn snored loudly, her nostrils flaring as she shifted in her magenta colored sheets. She slowly sat up with her yellow eye mask still covering her sapphire blues. "Is it morning already?" she mused to herself; smacking her lips in a most un-lady like fashion. Her hoof lifted the mask off her face and saw the golden rays of the sun shimmering under her closed blinds; she yawned and hopped out of bed while magically placing her mask on her nightstand. "I wonder how the rest of the girls spent their nights", she trotted downstairs to prepare her breakfast. "I could use some fresh gossip to perk me up this morning," she levitated plates, ingredients and silverware out and started preparing her meal.

As she worked her magic to create a beautiful and delicious looking breakfast, her mind wandered about her date last night with Spike. Part of her wondered if she should even really call it a date. While she did eat dinner alone with Spike, chat about their likes/dislikes; as she does on every other date she's had with a stallion, it didn't exactly feel a date to her.

Is it because I know Spike, because we've been friends for so long that it feels strange, or is it because…it's Spike… my "Spikey Wikey" Spike.

Her sparkling eyes were briefly lost in a daze; her stirring spoon whirred away inside the pancake mixing bowl as she spaced out. Rarity shook her purple curls and tried to focus her fragmented thoughts. She tried thinking about her upcoming line, the next order she had to tackle. Her frosty eyebrows crinkled as she tried focusing harder and harder on something else. But try as she might, her thoughts kept going back to last night and that sweet little dragon with the stunning emerald green eyes.

Did I really just call him MY Spike? Goodness gracious girl, get a hold of yourself! Whether it was a date or not, I can't just go around thinking of him as my property. I already feel disgusted enough for using him for daily tasks so selfishly. I knew how my looks and batting my eyes would make him do anything for me, which is all the more reason I should treat him respectfully.

Rarity sighed heavily; she looked down at the neatly prepared breakfast lying across her plate. She was quite famished but found it rather difficult to take a bite just yet; it was like her guilt and confusion were restraining her from eating until she sorted everything out. "And one of the ways good friends respect each other is telling them the truth," she shook her head and magically scooped a slice of her pancake into her mouth, "Even if it breaks his fragile little heart."

What am I supposed to do? If I never accepted his invitation in the first place, this wouldn't have become so complicated. He would have been hurt, but he would have gotten over it. Now everything will hurt a thousand times more, he'll be crushed and confused, and who can blame the poor dear? I'm the one who said I had a wonderful time and wanted to do this again sometime. Ugh I shouldn't have said that!

"But I did, I did say that" she silently pouted, "And now I don't know what to do or what reasons to do them for." Rarity stared at her salt and pepper shakers; she felt like they perfectly represented her: the salt was pristine and white like her outside, but her inside felt more black and rough like the pepper. "Am I the only pony who has ever gone through something like this? I have so many questions, and yet," she paused and bit her lip, "I'm terrified of the looks or answers I would get if I asked."

Is it the age issue? I know dragons age much slower than ponies and while Spike is viewed as a baby in the dragon's culture, how does he measure up in the pony culture? Would me dating him truly be as offensive as others make it out to be? Maybe the age isn't the issue at all, maybe it's just the fact he is a dragon. Dragons eat ponies and are greedy, vicious beasts after all. But I know Spike, I've had many talks and gem hunts with him, we've gone on adventures and done fashion shows together. He's not a dragon to me; he's my dear, sweet, little Spikey Wikey. But even if he is different than other dragons…he's still a dragon. This is a fact that is impossible to deny.

"I can't possibly be so shallow I would reject someone's feelings just because of how they were born," Rarity asked out loud. She looked around as if expecting someone to answer. The Fashionista knew no one was in the house except for her cat Opal; lazily bathing herself in the sun by the kitchen window. "Am I?" she squeaked, her face scrunched up with stress wrinkles.

The mare threw her head back and groaned loudly in frustration. Opal screeched in surprise and frantically dashed out of the room. She wished she could follow her pet's example: just scream and run away from the problem. "But running away from problems never solves anything," Rarity stood up and briskly headed towards her front door. Rarity couldn't take this anymore; she had to end this confusing heartache and move on with her life. She refused to let these mind games consume her every thought and waking moment. Rarity magically opened the door; preparing to end things with Spike before it became any harder.

This is ridiculous! I am Rarity, best fashion designer in all of Ponyville and soon to be a household name across Equestria. I can't let something like this drag me down. I could have any stallion I want if I tried hard enough, there's no need to stick myself neck deep into all this…this…controversy. Yes, Spike has matured and grown up…a bit, but any relationship beyond being just friends would be far more harmful than helpful. Spike will get over it, things will go back to the way they were and I won't have to worry about any judgement from-

Rarity's thoughts suddenly froze in place, her eyes widened at the surprisingly beautiful display that had been secretly placed in front of her doorstep. All the negative, confusing thoughts that had been consuming her mind seemed distant and far away now. Her luminous ocean blue eyes shimmered upon seeing the most touching and heartwarming of sights.

There was a large assortment of flowers formed in the shape of a heart in front of Rarity's doorstep. Cut, trimmed and arranged in a variety of colors: white, purple, blue; the same colors that made up her beautiful form. Each flower had its own individual pot; that in and of itself must have taken a long time. She examined them closely, biting back tears at the grand gesture. Upon further analysis, she saw flowers stems had been cut by a pair of teeth. The unicorn took a step back to once more take in the full scope of the touching gift.

That sneaky little dragon, he must have woken up early and spent all morning putting this together. He even used his teeth as pruning shears.

"Oh you sweet, sweet little drake" she murmured; tears slowly creeping out from under her eyes. Not one stallion had done anything as thoughtful and kind for her as this, not one. Suddenly the thought of having any stallion in town sounded boring and droll. "Spike is devoted," she stated, "Spike may be different but he is kind and caring, he cares more about me then himself and always puts me first. He may not handle everything properly and with the grace a lady of my stature seeks, but still," she sniffs the flowers and sighs contently, "He's always there for me…always."

Maybe I shouldn't close the door on him just yet.

*End Flashback*

Rarity smiled eagerly at her friends, they could tell she took great pride and pleasure telling them of how their favorite dragon "thanked" her for such a wonderful evening. Fluttershy and Twilight were visibly moved by the story; Pinkie cheered and popped some streamers over Spike and Rarity's heads. Rainbow Dash and Applejack however had mixed feelings about the whole thing.

"Nice job Spike," Twilight patted his back with one of her wings, "Looks like someone's putting all those romance books to good use." Spike looked down; trying to hide the overwhelming rush of redness to his cheeks. Moonstruck smiled proudly at Spike and gave him a heartfelt congratulations and hoof shake as well.

"So that's yer little romantic story then huh?" Applejack interrupted. Every pony looked towards the blond mare, partially confused by the scrunched up look of indifference on her face. Spike knew what the issue was but no pony else seemed to understand the blond mare's reaction. "Does this mean you two are courtin' then?" she bluntly asked the two.

Spike and Rarity looked at each other then back to Applejack. They've been around AJ long enough to know what most of her southern slang meant, including this one. Unfortunately, the unicorn and the dragon didn't have an easy answer to that question. They didn't know where they were, where they're going or even if they were on the same page with each other. Twilight could see the uncertainty in her friend's eyes. She worried for them, about what they are going through together; though not necessarily for the same reasons Applejack is concerned. "Well…" the mare and drake started to say in unison.

"Whoa, whoa, back up guys," Rainbow hovered in the air; clamoring for everyone's attention. Spike and Rarity sighed and wiped their brows clean, both were pleased Rainbow took the attention off of them. "You call THAT romantic? Puh-please! Let me tell you what a real romantic gesture sounds like" she smugly boasted, rubbing her hoof on her chest. Applejack rolled her green eyes at her speedy friend's remark. Considering how embarrassed Rainbow gets whenever things get too "mushy" around her, the southern mare was more than curious how her Pegasus friend claimed she'd top Rarity's story. AJ called Dash's bluff and insisted she explain how things went with Arrowhead. Rainbow smirked and landed on the floor, resting comfortably on a large red throw pillow. "Well…" she started to say.

*Flashback*

"So let me get this straight, THAT GUY is one of your friends?" Arrowhead asked incredulously. The grey stallion was walking side by side with his Pegasus date, exiting the restaurant after the Discord incident. He still found it hard believe Rainbow was friends with someone like Discord, especially considering he battled against them not too long ago. "And he's the one who convinced you to dance in front of the town to get my attention?"

"Ugh, could we please stop talking about my dance thing? I feel stupid enough as it is letting Discord talk me into such a humiliating stunt," Rainbow groaned. She was happy Arrowhead agreed to go out with her and she really did have a good time, but she just wished every pony just forgot about her dancing number and just give it a rest. The cyan mare knew why she did it and was grateful for its results but that doesn't mean she wanted to be reminded of it every day.

"You know, it's okay to look silly sometimes," he explained, "You don't have to be afraid about who you are and what you do."

She looked at him with a confused look on her face. Rainbow brushed it off and stood up on her hind legs; spreading her wings out proudly. "I'm not," she boasted, "I'm Rainbow Dash: Wonderbolt in training and awesome pony extraordinaire. I'm faster than lightning, cooler than ice and way too awesome to be affected by girly stuff like spa days and flowers." Arrowhead just rolled his eyes and smiled. There she goes again, putting on the big, tough girl act. She lowered her wings and eyed Arrowhead closely; she had a mischievous, smug smirk on her cute little face. "Dinner was good, but I personally feel no date with me is complete without a little race around Ponyville," the grey colt laughed at her invitation; should have figured she'd want to race rather than talk a moonlit walk. "Come on, how's about a rematch?" she eagerly insisted.

Rainbow bent her hind legs in preparation for the race, but suddenly felt a twinge of pain in her leg; the same one Arrowhead popped back into place. She grunted loudly in pain and started to fumble and fall backwards. Her lips opened up to cry out; Arrowhead quickly kicked his legs into action and instantly flashed over her to catch her.

ZOOM!

The mare's brief moment of pain had vanished. Instead of lying on the ground, cringing and grunting in pain and clutching a wounded leg, she found herself warmly nestled against the well-chiseled chest of her date. Rainbow was cradled like a baby in Arrowhead's arms. Her cheeks burned brightly with pink hues, she couldn't believe how comfortable his rippling, bulging Earth pony muscles were. It was the strangest feeling she's ever experienced; feeling something so strong feel so inviting and calming at the same time. The Pegasus tried to say something but she found no words, her voice came out as mousy little squeaks.

"Hey, you all right Rainbow babe?" he asked, the colt had a slightly embarrassed look on his face. "Guess I didn't fix it as good as I thought I did," he chuckled, "Sorry about that." He played it off as a joke but the speedy mare could see there was a brief moment of panic in those stunning crystal colored eyes of his. Even though he wasn't far from her position, Arrowhead felt better knowing he was fast enough to get to her.

"Y-y-y-yeah I'm cool; I'm fine," she faintly protested, "Really it's no big deal at all. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself." She put up a slight resistance to his bear like embrace. He let her go and she carefully straightened her leg out so she could stand on her own. Rainbow flapped her wings twitchingly, as if trying to shake off that entire incident. "I totally had it covered but, thanks for the catch big guy" she smiled broadly.

Arrowhead saw right through that smile though. Her pink eyes shined with bits of shame and fear, fear of looking weak in front of some pony she secretly wants to impress. Rainbow always wanted ponies to see how tough and amazing she is, so much so that she felt the need to hide her true feelings or emotions from almost every pony; even her closest friends sometimes. The stallion knew that if this relationship would ever go anywhere, she'd have to know she doesn't have to do that with him.

"Hey, you know it's okay to drop the tough girl act every once in a while," Rainbow turned to him with a surprised look on her face. She tried to protest but he quickly cut her off. "No pony is going to think your weak or less cool just because you fall down or say you like cute things," he calmly explained, "There's nothing to be shamed about; no pony you have to worry about disappointing."

"You don't understand, I have an image to live up to, ponies expect and love to see me in a certain way," Rainbow explained. It was hard for the colt to understand her viewpoint. She sounded like she needed the adoration of other ponies rather than actually needing to be this way for her own needs. Arrowhead truly believed there was more to her than the macho image she broadcasts to everyone, but maybe she can't tell the difference between her own image and her own true self. "I am the definition of coolness and I can't let any pony think of me as mushy or weak or-" she started to say.

"Well, did our date make you feel mushy or weak?" he quickly asked.

Rainbow paused; seriously contemplating the question. Whenever Rarity or Fluttershy drones on about these dreamy romances in their fantasies or their stories, it always sounded so sappy and she figured that all dates were supposed to make ponies feel warm and fuzzy inside. She associated love with something to be embarrassed or nervous about displaying in public; it's one of the reasons she tried to hide her public displays of affection for Tank for so long. Now the speedy mare had just finished going on a date and she legitimately enjoyed it.

"No" she slowly answered, "No I guess it didn't, if anything it felt kind of…cool." The more she thought about it, the larger the smile on her face started to grow. Arrowhead couldn't resist staring longingly at such a beautiful sight. Her smile was so stunning; it was almost criminal. The cyan mare noticed her date's entranced stare and tried to ignore it, the heat coming off her cheeks only made hiding it more difficult. "I mean, yeah it was a'ight" she looked to the side dismissively; trying to play it cool, "You're pretty sweet company but don't let it go to your head big guy." Arrowhead couldn't believe she was the one telling him not to let it go to his head. "No pony sweeps this girl off her hooves," she smugly stated, "No pony."

"Oh really?" he raised an eyebrow and grinned, sounding as if he was accepting a challenge. Rainbow, as usual, seemed very confident and positive she could withstand any charms the sturdy stallion could throw at her. She may think she's tough as nails, but he could see right through her armor. His turquoise eyes saw more of Rainbow's true self then she realized or cared to admit.

"Don't take it personally though, I mean this is me were talking about," she stretched her wings and posed; showing off her sleek figure and rainbow locks. "I'm made of 100% pure awesome sauce; I can take anything and dish out anything. I'm too cool and too fast to let any gooey romance gunk penetrate my defenses," she proudly boasted.

"So I take it then a second date isn't something you're geared up for?" he said; continuing to lead her on and see how far she'd keep this going.

"Now I didn't say anything like that, but you'd have to be offering something pretty bad ass other than candle light dinners to get this gal to-" she started to say.

Before Rainbow could finish, her pink eyes widened at the sudden cosmic sensation tingling on her lips. Arrowhead used his super speed to zip right up to her and plant the most intimate of kisses right on her lips. All the tension, the bravado and the energy Rainbow put into her "tough girl" shell cracked like glass under the devastating impact of the grey colt's kiss. Her wings dropped down along with her eyes; melting from the kiss and feeling every muscle in her tight cyan colored body relax into a heavenly state of bliss. Rainbow had never been kissed before, at least not like this. She never saw it as anything more than a sloppy, sappy way kids, parents and annoyingly mushy couples displayed their love for one another. But as she felt her lips dance wondrously upon the serene taste of Arrowhead's lips and tongue, she finally seemed to understand. Her heart and body burned for more, craving for more, as if it had been secretly desiring it all this time.

When the kiss broke, time and space slowly seemed to creep back into Rainbow's mindset. She blinked hazily; as if coming out of a dream. "Wow," that was all she could mutter. The mare could still feel a tingly numbness across her lips, Arrowhead's distinct taste causing goosebumps all along her cerulean colored fur. The speedy mare raised a hoof to her lips; still trying to speak, "That was just…um I mean that…just…wow." Her blue cheeks were burning the brightest shade of red.

"So, is that a wing boner you're sporting or you just got a kink in your wings?" he asked with a sly chuckle.

Rainbow had no idea what he was talking about until she looked at her back. The speedy mare squeaked; her wings were stiff as a board. They've never done that before! She desperately tried to push them back down and play it off like nothing happened, but it was all in vain. "That was just-er I mean to say that they sometimes" she groaned and slapped her face, "Oh just forget it."

"Not on your life true blue," he winked and chuckled at her adorable flustering, "Not on your life."

She felt like she should protest, try to deny these powerful feelings he was infecting her with…but she couldn't. Arrowhead saw right through every wall she put up. "S-s-s-s-so then," she slowly tried to calm herself down; reduce the overflowing amount of blushes flooding her face, "Where do we go from here?" The Pegasus felt anxious and uncertain, two emotions she avoided like the plague, but now she felt like they were consuming her to the point that all she could think about was how to intensify these feelings Arrowhead stirred in her.

"Well, that all depends really," he cryptically replied.

"On what?" she asked.

Arrowhead looked at her with a serious look on his face. "This is all very new to you, I get that" he sighed softly, "But I've wanted to kiss you like that since you did that dance for me. Relationships take time and I know that this is a lot to take in on the first date, so you tell me how we play this." Rainbow leaned closer; listening intensely as her heart pounded like a jackhammer, thumping louder and faster with every word he dropped. "Do we take this slow or fast?" his voice slightly wavered. The gray colt was perfectly willing to respect whatever decision Rainbow made, even if that meant not wanting a second date, but he'd be lying if he said hearing Rainbow wanting to take the slow approach didn't slightly disappoint him.

"Go slow…or go fast" she repeated, slowly and carefully; like a foal learning the words for the first time. Rainbow stared blankly at Arrowhead, softly licking her lips. Their eyes locked but neither one would move or speak an inch more until a decision was made.

Arrowhead and Rainbow zoomed right into each other and locked their lips with a feverous passion. The pony's lips smacking hotly against one another. Tongues dancing and mingling together as if they were merging on a cellular level, their eyes were closed tightly. Eventually they had to part for air, a necessary but unfortunate reason to pause. Rainbow and Arrowhead stared at each other as if the world was barren wasteland and they were the last two souls destined to repopulate the planet. No one could be seen in their worlds; just each other. The ponies panted softly, their lips salvaging the tastes in their mouths; growing hungrily impatient for more.

"My place or yours?"

"Mine's closer, it's on the ground."

"Good point!"

The speedy mare and bold colt continued to envelope one another in their consuming make out session. Their furry bodies became a series of speedy blurs of cyan and grey colored hooves, both locked in a dominating game of control. Arrowhead and Rainbow stumbled in the shadows; unable to care who saw them or what was in their way. They somehow managed to make it back to Arrowhead's house without separating their bonding time, he kicked the door open and the two vanished inside. Any prying onlookers could see the story their bodies were telling by the dancing shadows from the pale light echoing in the windows of the colt's home.

*End Flashback*

"And THAT my friends is what an awesome date/romantic gesture looks like," the Pegasus proudly flaunted. Her boastful smile quickly faded once she saw that everyone in the room was blushing furiously at Rainbow's intense details, everyone except Pinkie that is. Fluttershy was practically turning into a tomato she was so red; shielding her red cheeks behind her pink hair. "What," she looked around curiously, "What I'd say?"

"Fascinating," Twilight jotted down several details from Rainbow's story into a journal. The princess had zero experience with dating, let alone making out or being as expressive with her physicality as Rainbow is; so she figured it would be a good idea to take notes.

Moonstruck looked to Twilight with disturbing confusion. "You can't possibly be writing-," he shook his head at the purple mare and groaned in frustration. "What the hell am I saying? Of course YOU would," he finds it harder and harder to believe Celestia chose this dork to be a princess every time she does stuff like this.

"Does this look like an accurate sketch of what Rainbow Dash described?" Twilight showed her sketch to Moonstruck.

The unicorn's silver eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets. His purple face was on fire with blushes. Moonstruck quickly shoved the book down so he didn't have to look at it a second longer, Twilight was instantly shocked and irritated by the colt's gesture.

"Why would you do something like that?" she looked at him and angrily snorted. Twilight magically lifted her book back up and placed it onto a shelf. "What's wrong with you Moonstruck?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with YOU?!" Moonstruck couldn't believe how clueless she was about all this.

"Ooooh, that sounds like a great date there Dashie," Pinkie cheerfully chimed in, "I love playing twister with other ponies too. It's always so much fun to see how twisted ponies bodies can get when they try to move." Rainbow, Applejack and Moonstruck rolled their eyes at Pinkie's innocence, Fluttershy, Spike and Rarity remained awkwardly silent.

"Whatever you say Pinkie Pie," Rainbow rolled her eyes; sitting down Indian style.

"So then, anyone else care to share how their night went?" Twilight asked; half sarcastically half sincere. She was still peeved at Moonstruck's rudeness so she figured another story might help distract her. However, the Alicorn was secretly getting frustrated by these stories because it kept hammering in the fact that all of her friends had a better night out with their dates then her! She was "lucky" enough to get attacked and chewed on by her date.

"OOOOH, ME, ME, MEEEEE, PLEASE PICK ME" Pinkie shouted; flailing her hoof in the air like a school filly. An exasperated sigh escaped Twilight as she pointed to Pinkie and called on her. "Well, first I had a craving for breakfast food late at night so I decided to try out a brand new cake recipe," she pulled a piece of cake that was covered in syrup, marshmallows, powdered sugar and chunks of pancakes, "I call it: Pan-pie-cake, or maybe Cake-pan-pie, I haven't decided yet." The dragon and 6 ponies cringed in revulsion at the mangled pastry concoction, Twilight groaned as drops of syrup oozed all over her floor. "But I had no pony to try it on, so I asked the Cakes if they wanted to try some," she stuffed the cake into her maw and loudly munched on it, "Mmmmm! I figured if they liked it, maybe they could add it to their menu options."

Fluttershy curiously asked what their answer was.

"Oh they were super excited about it! They asked me all kinds of questions," the pink mare raised her hoof and started counting, "Like Pinkie, do you know what time it is? Why is their chocolate and syrup on the floor? How did you even get into our room?" Everyone but Pinkie looked at each other with awkward and confused glances. "But they were busy apparently so I just made as many as I could just in case they wanted sell them today," her smile turned a bit sheepish; "No pony was interested though, so instead of letting them go to waste I ended up trying to see how many slices of Pan-pie-cake I could fit into my mouth at once." Pinkie rushed up to Rarity's side and whispered into her ear, "Just in case you were wondering; it's 47," the party mare belched and bits of chocolate and powdered sugar flapped out of her lips. She squeaked "excuse me" and bounced off.

Rarity almost gagged, the assaulting smells of Pinkie's absurdly unhealthy diet caused the white unicorn to turn a few shades of green. "I actually wasn't but," she cringed in disgust, "Congratulations anyway."

"Gee, thanks," Pinkie blissfully beamed. "Sooooooooooooooooooo," Pinkie started popping up by her friend's sides randomly, she was bouncing around like a pink supersonic blur. "Who's next? Who's next? Who's next?!" she repeated.

Knowing she was one of the ponies who hadn't spoken up yet, Applejack carefully tried to hide herself from the prancing pink pony's attention. She slyly tilted her Stetson over her face and tried to inch away. Ahm not ashamed of talkin' bout Hopeful, he was nothin' but kind to me the whole time, she thought to herself; trying to slip behind Twilight and Moonstruck, But there are certain parts of that date Ah would rather not go into if Ah can help it.

Pinkie Pie suddenly popped out of AJ's hat. The blond mare screamed in shock and collapsed to the ground, her chest rapidly rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. "Hey Applejack, your hat is way roomer than I thought," she bounced out of the hat and helped her friend back onto her hooves. "Glad I stopped you, I was worried you were gonna leave without telling us how your super-duper-awesome-fun date went," Pinkie beamed. The pink mare was so innocent, so clueless to any feelings of hesitance or reluctance on Applejack's part.

"Yeah, wouldn't want that to happen now would we?" she replied sarcastically. Pinkie continued to blindly smile at her fellow Earth pony; still oblivious to the attitude in her voice. The rest of her friends started to look towards her; eager to hear her story as well. It's just like that time Ah tried to hide mah rodeo awards from 'em, Applejack sighed at that memory. Her friends would find out sooner or later so why try and avoid it now? "Look, nothin' really special or fancy happened; Ah don't wanna bore ya'll with uneventful news," she stated. Pinkie leaned in close, baby blues eyes shimmering with a pleading look into AJ's jade green ones. The orange mare sighed in defeat; crossing her forelegs over each other. "Well…" she started to say.

*Flashback*

Hopeful and Applejack walked side by side as they exited the restaurant, their minds and feelings collectively racing from what just transpired in the restaurant. The southern mare was tremendously impressed with her date's bravery and courage. Standing up to Discord like that wasn't something she expected from such an overly sweet colt. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how lucky she was that she found such a dedicated colt.

AJ looked to Hopeful and tenderly smiled. Ah don't believe it, he just went right up to Discord and told him exactly what he thought of him; regardless of what could've happened. Of course, Ah would never actually let Discord hurt him, nor would Twi' or the others, and Ah don't think Discord had any real intentions of hurtin' Hopeful either. Thinking about how honorable and noble Hopeful was, it made her fur and muscles tingle all over. She eyed his gorgeous black hair and handsome features intensely. But still, she gently bit the bottom of her lip, he speaks with his heart AND his mind and holds nothin' back. Ah thought for sure he'd leave after hearin' what Discord had to say about me. But he stayed and defended me, without thinkin' twice or showin' any hesitance, now THAT is what Ah call a real man.

"So Ah was thinkin', Ah know our dinner got interrupted but Ah really-"

"Is everything he said true?"

Hopeful's blunt question stopped Applejack dead in her tracks; her mind went blank for a moment. The two ponies both stopped and stood firmly with their hooves planted in the ground. Everything got so quiet so fast; the warm evening felt so cold and uncertain all of the sudden. The red Pegasus turned around and drilled AJ with his glaring eyes. The mare had never seen him look so serious before, such intensity and seriousness brimming off his features.

"I'm talking about what Discord said," Hopeful stepped an inch closer, "Please; tell me, is everything Discord said about you true or did he make it all up?"

Applejack raised her hoof to try and calm Hopeful down but he backed away from her touch, she felt even colder seeing him back away like that. "The thing is Hopeful Ah," she paused before thinking carefully on her response, she sighed and removed her Stetson, "Yes, it's all true."

"You told me you didn't have time for a guy right now, that you had too many responsibilities to take care of," Applejack flinched guiltily at her own words being used against her, "Now you're telling me you didn't want to date me because I'm a Pegasus?!" She remembered all too well the excuses she used on him. Hopeful's wings became rigid, feathers twitching along with the hairs standing up on his tail.

"Ah swear it wasn't personal sugar cube, honest," she pleaded. "Ah come from a family of Earth pony traditionalists. Everyone in our family is an Earth pony, every pony dated, married and birthed Earth ponies, so it's hard for me to think outside the box," she explained. Hopeful turned his head to the side and harrumphed; clearly unimpressed with her answer. "Hey now, Ah need you to look at me and listen to this" she trotted up to Hopeful but he refused to look at her, she became frustrated and pulled his face towards hers. Hopeful's eyes flared open at her forcefulness. "Please," her voice and face softened tenderly, "Just try and understand this from mah point of view."

"Well I can't," he gently brushed her hoof off his face, "You make prejudice sound like it's a tradition worth upholding. You talk about how important your family traditions and morals are, but did you ever stop to think or ask what mine may be?"

"Ah-ahm not sure Ah follow ya partner."

"Not one member of my family is of the same pony race," AJ eyes bulged in surprise, "Not one, my family is mixed with every kind of pony race and no two married ponies are of the same race. My mother is a Pegasus, my father is a unicorn, and my uncle on my father's side is an Earth Pony who married a unicorn. Heck, one of my mom's 3 siblings is actually married to a Griffin."

"Ah had no idea any pony family was that diverse," the southern mare exclaimed.

"Family is important to me too and my family always taught me that you should follow your heart no matter where it takes you," Hopeful said proudly, "That's why were such a diverse bunch, we fall in love with who we want no matter what anyone else says." The red colt took a moment to take a breath. Defending his family's odd tradition was something Hopeful was always passionate talking about. AJ's freckled cheeks were contorted in a tangled mix of confusion, shock and bewilderment; this was the same look most ponies gave Hopeful when he told them about his family's choice in mates. "So in a way, you could say that my family's tradition is breaking other family's traditions," he nodded firmly at his point.

"Ah see," the orange mare took a minute to process all of this, she had no idea what she was potentially getting herself into when she accepted Hopeful's date request. Should this revelation bother her? She's been known to stick to certain traditions longer than actually needed; perhaps this is a change that could help her grow. But is this too radical of a change for her? She was so new to all of this, she didn't know strongly she felt about Hopeful or if she's supposed to make a big deal out of this or not. She felt so confused! "So then, where do we go from here?" she asked, her voice trembled slightly.

"That's hard to say," Hopeful scratched his head softly, "I can't deny that I'm drawn to you and I genuinely do want to spend more time with you." Applejack sported a half smile at that statement. "But more separates us then just a pair of wings. Your family is stuck in its ways and so is mine," the smile quickly faded, "How can we hope to even begin to go forward with such conflicting perspectives?"

"Look, Ahm sorry Ah keep lettin' mah stubbornness muck things up," she looked at him with jade eyes; shimmering with concern, "But Ah was wrong and Ah don't want to miss out on gettin' to know ya because Ahm bein' an old mule."

"But you've said it yourself: you're stuck in your ways. What makes you think you're going to change this time?" he asked.

"Because Ah…Ah," she bit her lip; trying to find the right words. The mare took a deep breath, dug in deep and mustered all the courage she had to be honest with the one pony she rarely was: herself. "Because Ah think you're good for me, Ah think you can help me um," she tapped her chin with her hoof, "Unwind? Maybe try and see if Ah can see things yer way fur a change."

"That depends," he looked away from the freckled cheeks of the orange mare. He didn't want to, he loved looking at her beautiful face; it was the face that had haunted his dreams ever since he first laid eyes on her. But if her words were hollow and this was just a temporary means of keeping him around, he could not be fooled by the beauty of someone so closed off and resistant to change. "The dragon and unicorn Discord spoke of; those are your friends Spike and Rarity, right?" Applejack slowly nodded, "Are you really against them being a-"

"I don't want to talk about that right now," she quickly answered.

Hopeful sighed; he figured as much.

"Not to change the subject or anythin' but," she hated to interrupt this discussion but her curiosity had been picking at her since Discord cut them off, "You never did tell me who Wild Heart-"

"I don't want to talk about that right now," Hopeful repeated her previous answer.

The southern mare sealed her lips and quickly dropped the subject. "Fair enuff" she softly stated. She didn't want to answer his question, so it would only be fair that she respect his decision not to answer hers. "So," she poked the ground with her hoof idly, "Where does that leave us?"

"Nowhere, at the moment" he shrugged, "I think this is a sign that there's still a lot we need to learn from each other." The two ponies waded through their misery flavored silence. They both wanted to say something, anything to change the tone on what was supposed to be a lovely night out together. But neither pony knew how to proceed from here. "Maybe we can start on some smaller changes first," he said optimistically, "Like maybe…teaching me how to cook?"

"S-s-s-sure Hopeful, Ah think Ah would like that," she said with a sweet smile. "And maybe you could tell me more about yer family. You speak so much about your pop, how much ya learned from him and all about yer special traditions." She approached the red colt, her apple scented musk filling up his nostrils. He almost crooned out loud at the charming affect her presence had on him. "Ah'd like to learn more about yer traditions," she added.

"Sounds like a fair trade fair maiden," he extended his hoof to hers; jokingly making it seem like they were sealing a deal. Applejack spat into her hoof and shook it vigorously. He laughed at the gesture, wiggling his hoof dry after they separated; "Well, this night certainly didn't go the way I thought it would but that doesn't mean that's a bad thing." Applejack chuckled happily; he sure was right about that. "So then, cooking lessons next time?" he asked.

The Earth pony was about to give him a simple confirmation, but something halted the words from forming on her lips. A thought creeped into her head and it caused her to feel something, deep down inside. He's been awfully patient with me. Ah've put him through a lot of heartache just for a date, Ah think Ah owe him a little bit of somethin' to say thanks. Applejack leaned in and sweetly pecked Hopeful right on the cheek. The red Pegasus's face turned even redder, he rubbed the cheek where she kissed him and shuddered in speechless delight. "It's a date…sugar" she purred seductively. The orange mare started walking home, leaving Hopeful still awe struck from her kiss; she flirtingly whipped her blond tail by her raised rump cheeks and disappeared from sight.

Hopeful finally snapped out of his daze; gasping aloud, his cheeks were still blushing brightly.

I don't believe it, she just k-k-k-k-kissed me!? I've been kissed plenty of times by other girls before, but they've never felt like this. He lifted up his fore hooves and stared at them; watching them tremble all over. I feel like someone just sent a jolt of electricity into my heart. Not only did she say the word date, as in SECOND date, she called me sugar. She always calls every pony sugar cube, never just sugar. Does that mean it's just for me, does that mean I-

"I…have…a…NICKNAME," he screamed into the air; flapping his wings and soaring into the clouds above.

The overjoyed colt had no idea Applejack heard and spotted him from a mile away. She laughed, shook her head and then continued on home. She was grateful no one was around to see how hard she was blushing.

*End Flashback*

"Whoa, way to go AJ" Rainbow whistled and hollered; pumping her hooves in the air, "I didn't know you had it in you."

Applejack blushed as red as her cutie mark. All of her friends seemed to be crowding around her, celebrating her story; like she just placed first in Apploosa's rodeo. Spike and Rarity patted her on her back and congratulated her as well. Of course, they had no idea Applejack intentionally left the part about her having an issue with Spike and Rarity potentially forming a relationship that went beyond friendship; out of her story.

"Ya'll are makin' too big a deal bout all this," she mused bashfully, "But thank ya kindly for the support." She hid her emotions well from her friends. Truth be told, she was secretly overjoyed when she heard Hopeful cheer like that. It felt so nice to be seen like that. He acted like me kissin' him was the greatest thing in Equestria, like it was somethin' he'll treasure for the rest of his life, her thoughts made her smile more and more, No pony's ever made me feel like that before.

"So then, if you guys both went home afterwards," Twilight curiously asked, "What happened with Discord?"

"Yeah Fluttershy," Rainbow's remark took the butter colored Pegasus off guard, "You never told us what you and Discord talked about."

She bashfully hid behind her pink hair; shuffling her hooves anxiously. "I'm sorry but it was n-n-n-nothing important," her friends at her with unconvinced eyes, "N-n-no seriously, you guys don't want to hear about that stuff. I'd just bore you; really, there was nothing special about our talk."

"No way," Rainbow shook her head and crossed her hooves; her eyes barreled down at Fluttershy. The yellow mare shivered sheepishly; feeling here friend's eyes glaring with irritation. "He crashed both our dates and caused a lot of problems for every pony at that restaurant, I think were owed some kind of an explanation," she demanded.

The sweet Pegasus always hated being the center of attention, whether it was doing something she loved or being forced into something; she still hated it. All of her friends seemed just as curious as Rainbow Dash was. She curled into a cowering little ball of yellow fur, silently muttering "Oh dear" to herself. Twilight gently encouraged Fluttershy to only tell her story if she felt comfortable, though truth be told, her curious scientific mind was just as eager to know the whole story as everyone else was. "Well…" she started to say.

*Flashback*

"All right mister, you've caused enough trouble for one night," the Pegasus angrily scolded, she jabbed her hoof right into his snout. Discord clutched his nose; whimpering like a naughty foal being punished. "Now, what's the idea of crashing our friends dates?" Discord started to speak but the mousy mare cut in, "And if you don't give me a 100% honest answer, you can forget about attending the tea party picnic with my animal friends on Friday."

"You w-w-WHAT, oh come on Fluttershy," he nervously gasped, "You can't possibly mean that. You know I've been looking forward to that picnic since you told me about it."

She turned her head defiantly; harrumphing with a pouting scowl.

"Oooooooooh all right," he loudly grumbled. Discord raised both his paws in a scout like manner and swore on Celestia's sun and Luna's moon he would tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Fluttershy smiled and nodded in approval. "You really are a good influence on me. No matter how hard I try, I just can't resist that stern-yet-adorable face of yours," he chuckled softly. Tirek was wrong about him. For all the wicked joy Discord got from creating chaos in Equestria, he found Fluttershy's enchanting heart and personality just a tad more delightful by comparison. "The truth is I've been struggling with something for some time now and let's just say it…well…kind of", he paused and stroked his beard absent mindedly, "Sort of relates to the problems Rainbow Dash and Applejack were experiencing with Hopeful and Arrowhead." Fluttershy blinked curiously at his answer.

"Um I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean," she added hesitantly.

"What I mean is: here I am, struggling with all these new feelings and emotions, overwhelmed by things I NEVER thought I'd feel," Discord snapped his fingers and materialized mock dummies of Rainbow, Applejack, Hopeful and Arrowhead. Hopeful and Arrowhead's dummies were on catapults. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise as the catapults flung the colts respective dummies onto their respective mare friend dummies. "And then these two," he angrily pointed at the squashed Rainbow and AJ dummies, "Have such wonderful fellows literally throwing themselves at their hooves, and they just Brush. Them. Off?! They have no idea how lucky they are to have colts so eager to confess their feelings for them. Meanwhile, SOME OF US are struggling just trying to be able to TALK to our crushes face to face and after all I did to get them together; they just-"

"D-d-d-discord, I'm really, really, really sorry to interrupt you but," Discord paused mid rant and turned to his female friend; gotten lost in his own annoyance and frustration. "I'm starting to get the feeling that this isn't really about Rainbow and Applejack, is it?"

Her soothing voice almost instantly eased his frazzled nerves. Discord sighed sadly and shook his head, "No, no it's not. I just became so frightfully jealous that things were happening so naturally and easy for them, while I've been struggling to accept an impossible truth." The soft, warm feeling of Fluttershy's hoof gently brushed against her friend's lion arm. She greeted him with the sweetest of smiles; full of comfort and kindness. Fluttershy could tell this wasn't an easy thing for him to admit, so the fact he was working up the courage to tell him this all-consuming secret made her feel much honored.

"Hey, it's okay," she nuzzled his arm with her cheek, "You can tell me anything."

Discord took a deep breath; mentally preparing himself. Bending the fabric of reality and time and space was easy, but confessing his most embarrassing and well kept secrets; now THAT took strength. "I'm…I'm in…l-l-l-love with a pony," he felt so ashamed and crippled by that statement. "I didn't think it was possible, of course, I didn't think I could possibly understand why you ponies treasured the magic of friendship either," he added with a sigh, "But perhaps it's because I understand friendship that I now understand what love feels like. I tried to deny it, convinced myself I was just being chaotic and toying with myself in some warped way, but no, this has lasted too long and feels too powerful to be some sort of passing moment of amusement. It's real."

He blinked suddenly as he felt the tender, caressing embrace of a pair of yellow hooves wrapped around his waist. "Oh Discord, you don't know how happy I am to hear you say that," the Pegasus cheerfully beamed. Discord was speechless. He had no idea his nature loving friend was so supportive of him experiencing love, like she'd been secretly hoping it would happen all this time. Fluttershy stepped back and smiled proudly at her chaotic companion. "This wasn't an easy thing for you to admit," she explained, "But deep down, I've always hoped you'd one way understand and enjoy what it feels like to be in love and be loved in return."

"Y-y-you don't think it's silly, the idea of someone like…me…being in love with a pony?" he timidly asked.

"Not at all," she warmly replied. "Just because you're the spirit of chaos; doesn't mean you're not entitled to fall in love and be happy. You have every right to be with whoever you want to be with, no matter what the species. That's assuming if they love you back of course."

"Well that's part of the problem you see, we have sort of a," Discord's body changed color; he was now covered with red and black squares, "Checkered past."

"That doesn't mean you two can't patch things up and start fresh," the Pegasus replied.

"I just hope she doesn't hold any grudges for my past indiscretions," Discord bit his lip, "I caused a lot of problems for a lot of ponies back in my evil days, but she always got the best of my worst side." The trickster started to pace back and forth anxiously. His top half separated and paced left, while his separated lower half paced right.

"If you speak from the heart and truly convey to her how sorry you are, I'm sure she'll forgive you," she said. Discord still wasn't sure however. He snapped his fingers and merged his two halves back together, mumbling something under his breath. "Maybe it would help if you tell me who your secret crush is; it might help give me an idea on how understanding she is," her curious smile widened ever so slightly, "Is it any pony I know?"

Discord chuckled to himself. "Oh you know her all right, her name is" he started to say.

*End Flashback*

"OH COME ON" Rainbow shouted, "What do you mean you won't tell us who it is?" she angrily crossed her hooves and hovered above Fluttershy. "You can't just tell us Discord, THE Discord is love with a pony and not tell us who it is" she snapped.

"I'm sorry Dashie but I Pinkie promised him I wouldn't say who it is," Fluttershy replied with a shrug.

"I'm with Rainbow on this one darling," Rarity forcefully snuggled against the yellow Pegasus's side, "Hearing Discord is in love with a pony is by far the juiciest gossip I've heard in ages! I mean who in Equestria would have ever dreamed such a thing was possible." Rarity batted her sparkling sapphire blue eyes at Fluttershy, giving her the best puppy dog look she could muster. The white unicorn was greedy for gossip and wanted to know just as badly as Rainbow did.

"I can't do it girls," everyone in the room groaned at her answer; Rainbow and Rarity being the loudest offenders. Fluttershy closed her eyes and nodded firmly; sticking to her guns, "I promised him I wouldn't tell any pony and a promise is a promise."

"FOREVER" Pinkie pie shouted from the top of her lungs. Everyone in the room froze and turned to look at the shrieking pink mare. She made an "I got my eye on you" motion with her hooves to Rainbow and Rarity, but then spotted a jar of cookies on Twilight's shelf and happily hopped towards it.

"Ya'll are makin' too much of a fuss out of this," Applejack casually replied, "Ah bet it isn't even any pony we know; just some random mare that we never met or heard of before."

*Flashback*

"YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON PRINCESS CELESTIA?!" Fluttershy squealed.

Discord immediately shushed her, frantically looking around to see if anyone heard that.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was that too loud?" she nervously asked.

"Well…yes, surprisingly it was," he replied incredulously, the trickster never knew Fluttershy could actually raise her voice like that. He was momentarily stunned by her high pitched shriek. "But back to the heart of the matter, that's why I'm so hesitant to actually discuss these feelings with Celestia. We were enemies for thousands of years! She turned me to stone, I broke out and stole the elements of harmony, and I trapped her and Princess Luna with my Plunder seeds and nearly caused all of Equestria to fall completely out of balance." Fluttershy hummed to herself, she was starting to see his point. "And of course, who could forget that time I betrayed all of you and sold your magic out to Tirek," he added.

"But you haven't done anything evil since then," she hovered up and smiled to him at his eye level. "Every pony deserves a second chance, sometimes even third or fourth chances, and besides, this is Princess Celestia were talking about; the most forgiving and understanding pony in all of Equestria," she said. The sweet mare saw Discord was still uncertain, the look of concern was written all over his face. "She was the one who asked us to set you free in the first place," she gently guided his eyes towards hers with her hoof, "Remember?"

"That-that's true, but what if she sees this as me just playing another trick on her? What if she does forgive me but then she doesn't return my feelings?" he nervously asked.

"That's a fear every pony experiences Discord," she explained, "You'll never know for certain until you actually ask her. Hopeful and Arrowhead took the same risks when they asked Applejack and Rainbow out." Her teal eyes looked to the night sky; they had a twinge of sadness to them. I only wish I had some pony to experience this kind of problem with, she shook her head from her lonesome thoughts and returned her attention to Discord, "If you don't mind me asking, what is it about Princess Celestia that makes you like her so much?"

The trickster's grey cheeks burned bright with cherry red blushes. Discord was new to experiencing this whole "love thing", so talking about it was even more awkward and difficult. "Well I've always thought she was fun to play with. Ever since we were enemies, I thought she was so stuck up and high and mighty, nothing gave me more pleasure than seeing that ruffled look on her beautiful face," he said fondly. "She was the only pony who I wanted to keep around because I always loved getting a rise out of her," he leaned in and elbowed Fluttershy; sporting a devious smirk on his face, "And besides being drop dead gorgeous AND sporting the finest set of flanks I've seen in over a dozen different dimensions," Fluttershy sheepishly turned as red as a tomato, "She's the only other being I know who's gone through similar life experiences."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Since both Discord and Celestia have been around for thousands of years, and probably will continue to do so, it would be best to find a date that he wasn't going to outlive. They definitely can relate better to each other that way.

"Thank you so much for letting me share this with you Fluttershy, I think I know where to go from here," he happily replied. The chaos spirit embraced Fluttershy in a tight hug; they smiled contently and looked at each other before separating. "Being able to talk about this with you has made me feel so much better and I know I can trust you to keep my crush on old Sun Butt a secret from your friends, yes?" Fluttershy performed the Pinkie promise mantra in reply.

Discord commented how eager he was to see Fluttershy for their picnic on Friday before vanishing with a snap of his claws. The Pegasus sighed happily; feeling undeniable warmth knowing her friend has grown so much since giving up his evil ways. She was glad her friend's dates didn't end poorly and was expecting nothing but a nice, peaceful, quiet walk back to her cottage, alone.

But though her story for her friends had come to an end, this was not the last thing that happened to her on that night.

"It makes sense that you would be the only one capable of reforming the spirit of chaos."

Fluttershy nearly jumped out of her fur. She squeaked and sky rocketed 10 feet into the air, clutching her pink tail like a shield. The skittish mare hovered anxiously in the air. She hadn't recognized that voice, and since everything was so dark and shadowy, she had no idea where or what it was coming from.

"Calm yourself child, I am merely an observer," a shadowy figure stepped out of the bushes by a long, lanky, twisted oak tree, "Not an attacker." The pony was male, had orange eyes and was covered in utter blackness. Fluttershy thought she spotted a unicorn horn but on his head but it was too dark to tell for sure.

"S-s-s-sorry for jumping like that but you scared the feathers out of me," she slowly flew back down and calmed herself, "I scare easily so please don't take it personally."

The figure chuckled darkly. Though his appearance and tone suggested he carried an aura of darkness around him, oddly enough, Fluttershy sensed no evil intention behind this figure's current presence. "It is I who should be apologizing to you. My intention was not to frighten you, but merely to warn you of an oncoming tragedy," he grimly stated.

"A tragedy?" she squeaked, "Oh my goodness, what sort of tragedy?"

"A storm is coming; one that will wreak unfathomable levels of destruction and devastation across your peaceful little town and to all who live here. If I were you, I would leave Ponyville before it is too late," he said ominously.

"Oh gee, that bad of a storm? Rainbow Dash never said anything like that was going to happen," the shadow blinked at her response, "She said the Pegasai had lots of thunder and rain coming, but nothing close to what you're talking about. Are you sure you have the same weather report as the Pegasai do?"

The shadow paused for a moment before chuckling again; his chuckling turned into full blown laughter. Fluttershy tucked her head down and felt her cheeks turn a most humiliating shade of pinkish red. She muttered something to the effect of "didn't think it was that funny" and nervously played with her hair. The shadow gradually stopped and smiled at the mare's embarrassment, "Forgive me child; I meant no disrespect. It is just that I find your innocence rather…comforting. I have not experienced genuine comfort or laughter in a long, long time."

"That's so sad. You know, you sound awfully sad yourself," she approached him but the shadow stepped back. She put on her kindest, most gentle of smiles and tried to reach out for his hoof. "You have nothing to fear from me, I'm Fluttershy," her tail twitched as some fire flies buzzed above her mane, "What's your name? I don't believe I've seen you in-"

"If you wish to ease my sadness, then promise me you will leave this town as quickly as possible and never return."

"What? Leave my friends and all my critters? But this is my home. Everything I know and love is here."

"You don't understand. I know what's coming; the storm that's approaching is unyielding and unstoppable. There will be nothing left, nothing at all and I do not want you here when that happens."

"W-w-why are you telling me this? If what you say is true then every pony needs to be warned, but for some reason you're only telling me this. Why is that? We've never even met before."

"Although you are just becoming aware of my existence now, I have in fact been aware of all your friends' existences for quite some time now. Your friend's house noble ideas but follow blind leaders; fools who wear false crowns of decency and kindness, when in fact they are just as guilty as the villains they vanquish."

"I'm afraid I d-d-don't understand what your t-t-talking about."

"Your capacity for kindness is immeasurable; your friendship with the trickster is proof of that. There is not a trace of darkness in your soul, nor do I believe there ever will be. That is why I am giving you and you alone this warning. You are pure, free of hatred, malice or vengeance; that is more valuable and precious to me than all the magic in all of Equestria, and it needs to be preserved. That is why you MUST leave Ponyville; please I implore you, before-"

"I'm s-s-sorry sir but I think I have to go. I know in some funny way you're saying nice things about me and warning me, and I a-a-appreciate that; really I do, but you're also asking me to leave everything and everyone I know behind and that's just not something I can do."

The shadowy being lowered his orange eyes. Fluttershy assumed his whole head was drooping down, but since his eyes were the only things she could see, she couldn't tell for sure. The dark pony wished she would reconsider, but there were firm foundations in those teal colored eyes of hers. Fluttershy was not going to budge despite the intensity of his warning.

"Very well, but just remember that you have been warned," he stared intensely at the butter colored Pegasus.

"Y-y-yes, I remember, t-t-thank you for saying all those weird-but-kind-of-nice things about me mister," she smiled weakly to him. Her yellow wings slowly flapped and flew her into the night sky. Fluttershy looked back at the shrinking dark, speck of a pony as he eventually went out of sight. "I didn't even get his name" she softly muttered to herself.

Chimera Khan stepped out of the shadows and watched as the gentle hearted mare vanished into the night sky. Khan's blood and silver colored armor shimmered in Luna's glittering moonlight; his hoof cuffs clanking with every step. "I pray you never have to know my name dear…sweet…lovely Fluttershy" he whispered longingly.

*End Flashback*

Spike, Moonstruck and the other girls continued to curiously discuss this new development with Discord and his "mystery crush." Fluttershy was just glad they stopped grilling her for information, if they pressed any harder; she might have told them about that shadowy pony who spoke to her. She hated keeping secrets from her friends and she didn't mean to this time, but nothing about that mysterious pony made sense to her so she didn't want to worry her friends about some random pony appearing out of the blue and talking about ominous storms and tragedies when she had nothing to go on but his word.

"BLAH" a blast of green fire suddenly launched a scroll out of Spike's mouth. Twilight used her magic to catch it and read it over. Her eyes bulged in horror once she finished reading the last line, her magenta eyes twitching. "What's the matter Twilight, what's it say?" Spike asked.

"It's a direct order from Princess Celestia; she says she needs to see all of us in Canterlot immediately," she replied.

"Well that doesn't sound that bad," Pinkie shrugged.

"P.S: Please make sure you bring," Twilight gulped hard, "Moonstruck with you."

The green haired unicorn's jaw dropped like an avalanche of boulders, all the color had drained from his face. How in the world did Princess Celestia know he was hiding in Ponyville? He was so certain he covered his tracks! Moonstruck dropped to the ground and clutched his head, he proceeded to shake and sweat like he did last night during his freakish nightmare. Twilight ran to his side and tried to comfort him. The last thing the Alicorn princess wanted to see was him freak out like that again.

"All right, all right, who blabbed to the princess?" Rainbow flew towards Spike; jabbing her hoof at his nose accusingly. "Was it you, slip any secret scrolls to Celestia when Twilight wasn't looking?" she pressed harder.

Rarity quickly got between the two and stretched her arms out defensively. "Rainbow Dash, you will leave Spikey Wikey alone! Don't you know how rude it is tossing wild accusations around, ganging up on someone so small and young?" she firmly stated.

"Hey! I appreciate the help Rarity but I am not that small or that young", he clutched his claws in annoyance, "I'm not some dippy kid. Why can't I ever get a little respect around here?"

"That's enough everyone," Twilight's raised voice quickly dispersed the conflict. All eyes and ears turned to the princess as she helped Moonstruck back onto his hooves. "It doesn't matter how Princess Celestia found out, the important thing is she knows and we have to meet this head on. Lying to her or ignoring the summons isn't going to help. The royal guard or the princess herself will come checking on us if we don't go, so we've got no choice but to go to Canterlot," she turned to the dark purple colt, "All of us."

The whole idea was causing Moonstruck to drip buckets worth of sweat. He spent many moons fleeing from Celestia, trying to avoid being detected and sent back to Tartarus, but it looks like all his running was for naught. "All right, I'll do it," he regretfully stated, "I don't like this situation; not one little bit, but Twilight is right. Running and hiding hasn't done me any good, it's time we try something different," he looked to Twilight and slipped out a timid laugh, "Even if it is totally crazy."

"Well sometimes, crazy can be a good thing" she placed her hoof tenderly on Moonstruck's shoulder; trying to calm him. "At least, I think so" she added sweetly.

Moonstruck's anxiety vanished almost instantly after Twilight touched him. It was just like before in the morning, there was something about her touch that was so soothing, so heavenly; it was almost therapeutic. "Then that's good enough for me" he replied, smiling a bit more hopefully this time. He knew this was a dangerous idea; it was a colossal gamble that could land his ass right back in chains, but when he looked into Twilight's luminous eyes and felt the warmth emanating from that angelic smile of hers, how could he possibly say no?

"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this," Moonstruck grumbled.

Twilight and her friends headed towards the train station with Moonstruck hidden in the center of their little group. The colt was wearing a thick trench coat, black shades with circular lenses and a dark brown fedora with a black band around the center. Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie Pie had serious looks on their faces; acting like bodyguards, trying to block Moonstruck's form from everyone's vision.

"I don't know why you're complaining, this makes perfect sense," the princess explained, "Were avoiding suspicion by hiding you from plain sight and putting you in this outfit so no one will see what you look like. We're being completely discrete. No one should suspect a thing, exactly like my disguise book said." Moonstruck groaned out loud, the princess ignored his complaining.

"A plus student my ass," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm with Moonstruck on this one, your actually drawing more attention to him because of this lame disguise," Rainbow commented. She lazily followed her friends in the air; the Pegasus had no faith in this stupid plan and her slouching posterior and the blank look on her face confirmed it.

"Well! I'll have you know I spent quite a bit of time and work on this so-called lame disguise" Rarity scoffed, snootily turning her nose up at Rainbow's remarks. She got the idea from her favorite spy and detective novels that she mentioned to Spike, their conversation stirred some spy creativity in the fashionista and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try something new out. "I'm actually thinking of creating a new line of spy related fashion, I'm thinking of calling it: Spy Wear," she scratched her chin curiously, "I could even re-tool the classic tuxedo look and make a separate line exclusively for colts. Something similar to what Double Oats 7 wore in the classic novel, Colt Royale."

The disguised stallion suddenly stopped once he heard that last part. The whole group stopped along with him. "Wait a minute, you're telling me I'm wearing clothing designed for mares?" Moonstruck asked. There was a distinct sound of irritation in his voice. Rarity looked at him like she didn't understand the question; she thought the answer was an obvious yes. "Ugh just shoot me" he dryly remarked. The colt continued on his way, trying to ignore Spike's snickering.

"What's the big deal? He's been hiding this long, I doubt any pony even knows about the whole escaped convict thing," Rainbow loudly exclaimed. Every pony in the group instantly shushed her. "Look, no pony knows enough to care," she zoomed down and plucked off Moonstruck's glasses and hat; exposing his face.

"Rainbow Dash; put his disguise back on right now!" Twilight demanded.

The ponies loudly argued in front of the train station, unknowingly attracting all the attention they were trying to avoid in the first place. The cyan Pegasus still didn't think she did anything wrong removing Moonstruck's disguise. She was certain no one would have noticed or recognized him; disguise or not. Unfortunately, one pony noticed the public feud and personally recognized the dark purple unicorn.

"HEY" a thunderous voice boomed. The seven ponies and one dragon stopped and turned to the source of that bellowing tone: Big Mac. Applejack silently cursed under her breath. Big Mac had no idea she and her friends had long since known where Moonstruck ran off to after the attack on the farm, or the fact she had already forgiven him for what happened that day. "Get the buck away from mah sister you spooky little creep," he angrily charged towards Moonstruck; stomping and snorting like a rampaging bull.

Applejack quickly intercepted her brother and halted him before he stomped any closer. She started to explain everything that happened with Moonstruck since the farm; hoping he would trust her judgment on the matter. Twilight proceeded to scold Rainbow who continued to deny the disguise was a good idea, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity and Spike just watched as the 4 quarreling ponies tried to sort things out.

"I knew this was a stupid idea, I said it a thousand times," Moonstruck griped. He magically threw off the coat in anger, everything about this situation frustrated him to no end. The colt approached the train station; trying to hurry the others to pick up the pace. "Just forget the disguise, forget explaining things and let's get going, once the train gets moving we won't have to-" he started to say.

"Big Mac, fair maiden, is that you?" a familiar voice said. Hopeful Romantic flew in from the clouds and landed near the ponies gathering spot. "I thought I recognized you two from up there," he curiously looked to Twilight and Rainbow, "AND the princess of friendship is here too?! You guys having some sort of royal-element-wielders-gathering-thing going on?" The red Pegasus looked around until his pink eyes locked on a very familiar looking purple pony with green hair at the ticket booth.

"Awe pony feathers," Applejack groaned.

Seeing Moonstruck set off a fiery explosion of anger in the red colt's mind. He felt all of his muscles tense up simultaneously, veins bulging from his forehead as his hooves tightly clenched the ground beneath him. He could never forget that pony, that face; not after what he almost did to Applejack. "YOU," Hopeful lunged at the unicorn with an unyielding and unrelenting fury; screaming with swinging hooves.

"Oh come on!" Moonstruck grunted as he was tackled to the ground; his body vanished into an all-consuming fight cloud. Random red and purple hooves could be seen smashing into each other's faces.

Twilight rushed to Moonstruck's aid while Applejack halted her conversation with her brother to help pry Hopeful off of Moonstruck. Now even more ponies were noticing the skirmish taking place. The train conductor, the booth pony, as well as other ponies waiting for the next train were even taking notice.

Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Spike slowly turned their angry eyes towards the hovering Rainbow Dash. The cyan mare laughed nervously; feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "Um…I think I see what you guys mean now…heh" she meekly stated.

A yellow colt worked diligently in the dimly lit workshop, hidden from all prying eyes and nosy ponies. It was dark except for the flickering candle shimmering faintly on the drawing board where the pony worked. The wooden door entrance to the workshop was bolted shut; infested with locks and latches.

His name was Crowe.

He adjusted his green cap while wiping sweat from his brow as he focused intensely on the project before him. He picked up a bottle of adhesive with his mouth and squirted it onto a metallic surface; his hooves grabbed some oddly shaped metal pieces and quickly arranged them on the surface before the adhesive dried. "If I put that there, and shift this part a little to the right over here," he mumbled to himself. His eyes darted back and forth between the metal crafts project and the blueprint next to it. The hench-pony cautiously reached for a small red gem and placed it at the center of the metal project. "Finally," he collapsed down onto the drawing board in exhaustion, "It's taken me weeks to get this exactly right but I finally finished this hunk of junk."

The project was an exact duplicate of the legendary Alicorn amulet. Crowe had painstakingly gathered as many similar looking materials as possible to authentically recreate the Alicorn amulet for his master; Chimera Khan.

"I can't believe I wasted all that time trying to find the real Alicorn amulet. I should've known it was a lost cause," he rolled his eyes. "I searched everywhere, talked to everyone and all I got was one greedy old pony who claimed he had it and sold it to some hooded stranger," Crowe griped, "Like that gives me anything to work off of." He knew his master wanted the amulet for his collection and graft it to his armor, but without the actual amulet in hoof, he had no choice but to dig up some old blueprint drawings of the amulet and re-create a replica from scratch. He picked the item up and examined it carefully. "Hopefully he'll be so jacked up from the power he receives from Colton's third eye and the Phoenix gauntlet of Cloudsdale; he won't even notice this amulet is a fake" he commented.

Crowe had been patiently biding his time; hiding and hoping Khan would continue waiting for him to return with the mystical items he was sent after. Khan was supremely impatient when it came to the yellow Earth pony but he knew he needed all the pieces on the list to complete his arsenal armor. His deep blue eyes searched down that very same list he had been given. The colt scratched off Colton's third eye and the Alicorn amulet with a swipe of a pen.

"Speaking of which," he rummaged around the room for something. Crowe flipped over boxes, tossed papers to the floor and scanned every inch of the room for the item he sought. He found it on a table by the fireplace; it was a long, cone shaped beaker bottle containing a neon green glowing liquid. The potion bubbling inside reflected like green fire in his deep blue eyes. "I think it's about time my special contact met with Wind Glider," he shook the bottle and watched its contents swirling with disturbing fascination. Crowe smirked in the bottle's reflection. "Looks like everything's going according to plan," he laughed.

Celestia sighed as she tiredly looked through her royal schedule. Nothing but the same old boring royal routine, she couldn't have looked more disinterested if she tried. She finishing combing through it and magically dropped it off to the side of her throne. "Maybe some letters from my subjects will cheer me up" she mused to herself. Twilight wasn't the only pony who wrote to her and she found great joy in reading what her subjects would send her. Her horn magic levitated several letters from a nearby stack but paused once she came across a strange looking package. "Hm, I don't recall the guards mentioning this when they brought the mail in" she said curiously.

The package was a square shaped box, average sized, marked with no name or address and covered in wrapping paper that had white fish with plaid colored polka dots all over it. A dark purple ribbon was securely tied around the box.

The ivory Alicorn examined the package. She couldn't contain a childish smile forming on her lips, her curiosity was enticing her to open this immediately and see what was inside; like a foal on Hearth's Warming day. "What unusual wrapping paper, could it be from Pinkie Pie?" she asked. "No, she would have put her name on it if it was from her." Celestia tugged at her ribbon with her magic, pulling at it more and more until it finally opened and she saw-

SPLAT!

A spring loaded pie splattered into the royal mare's face. She blinked in surprise, her cheeks and flowing mane covered in chunks of gooey, dripping chocolate banana cream pie. Celestia took a long lick and slurped up as much pie as she could off of her face, she gulped it down and smiled in delight. "Oh my, that was tasty AND funny" she giggled loudly. "There's only one person I know who would love nothing more than to see egg on my face," she paused and licked her lips again, "Or in this case chocolate banana cream pie on my face: Discord." It all made sense now: the weird wrapping paper, the missing name and address, of course it was from him.

The package vanished in a puff of smoke, Celestia coughed softly. Much to her surprise however; there was still more to this "prank" than she first assumed. The smoke cleared to reveal a heart shaped cake with bright pink frosting on it…and a note.

"Is this some kind of peace offering or another joke?" she poked the cake with her hoof, half expecting it to blow up or squirt water at her or something. After her observations were complete, Celestia cautiously took a bite out of it. Her frosted lips beamed at the pastry's wondrous flavors. "This tastes heavenly" she cheered to herself; mumbling mostly due to the chunks of cake dripping off her lips. She levitated the letter to her eyes. "Okay then, color me intrigued Discord, what surprises are you hiding in this letter?" she munched on another piece of cake as she read the letter.

The princess carefully read each word, each sentence, and the more she read the more the words caused her eyes to slowly expand. She was discovering a side to the chaos spirit that she never knew existed. His words were touching, moving, but most importantly…they were heartfelt.

"I d-d-don't believe it," her magic hold wavered; shaking the letter slightly. Her voice was weak from the shock. "He's revealing feelings, deep feelings…for me. This has got to be another one of his jokes, it has to be," Celestia raised a hoof to her gasping lips, feeling soft specks of frosting falling from those awe struck jaws. "But…what if it's not…what if he's felt this way all this time or maybe, this is something that's happened recently? I know he sent the cake in the shape of a heart but I just assumed it was another one of his pranks," she mused to herself. Thousands of questions were racing across her frazzled mind. "I don't know how to respond to this" she admitted truthfully, "There's so much sincerity and heart in this letter; it can't possibly be a lie. But if he actually means what he's saying," her magic faded and the letter slowly floated to the ground, "Then how am I supposed to respond to this, how am I supposed to feel about this, do I even know how I…feel about him?"

"Feel about who Tia?" a familiar voice asked.

Celestia flinched and turned her startled eyes towards her beloved sister, Princess Luna, approaching. Without thinking, Princess Celestia leapt off her throne and landed on the fallen letter; desperately hiding it with her hooves. Luna stared blankly at her sister's bewildering behavior. She looked like she was trying to hide her diary from her, just like she did when they were fillies.

"Ummm sister?" Luna hesitantly asked, "Is everything all right? Thou seem very…eager to hug the floor for some reason." Celestia rested her chin on one hoof, casually whistling and trying to play her dive off casually. "So who he is sister?" Luna's question abruptly silenced Celestia's whistling. The dark blue mare smirked and raised her eyebrow. "There is a he isn't there Tia, one thou thought thou could hide from me?" Luna said in an all-knowing; mocking tone.

"I'm afraid I don't have the slightest clue what you're talking about Lulu," Celestia replied defensively. The dark blue Alicorn motioned to the cake in the shape of a heart right next to her. Celestia blasted the cake with her horn and teleported out of sight. I'll just finish that later in peace.

"Then why not come off the floor and discuss this eye to eye?" Luna raised a suspicious eyebrow, calling her sister's bluff. Perhaps the letter was not for her and is in fact, for me, and she's hiding it out of jealousy. No…Tia is above such petty feelings, this is something different. Celestia shook her head, acting like an obstinate child rather than one would expect of the ruler of Equestria. Luna reached for her sister's stomach; trying to sneak out whatever she was hiding. Celestia teleported herself onto her throne and away from Luna's reach. The letter appeared to be missing, but in fact, Luna's midnight blue eyes spotted a piece of parchment poking from under her sister's seated rump. "Thou are only making thou look even more guilty," Luna extended her hoof in a demanding manner, "Just let me see it Tia, all I want to know is who sent it." Her statement was partially true. She did want to know the sender's identity, but more importantly, she wanted to know what could possibly be on that letter that her sister would want to hide.

"His name is Di…Dizzy, y-y-y-yes his name is Dizzy" Celestia said after a brief pause. Luna looked unconvinced, her ink blue cheeks sulking into a mildly irritated frown. She had a flat look upon her face that Celestia recognized all too well of her younger sister. "What? I told you who it was, isn't that enough?" she looked to the side, trying to avoid her sister's grilling gaze.

"Really…his name is Dizzy? Strange that I visit countless dreams of countless ponies and not once have I heard of a pony named Dizzy," she crossed her fore legs across her chest. "Is he royalty, some foreign diplomat I am not aware of?" she said with a dry tone.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact he is royalty," she confidently raised her chin, "He's a descendent from the great and noble None-of-your-beeswax-sister family." Celestia spat a saliva heavy raspberry at her sister. The dark Alicorn remained flat and unimpressed with her sister's answers. She felt like she was the only mature pony in the family at this point.

Perhaps I was wrong about Tia's ability to be petty. Luna could not understand why her sister had to act like such a child sometimes. All these years and she hasn't changed, not even a little bit. Not that I want my sister to change, but still, she could at least TRY and be civil about this. The midnight blue mare floated alongside her sister's throne. The two stared at each other intensely, their sibling squabbling increasing with every remark. "Thou should know, for being the older sister in the family, thou can be such a child sometimes," she turned her head to the side with a haughty huff.

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Redness flared on Luna and Celestia's puffy cheeks. They both turned their heads away from each other, after spitting additional raspberries at the other of course. Some of the guards could be heard snickering at the royal sister's immaturity. Luna coughed loudly and the guards quickly regained their composure. "Fine then, forget it, it's just a letter," she slowly trotted off; her shimmering sky tail twitching, "Nothing worth getting worked up over." Celestia couldn't help but silently giggle at her sister's impatience. "I only came to check if there was any mail for me. I was expecting something but if it's not here then I'll just-"

"Oooooh you mean this letter, sister dear?" Celestia coyly lifted a dark blue envelope covered with hoof drawn stars and swirls. The sealed flap had silver and white glitter rays under it; as if moonlight was emanating from under the flap. Celestia came across this letter earlier this morning but didn't tell her sister because she wanted to see her reaction once she found out it was here. Luna gasped and teleported right back to her sister's side; quickly grasping the letter in her hooves. The white Alicorn smiled warmly. She could see unbridled joy and excitement on her sister's dark blue cheeks; eyeing that letter so happily. I wouldn't miss that look on my sister's face for anything in the world.

"It's h-h-h-here, he f-f-finally sent another?!" Luna beamed with rampant giddiness. She quickly opened the letter, it popped open to reveal a 3D pop-up card; hoof crafted like a miniature work of art. It was a chalk pastel drawing of Luna, soaring in outer space and leaving a cosmic trail of stardust and moon rocks; colored with spray paint and glitter. The paper featuring the space layout was littered with all sorts of colorful pieces: art supplies, such as paint and Styrofoam, to everyday items like flower petals and crystals. The princess felt like she was watching some sort of majestic recreation of her night sky, remastered in the most beautiful and artistic of fashions. "It's even more glorious than the last one," she sighed contently as she ran a hoof along the artwork. Luna felt so enchanted, so lost in the warm glow of her admiration of this pony's inspiring work.

"Another lovely piece of art from your secret admirer, Lulu?" Celestia teasingly asked. Luna's cheeks flushed bright red with blushes. Her hooves nervously tried to fold the art letter back up and hide it, but her sister's caring eyes had already stolen a peak at the insignia on the letter's lower left corner. Sure enough, embroidered in a variety of neon colors were the initials R and S; the same that had been on every art piece that had been sent to Luna. "Is this the 3rd or 4th piece this mysterious RS has sent you?" Celestia playfully mused. Luna coughed nervously and tried to avoid answering her sister's prying question. Still, Celestia heard her sister mutter something to the affect of "It's the 4th piece" under her breath. The sun princess giggled, her sister's embarrassment was too amusing not to enjoy. "And here I thought you said letters were nothing getting worked up over," Luna's eyes widened at her sister's words.

"W-w-w-well I cannot s-s-s-simply ignore such b-b-b-beautiful and generous gifts from such a talented artist now can I?" Luna calmed herself down; trying to play it cool and composed. Of course, her sister could see right through the night Alicorn's façade. "When one takes the time to extend such kindness and warmth," Luna said affectionately. Her eyes once again wandered to that precious piece of paper, feeling such love from such a small but wondrous gift. "It would be most disrespectful not to respond in kind."

Celestia briefly pondered over her sister's insightful words. Pushing shame and fear to the side, she levitated her letter out and back into her hooves. She read it over a number of times. A tender smile slowly spread across her snow white lips, gently running her golden hoof across her favorite lines. Your right Lulu, it would be most disrespectful not to reply, she almost laughed at the realization that Discord, the master of chaos himself, was stirring such powerful feelings of attraction inside of her. I owe Dizzy that much after he put so much into this letter, she smacked her lips and crooned at tasting the lingering flavors of that pie, And the pastries too of course.

CREAK!

The front doors to the Princess's throne room swung open with a deafening creak. Celestia and Luna, on instinct, teleported both their precious private letters out of sight before any pony could see them. The sisters looked at each other with nervous smiles; trying to maintain their proper image and ignore their previous fawning over their respective letters from earlier. Twilight and her friends entered with solemn looks on their faces. Celestia watched the ponies approach, their hooves moving slowly; drudging in at a sluggish, defeated pace. The sun princess's eyes slowly widened once she spotted the dark purple colt in the back of the group. She couldn't believe Twilight had actually brought in Moonstruck so quickly.

"Your highnesses" Twilight announced, she bowed to Celestia and Luna as her friends did the same. Celestia smiled and bowed as well, Luna followed shortly. Though Twilight has been told many times she is a princess and an equal to Celestia and Luna, she always felt she never was quite up to her mentors commendable level. Celestia and Luna looked to each other curiously. They were surprised not only by Moonstruck's appearance, but also by the pony's rather grim expressions. "As requested, we've come to speak with you about Moonstruck," Twilight's ears wilted.

"I must say I'm quite surprised to see our missing pony brought here so quickly Twilight Sparkle," Celestia admitted. Twilight looked at her friends in mutual confusion. The purple mare thought for sure Celestia knew she was hiding Moonstruck and that was why she called them to Canterlot. "To be honest, I didn't know for certain if you actually had Moonstruck with you," Twilight's eyes practically jumped out of their sockets, her jaw dropped to the ground like a 10 ton anvil. "I suspected you might; based on our last conversation, but when I asked you to bring him, it was mainly just to test my hunch that you, surprisingly enough, managed to prove accurate," Celestia added.

"Y-y-y-you mean I could have stayed in Ponyville and nothing would have happened?!" Moonstruck loudly exclaimed. Rainbow and Spike tried to keep the colt from raising his voice to the princess, but the unicorn was overwhelmed with panic. "NO, I will NOT stay quiet," he looked around the room nervously for exits, the number of the guards in the room made him freak out even more, "I can't go back to that horrible place; I'd rather DIE than be sent back to-"

"EVERY PONY WILL BE SILENT" Luna boomed, silencing all with her traditional Canterlot voice. The dark Alicorn's authority quickly quelled the squabbling amongst the ponies and one dragon. Twilight tried to protest, but one quick glare of Luna's threatening eyes made the purple mare feel like a mouse staring down the gullet of a hungry cat. Moonstruck was terrified enough of Celestia's wrath, so pissing off Luna; famous for her tyranny as Nightmare Moon, was the last thing he wanted to do. "Please, calmness every pony," she spoke in a softer tone this time, "Let my sister speak her words before you expect the worst."

"Thank you Lulu," she nodded kindly to her sister, "Now then, there's a very serious matter that needs to be addressed," her gaze focused squarely on the convict colt. Moonstruck gulped loudly. Twilight stood by his side; placing an arm around his waist. She knew she was in enough hot water with the princess as it is, but she also knew Moonstruck was afraid and she refused to let him face this sentencing alone. "Twilight, you intentionally harbored a known fugitive from the law; one that is wanted for murder and theft of the highest order," Celestia's wings stretched out; casting a shadow over the ponies. "On top of that, you intentionally kept his whereabouts a secret from me when we spoke last. While it is true you are a princess; that does not mean you are exempt from following the same laws and penalties common ponies obey," Twilight started chewing on her hooves. Spike and the other ponies started holding one another; looking at each other nervously. They all feared what punishment would befall Moonstruck and Twilight.

"Princess Celestia, please, before you punish me I just want to say-" Twilight prepared herself for the worst, but was suddenly interrupted by Moonstruck.

"I cast a spell on her, she wasn't fully aware I was hiding in her house," the bookworm princess desperately tried to speak but Moonstruck cut her off once again. He refused to see her suffer because of him. "It was my fault, ALL of it, I used what little magic I had to brainwash her and sneak into her life for food and shelter" Moonstruck pleaded. He got on his knees and pressed his forelegs together in a begging fashion. Moonstruck feared going back to Tartarus more than death, but if going back could spare such a wonderful, kind and caring pony from being punished because of his actions…he would do it in a heartbeat. "I'm a convicted murderer and a thief, just like you said," he motioned to himself and to Twilight, "Clearly I'm the only one who deserves to be punished."

Twilight tried to speak once more. Rainbow Dash and the others started to chime in as well; soon the entire room was filling with voices begging for Celestia to forgive Moonstruck. Celestia raised a single hoof and silenced the horde of voices in an instant. "I believe I have heard everything that I need to hear, there is still one more thing I require before we conclude this matter," she motioned for Moonstruck to stand up and approach the princess.

The convict looked nervously to Twilight for guidance; she sighed sorrowfully and nodded in reply. I've trusted her instincts for this long. Moonstruck approached the princess and stood silently before her hooves. He closed his eyes and prepared for whatever sentence was about to be carried out. Whatever happens Crackers, I'm glad I met you…

"Please look at me Moonstruck," confused by the order; the colt nodded and obeyed it none the less. Celestia leaned in close and stared deeply into his chrome colored eyes. The unicorn felt most uncomfortable having the princess stare so intensely at him; like she was punishing his inner soul just by glaring at him. He didn't understand why she was doing this, but if it prolonged his incarceration a bit longer, he wasn't going to object. After what seemed like an eternity, the sun princess pulled back from the colt. "Just as I suspected," Celestia motioned for her guards, Twilight and her friends to gather closer. "I have reached a decision: from this day forward, Moonstruck is acquitted of all charges and all wanted posters and tracking parties will be removed," she proclaimed.

"YOU WHAT?!" that outcry echoed like thunder from the collective voices of Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Spike, Rainbow Dash and Moonstruck. Even the guards were shocked by their ruler's pardoning. Luna and Pinkie Pie were the only ones unphased by this revelation.

Celestia could see her decree would require some additional explaining. Moonstruck's face froze in numbing shock, as if having seen a ghost materializing right before his eyes. The Alicorn princess couldn't help but smile at the colt's perplexed face. Though seemingly out of the blue, the sun princess had been thinking about pardoning Moonstruck for some time now. "Ever since we spoke Princess Twilight, no, even before that happened, I have been seriously reconsidering this situation with Moonstruck," she explained. "You have proven time and time again that you are wise and have put your trust in the finest of friends and allies. It was clear to me that something more was brewing beneath the surface when I told you about Moonstruck's past. I was actually going to publically pardon him once I had a gathered some more information about his origins," she paused momentarily; wanting to emphasize the graveness of her news.

"Totally knew she'd pardon him," Pinkie proudly boasted to a guard; brushing a cupcake messily upon her chest, as if polishing an apple. The guard widened his eyes at Pinkie's miraculous prediction. He silently whispered "You're good" to Pinkie as she munched into her creamy treat.

"However, there is a mysterious danger lurking somewhere in Equestria that has forced me to accelerate my decision earlier than expected," Celestia said.

"What kind of danger Princess, and more importantly, what does it have to do with Moonstruck?" Twilight inquired. She didn't mean to dampen this happy discovery for her convict friend, but anything that worried Princess Celestia is not something to take lightly.

"Um a-a-actually," Moonstruck stepped between the two Alicorn mares, "I wanted to know what was with the whole staring-me-down thing? I take it that has something to do with your decision to generously, and let me emphasize that once more, generously pardon me?"

Celestia giggled at the two ponies impulsive curiosities. She could see now why Twilight had grown so fond of him; they had much in common; even if they didn't know it. "I will happily answer both of your questions," she turned to Moonstruck first, "Though I was dealing with the tragic loss of my good friends, Trail Blazer and Cage Chamber, I remember quite clearly the look in the murderer's eyes before he stole Starswirl's plate and left. Unfortunately, it was that same rage that prevented me from listening to your side when I sentenced you to Tartarus." The princess bowed before Moonstruck, her voice and eyes filled with deep sorrow. "I am eternally sorry for taking away two years of your life Moonstruck, I was wrong to punish you for those terrible crimes," she raised her head back up and placed a hoof on the purple colt's shoulder, "I hope one day you can forgive me for causing you such pain."

Moonstruck found his words failing miserably, he stuttered as the shock of her apology continued to paralyze his brain and body. She apologized…to me? The ruler of Equestria, the one who locked me away for 2 years in that nightmarish Hell hole…is sorry…I j-j-just can't believe it. He looked at her with small bits of tears dripping from his eyes. "I d-d-d-don't know what to say" he answered truthfully.

"By all means, take your time to process this. I have put you through a great deal of suffering and even if you refuse to forgive me, I will understand and respect whatever response you wish to deliver," she sweetly replied. The snow white pony gently brushed away one of Moonstruck's tears with her hooves, she pulled it back as she spoke once more. "As I was saying, I got a clear look at the killer and while he looked exactly like you in almost every way, he did not possess the same eyes as you. I see no murderous intent in your eyes. The pony I saw had a soul as black as night and while your magic indeed carries the distinct mark of darkness; that darkness has not touched your heart. That is how I knew for certain that imposter was the real killer and you were just the unfortunate victim that suffered from my misplaced anger."

"But that still doesn't explain what this new danger has to do with Moonstruck," Twilight insisted. Her wings and tail twitched anxiously with impatience. The mare's insistence only made her mentor giggle some more.

"Ever the persistent student Twilight," the princess of friendship blushed bashfully; idly rubbing the back of her head. Celestia turned her attention and eyes towards her former pupil. "There have been numerous reports of powerful pony artifacts being stolen from all over Equestria. No pony has been able to identify who the culprit is, and for some reason, Luna's magic as well as my own has proved mysteriously ineffective in locating this elusive new foe," Celestia said. "I briefly thought it was Moonstruck since the imposter that copied his appearance stole Starswirl's plate in the first place. However, once I sensed your connection to him Twilight, I knew he was not the guilty party, which means there is a new enemy out there working within the shadows."

"That is why my sister ordered me to call off all pony parties tracking Moonstruck," Luna added. "Once Tia knew that thou were not the villain we sought," she motioned to Moonstruck with one of her wings, "We quickly ceased wasting our resources and reorganized them into finding this artifact thief. I have been leading the investigation, but thus far I have been unsuccessful in my pursuit. The slippery devil, or devils, has even managed to elude me in their dreams." She spoke with a speck of venom with that last statement, she felt quite vexed knowing she was failing to find the pony in her controlled realm of dreams.

"I'll be publically announcing Moonstruck's pardoning very soon, that way, all of Equestria can keep their eyes and ears focused on finding this new threat and not waste their time chasing an innocent pony," Celestia explained.

Rainbow Dash looked to Applejack; silently muttering something about doing whatever they could to help. Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike and Pinkie quickly nodded. Twilight looked to her friends and concurred with their feelings on the matter. "If there's anythin' you need from us, just say the word Princess and we'll be happy to help" Applejack proudly announced.

"Yeah, just point us in the right direction and we'll kick that new evil's butt right into next week" Rainbow Dash added. She hopped on her hind legs, punching her forelegs at the air in a boxing manner. Twilight nodded and stood by her friends, "So then princess, where do we begin?"

Celestia smiled warmly at the courage from Twilight and her friends. "As always, I knew I could count on you my little ponies," she politely bowed in thanks to the princess of friendship, "Your journey starts in a strange town; rumor has it every pony in this town has the same cutie mark."

To be continued…

Talk about some BIG reveals huh? Moonstruck is finally off the hook...or is he? There were a lot of big new developments for the cast, including some much needed love for our two solar/lunar princesses. There's going to be a lot of stuff mixing in next chapter with season 5's episodes. It won't be the whole season, it'll stop just before the 2 part finale with Starlight. But don't be surprised if she cameos here or there *wink, wink* Next chapter: Twilight recaps how her friends relationships are going, Spike and Rarity run into some "racy" issues, find out what was in Hopeful's letter to Derpy and discover who the hooded pony is that contacted Wind Rider! Thanks for reading, leave a review if you feel kind enough to lend me your thoughts. Until then, bye for now!

17. The Season You Were There

Chapter 17: The Season You Were There

How's every pony doing? Man, what a unique finale for season 6, I loved the new assortment of reformed bad guys working together ^^ so much fun writing possibilities for them now. Sorry it's taken so long to update...again. I've been dealing with massive amounts of stress from my job, trying to complete a test I've struggled with so I can get a BETTER job and being a full time parent. Things have finally calmed down a bit I can finally continue. I'm going on a week long vacation starting this Sunday so I wanted to make sure I got this up before I left. Couple things to go over: 1- Obviously I don't own MLP, it's characters, locations, names etc. Hasbro owns everything here except my OC's. 2- I know I said I was going to touch on Spike and Rarity dealing with some "racy" issues last time, but I didn't feel it would work in this chapter so I'm having that for next time. 3- I want you guys to know I read and listen to every comment, suggestion and question you send me and I cannot thank you guys enough for helping me with all this feedback. As a way of saying thank you, I've included in this chapter something many people have asked for but I never showed because I was saving it for later: Chimera Khan's origins and backstory. Many people have been asking for it and I thought it would serve better as a later reveal, but I think you guys deserve it and I want to give my readers what they want to see. And now finally, 4- The Shout outs.

Man Undercover: 1. Khan has a strange fondness for Fluttershy, for reasons he doesn't fully understand and will be clarified in future chapters, 2. Much like Discord, Khan sees Fluttershy as special and different from the others, 3. Starlight Glimmer will appear in this story but not in that role, 4. You'll find out, 5. Same answer as the last one, 6. Let's just say they're relationships have different troubles that await them.

Lemon Smoothie: Really happy to hear that! I'm glad the humor is working well, I'm not always confident in my ability to tell jokes so I am glad they are coming off well. Khan's reaction to Fluttershy is surprising to even himself and there's hints of that in this chapter. Celestia and Luna will definitely have some more sisterly fun, the plans I have for them will provide some very interesting reactions to both of the dates I have in mind for them.

WarHusky2000: Awesome comrade! Thanks for the celebratory praise! Hope you enjoy the story so far!

And with that all said and done, enjoy!

Twilight stepped up to the blank piece of parchment; freshly inked quill hovering with her signature purple aura. She felt eerily nervous about writing a single word. So much happened since that day Celestia sent her and her friends out on those missions, so much happened between her friends and their respective boyfriends.

"Maybe it's because I haven't seen him that much lately," she sighed somberly. Her mind wandered to Moonstruck, more specifically; the last thing the charming-yet-sarcastic colt said to her. She thought of his wild green hair, his sweet smile, but then she remembered-

The mare shook her head and recalibrated her focus back on the letter. It's been months since she last wrote to Princess Celestia, she deserved an update. Twilight took a deep breath, stretched her hoof out like Cadence showed her, and started…

Dear Princess Celestia

Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. So much has happened; sometimes I forget that I wrote to you about my friendship lessons in the first place. I'm writing to give you an update on the recent missions you've been sending me and my friends on.

**Flashback**

"It has come to my attention that something strange is happening in a little town, far from here; almost secluded from sight by the snowy mountains of far. Rumors speculate that ponies who go there don't wish to leave, furthermore, all of them seem to possess the exact same cutie mark," Princess Celestia explained.

"No offense your highness but," Rainbow politely interrupted, "What does some dinky little town with similar cutie marks have to do with this new big bad you mentioned?"

"An excellent question my little pony," Celestia sweetly replied. The white mare took great pride knowing Twilight and her friends were so astute and alert; it's one of the many reasons she knew she could count on them for anything. "There are whispers of a magical artifact being used to cause this strange cutie marking process. Since the enemy we are seeking has been stealing mystical artifacts all over Equestria, it's quite possible this enemy is the cause of this phenomenon OR connected to it somehow."

The ponies looked at each other and nodded in agreement. Giving every pony the exact same cutie mark does sound like some kind of unnatural magic is at work.

"Despite my inability to locate this new foe, I have been able to sense a number of possible locations where he or she might be," Luna looked at her sister fondly as she spoke. The white Alicorn's words struck a vulnerable chord inside Luna's heart. She felt much guilt in her sister's tone. She knew that Tia was saddened that her premonitions had failed to track down this dangerous new villain; it was similar to how Luna felt towards her own failure to locate the culprit in the dream world. "I will send which ponies I feel will be most effective at resolving the situation, based on the perceived nature of the threat and what necessary skills are applicable; wherever the potential site may be. After you have completed your mission, you will report back to us on your findings. Since I am merely sensing where the conflict is located in Equestria at this time, I will only be contacting the necessary ponies when I sense disturbance, so feel free to carry on with your lives until it is time."

The sun princess saw the devotion in her subject's eyes; it gave her great pride AND pain to see this. She wished she could do better for them. Her inability to find this foe was frustrating her and she wanted to offer them something so she was not intentionally sending them in blind, but this was all she could offer. "I know this isn't a very consistent schedule for you, but I am afraid it is the best I can do at this time," Celestia said grimly.

**End Flashback**

Unfortunately, our visit to that little town turned out to be more complicated than expected. We met a powerful but angrily bitter pony by the name of Starlight Glimmer. She had used her magic to steal everyone's cutie marks, including our own. Starlight escaped before we could question her. The so-called "magical item" turned out to be nothing but a useless stick that she tricked ponies into thinking was magical. Luckily, we were able to get our cutie marks back with the help of the town ponies. In regards to our mission however, despite her powers and the threat she represents, I don't believe Starlight Glimmer is the new enemy we've been searching for.

We haven't come across her yet in any of our other travels or found any pony who sounds like our artifact thief. Applejack and Rarity didn't find anything in Manehattan, Fluttershy and I came up empty hoofed when we visited the Hooffields and McColts, and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie didn't fare much better in Griffonstone.

Twilight paused and grumbled bitterly.

"I still can't believe I didn't get to go to Griffonstone, I've only wanted to go visit it ever since I read about it YEARS ago! But noooooo, Princess Celestia had to send Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash instead."

"Twilight, are you still complaining about not being able to go to Griffonstone?"

Spike called from upstairs. Twilight rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"That was months ago. Come on, Rainbow Dash said it wasn't a big deal anyway; you've got to let this go."

"Keep eavesdropping and you'll be grounded from seeing Rarity until I say so young dragon!"

Nothing but silence returned. Twilight smiled proudly, she knew that would keep him quiet while she finished this letter.

"Now then, where was I?"

However, the missions you've been sending us on haven't been without some degree of success. We've solved other problems and made new friends in the process. If you hadn't sent us out after this thief, we would have never been able to restore friendship to the Griffins, or help Coco Pommel with her play, or stop the Hooffields and McColts from fighting. I feel we've been able to spread the magic of friendship to new places and new ponies we would have never known about if you hadn't sent us out to find this thief.

The purple Alicorn sighed sorrowfully.

My only regret is that I wasn't able to share these experiences with Moonstruck. Having been locked up for two years, I felt he above all others would have appreciated traveling around Equestria and meeting new friends the most. Of course, I completely understand why you had him stay with you in Canterlot…

**Flashback**

Moonstruck and Twilight had a look of simultaneous shock and disappointment on their faces. The snow white Alicorn had just announced that Moonstruck was not allowed to accompany Twilight and her friends on their missions. His face twisted with sadness, "What do you mean I have to stay here? I thought I was a free pony."

Twilight looked to Celestia and back again to Moonstruck. Something was slowly taking over her senses. She started feeling…numb, like a cold draft just blew in and froze her little by little until she could feel nothing at all. She couldn't explain it, but this news had afflicted her harder than she expected. It was like a dark arrow had struck her heart and was burrowing deeper with every passing moment. Why did she feel such overwhelming sadness? Why did the thought of being apart from Moonstruck feel so crippling? I guess logically it only made sense. Twilight had been living with Moonstruck for some time now. She had become accustomed to his sarcasm, his unique magic, his quest…and his smell. The princess couldn't remember a single morning where she didn't smile at the fact that Moonstruck's scent had rubbed off on her fur.

"You are indeed cleared of all charges Moonstruck, but that doesn't mean you can go out just yet," Celestia calmly stated, "I must insist you stay here with us in Canterlot for the time being."

"Princess Celestia, I don't understand," Twilight interjected, "Moonstruck can be a valuable asset to our mission. Once his magic is fully restored, he can help us-"

"I'm sorry Princess Twilight but that is part of the problem," the two purple ponies looked at each other; confused and concerned. None of this was making sense. Celestia sighed, her reluctance to explain the details had clearly made things worse. The truth is she didn't have the heart to say what she was about to say, but for the safety of her most beloved and precious pupil; she had to.

Celestia looked directly at the two purple ponies; her pink eyes glimmering with silent suffering. "The power I saw Moonstruck display that day frightened me, so much so that I used my most powerful sealing spell to lock his powers away…permanently. I had no intention of ever removing the spell," she paused to exhale, "So at this time I do not know how to remove the spell." The sun princess didn't know what to say. The guilt crippled her heart in ways no pony would know. Everything she had done to Moonstruck turned out so tragically, she wished she could take it all back. "I am so, so sorry Moonstruck," she sincerely whimpered.

The colt didn't know how to process everything. He felt like he was being sentenced back to Tartarus all over again, like everything he knew was being taken away from him. Moonstruck stared in a blank daze at the princess. No words were able to form. Despite his best efforts, only frazzled stutters slipped through his wavering lips.

Twilight kindly placed a hoof to his shoulder. She felt so helpless, so powerless to ease his pain like she did before. And now he has to stay here; merely trading one house arrest location for another. "Isn't there anything you can do Princess Celestia?" she desperately pleaded "Anything at all?"

"That is why I am having Moonstruck stay here for the time being," Celestia said comfortingly, "Luna and I will be able to use our collective magic and resources to discover a way how to remove my spell. We will also be looking into the identity of your imposter, believe me, I will not let the one responsible for your suffering and my friend's deaths go unpunished." Her words seemed to lift Moonstruck's spirits a bit. His eyes came back into focus, silver eyes looking to Twilight with the warmest regards for her kindness.

"This will also give the citizens of Equestria time to adjust their perceptions of Moonstruck," Luna added. The dark blue princess sadly knew all too well how difficult it is to feel accepted when so many are quick to judge you on your past actions. Nightmare Night had been a rude awakening for her, despite it ending warmly. "Trust me for I speak of experience in this matter Moonstruck," he nodded to the night pony, "Thou will be able to walk freely in Equestria as Tia promised, it will just take time for them to see you with eyes unclouded."

"T-t-t-t-that actually makes sense," he bowed respectfully to Luna for her words, "Thank you kindly Princess Luna."

"Now then, before I send you back home so you can prepare for your mission," Celestia's wing motioned towards the balcony. She smiled sweetly and looked towards the green haired colt. "I believe you have been waiting for this moment for a very long time Moonstruck," she said in an all-knowing-tone.

**End Flashback**

And just like that, Moonstruck was cleared of all charges.

I still can't believe it happened, heh, I think Moonstruck felt the same way. He probably saw it as a pipedream, something that would've been impossible until he found his imposter first. That was the happiest I've ever seen him. Naturally, some of the Canterlot citizens were clearly unsure if Moonstruck could be trusted, but that didn't seem to stop him from enjoying his newfound freedom. It was supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life.

Well…for him it was…as for me I…

A small droplet of water leaked from twilight's eye and splashed on that last line; smudging it slightly. Twilight couldn't believe she was crying all of the sudden. She quickly levitated a tissue to her eyes and wiped it away. "Get a hold of yourself girl," she scolded herself, "I can't believe I'm still letting this get to me." She had to remember, he ended things the way he did for a reason. He chose this. It's not his fault you're the one who can't get over it. She sighed heavily, those words felt so damaging and disorienting: ended and get over it. She felt so buried under those words.

What was she even getting over? They never went out; they didn't officially start dating or do any of the things her friends did with their boyfriends. Why was she getting upset over this? Nothing even happened! Or was she merely saddened by the possibility that something could have happened? Why did this stuff have to be so complicated?! It was so much easier when it came to figuring out numbers and fractions instead of romantic feelings.

"Just focus on something else, don't think about it," Twilight sniffled loudly. She shook her head and tried to get back to work. "Talk about all the big stuff that's been happening, yeah, I'm sure she'll love to hear about all the crazy things that have been happening in Ponyville."

Just forget about that last part, okay? Oh! Did I tell you? Three of your youngest loyal subjects FINALLY got their cutie marks! That's right: The Cutie Mark Crusaders finally earned their marks! I'm including a picture of that joyous occasion with this letter. What else happened? Oh yeah! I patched things up with an old friend of mine: Moon Dancer, Applejack reunited with her friend Coloratura; who is now a famous singer and Cranky and Matilda got married. But you were there so you already knew that one so DUH!

"Still kind of miffed about not being let in at the last minute," she grumbled aloud. Twilight was going to mention how excited she was to hear that Cadence was pregnant and she was going to become an aunt, but Celestia knew about that too so it was pointless to mention it.

As for my friends, they've all been doing well for the most part. Gosh, now that I think about it, they've had so much going on in their lives I don't know where to begin. I guess I should start with Rainbow Dash. She's gone through a great deal lately. After her pet turtle, Tank started getting ready for hibernation; she actually tried stopping winter from coming to Ponyville! Needless to say things didn't work out the way she planned. In the end, she accepted the fact that Tank had to go away for the winter, but not before becoming a huge blubbery mess…please don't tell her I told you that! Thank the stars that she had Arrowhead to comfort her. She needed him there the most…even if she'd never admit it.

"Hey Babe you home?" Arrowhead called out as he entered Rainbow's home. He heard his not-so-girly-girlfriend was a train wreck after Tank started his hibernation, so he figured he'd come and check-up on her. "I just wanted to see how you were-" he started to say. Once he entered Rainbow's bedroom however, he pretty much got the answer he was expecting.

"WAAAAAH, AH, AH, AH" Rainbow sobbed loudly. The speedy mare was rolling around in her bed, tears pouring from both eyes like waterfalls. Her voice was a sobbing mess; garbled unrecognizably by the agonizing wails that echoed throughout her house. Arrowhead visibly winced; her cries were like death shrieks. He's surprised all of Ponyville wasn't going deaf because of this. "I s-s-s-still c-c-c-can't believe he's g-g-g-gone" she sobbed; she grabbed a hoof full of tissues and loudly blew her nose into them. She collapsed on her back and cried harder and louder. "I WANT MY TANK BACK" she trashed around on her bed; like a helpless turtle on its back. Rainbow finally realized someone was in her room when Arrowhead walked over and put her numerous used tissues into the overflowing trash can by her nightstand. "Oh…h-h-h-hey there Arrowhead, sorry I d-d-d-didn't hear you come in," she sniffled softly.

"It's okay babe," he gently placed his hoof on her shoulder; rubbing it softly. She smiled weakly at his tender touch. "I hear you've been in here for a while so I thought I'd see if I can get you out of the house for a while," he shrugged casually, "Maybe take your mind off certain depressing events?"

HONK!

A loud, screeching burst of tears and snorts was blown out of Rainbow's muzzle into a tissue. She tossed it to the trash. It bounced off the staggering pile in the packed garbage can, she groaned as it rolled onto the floor. "Sorry but," she looked back to her boyfriend with a sad frown, "I'm not really in the mood to be going anywhere. Everything just feels different without having Tank hovering around. I don't want to do anything but lie in bed," she slumped into bed and pulled the covers over her, "And wait for winter to pass."

"Yeaaaaaaah…that's not gonna happen," the grey colt forcefully yanked Rainbow's blanket off with his teeth and tossed it aside. His girlfriend looked at him with a startled and a slightly irritated look. "That's what you told me the last 3 times I came over. This has been going on for long enough," he bit onto her tail and started pulling her off the bed, "You need a break and I need my girlfriend back."

"Well too bad," she gripped the bed with her fore hooves and grunted, "I said I wanna stay in bed so that's what I'm gonna do!" Arrowhead tugged and tugged but she refused to budge. Once again, she was acting as stubborn as she did when he tried to touch her hooves. Just like a child.

"Quit being such a pain and get your adorable ass out of bed," he said through gritted teeth. He spat some of the rainbow tail hairs out of the side of his mouth. She was not making this easy, but then again she never made anything easy. It's a good thing she's an awesome girl. Otherwise, this would totally not be worth it, he thought to himself.

"You know I don't like it when you use those sappy words to describe me," she said back to him. Her cheeks puffed up and started to blush. Rainbow's angry little pouts were adorable and cute, no matter what she said and she hated that he liked that about her. "Even if it is a compliment," she griped silently.

Arrowhead started to rev up his hooves. Rainbow blinked suddenly, she couldn't believe he was about to use his speed to yank her off the bed. Well two can play at that game she thought to herself. She flapped her wings as hard as she could and used her own speed to pull Arrowhead forward.

"WHOA!"

CRASH!

Rainbow put way more speed force into her pull than Arrowhead expected. The grey colt found himself being hurled off the floor and directly into the wall behind her bed. A crack formed on the cloud plaster where he impacted it. The mare gasped and rushed to catch him. "OOF" she grunted, his body landed right into hers, bounced the two of them off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud. "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, I am SO, so, so sorry" she looked to him, eyes and cheeks wrinkling with panic. Don't tell me I busted his head again! She frantically squealed, her hooves rubbing around his face to make sure he's okay. "Please tell me your all right," she begged.

He opened his eyes and smirked at her, it was a smirk Rainbow had given many times; to him and any pony else that challenged her to a competition. Rainbow was instantly relieved by the look on his face. "Got you off the bed just like I said would," he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips, "Normally guys get girls into bed; not off of it. Of course, once you're feeling better-"

"GRRRR YOU BIG FAT JERK" Rainbow growled and jumped off his chest with a burst of speed. The extra force hit him like a punch to the gut. He grunted and clutched his chest, but it was all worth it to see that angry look on her cute little face. "You know, you make it really easy AND hard to stay mad at you," she pouted. Rainbow crossed her hooves, flared up her wings and turned her back to him.

"You keep acting all grouchy and pouty, but I swear, you're just looking more and more adorable," he chuckled; sitting up.

"I'm NOT adorable," she said defiantly.

"Come on I'm your boyfriend, I'm allowed to say how amazing you look," she snuggled up behind her and draped an arm around her waist. The cyan mare still avoided looking at him, though her resolve wasn't quite as strong as it once was. He could sense she was forcing it for appearances sake.

"Then say I look amazing, don't use those sappy cutesy words," she turned to him, "Calling me adorable makes me feel like I'm one of Fluttershy's animals. I'm a big girl, talk to me like one." Rainbow crossed one of her slender, speedy legs over; keeping her guard up. She still had trouble opening up her feminine side, or even admitting she had one.

"Complimenting you doesn't mean I don't think you're a big girl," he said. She looked away but his hoof gently cupped her chin and brought her gaze back to him. Her scowl had softened upon feeling his touch. "I've always been straight with you Dash. Nothing I've ever said to you is demeaning or taints your bad ass pony image."

"Then why do you keep saying it when you know it bugs me?" she asked.

Arrowhead laughed and shrugged. "I already told you: I'm your boyfriend, it's my job to tease you." She groaned and crossed her fore hooves across her chest, putting her defenses backup. The colt laughed at how twitchy her feathers were. "And I love doing it because you look so damn cute when your feathers are all ruffled like this," he chuckled; much to her added annoyance.

"Oh…just…shut up," she blew a strand of rainbow colored hair out of her agitated looking pink eyes. Rainbow's cheeks blushed mildly at his critical-yet-playful words.

As fun as this was, the grey colt came here for a reason and he still hadn't accomplished that goal just yet. He tapped the base of his chin thoughtfully and hummed to himself. "Okay, okay, totally serious now. I'll make you a deal," her tiny ears flexed in response, "If you admit to me one time, one SINGLE time that you're adorable, I won't use that word to describe you again."

Rainbow curiously examined his teal eyes; searching for any truth to his statement. Not that she needed an excuse to look into his eyes. Apart from his well chiseled muscles and sharp white hair, she always admired the strength and warmth his eyes displayed. "Are you serious?" she asked, he nodded firmly. He could be pulling her leg of course, but then again, he just said he was always direct with her and he never told her anything that wasn't true.

"100% serious," he affirmed.

"All right," she caved in; finally. Why not? She knew Arrowhead was loyal to her, not her image or reputation but her as an individual, and she knew he was the only one who was going to hear her say this so no pony else was going to find out. The mighty walls crumbled and her resolve went with them. "All right, let's get this over with," she placed her hooves by her cheeks and put on a sarcastic, extra wide smile for her boyfriend. If he can tease her, then turnabout is fair play. "I'm adorable" she said in a squeaky, cutesy voice; the kind Fluttershy used when talking about some snuggable critter she found.

Arrowhead suddenly zoomed in and leaned up against Rainbow's side. He leaned next to her fake smiling cheeks and produced a smile that was genuine. One of his hooves had snagged around her waist once more, while his other hoof was holding out a camera.

FLASH!

Rainbow blinked at the sudden blinding flash of light. Arrowhead lowered the device as it spat out an image. He set the camera down, bent over and quickly examined the photo. "Yup, there it is," he turned the image towards Rainbow. The photograph perfectly captured Rainbow saying the word with that, as she so colorfully put it; "cutesy wutsey" smile and face. "Irrefutable proof that Rainbow Dash is adorable," he smiled proudly.

The mare's jaw dropped so low she could fit a whole basketball inside it. She couldn't believe it. She was the fastest pony in all of Equestria and for the second time since she's met him, Arrowhead had pulled ANOTHER fast one over her!

"GIMME THAT" she desperately leapt towards the grey colt; hooves flailing to latch onto that humiliating photograph. Arrowhead chuckled as he easily dodged her advances. Rainbow used all of her speed to try and nab that single piece of film that would destroy her image, but he still managed to evade her. "Hoof over that photo or I am totally breaking up with you," Rainbow demanded.

"Please, we both know the element of loyalty wouldn't leave her boyfriend over something as superficial like an embarrassing photo," he laughed softly. Dammit she hated his stupid-handsome-know-it-all-face!

The closer the speedy mare got, the farther Arrowhead moved away from her. Eventually, he reached Rainbow's front door. The moment he opened it, her eyes widened. She instantly feared he was going to go show that photo off to all her friends, including Scootaloo most likely. She'll be a laughing stock! "I guess if you want this photo back, you'll have to come outside with me," he winked to Rainbow cockily. The colt sped out the door in a flash. The door banged against the wall loudly, intentionally left open so Rainbow would be tempted to follow.

"My pride is going to kill me one of these days" she sighed begrudgingly. Reluctantly, Rainbow grabbed a scarf, a pair of ear muffs and dashed after her boyfriend.

Arrowhead lead Rainbow Dash into the market in downtown Ponyville. They were currently in a clothing store, the grey colt was combing through several racks of clothing; looking for something in particular. "Ah ha" his eyes widened upon seeing a row of hats hanging on the wall by the changing rooms, he walked towards it and started looking through them.

"Okay, I left my house just like you asked AND followed you all the way to this store," Rainbow griped loudly enough so that everyone could hear and feel her frustration. Arrowhead looked as cool and calm as ever despite his girlfriend's complaints. "Now will you PLEASE give me that photo already?" she extended her hoof out to accept it.

"What do you think of this one?" he said; intentionally ignoring her question. Arrowhead placed a dark brown bowler hat on his head; modeling it for his grumpy girlfriend. Rainbow's scathing eyes was all the reply he needed. "Yeah, too old man-ish," he tossed it back on the rack, "I need something that says: me."

He paused at the sudden sensation of Rainbow's rough but comforting hooves wrapping something around his neck. It was her scarf. The scarf was pale blue with bits of small yellow thunderbolts decorated in its stitching; it had a very Wonderbolts style to it. He looked to Rainbow as if she were a stranger that grabbed him from behind.

"What? Just because I'm mad at you doesn't mean I want you to get sick," she said matter-of-factly.

"Thanks babe," he looked at the scarf fondly; running his hoof through the material with a smooth brushing motion. She blushed mildly at that little name. "So then," he quickly went back to the task at hand; showcasing various hats for the colorful mare, "What do you think of this one?" Rainbow groaned at the tall, stovetop style black hat. Arrowhead tried on another one, then another and another. Everything he tried just seemed to disgust and annoy Rainbow further.

"Ugh, why do you keep asking what I think of these stupid hats? I'm not Rarity you know," she crossed her forelegs over her chest and snorted. Arrowhead rolled his eyes at that remark. Rainbow looked at the rack of hats; her eyes drooped down under the weight of her staggering boredom. "And what's with the sudden hat craving anyway?" she poked the rack with disinterest. "You better not be going bald and trying to hide it with a hat or something."

Though slightly cruel, Arrowhead couldn't help but laugh at that theory. "No, no, nothing like that. You see," he paused and tried on a baseball cap, "I've been thinking of starting some kind of business here in Ponyville." The cap was tossed aside as he tried on another. "I was thinking some kind of detective agency. I'm all about finding the truth and seeing past pony's barriers, figured it would be a good use of my skills."

Rainbow hadn't thought of that. It made perfect sense though, he's persistent, he cuts through all the fronts she's put up, and he always seems to know how to get to a person's true nature. Rarity proved to be quite the detective herself, Rainbow could personally attest to that. Maybe she could give him a few pointers about starting his own detective business; she thought to herself. She's already a successful business mare.

Suddenly, the thought of rummaging through these hats didn't seem like it was meant to distract her from the photo or to bore her to death. No, this seemed much more than that. She could hear and feel the surge of optimism and excitement in his voice. This idea sounded truly important to him, maybe even more so than he was letting on.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" she hovered behind him, watching him closely with curiosity beaming in her eyes.

"Of course," he turned to her and smiled, "It's as important to me as joining the Wonderbolts is to you."

Rainbow's eyes widened at his answer. Wow, I didn't know he was THAT serious about this, she scratched her chin softly, well in that case…

The mare flew above the hat racks, quickly scanning her hawk eye vision over everything this store had to offer. If she could scan everything down below her, she knew it'd be cake finding the right hat for Arrowhead in a flash. "Got it," she chirped loudly. Rainbow grabbed a dark brown fedora from the rack and dropped it into Arrowhead's hooves. It was a rusty shade of brown; the stripe was midnight black and it featured a quill like feather towards the front. The feather was a mix of aquamarine blue and bronze gold. "That's the one, trust me," Rainbow said proudly. "Rarity may be Ponyville's resident fashionista but I know that is going to look totally bad ass on you," she said as she landed on the ground.

"Well, if you say so," he replied; trusting his girlfriend's judgement without much hesitation. The colt flipped the hat on with a sense of flare; he adjusted it and turned to Rainbow. "So what do you think?" he asked; shrugging mildly.

Rainbow was fast on her feet; always have been and always will be, but at that very moment she was too stunned to react. The hat gave Arrowhead a sense of dashing charm to his already well sculpted figure. He looked like some handsome stranger out of a mystery thriller, but strong and bold enough to be a battled scarred hero in an action flick.

"Y-y-y-you look", she wanted to speak but her lips just couldn't make out the right words. She licked them softly and tried to shake this enchanting warmth that had afflicted her.

"Heh, that's the right answer," he flipped the hat off smoothly; holding it one hoof while his other reached for the photo. Rainbow was so mesmerized by his intoxicating look; she didn't even realize Arrowhead had placed the photo in one of her hooves. The colt happily headed to the counter with the hat. "I'm gonna go pay for this, thanks for the excellent recommendation babe," he called to her as he started counting his bits.

Rainbow shook her head; quickly snapping out of her dreamy trance upon hearing the clanking of colliding bits. Cherry blossom colored blushes warmed her cheeks up. "Man, I'm going to have to be careful around him when he has that hat on," she half joked. She suddenly realized she finally had what she wanted: the photograph. "Whew, thank Celestia he gave this up," she exhaled in relief. She looked around to make sure no pony else had seen it. "Now I can finally destroy this thing before anyone else sees it," she prepared to tear the photo in half.

"HEY THERE RAINBOW WINGS"

That voice sent violent chills down Rainbow's spine. It was familiar, sickeningly familiar; like a nightmare that she thought she had been rid of long ago. She would have dropped the photo in fear if she wasn't so rigid from her sudden repulsion. "That sounds like," she swallowed heavily; trembling as if expecting death the instant she turned around, "Zephyr Breeze."

Finally forcing herself to turn and face the slacker Pegasus, Rainbow felt all the color drain from her rainbow locks and face as she confirmed his identity. The colt was tall, aqua green colored, faint plum colored eyes, chin unshaven and his faint blond hair was stringy looking. The last confirming bit of news came when she saw his cutie mark was a dark green breeze like wave with a pale orange colored leaf.

"If this isn't Celestia's will then I don't know what is," he boasted smugly, "Here I am; just browsing for a cheap err I mean special gift for my older sister, and who do I find hot on my luxurious scent?" Zephyr leaned in obnoxiously close to Rainbow. She visibly cringed; practically feeling her fur jump off her body at his proximity. She looked like she'd just been slimed by a ghost with tacky hair. "Rainbow, the speedy-sensational-secretly-pining-for-old-Breezy Dash," he raised his thick eyebrows suggestively.

"Ugh I am NOT here following you. And for the hundred, thousandth time I am NOT; nor have I EVER been pining for you!" she snapped defiantly. Ever since Rainbow had known Fluttershy, Zephyr had concocted this twisted fantasy that she was somehow secretly in love with him. It loathed her to know that after all these years he hasn't changed, though that was to be expected when you're a conceited slacker like him. She couldn't step back from him fast enough.

"Oh come on Rainbows, you don't need to play the hard-to-get-card to win my club of hearts," Zephyr flexed his wings proudly. His smug smile and flashy stance made it seemed like any pony looking at him should bask in awe of his radiant glow. Rainbow tried to fly off but Zephyr snagged his arm around her shoulder and cuddled her most uncomfortably close. "Zephyr's always saved room for a wild card like you in his deck," he smiled widely at the clearly disgusted mare.

"Uhhhhhhh" Rainbow meekly trailed off, her jaw seemingly forever locked in a horrified gasp. She was so thoroughly disgusted and disturbed by Zephyr's actions; she once again felt her mouth fail to function properly. How dense can a pony be? He makes my flesh crawl every time he touches me. Every. Single. Time! No matter what I say to him or how loudly I say it, he STILL doesn't listen.

Rainbow tried to fly off or call out to Arrowhead but Zephyr kept dragging her back with his odious advances. "What do you say you and I split a hay burger and I can regale you with all my brilliant future mane style designs?" his confidence and certainty was so intense; it was suffocating. Before Rainbow could protest, Zephyr creepily pressed his hoof to her lips and hushed her. "And of course when I say split a burger, I of course mean you pay and I pay you back later," he chuckled and motioned to his empty hooves. "I kind of forgot to bring any money with me."

Then how the heck were you planning on buying Fluttershy a gift in the first place?! That thought screamed inside her brain. She wanted to shout it out and knock some sense into this mooching moron, but he wasn't going to listen and he certainly wasn't going to back down. I've never felt more alone in my life, I'm drowning in Hell here and no pony seems to notice! How can someone as sweet as Fluttershy be related to such a slug?

Zephyr started to head towards the exit; slightly dragging a most unwilling Rainbow Dash with him. She didn't know what to do or what to say. All her energy, all of her resistance and anger was gone; sapped away by the parasitic idiocy of this slacker's delusional charms. The mare felt like she was being kidnapped by a diamond dog that smelled of cheap hair gel and overconfidence.

"Come on Rainbows, I'm about to bring all those daydreams you have about me to glorious 3D life!"

Where the heck is Arrowhead? I wish I never let him take that awful photograph. It's because of that stupid thing that I'm about to experience the worst night of my life. Ooooh I can't wait until I get my hooves on him so I can -

ZOOM!

CRACK!

Zephyr and Rainbow were stopped; violently cut off by the most enraged looking Earth pony ever to cross Equestria: Arrowhead.

"H-h-h-hey buddy, what's the b-b-big idea? OW, ouchie" Zephyr winced. The wimpy Pegasus squinted in pain, nervously trying to pull his hoof out of the crushing force of Arrowhead's grip. The grey colt had stopped Zephyr in his tracks before he made it out of the store with Rainbow. "You're interrupting some major date magic," Zephyr looked disapprovingly at the Earth pony's bland mane style, "Whoever you are."

Rainbow's eyes widened with joy. "Arrowhead, boy I am glad to see-" she quickly stopped herself before getting too excited. She had to remember; she was mad at him and had to punish him for taking so long for getting back to her…even if he was saving her from a disastrous date. "Yeah, so um, took you long enough," she put on her cool persona; trying to avoid Arrowhead's eyes but failing.

Arrowhead was fuming with unimaginable anger; rage seething under his skin like a scorching sickness. Rainbow and Zephyr could see veins bulging along his muscular arms. "Where the HELL do you think your taking my girlfriend?" his voice had a newfound savagery that caused Rainbow to shiver. She didn't know his voice could get that low. "And more importantly," Arrowhead jerked Zephyr off Rainbow and brought his muzzle face to face with his, "WHY DO YOU HAVE YOUR STINKING HOOVES ALL OVER HER?"

His volcanic tone silenced every pony whispering and staring at the volatile scene. Some staff members had attempted to approach Arrowhead to ask him to leave, but the fury felt in his thunderous tone melted their resolve like ice. The staff ponies frightfully backed away. Meanwhile, Rainbow was still in awe of her boyfriend's protective nature.

"Oh…g-g-g-girlfriend you say?" Zephyr nervously laughed; slowly inching away from both ponies. "H-h-h-h-hey now, even a genius artist like me makes m-m-m-m-mistakes every once in a while," his smile was one of desperation and fear. Every shiver crawling up the Pegasai's body got stronger the more he looked into those hate filled eyes of Arrowhead's. "Rainbows and I go way back and, you see, it's kind of a funny story but she has been secretly pining over-" Zephyr was abruptly cut off by Rainbow's true boyfriend.

Arrowhead flipped on his new hat as he abruptly confronted the babbling stylist. He leaned in closer; squinting at Zephyr's frightened eyes and spoke with the lowest and coldest voice he could produce. "If I ever see you making her that uncomfortable again," Zephyr gulped loudly, "I'm going to shove my hoof so far up your ass; you'll be spitting out horseshoes for the rest of your life."

"Oh-my-look-at-my-wrist-gotta-go-fix-those-manes-BYE" Zephyr said with a nervous squeak. He bolted out the door so quickly; he left a shimmering blue and yellow mirage behind.

Arrowhead's venomous glare never softened until he was sure Zephyr was 100% gone. Once he was certain, the grey colt's intense guard instantly softened back to his normal demeanor. He turned to Rainbow and placed a hoof on her shoulder, "Are you all right?"

Rainbow smiled at the sweet gesture. Normally, she would be against such public displays of affection, but seeing him get all crazed and guard dog-ish over her kind of warmed her heart. "I'm great actually, thanks for the save there," she turned beat red with blushes. Rainbow forced herself to give him a peck on the cheek to show her gratitude. She looked almost as uncomfortable kissing him in public as she was being with Zephyr, almost. "I mean he wasn't like dangerous or anything," she explained, "He's an annoying bratty brother of Fluttershy's but he was still making me feel all creeped out." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "That delusional dope always thought I was secretly pining for him ever since I met him," she made a gagging noise; sickened at the mere thought of being in a relationship with Zephyr.

Arrowhead chuckled, "Well I am glad I was able to crowbar him off of you." Rainbow stared at her boyfriend for a moment and then suddenly slugged him in the shoulder. He winced and grunted in pain. "OW, what was that for?" he rubbed his arm achingly.

"You big fat jerk! What took you so long?" she demanded, flaring her wings up. "He was sleaze balling all over me for what felt like forever. Either you were in the longest line ever or you saw what was happening and did nothing but enjoy watching me squirm," she crossed her arms and turned her back to him; pouting bitterly. "Either way it was not cool and I am totally peeved at you for it," she asserted.

"Actually, I was watching everything that went down the moment he popped up," he clarified. Rainbow's face was burning up with a different shade of red: anger! She flipped around to show him her own angry side but found herself quickly halted by his explanation. "And the reason I didn't do anything is because you're the toughest girl I know and you could totally handle someone like him," he said.

Rainbow's anger and irritation vanished; instantly deflating like a punctured balloon. His words, the look in his eyes, the sound of his voice; it eroded any and all frustrations she was about to unload on him. "Oh…yeah…um…that makes sense…actually" she nervously replied. She hadn't expected an answer like that.

"But the more he just pushed himself on you, the more it made you look uncomfortable," he paused for a moment; closing his eyes and clenching his left hoof angrily. "Just thinking about how miserable you looked just set off a fire inside of me," he opened his eyes and relaxed his grip, "I know you could've handled him and I know he wasn't a mugger or anything like that, but I just couldn't stand seeing you look so unhappy for one minute longer. I had to do something." Arrowhead's voice spoke with vigor, with pride; like he was making a declarative statement in court. Rainbow couldn't help but feel moved by his passion.

She licked her lips; feeling a tender warmness creeping into her cheeks, "Say…do you want to go get some burgers or something?"

"Sounds good to me rainbow babe," he started heading towards the door; chuckling softly. "Come on, I'm buying."

"Be there in a second," she paused; following up with a proud smile, "And I'm buying. It's my treat this time." The speedy mare was about to leave when she heard the distinct crinkle of the photo nestled between her feathers. All it took was one look at that photo to make up her mind about it. Rainbow approached the counter. She was cautious, quiet, trying to be discrete with her question, "So um…do you guys happen to sell frames?"

Fluttershy tells me that Rainbow stops by frequently to tell her all about how great things are going with Arrowhead. I am happy to report that this is the happiest I've seen Rainbow in a long time, maybe…even more than I've ever seen since I've known her.

Twilight sighs; sadly inking her quill.

I just can't help but worry that Fluttershy is just a bit jealous of all this attention Rainbow is getting. Fluttershy usually goes along with what makes everyone else happy; not herself. I believe Fluttershy wishes to have someone care for her one day, so that she can be the receiver and not the caregiver for a change. Heh, funny enough, she seems to think there's some pony watching over her; protecting her from…things I guess.

I really don't know how to explain it. She seems lonely and yet she appears calm and content, like she's being protected by someone or something that makes her feel cared for. The girls and I checked all around her cottage, but other than her usual critter friends and occasionally one from the Evefree forest, we never found anyone.

Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

Chimera Khan stood at the edge of his cavernous lair, his gaze stretching across the endless sky of darkness and silver stars. It was as if he was peering into the depths of the deepest, darkest oceans for a golden treasure to call his own.

"I do not understand this," he mused to himself, "Why is my vision blurred by lines of yellow and pink? I have spent years planning the ultimate revenge on that vile, treacherous sow Celestia." Her name came off his lips scathingly. Khan felt disgusted to even speak of the sun princess, even in scorn. "And yet," his orange eyes briefly softened, "I feel clouded; my desires for vengeance are being pooled into my inexplicable fondness for that nature loving mare."

He shook his head, clutching metal against metal as he rubbed his face sorely. Every time he looked in the mirror he was reminded of what Celestia forced him to hide. Khan found himself questioning his murderous resolve.

Was this really the way?

Was he no longer sure of what he wanted?

Could this all be because of…Fluttershy?

"No, no IT CAN'T BE" he suddenly shouted. Khan's orange eyes hardened like jagged daggers. His black and red horn surged with dark magic, a brief flash of emerald green filled his irises; turning his pupils red with purple smoke sizzling from their sides. "Yes…yes," his voice slurred like a serpent, "We must NEVER forget what she has done to us."

"Who the heck are you talking to boss?" a female voice curiously asked.

Khan snapped out of his trance and turned around, Bubbling Cauldron was standing behind him. The green witch looked at him like he should be wearing a strait jacket. The metallic tyrant glared at his servant for spying on him.

"What do you want witch?" he sneered.

"Whoa, stay frosty boss," she raised her hooves up defensively. The mare backed up slowly; not daring to enrage her master any further. "I just wanted to know who you were talking to and why you were looking all spaced out," she answered.

"I see," Khan turned his masked face back towards the utter blackness he found such solace in. For a moment, he said nothing and Cauldron started to leave so she could let him get back to…whatever it is he was doing. "Did I ever tell you why I wanted to destroy Princess Celestia and her kingdom?" his question halted Cauldron's exit; catching her off guard.

"I um…well now that you mentioned it," she paused to think about it, "No you actually never did."

"I shall tell you," he said firmly; not giving her any option to say otherwise. Bubbling Cauldron nodded and sat down obediently. "Long, long ago I was once the grand high advisor and wizard to Princess Celestia. When I served as her advisor, Celestia was a wise, noble and honorable ruler who always put her subject's best interests before her own." His eyes shimmered fondly, enjoying the fleeting glimmer of happiness from reliving his memories. "She had such a vast knowledge of magic, so powerful and gifted. I made it my personal mission to learn everything she knew so that I could always protect her and the kingdom with the same amount of power and devotion. I knew I would not live forever as she would, but I was happy dedicating my life to serving her so that I could grow and give her everything I had; just as she had done for others."

The sight of the moon's beams bleeding through the few remaining clouds caused Khan to pause, his lips frowned in anger. Though Cauldron could not see his muscles flexing under the armor, she could sense a palpable tension was now surging through his veins. The adoration in Khan's voice dissolved into a vengeful tone.

"Then her sister turned into Nightmare moon and everything changed. Celestia was no longer the epitome of guardianship, she had grown…soft." Khan's armor flashed under the rising flare of his voice and mood. "I had noticed a rising threat in Equestria…dragons. Vile, wretched beasts; the whole lot of them! They had been encroaching on our territory on a number of occasions. I strongly urged Celestia to put those nasty reptiles in their proper place. But, much to my loathing, she continued to play peacekeeper and allowed those monsters to walk away unharmed each occurrence."

"So what did you do?" Cauldron asked impatiently.

"I presented my undeniable logic to the princess: these creatures are too dangerous and too powerful to allow them to live. They are a race of ticking time bombs; just waiting to lay waste to our civilizations and devour all of us. I proposed we exterminate the dragons before they do the same to us. Celestia, in her infinite ignorance, denied me from taking ANY lethal action against the dragons. Never had I wanted to disobey my princess…until that injustice was passed. So, I devised a plan to create a powerful magic spell that could control all dragons and enslave them before they decide to attack us. Using Starswirl's indestructible plate as a platform, I used all the magical items and spell books I had collected over the years and combined their magical properties into an amalgamation of magic, metal and artifacts. I went to test my spell's effectiveness on the creatures that inhabit the Everfree forest," Khan explained.

"I figured, if I could control the monsters in that forest; the dragons would be easy to enslave," he said sorrowfully. The armored pony spoke as if he had just experienced these events yesterday. Even after all these years, they were still fresh and vivid in his mind as ever. "Naturally my spell worked. I successfully controlled all of the creatures in the Everfree forest, even when my armor was still in its prototype phase. But the real test was still to come. I needed to make sure it worked on the dragons, so I went to the area where Celestia and I first caught two dragons trespassing on our land. It was a snowy, cold mountain; not far behind Canterlot and the royal castle." As he spoke, his inner rage was slowly boiling to the surface; yet Bubbling Cauldron also sensed a twinge of fear in his tone. "I found the dragons but," his teeth clenched tightly as he spoke the next words; "The spell failed. I was stunned for a moment, but only for a moment. The dragons attacked me; I killed the first one and delivered a fatal wound to the other."

Bubbling Cauldron inched closer to her master; despite his growing temper. The excitement and investment she had poured into this story was rapidly increasing. She nodded vigorously for him to continue; her cob webbed hat bouncing along.

"I went to put the horrid beast out of my misery when…when," his voice slowly trailed off. The trembling muscles in his throat failed to produce the words he dreaded to say.

WHAM!

Khan smashed his metallic hoof into the cave's stone wall, fractures spread across the stone wall like blood vessels. His breathing was heard with disturbing clarity through his armor; it had an echo effect to it, much like his own voice. Cauldron squeaked in fear.

"He burned me…he bathed my body in an ocean of fire," he shuddered coldly, "That horrible, unforgiving green fire. I ran off, screaming in agonizing pain. I fell on an unstable path on the mountain and tumbled into a series of caves. I blacked out instantly. I awoke without any clue of how long I'd been down there or how I survived. My body was burned almost completely over but I still had enough strength to make my way back to the castle. When I returned, I learned Celestia believed me to be dead and completely cleaned up all traces of what transpired between me and the dragons." The wall cracked even further as he twisted his hoof. "That rotten…lying…back stabbing little…GRR TRAITOR", he snapped angrily, "She covered everything up! She erased all traces of me and didn't harm so much as a scale on King Horntail's head for the dragon's part in my 'demise'. After that, I went into hiding; slowly planning and building my ultimate revenge against her. I swore I would never believe in Celestia ever again and that I would make her experience eternal pain and suffering for abandoning me, and failing to avenge my death." He paused for a moment then let loose a cold, cruel chuckle. "It's ironic," he removed his hoof from the wall, "I warned her that the dragons would be her downfall one day. But in fact, she will fall at my hooves because she ignored my warnings about the dragons."

"Once that deadweight loser Crowe gets back to you with the last two magical items, you'll finally be able to REALLY stick it to that pretentious princess. You'll show her who the REAL boss is," she cackled wildly.

Khan flinched slightly at those words: the real boss.

Do I even know who that is…is it even me? I thought I was but now, I'm not so sure anymore. One thing I am certain of, Celestia has much to answer for. She betrayed me and left me for dead, what kind of repayment is that for all of my years of service and friendship? I swear upon this mask that I will not rest until she pays for every last one of her sins…in blood.

Twilight was quite happy no pony was around to see her cheeks flash a few shades of pink. Memories of Moonstruck always put a smile on her face, but today that smile was sad and weak…much like her heart.

Princess, when you told me that you suspected me of having some sort of connection to Moonstruck; I wondered what it was about me that gave you that impression. He has been such a constant source of confusion and conflict for me that I unknowingly let him get under my skin.

He is unlike any pony I have ever met before. He doesn't always say the right thing, he makes fun of my name and my behaviors constantly and his actions as of lately have been…disheartening to say the least.

But still…

I can't help but feel like I'm missing something without him in my life. I've always measured and calculated every aspect of my experiences, even the birthdays and Hearth's Warming eves Spike and I shared before we came to Ponyville. I could always use science to make sense of anything. But I've relied less and less on it since I came to Ponyville, and yet…at this very moment, I wish for all the scientific knowledge in the world to enter my brain and help me make sense of this confusing pain I'm in.

Sigh…I wonder if this is what Applejack felt when Hopeful told her what was in that letter he gave to Derpy Hooves. She's been having a hard time adjusting to so many new things: working with Rarity in Manehattan to help Coco Pommel, missing out on the Sisterhooves social, trying to adjust to the Pie family's traditions; and accepting Coloratura's changes. Maybe if she hadn't been dealing with all those radical changes to her old fashioned ways, she might have reacted differently.

Hopeful soared high above Sweet Apple Acres with the ever adorable and jubilant Apple Bloom riding on his back. Her joyous laughter echoed sweetly in the colt's ears as he soared through the clouds. "Hold on tight little maiden, here comes another loop da loop," he called out to her. The filly nodded and tightly clutched the stallion's back fur. Hopeful flipped into a barreling loop; briefly treating the crusader's young eyes to the most spectacular of views. Her cutie mark sparkled dazzlingly in the golden rays of the sun.

"What did you think of that?" he turned his eye towards her.

"That was just amazin', Ah never knew flyin' would be this cool," she beamed excitedly.

Their ears twitched at the sudden sound of a cow bell clanging on the ground below. Hopeful looked down and spotted the familiar sight of his beloved Earth pony friend ringing the bell in her mouth. The Pegasus nodded to Apple Bloom and slowly descended down to the grasslands.

"Well, would ya look at that," the orange mare ceased ringing and placed the bell down. Applejack couldn't help but smile contently seeing her sister so happy. She sure has takin' a shine to him. Ah swear, sometimes Ah wonder if she wants him to stick 'round just so she could get more Pegasus piggy back rides. The southern mare chuckled to herself and watched the romantic stallion land gracefully and safely on the ground; just as he's done every other time Apple Bloom's been on his back.

"I take it it's time for our next cooking lesson to begin?" he asked cheerfully. As much as he loved playing with AJ's little sister, the sweetness in his smile clearly showed how eagerly he was waiting to spend more time with the mare of his dreams.

"Right as rain sugar," Hopeful's cheeks reflexively blushed at his much adored nickname. She opened the door and motioned for the Pegasus to follow her into the kitchen.

"Awe, already?" Apple Bloom pouted. Her tiny frown was too adorable for Hopeful and AJ not to giggle under their breath. "But you still haven't told me what yer cutie mark means," she pointed at Hopeful's flank, "Ah've been wonderin' since Ah first saw it." Apple Bloom hopped up and down impatiently. "Ya just gotta tell me!"

Hopeful gently placed his hoof on her head; calming her down and lightly ruffling her red hair. "A gentleman does not break a promise to a beautiful lady," he said matter-of-factly, "I gave you my word I'd tell you and I will." He pulled his hoof back and smiled at the tiny Earth pony. "But just like your new cutie mark, all good things come to those who wait," he motioned for her to run off. "Now's not the time now, your sister and I have some previous promises to fulfill," he stated.

Apple Bloom leaned in and whispered something to Hopeful. His eyes widened momentarily, the filly winked and ran off to meet up with her fellow crusaders. The colt chuckled nervously and shook his head.

"What was all that about?" Applejack asked.

"Umm she told me that she was happy to give us all the privacy we need," he said embarrassingly.

The orange mare removed her hat and laughed; smacking it lightly against her foreleg. "Well Ah'll be dipped in apple sauce," she raised an eyebrow teasingly at the red colt, "If Ah didn't know any better; Ah'd say some pony is tryin' to get the two of us together."

Hopeful chuckled; returning the playful teasing, "Yeah I don't have a clue where your getting that from." He raised his hoof and motioned towards the orange mare. "Sure sounds like good advice though. I strongly think you should listen to her fair maiden," he flew next to her and wiggled his eyebrows, "It could be most beneficial to your health."

Applejack covered her mouth and tried to cover up her laugh but failed miserably. She snorted through her cheeks and shook her head, "Duly noted." The mare grabbed Hopeful's tail with her teeth and tugged him into the kitchen. "Come on lover boy, we've got some more cookin' to do," she said through clenched teeth.

Almost immediately after entering the kitchen, Hopeful clutched his tail and nervously pulled it from AJ's teeth. His concern seemed drawn to the orange bow near the end of his tail tip. Hopeful looked at the bow like it was precious treasure; like his world would shatter if it came off. Needless to say, Applejack's emerald eyes had certainly noticed.

"Um, something wrong there partner?"

Hopeful shook his head dismissively, slowly letting go of his tail. "No, no, everything's fine. I just tend to get a little over protective about this," he said assuredly.

Applejack thought about asking him why, but the look in his eyes told her that would be unwise. Hopeful has kept secrets from her before; dodging certain topics and questions. But then again, so has she. If this issue surrounding his bow was a sensitive one, then it would be best not to spoil their time together with awkward sadness. He would tell her when he was ready.

"Let's just stick to the cookin' lesson then, shall we?" she said with much enthusiasm. Hopeful nodded and stood side by side with the Earth pony, both focusing on Granny Smith's cook book before them. She flipped a few pages and stopped on the one marked "blueberry pancakes." The red colt bit his lip nervously. "Now then, today were gonna try somethin' nice and simple: pancakes," she patted his shoulder comfortingly, "Don't sweat it now sugar; Ahm gonna take you through it every step of the way."

"All right," he gulped loudly, "I just don't want to like; burn the house while trying to make them or something."

Applejack's laughter somewhat comforted him, she seemed quite certain she could teach him to be a cooking whiz. "Come on now partner, Ah know you've improved since last time," she said confidently. He seemed unconvinced but she gave him a reassuring wink and nudged him softly. "Now show me what ya got!"

5 minutes later…

The orange mare stood dumbfounded as Hopeful's bowl of pancake batter had burst into a roaring sea of flames. The colt was desperately running around grabbing every other bowl he could get his hooves on; filling them up with water from the sink and dumping them over the flames.

"H-h-h-how, HOW is that possible? You set the pancake batter on fire," she couldn't shake the look of shock and bewilderment off her freckled cheeks, "WE DIDN'T EVEN USE THE STOVE YET!"

Hopeful was too busy running around and dumping things in the bowl to answer. His wings flapped frantically; hovering towards the higher cabinets to try and find something that can help. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I swear I can fix this! Let me just-" he stopped suddenly as he found a large bag in the cabinet above the refrigerator. "This ought to do the trick," he grabbed the bag and tor its seal open with his teeth. Hopeful flew above the pancake inferno and quickly dumped its contents into the bowl.

The contents of the bag became clear to Applejack mere seconds before it landed into the batter. Though she knew she was too late, her voice still desperately tried to warn the disastrous chef. "NO, NO, NOT THAT ONE" she cried out, "That's going to-"

SPLAT!

The pancake batter exploded upon contact with the bag's contents. Thick, faint brown colored goop splattered all across the kitchen. The batter hung like an oozing hybrid of sap, molasses and butter soaked blueberries. Even the windows had pancake batter dripping off the wood hinges. Hopeful and Applejack stood dumbfounded at the center of the splattering mess, their coats almost completely covered in the goo. The ponies just stared at each other blankly. Neither one could believe what had happened, or how it got to this point in the first place.

The eerie silence was finally broken. Applejack slowly smacked her lips; licking whatever bits of pancake slop had been plastered across her face. "Hmmmm, ya know…that ain't half bad," she munched on it happily.

"R-r-r-really?" he asked; nervously. The red colt was still in a bit of a daze after that colossal pancake explosion.

"Yeah, it's a bit runny and takes some time to get it round yer mouth but," she paused and licked another chunk off her freckled cheeks, "Ah could see mah self eatin' this fer breakfast."

Hopeful decided to trust her word and took a lick for himself. His eyes widened slightly, the taste made him croon and curious for another tasting; each one more pleasing than the last. "I think you're right, I might be onto something," he commented. He raised a cream covered hoof and wiped some buttery chunks out of his dark locks. "You think ponies would pay to come eat this off the walls? Cause that's the only way I can see this being marketed," he half joked.

The orange mare burst with laughter at that. Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation; being covered from head to hoof in surprisingly tasty pancake splatter, but something about this strange little moment caused her lungs to overflow with laughter.

"Ya'll are gonna make me split mah sides open," she chuckled; wiping a tear from her eye…or possibly blueberry juice. Hearing that sweet, southern purr jingle with laughter just put a smile on Hopeful's face that would not stop. Applejack took her Stetson off and tried to shake the gunk off. "If yer cookin' gets any better and Ah find out yer a decent dancer," she playfully winked at him, "Ah think ah'll find mah self havin' a hard time keepin' my hooves off ya."

He opened his lips to speak but found his voice drying up within seconds. Applejack shook her blond locks wildly, flapping the pancake batter around the room like chocolate raindrops. It was the strangest thing. Here she was covered in muck, sweat and who knows what else came bursting out of that pot, and yet…he found her irresistibly beautiful.

I know she's an Earth pony, but somehow…I feel she's cast a spell on me. I just can't stop looking at her. There are splatters of syrup and batter dripping off her tips, her cutie mark looks like someone slapped a mud pie over it and she's probably covered with sweat and dirt from the farm work too, he thought to himself. His eyes shined with that image of her shaking her hair and letting her natural beauty run wild in his imaginations. But still, his heart skipped a beat as his cheeks reddened. Hopeful took a meaningful pause; softening his lips into the most heartwarming of smiles as he spoke, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Applejack suddenly stopped. His words cut her to the core, she felt as if he hit a pause button on the entire world. "W-w-why would you say something like that?" she asked hoarsely. He looked at her as if the answer was obvious. "Look at me, Ahm a mess," she motioned over her body, "No pony looks at somepony this messy and says somethin' like that." She slowly put her Stetson back on.

"But I do and I just did," he swiftly replied.

"But why?" she asked curiously. Her emerald eyes screamed with a commanding need to know, as if she had been asking this question over and over again in her mind. "Why are you attracted to me like this, why don't mah differences make ya turn and run, why does such a smooth talkin' Pegasus care about a stubborn, old apple bucker like me?" she said achingly.

The young flyer had no idea his feelings for her had bruised her heart so sorrowfully. To him, her beauty was without question or doubt; a certainty that carried on in every curve of her body.

For once, the pony poet felt silence and actions were answers enough. He approached her with the most love filled eyes she had ever seen aside from her own family. Hopeful placed his hoof gently under her chin and tilted her eyes upward ever so slightly so she could bathe in that love.

At that very moment, the mess was nonexistent and Applejack felt she was as majestic and heavenly as Celestia herself. Every nagging thought of traditions and preferences vanished into an enveloping cloud of unbridled joy. The two leaned in close, their eyes closing half way as their lips parted open. At that very moment…all was right with the world.

"MAIL CALL" Big Mac shouted; slamming the door wide open.

WHAM!

"Hey sis, ya got invited to some sort of-"

The splatter soaked kitchen froze Big Mac's words like an icy muzzle. Applejack and Hopeful both immediately backed away from each other and looked away; overwhelmed with embarrassment. Neither one could say a word or look Big Mac in the eye.

The large pony just sighed in disappointment and shook his head. "Ah don't care what ya'll are doin' but SOME PONY better clean this up before Granny Smith gets back from the market," he snapped. Big Mac chucked the letter at Applejack's feet and turned to exit the kitchen. "And that sure as Zap apple jam ain't gonna be me!" he slammed the door shut with a deafening crash.

Hopeful sighed with relief. For a moment, he was certain Big Mac was going to toss him out the window or something. Applejack however seemed far more interested with the letter she received. Now Ah know Ah have seen this kind of envelope colorin' before, she thought to herself as she picked it up with her teeth. Applejack opened the envelope and quickly examined what was inside. "Ah…Ah…Ah just can't believe it" she stuttered solemnly.

"Can't believe what?" he asked curiously.

SLAP!

He was greeted with a striking slap across the face for an answer. Hopeful immediately clutched his cheek in pain, his tearful eyes staring desperately at the mare who had struck him so hatefully. "F-f-f-fair maiden," his voice trembled as painfully as his heart felt; "Why would you-"

"Ya'll mind explaining this?" she coldly demanded. The sour southern mare lifted up the letter she received: it was an invitation to the Heart Family reunion next week; it had been clearly marked "Yes" in attending with a plus one. "This is the letter Ah saw you give to Derpy, ISN'T IT?" she angrily asked. Her freckled cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish. She was so ticked off right now; she didn't even know if she wanted to bother hearing whatever his excuse was.

"Y-y-y-y-yes but that still doesn't explain OW," he winced briefly; that spot still stinging on his cheek. Earth ponies sure had strong hooves all right. "Why you would hit me," he looked at her anxiously.

"Ah hit ya because you flat out lied to me and there is NOTHING Ah hate more than a liar," she slammed the letter on the floor.

Hopeful tried to speak, but Applejack's fiery temper wasn't nearly finished unloading on him just yet. "How did I-"

"Ya'll told me we would take things slow, you agreed to not rush things cause we were still sortin' out our differences," she explained. "Now Ahm no expert on courtin' but Ah sure as moonshine know that goin' to meet some pony's kin in a big ol' family gatherin' is a BIG step." Hopeful's confusion slowly started to dissolve. Every step and every word she aimed towards him made him realize he's made a horrible mistake.

"Fair maiden, please, let me explain myself," he begged her; pleadingly.

"Ah don't wanna hear it! Ya'll didn't bother askin' me if Ah wanted to go to this hootenanny or if Ah wanted to meet yer folks," she stomped her hoof on the floor; cracking the wood. Hopeful flinched at the violent sound of that crunch. "And Ah DON'T in case ya was wonderin," she added with a snort from her nostrils.

"Look I'm sorry for how this all turned out, I know it was a gamble but the family reunion deadline was on that day," he flexed his wings to emphasize his point, "I had to do something and I didn't want to deliver more bad news to the family." Applejack turned her head from Hopeful; scoffing bitterly. "They really needed this, I only put your name down because I was confident you would enjoy a big family gathering with me," he explained.

"Ah came there to agree to ONE date, this is still all new to me and ya'll just up and made these big plans without even thinkin' this might not have gone as far as you expected?" she raised her eyebrow with high scrutiny. Hopeful looked at her like a wounded puppy. He wanted to explain things so badly; she could see it shimmering in his eyes. There was a story and a reason behind his harmful act of desperation, but her ears were deaf to his false words. "Ya think just cause you act sweet and give me some fancy nickname that means Ahm gonna get in bed with ya lickety split," she said critically, "Well forget it mister, Ah ain' got time to spend on some hot shot colt who pulls some shifty tricks to get girls ta notice him."

"What are you talking about?" he shook his head, "What tricks? I didn't pull anything shifty on you."

"Y'all were jumpier than a hen in a foxhole when Ah first met ya, then on our date you were like a completely different pony," she explained. "Ah couldn't figure it out but now Ah know why you were able to change like that," she poked him in the chest accusingly; the force pushed him back slightly. "Yer nothin' but a damn player, jumpy like a tick one second and then cool as a penguin the next; usin' whatever works to get girls to fall for ya fast. Ah don't trust that kinda behavior OR you fer that matter."

"N-n-n-n-no, no, I swear this is just a big misunderstanding," Applejack turned and gave him nothing but her upturned blond tail to talk to. Hopeful continued to speak to her, despite her best efforts to ignore him.

"Whatever", she muttered under her breath.

"Yes, I used to be a ladies man back when I was younger but something happened that changed me forever," he explained, "After that…um…event happened, I didn't have the courage to even talk to girls; much less woo one. All my confidence was gone and it only got worse with time." AJ cast a brief sideways glance to the pony behind her; not caring enough to give her full attention. Hopeful's voice slightly raised, hope and emotion filled his heart with the faintest slivers of possible redemption. "Don't you see? That all changed that night I met you. You were the only girl I had the courage to speak to in years, I was willing to risk and do anything just so you would give me a chance" he said.

"Yeah and ya blew it," she curtly rpelied. She quickly turned to face him. Her sweet southern twang had such a shrill, coldness to it; the sound of it made Hopeful's heart twist and ache with misery. "Ya hear me? Ya bucking blew it and Ah want nothin' to do with ya or yer fancy talkin' anymore!" she shouted.

"Please just listen to me," he reached out to her, "I know I was wrong to jump the gun with you," he cringed as she stepped away from him. Hopeful refused to give up though. "I've been out of the dating game so long I can't tell the difference between what's romantic and what's pushing the envelope," tears slowly dripped from his eyes, "But I was too scared to tell you the truth and the thought of losing you scared me even more. I was going to tell you everything before the letter came so you would understand why I did what I had to do, but it got here faster than I expected and I didn't get a chance to tell you why it's so important that you come…even though it's still early in our relationship."

Nothing but silence came from the lips of the bitter, betrayed mare. Applejack closed her eyes and pointed to the door with a striking, rigid arm. "Ah said OUT", her words emptied all sound from the room. Hopeful felt his heart shatter like glass, his voice and confidence were drowned out by the suffocating sadness that now dominated his wounded spirit. Applejack refused to look at him.

Hopeful hung his head and finally admitted defeat. The red Pegasus had never felt so blue in all of his life; he slowly trudged his hooves towards the back door to the kitchen and left without saying a word. The faint but recognizable sound of Hopeful's wings flapping in the sky let Applejack know that he had left the farm.

She sighed and opened her eyes. "Oh sugar," she stared somberly at the multiple splatters of pancake batter still dripping from every corner of the kitchen, what was once an amusing mess is now a miserably accurate depiction of her heart. "Why'd Ah think Ah could trust a pony that way?" she said sadly; sniffling a bit. She reached for a mop and started slowly cleaning up the mess. Her voice whispered something, something so sad and so quiet she knew no one would hear the true depths of the pain in her lonely words; "Ah really thought he could've pulled it off."

Hopeful and Applejack haven't spoken to each other for several days now. I want to help them but even as the Princess of Friendship, I can't help but think maybe this kind of friendship problem isn't mine to solve.

Twilight shook her head, trying to come up with something more positive to talk about. She didn't want Princess Celestia to hear nothing but gloomy news from her number one student.

I wish I could tell you some good news with Spike but…I'm afraid that's another story altogether. Rarity on the other hand seems to be doing fairly well. She opened a new business in Canterlot. Thankfully, she decided to stay in Ponyville and let Sassy Saddles run the Canterlot Carousel location. I don't think Spike…um…or the rest of us could stand having her live so far away; it's hard enough for me with my brother and sister in the Crystal Empire.

Oh! And on a more personal and prideful note, she smiled smugly as she wrote, Rarity's reading skills managed to help the Wonderbolts solve a mystery that nearly cost Rainbow Dash her future with the squad. Ha, HA! Undeniable proof that reading IS the coolest thing ever, no matter what any pony says!

Twilight paused and adjusted herself, keeping her book nerdy ego in check and getting back to the point.

I was just as surprised as Rainbow was when I found out one of her Wonderbolt heroes turned out to be plotting against her. Who would have thought someone as respected as Wind Rider would stoop that low? I just wish I knew what he was thinking at the time. I can't imagine what it must be like to find out one of your heroes is plotting against you.

Wind Rider stood in a dark alleyway; eyes searching down every shady corner and crevice for his mysterious contact. The hooded mare appeared like a ghoulish shadow from the farthest edge of the alleyway. Her appearance came like something out of a horror movie, just seeing her dark, royal blue eyes sent small chills down the Pegasus's back.

"All right, you've got my attention," Wind Rider said; his tone was one of grim reluctance. He reached into his coat and pulled out the feather she gave to him last time, it was broken in two and branded with a large X on its base. "Now then, how are we going to get rid of that rainbow brat? We've got to do it fast before she takes my record away from me," he snarled desperately.

"Keep your wrinkly sack on you old windbag," he cringed angrily at her crude choice of words. "I've got this all figured out and if you do exactly what I say, when I say it," she jammed her hoof against his lips before he could speak, "And NO QUESTIONS ASKED…then you're ancient ass legacy is as good as preserved."

"Blah" he spat her hoof out, wiping his mouth vigorously. "Fine, whatever you say goes. I don't care how we do it just as long as she's out of the picture and FAST," he reiterated. "We only have until tomorrow morning to pull this off," a sense of nervous panic trickled out of that gruff voice of his.

"Ha, more than enough time to destroy a pony's life," she scoffed.

The hooded mare reached into her bag; shuffling around a few items before pulling out a pair of scissors, a blank piece of paper and envelope and a bakery's business card. She shoved them into Wind Rider's hooves; indifferent to his confusion.

"You're gonna need a lock of that speedy twit's hair, a cake to distract the guards," she motioned towards the paper with her hoof, "But most importantly: you need to write a letter tricking that fat ass flame head; Spitfire, into thinking her mom is sick and she needs to go help the old broad." The mare cackled and rubbed her hooves together menacingly, she spoke as if she was talking to herself, "With her out of the way, Rainbow will take the fall and everything else will fall in place with her."

Wind Rider had some visible doubts about this plan. His pale blue cheeks wrinkled anxiously, something about this didn't smell right. "Soooooo you want me to trick Spitfire into leaving the air show?" he asked; hesitantly.

"No, I want you to dangle a pie in front of Soarin and ride him like a coach," the mare's sarcastic tone did nothing to ease Wind Rider's confusion. "OF COURSE I WANT YOU TO TRICK SPITFIRE" she snapped.

"You're absolutely, positively, 100% certain you want me" he pointed to his chest slowly, "To trick Spitfire?" The mare snapped her teeth at his hoof before he could finish his gesture.

"You got ben gay lodged in your expired hearing aids?" she fiercely grabbed him by his scarf and jerked his face right into hers. Wind Rider had never seen such hostility before. This mare was demented, crazed even! Did she really realize what she was asking him to do? "I want that butch little bitch GONE," she hissed. The old colt could tell she knew exactly what she was asking. He yanked himself away from her grip; nervously trying to smooth out the wrinkles on his scarf.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he nodded nervously, "Whatever you say…miss." There was a distinct tone of contempt and bewilderment with that last word. Wind Rider took the objects and slowly began to fly away back to his room. "I just hope this works," he silently muttered under his breath. Wind Rider's eyes frequently looked back to the hooded mare as he drifted into the sky; watching her as long as he could until she inevitably vanished from sight.

He knew something was wrong about her the moment she contacted him and proposed this strange arrangement. He had so many questions, so many theories about why she was doing this…but none of them were important enough to make him change his mind. Rainbow had to go and if that meant resorting to trickery and deception to ensure his record remains unbroken, he was more than willing to get his hooves dirty.

"Ooooh don't you worry about that," she chuckled in her shadowy solitude. The mare slowly pulled down her hood and revealed her true face. She had light yellow fur, a pair of dark shades around her neck and a full, spiky head of fiery orange colored hair. "They'll never see this coming," Spitfire cackled.

The next day, during the events of "Rarity Investigates"…

Spitfire flew towards a tall, columned building; she stopped to examine it before entering. It had a bold, metallic sign at the entrance with solid gold, striking letters. The sign read: Cloudsdale Historical Artifacts and Treasures. The fiery mare quickly flew into the heart of the museum. She came across several locked gates after passing certain levels of the treasure complex, the heightened security measures indicated she was getting close.

"This is just too easy," she snickered as she flashed her Wonderbolts ID over the magic locking mechanism on the gate. The door clicked open and allowed the Pegasus to move forward. She continued to flash her wicked smile as she unlocked every gate before her.

After a few more final gates to pass, Spitfire finally found the item she had been searching for. It was a golden gauntlet; specifically designed to go over a pony's back and spinal area. On each side of the gauntlet were a series of fire rubies carved into the shape of a Phoenix. The gauntlet had two small holes on each side as well; they were placed in the exact same area where a Pegasus's wings would poke out of their body.

"The legendary Phoenix gauntlet," she gasped, "Capable of granting any pony the power of flight on magically crafted wings of fire." Her royal blue eyes shined like inky daggers along the smooth, golden reflection of the mystical device. "Wait til that metal freak gets a load of this," she commented as she stuffed the item into her bag.

RING! RING! RING!

Alarms instantly blared once Spitfire took the gauntlet. The Wonderbolt captain couldn't have cared less about the alarms, she continued going about her way as if she had done nothing wrong.

"HALT! In the name of Celestia, we order you to stop and return the gauntlet," a trio of voices called out. Spitfire found herself blocked off by 3 burly looking pale blue Pegasus guards. Each guard sported bronze colored armor, centurion style helmets and carried spears. The middle guard aimed his spear at Spitfire, "Taking the Phoenix gauntlet without permission from her royal majesty, Princess Celestia; is a severe offense and punishable by-" The guard's voice trailed off as he identified the culprit. "C-c-c-captain Spitfire, is that you? B-b-b-b-but why would you…I thought that…your supposed to be at-" the orange mare cackled at his confusion.

"Don't you guys ever get tired of being stupid?" she laughed.

Taking advantage of their surprise, Spitfire zoomed through the guards and plowed past them like a rocket propelled bowling ball. She flew past every guard that tried to stop her. Spitfire avoided them with ease, but flew just low enough that they could still keep her in their line of sight. In fact, based on the mare's obvious vapor trail and speed patterns; Spitfire was flying like she wanted them to follow her.

"I don't believe it, Spitfire: a traitor?" one of the guards gasped.

"It doesn't matter who the target is right now, the important thing is we catch the thief and return the gauntlet before we lose both," the head guard affirmed. It was important he got his troops' heads in the game, they couldn't let someone just walk away with such a dangerous item.

The chase went on for several minutes and several more miles, though to the guards pursuing the traitorous Wonderbolt; those minutes were taking an eternity to pass. Spitfire spiraled through a number of clouds and used them to cover her trail. The guards grunted as the cloud bursts grew thicker and larger each time they passed through them, their eyes struggling to maintain a visual on the target.

"DAMMIT," the head guard cursed. He halted in midair and his fellow guards followed; they looked to him before scanning the sky. They had lost sight of Spitfire. "I still can't believe this is happening. Why would a Pegasus steal the Phoenix Gauntlet?" the head guard puzzled, "She already has wings, that thing is only useful to unicorns or Earth ponies."

"Sir, should we inform the princesses of the gauntlet's disappearance?" one of the guards piped in; waiting with his hoof raised in salute.

The head guard squinted his eyes at the last place he spotted Spitfire before she gave him the slip. He rubbed his chin begrudgingly before finally producing an order, "No…not yet anyway. The military ponies have been getting a bad rap for months for failing to protect Equestria. Let's do everything we can to retrieve the item before having to admit this failure to the princess."

The guard pointed in the direction Spitfire was last seen; ordering each Pegasus to follow her trail before it vanished completely. The Pegasai flew in varying degrees of the same path just in case Spitfire might have splintered off along the way in a different direction. Their piercing eyes never flinched this time during the intense speeds and clouds in the skies, they swore they'd find the Phoniex Gauntlet and bring it back at all costs. But more importantly; they vowed to bring the treacherous captain of the Wonderbolts to justice. She was no longer a brave and courageous captain in their eyes; to them, she was just another criminal.

Several hours later…

Crowe cautiously approached an assortment of dark green bushes in the middle of an open landscape. The bushes were nestled uncomfortably close to a rotting, dead oak stump that had been hollowed out like a carved pumpkin. He quickly scanned the skies in search of any flying foes that might be searching in the area. After sighing a heavy sigh of relief, he approached the stump and reached into it.

"Let's make sure everything is in order," he leered his eyes towards the sky once more; sticking his tongue out as his hoof rummaged through the oak's contents. "Ah ha, it's right where it should be," he pulled out a stuffed black bag from the stump. Crowe used his teeth to peel open the bag's slit and spotted the Phoenix Gauntlet inside, its golden shine beamed vividly in his devilish irises. "I finally have the last piece of the puzzle," he commented proudly.

Crowe sealed the gauntlet and tossed the bag over his back. He started walking back towards home base after taking a few more paranoid glances towards the clouds. Now that Khan had Colton's 3rd eye, the Phoenix Gauntlet and the fake Alicorn amulet, it was only a matter of time before he unleashed his animal army on the clueless citizens of Ponyville.

"May Celestia help whoever's unlucky enough to get in his way," Crowe shuddered to himself.

To be continued…

Whaaaaaaaat? Spitfire is the masked mare, how can this be?! If your confused, then I got the desired effect I was looking for. It will all make sense in time and for those who looked carefully enough, there's a small clue I left as to what's going on with this Spitfire mystery. Hope this answered some questions and generated some new ones too. I had a lot of fun writing Rainbow's interaction with Zephyr, I don't actually hate him but he worked so well in a sleazy role that I couldn't resist! I also hope you guys liked my "remedy" for using the castle and cutie mark map. I didn't want to ignore season 5 but with my plans for this story, I couldn't just rewrite this story without messing everything up. So I figured using Celestia as the "map" would work as there are elements and characters in Season 5 I needed for my story. Next chapter: Twilight reveals what happened between her and Moonstruck, Spike and Rarity go through some serious ups and downs, Hopeful tries to explain things to AJ and Rainbow experiences the worst day of her life. Reviews are very much appreciated, bye for now!

18. A Pain That I'm Used To

Chapter 18: A Pain That I'm used to

Feels like forever since I last updated! I got started on this chapter rather quickly...but then I kept getting new ideas to add and before I knew it, this chapter became WAY longer than I intended it to be. In light of that, I'm afraid some of the things I said would be in this chapter are not; namely the ones involving Rainbow and Arrowhead and Hopeful and Applejack. I had every intention of including them all here, but the ideas I had just kept expanding and growing and I just couldn't not put this stuff in. I feel this improves the original ideas I had for this chapter even greater than I originally intended. In retrospect, I'm kind of glad it came out this way as I did mention in previous chapters I wanted to try and keep the pairings down to 2 per chapter so it didn't become too overcrowded. I've been reading on people's feedback and reviews, trying to fix the problems I was blind to (namely making the story more cohesive and not as all-over-the-place as it became). I worked hard to make sure the narrative flows more chronologically, try to make things seem more naturally connected than just scattered. I know mixing villains with romance doesn't seem like it meshes well, but I always loved films like "Star Wars", "X-men," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and anime like "Dragon Ball Z" that featured epic battles of good vs. evil as well as developing meaningful romances. I'm gonna try and work in a little bit of the greater plot (Chimera Khan) in each chapter so it all feels like it's going somewhere and trust me IT IS! This is all building up to Khan's invasion, this story is going to be longer than I think most people assumed, I always intended this to be a long story with lots of build up and twists and turns.

Now then, to the shot outs!

Man Undercover: Thanks as always for such excellent questions. In order the answers are: 1. If you check carefully what color I said Spitfire's eyes are and then check what color her actual eyes are in the show, you'll know that is NOT Spitfire but the same imposter who impersonated/framed Moonstruck. Definitely keep an eye out (Pun VERY much intended) for that eye color, 2. Have to read and find out, 3. same answer, 4. same answer (you'll find out more bout them in chapter 20), 5. same answer, 6. During a very special time in the ponies lives, 7. Possibly, 8. You'll find out soon enough and finally, 9. I'd love to submit them to Hasbro but my story is too mature for them (death and language) and I doubt they'd ever approve/use of their relationships or my OC's. Plus, I don't have any artwork of them except crappy Pony generator pics. I'd need a professional artist to make decent pics of them. Thanks for the wondrous praise about my OC's though! I worked especially hard to make sure they weren't Gary/Mary Sues.

Lemon Smoothie: The clue isn't in the voice but yeah, your dead on right about that being the same impersonator who framed Moonstruck. I won't say what the clue is as I want it to be a surprise but rest assured, I have put a small clue regarding to this impersonator's true form/name. Glad you liked the Zephyr use, it was lots of fun to play with him!

Ponyloco: 0_0 wow...that is one Hell of a review, thank you SOOOOO much! This is the longest review I've ever had for any story! I cannot thank you enough for such kind words, I feel truly flattered and pleased knowing people are enjoying my characters, story and relationships this much. Your review really made my day and turned some negative thoughts I had upside down. Thank you very much for that. Glad to hear Hopeful's your favorite (he's kind of my favorite too actually). I know he's an odd fit for AJ but..this whole story is about odd fits which is why I set things up the way I did for everyone. As for the villains, I openly admit I have done a poor job of integrating them well into the story to make them feel like they fit the narrative. I'm trying to fix that though. Part of the reason is because I wanted to develop all the relationships, flesh out the OC's and make people care about the couples so that when the manure hits the fan, you feel the weight of the drama and conflict that's coming. The villains are going to take control of the story (so to speak) towards the middle and the last half of the story. So trust me, everything and everyone is going towards something big! As for Starlight, chapter 17 established I already went over Starlight's village. Don't be shocked if she pops up, but she's not involved like Khan, Crowe and Cauldron are. However, funny you mention Spike's exclusion from the village episode, the consequences of his absence WILL make a big impact on his relationship with Rarity and that's coming soon.

Thanks to all who read and comment, and now enjoy the chapter!

Rarity knew Canterlot Carousel was going to be a smashing success! From the moment she first opened the doors, her boutique had flourished with customers and orders for her colorful and exquisite line of fashion. Her sapphire eyes shimmered with the smiling faces of new customers as they walked through the door. It had taken a great deal of hard work, effort and capitol, but the seamstress was finally expanding her name beyond Ponyville.

"It really is a beautiful sight." Rarity smiled as she saw a pair of Pegasai twins light up upon seeing her Cadence inspired dress. Those ear to ear smiles and ear piercing squeals of joy; that is the real reward for the purple haired fashionista. "And to think," she waved casually to some returning customers, "none of this would have happened if I had decided to close down this shop. I would have denied these ponies the chance to look and feel inspiringly beautiful!"

"Not to mention I'd be out of a job." A stylish unicorn appeared next to Rarity. She was light teal in color, had pale gold eyes with thick purple eyeshadow and a long head of fiery, fox red and yellow colored hair. The mare's dress was dark, flowery like in design and featured several gold buttons around each tip. The shine on her gold colored saddle sparkled radiantly. "You're 'Rules of Rarity' truly is a recipe for success! I only wished I had listened to you before."

"Think nothing of it darling. You have a knack for sales, which is why I hired you," Rarity explained, "so it's only natural you went with your sales instincts."

Ever since Rarity corrected Sassy Saddles on how she managed the boutique, business has been better than ever. She felt confident she could leave this location's profits to Sassy without it being turned into an assembly line of the same, boring old dress over and over again. Seeing so many ponies smiling, admiring their figures in these fabulous works of art, it just made the snow-white unicorn's heart soar with unbridled joy.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of your visit Miss Rarity?" Sassy cheerfully asked.

"My friends and I were checking up on an old friend of Twilight's at the castle and I decided to pop in for a checkup. Plus, I wanted to pick up and deliver the special custom order for Sapphire Shores back up dancers."

Sassy smiled proudly. She took great delight hearing of her manager's impressive connections, who knows what future business a superstar like Sapphire Shores could bring in. Perhaps, the famous singer could allow her name to be used in a commercial or model a dress from the shop!

"I always bring her orders in person, it shows how much I value her business." Rarity examined the clock on the wall. She gasped; seeing the time. The elegant mare rushed to the backroom, levitated the order she needed and ran back out; hooves bouncing impatiently. "Terribly sorry to cut this visit short Sassy, but I must get these dresses to the dancers post haste. I'm afraid I got too lost in my own success to notice the time."

"Snap my safety pins! B-b-b-b-but I thought, I just…C-c-c-can't you see how busy it is, Rarity?" the amount of ponies piling in had increased quickly. The teal unicorn looked alarmingly overwhelmed by the number of customers; many had been calling for her assistance for some time now. "I was hoping you'd be able to stay and help me tame this crowd until rush hour ends."

"Any other day or time I'd be more than willing to help, but you know this is one client I cannot afford to keep waiting."

Sassy's face was wrought with stress and anxiety. Rarity hated leaving her trusted worker so short hoofed, but this Sapphire Shoes business demanded her utmost attention. What to do? What to do?

THUMP!

The unicorns darted their eyes towards the display windows. Spike had dropped a stack of boxes on the ground. The dragon was filtering his claws through the boxes, pulling out stands and mannequins to put in the window displays. "What? Is there something on my face?" Spike curiously felt around his cheeks.

"Idea! Spike, could you be a sweet dear and give Sassy Saddles a hoof…Err claw around the shop? I've got a deadline to keep and you'd be doing me a monumental favor darling."

Spike's smile widened broadly. Like a good scaly little soldier, he saluted Rarity and nodded eagerly.

"It would be my genuine pleasure my lady." Spike bowed; lifting his tail up slightly. That tone and that gesture always made Rarity smile and swoon at the same time. Such a gentledrake.

"I knew I could count on you." Rarity blew him a kiss. As the drake happily 'caught' the kiss with his cheek, Rarity trotted out the door and wished Sassy and Spike the best of luck.

"W-w-w-wait Miss Rarity." Sassy stumbled after the fleeing unicorn, her hooves scrambling for purchase as well as speed. "I don't think this is a good idea! There are some additional concerns that I absolutely must discuss with you before-" the door slammed shut before the frantic mare could finish her protest. "Problems emerge…Sigh."

Sassy groaned in aggravated defeat, she slowly turned around and adjusted her orange hair. The unicorn's golden eyes widened slightly at the sight of a rather eager, tail-wagging purple dragon standing directly in front of her. The teal pony cringed slightly, clearly uncomfortable relying on this creature for assistance.

"Hi there, I don't think we ever been properly introduced." He extended his claw, smiling brightly. "My name's Spike, pleased to meet you."

"Eh charmed…I suppose." Sassy reluctantly shook hooves with his claw, her upper lip cringing with revulsion. She was worried she was going to get some kind of dragon rabies if she kept this up for much longer.

"So what can I do to help?"

Sassy chuckled mockingly. Spike looked at her like he was missing something, like there was sort of inside joke going on that he was not a part of. Her mean spirited reaction didn't come off as subtle as she thought it did.

"Ahem…Try to help, what can you do to try to help you mean."

"Um…Sure?"

"Let's just see how things go, okay? Rarity wants you to help so then naturally…eh…I guess you're going to have to help."

She motioned with a flick of her hooves towards the register, implying she could use his help dealing with the outstandingly long line of customers. The dragon saluted obediently and marched on to the register. Sassy could barely contain her fake smile for much longer. A sour, bitter look stained her perky demeanor the moment he was behind the counter.

"Hmph! I don't recall dealing with dragons being on the 'Rules of Rarity' list."

A few hours later…

Rarity entered the boutique. She huffed and wiped her brow delicately with a handkerchief. It was most un-lady like to enter one's own store all sweaty and huffing and puffing like a wheezing, old mare. However, Rarity's trip to Sapphire had taken more time and energy out of her than she expected.

"Oh my, Sapphire Shores certainly has gotten chattier since I last saw her." The fashionista levitated the order form for the pop singer's next commission in front of her eyes. As always, the order form was long and highly specified. "Still, working for her has been simply divine for business," she mused as she walked towards the register. "Speaking of business, I do hope Sassy and Spike were able to handle that onslaught of customers. Things looked so frightfully-"

Rarity's voice trailed off. The eerie sound of silence had alerted her that something was off, her eyes deviated from the order form and quickly scanned her shop. The boutique was nearly empty. There were only 3 ponies in the entire shop, and all of them had this slightly offended look on their faces.

"B-b-b-b-but what happened to all the ponies I saw in here earlier?" Rarity asked anxiously. "This place was muzzle to muzzle packed, now it looks like a ghost town and this is usually when were busiest the most!"

Sassy Saddles slumped tiredly over the cash register. She lazily poked the machine with her hoof, sighing heavily as her eyes nearly drooped into a defeated slumber.

"What in the name of Equestria happened in here?" Rarity's shrieking voice jostled Sassy back to her senses. The few remaining ponies briefly looked towards the white unicorn but quickly returned to their silent, scathing trances.

"Bust my buttons Rarity, thank Celestia you're finally back. The boutique has become like a graveyard and we haven't sold a single outfit in what feels like an eternity."

"I can see that!" Rarity impatiently snapped. Sassy flinched at her employer's violent tone, though she hardly seemed surprised by this reaction. "Perhaps you can help clarify on how this actually happened instead of just stating the obvious?"

"Well I did try to warn you about the potential problems of your decision before you left Miss Rarity, but you were in such a hurry and there were so many customers to-"

"What problems? What decision? I don't have the faintest clue what you're talking about."

Feeling words were not enough to prove her point, Sassy used her magic to turn Rarity's head towards a certain purple dragon hanging dresses on a clearance rack. Rarity tilted her head in confusion. She was growing more frustrated with Sassy's cryptic answers. Sassy motioned for Rarity to keep watching; sensing her employer's impatience and irritation.

"Hello there, are you ladies looking for something more affordable?" Spike said brightly.

He was lifting one of the discounted dresses up towards a pair of twin mares. The sisters had dark yellow fur and teal colored hair. The twins looked at Spike with increasing disgust glimmering in their light green colored eyes. The closer Spike raised the dress towards the Twins, the more they cringed at his oblivious assistance. Spike started to feel uncomfortable with the way they were looking at him. Their twin pair of eyes came off cold and punishing, as if he had offended them just by speaking to them.

"Um I don't think so. My sister and I have very specific tastes. We both want the best for each other. We both like to wear the same outfit to double the effect of our identical beauty, and we were hoping this place had what we were looking for but…clearly it doesn't."

"Oh I'm sorry, let me find you something else." Spike pushed the clearance cart to the side and motioned around the store, still trying to make a sale. "Are you looking for ball gowns? Prom dresses? Beach wears? Hats? Skirts?"

Every option earned a snappy and simultaneous "No" from the Twins lips.

"Um I don't get it. If you don't want any of that stuff, what was it you were expecting to find here in the first place?"

The left twin used her magic to shove Spike off to the side, pushing him right next to the clearance cart. The mares turned their noses up snootily and trotted off. Their eyes were closed in an attempt to avoid looking at the disillusioned drake any longer. The Twins exited the boutique, but not before the twin on the right looked back at Spike and answered his question.

"Standards."

SLAM!

The door slammed shut the instant the Twins exited the shop. Spike flinched at the sudden sound, he looked as if his tail had been caught in the door when it happened. The young dragon was dreadfully confused. Ever since he stopped setting up the mannequins for the window displays and started helping out customers, every pony he'd encountered had reacted to him the same way. They'd sneer, roll their eyes at him, one mare even sprayed the receipt he handed her with disinfected spray. He scratched his head; wondering if he was doing something wrong and no one was telling him for some cruel reason.

"I trust you get the picture now, Miss Rarity?" Sassy coolly asked.

Rarity was a mare divided. Her mind was split into two radically different reactions: one towards Spike and the other towards Sassy. The snow-white mare sincerely didn't know what to say or who to speak to first. Spike clearly was wounded by those sickening sisters and their horrible comments, and needed her attention. However, Sassy's preposterous implication that Spike, was in fact, the reason for their poor sales was jarring to say the least. The sulking dragon decided to head back to the break room to grab a snack since business was slow and Rarity was back.

"It's been like this all day. Almost every customer he's approached or 'helped' has stated they would never do business with us again, or left immediately without buying a single thing. Some ponies won't even come through the front door once they see him."

"Just what exactly are you trying to say about my dear Spikey Wikey?" Rarity asked; confronting the orange haired unicorn.

"I'm telling you what you hired me to tell you: how to help make your business successful. Spike is detrimental to your business and he is losing you both customers and money."

"How DARE you speak of him like that! You heard how those wretched mares spoke to him, I wouldn't want to do business with uncouth swine like them anyway."

"But you're missing the point. I know what sells and what does not and Spike does NOT sell. He doesn't sell anything, period. Had you stayed behind and had Spike deliver the outfits to Sapphire Shores, all of this could have been avoided. It's just good business sense Miss Rarity."

Rarity was glad Spike wasn't around to hear such heinous words. She felt her anger boiling up inside of her, tightening and twisting every muscle the longer this conversation continued. Sassy was unphased by Rarity's intense attitude. She felt confident her point was unshakable.

"I left because my business required a certain bit of personal finesse on my part, and I thought YOU could use some extra help since you were overwhelmed. Spike has spent countless hours assisting me around the shop and has plenty of experience with fashion as a result." Rarity growled in bitter frustration. "How could anyone be so ungrateful to receive free help?"

"That sounds pleasant on paper but, as today's results clearly showed, we got what we paid for," Sassy said; matter-of-factly. Her resolve remained firm despite Rarity's increasing hostility. "We are running a fashion business, not a friendship business Miss Rarity." Sassy lowered her head slightly, letting her fox orange locks briefly cover her left eye. Rarity was most disturbed and displeased with the offensively calm demeanor in which Sassy was speaking. "Free help is good and all but only if the help is productive and not counterproductive, and yes I know he's your friend and all-"

Rarity stomped her hoof down with thunderous force. Sassy was cut off by the suddenness of her employer's aggressive display. The fashionista took an enraged stance, catching Sassy off guard and causing her to step back a bit.

"Spike is much MORE than a friend and you damn well better think twice before speaking about him in such a callous manner again!" Rarity interjected; violently.

Both Sassy and Rarity paused before their voices escalated any higher. Despite the fact there were barely any ponies in the shop, the fight was drawing stares and attention from the few customers shuffling around. The bickering unicorns took a moment to breathe and compose themselves more professionally; though animosity still brewed beneath their stances.

"Let's start over, shall we?" Rarity begrudgingly nodded at her employee's request. Sassy Saddles remained as cool and calm as she was moments ago, a fact that continued to bother Rarity, even as she tried to listen to the spite-laced words being subtly lobbed towards her dragon friend. "I've agreed to your rules and system because I know that you have a specific vision for your fashion line. I respect that. However, if there's one thing I have learned from all my past experiences, it is that compromises are inescapable no matter what business you're in."

Rarity rolled her eyes. She felt like she was being treated like a child; she knew all of this already.

"Another inescapable truth is that dragons do not sit well with everyone. If you want do to what is best for your business, you must put the business first and everything that's personal, second," Sassy clarified.

"I will not give in to narrow minded prejudice at the expense of one of my closest and dearest friends. You say this is about professionalism, but from the sound of it, your issue with Spike seems far more personal than anything else."

"My view of dragons is irrelevant in regards to the success of Canterlot Carousel," Sassy said dismissively.

"Ugh! It is absolutely relevant," Rarity huffed angrily, "if you had such mixed feelings about him then why didn't you say something when we first opened?"

"I assumed he was merely here for the opening ceremony. I didn't think you'd actually ask him to help out around the store, and for that matter, you never asked me if I was all right working with a reptile-"

"SPIKE…His name is Spike." Rarity violently interrupted, refusing to let such a cold, demeaning name go unnoticed.

"Ahem yes…Spike…You never asked me if I was comfortable working with Spike. You just left him here and never assessed my feelings and how it would affect my ability to work in such an uneasy environment."

"So what exactly are you trying to suggest here?"

"I am recommending you ask him to work in the backroom; out of sight and not scaring away potential customers. You speak of how close the two of you are. If that is the case, surely he wouldn't object to staying out of sight if it came from you. It's not like you're asking him to do something demeaning. This way, he can still be productive AND we can keep the business flowing without any alienating image issues."

Sassy Saddles had crossed a line. Rarity couldn't stomach such nauseating words coming from the teal unicorn's mouth, she had half a thought to fire her right then and there.

RING!

The chime from the front door snapped Rarity out of her haze of anger, albeit briefly. More had entered the store during her argument with Sassy Saddles. She must have been too consumed by her argument to notice or hear anyone else come in. Rarity had no doubt Sassy was smirking proudly at this realization, she didn't even have to look at her to know the truth. The fashionista was practically choking on the air of arrogance that Sassy had been known to generate on more than one occasion. As much as she hated to admit it, Rarity was noticing the grim reality of Sassy's words: more ponies had come in since Spike went on break. Could it possibly be the majestic, beautiful city of Canterlot housed more prejudice than elegance than she imagined? Was she actually considering using Sassy's infuriating suggestion? Could she even do that to him?

"Hey Rarity, I'm all finished with my lunch." Spike exited the break room with a neutral look on his face, "what can I do to help next?"

Some ponies had noticed Spike's entrance. They looked at him with confused glances, mixed with mild alarm and a hint of disgust. Rarity darted her attention between Spike and the customers; frantic with indecisiveness. Sassy quickly went to assist the customers, but not before giving Rarity a knowing look, as if telepathically telling her to make the 'right' decision.

Rarity turned to face the diminutive dragon, her smile forced and transparent. "Oh um S-s-s-spike, you want to um help," her eyes nervously avoided making contact, "yes well I um just realized I need you to um…Go help with the…Uh…The." Spike raised a scaly eyebrow, anxiously awaiting a salvageable answer from her nervous babbling.

"Trust me," a whispering said; echoing in Rarity's ear. The nervous mare looked towards Sassy Saddles. She winked in reply and returned servicing the customers with flawless skill.

Rarity looked back to Spike, slightly more confident now but still struggling to make the right decision. Unfortunately, that decision meant picking between two things she deeply cared about and no matter which choice she made, one of those things is going to suffer in some way.

"The back, I mean YES…Yes…I um need your help in the back room," Rarity stated; her voice strained with awkward uncertainty. "It's just a frightful mess back there. I know it's a tall order to put on you, but the backroom needs to be completely reorganized; top to bottom. It could take you a while so I suggest you get started immediately and…And…I'll meet you out back when were ready to close up."

"Um…Okay…Whatever you say Rarity."

Spike clearly saw that something was troubling Rarity. She looked like she wanted to say something else, achingly so, but something much stronger seemed to be compelling her to keep it secret. The sense of urgency in her request to clean the backroom was odd to say the least, but of course, he had already agreed to take care of it. The little dragon slowly turned from Rarity and made his way into the backroom; disappearing into a tiny shadow past the "Employees only" doors. Rarity closed her eyes and sighed, it was heavy and defeated sounding.

"Splendid job Miss Rarity," Sassy happily beamed. The chipper unicorn was trotting past Rarity; tailed by the same customers who had been giving Spike the stink eye earlier. The ponies were sporting smiles and browsing through the shop with a newfound spirit. "You made the right decision."

Rarity weakly smiled in reply. Sassy Saddles nodded and continued showing the customers around the shop. Sad as it may be, the Fashionista could not deny the fact that there was a great deal more ponies in the shop than before. It appears asking Spike to work in the backroom worked out for the best after all. Rarity shook her head and stared down at her perfectly manicured hooves.

"Then why I do feel like I need a long shower?"

After Canterlot Carousel closed up, Rarity and Spike had decided to take a stroll downtown to do some shopping. She stopped to change into something more "fashionable" first; as she put it. Rarity wore a cherry velvet dress with an ocean blue sash covering her tail, a light purple flower attached directly on the curve of her rump. The edge of the dress had light purple diamond shaped trim with actual blue diamonds centered in each cloth diamond. Rarity's fore hooves were fitted with light pink sleeves. Her slender neck fitted with a blue collar lined with 4 small hot pink diamonds, two larger ones dangled from the center of the collar like a necklace. Completing the outfit was a Robin's egg blue colored saucer hat. The top of the hat sparkled with 4 large hot pink diamonds, and a light blue pearl with two long, curved black wires; each tipped with small dark blue diamonds. Nestled between the blue pearl and the hot pink diamonds was a long, pale pink feather.

Spike offered to carry Rarity's purchased goods, like he always did. He knew that Rarity usually went on shopping sprees for one of two main reasons: when she completed some incredible new fashion line, or trying to get her mind off something depressing…he was pretty sure it was the latter. Neither one of them had said very much during their time out. The young dragon tried to ask her what was wrong, but every time he did, Rarity would just go towards some flashy new dress or some new fabric material that she just 'had to have.'

"Rarity, do you think we could stop for a minute? I can't take much more of this," the drake wheezed; trying desperately to keep from being crushed under the mountain of bags and boxes.

The mare stopped and turned to aid the struggling dragon with her magic. She lifted the packages off his back and onto the ground, organizing them neatly and by size ratio.

"My apologies Spike. Please, feel free to take a break," she motioned her head towards a perfume shop, "you can just wait out here while I take a quick look inside. I won't be long."

"Thanks for the help but it wasn't the boxes I needed a break from."

Rarity's hooves slowly came to a stop before she entered the store. A small trickle of sweat dripped down the back of her head, but she tried to remain composed and clueless.

"Um I'm afraid I don't understand what you-"

"You've been acting weird ever since we left your store."

Despite her best efforts to avoid the subject, Rarity knew Spike would inevitably want to talk about how uncharacteristically quiet she had been. The mare's purple curls bounced in a painfully slow and lifeless manner as she turned to face her not-so-secret admirer.

"Is there something you want to talk about, or maybe, something you want to tell me?" Spike asked.

"Come now Spike, we were just having a pleasant afternoon shopping together. Must we really spoil the moment by bringing up some unpleasantness that has already been settled?"

"You just seem…different than before."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, when you go shopping, you usually skip and smile from ear to ear as we go from one store to the next. Also, your tail shoots up like a spring whenever you find something you absolutely love and you hover around it like Tank before debating the costs. Today, you didn't do any of those things. You just looked at things, bought them and didn't express any real sign you liked it."

"Right, I shouldn't be surprised he knows so many little details like that. Even I don't know I do that when I shop and I'M the one doing them", she thought to herself. "I sometimes forget how sharp his senses can be despite his size and age."

Spike looked at her with worry filled eyes. Whether it was lust, infatuation or actual love, this adorable little dragon always devoted so much attention and energy to her; even when she didn't want him to.

"I'm afraid it's a bit of a complicated issue," Rarity somberly replied. Her hair slowly fell across her face, covering one of her eyes before she brushed it out of the way. "Furthermore, discussing it would be most un-lady like so I suggest we end this discussion and move on."

Rarity's attempt to exit this awkward situation was suddenly halted by a pair of small, purple, scaly fingers that wrapped around her back leg. He still had that worrisome look on his cute little cheeks. The fashionista tried to protest but found her voice collapsing at the feel of Spike's claws on her dress covered leg; looking at her face to face.

"Come on Rarity, you don't have to be like that with me. We've done so much together, and we talked about stuff that we've never shared with any pony else. I know that doesn't make us boyfriend and girlfriend or anything, but I'd like to think that makes us at least closer than friends."

Rarity felt her eyes welling up with emotions at Spike's warmth and concern. Somehow all that bitterness and self-loathing she was feeling was vanishing. He was making her feel better, just his words and his warm, soothing, scaly little claws resting against her pristine white coat.

"Oh Spike," she started to say. Her voice was sweet and woeful; such fragility in her speaking his name.

"Well now isn't this just a brilliant stroke of luck my dear. We just happen to come across the most fashionable pony from Ponyville on today of all days, such a luxurious happenstance."

"Oh it wasn't luck my beloved, it is to be expected. Fortune and luxury have always favored sophisticated and successful types like us. Can you imagine some cheap, vagabond making it in our glorious city?"

Rarity's eyes widened woefully at the sounds of those familiar voices. Their laughter sent chills of revulsion down her spine. One of the voices was male and the other was female, they both had snooty tones, high society dialects. She knew of only two loathsome ponies that used such disgustfully, demeaning words and laughed with high and mighty tones like that.

"Jet Set and Upper Crust" Rarity spoke their names through gritted teeth. She turned from Spike to confirm her sickening suspicion that it was, in fact, the same two unicorns she had met when she crossed paths with Fancy Pants and attended the Crystal Garden party. "Ah yes, it's you two…again," Rarity's reply was droll and empty. Those were the exact same two words that summed up Jet Set and Upper Crust perfectly in her opinion: droll and empty.

"Jet who and Upper what?" Spike asked curiously.

"Oh that's right, I don't believe you have had the pleasure of meeting these two, Spike," she leaned down and whispered in the young drake's ear, "they're about as pleasurable as getting your teeth pulled."

Spike visibly cringed at the thought; holding his mouth defensively.

Upper Crust was a pale yellow unicorn with lavender colored hair, a long white streak ran down the center of it. She wore a white shirt and pink sweater draped on her back with the sleeves knotted at the front of her neck, along with pink earrings and a teal bead necklace. A layer of aqua colored eyeshadow had been thickly applied; shimmering by her plum colored eyes. Jet Set has grey colored fur and light black hair, freshly and slickly combed. His crystal blue eyes blinked behind a small pair of glasses. The snooty stallion was wearing a green shirt and white sweater draped in the same manner as his wife's.

"So the famousSpike makes another splashing debut in Canterlot," Jet Set smugly chuckled.

"Whoa, you guys heard of what I did in the Crystal Empire too?" Spike asked.

The unicorn couple looked at each other before bursting into laughter. They're proud and privileged tones sounded horrendous to Spike and Rarity, they felt like they were being suffocated by them. The young dragon started experiencing those dreadfully familiar feelings of insecurity once more.

"My husband was referring to your rather…Ahem…Unforgettable work during the Grand Equestria Pony Summit." Upper Crust smiled as she stifled down another degrading chuckle, the memory of Spike's epic failure at the summit was still fresh in many Canterlot ponies' minds; at least from the high society ones. "We were there you know," Upper Crust pointed at Spike's nose with her hoof, "You don't really forget something quite like that."

"Every pony was surprised to see things turn into such an obscene mess," Jet Set stated; carrying on his wife's point. "However, what else could you expect with someone from your ahem…background?"

Rarity had just about enough of this. Spike may have been slightly confused at the couple's suggestive dialog, but Rarity knew all too well how disrespectful their sophisticated talk was.

"Well, I can certainly say that my experience with you two turned out exactly as I expected it would," Rarity said; hissing through gritted teeth. The unicorn was desperately fighting back the urge to say something most un-ladylike to the obnoxious couple. "Now then, Spike and I are quite busy."

Rarity turned to leave as quickly as possible; motioning Spike to follow immediately. Seemingly unaware of their offensive nature, the wealthy couple crossed Rarity's path. Their fake smiles and smug attitudes were offensively strong in front of Rarity's visibly agitated glare.

"Why in such a rush to leave Miss Rarity? We had such a joyous time the last time we were all together," Jet Set said. "Don't you remember all those luxurious parties? Adoring all those fabulous paintings at the galleries with Fancy Pants?"

"I'm not one for nostalgia. So, if you please," Rarity curtly replied. She briskly walked around the obnoxious ponies with Spike following briskly.

"Don't pester her darling. After all, she probably has a date with one of those ruffian country pony friends of hers," Upper Crust said. The cruelty in her chuckling was unmistakable. "We can always mention the new business we've brought her next time."

Those two words had, admittedly, peaked the fashionista's interest. As nauseating as the idea of working with these two is, she could always use more business in Canterlot. Spike however was already prepared and eager to speak on Rarity's behalf.

"She's already given you her answer. Were busy spending the day together so if you could-"

"I appreciate the quick defense darling but it's not needed," Rarity said; interrupting the perplexed dragon. Rarity was skeptical but curious enough to hear what the pony snobs had to say; at least for the moment. "All right, I'll bite; as they crudely say. What new business?"

The unicorn couple looked at each other with wide grins. They knew this would perk the pony's interest; both appeared increasingly smug about it.

"The Toplofty kind of business," the married couple said; speaking irritatingly in unison.

Upon hearing that name, Rarity's mind and world simultaneously shattered like a Ming vase falling to the ground. Spike was left drifting in bewilderment. Clearly, the name held a great deal of importance to his would-be girlfriend. The smiles on the arrogant couple widened a bit more seeing Rarity's reaction.

"T-t-t-t-the Toplofty?" Rarity squeaked anxiously.

"Rarity, who's this Toplofty? Some kind of fashion pony?" Spike asked.

The young was once again forced to endure the insufferable, derogatory laughter of Jet Set and Upper Crust. The dragon didn't understand how his question would incite such malicious mockery. He had only known these ponies for 5 minutes, and already he understood Rarity's 'pulling teeth' comment perfectly. They're capacity for social cruelty seemed endless. Yet, at this moment, Rarity oddly seemed more embarrassed by Spike than annoyed with the vexing couple.

"Oh honey, isn't his ignorance just deliciously adorable?" the male unicorn chortled to his wife.

Spike raised his claw in anger; eagerly hoping to put these pompous snobs in their place. Rarity blocked his path with an obstructing hoof before he could reply.

"Spike, sweetie, Toplofty is a multi-million dollar pony franchise name," Rarity explained, "he owns and runs one of the most successful hotel chains in Equestria. But what's more, he incorporates his fashion styles and designs into the hotels he builds. He's forged countless connections with fashion legends AND marketing moguls." The mare's eyes started to shine like Luna's constellations. She looked past Spike, tilting towards the sky as daydreams started to overtake her. "Hoity Toity, Fancy Pants, any pony who works with Toplofty gets their fashion designs featured in his hotels. Sometimes, they even inspire a new room, a hallway; or some other partof his living, breathing work of art. It's a truly prestigious honor."

"Oh, I see," Spike faintly replied. Now he understood why Jet Set and Upper Crust knowing this hotel-fashion guy was so important to Rarity. "I guess he's kind of a big deal then."

"Shorty, that's the understatement of the year."

A new voice caused Spike and Rarity's ears to twitch in surprise. The pair slowly turned to see a tall, daunting, dapper dressed unicorn colt; standing proudly and imposingly between Jet Set and Upper Crust. His fur was pale black, tuxedo black one might say. The colt's horn was long and pointed, each ridge was studded with diamonds and shimmered in contrast to his faint red hair. Spike noticed the colt's hair was combed in such a way, that if you looked at it at the right angle, it looked more like a toupee than natural hair. He wore a teal colored pinstriped jacket, rose red tie and an egg white collar. The color in his eyes was a dull bronze, perfectly matching the air of suffocating arrogance that surrounded him. Toplofty's cutie mark was a capitol "T" made entirely out of gold and highlighted by movie theater searchlights.

"Rarity, allow us the great pleasure to introduce you to the one, the only: Toplofty," Upper Crust cheerfully exclaimed.

The fashionista had been rendered speechless. She felt weak at the knees, her mind had been thoroughly scrambled by the sudden shock of this staggeringly, stylish pony approaching her. Rarity never understood how such horrible ponies, like Jet Set and Upper Crust, managed to associate themselves with Canterlot's finest; like Toplofty and Fancy Pants.

Spike however felt nothing but disdain towards this flashy, hotel builder. The fact Rarity seemed to be sucked into this windbag's gravitational pull was equally enraging to the diminutive dragon.

"So, you must be the illustriously gorgeous owner of Canterlot Carousel AND the Carousel Boutique in Ponyville," Toplofty said.

Rarity mumbled nervously in a failed attempt to respond. She hated looking and sounding so foolish in front of such a successful and well-connected pony, she nodded in case he didn't hear her quiet jabbering.

"You know, I pride myself on knowing the best, working with the best and featuring the best in all my luxurious hotels and stores," he said with a broad smile. Toplofty swiftly positioned himself by Rarity's side, shoving Spike back with a thwack of his tail. "But I gotta tell ya, when Jet Set and Upper Crust showed me that incredible princess dress you made, I just had to find you."

"R-r-r-really? You-you, Toplofty: hotel and fashion pony extraordinaire, had to find me?" Rarity said with a disbelieving gasp.

"Absolutely. I'd be out of my mind if I let such luxurious talent like you slip through the cracks, it's bad for business," he encroached even closer to the mare of Spike's dreams; further irritating the dragon to no end. Rarity didn't seem to notice, or if she did, it was being drowned out by the dreams being woven by Toplofty's grandstanding. "I've been starving for some new talent and I think you just might be my next golden ticket."

"I am flattered Mr. Top-"

"Please, just Toplofty. Were all friends here, good friends I might add, and I don't want to waste a single minute with such outdated formalities."

"A-a-all right…Toplofty…I am terribly flattered by your offer and also deeply interested in working with someone as well connected as you. However, I must warn you, I discontinued the Princess dress shortly after opening Canterlot Carousel."

"Bah! An outdated design, an afterthought; don't even worry about it honey. I never focus on the past. My vision is always on what's coming next, trying to find that next big bang that'll captivate the hearts, minds and wallets of the fashion industry."

"Of course, I wouldn't think of suggesting one of my raggedy, older designs for someone of your caliber."

"My thoughts exactly. Tell me Rarity, do you fancy yourself some lunch? Of course you do! I'll have Jet Set and Upper Crust book the finest table in the nearest 4 star restaurant."

"With pleasure Toplofty", Jet Set and Upper Crust chirped. They bolted off shortly; like lowly ants following their almighty ruler without a second thought.

Rarity's overindulgent smile and giggling made Spike upset, but this time, it was for a different reason. He didn't trust this Toplofty toad, not for one minute. Even if he was on the level with all that he was promising, Rarity was disrespecting her own work just to please him…She never spoke badly of her own designs; never.

"Um Rarity, could I talk to you a minute please?" Spike asked insistently, "in private?"

Toplofty and Rarity both turned their attention towards the seemingly forgotten drake.

"Of course, where are my manners? How silly of me to keep you from doing your job," Toplofty stated.

Spike was clearly confused by what the smug colt was referring to when he mentioned a 'job'. He soon got his answer though. Toplofty levitated the colossal pile of bags Rarity had purchased earlier that afternoon above Spike's head, he immediately dumped them on the purple lizard and turned towards the restaurant. Jet Set and Upper Crust waved to them from the entrance.

"Clearly your hired help needed to get back on the clock. I don't blame him, working for such a stunning, successful mare as yourself; I'd be happy cleaning your toilet if it meant getting closer to that brilliant mind of yours." Toplofty displayed a prideful sneer towards Spike, enjoying every strain and drop of sweat that flexed the tiny reptile's muscles. "At least dragons have some public uses."

"W-w-w-well, that's not exactly accurate. You see, Spike isn't-"

Jet Set and Upper Crust interrupted the fashionista with a loud roar of snickering laughter.

"Oh come now darling, don't be so comical. Of course he's the hired help," Jet Set teased, "obviously it's not like you're on some sort of date with this fire-belching bell boy."

"As a matter of fact, we are-"

Rarity shielded Spike with her body; instantly deflecting anything he was about to say.

"Spike, please watch your words carefully when speaking to Toplofty."

"What? You can't possibly be serious! He's a snob and a total douche, no pony should have to listen to him talk down to others like that."

"Spike the dragon, language! You should know better than to use such filthy language towards someone of Toplofty's stature."

"You didn't seem to care when I talked like that when we were talking about Slick Charmer, and STOP talking to me like I'm a kid."

"That was different and you know it. He was a womanizing pig, and in any case, that was said in private; just you and me during our little gathering. Toplofty is a giant in the fashion world. If I can get him interested in taking a look at my designs, it could open up a whole new world of business and connections for me."

Spike's cheeks started to turn red, but instead of the usual rosy blush Rarity had caused, this was a red that burned like lava. His beloved friend was demeaning him and staining the intimacy of the date night they shared. She didn't seem capable of even saying the word 'date' in front of Toplofty.

"But that can't happen if you keep bad mouthing him and acting so rude."

"HE is the one acting rude, just cause he has those connections doesn't make it okay. And by the way, that wasn't a little gathering we had…It was a REAL da-"

Toplofty cleared his throat; disrupting and distracting the bickering pony and dragon. Spike and Rarity looked at the hotel tycoon and then looked at each other. The two close friends felt more like distant acquaintances at this very moment, their words had unexpectedly created a wall that neither knew how to get through.

"Miss Rarity are you coming? I hate to be pushy but time is money," Toplofty said; impatiently. He motioned towards the noticeably expensive watch on his hoof. "Trust me, I would know."

"Yes, coming darling," Rarity cheerfully answered. She noticed Spike's anger had deflated into sadness with her decision. Still, she was visibly uncomfortable to leave this matter in such a state and knew she could not leave her friend without some answers. "I know this is terribly poor timing, but this is my life's work, surely you must understand what a grand opportunity this is for me?"

"Yeah…I know," Spike begrudgingly replied. He placed the boxes and bags down so he could stand up straight and look at Rarity in the eyes, though his posture still slumped due to his gloomy mood. "I just think you can do better; that's all."

"Trust me Spike, this is me doing better," she smiled and kissed his forehead.

The collective "awes" from Toplofty, Jet Set and Upper Crust soiled the tender moment Spike shared with the snow-white mare. She told him to take the bags back to their room at the castle and they would talk more about their discussion later. Toplofty smiled, it reeked of confidence and arrogance. His sparkling grin widened upon seeing Rarity so eager to please and join the impromptu luncheon.

"You three go on ahead, get us a table…Something close to the kitchen," Toplofty shouted as he walked towards Spike. "If they give you any gruff or some pony else is sitting in our seats, give manager my name and they'll be begging to seat us wherever we want."

The married unicorn couple nodded and headed towards their soon-to-be-reserved table. Rarity slowly followed after them, she stopped and looked towards Spike as Toplofty approached him. She still felt bad about how she left things with Spike, he seemed so downtrodden and unconvinced at how important this is to her.

"I'm sure Toplofty can help clarify the importance of our business to young Spike. He is a business pony after all, one of the best in Equestria. Guess I shouldn't worry about it then," Rarity thought to herself.

Spike had already begun collecting the bags and packages when Toplofty approached him. The drake found it hard not to give into his dragon nature and growl fiercely at the pompous ass, swaggering and smirking like he was worth his own weight in gold. If he wasn't so well connected, Toplofty would be getting a fire facial free of charge.

"Look shorty, I gotta tell ya," Toplofty said with a proud smirk, "you're doing a bang up job serving Rarity like this. I only got like…2 or 3 servants who are as good at their job as you are." His eyes flashed briefly. Toplofty suddenly received a brilliant idea. "If Rarity and I start making some business happen, and it looks like that's the case, I bet you guys could meet and trade servant notes or stories…or something."

"I'm NOT her servant," Spike angrily clarified, "I'm her friend…no, actually I'm her close friend. I do this because I like helping her out."

"Hey, looks like we got another thing in common then," Toplofty beamed, "I plan on offering her every resource available." His wretched attempts to be friendly with the bitter dragon were so disgustingly awful, they were almost comical…almost.

"Yeah…I bet you do," Spike grunted under his breath, "And what do you mean another thing in common?"

Toplofty levitated a cluster of large, colorful jewels from his coat pocket. They hovered like a floating buffet in front of the wide eyed dragon.

"We both want what's best for Rarity AND we both have a love of the finer things in life," he stated confidently. "I want to thank you for taking care of our fashionista friend. The thing is though, your services won't be needed for the rest of the day. Feel free to take this tip and spend it or eat it, whatever it is you dragons do with em."

Spike didn't feel Toplofty deserved the dignity of a proper response. He knew if he said or did anything brash, it would merely cement every pony's belief that dragons were savage beasts. After collecting the bags and boxes from the ground, Spike completely ignored the pompous pony and his offer and started to head back to Canterlot castle. Toplofty showed no noticeable concern over Spike's abrupt departure and rejecting his generous offer. He shrugged and returned to the restaurant, eager to resume business discussions with Rarity over lunch.

"I'd rather starve than accept a single rock from that slime ball," Spike grumbled to himself.

As Spike angrily marched his way back to the castle, he noticed several ponies had been staring at him and whispering unsavory remarks under their breaths. It appeared that the dragon's conflict with such a public figure as Toplofty had drawn much unwanted attention. He tried hiding behind the boxes or willfully ignoring the ponies crass comments, but every attempt to block them out failed miserably.

"This is one time having such good ears isn't a blessing," he sighed solemnly.

More and more ponies started to notice him, the volume and intensity of their words became increasingly unbearable.

"Ick, what is THAT thing doing in Canterlot?"

"I thought those monsters weren't allowed to walk the streets."

"Did you see how chatty he was with Toplofty AND Rarity? The nerve!"

"It's probably a pet to one of them, or some pony paid it to carry the bags or something."

"It just looked so wrong though. A dragon and a pony, walking and talking side by side…ugh…makes me gag just thinking about it."

"Well of course it does. Look at him? He doesn't fit, he doesn't belong here with us."

Spike couldn't take it any longer. He stopped in the middle of the street and turned around towards the direction of the restaurant. He thought about returning to Rarity and just putting up with Toplofty, Jet Set and Upper Crust; at least he'd still be with the mare of his dreams.

Is she still the mare of his dreams?

The very fact that this thought entered his mind convinced him going back to Rarity now would be a mistake. As much as he hated being alone, solitude sounded like paradise compared to walking around with 3 prejudicial wind bags who would just insult and ignore him the entire time. The most heart breaking part of all though was…Rarity was depressingly blind to it all.

He decided to return to the castle alone, the dragon pumped his little legs into a purple blur and started running towards the castle as quickly as possible. Spike closed his eyes and tried to keep them tightly shut, praying the ponies didn't notice his tears slowly dripping down his cheeks.

After dropping off Rarity's packages in her room at the castle, Spike proceeded to search for Twilight for advice. He knew she was visiting Princess Celestia and Moonstruck today. Twilight wanted to find out if Celestia found out anything about removing Moonstruck's hex mark, and use the Canterlot archives to help with researching the identity and location of the imposter. The dragon miserably trudged his way through room after room, receiving terrible directions from the guards until he finally found the room Twilight was last seen in.

"I hope mom's having a better day than I am," Spike said; slowly raising his fist to knock on the closed door.

WHAM!

A loud thump smacked the door. Spike was startled by the sudden crash, he jumped back and nervously assessed the situation.

"HEY! That was totally uncalled for. Do you have any idea how old that text is? It's irreplaceable, you can't just go throwing books around like that."

That's Twilight's voice for sure. But who was she arguing with?

"That is so typical of you! You show more care to a musty old book than a pony. I knew you were crazy but come on, it's just a freaking book."

Sounds like Moonstruck is just as angry as Twilight is.

Spike tip towed away from the door, trying not to draw their anger or their attention at this time. "Better come back when they're not so…" another crashing sound slammed into the door, "yeah…that." Spike dashed away and scrambled to find a quieter, more peaceful room to relax in.

Meanwhile, the voices of Moonstruck and Twilight echoed thunderously across the castle hallways. Guards everywhere were flinching uncomfortably at the rising level of tension emanating from the library where the purple ponies snapped at each other like crustaceans.

"Just a book? Just…A…BOOK?!"

"Oh grow up Crackers, I was just saying-"

"How could you say that? You know how much I love books and how important they are to Equestria's history and my magic studies. Furthermore, how can you even think of saying I care more about books than ponies? You know perfectly well I've been spending days reading in tons of books just to help YOU…and STOP calling me Crackers!"

Moonstruck groaned audibly, he rubbed his face and tried to calm his frazzled mind down. The argument had been raging on like this for hours now. Both Twilight and Moonstruck had become agitated and flustered; too flustered to think or see straight. Twilight sighed in exasperation as she levitated the books that had been thrown back onto the shelves.

"I know you're helping me out, I do know that and I really am grateful, I just think we shouldn't waste our time with dead ends when there are still so many resources we could be tapping," Moonstruck said. His aggressive tone had been noticeably reduced.

Twilight still frowned thinking about the colt's callous remark about the book he threw being a 'dead end'. Clearly she did not share his sentiment, nor was she being quiet or calm about it.

"But how do you know it's a dead end? This is the only other book we've found that mentions the Horn and Wing Society. I think that this society, whatever it was, is somehow connected to you and this imposter," Twilight said persistently.

"Because they're a bunch of ghosts, shadows, dusts in the wind and more importantly: not worth our time! We need to find current, up to date information regarding real time individuals and shape shifters. You said it yourself: we can barely find anything on this so-called society at all."

"Doesn't that tell you that this society could potentially be vital to our research?"

"No it doesn't, because I know they're an insignificant foot note that wasn't worth mentioning enough to warrant any actual information existing," Moonstruck snapped in reply.

Twilight flared her wings defiantly at Moonstruck. His words seemed almost challenging to her, as if insulting or dominating her own unrivaled intelligence for pony history.

"Hey now, you don't have the first clue on what's important and what isn't when it comes to historical information. I was studying quantum energy displacement and cosmic lunar prophecies before you could even cast a simple light spell!"

Moonstruck stared flatly at the ruffled mare. Her tone, temper and flared wings did little to impress or intimidate the stone faced colt.

"Congratulations…you're really old."

Twilight's purple cheeks turned dark red. She looked like she was going to pop; biting her lip down to stifle her urge to scream out in frustration. It didn't work. The Alicorn screamed angrily and stormed out of the room, Moonstruck could still hear her huffing and puffing even as she left. Twilight knew if she had stayed there any longer, she would have said something she knew she'd end up regretting. It was best to take a break and cool off before their conversation got any rougher.

"Ugh…not the best way to handle that," Moonstruck said with a sigh; sulking heavily. He approached the book containing the information about the Horn and Wing Society and placed it back in its proper place on the shelf. "But the less she knows about what happened to that society, the better."

"Stupid, stubborn, butt-headed, know-it-all…GRR" Twilight said to herself. She was still mentally entangled in her argument with Moonstruck.

After pacing the hallways for a few minutes, Twilight realized her attempts to clear her mind had failed. She decided to do the one thing that always calmed her down when she felt lost: talk to Princess Celestia. The young princess hadn't spoken to her mentor since she wrote that letter detailing her friend's recent adventures and experiences. Her violet hues shimmered with the reflective sight of Spike speaking to Celestia as she approached the throne.

Twilight smiled and waved to Spike. "Hey Spike, I didn't know you were back so-", her assistant walked past her; exiting the room without saying a word. She blinked in surprise. "What was that all about?"

"Do not let his behavior trouble you too much Twilight," Celestia calmly explained, "Spike just had a difficult day and needed to blow off some steam. I know he will discuss this with you soon enough."

The young mare looked towards her mentor, her warm smile already easing her irritation from earlier. Twilight approached the grandiose sun princess. The two mares bowed to one another and greeted each other fondly.

"Thank you for seeing me today princess. I was wondering if you've made any progress in finding a way to remove Moonstruck's hex mark," she said hopefully.

"It is with my deepest regret to tell you that I have not. Princess Luna and I have used every spell we can think of, each spell is either repelled by the hex or makes the mark grow stronger. It appears my original spell worked too successfully," Celestia answered.

"I see," Twilight sighed softly. She rubbed her chin in deep thought. "What about this mysterious Horn and Wing society I've been reading about? Do you think that could be of any help?"

Celestia's eyes slowly widened in disbelief, the princess couldn't believe what she just heard. "What did you just say?" Celestia's voice was raspy and silent, like a whisper from a ghost.

"Oh…you don't know anything about it either, do you?" Twilight moaned in disappointment. The mare was so clouded by her mixed feelings about Moonstruck and his situation; she didn't realize her mentor's slightly alarmed reaction. "I already asked Princess Luna and she said she never heard of any organization by that name. I figured you might know, but maybe Moonstruck was right and it is just some trivial group lost to time."

"Um Tt-t-t-t-twilight, is there something else troubling you…By any chance? I noticed your mind seems distracted," Celestia said; smiling forcefully. She hoped her deceptive dodging would go unnoticed.

"Well to be perfectly honest, things between Moonstruck and I have been rather…strenuous lately," Twilight said mournfully.

"If you don't mind?" Celestia said, motioning with her hoof for Twilight to go on.

"It all started after you pardoned him a while ago. I thought that whatever this…connection we have would get better, but it didn't. He said that we shouldn't see each other for a while. Even though you pardoned him, we both knew it would be a while until ponies accepted him without any kind of judgment. So he figured that if ponies saw him with me in public, it might make ponies mistrust me because they think I'm 'siding with the enemy' or something like that. Discord betraying us to join with Tirek put my judgment into questioning. Now, some think that it's only a matter of time before something like that happens again," Twilight said.

"Yes, I was deeply disappointed to learn Discord could do such a thing to me…"

"To you?"

"Err I mean us, yes-yes, all of us," Celestia quickly corrected.

"Still, I thought that if we spent more time together, we could…I don't know…make the transition a bit more bearable. But he's pushing me away every time we get close. It's like, every step forward pushes me two steps back and he won't tell me or explain why. Worst of all, he's been acting like he's resigning to his fate: staying here forever in hiding and turning down viable leads without much reason."

"Perhaps he still feels responsible for some mistake he's made, one that he has yet to reveal to you," Celestia theorized.

Celestia closed her eyes and winced. Painful memories flooded into her mind, her flowing mane twitched as a sign of her flickering sadness.

"What is it princess?" Twilight asked; her voice rich with concern.

"Because of my anger, my own cold carelessness," Celestia paused as she choked back her tears, "I stole two years from an innocent pony's life. No pardon can ever restore something so precious as time." The sun princess took a moment to wipe her tears with a wingtip.

"But it wasn't entirely your fault. You were in pain, you just saw two of your closest friends killed in front of your eyes," Twilight protested, "not to mention still dealing with the grief of your sister."

Celestia smiled sadly at her pupil. How strange it is the student was now comforting the mentor, such an oddly wonderful feeling.

"And actually, I was hoping you could maybe tell me what Cage Chamber and Trail Blazer were like," Twilight asked hesitantly. "You speak of them all the time but you never really told me anything about them."

The smile on Celestia's lips widened from ear to ear, brief droplets sprinkled down her cheeks as she laughed softly. Before Twilight could ask what she had said that made her so inexplicably happy, Celestia bent down and warmly hugged the bewildered mare. The sun princess wrapped her wings tightly, yet comfortingly, around Twilight and sighed contently. Twilight was more confused now than ever.

"Thank you…thank you so much Twilight," Celestia blissfully cooed.

"Umm…sure…can I ask what for?" the mare replied. Her face was still strained with an awkward and confused look.

"My apologies, it's just," Celestia broke away from her hug and composed herself, "you're the first pony besides my sister to actually ask what my friends were like. Every pony typically just says 'sorry for your loss' or 'my deepest condolences.' Talking about them actually makes me feel better instead of feeling depressed, it allows me to enlighten others what they were like and what good friends they were to me."

Twilight smiled and levitated a small chair behind her. She plopped her rump down on the seat and looked to Celestia; listening intently.

"Cage Chamber was one of the highest ranking guards in my service at the time. He was tall, strong and sturdy colt. Cage always took his job very seriously. He'd drill the new guards in training into the ground, put them through Hell one minute, but as soon as they were off the clock, he'd happily enjoy leisure time with them; spending hours laughing and talking. One thing that always made me smile about him was how he was with the children. He worked so hard on this big, tough guy exterior, but when it came to children…he was always so playful with them. Giving them rides on his back or playing games with them, anything that would bring a smile to their faces…he'd do it. He was a perfect soldier, but he was also a wonderful pony who housed a heart of gold behind all those hard earned muscles," Celestia said fondly.

Twilight noticed her mentor had started bursting into a series of giggles as she thought and spoke about her second friend.

"Trail Blazer on the other hand was the complete opposite. He was a nervous, fumbling colt who was always knocking down suits of armor or accidentally tripping up the regiment lines. He confessed to me that he never wanted to be guard. Trail knew all too well of his own weaknesses and never tried to deny them, but he told me he was so inspired by the love and kindness I brought to Equestria that the least he could do to repay me was to serve by my side. He was skittish and nervous in the face of danger, and yet, he never once fled from battle or abandoned his comrades. Trail always spoke to me truthfully, even if he knew it might compromise his position. I loved that about him. He was such a good friend, loyal and devoted; funny too. Trail could always make me laugh, it's like he had an endless supply of terrible jokes on hoof. Trail Blazer joined the one job that terrified him more than anything else, and yet, he did it because he believed in me as a ruler. He is without a doubt, one of the bravest ponies I've ever known."

Twilight felt such pride and warmth flowing from her princess's words. It was like she had known Trail Blazer and Cage Chamber as well as she knew her own friends.

As Twilight was being comforted by her mentor's words, Moonstruck was wandering on the other side of the castle; experiencing no such happiness in his solitude. He wished he could tell Twilight the real reason why he didn't want her to explore the Horn and Wing Society anymore, as well as the horrifying visions he experienced every time he got close to her.

"No…if I were to tell her the truth, the REAL truth," he said with a somber tone, "she'd hate me for the rest of my life. She'd want me back in chains and I'd spent the rest of my days thinking about that hurt filled look in her eyes."

The sound of shuffling hooves briefly startled the green haired unicorn. He turned around and found Princess Luna standing silently behind him.

"A small amount of monetary value for your thoughts friend Moonstruck," Luna said cryptically.

"Ummm that's not quite how it goes," Moonstruck said; stifling a small laugh.

"It does not? Oh…I see," Luna said, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. "Though I have been socializing for many moons now, I am afraid that my grasp on common sayings and phrases is still a bit…lacking; my apologies."

"Don't worry about it princess, I think you speak perfectly well and I appreciate the gesture," he replied.

Luna smiled in return. She approached the colt and looked to his sullen, saddened gaze. His eyes were downcast and staring gloomily at the carpet instead of the beautiful mural window before them. Though she did not know the particulars, she had heard from one of her bat pony guards that he had been arguing vigorously with Princess Twilight.

"Thou should know, despite the fact we have spent very little time together, I have always held a great deal of care for thou," Luna said tenderly.

"You have?" he asked; genuinely surprised by this sentiment.

"I have experienced many of the same problems thou are experiencing now," Luna explained, "I too had to face my sister as an enemy, deal with being locked away for a damagingly long length of time and have my return met with distrust and caution."

"Huh…I guess you're right," Moonstruck said, her words caused him to briefly contemplate their surprising connection. "Plus we both got the whole moon thing going."

Luna giggled harmoniously at that remark. Her flowing, star filled mane quaked with her lovely sounding laugh. "Verily, we are both lovers of the moon and all that she gives us," Luna said majestically.

This time it was Moonstruck who went red in the face. He hadn't realized how close the princess of the night was, or how beautiful she looked when she laughed. Luna noticed his sudden flushed cheeks and let loose another charming chuckle.

"Fear not Moonstruck, while I am deeply flattered by thou reaction," she said; placing a hoof on his shoulder, "thou heart is not the one mine wishes to be linked with. No ill will is meant of course."

"None taken your highness," Moonstruck nodded and smiled at the blue mare, "I'm just glad you were able to make peace with your past mistakes and move on." He sighed heavily and returned to the purple mare dominating his thoughts. "As for me, I don't think I'll ever be able to crawl out of the hole I've dug. There's too much darkness and too many sins to ever wipe clean, and once she finds out…she'll never want to speak to me again."

"Thou are speaking of Princess Twilight, yes? I overheard from some of the guards the two of you were engaged in a heated conflict," Luna stated.

"Ugh…I swear, I throw one stupid book and her entire world collapses," Moonstruck rolled his eyes; groaning at the thought of Twilight's reaction. "If she didn't already have that stick wedged so far up her ass, I would have told her where she could put that book."

"Stick? I saw no stick protruding from between Twilight's flanks," Luna said; rubbing her chin in confusion.

Moonstruck groaned audibly, he forgot who he was talking to for a moment. He thought about explaining it to Luna but didn't feel it was worth it. Luna observed attentively as the unicorn approached the window. He stared at the ponies of Canterlot down below, as if looking towards a grave. Suddenly, Moonstruck started banging his head against the window.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! UGH! WHY CAN'T SHE JUST SHUT UP?!" Moonstruck screamed. Luna attempted to stop him from harming himself, but he quickly ceased his injurious behavior and turned towards the night princess. "I swear to Celestia, she drives me so freaking nuts; I just want to rip my hair out and scream until I lose my voice."

"Calmness dear friend, calmness please," Luna coolly insisted, "perhaps I can be of assistance to thou. What specifically is the problem thou seek help with?"

Moonstruck shook his head vigorously in frustration. "No, no you don't get it, there is no way to help me with my problem," his voice strained angrily as he pronounced that word. Before continuing, he took a breath to reduce his anger levels so he did not unleash all of his irritation on the kind princess. "Twilight…She's just…UGH!" Moonstruck grabbed his ears and yanked on them, "I don't even know where to begin. She's anal retentive, she's a perfectionist, always has to keep everything in the right place and expects everyone to follow her crazy ass rules. She finds the most insufferably, boring things interesting and then the lectures; sweet Celestia, the ENDLESS lectures! Every day I spend with her is turned into a freaking symposium, hearing about equations and what other ponies did a hundred years ago like I'm supposed to give a crap. It just never ends!"

Luna waited patiently for the unicorn to finish his seemingly endless list of Twilight's most annoying quirks. Admittedly, the night princess couldn't deny a number of those problems were ones she was painfully familiar with as well…Not that she'd ever tell Twilight that of course. After a few minutes of intense breathing, Moonstruck appeared to be calm and rational again.

"I see," she replied calmly, "and all of these traits of Twilight's thou has listed; they annoy thou, yes?"

"No…That's the problem Princess Luna…They don't," he replied anxiously.

Luna stared blankly at the unicorn's odd declaration. It took a moment for her to process his unusual way of explaining this matter, but eventually, it started to dawn on her. Her starlit eyes widened slowly.

"Oh…I see," Luna's surprised gasp was quickly replaced with a small, ever growing smile.

"She should be annoying to me, all these cracker brained weird things she does should bother me…But they don't," Moonstruck exclaimed. "I don't understand. Why doesn't she annoy me? Why does the fact she drives me crazy actually make me feel happy? Why can't her quirks just annoy me like it would any other normal pony? And why can't I make her mad enough to want to get rid of me so she'll never have to be hurt by me again? WHY?"

The dark unicorn dropped to his knees and started angrily beating into the carpet. He felt like he's held in this frustration for ages. He started to yell and cry out, everything intensified as he imagined the look of horror on Twilight's face when she would finally learn the truth: the truth about his connection to the Horn and Wing Society.

"Do not let this consume you Moonstruck," Luna said comfortingly. The blue Alicorn wrapped her wings around the colt in a warm, motherly-like embrace. His cries slowly started to cease altogether. "The pain thou feel inside is not one to dread, but one to be celebrated my friend."

Moonstruck wobbled back onto his four legs. He slowed down the pace of his breathing. Every part of his body felt stressed and on high alert, Luna's compassion eventually calmed the dark unicorn down, thankfully.

"I believe I know the feeling thou is crippled by," Luna said kindly, "it is a feeling that I think I have been experiencing for some time now." Her hoof gently guided his hanging head back to her line of sight by cupping his chin. "Dear Moonstruck, I believe thou have fallen in love with the Princess of Friendship."

"I know, and that's exactly why I need to stay far away from Twilight," he sighed mournfully.

"Wait, what?" Luna loudly gasped in reply. She pulled away from the hug and stared at him in gross bewilderment.

"Something truly horrible happened in my past…But I'm not sure what," Moonstruck explained, "images have been popping in and out of my mind, more like fragments really. Something happened in my memories but I only get bits and pieces; never the whole thing. I'm not 100% sure what they mean or who I see in these flashes, but one thing is for sure, they're always bad…And they always appear when Twilight gets too close to me."

The princess of the night was truly puzzled by this revelation. She bit her lip as she pondered his words. Luna had never seen such imagery in Moonstruck's dreams before, and besides, he said these happened when he was awake and with Twilight, which meant they might be some kind of suppressed memory resurfacing.

"So these flashes of terrible things, they only happen when thou are around Twilight and no pony else?" Luna inquired.

"Yes, that's right," he calmly answered.

"And thou are certain the images thou see are from the past and not an event that has yet to happen?"

Moonstruck nodded in confirmation.

Without saying a word, Princess Luna gracefully approached the distraught unicorn and inched her horn towards his. Moonstruck was hesitant to comply. Luna pleaded to him silently with her luminous eyes, she wished to try something and assured him everything would be all right. Reluctantly, he nodded and put his trust in the dark blue mare. Luna leaned forward and successfully clicked horns with Moonstruck.

BZZT!

A small spark of energy materialized between the two ponies horns. They jolted back in shock, more surprised than harmed by the sporadic energy surge. Moonstruck shook his head and rubbed his temples, still unclear on what the purpose of that was.

"Tell me Moonstruck, did anymore of those images appear just now?" Luna asked curiously.

"Um no, n-n-n-not really princess," his answer disappointed the blue mare, "What-what exactly was that? What was it you were trying to do?"

"I had theorized that the reason thou were experiencing these dreadful images was due to my sister's hex interfering with another Alicorn's magic," Luna calmly explained. "Twilight's magic could have been inadvertently causing an unfortunate side effect. However, as thou did not experience any reaction from my horn, it seems my theory has been proven incorrect."

Several moments passed as Moonstruck processed the princess's theory. He was not pleased with these results but neither was he terribly disappointed either, he shrugged in acceptance.

"Um I guess not…Thank you for trying anyway, princess," Moonstruck said. His smile was weak but the warmness in his words was sincere.

The princess of the night thanked Moonstruck and apologized for her inability to help him. He assured her that she helped more than she would ever know, the company was happily welcomed. Luna turned to leave but stopped half way and returned her shimmering gaze towards the colt once more.

"Did you have another theory to test princess?" Moonstruck asked; tilting his head to the side.

"N-n-no, nothing like that," Luna fumbled nervously. Her dark blue cheeks were stained with faint shades of pink. "Actually, it was more of a request, one I was hoping thou would be able to help me with."

"Um, no offense but why don't you just make it a royal order or something? I mean you are a princess and I'm just…Me," Moonstruck awkwardly replied.

"As I said before, thou are considered a friend noble Moonstruck," she firmly clarified, "friends do not make demands or orders of their friends. I would much rather see someone want to willingly help me then abuse my royal title and force them to comply." Luna puffed her chest out a bit and flexed her wings proudly. "That is not the kind of princess I am."

Her words sent a small surge of warmth into Moonstruck's heart. It appears that all of the princesses are just as caring as Twilight.

"It would be my genuine pleasure princess," Moonstruck replied. Hearing this brought a small smile to the flustered Alicorn's face, she happily and eagerly thanked him. "So what did you need help with?"

"Tia says that thou possess an ability to see inside a pony's essence, to see what darkness or fears vex them," Luna said hesitantly. She was visibly nervous discussing this matter. Not because Moonstruck was untrustworthy, but because she felt like she was reopening an old wound by discussing this. "I wish for thee to please use thine ability and see into my essence. I need to know if my spirit is still being plagued by the darkness of Nightmare Moon. Everyone in Ponyville knows I tortured myself with the Tantabus as punishment, and while I made peace with that fact, I need to be certain if my shadow truly is beneath me now."

"Does this have anything to do with the whole 'wishing to link hearts with some pony' thing you mentioned?" Moonstruck asked; his curiosity noticeably peaked.

"Quite perceptive my friend," Luna nodded slowly, "I have been receiving beautiful, exquisite gifts from a secret admirer for months now." The princess showed one of the cards to Moonstruck. His eyes widened, the level of artwork in the card was truly spectacular. "I do not know who the artist is, I don't even know if it is a mare, a colt…it's possible he is not even a pony at all. The cards are always signed with the initials: RS; that is all I have to go by. The most recent card requested a face to face meeting. Despite my lack of information regarding the identity or race of this artist…I…I replied yes."

"So then what does my sensing ability have anything to do with you meeting this admirer?" Moonstruck insisted.

"Try to understand. Being a princess and an Alicorn, it makes things exceedingly difficult…and painful to allow another into our hearts," Luna confessed sadly. Her voice became soft and melancholic, yet still retaining a twinge of hope and fondness in her blue tone. "This RS individual is the closest I have ever come to experiencing romantic love in many, many years. I have been moved by his pictures and poems, both too beautiful to forget and too tempting to ignore." She closed her eyes for a moment, small splashes of lonely tears flicked from her eyelashes. Luna looked to Moonstruck, desperation burning in her eyes. "If I am to open my heart to another, if I would dare to be that hopeful and naïve to believe I could achieve that level of happiness…then I must know if evil still lingers in my soul," she pleaded sorrowfully.

Moonstruck smiled and gently shook his head.

"You have nothing to fear princess," he said soothingly, "I sensed your essence back when I first met you and Princess Celestia. The remnants of Nightmare Moon have long since dissipated. The only fear and darkness I sense in you now is the anxiety you feel towards this meeting with RS." Luna's eyes sparkled radiantly, her smile seemed to stretch on infinitely. "Whoever this RS is, he clearly has impeccable taste."

The princess eagerly leapt at the unicorn and embraced him in a heartfelt hug, her hooves and wings wrapped him up snugly. Moonstruck was briefly startled by the gesture but quickly melted into the hug. He wrapped her body into his own, his eyes closed as a warm smile forms across his lips. The two sat there contently in the hug for a few moments before separating. Luna smirked playfully and planted a gentle kiss on Moonstruck's cheek.

"Thou are a kind and wonderful soul friend Moonstruck, Princess Twilight is lucky to be loved by one such as thee," Luna beamed. She cheerfully trotted off; leaving Moonstruck blushing and clutching the cheek where he had been kissed.

Moonstruck stood there motionlessly, quietly watching and waiting for Luna to be out of sight and out of earshot. The moment her sparkling tail vanished from view, a tear cascaded down from Moonstruck's left cheek, another tear came down on the right cheek shortly after. The pony had been silently sobbing his eyes out, choking on his own silent agony as his tears dampened the carpet beneath his hooves.

"I'm sorry princess, I'm so-so sorry," he sobbed achingly, "but your wrong about me…You're all wrong about me." Moonstruck clenched his eyes shut and collapsed to the ground. His purple fur soaked in the tears on the carpet. Sadness and pain consumed his voice, shriveling up his heart like a plague. "I really am a killer after all…"

FLASHBACK

Inside a monstrous, endless dark cave gathered a shrouded group of ponies, their forms were hidden by black cloaks; concealing every inch of their flesh and features except for their hooves. It was as if death himself had summoned a legion of fellow reapers to congregate in a cave as dark and dreary as he. Towards the center of the dark cult shined a glowing magical seal; unicorns were chanting and bombarding it with continuous flows of verbal and mystical energies.

A unicorn couple, appearing to be in their mid-thirties, approached the head cult member. He stood imposingly before them in front of the summoning circle.

"Ah, Count Crescent; Lady Kuru," the cloaked pony mused, "We've been expecting you. I trust you understand that once this begins, there is no turning back. Do you still wish to proceed?"

Count Crescent looked to his wife nervously. He was a tall, firmly built colt with royal blue colored fur and grass green hair. His goatee was strangely enough; a few shades darker green than his hair. The count wore a gold rimmed monocle across one of his teal eyes. A wood colored vest adorned his upper torso, silver trim adorning the collar and cuffs. The stallion's cutie mark was a faint yellow crescent moon. The mark also had two silver shapes that resembled eyes: one was on the moon itself and the other was next to it on the flank's open surface.

Lady Kuru was rather short compared to her husband. Her vibrant, reddish brown hair shimmered brightly next to her husband's goatee. Kuru's fur was a creamy yellow color, fainter than Fluttershy's color but darker in tone. The wrinkles in her cheeks and under her eyes indicated great deal of stress from tears flowing recently. Her lavender eyes were filled with overwhelming fear and agony. Kuru's cutie mark displayed the iconic comedy and tragedy masks, each mask displayed artistic amalgamations of black and white color schemes. A small bundle wrapped in a white silk sheet was being carried in Kuru's hooves.

"Yes, we understand the risks of this ritual Lord Cabal," Crescent explained, "but I want it made clear that we are NOT doing this because we believe in your ideals. Were only doing this because we have no other choice and if we wait any longer, it'll be too late."

Lord Cabal was a daunting, grim looking individual. He clung to the shadows from his cloak like a mask. The colt's fur had a dark, ask black color to it, his hair was ghostly white with needle like tips; flattened by the hood. Even amongst the darkness though, Crescent and Kuru could still clearly make out the rustic shade of red that filled his unholy looking eyes. Just a single glance caused the couple's blood to collectively freeze. Cabal's wings clenched tightly under his cloak.

"Your exceedingly generous donations to our society's funding would say otherwise if this information ever gets out," Cabal threatened.

"PLEASE," Kuru frantically interrupted, "we know what we're getting ourselves into, and at this point, I don't care why you're doing this." Her demanding tone quickly broke down into a sobbing, tear soaking mess. The mare looked down at the bundle in her hooves; her tears intensifying. "Just please…save our son…we'll do anything you want," Kuru begged.

"I know you will, oh believe me…I know," Cabal said with a sinister chuckle.

Inside the bundle was a frail, sickly, purple unicorn child. The colt coughed inside his mother's arms, painful sounding wheezes exhaled from his blue lips. His failing lungs continued to cause him unbearable suffering with every breath he took. This ailing child was the one and only foal to be born from Count Crescent and Lady Kuru, and he's dying. The couple had tried every magical spell, used every potion and elixir, they even visited Princess Celestia and begged for her to use her power to save their child, but nothing worked. During their greatest time of desperation, Count Crescent was contacted by Lord Cabal: head of the Horn and Wing Society. He claimed that he could save the count's son's life, IF and only if he donated his fortune to fund the society's experiments. As a result, the child would be the test subject for the society's ultimate ritual, but if they were successful…the child would live and be stronger than ever.

Crescent and Kuru instantly agreed.

The couple knew they were making a deal with a band of devils, they knew that if this doesn't succeed they're son will die, and if it does succeed, he will have to serve as the dark and powerful figurehead for this cult's wicked goals.

But they didn't care, they're child was already at death's door. They had nothing left to lose. Even if it meant seeing him serve as some unstoppable harbinger of death for a demented doomsday cult, if it meant he would be alive then they would do anything…anything.

"Place the child at the center of the summoning circle on my signal," he ordered the parents. Cabal raised his hoof into the air; instantly silencing the chanters and spell casters. The cult leader's hoof was cracked and covered with devastatingly painful scorch marks, it was as if the fires of Hell had tried to consume his appendage. "Resume all chanting and spell casting once the child is in the proper place. Do not stop until the ritual is complete, once it starts it cannot be stopped. Any mistakes or interruptions during the spell will result in catastrophic consequences."

Crescent looked to his wife, tears dripping from both their weeping eyes. He nodded in acknowledgement. The couple looked to their sickly child and nuzzled him, they kissed his forehead and whispered silent prayers. For all they knew, this may be the last time they see their child alive.

"Good, very good," Lord Cabal stated. He turned to the swarms of cloaked ponies circling the summoning symbol; commanding their attentions with a bold and thunderous voice. "Remember, this is the culmination of everything we have worked for. All the sacrifices, the setbacks, everything we had to endure. No more will we listen to the mindless prattle of those ignorant sheep that blindly condemn our actions and recklessly follow rulers who refuse to share their power with the rest of us," he bellowed, "all of that changes tonight. Once the ritual is complete, we, the Horn and Wing Society will have accomplished the impossible. We will rightfully restore the balance of power to its citizens and no longer depend on corruptible leaders such as the Alicorn sisters."

Clattering hooves stomped across the ground in agreement, the crowd of shadowy figures became rowdier and louder with each passing moment. Everyone was insatiably eager to see what fruit their twisted experiment would bare; everyone that is…except the heartbroken couple offering they're child to this cult of twisted madness.

"Brothers, sisters," Cabal's energy and exhilaration soared, he fed off the crowd's encouragement with voracious intensity. The chanting, the worshipping, he basked in all of it; immersing in his moment of glory. "Let us wait no longer. It is time we enjoy the gift that nature has so cruelly denied us in the past," Cabal turned to the couple and pointed to the circle, "it is time for the child to fulfill our destiny."

Crescent and Kuru looked to each other, their eyes drenched in conflicted agony; feeling it crippling away their consciences. The love for their child made them reluctant to comply, and yet, ironically; it was that same love that brought them into this situation in the first place. They were faced with an impossible decision: see their son die as an innocent, or survive and live as a demonic tool for a cult of radicals.

"Enough stalling! Place the child on the circle AT ONCE," Cabal fiercely ordered, "we didn't work this hard just for you to get squeamish at the finish line Count."

Crescent flashed a loathing glare at the despicable Pegasus. He charged an energy attack from his horn, sorely tempted to strike him down for that outburst.

"Do that, and you're not only condemning you and your wife to death; but you're son as well," Cabal sneered. The coldness of his words paled in comparison to the excruciating reality regarding the child's future.

Kuru clutched her husband's arm. He flinched and turned to face her, her loving eyes melted his resolve, she silently thanked him for trying. Both unicorns eventually gave in and nodded in defeat. Crescent and Kuru kissed their child one last time and placed him on the circle.

"NOW, BEGIN!"

The chanters and spell casters began the ritual. Mystical words and beams of energy danced above the dying child, a strange glow started to emanate and envelop from the mystical mark carved into the Earth.

FASCHOOM!

A tower of light erupted from the circle. Its energy was blinding and infinite; crashing spectacularly into the cavern ceiling and lighting up every corner and crevice. The chants coming from the ponies could barely be heard over the thunderous roar of the beacon. All eyes looked towards the tower of light, mindlessly encaptivated by its eclipsing sight.

KABOOM!

A monstrous energy blast erupted from the confines of the summoning circle, it flashes across the room with the savage ferocity of a nuclear blast. Scores of ponies were vaporized in seconds. The poor creatures were incinerated so quickly, they hadn't even a moment to scream or gasp as their bodies turned to ash. The death toll was instantaneous and total. All that remained of the Horn and Wing Society and the child's parents were piles of scorched ashes, even their bones had been reduced to cinders.

Every single pony in the cave was dead, every single one…except for the child in the summoning circle.

END FLASHBACK

Moonstruck snapped free from his draconian daydream. Reality had struck him like a blade, it sliced into his stomach and spilled all warmth and life from his hollowed out body. In that flash of light, he knew what had happened that day, and more importantly…he knew that he was in fact, a killer.

"I killed them…I killed them all…I killed my parents," he whispered tragically.

To be continued…

Two things: 1- Before anyone accuses me of painting Rarity OOC, I suggest you take a look back on episodes "Simple Ways", "Green Isn't Your Color", "Sweet and Elite", "Canterlot Boutique", "Suited for Success" and "Spice Up Your Life" (thanks to Lemon Smoothie for reminding me about that episode) Rarity, despite being element of generosity has on MANY occasions changed her style and her identity in order to please others, especially Fashion moguls. She claims be her own mare and have her own style but she's proven that peer pressure does get to her and she's lied to her friends and others about who she is, so sad as her behavior may be in this chapter, I didn't make it up; I observed it through multiple examples in previous episodes. And 2- Take a wild guess who Toplofty is based on -_- Next time on "Strange Yet Wonderful": Applejack goes to Hopeful's family reunion to try and patch things up and meets the rest of the Heart family, and Rainbow and Arrowhead get some terrible news when the incident involving Spitfire becomes public. Bye for now!

19. Home Is Where The Heart Is

Chapter 19: Home is Where the Heart is

Hey what's up, what's up, what. is. UP? Finally got this chapter finished. I've been working on it for some time now, doing lots of rewrites and changes. Why you may ask? Because I originally was going to deal with Applejack and Hopeful's relationship AND Rainbow and Arrowhead's relationship like I previewed last time. Buuuuuuuut, once I started writing Applejack meeting Hopeful's family, everything became focused on that and there was no room for Rainbow and Arrowhead. If I did include them, this chapter would probably be 50 pages long! Believe it or not, I cut A LOT of stuff out of this chapter to make sure it didn't go on too long. I had a lot of ideas for scenes I really wanted to include but making sure AJ and HR develop organically was far more important to me. I'll probably mention everything I cut out in an upcoming chapter as bonus trivia for you guys. Speaking of you guys, HOLY CRAP...so MANY reviews for that last chapter. I don't think any one chapter on this story has gotten so many reviews as the last one did. Thank you guys SO much! You've been a truly awesome and dedicated audience and I adore perfecting this story just for you.

75 reviews though, feel quite pleased with that but I have a feeling we can make it to 100! And if we do, I may have a special "reward" for whoever makes the 100th review ^_^ just have to wait and see if we get there before I say what it is. Now then, I got a lot of shout outs to go through so without further adieu, let's get typing!

Lemon Smoothie: Really glad to hear you enjoyed Moonstruck and Luna's chat, a lot of people did actually. I personally was pleased how that came out. I at one point thought of having Luna be a rival for Twilight for Moonstruck's affections; since they have much in common. However, I developed something else in mind for Luna (as the letters she's getting have shown). Really glad I nailed Rarity's personality down, I'm always worried about that when I write for these characters and extra special thanks for reminding me of "Spice up your life", I forgot about that episode for a moment!

ST4RSK1MM3R: Thanks for the critique! I do appreciate those that can be critical without being unnecessarily aggressive about it and even more appreciate the fact you were happy to come across this story again. I completely understand your view on it seeming a bit illogical for how Spike was treated. However, you are correct in that I was using the Canterlot elite specifically with that scene and while some ponies may not be that harsh, I would challenge that not everyone is 100% okay with dragons just because we don't see it that often in the show. Also, while it is true Spike is a public figure, every pony still had a beef with him in "Princess Spike" so clearly he is not immune from some baseless hostility. I'd like to think that even in a happy, smiley world as this that not every pony is always on board with everyone in it. Tirek for example frequently expresses hatred for ponies and Blueblood has nothing but disdain towards "common folk", so in that regard, I find it likely there are dragon haters out there and Canterlot seems to have no shortage in those that think they're better than others.

Ponyloco: Your reviews ALWAYS make my day! You put so much effort and work into them, you got no reason to apologize for their length. Thanks for the idea with Fancy Pants. I actually do plan to use him in chapter 22 involving his reaction to Rarity being with Toplofty. It plays into a series of realizations that addresses everything you just described with your idea so be on the look out for it! Spike is also my absolute favorite character ^^ I hate seeing how he is treated on the show with some of those god awful episodes he's saddled with sometimes. I took no joy in tormenting him (nor will I in some of the darker stuff that is yet to come) but for the sake of the story, I felt it was necessary. And to answer your question, Luna's secret admirer's identity has not been revealed before, nor has the initials RS been explained...yet. I will say it's a new character and the only reference that has been made to RS has been in Luna discussing the letters she receives from RS with Celestia. Luna's meeting with RS as well as RS's identity will be told in full in chapter 21. Thanks for your wondrous reviews and glad to hear your enjoying it so!

DanvilleBengal: Firstly, welcome back! Secondly, glad to hear your excited for this ^^ Yeah you make a good point about other ponies not recognizing the Mane 6's accomplishments. With the Elements gone I think a lot of ponies seem to forget they ever had them to begin with. Funny you mention Luna "owning those bastards" because something along those lines will happen in a future chapter. I think you'll be pleased with what I have planned!

Grimlord31: Right Now!

Man Undercover: Glad you enjoyed it! The stick line eh? All I can say is it made me laugh ;p

Paranormal Pinkie: I end up fixing the grammar and spelling issues in future chapters. Not that I don't take those seriously, I am glad to hear I got the characterizations and Spike/Rarity's relationship down because those were my biggest concerns.

Thanks for the reviews and now, on with the story!

"Applejack, what in the wide world of Equestria are ya doin' out here?" the country mare mused to herself.

It had been several hours since she first departed from Ponyville, venturing off to an unknown field she had never laid eyes on before. Three days had passed since she and Hopeful had gotten into that terrible fight; crushing the poor colt's heart and tossing him out like yesterday's trash. Hopeful had not graced Applejack with his charming presence since.

She sighed heavily. Ah can't believe Ah said those rotten things to poor Hopeful. Sure Ah was plenty tickled off he went and made those arrangements without me, but still, Ah didn't even give him a chance to explain and Ah sure as Heck didn't have to bite his head off like that. The southern mare felt her heart ache every time she looked at the crumpled red letter Hopeful had left on her kitchen floor, there were still stains on it from the mess he made that day. He deserves better. Ah hate to barge in and ruin his family reunion like this, but it's the only place Ah know for darn tootin' sure he's gonna be and Ah have got to apologize to him in person.

Ever since Hopeful stopped coming around the farm, Applejack had been getting the silent treatment from her family regarding the fight. They weren't refusing to speak to her, they were just doing exactly what she wanted: not saying a word about her relationship with Hopeful. Truth is; she needed their help more than ever now. Apple Bloom, Granny Smith and Big Mac all had different things to say, but they ended up spelling out the same answer: apologize to Hopeful in person.

The orange mare continued to follow her map towards the address on the letter. It was difficult to read with all the creases and crusted stains smudging the writing, but she's made it this far and her conscience would never forgive her if she left things the way they are now.

It's sad really. After hearin' so many wonderful stories about Hopeful's kin, Ah've been excited to meet em. Ah just wish it was under better circumstances. Soon as they find out Ah crushed their son's heart like an apple core, they'll boot me out faster than you can say Zap Apple Jam.

She took a deep breath, reaching deep within her core to summon the strength to move forward. There was a large gathering of ponies near some picnic tables and blankets approaching her view. A beautiful, old fashioned white house with a dark grey roof stood in the center of the gathered ponies and tents. She knew this had to be the place.

But just like when the Flim Flam brothers tricked me into sellin' their useless tonic, Ah got to face the music and make amends for mah mistakes; no matter how sour things get.

The Earth pony stood there for several moments before mustering the courage to meet Hopeful's family for the first, and most likely, last time. She walked towards the gathering.

"Let's get this over with," she said with a heavy heart.

As soon as she reached the Heart family's reunion, Applejack was surprised to see Hopeful wasn't kidding about his family's diversity. Every couple or family was mixed, a jumbled collection of Pegasai, unicorns and Earth Pony's without any pairing being comprised of one race. Even stranger, there appeared to be couples comprised of ponies dating other creatures. The southern mare spotted a Minotaur next to an Earth pony mare, a colt snuggling with a female Yak from Yak-Yakistan, there was even a Pegasus holding hooves with a Griffin. Applejack could barely begin to process what she was seeing. Never in her life has she seen so many different creatures and ponies mingling in romantic pairs. It was like she had fallen down a rabbit hole and landed in a world of opposites; turning every tradition she held dear about courtship completely on its head.

"Well pick mah corn and butter mah biscuits," she slowly removed her hat, "Ah never thought Ah would see the day…"

"Ahem!"

A male voice quickly jarred AJ out of her daze. She looked to her right and found herself eye to eye with a dark red unicorn, blood red one might say. His hair was short, black as night and slicked back with a glimmering sheen across the top. The same sheen and shade could be noticed on the thin moustache he displayed sharply. The colt wore a shadowy gray pinstripe suit, beneath his neck was a Sateen white dress shirt collar; complete with a cigar brown bow-tie. AJ felt uneasy being stared down with those golden colored eyes of his. The unicorn's cutie mark was that of a pastel white rose with the tip and base of a fencing sword piercing through the center of the bud.

"I believe mademoiselle has a very good reason for just standing; leering at moi?" the colt said curtly.

"Oh uh right, sorry bout that," she rubbed the back of her head. The orange mare didn't know why she was just staring at this pony like that, she felt awfully foolish just spacing out at him like that. "Ah didn't mean to interrupt your festivities or anythin' like that," she resumed wearing her hat, "Ah was just lookin' for someone and-"

"Of course, of course, say no more. Let's not waste any more time then, shall we?" he said; his tone had a twinge of impatience to it.

Applejack wasn't exactly sure what this pony was talking about. She assumed Hopeful told every pony she wasn't coming, it's possible one of his relatives decided to confront her before she got a chance to talk to Hopeful; protecting him from her. Before she had a chance to speak, the unicorn approached her and got close; uncomfortably close.

"W-w-what in tar nation are you-"

"Please," he quickly raised his hoof; shushing her. "I need to concentrate, I must have ABSOLUTE silence!"

The pony's sudden tone change caught AJ off guard. She nodded nervously and chose to be quiet for the time being. His muzzle was mere inches away from Applejack's curvaceous body, she felt his eyes hungrily devouring every curve of her flanks and strand of hair on her head. It was like he was a doctor carefully examining her for a physical; noting every scar and shape in those piercing golden eyes of his. Applejack grew increasingly red in the face, she felt more and more nervous as this pony sized her up like some piece of meat.

What in the heck is he doin? Is he tryin' to find a second cutie mark or somethin? This guy can't be related to Hopeful, he's too creepy and weird.

"Hmmmm, strong legs, firm, healthy, a good pair of strong genes and quality exercise regiments have served you well," he mumbled to himself. The unicorn stared right into AJ's eyes, looking at her emerald hues inquisitively. "Colorful and bright, no sign of deterioration, that will certainly save you in optometrist bills" he stated.

"Look here, Ah've got some business here to take care of," he ignored her and started lifting up her hooves. AJ blushed brighter and groaned audibly. This pervert weirdo was pushing her last nerves! "And Ah don't know what yer doin' but if ya'll kindly take your peepin' peepers off mah body, Ah can-"

"Please don't rush me, I've been waiting to do this all day!" he said feverishly.

"WHAT did you just say?!" she blurted out.

Applejack had finally had enough. She was sick of this creep looking at her the same way Spike looks at jewels and she wasn't going to take it any longer. The irritated mare raised her back leg up; preparing to buck this slime right back to the rock he oozed out from under. Before she could deliver the bone shattering blow, the colt did something that caused AJ to nearly black out in anger.

"AH HA, just as I expected," the colt happily exclaimed. He magically lifted AJ's tail up and prominently inspected her rump cheeks. "Perfection, absolute perfection! That lucky dog, he should have told me about this sooner," the colt laughed as he released AJ's tail.

No words could truly begin to describe the depths of Applejack's volcanic anger; billowing up to the surface within seconds of her flanks being idolized. The mare's freckled cheeks turned the same shade of red as the colt's fur. She had no idea what this perverted groper was talking about, nor did she care to find out, her mind had been consumed by a voracious need to unleash her fury on this perverted pony. The colt's eyes widened at the death glare drilling into his gaze.

ACK!

Applejack grabbed the colt by his shoulders and jerked his hooves off the ground, she stood on her hind legs and raised him up even higher. The unicorn tried to speak but was quickly cut off by Applejack's violent outburst.

"That is the last cotton pickin' straw! Ah don't know who you are but no pony, and Ah mean NO PONY TOUCHES ME LIKE THAT," she fiercely shouted. "Ya'll start better explainin' yerself, or Ah swear, Ahm gonna-"

"Valentino!" a female voice shouted from behind, it startled Applejack and the red unicorn. Approaching them was a cream colored female Pegasus. Her hair was chocolate brown in color and medium in length; decorated stylishly with a multicolored bow in the back. One side of the bow was hot pink and the other was neon purple. The Pegasus had a cross look in her baby blue eyes; targeted squarely on the red unicorn in Applejack's grip. As she stepped closer to her, Applejack could see the Pegasus's cutie mark resembled a pair of cherry red hearts being simultaneously pierced by a neon purple arrow. "Just WHAT do you think you're doing to my husband young lady?" the mare snapped. AJ flinched in response. She gently placed the unicorn known as Valentino back onto the ground.

"Mon Cherie, so good of you to join us," Valentino exclaimed.

"Don't you Mon Cherie me buster! One minute I'm pulling out a sheet of freshly baked cookies for everyone, next thing I know, you're up on this hill being strangled by this mare" she snapped.

The Pegasus looked towards the mare in question, eyes squinting into a fiercer; more penetrating glare than the one she gave Valentino.

"So, what do you have to say about all this?" Applejack was about to speak but the Pegasus raised a hoof and quickly silenced her before she began. "And no lies, I want to know exactly what he was doing."

Valentino looked to the orange mare with a weak smile; shrugging casually. Applejack had little to zero interest in saving this unicorn from winding up in the doghouse. Even if she did however, the last thing she was going to do was to lie about such despicable behavior.

"The truth is, he started feelin' me up and lookin' me all over like Ah was catch of the day or somethin'," she said with a shudder. The Pegasus looked to her husband; growing increasingly more annoyed with his behavior. "Ah told him to stop but he just wasn't listenin' and nothin' he said made any sense to me."

"Thank you for telling me the truth," the Pegasus said calmly. Valentino tried to speak but his wife shot him a death glare that silenced his voice instantaneously. She slowly approached Applejack, a comforting and forgiving smile on her lips. "My name's Sweetheart and I do apologize for my husband's behavior," she raised an eyebrow at her husband; turning back to AJ shortly after, "he knows better than to try and pull something like this."

Applejack sighed in relief. Thank Celestia this mare seemed to have a good head on her shoulders; rational and sound of mind.

"If I've told him once I've told him a thousand times, inspecting the girlfriend is something we BOTH do together," the Pegasus happily beamed.

"SAY WHAT?" Applejack shrieked in disbelief.

Before Applejack could protest any further, Sweetheart turned to her husband and gave him an all-knowing wink. Valentino magically lifted Applejack off the ground and turned her upside down. AJ frantically swung her hooves in the air; trying to resist but looking more like she was swimming in midair. She didn't know what was going on or who these crazy ponies are. One thing was for certain; she didn't like any of this! Valentino and Sweetheart both had the same disturbing, mischievous smile on their faces.

"Now then let's see what we have to work with here," Sweetheart said analytically. The chocolate haired mare examined Applejack like a bug in a jar. She grabbed AJ's muzzle and pried it open, she then examined her teeth inside and closed the jaws back up. "Mmm good jawline, teeth aren't as clean as I hoped but our family has always had good teeth anyway." Sweetheart ran her nose along AJ's stomach; inadvertently tickling the Earth pony and causing her to wiggle wildly. "The freckles are a nice touch," the Pegasus tapped her chin; pondering intensely as she combed her eyes over every inch of the upside down mare. "Good chest muscles, she definitely works out, hair's a bit frayed though." She paused and chuckled, waving her hoof dismissively, "but hey, if it looks that good after all that farm work then something's gotta be working for you!"

"Dearest darling, don't forget to take notice the most important part of all" Valentino said slyly, wiggling his eyebrows.

Applejack didn't know what to do or what to say. Resisting their inspection was about as effective as trying to talk some sense into them. She remained silent and just let them do whatever it is that they're doing, hoping it'll end soon and she can get some kind of answers.

Valentino flipped AJ right side up but this time, turned her rear towards the two ponies and pointed AJ's muzzle back towards the direction she came from. Applejack immediately turned beat red once more.

"Ooooooh look honey, she has perfect BIRTHING hips," Sweetheart crooned, "there so wide and roomy and shapely; I almost can't believe it!"

"Indeed my dearly beloved, we could have not asked for a better mare," Valentino boomed joyously. The magic aura surrounding Applejack vanished and she dropped with a sudden thump. Valentino and Sweetheart were prancing around the fallen mare in a circle, jauntily and joyfully praising the heavens for being delivered such a fine equine beauty.

"This calls for a celebration my sweet! We must summon the finest florists, raise more banners, and prepare the finest fireworks to scorch the skies. Our family has been blessed once again and the world MUST know of it!" he announced.

"I've been waiting for this day for so long Valentino. It's like our prayers have been answered. I swear, I think my butterflies have butterflies, Squee!" she cheered in agreement.

"WHAT IN TAR NATION IS GOING ON HERE?!" Applejack screamed demandingly.

"Hey, what's all the yelling all about? Is there some other party I should…Wha…F-f-fair maiden, you're here?" a familiar voice said.

Applejack immediately recognized that charming male voice, it seems her shrieking demand for answers had drawn the attention of a certain red Pegasus away from the party. Valentino, Sweetheart and Applejack simultaneously froze in place and turned to see Hopeful Romantic; standing there with a slightly stunned look.

"Thank Celestia, ah have been lookin' all over for you Sugar," Applejack's words only caused Hopeful to become even more confused. She tossed her head back and motioned towards the crazed ponies behind her. "Ah don't know which side of yer family tree these two are from, but they're nuttier than Pinkie Pie's triple peanut butter decker fruitcake!"

Valentino and Sweetheart suddenly rushed Hopeful before he could answer the mare of his dreams. The crazed couple swarmed over him like pair of boa constrictors; squeezing and snuggling into him.

"HA, HA, thought you could pull the wool over our eyes; eh you charming charlatan? That's dirty pool old boy! Telling us you're precious fair maiden wasn't coming and then having her show up here to bless our family gathering with her bedazzling beauty? What an arousing surprise; spettacolare," Valentino proudly cheered. His enthusiasm and aggressive application of noogies seemed to be making Hopeful quite uncomfortable; literally and figuratively.

"I agree Hopeful, this is quite the surprise but don't worry, we've got plenty of food to go around. I'm just so glad you FINALLY brought her to see us. We've been waiting to meet her ever since we got your return invitation," Sweetheart beamed; chatting away at ridiculous speeds. Hopeful groaned as the Pegasus mare rubbed her cheek adoringly against his own; unable to escape her suffocating affection. "I already checked her out. She's healthy, strong and has a real go-getter attitude. And, if you don't mind me saying so, she's quite the hot piece of ass!"

"Ugh, Mom! Dad! Would you please cut that out?" Hopeful grunted; shoving his parents overbearing hugs off his body. "I swear you do this every time. You can't just go around feeling up any pony I bring home, it's really embarrassing."

Applejack was at a loss for words. Her eyes widened to the size of jade boulders at the startling revelation Hopeful had uttered: these crazy, perverted ponies were, in fact, Hopeful's parents.

"M-m-m-m-m-mm-mom…D-d-d-d-d-dad…Are you tellin' me-are ya'll seriously tellin' me that THESE TWO ARE YOUR PARENTS?" she shouted alarmingly.

"Ugh…Yeah…I'm afraid so," Hopeful hung his head in shame, "Applejack meet Valentino; my father and Sweetheart; my mother."

"The pleasure is ours" the happy couple jubilantly exclaimed.

The orange mare felt like her brain had floated away from her body.

Are you buckin' KIDDIN' ME?! These two gropin' nut cases are Hopeful's ma and pa? How in the heck does that make any sense?

"Ah think Ah need to sit down," she said breathlessly.

Valentino and Sweetheart looked at each other strangely.

"But dear…you already are sitting down," Sweetheart said.

Applejack looked at her rump; noticing it seated firmly in the grass. She looked back at the couple, still sporting that colorless, blank look on her mortified face.

"Oh…Ah see…That was fast," she said lifelessly.

What in the world have Ah gotten myself into?

After recovering from the jarring realization that Hopeful's parents were getting fresh with her a few minutes ago, Applejack was invited to join the family reunion and personally meet every member of the Heart clan. Hopeful, Valentino and Sweetheart were all too happy to show her around. Unfortunately, Applejack and Hopeful hadn't had a chance to speak about their fight; too busy being roped into meeting every uncle, aunt, cousin and sibling in Hopeful's family. They knew they had to talk and Applejack had attempted to apologize a number of times, but something or someone always seemed to interrupt her or distract her focus.

"So, Ah hate to rain on this happy parade but Ah have to ask…Does any pony know what happened between us?" she asked hesitantly.

"Actually dear," Sweetheart said; politely interrupting Hopeful before he could answer, "Hopeful only told me and his father all the details. We told the rest of the family that something came up last minute and you couldn't make it, which technically was the truth."

"My parents and I both agreed telling my family we broke up would only ruin the festivities. So when you showed up, they were just as surprised as I was," Hopeful explained.

Hopeful continued to avoid eye contact with the southern mare; painfully keeping his distance. It was agonizing seeing the red colt look so crippled by his misery. Applejack hated that she had treated him so horribly and wanted nothing more than to explain herself and make it up to him.

"Oh Sugar, that's what Ah want to talk to you about," she said; sweetly extending her hoof towards his. Hopeful's name was being called by another relative near a picnic table. Feeling cornered, Hopeful backed away from Applejack's hoof and attempted to answer the one calling to him. The orange mare pleaded desperately for him to stay. "Please…Don't go…Ah think we really need to clear this up. It's about this whole 'broken up' thing. All those awful things Ah said to you, Ah just…Ah didn't mean em Ah was just tryin' to-"

"Fair maiden, we don't have to do this now. This is a time for celebration and getting together with old family members. Even if things are still raw between us, I'm glad you're here and I want you to have a good time. We can always talk later."

"But Hopeful-"

Sweetheart squeaked as she suddenly felt someone grabbing her rump with a firm hoof. The shriek startled Applejack and broke her train of thought. The Pegasus's cheeks flashed bright pink, she felt her body tingle all over at the familiar hoof caressing her shapely figure. Valentino had snuck up on her from behind.

"Oh my…Someone's awfully snuggly," she cooed softly.

"You slippery minx; thank Celestia I found you. I don't think I could have stood another second without you," Valentino purred.

"Honey, please," she giggled playfully, "I only left your side for 2 minutes."

"BAH! Two minutes, two years, it all feels the same to me my love. I just don't feel like myself if you're not gracing me with your heavenly body and your intoxicating scent."

"Well thank you for that dear but it's really not necessary."

"Of course it is. Only the simplest of fools would dare let a ravishing beauty out of their sight; my Cara mia."

"Actually, I was referring to the fact that you're grabbing my ass in front of our son and his date."

Valentino shuddered and buried his muzzle into his wife's neck, she crooned and moaned softly in return. He kissed her fur and stared adoringly at her face; burning passion sparkled in his eyes.

"Oooooooh Eres divina, I love it when you curse! Every word you speak just makes me want to do unspeakable things to you," he said.

Applejack and Hopeful watched uncomfortably as the couple continued to become more intimate with each other. The ponies' cheeks turned every shade of red.

"You scorch my soul with celestial fire. You, my immortal beloved are everything to me: the thunder in my heart, the surging blood in my veins. You clutch my heart with the paralyzing touch of death and warm me with the heavenly glow of a thousand angles; singing music too beautiful and exquisite for mortal ears to behold," he said fondly.

"Mmmm mmm the way you talk buster…" she purred in reply.

The married couple embraced one another in a salacious, enveloping make out session that blurred their lips together in a sea of red and white. Valentino and Sweetheart were lost in their own eyes and lips; dancing with their legs and tongues. Hopeful and Applejack remained uncomfortably front and center for this intense display of affection. It seems his parents had completely forgotten they were there watching them…or they simply didn't care.

"To live without you, only that would be torture" he said longingly.

"A day alone, only that would be death" she replied, speaking as if reciting a poem to her beloved husband.

"Your folks uh…They sure are eh…Well they sure as Heck aren't shy about this stuff," Applejack said.

"Ugh…You have no idea," Hopeful drearily replied.

SWIPE!

Hopeful gasped as a large, burly teal colored arm latched around his neck in a headlock. The arm belonged to a large, beefy sized male unicorn wearing a ripped jean vest with a puffy white collar. The unicorn had light blue eyes, short, dark grey hair and a band aid over his right cheek. He laughed jauntily as he noogied Hopeful's carefully combed hair. His cutie mark resembled that of a wooden heart, split down the middle but patched together with multiple dark nails down the center.

"Ha, didn't think you could get away from a noogie make over now did ya buddy? It's a family tradition," the unicorn boasted.

"ACK! Uncle Crush, do you really have to do that now? You're embarrassing me," Hopeful whined.

"Oh come on squirt, you've never made that big of a deal out of this. What's got you so…Oh…I see," Uncle Crush said; his voice laced with suggestive tones.

Applejack blushed sheepishly; clearly the cause behind Uncle Crush's sudden silence and sensual tone. Hopeful was desperate not to look weak in front of Applejack. He tried to distract his uncle so they could talk in private, but the bulky unicorn was already making his way to the orange Earth pony.

"And here I thought you weren't coming to our little shindig. I gotta say…?" he asked curiously.

"Applejack, call me AJ for short sir," she kindly said.

"Right, right. Well AJ, I am pleasantly surprised to see you could make it. I've been mighty curious to see what kind of lady was lucky enough to land my nephew as arm candy. Name's Big Crush, Valentino's older brother and proud uncle of Romeo junior here," he said smiling broadly.

Applejack smiled at the sweet sentiment. She extended her hoof to the burly teal unicorn, Crush stared as if he was confused and didn't know what to do with it. He gently pushed her hoof down and shook his head. The Southern mare was worried she might have offended him somehow.

"Nuh uh, sorry but that doesn't mix with me," he grunted.

"Um beg pardon? Ahm afraid Ah don't understand," she said.

"There are two things you gotta know about me. Number 1: none of this sir silliness. If Hopeful invited you here, that means your special aka that means your family. You can call me Uncle Crush, Big Crush, or Big C if you want but that's it," he explained.

"All right and what's the other thing?"

Uncle Crush displayed a playful, almost devious smile as he approached the blond mare. The fact that he was a unicorn and fairly close to Big Mac in size and shape further confused Applejack. His tree trunk thick arms swung open and embraced Applejack in a bone crushing bear hug, she could feel her spine and ribs cracking under the colossal force. Applejack's face contorted and twisted; looking as if she was having the life literally crushed out of her.

"I DON'T SHAKE, I'M A HUGGER SO BRING IT IN HERE AJ!" he boasted loudly.

"Ugh yer a lot stronger than Ah thought…Can't…Feel…Mah legs," Applejack weakly whispered.

Before Uncle Crush could apologize, Applejack displayed her own muscular might and gave him an equally paralyzing, back-breaking hug. Crush gasped in surprise.

"OW! Heh could say the same thing about you blondie," Crush grunted in reply.

The two powerful ponies released each other and breathed heavily. Hopeful was pleased to see them getting along so naturally, however, he was visibly concerned to see his uncle showing off his strength so casually. The red colt had often felt inadequate because his arm strength was severely lacking compared to Applejack's. Despite their relationship status remaining in limbo, Hopeful still wanted to appear strong, and hopefully, erase the disastrous memory of his bumbling farm work from her mind.

"Hey, Uncle Crush, how about a game of arm wrestling", Hopeful tugged his uncle's arm eagerly, "just you and me, right now?"

"Huh? What's rattling on in that head of yours? You hate arm wrestling, you kept telling me you didn't want to play," Crush stated; quite confused and curious at his nephew's odd behavior.

"Well THAT was then and this is NOW," Hopeful said with a bit more force.

The red colt flashed his eyes towards his clueless uncle; even nudging his head towards the observing mare. Uncle Crush slowly pieced together the puzzle and decided to play along. He smiled broadly and levitated a table and two chairs for their little game. Hopeful waved to Applejack, desperately seeking her attention but trying to play it off casually. She smiled with much amusement at his obvious attention grabbing ploy and waved back.

"Nice guy, real nice actually. Gotta admit though, Ahm awfully surprised to see a unicorn rely more on physical strength than magic," she mused to herself.

"Yeah, Big Crush is what you call…A unique stallion," a voice from behind said.

Applejack was slightly surprised by the new voice speaking beside her. She turned and saw an average sized Earth pony female; watching the arm wrestling match as well. Her coat was neon yellow, hair was red like a bell pepper; twisted with frizzy curls that looked like a heaping pile of ruby red spaghetti was resting on her head. Her eyes were light brown, eyebrows were even lighter and thinner, she wore a pair of dangling earrings that resembled hot pink cursive M's. The yellow mare's cutie mark was a pair of two white playing cards, one displaying red hearts and the other; black hearts. The pony's tail looked just as red and frizzy and curly as her hair, the tail was shorter in length and poofed out like a narrowly cut bouquet of flowers.

"That's a word you're gonna here frequently around here: unique. Hi, the name's Match Maker, Crush's wife. You can just call me Aunt Mattie though, everyone else does," she said.

"Pleased as punch to meet ya Aunt Mattie, Ahm Applejack," the orange mare happily introduced herself.

"Ah, so you're the one Hopeful couldn't stop yakking about. I swear, ever since he started writing us letters it's been Applejack this, Applejack that. I almost started hating you just because I was sick of hearing about you so much," she joked endearingly.

"Heh well that's one Heck of a compliment ma'am and Ah thank ya kindly for it. Truth be told, Hopeful's the talk of the farm back round mah parts," she said blushing faintly.

"Yeah, he's a real sweetie isn't he? I'm so glad he finally found someone. I've spent months trying to find that boy the perfect date but he wanted nothing to do with any girl I paired him up with, so eventually, I just stopped mixing my business with family business," she said.

Applejack had momentarily been distracted by the loud grunting and groaning coming from Hopeful. He was growling like he was trying to lift a building up over his head; still struggling agonizingly to pin his uncle's bulging arm down. She apologized to Mattie and curiously inquired what she meant about business.

"Oh I'm sorry; I forgot to tell you, I'm an actual match maker for ponies. I get a sort of vibe about certain ponies, like, getting a sense of what they like and what they're searching for in a date. Then, I compare and contrast all their likes, dislikes, best and worst qualities and bring them together. It's always my hope sparks will fly on their first date, but these things take time."

"Yeah, Ah admittedly have been taking mah sweet time when it comes to Hopeful. Maybe a little too much time now that Ah think bout it."

"Well, you wouldn't have been my first choice but you definitely seem to be Hopeful's. He turned down every girl I sent his way. I 'vibed' with every possible mare that was even remotely close to his interests and tastes, and despite the fact you have the least in common with him compared to all those other girls, you two still ended up bumping rumps."

Applejack blushed sheepishly at that crude analogy. It was sweet, in a way, but still not the most pleasant ways to describe a relationship. A loud thump snapped Applejack out of her daze, the thunderous sound came from Uncle Crush pinning Hopeful's hoof down.

"Hey no fair, you totally cheated that time!" Hopeful protested.

"Oh come off it Romeo, you know I never use magic for something like this," Crush said dismissively.

"All right fine, best two out of three," the Pegasus said.

Crush chuckled at that challenge. He rolled his eyes and humored his nephew; locking hooves for another round. Hopeful wanted Applejack to see him victorious and he wasn't going to give up until he was. As powerfully muscled as his uncle is, Hopeful would not let that or even Celestia herself stop him from proving to his fair maiden that he could protect her body as well as her heart. Even if their relationship only lasted until the moon rises, he had to do this.

"Hope you don't mind me askin' Mattie, but how come yer husband uses more muscle than magic?" she asked; curiosity getting the best of her.

Not only did the question not bother Mattie, in fact, it made her smile warmly towards the southern Earth pony. She seemed all too happy to answer her.

"Crush is a physical kind of guy, always has been and always will be; even when he was growing up with his little brother," she said fondly. "He thinks most unicorns rely too much on magic for everyday things and they lose that important connection when you physically interact with something. Sure, he uses magic for hard labor and things that are out of reach, but when it comes to being physically affectionate, no one does it better than my lovable big lug."

WHAM!

"Boo-yah, that's one for me," Hopeful proudly exclaimed.

Applejack and Aunt Mattie were whistling and cheering Hopeful on. Uncle Crush turned red with embarrassment; especially since his wife was rooting for his downfall too. He quickly insisted they finish the contest and break the tie. The proud unicorn loved his nephew dearly, but he was also a prideful pony and had zero intentions of going easy in front of such an audience.

"Kids, come over here, daddy's about to lose to your cousin Hopeful," Mattie shouted, playfully smirking. Her grin widened upon seeing the shocked look on her husband's face. "What's wrong hun? You just love putting on a show for the kids; they wouldn't want to miss this!"

A pair of young ponies eagerly ran towards the voice of their mother. One of them was a dark blue colt. He was the oldest and flashed a glittering pair of gold eyes, his hair was silver but the tips were frosted neon green. His cutie mark was a dark red heart with a light blue pulse wave across the center, a pair of headphones surrounded the heart on both sides.

The other pony was a hot pink unicorn mare. She was much younger than her brother and spoke only in giggles and coos. Her eyes were a rich shade of ocean blue, they sparkled radiantly above small brown freckles on her perky smiling cheeks. The little mare's hair was done up in pigtails; strongly resembling a pair of cheerleader pom-poms. Her hair was a swirling sea of gold, orange and violet colors. She wore a shimmering crystal blue fairy princess like dress; stopping just above her noticeably blank flank.

"Awe shucks, aren't ya'll just the cutest little tykes Ah ever did see," Applejack gushed.

The blue colt's cheeks turned bright red. The younger mare simply giggled and laughed; both adorably enjoying the flattery.

"This is my son, Heartbeat, and his sister; Little Cupid," Mattie said proudly.

Applejack happily introduced herself to the children. Their happy smiles and enthusiastic energy warmed the mare's heart tremendously, they both reminded her of her sweet little sister and her Crusader friends.

"Heartbeat just loves music, pretty much every kind there is," she explained, "he wants to start his own record label where he brings bands and artists of all different genres to work together and make new kinds of hybrid styled music."

"Y-y-y-y-y-yeah but right now, all I know how to do is DJ…B-b-b-but I'm working on getting better," Heartbeat said. "I'm learning how to play every kind of instrument, I figure it will help me understand music better. Being a DJ helps me work on different sounds even without instruments."

"That's mighty impressive there little guy," Heartbeat sheepishly bit his lip at such wondrous praise. "Ah actually know a very successful and talented DJ pony by the name of Vinyl Scratch. Ah think you know her better though as DJ-PON3."

"No way, you actually know her?!" he said; unable to contain his excitement.

"Does a rooster crow at sunrise? You bet your flank Ah do kiddo, in fact, if you ever step hoof into Ponyville Ah bet she could give ya a few pointers. Plus, mah good friend Pinkie Pie is a master at playing multiple instruments at once. She'd be pleased as punch to help ya out too," Applejack said.

"Whoa! Thank you, thank you! That would be beyond awesome," Heartbeat cheerfully replied. He lunged at Applejack and tightly hugged her. She chuckled in response. It was a sweet gesture, surprising and unnecessary but still terribly sweet. "I j-j-j-just wish there was some way I could repay you. Even if they're just giving me a few notes, it would be a huge help. I've got to do something to say thanks," he said insistently.

"Naw, no thanks is needed sugar cube," she said; shaking her head.

Heartbeat opened his mouth to speak but stopped once an idea came to mind, he scratched his chin and hummed loudly; pondering. His golden eyes flashed as he thought of the perfect reward.

"Miss Applejack, what's your favorite type of music?" he wagged his tail in anticipation.

"Um well Ah guess Ah'd have to say country music but why-"

"Perfect! That's all I need to know, come on Cupid, we've got work to do," he said definitively.

The pink mare giggled innocently, drooling a little and laughing with a whimsical, harmonious voice. Heartbeat scooped up his younger sister and quickly dashed off to prepare the special surprise he just thought of. Applejack told him once more no thanks or gifts were needed, but the young colt was already gone and dead set on fulfilling his promise. The orange mare shrugged and returned her attention back to the arm wrestling challenge.

WHAM!

Hopeful's hoof successfully slammed his uncle's down onto the small table. A look of pure elation and joy lit up his face like fireworks, he soared to the sky and trembled the heavens with his celebratory screams.

"WHOOOO I did it, I did it!" Hopeful started dancing in the air, his wings and limbs waving in every direction. He backwards moon walked through some clouds; saying "all right-all right" as if he was singing.

Uncle Crush grumbled sheepishly under his breath. Mattie chuckled at her husband's childish pouting, she nuzzled against him and comforted him with a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Hey fair maiden, did you see me finally pin my uncle?" he cheerfully asked.

"Sure did Sugar. That was some mighty fine arm wrasslin' you did there, but Ah think you could use a worthier opponent," she said.

"Really? Um a-a-are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked; ripe with uncertainty.

"Don't sweat it lover boy, we can talk everythin' over while were wrasslin'. It's our best chance at gettin' some privacy before yer relative's swarm over me," she assured him.

She spat into her hooves and rubbed them together; raising her eyebrow in a challenging and inviting manner. The red Pegasus felt nervous at first, but after considering his recent victory over his uncle and Applejack's promise to talk things over, he felt a new surge of confidence lifting his hopes and calming his heart. Hopeful started to glide back down to the Earth and to the lovely pony that was calling him. Before Applejack and Hopeful could even make it to the wrestling table, Valentino popped out of nowhere; catching Applejack off guard. He wrapped his arm across her side.

"SHAMEFUL! Hiding such a beautiful flower only for your own private enjoyment son, shameful indeed! She is a goddess of flesh and fur that must no longer be kept secret. She must…MINGLE; grace our kith and kin with her charming company and sensational southern wit," Valentino boldly announced.

"But actually, we were just-"

"Nonsense my dear, my son will be here waiting to ravage you once you are finished. Come now, the rest of the Heart family is waiting…And where the Heart goes…We must follow," he said; dramatically.

Applejack vanished in a supersonic blur of orange and dark red dust particles. Hopeful landed on the arm wrestling table; staring vacantly at the spot where his maiden and father once were. He was stunned.

"Oh COME ON DAD!" Hopeful groaned.

Much to their disappointment, Hopeful and Applejack wouldn't be left alone anytime soon so they made the best of it and went along with Valentino's introductory tour. Applejack met many ponies of many races, including Hopeful's grandfather; Pacemaker, on his father's side. She was currently being introduced to Sweetheart's two older sisters: Eve Harmony and Christie Mingle.

"Greetings Miss Applejack. I'm Eve Harmony, a lover of love and there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing my nephew share his wonderful heart with someone who will truly appreciate it as we all have," Eve Harmony cooed gracefully. "I can tell you two will be very happy together."

She was tall, sparkling mint green in color and had the most heavenly orange colored eyes; AJ thought they looked like two glimmering sunsets. Eve had medium length light brown hair, it fell nicely alongside her thin-yet-long wings. Applejack could detect hints of rose petals and jasmine in those faint brown locks. Eve's cutie mark was a wreath of golden oak leaves encircling two wedding gold bands side by side; merging together.

"Glorious day to you Applejack, may Celestia always shine down upon you and dear, blessed Hopeful," Christie said; preaching the word of the sun goddess.

Though the eldest sibling, Christie Mingle was a tad shorter than Eve Harmony. Her fur was silvery and glamorous; glittering as if every strand of fur was coated with diamond dust. The religious Pegasus had long, flowing whispery blue and pink colored hair. The long, luxurious locks reminded the country mare of Celestia's waterfall like mane. Every strand was neatly concealed under a religious headdress, the base was black and the trim was golden bronze. Each side of the headdress featured Celestia's cutie mark prominently. Christie had a slightly longer neck and shorter muzzle then her sisters, her eye color was the same shade of dark blue as Princess Luna's fur. Her cutie mark was an orange sun fitted with two long white wings on each side. The wings were nearly identical to Celestia's actual wings.

Applejack introduced herself to each mare, she delighted the Pegasus sisters with her wild adventures across Equestria and her even wilder stories of how she and Hopeful ended up dating. Eve and Christie took an immediate liking to Applejack. Though their views were sometimes a bit overbearing and excessive, AJ could tell they loved Hopeful deeply. She sensed they, like Sweetheart, had given her relationship with Hopeful a seal of approval and it meant the world to the orange mare.

"And lastly, but certainly not least," Sweetheart chimed, "our one and only brother: Star Crossed."

Star Crossed was, like his 3 sisters, also a Pegasus. His fur was dark jungle green in color, it had an almost slick, grungy look to it despite the fact his coat was well groomed and styled. His hair was reddish brown and his eyes were dark topaz. The colt's cutie mark displayed a shadowy ocean blue planet with a sizzling star shooting over its base; leaving behind a colorful trail of orange, yellow and red bursts.

Charmed as she was to meet Star Crossed, it was the figure standing next to him that truly absorbed her attention.

"Hey, don't be shy now, come on and show off that lovely bump of yours," he said to his apprehensive wife.

Star Crossed's wife happened to be a griffin. Hopeful had informed Applejack his uncle on his mother's side was married to a griffin, but still, it was a truly stunning sight to experience it in person.

Her name is Wind Song. The nervous Griffin stepped forward on her eagle talons. There was a twinge of uncertainty in her moon yellow eyes; they had spots on them that reminded Applejack of craters. Her Eagle head fur was the faintest shade of purple, it matched beautifully with the metallic blue circles surrounding her eyes; similar to the ones Gilda has. The rest of her body was burgundy with bits of black feathers mixed into the underside of each of her wings. As Star Crossed had so proudly pointed out, Wind Song was sporting quite the baby bump.

"So good to see you all again," Wind Song smiled as she looked to Applejack, her stunned expression made the Griffin chuckle some. "So which is freaking you out more: the fact that I'm a Griffin or the fact that I'm having a baby with a pony?"

For a moment, the orange mare didn't know what to say or how to form words. Her blank staring certainly wasn't making her look any more open minded to these ponies' traditions. "Er um sorry about that…Ah guess…Both to be honest," Applejack sheepishly answered.

"No big thing freckles, I get it all the time. Every one wonders what a fine flying fox like me is doing with a dork like him," Wind Song joked, lightly elbowing her husband in his sides. "Sure, there were plenty of beefcake griffins in Griffinstone, but they were all greedy jerks and cared more about collecting bits than showing a gal a good time."

"When I saw Wind Song flying over one day, I knew that I just had to meet her and find out her name," Star Crossed said, "needless to say she sure didn't make things easy for me." The Pegasus and Griffin laughed fondly.

"I thought he was just another sex starved hot shot who wanted to bed someone a little more exotic than the usual pony fare. But no matter how nasty I was, no matter how many times I shoved him away and told him to buzz off…he never gave up on me. He finally annoyed me to the point I caved and spilled some junk about myself," she explained. Wind Song turned her head to the side. She felt ashamed of her brash, obnoxious attitude and how she treated Star Crossed. Things were better now but it was still a large source of shame for her.

"And I was hooked," the colt lovingly added. The Pegasus melted away that look of guilt on his wife's face, her smile grew like a blooming flower. He reached out and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. She breathed deeply and felt a surge of happiness flowing through her; renewing her desire to continue the story. "I never really thought of ponies in that way, but Star Crossed was just so excited and interested in what I had to say. I never met a Griffin who cared enough about my thoughts and my opinions. It was refreshing to find someone who put my needs first without asking for anything in return. One date turned into many more, and eventually, I stopped seeing how different he was…and started seeing how similar our feelings were for each other."

"It was a challenge, socially and emotionally but as you can clearly see, it was all worth it," Star Crossed said happily. He leaned down and nuzzled the baby bump alongside his cheek. The sight caused all 3 of his sisters, and Applejack, to collectively coo and awe with delight.

Applejack's glowing smile briefly vanished when she noticed Hopeful was absent. A quick glance around revealed he was arguing with a pale blue unicorn mare with dark hair.

"This seems like a good a time as any" she thought to herself.

"Beggin' yer pardon Wind Song, Star Crossed, but there's somethin' Ah need yer help with," the happy couple looked to each other curiously, "Ah think you may be the only ones who will understand this particular problem."

"All right then, fire away," Star Crossed said, wrapping his arm over his bride's side; ruffling her feathers playfully.

"Ah have a friend…A close friend and she's possibly courtin' another friend of mine…Who isn't a pony," Applejack felt a lump form in her throat, "and there's some that are not on board with it." The southern mare was very careful not to lead her prejudice show. She hoped this conversation could help alleviate some of her concerns about Spike and Rarity. "How do ya do it? How do ya face such impossible odds with everyone lookin' at ya funny, constantly questionin' yer relationship and seein' it as somethin' wrong or just plum loco? Do you ever wonder if what yer doin' is wrong, if it's worth all the bad times that come with it?"

Star Crossed and Wind Song laughed softly. Their laughter was slightly confusing. Applejack didn't know how the couple would interpret her question or if they had inferred she was the main pony 'not on board' as she put it.

"We get asked that question ALL the time freckles," Wind Song said teasingly, "and the short answer is yes…it is absolutely worth it. Every relationship has problems, everyone has bad times, but we don't give up on the ponies-"

"Or Griffins" Star Crossed added.

"Yes, or the Griffins because of it, that's not how love works and it's not like we're trying to make some big political statement. We're not marching to any revolutionary flag or expecting anyone to follow along, we just want to be happy with each other as we are and not as what everyone else thinks we should be," she said confidently.

Star Crossed kissed her cheek sweetly; smiling at her adorable blush. He looked to Applejack and yearned to comfort the conflict brewing in those emerald eyes of hers. "Personally speaking, I have no need to prove our love to anyone who assumes we are not together because the idea of a Griffin and a Pegasus being in love is beyond their reality," he explained calmly. "Happiness isn't some definitive black and white term that applies to everyone universally, love is what we make of it and certainly not by following someone else's standards. Your friends need to care about what makes them happy, not everyone else. It's their lives, their time and their hearts; only they have the right to say who they can love."

"But what if the whole world sees it as wrong, what if it's somethin' they just can't get used to?" Applejack asked desperately.

"Then buck em, buck every last one of those turd brained old goats," Wind Song bluntly stated. Christie Mingle gasped. She angrily chastised Wind Song for using such harsh language, the Griffin rolled her eyes at the scolding.

"What my girlfriend is trying to respectfully say is it's not about what the world wants, it's not even about what you want Applejack," her eyes widened slightly, "It's about what they want." Star Crossed smiled at her reaction, his eyes shined with an all-knowing glimmer.

Applejack felt her world turn upside down and inside out. Everything was so clear, right there in front of her face, and yet, it felt like an alien concept she was learning for the first time. Wind Song and Star Crossed seemed so happy, despite all the hard ships they no doubt experienced. Definitions of right and wrong, normal and abnormal were blurring in a tornado of grey. Everyone was happy and content with each other, everyone was loved and cared for in this diverse family. Could something that looks and feels so right truly be considered wrong? She had always thought that upholding traditions was something worth being proud of. But as she looked upon these happy, smiling faces and saw how love was uniting ponies and creatures from all walks of life, she realized…no tradition that divides others is worth upholding.

"Ah get it now, Ah think Ah finally understand," she said proudly.

The argument between Hopeful and the unicorn had grown too volatile to remain unnoticed. Sweetheart sighed in annoyance, it appeared those two squabbling was a common site around here. The blue unicorn approached Applejack; despite Hopeful's attempt to convince her otherwise.

"I'm telling you sis, don't go asking her weird questions. I really like this one and I don't need you freaking her out," Hopeful nagged.

"Whatever. Just leave me alone, okay? I'll ask her whatever I want. You don't get to tell me what to say, you're NOT mom!" she snapped angrily.

Sweetheart glared at both ponies. Her baby blue eyes had transformed into lethal blades; threatening and silencing her children almost instantly. Hopeful and his sister rubbed each other the wrong way. Each one seemed to annoy the other just by speaking, it was a radically different relationship compared to the one she had with Apple Bloom.

"Fair maiden, allow me to introduce you to Lovelorn…Ugh…My older sister," he said with a groan.

Lovelorn was a tad short for Hopeful's older sister. He cleared her height by quite a bit, a fact that had become the source for many of arguments between the two. She was pale blue, her eyes were yellow green and one eye was partially blocked by the long, black hair that came down just above her hooves. Her horn was partially covered by the slumping locks. The hairstyle was strikingly similar to how Marble Pie had her hair styled. Lovelorn's dark hair was split across her face, giving her occasionally blocked eye some visibility. Her eyes appeared baggy and worn, as if she had been up late at night or staring at the sun too long. The mare's lips seemed permanently frozen in a pessimistic scowl. Lovelorn's tail was ratty, matted and scrunched up; it looked like someone had been using it as a chew toy. Her cutie mark was a heart inside of a glass of water; partially submerged. The top half of the heart was colorful and glistening, the lower submerged half was shriveled and resembled a rotten raisin.

"So, you're the chick who has a big family like ours huh? Got lots of brothers, sisters and cousins and all that?" she bluntly asked.

"Well Ah reckon there's far too many cousins of mine to count at the moment. But as fer siblings, Ah got an older brother-"

Lovelorn levitated Applejack off her hooves and dragged her body closer. The unicorn jammed her face uncomfortably close with the orange mare's. Her eyes widened with billowing desperation.

"Does he have a girlfriend? What's his name? What's his favorite food? Tell me and I'll cook 10 tons of whatever it is! What kind of girls does he like, on the thick side or skin and bones? Why didn't you bring him? What kind of hair does he like on girls? I'LL GO BALD FOR HIM IF I HAVE TO," Lovelorn babbled frantically.

Applejack was frozen in panic. She didn't dare say a word or move a muscle for fear of making things worse somehow. Hopeful shoved his way between the two mares, he pried his beloved maiden free from his twisted sister's magical grip. Lovelorn grunted disappointingly at AJ's silence.

"Apologies fair maiden, but as you can CLEARLY SEE," he glared scathingly at Lovelorn, "my sister is a bit…Overzealous when it comes to finding a date."

She rolled her eyes bitterly. The unicorn felt demeaned and insulted by her brother's casual dismissal of her quest for love. She practically snarled at the red colt.

"Oh spare me the nice spin you're putting on here," she griped. "Call it like it is: I'm DESPERATE! And you know what? I don't care. I've gone through guy after guy and not one of them bothered to stick around long enough to warrant any bragging rights. At this point, I'll suck faces with every drunk in a bar if it means I get to score some serious arm candy."

Applejack gulped audibly; visibly nervous by this pony's unhealthy obsession with finding a date. And she thought Rarity was boy crazy! This one's just straight up crazy.

"Um…Afraid mah brother is already taken," Applejack explained, "he's all cozy and cuddly with a school teacher. Ahm afraid the only other male friend Ah know already has his heart set on a female friend of mine. All the rest of mah friends are girls so-"

"That doesn't matter," she replied lustfully. She batted her crazed eyes at AJ seductively, as if trying to flirt with her.

Applejack was rendered speechless once more.

"Boys, girls, they're all good in my book, which is wide open I might add. Life's too short to be picky so if you could drop me a few names and detailed descriptions of your friends…"

"SO YEAH, NOW YOU'VE MET MY WHOLE FAMILY," Hopeful loudly shouted. The red colt was all too eager to disrupt this very uncomfortable and awkward moment from going any longer.

Applejack sighed in relief; thanking the Pegasus for his much needed distraction.

Valentino, Uncle Crush, Pacemaker along with the rest of the Heart family converged towards the southern mare. She curiously looked out across all of these warm and friendly faces that had been so generous to involve her in their family gathering. Upon recalling each and every pony introduced to her, she found herself realizing that something was a tad…off. It was the name of the pony Hopeful had mentioned while he was under Moonstruck's fear spell. Based on the pony's name, she naturally assumed he or she was a part of the Heart family and not a friend.

If that's the case, then where is this mysterious pony? She thought to herself.

"Actually, Ah think there's one pony still missin'. But since everyone is all here, that means someone is bound to know where he or she is," Applejack said, "So could some pony kindly point me in the direction of Wild Heart?"

A dark silence suddenly fell on the happy crowd. Every smile had withered and vanished. Sweetheart started to sob, Valentino snuggled her close for comfort. Completely unaware of what she said or did wrong, Applejack looked to everyone with much confusion.

"D-d-d-d-did Ah just say somethin' Ah shouldn't have?" she asked nervously.

Hopeful's face twisted with anguish. Aside from Sweetheart, no pony else had looked as distraught and mortified as AJ's winged date. Tears started to fall down his cheeks and splash on the grass.

"Fair maiden…I'm so sorry…I should have told you…" he whimpered.

Hopeful couldn't stand it anymore. He flew off with his weeping eyes buried in his arm. Lovelorn tried to call him back but Uncle Crush and Aunt Mattie told her to leave him be. Applejack had never seen Hopeful look so devastated before, so inconceivably miserable. It broke her heart in two.

"What did Ah do? Whatever Ah did Ahm so sorry, Ah j-j-j-just wanted to know who-"

"Wild Heart is our baby brother, he was a Pegasus like Hopeful," Lovelorn said drearily.

"Was?" Applejack asked; dreading the answer but needing to hear it all the same.

"He died 5 years ago," the unicorn said mournfully. "We just assumed Hopeful told you."

The family could clearly see that was not the case however. While everyone had been dealing with the death of Wild Heart for years, the pain Applejack was experiencing was fresh and unavoidable. Sweetheart ran off; crying uncontrollably. The poor Pegasus couldn't keep herself together in front of everyone any longer.

"Applejack, please, do not worry about my son," Valentino said comfortingly. "I will speak to him and then you may talk to him. I know you weren't aware of what happened to our youngest and for that, I am truly sorry. Hopeful has his reasons I'm sure. For the time being, could I possibly trouble you to help calm my wife down? This is a pain she cannot face alone and she always finds comfort in speaking to a fellow mare when it comes to this particular issue."

"Of course" she quickly replied.

Applejack searched all over the party for Sweetheart, everyone had seen her run off but none seemed to know where exactly she ran off to. She eventually learned Sweetheart had isolated herself inside the house. Applejack ventured inside. As she trotted along in search of the weeping mare, she came across a hallway that leads to the kitchen. She noticed several familiar faces populating most of the photographs hanging on the walls: Lovelorn, Valentino, Sweetheart and Hopeful.

"Ah guess this is Hopeful's home" she thought to herself.

Perhaps the most interesting thing the orange mare noticed was a single picture missing from the collage. Her tiny ears peeked, there was a clanging and banging of pots and pans coming from the kitchen. Applejack quietly walked towards the kitchen; she didn't want to spook an already anxious mare. Her blond hair and Stetson slowly poked from the side as she peered inside.

"Um…Mrs. Heart…Is that you in there?" she timidly asked.

Sweetheart was indeed discovered. She was stirring a large wooden spoon into a mixing bowl. Her chocolate brown locks had specks of flour in it, and there were bits of butter on her elbows. The kitchen was bursting with culinary life. Every counter, every inch of each table was covered with food, however, something was a bit off about them. There were homemade chocolate eclairs with cookie moose antlers, corn on the cob with brown spots and horns; similar to a giraffe, curly Q fries with red snake fork tongues and chocolate chip pancakes shaped like bats. The heavenly aroma of several different kinds of pies could be smelled baking in the oven. After seeing the extravagant spread prepared on the tables outside, this assortment seemed absurdly unnecessary. There was enough food in here to feed an entire army and still have leftovers for the next day.

"Um beggin' yer pardon ma'am but what's-"

"With all the cooking? Well when I'm nervous I tend to cook…Food that's shaped like animals…I know it's weird. Usually, the more I bake the more relaxed I am," she said sheepishly.

"With all the food ya got in here, you should be cooler than a cucumber with frostbite," Applejack said.

"Yeah…You would think so," she answered; trailing off. Her sad whimpers didn't seem to improve no matter how many times she stirred the bowl. "I'm terribly sorry you had to hear all that dear. I thought Hopeful would have told you, but I see now that it's just as hard for him to talk about it as it is for me."

"Ah can't even begin to imagine what yer goin' through Mrs. Heart," Applejack said mournfully. She removed her Stetson and clutched it over her chest.

"No…No you can't and I hope you never do," she sniffled softly, "no parent should ever outlive their children." Sweetheart stopped stirring for a moment, she turned to Applejack and smiled softly at the polite mare. Applejack put her hat back on. "And please, call me Momma Heart; I insist."

Applejack smiled in return and nodded at the weeping mother's request.

"It's been 5 years since my baby boy has passed, but still, from time to time I keep imagining he's going to fly through that front door any second and ask me 'what's for dinner mom?'" she chuckled softly. "Our family reunions were never this big, but after what happened to my son, more and more relatives started coming out and more often than usual too. I know it's a pain for everyone to come out here just to comfort me. I never asked any pony to do this for me, but I'm eternally grateful that they did and now it looks like every reunion is always gonna be this big."

"You got some good kin there Momma heart," Applejack said sweetly.

Sweetheart nodded happily to that notion. DING! The oven timer buzzed; signaling the pies were ready to come out. The motherly Pegasus motioned for Applejack to help her with them. The ponies both slipped on oven mitts and pulled the pies out, they crooned in delight at the delicious aromas.

"This may be hard for you to believe, but Hopeful used to be quite the ladies' man before he met you," she said. Applejack had a brief look of surprise on her cute little muzzle. Sweetheart giggled softly. "Oh yes, he had no trouble getting girls. He always knew the right thing to say, the right moves to pull. My boy was never the cheating type mind you; he always dedicated himself to one mare at a time. Hopeful just has a special talent for getting in touch with women's hearts."

"Ah can surely believe that. That colt's got a firecracker of a mouth. Every time he talks, he sets me on fire with that sizzlin' tongue of his," Applejack said fondly. It took her all of 10 seconds to realize how that must have sounded in front of Hopeful's mother. The orange mare turned beat red. "Uh…Forget Ah said that last part."

Sweetheart failed miserably to contain her laughter.

"It's okay, he always did have that effect on ladies so if anything, I take it as a compliment on my son's charms," she said proudly.

Sweetheart's smile slowly faded. The brief speck of joy she felt discussing her son was once again replaced by sadness. "All of that changed though after his brother died. After that, Hopeful was never the same. He lost his confidence and second guessed every decision he made. It was like the part inside of him that allowed him to connect with other ponies was broken. Valentino and I didn't know what to do. Of course, I wasn't much help. By the time I managed to pull myself back together into a functioning mom, the damage to Hopeful had already been done. I was so lost in my own pain I ended up ignoring his."

"Hey now, don't beat yerself up like that," Applejack said comfortingly. "You were in all kinds of misery. There was no way you could have helped Hopeful with his grief until ya got a good grip on yers." She placed a hoof on Sweetheart's shoulder. "Ya did the best you could Momma Heart."

The Pegasus smiled at Applejack but her words did little to change the sadness behind that smile. "That's kind of you to say, but it's not true," she gently brushed Applejack's hoof from her shoulder. "My son needed me, he needed me and I wasn't there for him, and as a parent that is not okay," Sweetheart said solemnly.

Her words cut through AJ's resolve easily. She understood what Sweetheart meant perfectly, knowing all too well how important it is for a parent to be there for their child. Applejack didn't have the heart to tell the whimpering Pegasus how much this was wounding her own heart. All this talk of death and loss stirred up thoughts about her parent's deaths. But she swallowed it down and reminded herself she was here to comfort Hopeful's mother first and foremost.

"It didn't help that I was always overprotective of my children. I eased up on them as they got older; wanted to give them their space and let em grow. After Wild Heart died, I became obsessively protective of my kids. I knew it wasn't healthy and it caused Lovelorn and Hopeful all kinds of stress. The thing is, when you're a mother hen who's lost one of her baby eggs, you tend to clutch those remaining eggs just a little bit tighter than normal, you may crack them a bit…but at least you know they're safe and loved," Sweetheart said.

"Well Ah rightly do apologize for any pain Ah may have caused yer son. Celestia knows Ah ain't the easiest mare to saddle up with," Applejack admitted.

Sweetheart sprinkled bits of sugar onto a pair of polar bear cut grilled cheese sandwiches. She placed them off to the side; next to the vegetable kabobs she made to look like Cockatrices.

"Applejack, do you mind if ask you something personal?"

"Go right ahead Momma Heart," she answered.

"Not that I don't enjoy you being here, but, if you broke up with my Hopeful then why did you come to our family reunion?" she asked sincerely.

"Um w-w-w-well that's uh k-k-kind of a complicated answer, really" she stuttered wildly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to pry into anything you don't want me to," Sweetheart said casually. "Every pony has a right to keep some things private."

"Wait, if you really believe that then why did you and yer husband get all frisky foxy with me?" Applejack asked. "If ya knew Ah was no longer with Hopeful then there was no point in checkin' me out like that."

"Oh that," Sweetheart chuckled mischievously, "We wanted to give you a little payback for breaking our son's heart." The Pegasus spoke of the incident as one would speak of pulling a prank rather than a legitimate act of vengeance. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

The Pegasus quickly burst into a roaring sea of laughter; Applejack joined shortly after. Both mares enjoyed the absurdity of their bizarre form of "eye for an eye" and just revealed in the silliness of the moment.

"Hot diggity, ya'll got me good. For a minute there, Ah thought you were doin' all that creepy weird stuff to me because you were tryin' to see if Ah was good enough to date yer son," Applejack chuckled.

"Don't be ridiculous dear. We do that for every one of Hopeful's dates," she said calmly.

Applejack's eyes twitched nervously.

"I was serious when I told my husband he can't start without me. I didn't want to miss out on any of the fun" she said; winking to the stunned silent Earth pony.

"Ya'll are some kind of crazy…You know that right?" Applejack muttered uneasily.

"No other way I'd rather have it. Here, have a cinnamon snail roll," she said in a motherly tone. Sweetheart placed the roll into AJ's mouth before she could reply. Her lips widened into a delighted smile as she munched on the scrumptious snail shaped pastry.

"Thank ye kindly Momma heart," she said; swallowing down the last chunks of the roll. "Ya'll have been so kind and welcomin' to me ever since Ah got here. If Hopeful told you everythin' about me, then Ah reckon he also told you about my strong opinions on ponies datin' outside their race."

"He did," she said with her back turned. Sweetheart was busying chopping carrots on the counter.

"Then how come yer bein' so nice to someone who thinks so radically differently than you AND who also broke yer son's heart?"

"I saw the look on your face when you met my brother and Wind Song. You didn't pull back, raise an eyebrow or show any kind of disgust at them," she replied calmly. "You've seen how happy ponies can be marrying someone outside of their species. Our way may seem crazy at first, but I'm betting that being around Hopeful has made you think twice about certain viewpoints."

Applejack slowly nodded in agreement.

Sweetheart momentarily stopped chopping and looked back at the orange Earth pony. "And while it is true you broke Hopeful's heart," she paused; her lips gradually forming into the sweetest of smiles, "you also came all this way and put your ass on the line just to patch things up with him. You're special Applejack. In all my years of raising Hopeful, I've never seen him act this way around a girl before. He's happy with you; happier than he's ever been, even before Wild Heart passed."

"Well that sure did blow the roof off the old barn there now," Applejack said; visibly shocked by Sweetheart's words. "Ah…Ah don't know what to say."

"Say you'll stick with him dear, please? He may be nervous, indecisive, kind of bumbling and a lousy cook…But he's worth it," she said lovingly.

"Yeah…Yeah he is," Applejack happily replied.

Suddenly, everything became clear and serene. Applejack felt like she finally understood everything Hopeful has been trying to tell her all this time. It was as if her mind was being choked by storm clouds and the bright light of truth had finally cleared them all away.

"Ah think it's high time Ah tell Hopeful the truth about everythin' and set things right," she said firmly. "Thanks for everythin' Momma heart. You really set me straight."

The orange mare hugged Sweetheart. She was a bit taken aback by the sudden boldness of the embrace, but Sweetheart happily melted into the hug and returned it. Her wings patted AJ's back in a motherly fashion. Sweetheart returned to her cooking, grabbing a large cleaver and a head of lettuce. Applejack was about to head off to find Hopeful when the Pegasus called out to her.

"Before you go Applejack, I almost forgot there's something I wanted to tell you," Sweetheart said.

"What's that Momma Heart?"

SHINK!

Sweetheart violently slammed the cleaver into the lettuce; cutting it completely in half with one slash. The southern mare flinched in shock at the sudden action. The mother grabbed the blade and pointed it alarmingly close to Applejack's throat.

"If you hurt my son I'm going to roast you alive and serve you to every carnivore within 100 miles," she said murderously.

Applejack felt all the color drain from her face. She didn't know how to even begin processing this radical and downright psychotic change Sweetheart just went through. It was if she was a completely different pony; switching sides like night and day.

"Heh…Hehe…That's a good one there Momma Heart, ya'll are real clever with the jokes there," she said uneasily. Applejack tried to laugh it off and play it as what she hoped it was: another joke.

"I'm quite serious dear…Deadly serious," Sweetheart leaned in and inched the knife closer. The sociopathic smile and stare on her face never changing. "And this is the knife I'm going to use."

Applejack's voice felt hollow and dry, fear had simultaneously silenced and paralyzed her. She truly believed Sweetheart would indeed make good on her threat. The Southern mare had faced off against chaos gods, monstrous dragons and savage beasts, but none of them scared her as much as Sweetheart.

"W-w-w-well then, isn't that n-n-n-nice? Ah think Ahm gonna just go now…And uh yeah" Applejack stammered anxiously. She bolted out of the kitchen desperately and went to find Hopeful.

It didn't take long for Applejack to track down Hopeful. She found him sitting on top of the same hill she arrived on. Valentino was talking to him. The young Pegasus was sitting down, staring at something in his hooves. He looked peaceful and miserable at the same time. She almost hated to bother him after all the grief she put him through.

"Ah can't just leave him like this. Come on now Applejack, be a big girl, swallow yer pride and apologize for actin' like a horse's ass," she thought to herself. "Ya know he deserves it."

The Earth pony sighed heavily in agreement. She slowly made her way up the hill, her eyes never left that sad, loveable little red shape as he grew closer and closer. Hopeful turned to see who was approaching him.

"Oh…It's you fair maiden," he sniffled sadly.

"I'll give you two some time to talk. Now remember Gran Corazon, think carefully on what I told you. Trust in my advice and it will serve you well," Valentino said sagely.

"It always has father, it always has" he said.

The two red colts shared a brief but touching hug, Applejack felt truly moved. Valentino turned to leave but stopped once he walked past Applejack's side. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear, AJ's eyes widened in response. Valentino smiled knowingly and assured her it was legit. She smiled and nodded; watching him leave with an equally heartfelt grin.

"So then," she turned her attention to Hopeful, "what's Gran Corazon mean?"

"It means big heart in Spanish," he smiled and shrugged.

"Nice name, it suits ya," she replied; smiling warmly.

"So then, what did my dad say to you?"

"Ah think we got bigger apples to buck first, don't ya think?" she asked.

A simple nod was all Hopeful could muster. His gloomy frown slightly improved once Applejack sat next to him. Despite the sad state of their relationship, just having her near was already having a positive effect on him.

"Before we start talkin' about the pony in that photograph yer clutchin', Ah think we need to talk about what happened at the farm" she said firmly.

Hopeful blinked curiously. He was surprised to learn that she already seemed to know it was a picture of Wild Heart.

"Oh don't look so shocked Sugar. It was the only photo missin' on the wall and since Ah already know what you and the rest of yer family looks like, it had to be him," she explained.

"Oh…Right…Yeah that's a good point," he admitted.

The two ponies sat quietly together. The silence was uncomfortable, but knowing what they inevitably had to discuss only increased their apprehension.

"Ahm sorry Hopeful…Sorry for all those rotten things Ah said and did to you," she confessed mournfully. "Ah was nastier than a rattlesnake with its tail in a knot and you didn't deserve a lick of that…Ah…Ah have no excuse." She hung her head shamefully; setting her hat next to her tail.

"Look, you weren't entirely wrong, it was presumptuous of me to just spring the reunion on you like that," Hopeful said.

"But that still ain't no reason for me to bite yer head off like that. That's not how Ah treat mah friends…And certainly not how Ah treat someone Ah truly care about," she said softly. Her voice had a twinge of sorrow to it.

"But if you really do care about me the way I care about you, then why did you end things with me?" he asked pleadingly.

For a moment, Applejack couldn't find the words. Her throat trembled as her lips quivered. An overwhelming sadness was crippling her; freezing her body with guilt. Hopeful gasped as he saw tears slowly roll down Applejack's orange cheeks.

"Because Ah was scared"

"Scared? Scared of what?" he asked.

"Ah was scared of this becoming real. Ah was worried that things would get serious between us and we'd date and be happy and all that," she said. Her voice was slowly breaking apart. The floodgates had opened, her emotions and inner most fears came spilling out in a woeful sob. "But then the whole 'love at first sight' thing would wear off and you'd leave me. Ah was afraid you'd wake up one day, find a Pegasus to be with and leave me all alone. Ah thought Ah was sparin' myself somethin' awful, but the truth is, all Ah did was make everythin' worse; all because Ahm afraid to change."

"Fair Maiden…I would never-"

"AH KNOW THAT!" she shouted hysterically. Hopeful had never seen this side of AJ, he felt like he opened a door that she had always kept locked around him. Tears continue to drop past her freckles. "That's what's killin' me though…the fact that you wouldn't. Ah couldn't be more different than you. Yer family showed me how happy everyone is together, and all Ah kept thinkin' was, what in tar nation is a kind, understandin' and big hearted stallion doin' with a stubborn old mule like me?"

Hopeful hated hearing her say such degrading things about her character, but for now, she needed to get this out and he wasn't going to stop her to correct her. She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes with her hoof.

"No stallion has ever made me feel as loved as you do, not ever," she whimpered. "Ah kept worryin' and waitin' for the day you'd 'wake up', for the day when you decide you wouldn't love me again, like somepony would call you and you'd come runnin' and leave me behind because Ah don't belong with you. Because that's what happens to the ponies Ah love…they always leave me…They leave me behind."

The red Pegasus knew all too well AJ was referring to her parents. She had rarely spoken of them, but she said enough for him to know they were no longer among the living. He could only imagine how hard it must have been for her to meet his parents and be reminded of what she lost; what she missed out on for years. As often as she spoke of their differences, Applejack didn't realize how similar they were.

"Wild Heart was a Pegasus, like me, but other than that we couldn't have been more different," he said. "He was a thrill seeker. The kind of guy who does something crazy and stupid and makes it out in one piece; laughing. He'd be covered in cuts and bruises and even bloodied up a few times, but he always came out laughing in the end. My mom hated all the crazy things he did. Now, looking back, the stories he left her are actually keeping her together. It's like my mom can still introduce people to Wild Heart by reliving the events that made him who he was."

Hopeful handed Applejack the photo he'd been clutching. It prominently featured a dark orange Pegasus with light brown eyes, black spiky hair with bits of dark blue dye on the hair tips. He was standing on top of their family home, covered in dirt, muddied up fur and clutching a hoof full of Eagle feathers. His cutie mark was of a bald Eagle being tackled by some invisible force; as if frozen in a mid-action snap shot.

"He got his cutie mark when he challenged a bald Eagle to a race. They flew through this tight, dangerous chasm that's about 10 miles from where we live" he said. "Wild Heart beat the Eagle and won the race, only the Eagle turned out to be a sore loser. They got into a brawl. The two of them slugged it out like crazy until finally, Wild Heart tackled him to the ground and pinned him. The Eagle admitted defeat and Wild Heart got his cutie mark to remember it by." The Pegasus chuckled fondly at the memory.

"He sounds like he was just as crazy as yer mom" she said incredulously.

"Nah, our mom's not that nutty," he said dismissively. Hopeful smiled as Applejack gave him the photo back, he stared at it for a few seconds before setting it down. "She's always been overprotective though. It can be annoying sometimes but she means well." He rolled his eyes and chuckled, "you just don't want to end up on her bad side; trust me on that."

Applejack felt a shiver run up her spine. She turned her head and peered down the hill towards the family gathering. There, at the very bottom of the hill, staring right towards the cozy couple was Sweetheart. She still had that unnerving, eerie smile on her face AND the knife! Sweetheart raised the knife to her neck and glided it across her neck in a threatening manner. The orange mare instantly looked away.

"Y-y-yeah Ah n-n-n-noticed," she gulped nervously. She looked to Hopeful longingly. There were still many things she wanted to discuss, many questions she sought answers to, but the one that was nagging her most was the most difficult one to discuss. "Ah hate to ask this Sugar. Ah know it's a sensitive subject and all and Ah would have asked yer mum, but the right time never came up."

"You want to know how Wild Heart died."

Applejack nodded in reply. He wasn't surprised in the least, it was after all the last mystery that surrounded his dearly departed sibling.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Cloudsdale using Pegasai to create tornados to suck up water into the clouds to produce rainstorms, right?" he said assumingly. She nodded; remembering Rainbow Dash telling how she and Fluttershy did it for Ponyville. "Five years ago it was my hometown's turn to whip up a tornado. I was out of town for the weekend with the girl I was seeing at the time. Wild Heart and I had been growing further apart" he said sorrowfully. "We were doing our own things and didn't have much time for each other. Wild Heart was naturally recruited to help build the tornado. He contacted me; asking me to come down and help. I declined. I knew he was really into doing it because it's fast and kind of dangerous, so of course he'd be eager to do it. But I was too busy focusing on myself…I was too busy…To care."

The red Pegasus paused. His voice started to tremble, the sound of sobs being choked down became louder and more prevalent. Hopeful looked as fragile as glass, like he might break into a million pieces if Applejack touched him.

"There was a Pegasus proctor operating an anemometer with a wing power gauge. He calculated the specific amount of wing power they needed to generate the tornado. Wild Heart didn't think twice about the wing power amount, he trusted it, just like every pony else did," he said timidly. Hopeful sounded increasingly depressed with every following word. It was as if telling this story was tearing a hole in his heart. "Once the Pegasai formed the tornado more than half way, they started to notice something was wrong. The tornado was too strong and too difficult to control. Turns out the proctor overshot the wing power amount, way above safety regulations." Applejack gasped in horror. Hopeful slowly started crying; forcing himself to continue, "The tornado's wind speeds were so intense, Pegasai were being blasted out of the cyclone. Wild Heart tried to hold on as best he could, but he was thrown out like everyone else. Only when he hit the ground he…He d-d-d-did….He didn't get back up."

Applejack quickly embraced the red colt before he could choke out another heartbreaking word. He unleashed all his misery, all his tears and bottled sadness into her. The orange mare silently held him close, allowing him to cry into her as long as he needed.

"Shhhh it's all right, Ah got you Sugar," she whispered sweetly into his ear.

Thanks to her angelic touch and a few heavy deep breaths, Hopeful finally calmed down enough to finish his story.

"When I found out, it took me 3 hours to get to where he was…3…Hours," he said achingly. "Everyone wanted to know how this horrible tragedy happened. Initially, the proctor was blamed by every Pegasai at the meet up…Even I thought he should pay for whay happened. It was later concluded that the anemometer was defective and even though the proctor did put in the wrong gauge number, it was bound to happen this way no matter what. So in truth, there was really no one to blame, no party to be held responsible for my brother's death. If only I had come like he asked…Maybe…Then maybe I could have-"

"NOW HOLD ON DAG NABBIT!" Applejack shouted violently. Her shrill tone jarred Hopeful out of his dreary stupor, his eyes bulging in surprise. "You listen to me and you listen damn good lover boy. This is NOT, Ah repeat NOT yer fault! There was nothin' ya could've done so Ah better not hear one buckin' word outta you about blamin' yerself for yer brother's death," she boldly enforced. "It happened Hopeful, it happened because that's how life trips ya sometimes. This ain't on you partner and it never will be."

The muscles in Hopeful's body visibly relaxed. His face showed a look of unexpected delight rather than morbid defeat. Applejack had cleansed him. Not with magic, not with potions, but with words; words that put everything into place. Hopeful finally felt at peace.

"Applejack, there's something I need to tell you," he said intensely. Applejack nodded; stiffening slightly at his sudden mood change. "I've wanted to tell you this for some time now. The main reason I didn't say anything before was because of the very same fear you just mentioned: being left behind." His eyes stared endlessly into her emerald orbs, the ponies found themselves easily getting lost in the other's eyes. Applejack waited breathlessly for him to finish. "After I tell you this, I swear on my life that you will never feel left behind again."

"A-a-a-all right partner…Ahm listenin'" she softly replied.

"Ana Behibak."

The orange mare shook her head in disbelief. Those were certainly not the words she expected to hear. In fact, she wasn't even sure what Hopeful said was actually real words.

"Ummm can you repeat that again partner? Didn't quite catch that," she asked nervously.

"Soro Lahn Nhee Ah."

His words continued to confuse her, each statement sounding more alien than the last. Every time she asked him to explain, he continued to spout gibberish.

"Ti Amo, Aishiteru, Se Agapo, Szeretlek."

Applejack couldn't take it anymore. She tossed her head side to side; clutching her hooves and screeching her frustration.

"AH DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY OF THAT MEANS!" she cried out.

Hopeful leaned forward and kissed her passionately on the lips. Almost instantaneously, Applejack's frustration melted away. Her bulging eyes slowly closed as she happily eased into the wondrous kiss. She felt her heart skip a beat, the powerful warmth she felt inside exploded in her like a supernova. This was real she thought, this was happening…this was heaven.

Regretfully, their lips separated. Hopeful broke the kiss and leaned back to look back into those radiant green eyes once again. Both Applejack and Hopeful were blushing furiously.

"They all mean the same thing Fair Maiden…I love you," he said charmingly.

"Oh Sugar…Ah…Ah love you too!"

They embraced each other in another heavenly kiss; basking in the loving warmth of their newfound happiness. All the arguing, the confusion, the grief they were dealing with, everything seemed silent and far away compared to the love they discovered. Applejack didn't care how different Hopeful was from her, all she cared about was staying with him in this moment…forever.

The pony's lips softly broke. They stared at each other, eyes teaming with love and cheeks hot with rose red blushes. Hopeful giggled childishly at the blushing blond mare. She tilted her head in confusion, wondering what he was thinking at this moment.

"As much as I hate to disrupt this lovely moment Fair maiden," he bit his lip softly, "there's something I have to know. What was it that my dad whispered to you? It's been killing me."

Now it was her turn to laugh. Applejack's nose twisted up in a wrinkled lump, her soft laughter rapidly grew into a pig like snort.

"Oh that" the mare replied coyly. She inched herself closer to Hopeful. Without warning, she plopped her hind legs across Hopeful's lap. "Ya see…The thing is…Yer pa told me that you got a thing for girls that have two very specific features," she said seductively. The orange pony leaned in even closer to Hopeful. Her lips were inches away from his ear, she licked it softly and purred temptingly, "Long legs and a southern accent. So Sugar…How do Ah measure up?"

Hopeful shuddered rousingly. His face grew several shades darker red, every inch of him felt like it was on fire the instant her tongue graced his sensitive earlobe. He swallowed loudly; staring lustfully at Applejack.

"P-p-p-p-p-pretty good" he squeaked nervously. The red colt sounded like a teenager going through puberty all over again, a fact that Applejack found most endearing and amusing. "Good grief…I just ruined the moment, didn't I?" he asked glumly.

"Does this answer yer question?" she asked; licking her lips hungrily at his.

Applejack lunged at the red Pegasus, passionately locking lips and twirling tongues with the colt that she so proudly confessed her love to. Blurring flashes of red and orange fur and black and blond hair meshed between the two ponies. The blond Earth pony finally understood what Spike had been going through for all these years. If this was indeed the same kind of love that he felt towards Rarity, then Applejack had nothing but support for his romantic aspirations.

Down below the hill, Sweetheart lowered her binoculars. A warm, peaceful smiled decorated her lovely lips. Though she had her doubts initially, the passionate look in Hopeful's eyes was all the proof she needed to know that Applejack was indeed; the one. Valentino cozied up to his wife's side; also swelling with pride over his son's chosen mate. They looked lovingly at each other, shared a tender kiss and then returned to the family gathering. They left their son and his new girlfriend to enjoy their rekindled feelings in peace.

To be continued…

For those of you wondering, "spettacolare" is Italian for spectacular. All of those different ways Hopeful said "I love you" came from the following languages; in order of appearance: Ana Behibak (Arabic), Soro Lahn Nhee Ah (Cambodian), Ti Amo (Italian), Aishiteru (Japanese), Se Agapo (Greek), and Szeretlek (Hungarian). NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Rainbow Dash and Arrowhead enjoy some intimate privacy...until Dash finds out about Spitfire being arrested! Plus, Crowe returns to Chimera Khan with the final treasures and Khan amasses his army for an invasion. Bye for now!

20. Thunder In Paradise

Chapter 20: Thunder in Paradise

Hey everyone, I'm back and with a faster update than I expected! Recent events left me with some more time on my hands than usual, thus, I was able to put this together much quicker than I thought. Really glad to hear everyone enjoyed meeting Hopeful's family, especially Sweetheart lol! I figured she would have an interesting impact on readers. Everything related to Rainbow and Arrowhead I planned for the last chapter is here. Everything is mapped out in my head, which is why I'm able to tell readers what things are happening in what chapters, though, plans do change time to time. But enough about more, let's talk about you guys. Shout outs!

ST4RSK1MM3R: Not sure who Toriel is but thanks for the review none the less!

Ponyloco: Lol yeah, Sweetheart takes the protective mother role a bit more seriously than others do. I had a great deal of fun writing that scene for her and AJ. The Wild Heart story got the right reaction it sounds like. Believe it or not, Wild Heart is heavily based on someone I knew and lost in real life. Wild Heart and his story is sort of my way of paying tribute to that person. The family angle with Hopeful was exactly meant to give Applejack that sense of clarity she had been missing. That's why I made her and Hopeful so different, because I knew that the love of a great big family would help her understand Hopeful and Spike's views. I love reading your reviews, I love reading ALL reviews actually, it helps give me insight into how others see my story and helps me see what I'm doing right and what i could be improving. Spike's my favorite character on the whole show actually. I got big plans for him in this story, some won't always be pleasant for him, but it's story oriented and I feel Habsro should try more of that when writing for Spike instead of the harsh bashing they've dished out on him in past episodes. The Fancy Pants idea may not be exactly the way you proposed it, but rest assured I think you'll be pleased with what I got planned!

DanvilleBengal: Interesting perspective on Applejack's character. Sounds like her stubbornness has frustrated you in the past. I figured having a giant family of unusual pairings would be the best way for her to really understand where Hopeful is coming from. That...and a little motherly threatening certainly helps open some eyes *wink*

LemonSmoothie: No apologies needed! I am eternally grateful you review at all, no such thing really as a "late" review. Thanks for the wonderful compliment on my OC's, I worked very hard on them to feel and seem like real characters that exist in the show's universe. When it comes to dark and comedic stuff, I try to have a bit of both but never let one overpower the other. I'm a firm believer in balance. When something dark happens, I'll have something funnier to lighten the mood not far behind. Wild Heart's story, as I told Ponyloco, was based on someone I knew in real life so his story is supposed to be sad because it was a REAL sad story and they often say real life experiences make for good writing material. Moonstruck does have a dark past as well, but as you learn more about his past, you'll find there's still some light at the end of his tunnel.

Thanks again, enjoy The chapter!

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"It's open" Rainbow shouted.

Arrowhead pushed the door open and entered Rainbow's cloud mansion. He was always amazed at how his girlfriend lived in such a gigantic home, while her friend Twilight, a princess no less, lived in a pint sized tree library. Go figure.

"Babe? Where you at, powdering your nose or something?" he called.

Rainbow flew out of the kitchen. She was clutching some soda bottles and an un-popped bag of popcorn. The speedy mare had a slightly miffed look on her face, she glared teasingly at her boyfriend.

"Dude, don't even joke about that kind of stuff," she buffed, "that was a one-time thing for our first date. So don't get used to it." Her mildly irritated tone did nothing to tarnish the grin on Arrowhead's charming smile.

"Okay, okay. Whatever you say," he replied playfully. The colt started to make his way up the ivory staircase to her bedroom. "I'm just gonna drop my stuff off in your bedroom and then we can work out your Daring Do fan fiction thing."

Rainbow once again emerged from the kitchen. Her cheeks were flaring up with red hues, her arms were packed with even more snacks than before.

"I told you it is NOT fan fiction! I'm just creating totally awesome, what-if, additional story material where Daring Do and I go on all kinds of crazy adventures that she hasn't written yet," she huffed bitterly.

The colt offered no comment or criticism. Either he was too busy laughing to reply, or he was already in her bedroom and didn't hear a word she just said. Rainbow shrugged and resumed her snack preparation.

It's so weird having someone have their own stuff at my place. I guess it makes sense though. He's over here so much he might as well leave a toothbrush, comb and stuff like that so he doesn't have to bring it when he stays over.

Rainbow emptied a bag of pretzels into a bowl; tossing the empty bag into her garbage can. She giggled quietly to herself. The thought of Arrowhead staying over always brought a stint of pinkness to her cerulean cheeks.

I still can't believe I got a guy who sleeps over at my house before Rarity did. Who'd believed that?! Not me, not in the beginning anyway. I always thought I was too awesome for things like that. But now that I think about it…It's even more awesome knowing I have some pony who wants to spend so much time with me, and not just because of my rep.

The mare placed all of the drinks and snacks on top of a thunder yellow tray. She walked past her living room, flying over her rainbow guitar, strewn about comic books and a dark pink, beach ball with stars on it. As she passed her front door, Rainbow breathed in heavily and sighed at the smell she discovered. She smelled Arrowhead's cologne. As much as she had no interest in perfumes and flowery smells most mares drown themselves in, nothing gave her greater pleasure than breathing in that thrilling scent.

"Arrowhead sure has changed me," she mused to herself. The rainbow mare bit her lip softly as she began to fly up towards her master bedroom. "Before I met him, I would have never let any stinky cologne gunk up my house. Now I don't feel like I can start my day unless I have something in here that smells like him. Yeah…He sure has changed me…For the better."

Rainbow entered the bedroom. She saw Arrowhead standing in front of her bed and offered him a snack. The grey colt once again failed to respond to Rainbow's words. His eyes were glued towards something hanging above her bed. Whatever it was, it was causing him to sport the strangest of smiles; almost mischievous in nature.

"Uhhhhh what's with the weird look?" Rainbow asked grumpily.

"Heh and here I thought you wanted to get rid of that memory," he replied with a hefty chortle.

Of course, how could she be so blind? Arrowhead was referring to the beautifully framed photo of the embarrassing snapshot he took of her; the one she fought tooth and nail to acquire so she could hide it from the world. Yet, there it hung, directly above the speedy mare's bed; the first thing she would see each morning.

"Oh yeah…That," she said sheepishly. Her cerulean cheeks had turned bright pink. The mare hadn't realized that Arrowhead had not been in her bedroom since she put the photo above her bed. "It's-it's no big deal." She placed the tray of snacks on top of her dresser. Secretly, she hoped he would drop the subject so they could get to her fan fiction writing.

"No big deal? Really?" he asked skeptically.

"After you hit your head, it left a big crack on my wall so I figured…The photo would make a nice…Cover up," she mumbled; trailing off slightly.

Arrowhead continued to stare at the nervous Pegasus. Normally she would put on a brave front that only few ponies could see through, now, she hardly seemed like she was trying anymore. Or perhaps he knew her too well for that trick to work on him.

"What? Don't look at me like that," Rainbow said. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Well if that's the case, I'll just fix the crack so you won't need the-"

"NO DON'T" Rainbow shouted. She frantically flew in front of the photo, arms spread and eyes shimmering with panic. "Y-y-y-you can't take it, it's my photo and I'll do what I want with it so don't ask me to give it back," she said anxiously, "it's not like it m-m-m-means that much to me, you know."

Arrowhead sighed heavily. He had gotten used to his girlfriend's bravado and, to a degree, even understood why she put on this tough girl act. However, he also felt her public image was preventing her from being her true self and this incident was a prime example of it.

"Who exactly are you trying to impress? Seriously, you don't have to do this," he said calmly. Rainbow's defenses softened but her eyes still wobbled with uncertainty. "It's me Rainbow Dash…It's me," he placed his hoof on one of Dash's legs, "please just tell me how you really feel about it."

Rainbow reactively shivered at his touch. She used to hate having some pony touching her hooves, now she felt like she needed his touch and his alone all the time. Her wings started to flap slower and slower. Rainbow plopped onto the bed, her eyes swelling with regret and dejection over her bothersome pride. Despite knowing how many times her pride had pushed Arrowhead away, she still relied on it when she was nervous.

"The truth is I…I" she stuttered nervously, "the truth is it's the only photo I have of you, it's also the first photo you and I took together," Arrowhead nodded, listening attentively. "Yeah I look stupid and I hate the way you tricked me into saying I'm cute."

"But?" he asked longingly.

"But…The fact that it's the first photo of you and me, that…Kinda makes it…Really special to me, like it's proof that you and I have this awesome connection and it will always be there," she said sincerely. She rubbed the back of her head anxiously. "When I'm with you, I feel like I don't have to do anything else other than be me, the real me. Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity are like family to me, but even when I'm with them, I feel like sometimes I'm still putting on a show. You're the only pony who gets me and makes me feel like being my REAL-real self wouldn't be such a bad thing. So, the reason I put the photo up there is because…You make me feel like I can be even more awesome than I already am."

Arrowhead was truly taken aback by those words. Rainbow was finally pulling back the curtain and revealing the real pony underneath the grandstanding and fame. The colt was speechless, his heart soared triumphantly inside his broad chest.

"Hot damn" he said breathlessly, "I've never wanted you as badly as I want you right now." His voice spoke in a dry, husky growl. The colt felt like a hunger driven predator; aching to leap onto his prey and consume every inch of her.

To the average mare, Arrowhead's primal lusting after such a heartfelt confession would have appeared unpolished and in poor taste. But to the wild and lively Wonderbolt fan, it was exactly what she needed to hear.

"Oh yeah…this needs to happen" she moaned hungrily.

The two ponies locked lips together almost instantly. Arrowhead draped his moaning lips across the fur on Rainbow's neck. She purred like a feral cat and physically attacked him like one as well, losing herself in the thrill of his taste. Their passion generated with such a sizzling intensity, Princess Celestia's sun would feel frosty by comparison. Rainbow Dash and Arrowhead thrashed around the room feverishly. They eventually found their way to Rainbow's bed; collapsing onto it and then savagely attacking the other with increasing determination. All they could see was each other and all they could feel and taste was their all-consuming love for one another.

One passionate hour later…

Rainbow and Arrowhead lay in bed, covered in sweat and staring dreamily at each other. The lovers ruffled bodies snuggling comfortably under the sheets. Arrowhead brought the snack tray into bed with them. The ponies munched away on the tray of goodies; sharing things they haven't discussed before.

"Okay, okay, what's something you love to do but no one knows you love to do it?" he asked curiously. Rainbow opened her mouth to answer. "And don't say reading Daring Do. I already know that one and so does everyone else for that matter." Rainbow pouted and nodded.

"Something I love to do is…dance," she answered meekly, "that's kind of part of the reason I was okay doing that dance for you."

Arrowhead thought back on that stunning cheerleader outfit she wore during the dance. His grin looked especially perverse; Rainbow playfully elbowed him for that.

"Out of the gutter there perv! I don't like that kind of dancing, I just like dancing in general. I used to think it was just a waste of energy but it's actually a lot of fun," she said.

"Why is that something you'd want to hide? It's not girly or embarrassing to enjoy dancing," he asked.

"Because I get too carried away and then ponies start staring at me, and not in the good way," she replied.

Arrowhead nodded. He scratched his chin and pondered what secret he would reveal to Rainbow next, he smiled as he came to a decision.

"Something I love to do that no else knows about is playing video games," Arrowhead casually remarked.

"Video games? Seriously? What's the deal with hiding that?"

"I tend to get a little…ahem…crazy when I play video games," he coughed nervously, "things tend to get broken when I play them."

"Like what kind of things?" Rainbow asked. Her interest was piqued, she never pegged her boyfriend as a gamer like Button Mash. Maybe she should introduce the two.

"Like the controller…or the screen…or chairs…or consoles…or cups," he muttered sheepishly. Each word made the colt feel guiltier as he said them aloud.

Okay maybe she shouldn't introduce the two of them!

"My brother used to play them with me, but he was a really sore winner. Every time he'd beat me in a game, he'd dance around shouting: I win, you lose! I win, you lose!"

"I think that would make any pony go smash crazy. Actually, now that you mention it, I'm not that surprised about your temper. I mean, you showed a pretty mean streak to Zephyr."

Arrowhead felt no shame regarding that display of anger he showed Fluttershy's obnoxious brother. He looked back on that memory fondly.

"I don't have any tolerance for ponies like that. He made you feel miserable and didn't listen to a thing you said," Arrowhead shook his head. "Wasn't gonna just sit back and let that fly, not on my watch."

Rainbow smirked charmingly at the white haired colt. She positioned herself on top of him; straddling his legs with hers. Arrowhead swallowed heavily. Rainbow Dash looked at him like he was a finish line: glittering, bold, tempting and irresistibly inviting.

"Watching you go all crazy on that dweeb, just for me, was REALLY hot," Rainbow kissed him roughly. Their lips snapped free after a few moments; both licking the taste of the other off their lips. "Ready for round two?"

DING DONG!

"OH COME ON!" Rainbow shouted frustratingly.

"Just ignore it, they'll go away eventually," he said calmly.

The bell continued to ring. With no sign or sound of any pony coming to answer, the bell rang faster and faster. The pony behind the door was pounding the button like a jackhammer.

Rainbow looked angrily at the door before turning towards Arrowhead. She placed her hooves on her hips; disapprovingly.

"Okay…Well…Then I guess it must be really important?" he said; hesitantly.

"It better me," she snapped coldly. Rainbow flew from her bed; leaving behind a colorful, blurry trail. She zoomed towards her front door and violently swung it open. The door blasted open so hard, it was like it had been opened by a gust of wind from a violent hurricane. "WHAT? I'M VERY BUSY RIGHT NOW!" she snarled belligerently at whoever was unfortunate enough to be standing outside her door.

Rainbow found a whimpering Pegasus standing at her door, she was cowering in fear like a foal trembling from a storm. The mare's fur was golden bronze and her eyes were deep royal blue. Her white and light blue hair was made up into a ponytail.

"Hey I know you, you're the receptionist at the Cloudsdale post office," Rainbow said; softening her reaction. "The one that's closest to the Wonderbolts headquarters."

"M-m-m-m-my n-n-n-n-name's Amber P-p-p-p-pop and I'm so-so sorry to b-b-bother you, but you've got to come to Cloudsdale," Amber said frightfully, "it's a Wonderbolts emergency!"

"Wonderbolts emergency?!"

The rising sound of panic in Rainbow's voice drew Arrowhead to the front door. He looked to Rainbow, then to Amber and then back to Rainbow. He wasn't sure what was going on, but whatever this mare said to Rainbow was clearly freaking her out.

"Okay, spill already," Rainbow feistily demanded, "What's going on with the Wonderbolts?" She hovered over Amber menacingly.

"It's Captain Spitfire. She's being arrested by Princess Celestia as we speak and-"

"SHE'S WHAT?!"

Rainbow's scream echoed throughout Cloudsdale. Dozens of ponies looked towards Rainbow's home for the source of the howling yell.

The cyan mare felt like her world had been shattered into a million pieces. She grabbed her ears and pulled on them, somehow trying to silence the horrible news she had just heard. Arrowhead could see sweat dripping off her cheeks and colorful locks. He had never seen her look so mortified before.

"Rainbow, are you all right?" he waved his woof in front of her unblinking eyes. Rainbow was stunned into silence. "Babe, please say something, you're freaking me out," Arrowhead said nervously.

"Spitfire is the most respected and honorable captain the Wonderbolts has ever had. It's gotta be a mistake, IT HAS TO BE," she shrieked frantically; ignoring Arrowhead. Rainbow leapt towards Amber. She savagely grabbed the receptionist by the cheeks and pressed her face towards hers. "What reason could they possibly have to arrest her?"

"Spitfire has been charged with resisting arrest, conspiring with a criminal, assaulting royal guards and worst of all…Grand theft of a priceless and dangerous mystical item," Amber coldly stated.

Rainbow looked as if someone had pierced through her heart with a spear. Her voice sputtered out a hollow buzz, every muscle felt as fragile and disposable as paper. She didn't even feel Amber slip out of her grasp.

Arrowhead was saying something to her but she couldn't seem to process or acknowledge his existence at the moment. He was deeply worried and concerned for his beloved mare. The colt extended a hoof to comfort his fractured mare, but she launched herself into the sky like a cerulean bullet before he could make contact.

"Hey, Rainbow, WAIT UP", he shouted; scrambling desperately to catch up with her. Arrowhead galloped off in Rainbow's direction; zooming right past Amber. He knew he wasn't as fast as Rainbow was, and the fact he couldn't fly would make it even harder to catch up, but he wasn't going to let her face this alone.

Amber Pop blinked curiously; now finding she was suddenly alone. Arrowhead and Rainbow Dash ran off so fast, she didn't even have time to tell them where the arrest was taking place. Though more than likely Rainbow would surmise it was happening at the Wonderbolts main office.

"Awe poor widdle Rainbow Dash, so heartbroken over her great, big embarrassment of a hero," Amber snickered. The Pegasus now had a twisted, insidious look upon her grinning face. She rubbed her hooves together devilishly, her royal blue eyes gleaming with wickedness. "This is going even better than I planned. I just wish I could be there to see the look on that rainbow twit's stupid little face AH HA, HA, HA."

Rainbow finally arrived at the Wonderbolts headquarters. Much to her horror, she discovered that everything Amber Pop had told her was true. Princess Celestia was lording over Spitfire, she had a royal Pegasus guard on each of her sides.

Soarin and the other Wonderbolts were there too, they were pleading Spitfire's innocence to Celestia. The team looked just as shocked as Rainbow did when she first heard the news.

"Princess, please, with all due respect, you can't honestly believe I would EVER try and do anything like this," Spitfire said insistently.

"Spitfire is the most respectable and trustworthy pony I know your majesty," Soarin said. "She would never betray her country and steal something like the Phoenix gauntlet; that just isn't her. This is just a giant mistake."

Princess Celestia tried to speak but was abruptly cut off by a very angry, gray captain of the royal Pegasus guard.

"Pony feathers! I was there, I saw HER. She stole the Gauntlet and blasted past us like we were bowling pins. There's no mistake about it. And it wasn't just me, every guard in my unit saw her too," the captain said angrily.

"I'm afraid he's right Soarin," Celestia said gloomily, "I have spoken with every guard who witnessed the incident and they all state they saw the same thing: Spitfire stealing the gauntlet and then fleeing the scene."

The Captain's guards nodded in agreement. Spitfire and Soarin looked at each other, their eyes bulging with overwhelming despair. The eye witnesses made any defense difficult to argue, even though they both knew Spitfire had nothing to do with this crime.

"I swear I don't have the Phoenix gauntlet! Go ahead and search me, search my house; I've got nothing to hide because I DIDN'T take it," Spitfire said.

"Oh don't worry, we will," the guard cruelly snapped back, "Just because you don't have it on you doesn't mean you're innocent. I'm betting you've hidden it somewhere off Cloudsdale, sneaky thief."

Celestia flashed her eyes towards the Captain. She insisted he backed off. Though Spitfire's crime is seemingly without question, Celestia did not approve of treating any pony; even a prisoner with such hostility. The guard grunted and nodded reluctantly.

"Look, just tell us when this crime happened and we can prove to you that Spitfire had nothing to do with it," Soarin asked. He was certain the guards had merely seen a pony that looked like Spitfire and not the real one.

Spitfire nodded in agreement. Every pony knew she spent more time at the academy office more than any other Wonderbolts member, her teammates can back her up as her own witnesses.

"The guard's times all match the same specific event: it was when the Wonderbolts were practicing for the aerial show for my Royal garden opening the following day," Celestia calmly stated.

Spitfire, Soarin and the other Wonderbolts collectively gulped.

"As I recall, the guards and numerous other eye witnesses clearly stated that they saw no sign of Spitfire during practice. It was at this time the Cloudsdale treasury was raided and the Phoenix gauntlet was stolen."

"But Princess, I told you, I was tricked by Wind Rider with a fake sick note from my mother. I rushed home to go check on her, but she was perfectly healthy and at the practice show. Wind Rider did all of this so he could get Rainbow Dash kicked off the team," Spitfire pleaded.

The other Wonderbolt members shouted supportively.

"HA, save your breath traitor, if I had to go down then it's only fair you go down with me," a sickeningly familiar voice said.

Celestia stepped to the side and revealed the source of that venomous voice: Wind Rider. Two armed pony guards followed alongside the former Wonderbolt legend. Amber Pop was brought alongside Wind Rider. She was visibly anxious, the tension of the situation caused her to shiver irregularly. Spitfire and the Wonderbolts growled in unison upon seeing the face of the gray haired Pegasus.

"What is HE doing here?" Soarin snapped.

"According to your statements, Wind Rider tricked you into leaving the practice with a fake sick note from your mother," Celestia calmly stated, "all to remove Rainbow Dash from the team, correct Captain?"

Spitfire nodded firmly.

"Except YOU clearly wanted more out of our deal than just that," Wind Rider said accusingly. The team hissed angrily at the colt but he ignored them. "You met with me before I had even met Rainbow Dash and warned me she would be a threat to my record. It was YOUR idea to set her up in the first place. I thought you were crazy asking me to trick yourself with this stunt, but now I know it was all so you could use me to give you an excuse so you could steal the Phoenix gauntlet."

"Ask you to trick-what? That doesn't even make any sense!" she shrieked in outrage.

"And you called me a disgrace," Wind Rider said; scoffing disapprovingly.

Spitfire looked frantically around at her teammates. She felt like she was losing her mind, the hot headed Pegasus couldn't wrap her brain around what she was hearing. Even worse, Celestia and the royal guards seemed to believe it!

"P-p-p-p-p-princess, you can't possibly believe this-this lying creep. He'd say anything to ruin the Wonderbolts after we stripped him of his membership," she pleaded.

"While that may be true Captain, I'm afraid the evidence and testimonies support what Wind Rider says," Celestia said.

A brown Pegasus guard stepped forward. He was carrying a rolled up parchment scroll under one of his wings, he unrolled it and began reading its contents aloud.

"After interviewing Miss Amber Pop, The Pony investigation unit has learned that Captain Spitfire was confirmed exiting the Cloudsdale post office and meeting up with Wind Rider after mailing a package of unknown contents. Several witnesses confirmed they saw Spitfire, who was wearing a cloak at the time, speaking discretely with Wind Rider" the guard announced.

"And I've already taken the Investigation unit to the alleyway where you met up with me the night before, and gave me all the details and specifics for framing Rainbow," Wind Rider added.

"Not to mention me and my entire team saw you with our own eyes; bush whacking and publically humiliating us as you stole the gauntlet right in front of our faces," the Captain said; snarling through gritted teeth.

The Wonderbolts looked at each other, their voices and eyes strained with uncertainty. The evidence seemed irrefutable. The team didn't want to consider it, but maybe, just maybe, Spitfire was not the pony they thought she was. Soarin was the only one who was absolutely certain of his friend's innocence.

Unfortunately, the one pony whose opinion mattered most; Celestia, did not share his faith.

"It causes me great sadness to say this Spitfire, but based on the evidence, I am left with no other choice," Celestia said mournfully. She raised her lengthy wing into the air and motioned for her guards to move in. "By the power of Equestria, I hereby strip you of your authority and position as captain of the Wonderbolts and sentence you to be jailed until your sentence is determined in court." Her firm gaze moved towards Soarin. "Soarin will serve as captain of the Wonderbolts until further notice," she decreed.

Spitfire shook her head in disbelief. Her eyes bulged in massive shock, she looked as if her brain had disconnected from her body and caused nothing but numbness to spread to every nerve. The guards clamped diamond hard metallic cuffs over Spitfire's hooves.

The Wonderbolts gushed with a mixed range of emotions: some burst into tears, some shook their heads shamefully and others could only stare speechlessly at this tragic event.

"YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG PONY!"

Rainbow's voice bellowed across the skies. Celestia, Spitfire and the others turned their heads jarringly towards the colorful mare barreling down towards their position. She landed roughly and immediately approached the princess; bowing before her respectively.

"Princess Celestia, I know you've already made your decision but you've got to listen to me, Spitfire is 100% innocent; I SWEAR it," Rainbow said desperately.

"Rainbow Dash, I am sorry you had to see this, but you must understand that this is not something I can ignore," Celestia replied. Rainbow listened anxiously. She wanted to shout and say so much, but even if she knew the princess was wrong, she would always remain loyal to her authority. "If Spitfire is innocent then the truth will eventually come to light, but for now, she must be held accountable for her actions."

"But Spitfire is the greatest, most loyal captain the Wonderbolts has ever had. There's no way she would ever steal this gauntlet thing, no way!"

"Do you have any kind of evidence or witnesses that can prove she did not steal the Phoenix gauntlet?"

"I uh…Well…Uh…No but-"

"Then the law must be abided. I am sorry my little pony but my decision is final, Spitfire must stand trial for what she has done."

Spitfire looked to Rainbow as they dragged her away. The yellow Pegasus expressed her deepest appreciation to Rainbow as best she could, it pleased her heart knowing she had others that believed in her innocence.

Rainbow couldn't process the horrifying reality that was happening before her. Her brain was lost in a suffocating wave of confusion and panic. It was happening all over again. Another Wonderbolts hero she idolized was being painted as the villain; first Wind Rider (despite the fact he deserved it) and now Spitfire. She refused to sit back and let the Wonderbolts name get dragged through the mud any further.

ZOOM!

Wind Rider guffawed as Rainbow tackled him viciously to the ground. She grabbed him by his bomber jacket collar; jerking his face towards hers.

"You back stabbing, rotten old liar, this is all YOUR fault. Admit it! Your behind all of this, you just wanted to get back at Spitfire for firing you didn't you, DIDN'T YOU?" she screamed; shaking the old Pegasus vigorously.

"Rainbow Dash, stop this at once," Celestia said firmly. The guards moved to remove Rainbow Dash but Celestia raised her wings; halting them. "This is not going to help Spitfire in the least."

"But he's lying, I know it! He tried to take away my career and now he's doing the same thing to Spitfire. You can't trust anything that comes out of his lying lips."

Wind Rider grunted at Rainbow's accusation. He shoved her off, dusted his jacket and stood back up.

"Back off alternate," Wind Rider said with a scathing sneer. "I may be a liar but I'm not a criminal. No pony is stupid enough to try and steal the Phoenix gauntlet, not unless you want to get caught."

Rainbow was thoroughly disgusted by the old colt's words. Looking at him now, she finds it hard to believe she ever looked up to the likes of this disgraceful coward.

"Um ex-c-c-c-use me, I hate to interrupt but can I g-g-go now? I'm not really good at dealing with situations like this," Amber Pop nervously squeaked.

The speedy mare flashed a deadly glare towards the young post office clerk. Amber shrank in fear, much like how Fluttershy reacted to intense situations. Rainbow approached Amber with a threatening stance. She stared down the trembling Pegasus; as if interrogating a lowlife.

"You're not off the hook yet speedy. I want to know why you came all the way to my house just to tell me Spitfire was being arrested when you were one of the ponies who claimed they saw her meeting with Wind Rider? And how did you get here so fast? Only the princesses and me can move that quickly," Rainbow demanded threateningly. Her wings flared up along with her rising temper and tone.

"W-w-w-wait, what do you mean? I didn't go to your house, I've been here the whole time," she replied meekly. Her mint green eyes widened slightly; clearly confused by Rainbow's statements.

"Don't play dumb with me. You were at my house 10 minutes ago; knocking on my door and telling me Spitfire was being arrested. How do you think I knew to come here in the first place?"

"I'm r-r-r-really sorry Miss Dash but…I uh…I don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you calling me a LIAR?!"

"That is ENOUGH Rainbow Dash!" Celestia boomed thunderously.

Rainbow flinched suddenly. Hearing that tone of anger in Celestia's voice was not something the speedy mare had heard too often. She nervously backed away from Amber Pop. Rainbow faced the princess and lowered her head and dropped her flared wings.

"I understand you are upset and that the Wonderbolts mean a great deal to you, but do not forget where you are. Just because I value your loyalty and friendship does not mean you can say and do whatever you want in royal matters such as this. You would be wise to remember that," Celestia commanded.

Rainbow closed her eyes in shame. She faintly replied "Yes princess," unable to raise her head or return eye contact to the sun princess. The Pegasus had never been on the receiving end of Celestia's anger. It felt like when Discord had distorted her element of harmony and turned her against her friends.

Princess Celestia sighed heavily. She motioned for the guards to take Spitfire away, the princess dismissed Amber Pop and Wind Rider and thanked them for their participation. The Pegasai collectively followed the princess on her chariot and vanished into the sky. Spitfire looked longingly at her teammates, as well as the downtrodden Rainbow Dash. Eventually they ultimately vanished from her sight and she was forced to look towards the bleak fate that awaited her.

"All right guys, there's no time to lose, we've got to do everything in our power to prove Spitfire is innocent and get her out of jail," Soarin said. The Wonderbolts nodded and murmured in agreement. "Everyone split up and find out everything you can from anyone who saw Wind Rider or Spitfire recently. We'll meet back here when Luna raises the moon and pool our information together."

Soarin instructed the team to split up in pairs, each group would search and investigate a different lead or different location relating to Spitfire or Wind Rider.

Rainbow was lost in a sea of vacant despair. She stared out at the horizon, wastefully waiting for any sign of Celestia and Spitfire returning; praying they'd come back and say it was all a big misunderstanding and that everything would be fine.

But they didn't and it wasn't.

She felt like a ship drifting in the ocean; searching for a lighthouse that would never shine.

"Wind Rider…Spitfire…Every one of my heroes is falling away from me," she whimpered quietly.

Too busy drowning in her own sorrow, Rainbow Dash was unaware Thunderlane dropped Arrowhead down behind her. Arrowhead had contacted the Pegasus colt and asked for his assistance in getting to Rainbow's location as quickly as possible. He thanked Thunderlane for his assistance and approached his gloomy girlfriend.

"Hey Rainbow, what's going on? You flew out of there so fast, I didn't have any time to ask you what happened," he said; expressing his concern.

"Wind Rider…Spitfire…Wind Rider…Spitfire" she muttered endlessly.

Rainbow was a babbling, hollow husk of her spirited self. She hadn't turned to face him, or moved in a way to imply she heard Arrowhead.

"I've been really worried about you. You didn't say a thing and I didn't know where you were going or what was happening. I heard something about Spitfire being arrested but I didn't-"

"Rainbow Dash, if you're up for it we could use your help."

Arrowhead blinked at the interruption. Soarin had finished strategizing with the others, his voice shook Rainbow out of her dreary stupor.

"Wha…Oh, right sure, totally," she said quickly.

"Good, we need you to go to the Cloudsdale jailhouse right away and speak with Spitfire. If she can draw you a map of her flight pattern from the Wonderbolts performance arena to her mom's house, maybe we can find some ponies who saw her flying in that area. Then we could prove it wasn't her who attacked those guards and stole the Phoenix gauntlet," Soarin explained.

"Right, you can count on me," she said; saluting her newly designated captain.

Arrowhead couldn't deny feeling a twinge of disappointment seeing his girlfriend responding to Soarin instead of him. He didn't understand everything that was going on, and the one pony he needed to talk to about all of this was already preparing to fly off and leave him behind, again.

"Babe, before you go I need to know what's going on, I'm really worried about you," Arrowhead timidly asked.

"Sorry but there's no time. I've got to get to Spitfire and start finding witnesses to help prove she's been wrongfully accused."

"No-no I get that but I think you need to take a minute before you go rushing off. You look really freaked out and I just want to talk; calm you down a bit before you go."

"Ugh you gotta be kidding me! Every minute I waste here, Spitfire has to stay locked up and get her name further dragged in the mud. I don't have time for this."

Soarin flapped his wings and started to head towards the sky. He called to Rainbow, asking if she was coming or not. Rainbow looked up at him and nodded.

"I'm coming, just give me a sec," she turned back to Arrowhead, "look, just go back to Ponyville and I will talk to you when I'm done with all of this."

She tried to leave but Arrowhead kept pulling her back. Rainbow grunted and started thrashing against his grip, her irritation was rising. Arrowhead clearly could see this was upsetting her, but his concern for her was too great to leave her in such a distraught state. Who knows what might happen if she rushes off in this stressful condition?

"Whatever's happening to you affects me too, that's what it means to be in a relationship. It sounds like this is something serious, which means you're gonna need all the help you can get. Why not let me help too?" he asked.

"I already told you there's no time for that. Explaining everything would take longer, you'd just slow me down," she snapped rudely.

Arrowhead was taken aback by that remark. His grip lessened slightly. He looked genuinely hurt by Rainbow's words. She was so consumed by her own pain, she wasn't aware she was causing Arrowhead pain as well.

"R-r-r-rainbow, come on, you know I'm only trying to help. All I'm asking you to do is help fly me with you. I can use my detective skills to help you figure out what's going on with Spitfire," he offered.

"Rainbow, come on let's go" Soarin shouted overhead.

Rainbow looked up to respond to Soarin, but the dark haired Pegasus was already flying off into the distance. Everyone had already left. Her rainbow locks hung drearily over her eyes, giving them a downcast; shadowy appearance.

"Ugh…Now it's going to take even longer. I wish Twilight and Rarity weren't off in Canterlot right now. I could seriously use both their help. I don't have time to go to Canterlot to get them, and I can't just sit here and wait for them to get back," she said impatiently.

"I know your stressed and pissed right now, I get that. But no matter how messed up this situation is, I know we'll figure it out. Everything's going to work out in the end," Arrowhead said comfortingly.

Unfortunately, Rainbow was beyond being angry. She had reached her mental limit and the hurricane of emotions brewing inside of her was about to be unleashed.

"Everything's. Going. To. Work. Out?" Rainbow flashed a cold, unyielding glare at her boyfriend. Arrowhead stepped back, slightly alarmed. "I know we'll figure it out? Did you honestly just SAY THAT TO ME? How could you POSSIBLY know it's gonna work out? You don't know the first thing that's going on."

"I w-w-was just trying to put your mind at ease," he weakly replied; startled by her anger.

"Well guess what? Ya blew it!" she snapped.

"Babe, take a minute to chillax, just like you always say to me, remember?"

The fuming mare snorted in reply.

"You're seeing red, I get that. I'm not trying to make things worse, I just want to help so you're not-"

"But you can't help. You're too far behind in what's going on and I've wasted too much time arguing over this. So congrats Arrowhead, you made it worse anyway!"

"Rainbow…Please…it's me. I care about you too much to leave you like this. Just give me a chance, I promise I can-"

"UGH! Why don't you get it? I don't want your help because it's no bucking good! I already told you, only a princess, like Twilight, or a successful detective, like Rarity, can help me. You're not a detective, you're not a princess; you're just a dime a dozen, boring, old Earth pony who has no idea what he is talking about, so STOP WASTING MY TIME AND JUST GO ALREADY!"

A cold silence settled on the turbulent scene.

Arrowhead just stared at Rainbow, staring as if she were a complete stranger. He felt like every drop of happiness had been drained from his body. Her crippling words could still be faintly heard echoing in the background. Tears started to drip from his cheeks; yet he could not feel them dripping. Everything in him was numb.

Rainbow heaved and sighed. She relaxed her shoulders and flapped her wings; preparing to fly. The stinging hurt in Arrowhead's eyes did not go unnoticed. She was not proud of what she said to him, but somewhere in her anger she felt it had to be said.

Arrowhead couldn't bear to look at her any longer. He turned his back to her; keeping his sorrow and rage filled eyes on Rainbow as long as possible. The heartbroken colt drearily walked back the way he came, his tears dripping into small swirling puddles in the cloud landscape.

The speedy mare launched herself into the sky and headed towards Spitfire's cell.

She didn't look back once.

"Don't worry Spitfire, I promise I'm gonna get you out of there," Rainbow said confidently.

Spitfire offered a weak smile. Her goldish yellow color looking a few shades darker behind her jail cell bars.

It had been a number of days since Rainbow embarked on her quest to clear Spitfire's name. Despite her speed and ground coverage, she had failed to find sufficient evidence or witnesses for Princess Celestia to reconsider freeing Spitfire. Much to her frustration, everything Wind Rider and Amber Pop said was verified by many other ponies.

"I just can't believe there is nothing, literally nothing that proves your innocent," she grumbled bitterly. Rainbow pressed her back against Spitfire's bars. She groaned and slumped onto her rump. "I interviewed everyone I could find: ponies, griffons, I even asked Fluttershy to talk to the animals near the area; no one saw you flying to your mom's house."

"It's not a surprise really. I was flying as fast as I could at the time; so fast I even got a little lost along the way. There was no way my defense was going to hold water considering no pony knew where I was," Spitfire admitted.

"I still don't like the fact that Celestia had to lock you up like this," Rainbow scoffed. She banged her back left hoof against the bars.

"Stealing something as powerful and ancient as the Phoenix gauntlet is nothing to sneeze at Dash. I know I didn't steal it, you and Soarin know I didn't steal it, but to the rest of the world…" she trailed off quietly. Fully understanding the situation didn't make the yellow Pegasus feel any better about it.

"Well that's gonna change, trust me. The other Wonderbolts are working on building your defense and I've been busting my tail off digging up evidence. I won't stop until you're a free mare. I even got my friend Fluttershy to help out."

"What about that grey Earth pony that was on Cloudsdale? Soarin said he saw you talking to someone before he flew off."

Though Spitfire didn't know his name, mentioning him in even that capacity was enough to make Rainbow flinch. She hadn't seen him or spoken to him after that terrible, terrible day.

"He um…He's no longer in the picture."

Spitfire's hazel eyes widened briefly. She was genuinely surprised to hear Rainbow speak of him like that. The disgraced captain remembered Rainbow bragging about some hot pony stud she had managed to land, but she never mentioned his name. Some of the other alternate Wonderbolt members were overheard gossiping about a pony that matched Arrowhead's description. Spitfire remembered hearing it in the locker room.

"You left him behind to help me…Didn't you?"

The captain's words stirred Rainbow out of her sullen stupor. She slowly faced the imprisoned Pegasus. This was the last thing she wanted to talk about, but she felt like she owed her fallen comrade that much.

"Look, it's really complicated and…Weird…And I'm not really sure what to make of the whole 'Arrowhead' thing."

"So that's his name eh? This guy sounds like he really got under your skin."

"What makes you say that?"

"Come on Dash, I've been watching you for some time now. You passed by every challenge and obstacle the academy threw your way without blinking. There's not much that rattles you. So if you're acting all anxious because of a guy, that says to me that he means more to you than you're admitting."

Rainbow slumped onto her rear. She closed her eyes and sighed; hair dangling in front of her face.

"I just don't know what happened to me. I've always cared about what other ponies think of me, maybe a little too much sometimes, but this guy is like on a whole other level. I cared so much about what he thought of me that I ended up caring for him," she confessed.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Spitfire said.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing, more like something I'm not used to or prepared to handle," Rainbow lifted her head up a bit higher, "which is not something that happens to me often."

"I wasn't prepared for having a rookie like you change how we do things at the academy. But on more than one occasion Rainbow, you've changed things for the better and both the team and the training regiments are better because of those changes. Sometimes you gotta roll with the punches if you want the best results," Spitfire said knowingly.

"Arrowhead and I have been…Ahem…Rolling for a while now and it was really awesome, for a while," Rainbow shook the starry eyed look on her face. Spitfire looked at her curiously. "But then you got arrested and…All I could think of was how the Wonderbolts name was going to live on after losing two of its most famous and respectable members to scandals. I needed help, like right away, and I know Arrowhead couldn't help with what I needed. He had no authority or detective skills…I had to do whatever it took that would help you the fastest."

"But that doesn't mean you have to burn bridges with Arrowhead over me," Spitfire said dramatically. "I'm eternally grateful you're in my corner, really I am, but just because he can't do anything major doesn't meant he can't help." Rainbow listened closely; idly rubbing her chin in deep thought. Spitfire's words were slowly sinking in. "Not every colt would rush up to Cloudsdale and immediately put everything on hold just to help his girlfriend. That says more to me than if he's royalty or has wings."

The more Rainbow listened, the more horrified looking she became. She was so lost in her own panic and frustration, she hadn't fully realized what she had done to the colt who meant so much to her. Her pink eyes shrank into petrified little dots. The heart shattering words she spoke to Arrowhead played over and over in her mind like a broken record.

"Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! Those…Those things that I said to him…I wasn't trying to…But I…I was scared and freaking out…I-I didn't mean to," she babbled on; overflowing with panic. Rainbow suddenly lunged towards the front of the jail cell. Spitfire stumbled back a bit; slightly alarmed by the horrified look on her friend's face. "Sweet Celestia…What have I done?"

"You need to fix this Dash," Spitfire placed her hooves over Rainbow's through the bars, "the longer you leave this, the worse it's going to get." The fiery mare stepped back and chuckled softly. "Don't worry about me. I'll obviously still be here when you get back."

Rainbow nodded affirmatively to the imprisoned captain. She saluted Spitfire and then bolted from the dungeon.

The cyan mare wanted nothing more than to use that time spell Twilight mentioned and fix all of this. But since Twilight wasn't here and even if she was, Rainbow would most likely get a lecture from her about abusing the space and time continuum for personal gain, Rainbow had to fix this before it was too late. Arrowhead had been unfairly shoved aside twice before, but still he came back. But this time, Rainbow feared that there might be no coming back from this.

It was night, she talked to Spitfire longer than she realized. The mare used all of her speed to arrive at Arrowhead's house as quickly as possible. She touched down quietly, directly at his front door.

This is really going to suck…I mean…It's REALLY going to suck, but I gotta do this, she thought to herself. I can't lose him because I was being angry and scared, I just can't!

Rainbow stared at the door. It stood dauntingly, imposingly, immobilizing her like a Cockatrice's stare. She bit her lip nervously. A sudden urge overcame her and she hammered on the door with her hoof; faster and harder than she planned to. The sound of hoof steps approached caused her heart to jump erratically.

The door opened slowly. Rainbow gasped upon seeing Arrowhead. His eyes were swollen and red from crying, white hair was unruly and disheveled. The speedy mare had never seen her boyfriend's handsome face look so devastated and drained.

The colt's gaze bore into Rainbow like a red hot poker. His eerie silence made his enraged stare feel a thousand times more intense.

"I know I'm the last pony you want to see right now, and you have every right to hate my guts and tell me to shove off," Rainbow's voice cracked, "but I really, really, really need to talk to you." Tears started to drip down the mare's cerulean cheeks, her voice withering with sorrow.

Arrowhead remained silent.

"I am so sorry. I'm incredibly, wildly, madly, crazily, completely, infinitely, beyond...Sorry. But I know that's nowhere near enough. I hurt you…I hurt you so much, I should be locked up right next to Spitfire," she said weepily. Her voice wavered as she tried to continue speaking. "I just…I was mad, I was freaking out over everything that was happening and…I didn't mean to…But that's no excuse for me to take it out on you."

Once more, Arrowhead remained deathly quiet.

"You told me you wanted to get to know the real me. You told me I was more than just my image and my ego, and you were right," Arrowhead avoided looking at her. Rainbow's tears intensified. Her hooves reached for his face; pleadingly. He frowned bitterly feeling her touch his face, but he did not resist. She guided him back to her eyes. "But I didn't learn that until you showed me how wrong I was. What I said to you was unforgivable. You were trying to help me and I just shoved you aside…I pushed you away when you've given me so much and-"

Arrowhead sighed heavily. Rainbow's eyes briefly widened with hope, it looks like he was finally going to speak to her. His warm, muscular hooves reached up and slowly pushed her hooves from his face.

"When you first dismissed me because I wasn't a Pegasus, I was upset but I got over it, the second time you hurt me, you hid me to preserve your ego…And that one really hurt; figuratively and literally. But eventually, you won me over," he said flatly. Rainbow listened apprehensively. "I thought long and hard about what you said to me. I kept wondering: what did I do wrong, what mistake did I make that made everything turn out so miserably? Then finally, it hit me."

A dark, dreary cloud formed over Ponyville. It was time for the scheduled storm to take place. The Pegasai were getting started without Rainbow Dash, they began stomping onto the clouds and causing the rain to fall.

Arrowhead stepped back from Rainbow. She suddenly felt cold without the warm touch of his hooves against hers. The rain started to wash over her fur; dampening her wings and rainbow locks. He reached for the door, fully aware of the heartbroken look forming on Rainbow's soaked face. Tears were pouring from both ponies eyes now.

"The biggest mistake I EVER made was loving some pony like you!" he said coldly.

WHAM!

Arrowhead slammed the door shut. Rainbow stared blankly at the door; hardly even flinching at the slam. She was left speechless and soaked in the wake of her now ex-boyfriend's final words.

"He…Loved me?"

Back at the cave Chimera Khan called home, a lonely shadow was making its way into the demonic looking entrance.

"Master, that worthless worm has finally come crawling back," the Chimera announced; all 3 heads spoke in unison.

Chimera Khan and Bubbling Cauldron exited their rooms. They waited impatiently for the yellow Earth pony to approach them, Crowe bowed fearfully to Khan as he presented his findings.

"Did you acquire it?" Khan bellowed.

"Considering how long it took him to get back, he better have," Cauldron sneered.

"As y-y-y-you commanded m-m-master," he said; ignoring Cauldron's snide remark. "Here's the Phoenix gauntlet; fresh from the treasure vault of Cloudsdale, and of course, the Alicorn amulet." Crowe was especially nervous when presenting the amulet. He only preyed his master couldn't tell this was an elaborate forgery, since he could not find the real one. "I t-t-t-trust Colton's 3rd eye was delivered to you successfully?"

"See for yourself Earth pony," he pointed to his mask. The orb had been integrated into his armored mask; settled just above his eyes and below King Sombra's horn.

Crowe looked up and nodded in confirmation.

Bubbling Cauldron levitated the two objects towards her large pot. Khan stood before the cauldron; waiting for the unicorn to begin the spell to graft the items to his armor.

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! If that looney mare puts my fake amulet in her toxic soup, it could dissolve all the adhesives and fall apart. Khan would tear me to pieces for sure, Crowe thought to himself.

Cauldron's glow hummed around the gauntlet and amulet. She was about to drop them into the brew.

"WAIT, master please, you don't need to do that!"

FASCHOOM!

Black and blood red, fire like energy surged from Sombra's horn and blasted Crowe against the wall. Crowe was littered with scorch marks. He weakly coughed a ball of black smoke before collapsing to the ground; cringing in excruciating pain. Crowe felt like he had been burned at the stake and then dumped into a pit of needles.

"DON'T YOU EVER TELL ME WHAT TO DO AGAIN!" Khan screamed, "How dare you even think to speak such blasphemous words to your master."

"A thousand pardons master," Crowe said; struggling to sit himself back up. His arms and legs still wobbled with stinging pain. "I was merely suggesting that you don't need to use the brew to graft the amulet onto your armor. Legend says it has a magical seal protecting it. Once you wear it, no pony can take it off but you. Therefore, there's no need to graft it to your armor, you can just put it on…Er um sir"

Crowe hoped that Khan would listen to him and simply wear the amulet. With Khan's power growing stronger with every item he adds, the Earth pony minion was counting on Khan being so super charged with power, he wouldn't notice the amulet had no power at all.

Khan looked down at his lowly servant; heavily scrutinizing his suggestion. The armored tyrant looked closely at the amulet. Crowe did his best to maintain the overwhelming fear possessing his body as Khan examined it. He motioned for Cauldron to take the gauntlet and place it into the brew.

"You make a valid point Earth pony…for once," Khan levitated the amulet over his neck, "I never commended you for successfully acquiring the last 3 items, did I?"

"Oh no-no, you don't need to do that master," Crowe said; laughing nervously. He waved his hoof dismissively. "It was nothing really."

"You see, the thing is that it really wasn't 'nothing', in fact, it was a rather large something," Khan said suspiciously. Crowe nervously darted his eyes left to right. Khan loomed over the yellow pony, beading down on him with his ghoulish eyes. "I knew those artifacts would be the most difficult to obtain. I half expected you to run away and never return, or come back with only one, or if you were exceptionally lucky, 2 of the 3 items…yet somehow you managed to get all 3…by yourself."

"Isn't that a g-g-g-good thing?" Crowe sheepishly asked.

"It is a good thing," Khan peered directly into Crowe's eyes. The intense stare caused the yellow colt to sweat profusely. "Too good as a matter of fact…And I don't like it. There's something going on with you Crowe, something that I have suspected of you since the day we met. I don't know what it is, but rest assured, I will learn the truth about you…And soon."

Khan turned his back to Crowe and approached Bubbling Cauldron. He closed his eyes and waited for the mare to perform the spell. A few incantations later, the Phoenix gauntlet was successfully grafted onto Khan's armor; locking into place along his spine.

"Finally, at long last, my armor is complete," he chuckled sinisterly.

FLASH!

Monstrous wings of fire burst from Khan's sides. Crowe and Cauldron scurried away in fear, like roaches scattering from a lightbulb. The gauntlet created two massive Phoenix wings, their fiery wingtips blackened the walls of the cave.

"Now not even flight is beyond my grasp. With the Phoenix gauntlet supplying me with the most powerful wings in Equestria, and amplifying my magic with the horn from the darkest unicorn that ever lived, I have successfully acquired the royal power that Celestia was undeservedly given," Khan said. He clutched the amulet in his metallic hoof. The reflective surface of the amulet perfectly displayed his masked face. "And with the Alicorn amulet supplying me with even more magical energy, there is not a force on this planet that can stop me now."

Crowe and Bubbling Cauldron cautiously approached the master after he concealed his fiery wings. The lowly ponies both asked what the next step of the plan is.

"Gather all of the monsters together outside and prepare them for the invasion. Leave the larger ones here at the base, they will not be needed for the first wave. Ponyville will be the first city to experience my wrath, it will be reduced to ashes along with Celestia's precious little student; Princess Twilight," Khan said maliciously. "Once I have that traitorous cow's attention, I will enjoy personally destroying everything and everyone she holds dear. Then, and only then will she knows what it feels like to experience true pain and suffering…just like I have."

The green and yellow ponies nodded obediently.

"The time to act…Is now."

To be continued…

Ouch! Looks like Spike isn't the only one having relationship problems. Rainbow Dash is actually easy to write for, it's her behavior that's hard to write for sometimes. I always believed if Rainbow on the show DID have a relationship, she'd have problems like she's having here. She seems like the kind of pony who needs a few tries before finally getting it right. Plus I feel it's more realistic if the ponies struggle here and there. Having been happily married for almost 10 years now, I can tell you from personal experiences that relationships can be extremely difficult and frustrating at times. But on a lighter note, NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Princess Celestia is overwhelmed with everything that's going on, the last thing she needs is a certain Chaos spirit discussing his true feelings with her! And also, Princess Luna finally meets her secret admirer, only this mysterious "RS" is not what she was expecting. Bye for now!

21. Beautiful Strangers

Chapter 21: Beautiful Strangers

Hey everyone! Back for more pony goodness with a brand new chapter. Lot's been going on with my life, getting ready to move any day now and I'll be dealing with a whole new world of challenges coming soon so I am trying to make best use of what free time I get as possible. Really loved the strong reactions from last chapter, that means I'm doing something right! Also, I saw the latest Pony episode and while I still personally ship Cheerilee and Big Mac, it was nice to see some official romance going on. I typically stick to canon couples (for the most part) but since I started this story long before he and Sugar Belle hooked up, I'm keeping him with Cheerilee for this story. Also, I included a special little something extra at the end of this chapter. But before we do any of that, it's shout out time!

GuyWithNoName: Yeah, I always imagined if Rainbow got into a romantic relationship, something like this would inevitably happen. And just cause this is a romance story, that doesn't automatically guarantee everyone will stay together at the end.

DanvilleBengal: You hit the nail right on the head my friend! Rainbow's loyalty is ultimately what caused her downfall in that situation. I wanted to show how her greatest asset can also be her worst enemy. Rainbow couldn't be loyal to the princess, the Wonderbolts and Arrowhead and in the end, nothing got solved. Both she and AJ are (like you said) stubborn so I personally believe this kind of behavior would be expected of both of them if they ever got dates they were serious about.

Ponyloco: Always pleased to hear from you, such a generous reviewer! As much as I love romance in a story, being someone whose been in a relationship for 10 years now, I can personally attest at how complicated and rough things can get sometimes. Even the strongest of romantic bonds undergo the most savage of fights sometimes. Not always pretty, but it is the truth. Your hopes for Celestia X Discord and meeting Luna's secret admirer are about to be rewarded! I don't find it disrespectful or insensitive at all about your comments regarding Wild Heart being a tribute, I thank you for your support on that subject and towards it's use for the character's story. As for your ideas, we'll have to wait and see but thanks as always for everything!

LemonSmoothie: Great observation you got there! I'm a firm believer that balance is nature. I like to even things out (if it's possible and works within the narrative) and balance things out, as in this case: one couple succeeding while another is failing. This is also one of the reasons I decided to give every pony a romantic partner as I felt it would be uneven or "off balance" to only have one or two get one. Thanks for the review!

A Man Undercover: Humor is like music: everyone has their own taste. All I can say is enjoy what you find is funny and not let what you didn't like drag you down too much. AS for your questions: 1- The reason the Fake Amber and Fake Spitfire don't tie-in is because I haven't explained it yet. That revelation has yet to be revealed. 2 - It takes a long time to put out a book, they've got no expectations of when the next book is being written so they don't assume anything is wrong. Also, they're both busy at the moment. And finally 3 - Celestia went to see Rainbow almost immediately after Twilight was done seeing her. These events more or less happened at or close to the same time, Twilight, Rarity and Spike won't learn about Spitfire's arrest until they're home. Also, certain things happened to Twilight, Spike and Rarity that caused them some...delays, all of which will be explained in the next chapter.

As always, thank you EVERYONE for your generous, insightful and wonderfully crafted reviews. I claim no ownership over MLP or any of it's worlds, terms or characters except my own OC's. All rights belong to Hasbro. Enjoy!

Princess Celestia slowly approached her throne. The pristine white pony was tired, worn from dealing with the rising number of troubling events. Her shimmering purple eyes heavily shadowed by her weighing eyelids.

"Its times like these I wish I wasn't the one making all the decisions," she sighed miserably. The weary mare sat upon her throne; wings drooping in an exhausted state. "I have a murderer on the loose with no leads, an innocent pony still suffering because of my decisions, a dragon lost in his own pain, and now," she exhaled heavily, "a missing artifact and a noble captain in chains."

Though every pony praised and cherished her on her wisdom and fair leadership, at this very moment, she felt like the greatest failure in Equestria.

"What a fine mess you've made Celestia. You're supposed to be helping your subjects, not letting things get worse."

Celestia remembered seeing Twilight, Rarity and Spike off as they headed for the train station back to Ponyville. She felt so awful; knowing she had to go arrest Spitfire in front of Rainbow Dash shortly after. If Twilight had known what was about to happen, she would have most likely tried to stop Celestia as Rainbow did.

"Perhaps…She should have."

Deep down, the sun princess feared she was making the same mistake she made with Moonstruck again. Spitfire betraying her team to steal the Phoenix gauntlet made no sense. She knew it didn't add up, she knew something didn't feel right about this. But despite all her power and authority, in the end, she had no choice but to obey the laws that kept her citizens civil and safe. Spitfire was undeniably seen stealing the gauntlet. Deep down, she knew she had to make the arrest…Despite how wrong it felt.

"Sometimes I wonder," she looked at the stained glass windows; as if seeking answers from their stories, "if Luna and I are doomed to suffer through the endless years of life's troubles alone." Feeling drained and miserable, Celestia levitated a large slice of pink frosted cake to her lips. She took a bite; grumbling as bits of her guilt binging food sprinkled from her lips. "I suppose being ruler means it's too much to ask for a break every now and then."

"A break? Hmmm sorry sunshine, I'm afraid I'm fresh out of breaks."

Celestia's eyes widened. She nearly dropped her cake from her magical hold. She recognized that voice.

"But about a nice BUZZ instead?!"

BZZT!

Celestia eeped as she felt a sudden jolting shock to her rump. The startled princess sprang from her throne; leaping off as if she had just sat on a feral cat. Her golden cuffed hooves landed on the ground, her wings clutching her sizzling rump. The formerly composed princess looked quite flustered by this invasive little prank.

POOF!

Discord materialized in Celestia's throne. He was draped across the chair; oddly assorted limbs dangling in a sensual, almost lusting position. The twisted trickster had the most disturbingly bemused smile on his face.

"Looks like someone else is in the hot seat now," he said teasingly. Discord snapped his fingers and materialized a watering can above his head. The can tilted out, spilling water onto him and causing a gush of steam to erupt from Discord's face and head. "Emphasis on the hot, wouldn't you agree; princess?"

"DISCORD! What in Equestria do you think you're doing here?" she huffed. Celestia's cheeks were flashing hot pink. She hated how easily he ruffled her feathers.

"Why I'm here to cheer you up of course. That's what old friends do, don't they? And from the sounds of it, you could certainly use a dose of extra strength cheer," he said; smiling smugly.

"And what makes you think I need cheering up?"

"You mean besides all the dreadfully serious moping you were just doing? Going on and on about how everything's falling apart and you're shouldering the blame for all of it?" he replied sarcastically. Discord casually checked his nails; filing them down with his white tail tip turned nail file.

Celestia bit her lip; pouting. She was so annoyed and rattled by his intrusive entrance, she didn't want to bother dignifying his eavesdropping with an answer. Celestia turned her head and harrumphed loudly.

"Oh don't be so hard on yourself Celestia," Discord chuckled; suddenly vanishing in a flash. Celestia noticed his voice had vanished and turned to see where he went. "That's my job!" he exclaimed jubilantly from above.

Celestia looked up to find the elusive trickster. Discord transformed himself into a stone statue of himself and collapsed onto Celestia. She grunted and captured his heavy form with her aura, the strain visible on her face. Discord was smiling broadly; each claw was holding a different object made out of stone: his eagle claw was holding a large eyeball and his lion's paw was holding a boulder.

ZAP!

Celestia teleported herself back to her throne; dropping the statue and watching it shatter on the ground into numerous pieces. She panted heavily with one hoof on her chest. The princess was still shaken by Discord's stunt, feeling more and more irritated by his pestering presence.

The rock pieces rolled into a large pile. Bit by bit, the pieces formed Discord's shape and height. The rock form blasted off like a shell once Discord's form was completed. He had a bitter, sour looking frown on his face.

"Oh okay, okay, I can see you're in a mood," he said with a snarky tone.

"You can crack all the jokes you want Discord but you will hear no laughter from me today," she said angrily. Celestia bundled herself tightly on her throne. She was in no mood for entertaining a mischievous guest, or playing his games. "I just want to be alone…Please…Leave me be."

Her icy front dissolved Discord's frown into a saddened blank stare. He had never seen her this upset; so full of heartache.

This was something serious.

"I um…I hate to bring up the whole eavesdropping thing again, but you just said how you were worried about having to face all the problems of the world alone…Didn't you?" he asked delicately.

Celestia looked at him blankly; silence was the only answer Discord received. Her heavenly aura was stained by a dreary cloud of misery and melancholy.

"I guess I just figured…You still had…Um…W-w-w-what about Luna? Surely she would be happy to-"

"Lulu is off visiting a personal admirer of hers. She'll be gone most of the night," Celestia said.

"Lulu eh? Heh-heh, oh I'm going to get a lot of mileage out of that one," Discord snickered; rubbing his paws together.

Before any further impish ideas could sprout in Discord's devious mind, Celestia flashed a lethal glare that stopped him in his tracks. Now was clearly not the time for such nonsense. He laughed nervously and offered a weak wave.

"Please Discord, enough tricks, enough pranking and playing around," she said solemnly, "it just hurts too much right now. I'd like you to leave me alone now…Please."

"A-a-a-all right but, if I may?" he looked at her apologetically; raising a single eagle talon. "Just. One. More. Trick?"

Discord leaned forward before Celestia could protest. His eagle claw reached behind her small, dove soft ear. A single, fiery orange orchid flower appeared in the palm of his claw.

Celestia gasped softly. Her eyes twinkled; staring fondly at the flower.

He placed the flower by her opposing ear; nestling it gently by her colorful flowing mane and royal crown. The orange shine from the flower sparkled radiantly alongside the princess's eyes.

"An oldie but a goodie. Correct me if I'm wrong but, I believe it's your favorite," he said charmingly.

"Why Discord…I…It's beautiful," she said astonished. Celestia levitated the flower from her ear and examined it. She crooned at its heavenly scent and stunning colors. "How did you know?"

"I remember you were frolicking in a field of them when I first saw you. It was quite a sight," he said; smiling sweetly. "That bouquet I gave you had quite a few orchids in it. Based on the look on your face, I'm guessing that was the right choice."

Celestia blushed deeply. Discord's charms were having too strong of an effect on her, she could even almost feel a smile coming on. She suppressed it though. Celestia wasn't going to let Discord off the hook that easily.

"Your memory is better than I expected," she replied coolly. She placed the flower back in her hair and turned sharply towards Discord. "I trust then you remember what happened after you found me in that orchid field."

Discord tugged at his neck nervously; pulling on a green tie he magically summoned. He murmured nervously under his breath.

"Well I um-"

"You made the entire orchid field sneeze spontaneously…At me. I was showered with saliva, petals and pollen. Furthermore, it was that day I first learned of the chaos you were unleashing on the ponies of Equestria, thus; my sister and I began our long and difficult campaign to stop you and free the ponies from the misery you caused," she stated boldly.

"Oh…Right…I guess that part must have slipped my mind," he replied. Discord felt like he was being melted under that punishing stare of Celestia's. The top half of his head slid off as if it were a teetering tower of blocks. A bouquet of orchids popped out from his open skull. "But you still like the flower…Right?" he meekly asked.

Celestia stared flatly at the fumbling trickster. His humor still failed to produce a single snicker.

"I thought we were past all that Celestia," he said earnestly.

"We are…Err…I mean I am. It's just that I have so much on my plate right now and I'm afraid it's put me in a rather sour mood. I apologize if I've been curt to you," she said.

"Nononononnonono, please princess, if anyone should be apologizing it should be me," he said frantically. His panicking seemed sincere. The slippery trickster didn't appear to be lying or deceptive this time.

"Apologize, what for?" she inquired.

"For everything! For the trickery, for stressing you out even further, for betraying you and all my friends to side with Tirek," he counted each event on one of his lion's paw claws. "But worst of all…For all those years I spent tormenting you, your sister and all the ponies of Equestria…I'm sorry."

For the first time in her life, Celestia couldn't see any hidden mischief behind those warped, red and yellow eyes. No crossed claws behind his back, no double talk or hidden meanings wrapped in a phony apology. This was real, this was honest. He was being honest.

Come to think of it, even when Discord said he was ready to use his magic for good…He never apologized about his misdeeds before. If this is another trick, then Discord is a better trickster than I gave him credit for. Could this be a genuine apology? Is Discord really trying to apologize…Because of me? She thought to herself.

"W-w-w-why Discord I…I don't know what to say," she sputtered fumblingly.

"Hopefully it's not that you still want me to go, but if you really do, I'll respect your decision," he said; humbling himself.

Celestia smiled fondly at his request. Humility and honesty were quite flattering emotions on the conniving chaos spirit, it was a side of Discord Celestia had never seen before, even after all this time. She nodded gracefully.

"Not that I don't find this confession comforting Discord, I must admit, I am rather puzzled at why you came to visit me now of all times," she mused curiously.

The chaos spirit flinched. His face and eyes jerked suddenly, as if experiencing a heart attack. His body broke into countless puzzle pieces; scattering across the floor. Celestia cautiously pulled her hooves back. She didn't want to step on any of those pieces.

POP!

The puzzle pieces instantly reformed back into Discord's complete shape. Celestia found his reaction rather…Unusual, but then again, everything Discord did was unusual.

"What do you mean why did I come to visit now? Don't you know?" he asked persistently. Celestia looked at him as if he was speaking a foreign language. She was quite perplexed. "The letter Celestia, I came to talk to you about that VERY important letter I sent you."

"Oh? You wrote me Discord? That's strange, I don't recall receiving anything from you," she pondered loudly. Celestia scratched her chin with her hoof.

The misshapen spirit felt like he had been turned to stone again. His rotten egg yellow eyes twitched nervously. Discord was becoming increasingly anxious. He started pacing back and forth, yanking off his horns and ears and throwing them on the ground, he continued to do this even as new horns and ears popped from his head. The thought of having to explain what was in that letter caused Discord's mind to overload. He felt like screaming until his lungs collapsed.

Celestia sported a half grin.

"Well then, since I obviously didn't receive this letter, why don't you just tell me what you wrote?" she said smugly. Celestia plopped her rump on a velvet royal throw pillow, her eyes locked squarely on the panicking draconequus. "You have my full, undivided attention."

Discord was reduced to a flabbergasted mess. He felt the weight of his words upon his mind; fearing that he may have to actually speak those heartfelt emotions he worked so hard pouring into his letter.

Now he must face his feelings towards Celestia, face to face.

"The truth is…I…I wrote you a letter explaining about feelings…Um my personal feelings…Towards you," he said shakily. Celestia's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise, showed no strong reaction. She continued to listen intently. "I never really knew what love was or why anyone would seek it. The only love I understood was the love of spreading chaos. It wasn't until Fluttershy helped me understand friendship that I was able to move to this next step."

"That makes sense but, why me? I was your enemy for so long and even after you reformed, we never spent that much time together. What was it that brought me to the outcome of your realization?" she asked tenderly.

"Out of all the beings, ponies and creatures I've met over my infinite life, you were the one that lingered in my memories. I hated you for trapping me in stone for all those years. However, I naturally had a great deal of time on my hands, so I had nothing else to do but listen to you and get to know you," he said. Discord fidgeted uneasily with his claws. "This may sound odd but, you always produced the best reactions whenever I was toying with you or mocking you. There was just something so…Irresistibly delightful about seeing your beautiful face get all wrinkled and ruffled whenever I was doing something mischievous."

Try as she might, Celestia could not suppress the blush rising on her cheeks. It was a confusing compliment but still a compliment.

"Especially that time I pulled your tail off and got a full view of that lovely sun butt of yours," he said; teasingly.

Celestia felt like she was going to burst into flames she was so red.

"Despite that high and mighty image of yours, deep down, I always had a sneaking suspicion that you had a playful side you were hiding. I found that terribly interesting. Like there was some sort of prankster you hid beneath the surface, a side few ponies know about. That, along with the fact there are so few beings out there who understand what it's like to live to the ripe old age of infinity as we do, convinced me beyond a Shadowbolt of a doubt that I…I…I've fallen in love with you…Celestia."

An uncomfortable silence settled on the two immortal beings. It was as quiet as a graveyard in the throne room, neither one had the courage or the confidence to know what to say next.

"I see…Is that everything?" Celestia asked.

"Yes, yes it is," his head hung wearily, "that's everything I wrote in the letter."

The princess smiled. She materialized a rolled up scroll out of nowhere, she unfolded the scroll right before Discord's bewildered eyes. It was the letter he had sent her.

"Oooooooh…You mean this letter?" she asked coyly.

"B-b-b-b-but that means…You just…But why did you…What was the…Everything I just-"

"I just wanted to hear you say it," she said with a giggle.

"Are you telling me that I was just tricked by Princess Celestia? ME? the master of chaos and mischief?!" Discord sputtered.

"Gotcha," she said with a wink.

POP!

Discord's blue, misshapen horn popped like a balloon. Air came spewing from the popped horn as if he was being deflated. Celestia meeped as Discord's body flew around the room; strewing about like a popped balloon. He zipped in the air for a few moments before finally landing. Discord lay at Celestia's snow white hooves; flattened like a wrinkly pancake that's been left out in the sun too long.

"Oh poo," he squeaked in a high pitched voice.

Almost instantly, Celestia burst into a sea of roaring laughter. The snow white princess could feel her cheeks turning bright pink. She doubled over; clutching her chest as the laughter kept flowing from her.

Discord returned himself to normal. The heavenly sound of Celestia's joyful laughter was like the sweetest music he had ever heard. He couldn't remember the last time he heard something so beautiful.

"You-your laughing…Your actually laughing," he said; astonished.

Celestia wiped her eyes clean of tears with her wings. She eventually composed herself so she could address Discord in a more dignified and respectable manner.

"What can I say? I've always found you to be a little funny Dizzy, just as long as you weren't harming any pony with your mischief," she said sweetly, "or manipulating them into something they're not."

"Fair point," he conceded. Discord scratched his head at the odd nickname she just called him by. Celestia giggled quietly.

Another uncomfortable silence rolled in; settling around the two like a dreary fog.

"So then," Discord coughed uneasily, "I've told you how I feel…So…What happens next?"

"Hmm I believe what happens next is a bottle of champagne, freshly baked rolls, a nice salad and OH, my chef knows how to make this absolutely scrumptious summer garden pasta," she said casually.

"Pasta? Wait-wait, are you saying-"

"Oh I'm not saying anything yet handsome," her sparkling eyes batted seductively at the stammering trickster, "at least not until you have dinner with me."

Discord closed his gaping mouth. This was certainly not the reaction he was expecting from the princess. The shock slowly warmed into a charming and delightful smile.

"So, what do you say Dizzy?"

"Well then, I say lead the way…Sun butt."

Luna had made her way to the location described on the last card delivered by her mysterious, secret admirer. Before she left however, she raised the moon and decorated the night sky with the most luminous of stars.

She wanted this night to be as perfect as possible, and being the princess of the night, that was rather easy to accomplish…At least presentation wise.

The location was at a café in downtown Canterlot. The café building was light purple and featured pink and violet colored canopy's shadowing over tables that looked like sliced limes. A tall, black, elegantly crafted lamppost stood directly in front of the café.

"It does not appear he has arrived yet. Good," Luna said. Her delicate hooves gracefully touched down on the asphalt in front of the closed café. The mare's wings folded onto her sides.

Luna was infinitely grateful this mysterious RS individual chose to meet her at night. Granted, she would have seen him in the daylight if he had arranged their meeting in the afternoon, or even the morning. Seeing her admirer at night suited the dark blue Alicorn for many reasons, privacy and intimacy topping the list.

"This is the exact location written on the last card, he specifically stated to be here at 11:30pm," she mused to herself. Luna looked across the street at a clock hanging above a store. "Its 11:20, he should be here soon…Hopefully," she said. There was a spot of fear clouding her voice. A part of her feared her date would not show, or that this was some elaborate, cruel joke someone was playing on her.

Two bat pony guards landed shortly behind Luna; both were gray in color and proudly wore Luna's trademark black and purple night guard armor.

The bat pony standing by the lamp post had a slight hunch. His wings were littered with holsters and strings containing weapons; blades mostly. The guard practically had his own cutlery stowed away in his wings. His eyes were faint yellow with a black, slit like pupil. The right eye however was covered by a metallic eye patch, two chrome bones cover the base of the patch in the form of an X. The pony scanned the area quickly. His hooves hovered anxiously near the blades stored in his wings.

The other pony hovered directly behind Luna as if he was her shadow. His hair was a grim shade of dark gray; eyes were rose red and featured dark upside down triangles directly below the lower eyelids. This bat pony seemed sturdier, bulkier and stronger than the guard carrying the blades.

"The area is secured your highness. No targets within the immediate area and any that approach are well within my throwing range," the blade wielding pony hissed. His voice was cold and low; like a snake. "Come on, some pony just give me a reason to use these, just one reason" he whispered excitedly.

"Rest assured princess, any pony foolish to dare touch you will be sent to the emergency room as a bag of bones," the larger pony said with a grunt. His hooves cracked with a shiver inducing crunch, it was a sound that always made the other guards cringe in disgust.

"Ugh, I have been over this with both of you many, MANY times! There will be NO harming of my date," Luna angrily snapped. "I didn't want either of you here with me in the first place. I am more than capable of taking care of myself, I am the princess of the night after all."

The guards looked at each other and shrugged before looking back towards the blue mare.

"Sigh…but I know thou are my royal guard and Tia insisted I bring thee. I still maintain my claim however, that this situation does not require such drastic measures, so," she turned to the larger pony, "that means there will be NO bone snapping, Shadows Fall." Luna then turned to the blade wielding pony. "And if I see one blade pointed at my date, Scythe, I shall personally see to it that thou scrub the bathrooms for a month!"

The guards flinched reactively. They nodded quickly and bowed respectfully, both of them knew all too well what wrath Princess Luna was capable of when angered.

Luna sighed and paced around the area; eyes checking back on the clock impatiently. Very few things frightened the night princess. Vanquishing nightmares and monsters from pony's dreams had made the princess immune to all kinds of fears.

Yet the possibility of being stood up by her secret admirer scared her more than anything else; be it in the dream world or the real one.

"What if he is too intimidated by the fact I'm a princess?" she thought to hereself. Her anxiety picked at her brain like a pack of relentless vultures. "What if my guards are frightening him, and making him less inclined to come? What if I don't live up to his artistic expectations? What if he thinks I could become Nightmare Moon again one day? Oh Tia…What do I do, what do I do?"

PSST!

Luna's crippling fears were suddenly frozen by a distracting noise. The strange sound was coming from around the side of the café. Scythe and Shadows Fall were inspecting more buildings further down the street; leaving the princess alone to investigate.

PSST! PSST!

The noise sounded like a blast of air coming from a can; like an aerosol spray. Luna peered down the side of the café, her ocean blue eyes shimmering with curiosity.

There, standing at the formerly blank wall of the café was a pony, a pony magically using an assortment of colorful spray cans to decorate the café wall with graffiti art. The pony is a unicorn, male. His fur dark ivory in color, he wore pale blue moon spectacles. His eyes were hazelnut brown and were focused intensely on his artwork. The pony wore a black leather jacket with metal spikes along the shoulders and sleeves, though oddly enough, all the spikes had been worn down into harmless little nubs. The pony's hair and tail mane were his most striking features. Both were messy, unkempt and medium in length. The bulk of his wild hair was a fiery blend of vivid orange, red and yellow, the roots however, had a descending assortment of dark blue and blue green splashed in. His right eyebrow had a single silver piercing, while his left ear had 3 piercings along the curve of the lobe. The punk pony's cutie mark resembled an ink blue gravity feed spray gun, only instead of a nozzle at the front of the gun, the brush from a paint brush was sticking out of it; dripping with a variety of neon colors.

"Yeah, yeah, this is splattering real nice," he said proudly. The punk scratched his chin for a moment; planning his next move. He levitated 2 cans by his hoof and started spraying each one in opposite corners of the wall. "A few strokes there and smudge a few streaks over here; yeaaaaaaah. Love the mixing bowl going on here. This is way shinier than my last one, definitely razor grade work if I do say so myself."

"Ahem!"

Luna's assertive cough jarred the punk pony out of his artistic trance. He looked towards the radiant Alicorn. For a moment, the punk pony had to adjust his spectacles to make sure he was actually looking at the real Princess Luna standing there. His eyes drank her image up voraciously, an impish smile appeared as he looked adoringly at his newly acquired royal audience. The graffiti artist did not seem frightened by Luna at all, in fact, he resumed spray painting; acting as if she were another pony passing by in the street.

"Hey there, be with you in one tick, I've got something major storm waves in my pallet and I gotta get this sorted before I fizzle," he said.

Luna's cheeks became puffy and flared. She couldn't believe this vandal was so blatantly ignoring her and treating her so casually.

"I beg one's pardon but what pray tell does thou think-"

"Do you know what color quasars are?" he asked; mysteriously.

"What…What are thou talking about?" Luna sputtered. The peculiar question had caught her off guard.

"Well you bring up the night, and space, and the stars, and every other twinkle in the black sea, so I was just puzzling you for a quick snap on what a quasar might look like. I got some noodling going for the colors in my stash, but I'd rather not mix it up if I can get some legit specs from an expert," he replied.

"I do more than that I will have you know, and I am not some expert. I am Princess Luna: princess of the night and co-ruler of Equestria," she flaunted proudly. The pony nodded in reply. His demeanor was still too calm for Luna's liking. "As for thou's request, I haven't the faintest fathom what bewitching words you speak of, but one thing is unmistakably clear," she confronted the pony and pointed accusingly at the wall, "this sort of vandalism is not allowed in Canterlot. What authority is bestowed upon thou to disgrace another's property?"

The punk pony smiled cheerfully. He chuckled amusedly at the princess's choice of words, this only seemed to irritate her even further.

"Well of courseit's not graceful yet, this pool of dreams isn't done filling up," he replied cryptically.

The unicorn casually walked past Luna and resumed working on his masterpiece. Her face was stricken with rampant confusion. This pony's words seemed like they were apart of some warped riddle she had to solve. Luna casually glanced back at the clock; still keeping track of the time.

"So what brings you out here; your royal loveliness?" he asked.

"Do not change the subject, and besides, I could ask thou the same thing!"

The colt stopped spraying. He turned his head into a sideways glance; lowering his glasses. It was a look that read: isn't that obvious?

"Oh…R-r-right, I suppose I trotted right into that one," Luna admittedly sheepishly. The punk pony chuckled dismissively and grabbed another spray can. "If thou must know, I am actually waiting to meet some pony here. There are still 5 more minutes until our scheduled meeting, but I fear that he will be late…If he shows up at all."

"Or maybe he'll be early," the colt said; smirking smugly.

"Wishful thinking can be a most wicked enemy young artist. Perhaps I should just accept the truth that I will walk this world alone. Being a princess and an Alicorn are most formidable barriers for any potential suitor to overcome, and then there are the bothersome guards as well," she pouted woefully.

"What? You gotta be messing with me, that's just cracked thinking," he exclaimed defiantly. Luna's eyes widened at his peculiar, yet bold statement. The unicorn colt dropped his can with a clattering crash. He approached Luna without the slightest bit of hesitation, she stepped back in mild surprise.

"What does thou mean by…Cracked thinking?" she asked.

"Any pony with peepers can see you're the finest fox in Equestria," he said confidently. He spoke as if this was a globally accepted fact.

"Perhaps thy spectacles are not functioning properly. As thou can plainly see," Luna motioned to her body with her hoof, "I am a pony, not a fox."

"Wait-wait-wait, just wait, are you trying to tell me no pony has told you how insanely gorgeous you are?" he asked; exasperated. This revelation was most unsettling to the punk pony.

Luna's cheeks turned slight shades of cherry blossom pink. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, her dark blue eyes having trouble maintaining eye contact with the graffiti colt. "Well…No…N-n-not in so many words" she admitted.

"Well now THAT is the real crime if you ask me, allow me to remedy this gross injustice," he said. The pony gallantly picked up Luna's fore hoof, planted a fur tingling kiss on it and placed it back down. "Princess, you are one absolutely, unequivocally and sensationally gorgeous sight to behold."

Luna's cheeks blushed furiously. Such chivalry mixed with strangely beautiful words, she was not expecting this from such a colorful and unsavory looking pony. He looked like the kind of pony one would avoid in a dark alley, yet he speaks as if he were a frog prince; charming himself a princess for a magical kiss.

"T-t-t-t-thank you strange artist. It appears your words, strange as they may be, hold an air of beauty to them," she admitted.

"Strange artist eh, well, I've been called worse," he laughed playfully. Luna stifled a giggle of her own. "But I prefer to be called Rebel Streak."

He extended his hoof to Luna, offering a proper greeting and introduction this time. Before Luna could return the gesture, a pair of dark, brutish shadows blitzed Rebel Streak with the force of a rhinoceros. Luna gasped as the punkish pony was crunched forcefully against the wall he had finished painted mere moments ago; though thankfully, missing the still-drying spray paint. Shadows Fall and Scythe dug into him without mercy.

"Thought you could slip past us, eh punk face?" Scythe sneered. Rebel tried to protest, but a quick flash of one of Scythe's blades instantly silenced his voice.

"How dare you soil the princess's royal hooves with your fowl, grungy stench; where's your respect low life?" Shadows Fall barked.

"Despite the fact my spine feels like a wet paper bag, I want to give a nice shout out to you hired guns for not pancaking me against my little mural here," Rebel grunted. His voice was strained due to the pressure of Shadows Fall's hooves digging into his chest. Though in pain and cornered, he really was quite sincere with his statement.

"Don't worry your highness. We'll take care of this scum for you. Scythe and I will personally see to it he's locked up for disgracing you and the café with his vileness," Shadows Fall said.

Luna was most annoyed at her guards persistent, albeit, useless need to protect her 24/7. She was about to address them when something stunning caught her eye. It occurred to Luna she had been so preoccupied with her anxieties, she had taken the time to actually examine Rebel's graffiti. It was a towering portrait of her, elements of outer space, such as quasars, black holes and shooting stars; filled up her body. The portrait depicted Luna as if she was comprised of the night sky and outer space itself. Most unsettling was the insignia located on the lower right hand corner; right where Rebel was being held. There were two yellow squiggly, splatter shaped letters; no doubt the artist's signature. The letters were a capitol R and S.

I don't believe it. THIS pony is my secret admirer?! She thought to herself. Everything started to fall into place the more she thought about it. The wall painting, the use of her likeness, the matching insignia on all of her cards, and the fact that he was here on time after all, it all made sense to her. I don't know why but I somehow thought he'd look different. Luna cleared her throat and firmly addressed her overzealous guards. "Kindly release my date this instant! I shall personally handle this from here. You two can take the rest of the night off, your services will no longer be required, Shadows Fall; Scythe."

The barbarous guards eased off of Rebel. The punk pony landed to the ground; coughing weakly as he tried to regain his strained voice. Shadows Fall and Scythe were baffled by the princess's commands. Shadows Fall in particular was especially flummoxed. Despite what his princess had ordered, Shadow Fall refused to show leniency towards this punkish rogue.

"Princess, please, I beg you to reconsider. This grungy delinquent is a gross offense to your good name," he barked defensively. "Even if he is the date you have been seeking, he is not fit to be seen with the likes of you. Everything about him makes me feel uneasy."

"Sounds more like constipation issues if you ask me," Rebel snidely joked.

Luna and Scythe chuckled discretely. Shadows Fall snorted his bull like nostrils at his partner, the blade wielding Pegasus looked away and whistled innocently.

"He clearly has a rotten attitude, and let's not all forget the fact he's a criminal who was caught defiling private property with this vile so-called art," he snarled crudely.

"Is thou actually referring to my likeness as vile?" Luna coldly asked.

Shadows Fall just realized what he had said and immediately regretted it. Luna stared down the muscular guard with the most venomous, heart stopping stare he's ever seen. Scythe meekly tried to aid his partner, but Luna's royal Canterlot voice silenced him effortlessly. Shadows Fall gulped loudly as the blue mare stood imposingly before him.

"Thou have treated my date as a despicable criminal and slandered his beautiful art as something that needs to be expunged. Rest assured Shadows Fall, if the rest of my night is tainted by thou's oafish thuggery, I shall personally see to it thou cleans all the bathrooms alongside Scythe" she said fiercely, "only instead of brushes…THOU WILL BE USING THY TONGUES!"

Scythe and Shadows Fall lost all color in their faces. The guards scrambled to vacate the area as quickly as possible; they jabbered wordlessly in horror. Luna sighed once the guards were out of sight.

"Man, I think I saw their bones jumping out of their skin for a moment," Rebel commented.

"M-m-m-my deepest apologies Rebel Streak. I should have called them off the moment I found thee, no part of me wanted them here in the first place," Luna sadly confessed. "I must admit, when I first realized thou were the artist behind all those beautiful cards, thou did not look like what I had expected."

"Ah no big thing, I get that a lot. Truth be told, you're just as smoking hot and razor fine as I expected you'd be," he smoothly remarked.

"Razor…Smoking? I do not understand. I find smoking to be a most unpleasant habit and do not partake in it. As for razors, Scythe was the only one who would have had any blades on his person if thou are in need of any," Luna said.

Rebel shook his head and chuckled.

"No-no, smoking is how I call someone beautiful, and when I say razor, it's when I refer to something or someone awesome, sensational or cool," he explained.

Luna slowly processed everything he was saying. Her grasp over common colloquialisms and slang was still rusty at best, but Rebel's vernacular was leaps and bounds more confusing than what she's heard from others.

"I see…Thou speaks in a very strange and unusual manner," Luna said.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you."

The Alicorn princess paused for a moment. Her face lit up with a newfound surge of joy, her lungs bursting with youthful laughter. The roguish pony had an eerily enchanting effect on the blue mare; one that she was enjoying thoroughly.

"Yes, I suppose that is true," she said; smiling warmly.

Discord and Celestia sat comfortably across from each other in the royal dining hall. The extensive table was littered with gourmet cuisine; most of it eaten. The two ancient beings were laughing and smiling at each other. They felt like they could talk for ages, time slipped away in the nostalgic warmth of their infinite number of memories and stories.

"So-so wait a minute, are you telling me you actually wanted me to mess things up at the Grand Galloping Gala?" Discord asked.

"Of course, the Gala is the most dreadfully boring event imaginable," she said breezily, "being surrounded by uppity rich snobs all night is more exhausting than battling Queen Chrysalis." Celestia took a sip of champagne; smacking her lips.

The two shared a grand laugh that echoed through the halls of Canterlot castle. The guards securing the doors to the dining hall looked at each other and smiled. Though they felt it was strange leaving Celestia alone with someone like Discord, they were comforted by hearing their princess laugh with such merriment. They haven't heard her sound so joyful ever since the matter with the artifact thief started.

"Well I suppose that makes sense. Part of me secretly hoped you invited me because…You know…You might have liked me," he grumbled bitterly.

"Who said it can't be both?" she winked; swallowing down a piece of pink frosted cake.

"It's what's not being said that's troubling me the most," he said shyly.

"Whatever do you mean Dizzy? You sound so serious, that's not like you."

Discord vanished from his seat and materialized in front of Celestia; hovering just above her dirty dishes. With one snap of his claws, the table and the empty plates vanished. Discord hovered wearily above the still seated princess.

"This is a very serious matter you see. No tricks, no illusions, just the real me asking a very real question and hoping for a very real answer," he whispered boldly. The trickster coiled his tail like a spring. He descended slowly onto his tail and sat on it like a chair.

Celestia was rigid with curiosity. She nodded; looking at him endearingly with doe like eyes.

"What are we Celestia? What are we to one another? Old friends, old enemies, what does everything we've said and done amount to? These feelings inside of me are confusing and strange…I…I don't know what to make of them…Or of you," he said intensely.

"I…I…I'm sorry Discord, but I'm afraid I don't have that answer," she replied solemnly. Celestia stood up and approached a window. She stared breathlessly at the world down below, her eyes pleading the heavens for some kind of answer to her own internal struggle. "You're not the only one who's putting themselves in uncharted waters. I want there to be a special someone in my life, there's a part of me that wants that someone to be you…But…I don't know if you can be that someone."

Discord whimpered sorrowfully. A shimmering tear drop could be seen dripping down Celestia's cheek in the window's reflection.

"And as powerful as I am and appear, my heart is far too fragile to be wounded any further."

"W-w-w-what do you mean any further?" he asked.

"Oh Discord, please don't tell me you actually believe that Fluttershy was the only mare whose feelings you hurt when you sided with Tirek?" she coldly wept.

The memory of his betrayal hit Discord like a sledgehammer. Somehow, amongst all his inner turmoil and emotional struggles, he had nearly forgotten one of the most devastating decisions he had ever made: betraying the ponies. He had been personally hired to capture Tirek and decided to work with him instead. The memories of the hurt pony's faces came stinging back into his mind like a flurry of wasp stings.

Fluttershy took it the worst, as he knew she would.

Celestia however was the pony who personally enlisted him to find Tirek in the first place. Knowing how he feels about her now, makes him feel even guiltier since it was her trust he betrayed before any pony else's. Celestia, her sister Luna and Cadence wound up being discarded in Tartarus because of his decision. One simple apology wasn't going to cut it.

"You still haven't gotten over that, have you?" he asked nervously.

"Does that surprise you?"

"N-no…I suppose not," he admitted weakly.

"I trusted you Discord…I gave you a second chance because I believed you truly could change…And you sold us out to the devil," she squeaked scornfully. Discord had never felt so ashamed in all his immortal life. Celestia turned from the window to face him, both eyes were dripping tears now. "You chose a criminal over your friends," her tearful eyes intensified, "you chose him over me…THAT is where we are at…And we've been there ever since Discord."

"I've done many, many terrible things to you and your subjects and I regret all of them. But none of them, absolutely NONE of them sicken me like that one does," he moaned miserably. Celestia closed her eyes; refusing to look at him. "I thought that he accepted me for who I truly am. I was still raw with all this friendship stuff, I was worried every pony was forcing me to be something that I am not."

"No one forced you Discord. You had a choice, you always had a choice…And you choose poorly," she replied.

"I was afraid everyone was trying to change me, that I had to become something I am not just for you ponies to like me," he said. His voice was growing louder and more frantic than he realized.

"You didn't have to change everything you are to be liked Discord, you didn't have to change everything…To be loved Discord," she whispered breathlessly. Celestia's eyes watered once more. The pain in her voice echoed with heartache, not anger like before. "Why do you think I wanted you free from your stone prison again? Why do you think I wanted you at the Gala? Why do you think I invited you to dinner? Our lives, our hearts, however long or however eternal they may be, they're connected…And I wanted them to be connected, I wanted us to stay connected. There is something between us, yes, but I'm just too scared of being hurt again to trust you enough to find out what that something is…I'm sorry."

"But-but I'm not the same person I was before. I've learned my lesson, yes I still have much to learn, I hear it from Princess Bookworm all the time," he grumbled begrudgingly. "But the one thing I know for certain is that what I'm feeling is no passing fancy. I know I have given you no right to trust me, and yet, I'm asking you to do it all the same. Let me show you there's more to me than twists and turns."

Celestia paused to process everything. Her sighs were heavy and choking with teetering sobs, she felt like her mind and heart were being suffocated simultaneously.

"It's not just that Dizzy," she said gravely, "there's so much more I'm scared of than betrayal, so much I don't want to have happen again."

Discord stared at her confusedly. His horns morphed into a pair of question marks.

"You're not the first I've attempted to welcome into my heart. I've been alone for far too long. Despite my position and authority…I…I maintained a number of relationships over the years; kept hidden of course," she confessed tearfully. "Those that stayed with me…w-w-withered and died…I remained the same; always the same. I knew they would end badly, I knew it would hurt every single time I outlived another pony I loved but…I did it anyway."

Celestia's tears burst like waterfalls; she couldn't hold the pain back any longer. Discord was the first and only soul she had ever confessed these feelings to.

"I don't want to lose any pony else, not again. I know we will both outlive countless souls in this world, but if we were to be together, that would mean we would be together forever," she boomed intensely. Celestia's hooves slowly clopped towards Discord. His yellow eyes slowly widening as the realization of her words started to sink in. Her beautiful face was so broken and empty moments ago, now, she looked intense enough to stare down death itself. "I've been alone too long to venture into anything that leads to a doomed relationship. I know this is a lot to put on you Discord, I know it's not fair, but my heart cannot bear another scar. To love me is to love me for the long haul. If you are ready for that, if you are truly sincere in your commitment with me, then my heart can be yours forevermore…But…You need to decide if that is a promise you can keep."

"And if I do say yes, if I do agree to this, then won't your subjects be giving you the stink eye for dating you're old enemy?" Discord asked wearily.

"I may be a princess and an Alicorn…But I am also a mare Discord. My heart is my business, and I will choose and love whoever I desire; regardless of public opinion. I'm done hiding this side of my life," she said assuredly.

"I see…This is a lot to take in, you understand that?" he said rhetorically.

"Of course. By all means, take all the time you need," she smiled weakly at the pondering draconequus. "What else do we have but time?"

Discord and Celestia decided it was best to call it a night. Both had given each other plenty to think about and both had enjoyed each other's company; despite the emotional turbulence of their conversation.

Celestia politely requested Discord contact her once he had made his decision; for better or for worse. The trickster vowed he would. Despite his mischievous nature, Celestia truly believed he would keep his word…This was the first time she'd be trusting him since his betrayal.

Discord politely bowed, and before she realized it, stole a kiss from Celestia's cheek; before vanishing with a snap of his claws.

The princess was left alone; clutching the tingling after sensation of his lips on her now rosy pink cheek. She smiled hopefully.

Even after all these years…He still knows how to surprise me, she thought to herself.

Princess Luna and Rebel Streak continued to enjoy their late night date; basking amongst the stars on a blanket in the royal garden. The princess figured it would be best to continue their date close to home so her night guards wouldn't keep sneaking away from their posts to check up on her.

Plus, she always thought the garden looked especially beautiful in her moonlight.

"This is sure one swanky piece of green you got here. I feel like it's costing me some serious coinage just chilling here," Rebel said; casually looking around the exotic flowers surrounding them.

"Why thank you Rebel. The garden has always been a strong source of relaxation for me and my sister," Luna said calmly. She levitated a moon themed tea pot and poured two cups for herself and Rebel. "If thou are still feeling cold after tea, I can happily arrange a warm coat for thee."

Rebel was about to ask what she meant, but then realized his use of the word "chilling" mislead her to think he was cold. The punk pony chuckled at her adorable naiveté.

"Thanks but that won't be necessary, your company is plenty cozy, princess," he replied with a wink.

Luna's innocent blush shined glitteringly in the moonlight.

"In all my years on this world, I have never been gifted with such a unique method of adoration," she said; referring to Rebel's artistic cards. Luna was quite curious why Rebel chose such an unusual style for his letters for her, and more importantly, why he chose her to be his date for tonight. "Forgive my curiosity. I do not mean to appear to question thou's feelings, but I must know, why me? What was it about me that inspired thee to create such beautiful work?"

"Well, back when I was still squeaking through puberty, our school class had to some digging on Equestria's history on the Two Sisters. I had sunk pretty low on the grading alphabet so I needed some major grade-age on this particular test. Naturally, that lead me to learn all about you," he said smoothly.

"But why would that inspire thee to craft my image into works of art? Surely teaching foals about our legacy is fairly common," Luna said inquisitively.

"That's the thing that sparked the lightbulb in the first place: the art. All our history books had these extraordinarily beautiful art pieces done by this masterpiece maker, an unicorn author by the name of Lady Faust. She sketched you, your sister and even your dark side of the moon makeover as Nightmare Moon, and they were so damn stellar," he proudly beamed.

Once again, Rebel's words confused her. He could see he was not making his point clear enough.

"Even though they taught us that Nightmare Moon was a real bad scene and-and we had to see you as this unstoppable villain that'll always be scarred in our memories, I saw you a little differently," he said.

The princess nervously asked him how he saw her.

Though his intention seemed kind, any memory associated with her darker days tended to be a dampener on her mood. She prayed he was not some radical Nightmare Moon fan who desired her instead of the real princess of the night.

"You just looked…So…Cosmic. You looked like the heavens had been forged in paint and paper. I had never seen a pony's beauty captured so majestically. Even in the art depicting you as Nightmare Moon, I still couldn't stop staring at those pages. I looked at them in class for hours and hours, the uh teachers thought I was on goofballs or something," he said jokingly. Luna chuckled softly. "It was that day I decided I wanted to be an artist. You could say…You were like my muse. The way I saw it: our class taught us that you were the bad guy; you were someone who we studied as a threat to Equestria. If that artist could take someone who we were supposed to see as evil or bad and make her look that unimaginably exquisite, then there must be something truly magical about that mare," he replied.

For a moment, Luna couldn't formulate a single thought. Her face and mind were flustered beyond comprehension, her heart pulsating from the rising warmth in her chest. She bit her lip softly; looking as if she were a love struck teenage filly.

Rebel Streak smiled proudly at this reaction.

Suddenly though, Luna's reaction changed from sweet to sultry. The princess had her own air of confidence brimming about her royal blue cheeks. Rebel was thrown slightly off by Luna's strange, alluring glance.

"You know, for some pony who dresses like a scoundrel," she purred softly, "you are quite the charming gentlemen my good sir." Luna leisurely strolled past the red faced colt. She was moving towards a patch of lilac blossoms. As she passed Rebel, Luna's star shimmering tail playfully smacked him in the face. Rebel turned several shades redder.

"S-s-s-s-scoundrel, no pony has ever c-c-called me that," he stammered; fondly rubbing the spot where Luna's tail struck him. He watched her gorgeously sculpted flanks swaying tauntingly as she moved towards the flowers. "I think I like the sound of it….And the look of it."

Luna bent down and took a sniff of the flowers heavenly scent. She flashed a charming smile to Rebel and motioned for him to join her.

"Tell me then; what names do others typically call you?" Luna politely asked.

"Oh you know…The usual: punk, vagrant, vandal, thief, scuzzy…And my personal favorite: Disappointment," he said causally.

Luna's eyes flashed wildly. A surge of shock beamed inside her ocean blue orbs, Rebel was surprised at how alarmed she appeared.

"Those are horrible, wicked names! Do they not know the beauty in which you paint or the charming flare in which you speak?"

"Folks in Canterlot aren't too fond of some delinquent punker with brightly colored hair mucking around their squeaky clean shops with spiked leather jackets and piercings. And don't even get me started on how fast their noses shoot up when they see me working my spray can magic. It's a fairly typical reaction to my appearance," he said calmly. Rebel spoke as if rejection and disgust were reactions he experienced on a daily basis.

Luna found this unsettling and most unacceptable.

"There is nothing typical about baseless hatred. Your clothing and art style are unique, exotic; nothing to be feared or reviled. That portrait you crafted on the side of the café is nothing short of breathtaking. You are a truly gifted and brilliant artist" she stated proudly. Luna spoke with such certainty; Rebel almost looked like he genuinely believed her…almost.

He looked at her and smiled weakly.

"Thanks, it's nice to know I got at least one fan. Your opinion's the only one that matters so I'm glad you find my work to be razor," he said.

"You're…only fan? Surely you jest! Do your mother and father not applaud you for your remarkable gifts?" Luna asked; slightly stunned to hear she was his only fan.

"Oh…Heh…Them…Well actually, most of those nasty names actually came from my old man and lady," he replied with a weak laugh.

If it wasn't for the fact there were such lavish floras before her, Luna felt like she may actually vomit in shock. She felt sickened beyond measure to hear Rebel speak so of such horrid things like it was no big deal.

"It's not that big of a bummer, really. You spark all kinds of dreamworks in me so I've got that to keep the creatives juices pumping," he idly remarked.

"It is most definitely so the large bummer! I've never heard of such wretched, unappreciative parents before in all my ages," Luna steamed. She began stomping vigorously around in a circle. Her crushing hoof prints were leaving large dents in the grass and ground, several insects darted away from her storming pacing. "How can they not see you are merely expressing your typical rebellious nature with your clothing and vernacular? It is fairly common for youth to respond in such ways during adolescence."

"Actually, I'm 28," he said.

Luna's pacing stopped abruptly. This unicorn never failed to surprise her tonight. Her blank face and dazed look caused Rebel to chuckle; he expected she'd look at him this way.

"I know; I'm dressed like I'm much younger than I actually am. Mom and dad emptied buckets worth of bits to turn this bad boy into the next sparkly clean snob. We're talking the full high society zombie works: manners lessons, personally tailored clothing, extra rigorous meal etiquette training, even rehearsing proper and improper conversational topics and responses," he said with a shudder. "If it were up to the old 'rents, I'd be sporting a life sucking cashmare sweater and learning the proper method of how to choke on caviar in front of a bunch of other rich douche nozzles."

"Douche Nozzles, is that a family class I am unfamiliar with?" she pondered aloud. "Your wording is a bit crude but fairly on point, the Grand Galloping Gala is heavily saddled with ponies of that nature. It's exhausting just talking to them," Luna added drolly.

"Well you don't seem to mind my wording Madame princess," he added smarmily.

"And what makes you say that?" she asked.

"Well for one thing, you stopped saying 'thou' and 'thee' and used the word 'you' when referring to me," he pointed out knowingly.

Luna's eyes widened slightly. She hadn't realized it until just now. Rebel was correct, she hadn't used her traditional royal Canterlot dialog around him since they arrived at the garden.

"It seems I rubbed a bit off on you," Rebel gloated.

"So it would seem," she said; nudging him teasingly.

"My language tends to affect others like that, well, my parents think so anyway. That's why I'm modeling the leather, hair dye and piercings; to ruffle my and dad's already uptight flanks. All my life I've been royally janked to be some rich prude's suck-up doll. I never had time to find out what flavor my weirdness was until the boat had already left Teenville. So I cranked the rebellious act up to 11 and punked out first chance I got; even invented my own kooky line of communication. I thought it might help the 'rents see that I'm never going to be like them; get them to see me the way I want to be seen," he explained.

"Did it?"

"No…If anything I'm an even bigger disappointment than I was before. They apologize because of me everywhere we go. They don't even bring me up in conversations with friends unless some pony directly asks them about me…Which doesn't happen often. If I laid down a sweet piece of art somewhere, they'd pay to have it scrubbed off and make me ride in the lecture wagon all the way home, which is probably what they're gonna do to that dope portrait of you on the side of the café soon as they find out," he solemnly stated.

"I've been meaning to ask you Rebel, why did you choose that particular café for the portrait?" Luna asked.

"Mom and dad go there all their time; it's their café of choice. Thought maybe they'd be forced to actually look at my work and acknowledge it or something," he sighed miserably, "it was a stupid thought…I know." Rebel stared down at a nearby pond. His glasses reflecting the dark and dreary ripples in the water, he felt as cold and murky as the pond water.

Luna felt such pain and sorrow flowing from her no-longer secret admirer. It killed her to see him this way. She couldn't imagine how any parent could be so uncaring to their child, could they not see what she sees when she looks at his art…When she looks at him?

Her lips form a kind-yet playful grin, she just realized how she could help her suffering artist. Luna gently patted his back with one of her wings.

"You know, I believe I have been inspired by your art Rebel. Canterlot could certainly benefit from an artist as gifted and free spirited as you."

"Yeah right," he replied dryly, "my art will be scraped off like chewing gum by tomorrow night."

"Not unless I royally designate it as official art for Canterlot," she boasted smugly. Her smile widened once she saw the stunned look on the colt's face.

"Wait…What? Yyy-y-you're actually going to-"

"It is as you said my charming scoundrel," she smiled tenderly and nuzzled Rebel's cheek, "you have indeed rubbed off on me." Her horn lightly clinked against Rebel's ear piercings.

"T-t-t-t-t-thank you princess, I-I-I'm speechless, I'm never speechless! I just wish there was some way I could repay you your royal-"

Luna gently halted his lips with her hoof.

"Please…Call me Luna…I insist," she sweetly asked.

"O-o-o-okay…Luna," he stuttered.

Rebel felt like he was breaking some kind of law by addressing a princess by her first name! He always felt because of the way he dressed and his passion for graffiti art, he would never be worthy enough to speak to a princess; certainly not one as beautiful as Princess Luna. That was why he sent the art cards instead of love letters. Rebel wanted Luna to come to him without knowing what he looked like, he knew no punk pony artist would ever be allowed to approach the castle without being stopped by the guards.

He doubted he would even get within 10 yards of the castle looking the way he does.

"As much as I have been enjoying our time together, I am afraid this is all the time I have to give tonight. I have nightly responsibilities I must attend to. This has been a most splendid evening Rebel, and if you choose to, I would be deeply honored to enjoy another evening with you," Luna said sincerely.

"Consider my dance card thoroughly dusted and cleaned off for you prin-eh, I mean…Luna," he quickly corrected, "Just say the time and the place."

"The day after tomorrow, meet me at the castle after I raise the night sky; don't be late. I shall happily inform the guards to welcome you as my honored guest err-date. You need not fear their spears or stares when you approach, I promise you," Luna said.

Rebel believed her. He waved goodbye to the Alicorn mare as she flew off into the night; resuming her nightly duties. Before Luna departed however, she stopped in mid-air and flew back to the colt staring at her in the garden. She hovered just above Rebel's horn.

"I almost forgot to give you something before I left," she chirped eagerly.

"You have scored major brownie points with me already, and then some. What could you possibly have left to give me?" he chuckled.

Luna leaned down and planted a heavenly kiss on top of Rebel's nose. Her soft lips left his muzzle with a loud pop. Rebel was once again stunned silent, he could feel the heat of his blushing glow filling up his face.

"I just wanted to rub off on you as well," she said flirtatiously. Luna gave him a final smile and teasing wink before leaving.

Princess Luna finally vanished into the pristine night sky, her cutie mark last seen dissolving amongst the twinkling stars along with the rest of her. Rebel Streak was as still as the statues in Celestia's garden. His sharp tongue left frozen in shock, his white cheeks sizzling with red hues.

"Wow…Now that…Was pretty razor," he gasped.

To be continued…

IT'S SO FLUFFY! Yes, this chapter was chock full of fluff (and some drama) and I loved every minute of it ^_^ now everyone finally knows who Luna's admirer is. I want to give a special thank you to Tenshoru for helping me nail down Rebel Streak's name. Now, since this chapter was a wee bit shorter than I expected (not by much though) and because I thought this would be fun to include, it's time for some TRIVIA TIDBITS!

Thought you guys might like some interesting behind the scenes details about this story, enjoy!

1. The story's name comes from a quote from the 2006 "American Idol" styled movie, "American Dreamz." The Simon Cowell-like judge (played by Hugh Grant) sees a performer and comments on his singing: "That was strange…yet wonderful."

2. The name Moonstruck came to me while I was watching my wife play a phone game she enjoys called "Dragon Vale", I think it's called that. There was a stone in the game called "moonstruck" and I thought: hey, that would be a great pony name!

3. Hopeful Romantic is an obvious play on the term "hopeless romantic." I used to go by the online name of "Not-so-Hopeless Romantic" on a message board I no longer visit, but that was too long for a pony character's name, so I shortened it to "Hopeful."

4. The original idea for the story was just going to focus on Twilight and Moonstruck and Spike and Rarity. The villains, extra couples and all these other elements were not originally intended. I decided to use them when I realized so many people wrote shipping stories with only one couple involved. I liked the few stories I read where everyone is involved, so I decided to write a story where (mostly) everyone falls in love.

5. Once I decided to include the villains and extra couples, I was going to make everyone's pairings more race typical: Hopeful with Rainbow and Arrowhead with Applejack. However, lots of people have done that so I thought it would be more interesting if the characters ALL got paired with partners who were not like them. Spike and Rarity and Twilight and Moonstruck were already different from each other, so it kind of just went from there.

6. Arrowhead was partially inspired by the OC Ironhead, created by mr. mixsiple for his unfinished story "My Little Pony: The Brothers of Discord."

7. The poem Applejack reads from Hopeful in Chapter 15: Date Night (part 2), was an original poem written and owned by me. I wrote it for my wife years ago during a special occasion.

8. Nearly all of my OC's have little bits of myself incorporated into them. I am a lover of romance and a poetry writer (like Hopeful), I prefer things straight without beating around the bush (like Arrowhead), and my favorite color is purple and word is marshmallow (like Moonstruck).

9. Some of Lovelorn's angry dialog towards Hopeful was taken (loosely) from my real life older sister.

10. Wild Heart was heavily based on my real life younger brother, who also, tragically lost his life at a young age. Wild Heart's hair style, personality and even his love for Eagles were all accurate components of my brother. Wild Heart is my way of paying tribute to his memory.

11. Valentino was heavily modeled after Gomez Addams (Raul Julia's take specifically) from "The Addams Family" movies. Some of his lines were taken right from the first film.

12. All of the Heart family's names are related to hearts, romance or love in one way or another. Christie Mingle and Eve Harmony's names came from the dating sites: Christian Mingle and Eharmony. They are essentially my mirror reflection of Applejack's family size and name puns.

13. There was originally going to be a dance number where Applejack and Hopeful have a "dance off" in front of the Heart family; dancing to Mumford and Son's "I will wait for you." Heartbeat was going to play the song for them as his "gift" for Applejack. The chapter grew too long and had so much in it, I had to cut the dance/song sequence out entirely and come up with something else for his gift to her.

14. Chapter 17: The season you were there, that name is also the name of an episode from one of my favorite anime series; "Mahoromatic."

15. The term "Razor" Rebel Streak uses is the catchphrase of Katie Holmes punk character; Rachel, from one of my favorite movies; "Disturbing Behavior."

16. All of the villains have the letter C somewhere in their names: Chimera Khan, Crowe and Bubbling Cauldron.

17. Bubbling Cauldron was never intended to be in the story. Originally, Khan and Crowe would be the only villains. However, I realized I needed someone with magic to help Khan add artifacts to his armor, and since Crowe is an Earth pony (a choice that is very relevant to the story); I needed a unicorn to help him out. And yes, she IS The Great and Powerful Trixie's cousin for those wondering.

18. Moonstruck's mother, Lady Kuru; her name is Japanese for "laughing sickness", which will make more sense when more information is revealed about her in future chapters.

19. The idea for Chimera Khan's armored concept was inspired by the OC villain Metal Wing, from the story "What You Believe In" written by author, Omega Wing.

20. Heartbeat's younger sister, Little Cupid, has her appearance modeled off of my favorite Sesame Street character; Abby Cadabby.

Hope you enjoyed those, now it's time for the NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Twilight, Rarity and Spike return from Canterlot. Unfortunately, everything didn't go so well. The 3 hide what really happened to them at Canterlot, brewing up even more problems; leading Spike and Rarity and Twilight and Moonstruck all to a very bad place. Bye for now!

22. We Need To Talk

Chapter 22: We Need to Talk

Hello again awesome readers! This chapter was supposed to be up sooner but I got MAJORLY distracted by some RL things and I ended up getting writer's block that took me a while to overcome. I've also been thinking up some new fic ideas unrelated to this one. I haven't written anything non Pony related in months so I'm trying to branch out a bit and try some ideas for other shows I haven't gotten off the ground yet. Now this chapter is what I consider my story's calm before the storm. Everyone whose been asking where Spike and Rarity are going and when is Khan going to arrive. the next upcoming chapters will finally answer those questions. As for this chapter, be on the look out for some nods to my least favorite episode in the entire series "Princess Spike." I put some fairly strong criticisms I had about that episode in this chapter, some subtle and some not. They're kind of like my way of saying to the writers: don't do that again! Also, there's a lot of flashbacks in this chapter. I don't like using them as much as I have been but it's the only way I feel to convey the proper scenes in the order I need them to appear in. Aside from one very important flashback that'll appear in chapter 25, thankfully, you won't be seeing much more of them.

Now, time to give you awesome reviewers some awesome shout outs!

STFRSK1MM3R: Thanks for the great feedback! Love hearing when people like my OC's. Don't you worry about the main pairings, this chapter is literally all about them and so is the next chapter. Sorry it wasn't updated as fast this time!

Ponyloco: Thanks as always for your well thought out and lengthy reviews, you always give such useful comments! It seems everyone's a fan of Rebel. I couldn't be more pleased. I've wanted to put him in for some time now but had to wait until it felt right to do so. There's a lot about him people seem to connect with so I'm happy to hear you resonate with him on some level. I don't take offense about the Discord/Celestia comment, you're not far off. The reason they seem disjointed is because I wanted to display an authentic long term relationship and it's pitfalls. Even though Celestia and Discord have never been "together", they've known each other for many years and having been in a long term relationship myself, I know how easily a happy moment can turn ugly with the wrong comment. Its much easier when starting out in a new relationship than trying to maintain an old one, which is the contrast I wanted to display with Luna's ease of connecting with Rebel and Discord's difficulty reconnecting with Celestia. I'm thrilled to hear the trivia facts went over well. I've been wanting to include them for some time now but wasn't sure how people would react to them or had any interest in reading them. Have no fear! Moonstruck and Twilight and Rarity and Spike's relationships are the sole focus of this chapter, and even more so with the next one. Strap yourself in because their relationships are in for a bumpy ride, thanks again for the review!

LemonSmoothie: It's official, Rebel Streak is a hit! I agree, I wanted to include the Royal Sisters in the love fest, even though the story is already full of so many pairings as it is. I agree completely on things potentially ending up too complicated, it's one of the reasons I originally planned to have this story only be about Spike/Rarity and Moonstruck/Twilight. But the more I wrote the more the idea took on a life of it's own and evolved into what it is now. In retrospect, I'm very pleased to see this become a more complex story as I feel it's what the story needed rather than oversimplifying it. I truly appreciate you saying you feel I'm balancing everything, it's more difficult than you think! But it's nice to know the work does not go unnoticed, always value your feedback!

A Man Undercover: Flawless you say? Wow, that's a tall order but thank you very much!

Lord Arkham: Moonstruck DOES know about Discord's crush, but he guessed it, Discord never openly told him or any pony else except for Fluttershy. At least I think that's what you were referring to?

Thanks again everyone, you make this whole story worth writing. Now enjoy the chapter!

The train whistle howled with a deafening screech. Steam blasted from the ear piercing device, wheels started rolling as the train departed the station; heading towards Ponyville. Inside sat 3 weary looking passengers: a purple Alicorn, a white unicorn mare and a purple dragon with green spines. Several ponies cringed awkwardly as they passed the trio of friends.

Every one of them looked like they had just returned from a funeral.

Twilight, Rarity and Spike stared in every direction other than towards each other. Twilight's violet orbs gazed lifelessly out the window; watching the fields and buildings pass her by in a meaningless blur. Rarity looked at her hooves for what seemed like an eternity. It was especially strange because her hooves had not been polished or treated at a spa recently; Rarity would normally never stare at such imperfection for such a long period of time. Spike found his sullen gaze leeching onto the bits of trash bouncing under the seat of the pony sitting across from him. He found solace watching loose change and a half eaten potato chip rattle with every thump along the tracks.

The trio looked more like depressed strangers rather than close friends. Each one of them felt lost, hurt and alone…and not one of them wished to speak about it.

Something dreadful had happened to the trio of friends, and though they were happy to be heading back home, not one of them looked forward to explaining what dreadful misery had afflicted them.

"Food cart, food cart! Can I offer any of you three something to eat or drink?" asked a cheerful earth pony. He had orange fur, black hair and faint brown eyes. He smiled cheerfully as he extended an assortment of snacks to the dreary trio, "Anything for you princess?"

Twilight and Spike continued to stare elsewhere; treating the pony like a ghost. Rarity, however, looked up and glared diamond blue daggers at the clueless clerk. She looked like she was going to behead him with those grim filled eyes. The food cart pony laughed nervously and quickly dashed off.

Twilight sighed heavily, her breath lightly fogging up the window. The mentioning of "drinks" triggered a most unpleasant memory in her dreary mind. It was the source of her current state.

FLASHBACK

"Now where in Equestria can he be? I've looked all over the castle and asked every guard but still no sign of him," Twilight mused to herself. The purple pony had been searching for Moonstruck ever since she spoke with Princess Celestia. Unfortunately for her, he was nowhere to be found and she was growing concerned. "Princess Luna said he was in a better mood when she last saw him. I figured we could talk things over, but obviously something's wrong because he wouldn't just go out alone…right?" Twilight audibly groaned and rolled her eyes. She forgot she was still talking to herself and not Spike. "When I find that dragon, we need to have a serious talking about…um…whatever it is that he wouldn't talk…to me…about…I really need to stop talking to myself!"

Twilight's awkwardly audible monologue had attracted several ponies' attention. She hoped their gawking was attributed to the fact she was a princess walking around casually, though deep down, she was fairly certain it was because she was talking to herself out loud.

The princess teleported herself to various spots in Canterlot; checking all possible locations Moonstruck might be at. The mare grew more and more anxious with each failed attempt to find her sarcastic friend. She contemplated asking other ponies if they had seen him, but she knew there were still quite a few citizens who distrusted Moonstruck due to his criminal record; despite the fact Celestia had pardoned him. Twilight overheard some of Canterlot's elite speaking despicably about Moonstruck as she passed them, it only made her feel more fearful about what might happen if she doesn't find him soon.

"BUUUUURP"

"And then I said…I said…you can take that book-that buh blah book and shove it up your own flank lady HA, HA! Then she said something all smarty and I was like 'well we all can't be smart enough to uh…to make the uh…with the uh…something…ooh look, a shiny bottle cap!"

Twilight's ears flickered. She could have sworn that drunken voice sounded familiar, but there was something off about it. The voice had a disgruntled grunge to it.

"No, that can't be him, he doesn't sound like that," she muttered to herself.

CRASH!

"Hey, you're gonna have to pay for that too; stinking convict!" a second, angrier voice shouted.

Twilight shook her head. It was unmistakable now, that had to be Moonstruck she heard. She flapped her wings and quickly soared over towards the source of the escalating conflict. Twilight found herself arriving at an outdoor cider bar. There, slumping drunkenly on a brown barstool was Moonstruck. His hair was drooping, face was slack from intoxication and he swerved on the seat like a child trying to stay awake in its high chair.

The gruff looking, blonde bartender was shouting fiercely at the fallen Moonstruck. He was a unicorn; he had pale green eyes, short, white stubbly hair and wearing a grungy red bowtie.

"What in the world?" she gasped alarmingly.

"HEY princess, you're here! See? See? I told you I wasn't l-l-lilacing you, I totally know that royal crown head lady over there," he said; stuttering in a drunken stupor.

Twilight was at a loss. She's never seen Moonstruck like this before. He seemed like a completely different pony, even his voice sounded strange. She watched him guzzle down 3 more shots of cider; packing it away even faster than Spike did when he ate gemstones.

"I take it you're the princess he's billing for all of this?" the bartender grumbled.

"Wait-what? What are you talking about?" Twilight blurted out.

The bartender levitated Moonstruck's bill towards Twilight's face. Her plum eyes bulged in shock at the staggering charges her friend had racked up, it was almost as long as one of her checklists.

"No offense your majesty, but you didn't really think some dead beat ex-con was going to have that kind of money now did you?" he said bitterly.

Twilight raised an irritated eyebrow. She found it most vexing that the bartender referred to her friend with such disdain. Moonstruck's behavior was anything but dignified. She could spot several broken glasses and bottles strewn about the counter and behind it as well. None the less, he was still her friend and she didn't appreciate his character being slandered like that.

What in Equestria happened to him? I've never driven him to drinking before, and Princess Luna said he seemed much better when she last saw him. What could have possibly happened between now and then that caused…this to happen? She thought to herself.

The drunken unicorn levitated himself another bottle of cider to chug. Twilight didn't want his brain to get soaked with anymore cider, nor did she want his bill getting any larger. She teleported the bottle away from his aura, Moonstruck whimpered like a dog having its favorite toy taken away.

"Look, I'm terribly sorry for all the damage and problems my friend has caused. I'll of course pay for all the drinks and expenses-"

"Hold up, you mean he really does know you, personally? This low life crook is actually friends with a royal princess?" he said bewilderingly.

"Ugh…yes, we are friends and I'd kindly like to remind you that another princess, Celestia, pardoned him so he is NOT a-", she paused to rub her hoof between her eyes in annoyance, "can we just skip that part already, please? I need to know what happened when he first came here. How was he acting, how did he seem when you first met him?"

"Like a great big whiny crybaby. He was moaning on and on about how horrible and scummy he felt, asked for the strongest cider I got and said you rich folks were hoofing the bill. I gave it to him; never thinking he'd drink THAT much that fast," he exclaimed. The bartender sounded mildly impressed with Moonstruck's cider intake amount. "After a couple bottles, he starts turning into this giggling wacko. I've seen plenty of ponies act differently after downing some hard cider, but nothing like this. It's like there's a whole 'nother pony in the driver seat now."

Moonstruck looked up at Twilight. His face was half smushed by the indents on the counter, the other half was dripping; having been soaked in a blurry puddle of drool and spilled cider. He made the weirdest goofy looking smile at her. She groaned miserably. She only hoped he avoided making things worse, at least until she got him out of here and back to the castle.

"Hey it's princess plum everybody! So nice to sweep ya," he said groggily. The drunken colt spun his stool around to greet the princess. As he turned, the half-filled cider glass in his hoof spilled out near Twilight's hooves. "Whoa hey, you made me drink my spill…heh…made me drink my spill."

Twilight felt completely sunk. Moonstruck was in no condition to talk, at least not until he's rested for a bit and gotten the cider out of his system. She reached out to help him to his hooves but he collapsed onto the ground. His wobbling hooves barely made contact with Twilight's before he dropped down, his green hair was matted by the puddles of cider by his stool.

"Oh my gosh! Moonstruck, are you all right?" she asked fearfully.

Moonstruck eyes were half open, half closed. He looked at Twilight as if he was looking at some shimmering mirage in the Saddle Arabian desert.

WHARF!

Gurgling upchucks of green vomit violently blasted into Twilight's face with the force of an erupting volcano. Her colorful locks were soaked; dripping with half eaten chunks of Moonstruck's last meal. Twilight's purple fur and dark hair had taken on several noxious shades of vomit green. The bartender gasped in revulsion. Moonstruck gurgled nosily and collapsed onto the ground, his lips dripping with saliva and more gurgling green goop.

"Oh yes…this is exactly what was missing from my day," Twilight groaned flatly.

The bartender kindly offered a wet towel for Twilight to clean herself with. She thanked him and started cleaning the puke from her bangs and fur. The bartender then immediately pulled out a large bucket of ice and water and hurled it violently at the fallen Moonstruck. The icy water and frozen cubes struck him like a frozen punch to the jaw. He weakly crawled away from the bartender; sputtering and clutching his throbbing cheek where the bucket struck him. Twilight was stunned by the bartender's cold blooded behavior.

"How dare you violate the princess you worthless piece of gutter trash!" the bartender snarled.

"HEY, that was totally uncalled for," Twilight angrily barked.

"You can't be serious princess, that disgusting creep just barfed all over you. You don't get more disrespectful than that."

"You don't know the first thing about him," she said with fierce determination. Twilight knew it was because of reactions like this that Moonstruck was under house arrest; despite being pardoned. "Moonstruck was framed. He's not a killer or a creep or anything like that. He's actually kind, intelligent and a very honest-", her voice trailed off before she could finish.

The princess's eyes widened in alarm, there was a strange sensation altering her senses. It was at this time Twilight realized she hadn't been keeping an eye on where Moonstruck had gone. The drunken colt was spotted hovering behind Twilight's flanks, his hooves perversely caressing and kneading the mare's rump cheeks like dough. Her cheeks flashed a vibrant shade of pink.

Moonstruck laughed wearily in his drunken daze, swaggering lop sided but still maintaining an inappropriately firm grip on those flanks. "I knew it! These things are super, super tight, like off the chain tight. No wonder Moonstruck keeps drooling over these hot buns."

Twilight grumbled in exasperation. She levitated Moonstruck off the ground; away from his groping distance and scolded him with her disapproving eyes. "Your. Not. Helping!" she said through gritted teeth. She placed him back on the ground and released him from her aura. He blinked dazedly, snorting drunkenly as he wobbled to stay balanced.

"You were saying?" the bartender remarked with a smug, omniscient tone.

"Look, he's sick from all the drinking. He didn't mean it. You don't have to treat him like that, I'm taking him back to the castle to clean the both of us up anyway," Twilight insisted.

"Pfft, I didn't know murderers were allowed to stay at the castle," he grunted under his breath. The bartender started wiping down the counter. Despite his remarks visibly agitating Twilight, he stood by what he said about Moonstruck.

Twilight's anger was rapidly shifting away from Moonstruck and more towards this fowl mouthed unicorn. It always bothered Twilight, formerly being a unicorn, how the snotty upper class ponies in Canterlot often ended up being unicorns.

"Excuse me, but I believe I already clearly told you that this is my friend your talking about, and more importantly," she confronted the bartender aggressively, "He was PARDONED by Princess CELESTIA. Moonstruck is 100% innocent and was welcomed to stay at the castle as my guest, as well as a guest of Princess Celestia."

"Please, every pony knows how good natured and forgiving Celestia is. She probably felt sorry for that slime and took him on as a charity case. Doesn't mean I believe he's innocent or that he deserves the kind of cushy treatment you princesses are showering him with," he said with a sterile, scornful tone. He magically wiped his glasses down with a rag.

"You can expect your payment in the mail, thank you" Twilight said through gritted teeth. She turned to Moonstruck and lifted him onto her back with her magic. The pair of purple ponies slowly started making their way towards the castle.

"You're too nice for your own good princess. Pardoned or not, if that creep shows up at my business again, I'll haul his carcass back to Tartarus where he belongs," he shouted; calling out to Twilight as she and Moonstruck trotted off.

Twilight felt like a taxi service cart. Hauling a drunken friend who had vomited on her, fondled her flanks and caused numerous disruptive incidents with other ponies was not how she wished to spend the day. The dejected princess was hoping to talk things over with Moonstruck about their argument, and hopefully, ease their relationship back into a state of stability; instead of stress and chaos.

"Look Leo…I'm FLYING," Moonstruck shouted. He stretched his arms out and waved them around in a soaring motion, he started blowing air from his lips to simulate a breeze.

Obviously, that talk Twilight desperately longed for would have to wait until Moonstruck had sobered up after a good night sleep, and after she took a long shower to wash out the bits of puke and bile still stuck in her locks.

Twilight looked up at her nonsense spouting companion. She hated having to wait so long to talk to him. What was even worse, it was a long walk back to the castle and she had to satisfy her curiosity at least a little bit. She contemplated just teleporting back, but she worried the sudden surge of motion sickness would cause Moonstruck to vomit again. "As much as I know how pointless it is to try and talk to a pony when they're completely plastered, there's something I need to know and I don't think it can wait til we get back," Twilight probed softly.

Moonstruck belched loudly, Twilight visibly groaned. The rank stench of his cider soaked breath nearly caused her to puke as well.

"Back at the cider bar when you were…ahem…behind me…you referred to yourself in the third person. You've never done that before, is that something you do when you get drunk like this?" she curiously asked.

"Heh, no-no it's nothing like that. I ssssssaid that be-because I, good magpie, am not Moonstruck," he said with a profuse slur.

"Um, if you're not Moonstruck then who are you?" she said, displaying an unusual, bewildered look on her face.

"I'm B-b-b-Brian. No wait, I'm buddy? Bobby, yes Bebop, no wait, Buggy-ding-dong. No, no, that's something else," he mumbled erratically. The colt babbled countless names, each one more nonsensical than the last. Twilight was starting to regret asking him. "Ah ha, now I remember…I think? Yeah, yeah, no, I totally got it this time: my name is Brain! That's the one, Brain-Brain-Brain," he said with a newfound sense of vigor and pride.

"Brain…as in Moonstruck's actual brain?" she asked more loudly than she intended. As ludicrous as this notion sounded, Twilight did faintly remember hearing Moonstruck said he spoke to his brain. Spike claimed he saw him actually doing it when he first met him.

"OH, OH, I just got this great idea: we should totally have our own show!" he announced proudly; boasting as if it were the greatest idea ever spoken aloud. "We'll be…Twinky and the brain, yes! Were Twinky and the Brain, Twinky and the Brain, one is a genius the other's…umm…the other is…uhhh…what was the middle part?" his lips wordlessly flapped; trying to remember the next verse of the song. He proceeded to poke Twilight in the cheek, trying to grab her attention.

Twilight's hair started to frazzle. She could actually feel her hairs splitting from the agonizing idiocy of this conversation.

"Ugh just forget it! This is stupid. All I wanted to know was why stupid Moonstruck left the stupid castle and was getting stupid drunk in the first place…GRAH" she screamed in frustration.

"Oh that's easy, it's because he was trying to forget the fact he remembered killing his parents when he was little," he stated with a surprisingly strong air of certainty.

"He WHAT?!"

"Hey, let's do a trust fall. I'll go first, WHEEE!"

Moonstruck suddenly dropped off Twilight's back before she could recover from that jarring revelation. He grabbed Twilight's hair; dragging her down to the ground with him. The ponies rolled on the ground, one yelling frantically while the other laughed like a deranged hyena. The princess shook herself free of any dirt and dust and rushed quickly to the still laughing colt.

"Wheeee…wasn't that fun, let's try something else," he sputtered as his head swayed from side to side.

"Nononononononnono, don't fade out on me now, I need answers," she grabbed his face with her hooves. She aligned they're eyes directly into contact, staring him down. Twilight's violet irises shimmered with concern. She feared his statement may not have been a drunken delusional one. "Look at me, whoever you are, I need you to look at me and listen very carefully. Is it true, is what you said about Moonstruck killing his parents true?" he stared at her with a goofy, slack jawed smile on his stupefied face. A drunken chuckle was the only answer she received. "Come on Brain, Brian, Brandon err whatever your name is! I really need you to talk to me. This is extremely important, so could you please just pull yourself together for 1 minute and just ANSWER ME?" she shrieked with a frantic shrill in her voice.

"Princess Twilight, oh what perfect timing!"

Twilight was jarred out of focus by a new voice. She backed off of Moonstruck's body, her mane and feathers were ruffled.

"Yes…perfect timing," she said crossly under her breath.

The intrusive pony was a faint blue Pegasus with hair that looked like a cluster of puffy white clouds had nested on top of his head. His green eyes twinkled with enthusiastic glee. He adjusted his orange bow tie proudly, gangly legs clamoring forward; like a spider tripping over its 8 limbs.

"Hi there princess, my name is Fluffy Clouds. You may not remember me but I attended the Grand Equestria Pony summit you hosted, and I've been positively giddy to get a chance to talk to you in person," he chirped with a bountiful spring in his step and voice, "you're my favorite princess of all!" This gangly Pegasus couldn't have picked a worse time to fan boy over the princess.

"Thank you, that's very nice of you to say and I hate to come off as rude but, I've got a bit of a situation here," she said; motioning towards Moonstruck lying on the ground. The stressed mare used her magic to lift Moonstruck up by his shoulders; hoisting his right arm over her backside. "So if you could maybe try and come back at another time, I could-"

"Oh don't be silly princess, I'd be happy to help you out," he cheerfully interrupted. Fluffy Clouds followed Twilight's example and propped Moonstruck's other arm across his backside. He was offensively oblivious to Twilight's emotional state. The blue Pegasus maintained his peppy demeanor as he helped Twilight carry Moonstruck to the castle, unaware of her irritated mumblings.

"I appreciate the help, really I do, but I think I can manage on my own," she politely stated with a strained smile. There was no way she could ask Moonstruck about his parents now. She felt trapped; pinned down by two ponies that have no idea how much trouble they're causing her.

"Oh I'm sure you can, you're so strong and smart, such a great friend expert. But I don't mind, really," he replied.

"No kidding," she silently griped.

"Besides, this will give us plenty of time to talk along the way. I've always valued your opinion and your advice. I actually had a few ideas of my own that I think could help improve your image," he commented.

Twilight almost stopped in her tracks. She looked at the chatty Pegasus with a raised eyebrow, she wasn't aware she had an image problem.

He laughed jauntily, waving his hooves to alleviate her confusion. "Oh no, no, it's not that there's anything wrong per say with your image, which would imply it's something you're doing wrong and that is SO not the case. No, it more has to do with others who are affecting your image. Dragging you down one might say," he said in his casual, yet babbling tone.

"You don't say?" she replied in a low, frosty tone. Twilight didn't like where this was going. She tried focusing on her task, hoping to tune out Fluffy's rambling before it touched any nerves. The two winged ponies continued on their way.

"Perfect example: what we're doing right now. I recognize this guy from Celestia's announcement and all those wanted posters. Now, I don't mean to impose, you are the princess after all so obviously; you make all the calls," Fluffy's voice had a twinge of pompousness to it; it seemed to increase the more he talked. "But I personally think hanging around with an ex-con is a real bad PR stunt. Sure, Celestia pardoned him, but I don't think I'd want to be friends with someone who was accused of murder and grand theft."

Twilight's forehead sprouted a small vein over her temple. The vein pulsated every time the yakking Pegasus mentioned Moonstruck. She struggled to maintain her bubbling temper from rising to the surface, but the more he spoke, the harder it clawed at insides like a snarling Timber wolf.

"I mean look at him: he's grungy, scary looking, got that ultra-creepy cutie mark. He's not the kind of pony you should be friends with. I get the chills just looking at him," he paused then chuckled mildly; realizing how that must sound. "But don't worry; I'll still help you bring him back. And besides, someone who's been at the bottom as long as he has probably needs all the help he can get."

Just keep your cool Twilight, keep your cool. You've ready plenty of books about relaxation mantras, breathing techniques. He doesn't realize how this is affecting you. Just keep on walking and ignore him. Words are just that, words, you can't let what some pony else says get you all bent out of shape.

"Speaking of help, I really think you should consider finding someone a bit more qualified to help you than that screw up dragon assistant," he said with a speck of disdain in his voice. Fluffy Clouds spoke as if he were implying Spike the dragon was a nagging flea under his fur.

Twilight flinched. The vein on her forehead grew bigger and was pulsating much faster. She kept her teeth tightly clenched.

"I mean, I know he apologized for the summit meeting, but seriously, he had no business being in charge of anything. Lying to me and the fellow other delegates? Abusing his non-existent power? That dragon had no idea what he was doing and there was no reason we should have been taking advice from some dragon like him, not when we have a perfectly fabulous princess like you," he scoffed briskly. "Botching that summit meeting like that was one boneheaded move if you ask me."

"Oh will you just SHUT UP?!" Twilight snapped thunderously.

Twilight's destructive outburst sent a shockwave of silence across Fluffy Cloud's face. Time seemed to freeze at this very moment. Everyone's attention was unmistakably drawn to the now-public scene. Not a soul in Canterlot could say they had ever seen Twilight act that way before.

Moonstruck grunted nosily, his body stirring anemically. Twilight and Fluffy Clouds both released the drunken colt with a sudden drop.

"P-p-p-p-p-princess, I just…did I say something wrong?" Fluffy squeaked frightfully.

"I have been standing here, listening to you bad mouth two of my closest friends; one of which is LITERALLY right in front of you, and you're actually asking me if you said something WRONG?"

"But I just-"

"I don't know how many times I have to say it: Moonstruck. Is. Innocent! He was pardoned for crimes he never committed, yet nearly every pony I walk by still treats and looks at him like yesterday's trash. Would YOU like it if you got locked up in Tartarus for 2 years for something you didn't do, then get released and be hounded and harassed; to the point you don't even want to come out in public anymore?"

"Well, no of course I-"

"And ANOTHER thing…that bonehead dragon is more than just my assistant; I took him in and raised him, which technically makes him my son. The only reason he made a mess of the summit is because he was trying to give me some peace and quiet so I could sleep and took it too far. You have no idea what kind of heartaches he's gone through. Yet you stand here, flapping your mouth; talking about him like he's some great, big disappointment that is embarrassing my image? Are you KIDDING ME?!"

"B-b-b-b-but princess, I had no idea he was-er, I mean. I was only trying-"

"DON'T! Don't try, don't give advice, don't 'fix' my image, and most importantly, don't you EVER, EVER insult Moonstruck or my son in front of me again!"

Fluffy Clouds turned bluer than his usual shade. He whimpered and trembled all over like a frightened poodle, slowly he nodded in response; too crippled by fear to form any coherent words.

After panting heavily and snorting a few puffs of smoke from her nostrils, Princess Twilight soon realized the alarmingly large crowd she had attracted. Dozens of ponies stood in awe; gawking with judgmental glares at the incident. Even the chirping birds and squeaking squirrels stopped to observe what all the commotion was about.

Twilight didn't think it was possible, but now she felt even worse than she did before. She levitated her intoxicated friend and draped his body over her back. "Sigh…that train leaving for Ponyville better get here soon," she muttered miserably.

In a flash of purple light, Twilight teleported herself and Moonstruck back to the castle.

END FLASHBACK

Rarity stared lifelessly out the window, watching the scenery zoom past her dreary, diamond blue eyes in a shapeless blur. Anything she could make out just bored or mortified her. Dull colored barns passed by, ponies working in the tackiest, most unflattering clothing she ever laid her eyes on. She despised watching such fashion abominations. It was like watching a gallon of grape juice being dumped onto a pristine white wedding dress. Rarity cringed at the thought; causing shudders to ripple all the way down to her perfectly brushed purple tail. As much as the scenery caused her to go blind with boredom, it was better than acknowledging the large elephant in the room.

Or more accurately, acknowledging the small dragon in the room.

Rarity and Spike had not spoken to each other since they got on the train. Twilight didn't have a clue what happened. Neither told her very much about what happened and neither one wanted to say another word on the subject. When she asked them about it, Spike told her he was "fine" and Rarity put on a fake smile and changed the subject. Twilight overheard brief sounds of what sounded like an argument coming from one of their rooms, but it never lasted long enough for to her to make out what was being said.

Twilight hated seeing them like this, especially after Spike told her how much progress the two of them had made. Spike was sitting next to Twilight and Rarity was on the opposing seat. The purple mare opened her mouth to say something to break the suffocating tension between the two of them, but she decided against it and closed her mouth instead.

THUMP!

The train caused a sudden bump throughout the cars. One of Rarity's hoof bags in the overhead compartment dropped down and spilled open. She quickly levitated all of the contents back into the maroon colored, Kate Saddle designer bag…all except one.

It was Toplofty's business card.

The wealthy business tycoon gave her this card after they finished lunch; he wanted her to contact him when she decided if she wanted to expand her "Carousel" line into his company. She stared at it with a bittersweet frown. It amazed the mare how such a small rectangle of paper could cause her simultaneous joy and misery over her future.

Rarity rested her horn against the window and sighed; closing her eyes. Her mind drifted to her luncheon with Toplofty.

FLASHBACK

The restaurant was bustling with lively laughter. Toplofty certainly knew how to find others of his kind when he wanted to. Their table was surrounded by the richest, snootiest, most pretentious high society members in Canterlot. Toplofty spoke and a dozen heads nodded or laughed in agreement with everything he said. Rarity hesitantly followed along, too fearful and anxious to jeopardize her potential connections to Toplofty by making waves.

She knew she was acting like a spineless 'yes' pony, but the opportunities before her were too grand to miss out on because of pride.

"So Rarity, tell me honestly, it's everything you hoped for…isn't it?" he boasted smugly.

"W-w-w-why yes, yes it is. Having my designs featured in your stores, in your hotels, to have so many new venues and connections available to me," she paused to take a breath. Rarity's hind legs trembled with excitement. She grabbed them with her fore legs, forcing herself to sit still and stay focused. "It's a dream come true Toplofty. My name would become a household name right alongside other household names, it's-it's everything I ever dreamed of, everything I hoped for."

"It's most certainly a once in a lifetime deal gorgeous. You'd be rubbing elbows with the most luxurious ponies on a daily basis, ponies that can take your name and spread it farther across Equestria than you ever could alone. It takes years for designers to even get a meeting with me, you hot stuff; you'll be doing business with me in months," he said with a thrilling, hypnotic growl.

The red haired, pompous pony wagged his eyebrows at the conflicted unicorn. She tried to speak but was abruptly cut off by the odious advances from her two least favorite lemmings in all of Equestria: Jet Set and Upper Crust. Jet Set lined up a colossal, triple layer hot fudge sundae to the left of Rarity; it was topped with an imported, gourmet cherry; glistening like a ruby. Upper Crust had already refilled Rarity's iced tea and served an even larger sized glass to the right of her.

Rarity felt like she was being asked to sign away her soul. All these generous offers, all these luxurious gifts, everything she dreamed of was being dangled in front of by the ponies who represent everything she loathes. But at the same time, putting up with Jet Set and Upper Crust just might be worth it if Toplofty can spread her business across Equestria like wildfire.

"All you gotta do is sign Rarity. One flick of a pen and your one woman show will be the hottest ticket in town, you'll be getting orders from Saddle Arabia to Griffin Stone," he smiled dashingly. Rarity gulped loudly, her eyes nervously darted between the obnoxious smiles of the pompous unicorn couple and Toplofty's enveloping grin. "When ponies think of me, they'll be thinking of you" he said temptingly, sliding a contract and pen forward.

I'd be able to become a success within a matter of months! Ponies across the country would be wearing my creations. I'd be the envious star of fashion designers everywhere. My two shops? Ha! I'd have chains of shops in every one of Toplofty's hotels, my name could literally be everywhere, Rarity thought to herself.

The adrenaline of such possibilities fueled her like a surge of electricity. Rarity's blue aura slowly covered the pen, she couldn't hold the pen straight without it shaking and wobbling in midair. Sweat dribbled off the unicorn's perfectly trimmed eyebrows as she sized up the contract.

"Miss Rarity, what a splendid surprise!"

The fashionista snapped back to the world of living thanks to that familiar voice. Rarity curiously turned her head towards the stallion that had greeted her; hoping to identify him. Her smile widened, the owner of that voice caused a great deal of stress to be alleviated from her body almost instantly. It was a unicorn. He had white fur, blue hair and moustache, blue rimmed monocle, black suit, gold cuffs and a purple tie.

"Why Fancy Pants, fancy meeting you here," Rarity said; giggling teasingly.

"Ah Rarity, Rarity, my good friend," he happily hugged the fashionista and released. Fancy Pants always knew his day would improve whenever he saw Rarity. To him, she was the perfect blend of the best parts of countryside ponies and Canterlot ponies; minus their unpleasant attributes. "I knew once I heard Spike was seen in town that you couldn't be far behind, or one of your charmingly rustic pony friends," he commented.

Fancy Pants curiously examined the company hovering over Rarity, like a pack of suit wearing vultures. The stallion's smile wilted like a dying flower. He felt like someone had just spit in his tea, Jet Set and Upper Crust's appearances clearly perturbed him.

"Such a pleasure to see you again old boy, isn't it dear?" Jet Set said cheerfully, nudging his wife enthusiastically.

"Oh absolutely smashing honey. We've been trying to meet up with you for weeks now, you always seem to be out and about whenever were trying to pencil something in with you," Upper Crust added.

"Apparently the concept of avoidance has eluded your powers of comprehension," Fancy said dryly. The blue haired unicorn had made it scathingly clear how he felt about these two many times. Though clearly, they failed to get the message.

Jet Set and Upper Crust both burst into laughter. Their wailing voices grated on Fancy and Rarity's ears, they cringed visibly. "Oh Fancy Pants, always the classy comedian," Upper Crust wheezed; trying to hold back her laughter, "where do you come up with such dashing and witty remarks?"

"Real life inspiration," he replied sarcastically. Toplofty rolled up the scroll and took back his pen, levitating a business card for Rarity to use when she made up her mind about signing. Fancy Pants raised a suspicious eyebrow to the pin suit wearing pony, his image reflecting dimly in the monocle. "Toplofty…I must say I'm quite surprised," he said.

"Surprised with what?" Toplofty asked.

"Well, I knew you swam in their dingy little pond," Fancy Pants motioned towards the ignorant unicorn couple, "but I didn't know you were sampling from purer bodies of water as well," he said; referring to Rarity.

"Oh she and I are just straightening out a few juicy details, mapping some groundwork for a beautiful friendship. Friendship is magic after all," he chortled gloatingly. Fancy Pants felt like his ears needed a thorough washing after hearing such a loathsome abuse of the term. "This deal is going to make the town start talking. I tell ya, It's gonna be huge, gloriously huge. You should stop by the office sometime, bring that tasty piece you call a wife. I'll roll out the red carpet, the gold cups; the works. I'd love to work with you on something," he babbled pompously.

Fancy Pants felt his cheeks burn with a scorching shade of red. If he wasn't a proper gentleman, he'd gladly do something most unpleasant to that ghoulish swine for speaking of his wife in such deplorable terms. "As always Toplofty, our time together has been a most unforgettably egregious experience…another time perhaps," he whispered scathingly to the putrid waste of flesh and fur.

Blissfully ignorant of Fancy Pants verbal jabs, Toplofty shook his hoof vigorously and left the restaurant. Jet Set and Upper Crust flashed sheep like smiles towards Fancy Pants as they followed suit.

The dapper unicorn sighed with relief the moment the obnoxious unicorns had left. Rarity could sense Fancy was uncomfortable in this particular crowd, even after Toplofty and the others had left. She wished to catch up with her friend outside; motioning for him to follow her out.

Rarity always admired Fancy Pants. He was such a well-regarded figure in Canterlot, always treated with the utmost class and respect. Fancy was invited to all the best parties and classiest of events. No party was worth attending if Fancy Pants wasn't going to make an appearance. Yet despite all of the social power he wielded, he never treated those that were less fortunate than him any different. It was thanks to him that Rarity had become a part of so many elite circles when she was in Canterlot for Twilight's birthday. Fancy Pants was the image of class and dignity that she wished the rest of Canterlot would live up to.

"So glad we have a moment to talk, just the two of us," Rarity exhaled.

"Yes, I've missed our talks. Pardon my intrusion into your private business Miss Rarity, but I would advise you to reconsider making any bargains with that Toplofty character," Fancy warned.

Rarity tilted her head curiously at his advice. She could sense Toplofty certainly wasn't his cup of tea, nor was he hers for that matter. The way he spoke so flippantly about his wife was most disgraceful. Still, she knew that sacrifices were needed to make it ahead in business, perhaps Toplofty is the last sacrifice she would have to make in order to succeed. "Why do you say that? I agree that he's not the most dignified of stallions, but he's also one of the most successful and well connected ponies in Canterlot. With his resources, my fashions could be marketed across Equestria and-"

"Yes, yes I know" he politely interrupted, "I perfectly understand the business side of the arrangement; especially for one such as you who is looking to expand." Few Canterlot ponies know what it's like to build something up from nothing, but Fancy Pants knows. Over the years she's known him, she's shared her struggles and plans for expanding her "Carousel" line with him. It was thanks to Fancy Pants's assistance she was able to find a proper location for Canterlot Carousel.

"Then why would you suggest I not do business with him?" she asked.

"Let's just say what you'd lose would be far greater than anything you'd gain by working with him," he gravely clarified. Rarity didn't fully understand but admitted she would give the deal a bit more thought now. "Anyways, enough of that unpleasant matter, as much as I enjoy talking to you I'm afraid I was searching for someone other than your lovely self," he said.

"Oh really, who?"

"Your scaly friend Spike, actually. As I said, I heard some ponies claim they saw him around this area and I was hoping I could speak to him," he stated. The dapper colt started to look towards the restaurant windows, searching for any signs of him. "Is he in the bathroom by chance?"

"Oh uh no, actually, he's not with me he's back at the castle," Rarity said stumblingly. She further explained that Spike was with her but he went back to the castle before she had lunch.

"Oh drat, well that's unfortunate."

"If I may Fancy Pants, I was wondering if you could tell me why you needed to speak to Spike in the first place," she added curiously.

Her question invoked a shameful, dreary look on the stallion's charming face. He looked at the ground, sighing heavily. Fancy Pants was always the picture of sophistication and grace to Rarity, yet now, he looked like he was sulking; like a foal that had been caught doing something his parents would disapprove of.

"I wanted to apologize to him for my ghastly behavior at the Grand Equestria Pony summit. Even if young Spike did get too carried away with his duties, my behavior was uncivilized and appalling," he confessed solemnly. The shameful unicorn finally mustered the courage to look Rarity in the eye. "I dare say I wasn't myself that day, none of us were. Everything about that incident was just handled poorly and for that, I wanted to apologize."

"Oh darling, that's so terribly sweet and noble of you. I know Spike will be touched once he hears it," Rarity said adoringly.

"I say, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get roped into lunch with the likes of Toplofty and those other two finks?" he asked.

"They ran into me while I was out and mentioned Toplofty's name. I was shocked that they were associates of his and couldn't deny my curiosity, that's when Toplofty himself appeared. He invited me to lunch, discussed future business plans and then…here we are," she answered cheerfully.

"So then did Spike eat earlier by chance? Is that why he didn't choose to eat lunch with you and the others?"

Rarity felt a spark of tension in her throat, like something seized up inside of her. She doesn't know why but she suddenly felt hesitant to continue discussing this subject. Fancy Pants was most perplexed by her erratic shifting. "Well um…actually…no y-y-you see we were both actually about to go to lunch when they approached us. It's just that," she bit her lip and tried to form the right words, "he seemed uncomfortable by Toplofty's company so…he went back…alone."

Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow. He was unsettled by her answer, questioning it almost. Rarity felt like she was being interrogated inside a stone prison cell. She never felt that way around him before, why was she feeling it now?

"He seemed uncomfortable? How do you know for sure, did you ask him what was wrong?"

Again, Rarity felt anxiety strike her; like pin pricks down the edges of her spine. His questions were making her increasingly uneasy.

"W-w-w-well no, n-n-not exactly, you see I was already heading into the restaurant with Jet Set and Upper Crust and Toplofty seemed to take it upon himself to talk to Spike," she replied nervously.

"So you let Toplofty talk to your close friend about his problem, while you went into a restaurant and then Spike went back…by himself?" he quipped; seeking confirmation from her.

Rarity weakly nodded.

"I see," he said in a dry tone. The colt's long silences caused Rarity to break into a nervous sweat. She didn't understand or like this one little bit. Why was telling the truth making her feel like she was some shifty character in a Shadow Spade novel? "Did Toplofty give you any indication of how Spike was feeling after their little chat?" he asked intrusively.

For a moment Rarity went blank. During the entire luncheon, she can't remember Toplofty once mentioning how things went with Spike. She at least asked him about Spike, didn't she? For the life of the beautiful mare, she couldn't remember!

"Ye-no…no he didn't actually. I can't recall him saying anything about how Spike was feeling," Rarity admitted; looking slightly horrified by this realization.

"Tell me my dear, what were you and Spike doing at the time they approached you for lunch?"

"We were actually shopping…together…w-w-w-we agreed to spend the um…the uh," Rarity gulped loudly. She found it unnervingly difficult to make her lips speak the next word. "Day…the day…we agreed to spend the day…together" she finished in an empty whisper. The fashionista felt like her face had gone even whiter than normal.

"So let me see if I can sort all this out: you and Spike promised to spend the entire day together; shopping and having lunch, but instead of having your planned lunch with him, you went to an impromptu lunch with Jet Set and Upper Crust and Toplofty. You knew something may have been bothering him, so you allowed Toploftyto speak to him instead, but you didn't find out if he was all right when he went back to the castle…alone…no doubt carrying all of your purchases back with him. I believe that about sums it up?" he asked shrewdly.

Rarity felt a cold draft breeze through her body, yet there wasn't a chill to be felt for miles. Fancy Pants question froze her colder than the blizzard she experienced during King Sombra's return. She wanted to answer, she desperately, achingly, longingly wanted to answer…but she couldn't. The question wounded her heart and silenced her voice. Perhaps she could answer but she did not want to, perhaps she was numbingly terrified of saying aloud; the one thing she didn't want to admit: she abandoned Spike.

Her eyes watered slightly. The realization of her actions struck her like a sucker punch, and yet, it was a blow she should have expected. The mare placed a hoof to her face. Rarity held her cheek as it were made of glass, fearful a dark, gruesome seam would open up and spill out all the pain and shame she thought brewed inside of her. "Oh sweet Celestia…I…I can't believe I did that," she paused to gasp for air, "No I c-c-couldn't, I didn't, I wouldn't have…but I did, it was right there in front of my face and I ignored it…I ignored him…what kind of friend am I?"

Fancy Pants opened his mouth to speak but the mare was too fast and too frantic to let him finish. Her hooves grabbed at his luxurious vest, shaking him as if all the answers to her problems would fall out if she rattled him hard enough. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO FANCY PANTS?! I have to fix this, I have to fix what's wrong with me," she pleaded.

"What's wrong with you? Miss Rarity, I don't-"

"Something terrible is happening to me. I would have never done this to Spikey Wikey, he's my closest and dearest friend. I think there's something vile and rotten inside of me and I don't know what it is or how it got there," she said breathlessly.

The dapper colt used his magic to calm Rarity down. She snapped out of her irrational state, shaking her head and breathing heavily to calm her frazzled nerves. The overwhelming panic surging in her was reduced to a simmering spark; minimized but still there. The frantic chills in her voice indicated to Fancy that there were far more demons drilling doubt into her mind than she realized. He knew she needed to speak to Spike to truly settle this matter, but neither one saw that ending well unless some time for contemplation and decompression took place first.

"It is not my place to tell you what choices you must make or who you choose to keep in your circles Miss Rarity," her face withered in sorrow at hearing this, "However, setting my personal feelings for your most recent endeavors aside, it is clear to me that the best thing for you now is to take a good, long, hard look at where your priorities in life are taking you." She nodded slowly. He approached her and placed a friendly hoof upon her shoulder. "You've taken steps today that put in motion a new path for you. While many paths lay before you, you are only one who can decide if this path is the best one for you, or if you should return to your old one," he said.

"But what about Spike, does choosing my career path mean I have to leave him behind…or…do I stay on my old path just because of my guilt?" she pleaded achingly. Her voice trembled slightly.

He suspected there was something more to her desire to stay with Spike other than just guilt, but as he said, it is not his place to make life decisions for her.

"Every decision has a consequence. No matter which path you choose, someone will end up being pushed aside. In the end you have to decide which pain you can live with and which path will be worth that pain," he said soothingly.

END FLASHBACK

Spike lazily flipped through the pages of his Power Ponies comic book. He kept the book high enough that Rarity was kept completely out of sight. The young drake had no desire to see her or speak to her, and judging by the closed off; frigid like stance of her body language, she had nothing to say to him either.

He hated this, he hated every moment of this seemingly endless misery they were stewing in.

The next page he flipped featured Radiance and Hum Drum wielding energy construct swords, fending off the lashing tendrils from the Mane-iac's mane. The scene made his heart swell with fondness for the two masked heroes. They looked so fierce, so powerful; so close.

It's not like they were romantically close though. Spike had secretly desired the two heroes would be more than teammates, to love one another as he loved his own dreamy mare of ivory perfection. Superheroes rarely get the girl. Even after becoming one when he and his friends were sucked into that comic book universe, he knew even as a successful hero he wasn't going to get the girl.

The dragon loved super hero stories. They're so simple: good vs. evil, good guys and girls rescuing others from bad guys and girls. Things were easy to understand, something bad happens and the good guys make sure the bad ponies pay for what they did. Comics were an easy way to un-complicate life's many stressors.

Real life was always complicated…Rarity was always complicated.

He hated how she made him feel that day, it was one of the worst feelings he ever experienced, and the fact the pony of his dreams made him feel this way made the pain feel all the more worse. Why can't things be simple like in his comic? Why can't someone love someone else without it turning into a great big mess? Rarity did something horrible. She hurt him, only the bad guys were supposed to hurt you like that. But she's not a bad guy. She's Rarity; the Rarity, and now he didn't know how he was supposed to feel about her or how she feels about him anymore.

Spike sighed and slumped in his seat. His scaly claws limply flipping another page, the drake's emerald eyes drooped drearily across the panels.

Why can't life be more like the Power Ponies life? He thought wistfully. They knew what was right and they knew what was wrong, they would have never done something like this to each other. No matter how bad things get, no matter how hard life dumps on them; they always stay loyal to each other. They'd never toy with each other's hearts like that. That's not honorable, that's not something a hero does. That's why they have a code.

FLASHBACK

Spike and Rarity sat comfortably at a small table; perfectly positioned at the window inside her private room at Canterlot castle. The pair sipped from their royal porcelain cups; enjoying a comforting cup of tea. Luna's night sky glittered majestically in the window view.

"So, we're really gonna spend the whole day together tomorrow?" Spike asked, struggling to contain his excitement.

"Absolutely darling, just the two of us. All I have to do is make a quick stop at Canterlot Carousel to see how things are doing, pick up my order for Sapphire Shores and drop it off. After that, it'll be you and me enjoying everything the boardwalk has to offer," Rarity cheerfully beamed.

Spike felt a heavenly glow warming his heart. He always got this glow whenever he and Rarity had some alone time, it was precious time that he always cherished. To some pony else, it probably sounded strange; getting so excited just to go shopping. The young drake believed every activity that involved Rarity was special. Twilight once read one of Rarity's steamy romance novels that she had loaned to her. She nitpicked it to death and couldn't stop complaining about the inaccuracies and improbabilities with the book's plot points, but still, there was one line she mentioned that stuck with Spike.

"Love means finding someone, someone who you want to do the boring stuff with, and treat those mundane activities like they're the most precious moments of your life."

The diminutive dragon didn't understand what that meant when Twilight first read it. In fact, many of the girls, his mom included; often told Spike he didn't know what love was or how it really felt. But after thinking about how he felt during his first date with Rarity and during all the other times they spent together, he thinks he finally understands it.

If that's what love is, than Spike's known about love longer than any of his friends had.

"Spike, is everything all right darling?" she sweetly asked.

Spike shook his head, staring sheepishly at his rippling reflection in the tea nestled in his claws. He laughed and waved his claw at her dismissively. "Yeah, everything's fine, nothing bad or anything like that," he assured her.

"What were you thinking about if you don't mind me asking?"

"I was…its silly actually but…I was just thinking how nice things have been going between us," Rarity tilted her head to the side. Spike nervously tried to clarify his meaning, instantly remembering things were still delicate between the two of them. "Oh uh I mean just that, it-it's nice that we've been able to do things, t-t-together, just us and have everything go so well. I mean, I was so scared to ask you out, and then you said yes and now were here, in Canterlot; having tea and g-g-going to spend the day together, it's really awesome," he said, rambling anxiously.

Rarity paused before speaking, the realization of his words slowly dawning on her. Her face wrinkled as if she was struggling to remember something, like a dream that drifted in and out of her memory. "Yes…I suppose things have been going well," she said cautiously.

The snow white mare didn't know why she said that in such an odd way, her voice seemed like it was searching for the appropriate tone to emphasize. She hadn't been thinking of their "relationship" in that sense. However, it wasn't a surprise Spike was seeing things the way he's seeing them. She hadn't declined Spike's flickering advances, nor had she clarified or reworded the implication of their little meetings to mean something else.

Did she even want to change things? Was she getting used to the idea of actually dating Spike, as in, a real, boyfriend/girlfriend relationship? And if she was…did she want to stop it or see where it goes?

Rarity's noticeable silence caused Spike to sweat profusely. Awkward silences were never a good thing to let linger, no matter what the situation. He quickly shook his arms in the air to break her out of her pondering trance. "B-b-b-b-but don't worry, I'm not like in a rush to er uh rush things or anything, really! I'm perfectly happy with the way things are going," Rarity showed mild signs of relaxation, "And-and I don't want you to think I would try anything to go to the next level…whatever that would be," he said, scratching his head idly.

The mare looked at him with a dry, disbelieving look. She was well aware how hard he had tried to woo her in the past. Her single, elevated eyebrow caused Spike to laugh nervously

"No, really, I mean it! It would go totally against my dragon code, and every pony knows you don't EVER break dragon code," he proudly declared. The dragon flashed his poorly drawn dragon code card, displaying it like a badge of honor.

Despite the childish craftsmanship, Rarity loved seeing that scribbly little card. She knows how important the code is to Spike. His dedication to that code was one of the many things she admired about him, that and the fact he was such a wonderful little helper; so quick to please and assist. Rarity often wished stallions had something like Spike's dragon code to live by. Treating women fairly and respectfully, fulfilling your debts and being loyal to the very end; those are the qualities of a fine, upstanding noble stallion. That is the kind of stallion she could easily fall for.

She almost laughed at the irony of the situation. All her life she's searched for the perfect man to embody those honorable qualities, and yet, they had existed right in front of her eyes all this time…in the form of a purple and green dragon. "I never doubted your devotion Spikey Wikey, to me or your code," she said assuredly.

Spike sighed with relief. The young drake placed his card back and resumed drinking his tea, careful not to slurp in front of a lady.

"Actually, now that you mention it, there is something I've always wanted to ask you about your dragon code," she mused curiously.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" he asked, placing his cup back on the table.

"Why did you create the dragon code Spike? Based on what little experience we had with the dragons, it's highly unlikely any of them devised a similar system," she theorized, rubbing her ankle with her hoof. The dragon was momentarily puzzled by her curious question. "Why did you feel the need to give yourself these rules that you follow so unquestionably?"

Spike didn't respond at first. His emerald eyes shimmered in the rippling waves of his tea cup's contents, his claws stirring the tea with a small spoon. "Remember how I told you guys I didn't know who my parents were, or if I had any siblings or where I really came from?" he said in a meek, wavering tone.

Rarity nodded in reply.

"Even though I'm a dragon, everything I know comes from ponies: manners, school, books; everything I am I am because of ponies," he calmly explained. "Without any information on dragons or their culture, I didn't have anything that tied me to where I came from…wherever that is. I wanted to have something that was…mine, something that belonged to me and no one else."

His eyes intensified, staring at the tea as if it were a roaring flame housing his destiny in its fiery core. Rarity could hear a stronger sense of focus in his voice. Spike spoke as if he was declaring his existence to the world, marking his territory on the world with only his words and his passion.

It was frightfully moving to watch. She felt her heart flutter as he spoke; the fire in his words bathed her in a warm and loving glow that made her cheeks turn pink.

"Dragons are usually the bad guys in most stories. I thought if…if I could make something to live by, some kind of goal or code of honor to follow, maybe I could show other ponies that not all dragons strive to be greedy and mean," he laughed sheepishly; rubbing the back of his head. "I know it sounds stupid but, having a code makes me feel like I have some kind of past. I feel like I have something that makes me…me. It's something I made for myself by myself. It's not a pony thing, it's not a dragon thing; I guess you could call it a uh…Spike thing."

"I don't think it's stupid at all Spikey Wikey, in fact," Rarity leaned forward, batting her eyes flirtatiously at him. Spike felt his heart leap into his throat. His face looked warm enough you could fry an egg on it, hypnotized by the angel in purple curls inches away from his face. "I think it's the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

Rarity kissed Spike's forehead. The sweet scent of jasmine filling up his nostrils, his forehead tingling from the more than noticeable lipstick mark she left. Spike nearly collapsed face first into his tea, he grappled the table and quickly positioned himself back upright; cursing how easily he was reduced to goo. Rarity giggled and smiled tenderly to the fumbling dragon. She always found his nervousness to be the epitome of cuteness.

"T-t-t-t-t-thanks Rarity, I've never actually told any pony about this. Well, besides Twilight of course," he said; chuckling innocently.

"I feel honored darling," she replied courteously.

END FLASHBACK

Spike returned to the present, a look of dismal disappointment wilting his scales. Try as he might, he couldn't understand how his day with Rarity turned into such a miserable nightmare. It was like that night drinking tea with her was the last time Spike would see the Rarity he loved.

What happened? Why did she have to go back to all of her bad habits? I thought she learned not to do this stuff anymore…or maybe it's just with me. Oh Rarity. Why can't we go back to that night drinking tea, why can't we stay there and not be here…where everything hurts.

SCREECH!

The dragon's wistful thoughts were violently derailed by the train's brakes shrieking, the grinding metal sounded like some sort of demonic howling. Twilight, Rarity and everyone else on the train were simultaneously jarred out of their doings by the sudden halt. The train had arrived at Ponyville station.

As ponies piled out, Twilight, Rarity and Spike were among the last ones to exit the train car. The ride had done nothing to ease the trouble thoughts swirling in the trio's mind, nor prepared them for the inevitable questioning from their friends on how their time in Canterlot was. Twilight already noticed her friends had gathered at the station, waiting to greet them as they always do.

She spotted Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Hopeful Romantic and Rainbow Dash from the window. Twilight took notice of two unusual traits surrounding Applejack and Dash: AJ looked especially snuggly with Hopeful, whereas Rainbow looked tense and ragged; Arrowhead was noticeably absent from her side.

What happened while they were away?

The trio reluctantly made their way to the platform, slowly exiting with as little haste as possible. The moment their hooves touched the ground they were showered by a sudden burst of confetti. Pinkie Pie's party cannon unleashed a hurricane of streamers, confetti and other colorful decorations over the trio.

"WELCOME BACK TO PONYVILLE PARTY! I've been planning this party ever since you guys left. And of course, what's a party without cake?" the party mare enthusiastically beamed. She reached into her poofy, pink mane and pulled out a medium sized vanilla custard cake; several bits of pink hair poked out of the cake's layers like frizzy springs. "Nothing beats hair cake!"

Try as they might, Rarity, Twilight and Spike could not present anything but sour moods towards Pinkie's sweet gesture. Pinkie blinked in surprise at her friend's lackluster reaction to her festively warm welcome.

"I hope you all had a wonderful time in Canterlot," Fluttershy sheepishly interjected, her shy yet sweet smile ever present. "So, how did everything go? That is if you don't mind me asking."

Applejack, Hopeful, Pinkie and Fluttershy looked more than delighted to hear their friend's news. Rainbow Dash was struggling to withhold her urgent news regarding Twilight's mentor and Spitfire's imprisonment. She didn't want to rush Twilight with such a tall order just seconds after arriving.

"It would be most un-lady like to discuss such a matter," Rarity said briskly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Twilight dryly replied.

"Ditto," Spike said flatly.

The dreary responses left the gathered ponies speechless. Twilight, Rarity and Spike's behavior was most perplexing, they spoke as if someone or something had sucked all the fun and joy out of their spirits. Fluttershy meekly tried to approach Twilight for further questioning, her face riddled with concern.

"B-b-b-but Twilight, what could have-"

"Enough chit chatting already, I got a full on EMERGENCY GOING ON HERE!"

Rainbow's outburst enveloped the pony's attention like a black hole. Twilight was quickly brought up to speed with everything that had happened with Princess Celestia, the theft of the Phoenix Gauntlet and the incarceration of Captain Spitfire. Alarmed by this startling revelation, Twilight and Rainbow blasted off into the sky to try and remedy the situation.

Appearing even more sullen and disengaged after Twilight's departure, Spike and Rarity silently made their way back to their respective homes. Neither one of them looked at the other as they walked off. Fluttershy and the other remaining ponies were left clueless as to what had just transpired.

"Goodness, Twilight, Rarity and Spike looked so sad and gloomy. I wonder what happened to them," Fluttershy said nervously.

"I'll say, it must have been something pretty awful if they didn't want to try out my vanilla custard hair cake," Pinkie said worriedly. The party pony chomped into her neglected pastry. Her sour frown quickly turned into a smile after munching a few swallows of the cake down, bits of hair poking between her teeth.

Applejack and Hopeful looked at each other. The two ponies shrugged and decided now was as good a time as any, they motioned for Fluttershy and Pinkie to turn their attention towards them.

"Well…on a more positive note, the fair maiden and I are dating," Hopeful announced; trying to sound positive and upbeat.

Fluttershy and Pinkie squealed with an unbridled surge of joy, their hearts and spirits soaring at the wonderful news. Pinkie jubilantly offered them the remaining pieces of hair cake to the happy couple. AJ and Hopeful looked uneasily at the tasteless looking treat and politely declined.

Applejack smiled tenderly at Hopeful's pride in announcing their courtship, but she knew it was no time to celebrate. She looked intensely at her friends and tried to bring things back into a more serious perspective. "All right, all right, ya'll are mighty kind but we got more important work to do. We gotta figure out what's goin' on with our friends lickety split," the orange mare rubbed her chin ponderingly, "Ah wonder if it has anythin' to do with old Moonstruck."

"Did you see how grim they all looked? They didn't look like they wanted to talk to each other, much less us," Hopeful commented.

"I think it would be best if we gave them some time to relax and maybe try asking them nicely again later," Fluttershy suggested. "I'm especially worried about poor Dashie. This whole thing with Spitfire has made her so miserable; she even broke up with Arrowhead over it." Fluttershy looked solemnly into the sky, her thoughts drifting to her heartbroken fellow Pegasus. "I know Twilight can help her better than we can, but I just can't help worrying about her."

"What if we threw a HUGE party and invite every pony to it, but in faaaaact, we just invite Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow, Arrowhead and Spitfire and have them all hash it out. It'll be the best Sorry-we-broke-up-over-the-Wonderbolt-captain-getting-arrested-by-the-princess-now-lets-eat-cake-and-make-it-all-better party," Pinkie said excitedly. Her infectious smile failed to spread any cheer with her suggestion.

"That's uh…nice of ya to offer Pinkie Pie, but Ah think Fluttershy is right," Applejack said; crossing her legs. "We gotta give em some time to unwind before we start throwing any hootenannies. If they wanna talk, they'll talk when the time is right."

"I just hope it's soon," Fluttershy added.

Applejack slowly nodded, her eyes nervously shimmering with shades of doubt.

"Ah do too partner."

Twilight walked along a mountainous assortment of black spikes and dark rock formations, cold, metallic chains dangled from each one of them. Multiple pairs of sinister, unfeeling eyes lecherously stared down upon her like she was a piece of meat. The Alicorn princess remembered all the stories Celestia told her about the monsters that reside inside the fiery walls of Tartarus. This was a dark, unforgiving place that concealed the darkest, most vile villains Equestria has ever known.

And she was walking right into the heart of it.

"Now I can understand why Moonstruck was in such a miserable state when I found him that night in the basement. This place is horrible! I can't imagine some pony like him living in a nightmare world like this, it would drive any pony mad," Twilight mused to herself. She scanned each chained prisoner, examining them like puzzle pieces and maintaining her cool composure. "I hate not being able to help Rainbow with this Spitfire case. Even though I'm a princess, I can't change what I want when I want unless I have some kind of proof. I only hope I can find it here."

After trotting past a number of unscrupulous looking characters, Twilight finally found the cell she was looking for. It was a dark, shadowy cell; so dark she couldn't actually see if anyone was actually in the cell or not.

"Do my own eyes deceive me? Do I actually have a visitor?" said a dark, whispery voice from within the shadows.

Guess I found the right guy after all, she thought to herself.

"Come now sweet child…don't be shy…please step into the light."

Twilight gasped in horror. A monstrous shadow leapt towards her.

"So I can see the look in your eyes when I RIP OUT YOUR THROAT!"

CLANG!

A red, devil like Centaur creature with a white beard and small, black horns appeared from his shadowy hiding spot. His wheezing jaws roared as he flailed his claws savagely at Twilight. The princess flinched for a moment but quickly recovered. The creature grunted in fury as his chain cut his distance just short from reaching Twilight. He eventually eased back and rigidly clenched his four black horse legs. The devil's hateful eyes glared scornfully at the unscathed face of the pony princess. Twilight stared unphased at the panting creature that stood menacingly before her.

"Ooooh how I loathe you; pony filth," the devil wheezed bitterly.

"Hello Tirek. I'd like to say it's nice to see you again, but after you stole all the magic in Equestria and nearly killed me and my friends…we both know I can't," Twilight said sternly.

"You really think I care about your meaningless attempts at kindness and friendship? We both know why you're really here, so don't bother pretending I care about pleasantries," Tirek snapped.

"And why do you think I'm here?"

"To bask in your victory over my defeat, to prove your better than me because I failed to conquer a bunch of pathetic, mewling, little ponies with all the magic in Equestria," he coldly answered. "Your very presence is just gives me another reason to despise you."

"That's not why I'm here and I certainly don't think I'm better than you," she fiercely defended.

"Ah but you must think your smarter than me at least. After all, you bested me when I had unlimited magical power, something that should have been impossible, and yet…it happened anyway," he said with a sly sneer. Tirek hummed with a low, bitter growl, his white eyebrows rising.

"Ugh, I didn't come here to talk about that, I came to talk about your old cell mate," Twilight said; growing increasingly irritated with this prejudicial creep.

"You mean that whiny, blabbering cry baby who kept prattling on about his innocence? What about him? I haven't seen him since I escaped Tartarus," Tirek said.

"I'm not looking for him, I want to know more about him and you're the only other person who knows him," Twilight stated.

"Why, and more importantly, why should I bother telling you a blasted thing?" he curtly replied. Before Twilight could answer, Tirek turned around as best he could in his chained state; turning his cloaked Centaur form back on her and crossing his arms. "We've already made it abundantly clear that were enemies, not friends."

"True, but it's not like you have anything better to do," Twilight said with a confident smirk, "it'll help pass the time at the very least."

Tirek's eyes widened at that remark before slowly closing them into a half lidded state. He chuckled wickedly behind that shadowy cloak. Twilight couldn't see his face, but something told her whatever look he was giving off indicated he was up to something. Twilight felt uncomfortable being alone with this devil; he always made her feel uneasy no matter who was with her. Still, if he could provide her even one scrap of evidence relating to Moonstruck's past or possibly finding out about this mysterious imposter, it was worth it.

"So you want to know about Moonstruck eh?" he paused and let loose another gravely chuckle. Tirek slowly turned around, smiling in a way that made the fur on Twilight's neck stand on edge. "Sure…why not? It'll help kill time as you so elegantly put it. Though I must say, for someone who is not interested in finding Moonstruck, you're showing a remarkable amount of curiosity in him. You even flew all the way here from Ponyville just to ask about him, how…unusual," he said with a sickening smile.

"I h-h-have my reasons," she said shakily. Even with all of her Alicorn magic, being so close to this monster made her feel cripplingly nervous. She maintained a guarded posture, keeping her eyes and horn locked on him. She couldn't afford to show him the slightest bit of weakness. "Besides, I think it might be related to another friendship problem I'm working on."

"Whatever you say pony, whatever you say," he smugly teased.

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know, or just stand around all day making every statement sound creepy?"

"You haven't asked me anything yet you royal twit!"

Twilight paused suddenly. Her eyes briefly widened at Tirek's statement, the mare's cheeks burned brightly with embarrassment. She laughed nervously and tried to compose herself.

"Oh…uh…right," Twilight said awkwardly. She cleared her throat and exhaled any nervous energy or anxieties from her body. "During your time with Moonstruck, did he ever mention to you about killing someone? I'm not talking about the victims he was accused of killing; I'm talking about him actually admitting to killing someone while he was imprisoned next to you."

"Ugh, don't remind me of that equine's useless whining! For days on end, he would cry and cry about how he was wrongfully imprisoned and how he was innocent of all his crimes. I wanted to tear my ears off it was so sickening to listen to," he coldly sneered.

Twilight felt her anger spike every time Tirek said something crass about Moonstruck. She wanted to blast him in the face for every dirty remark, but for now, Twilight swallowed her fury and tolerated his ignorant slander for a little bit longer.

"Mind your impatience princess. To answer your question, no, he never admitted to killing any pony during his time here," Tirek said. Twilight wiped a bit of sweat from her brow with one of her wings, she felt so relieved. Moonstruck must have been confused when he said he killed his parents. "However…he did mumble in his sleep quite a few times. Said something to the effect of I killed them, sounded like it might have been some pony he knew; based on the sobs that followed. Could be nightmares or could be bad memories, hard to tell the difference really," Tirek said; grinning cruelly at the princess.

Twilight felt her defenses crumble like a house of cards. She could no longer keep up a brave face, Tirek's words was a horrible confirmation of what she had feared. It was true then: Moonstruck really did kill his parents!

"I uh…I…I have to go," Twilight blurted out.

"Thank you for your visit princess. Do stop by and see me again, anytime you like," he said mockingly. "I hope you found what you were seeking princess…I know I did," he said with a thunderous cackle. His heartless laughter grew louder and louder as it echoed across the hall of cells.

The princess flew towards the exit, her ears and heart unstable to withstand another devastating secret about Moonstruck revealed. Twilight refused to give Tirek any further satisfaction of seeing her in such agony. She flew past Cerberus and out of the exit. Small bits of tears leaked from her eyes, she rubbed her face with her hoof and headed back home as quickly as she could.

After what felt like an endlessly, miserable flight, Twilight returned to Ponyville. Celestia's sun was starting to descend, while Luna's moon was on the rise. The conflicted princess made sure she didn't have any more tears or damp fur on her face before entering the Golden Oak library. Spike was sitting idly at a table with Owlicious, claws lazily rapping against the table's surface.

"T-t-t-twilight? You're back! I've been waiting for so long," Spike said frantically. The young dragon ran towards her and embraced her in a gripping hug. Twilight smiled softly at her adopted son's warm greeting. She stroked his green scales and nuzzled his cheek. "I didn't think you'd be gone that long. I mean, you just left so quickly and-and I didn't think much of it because we were all pretty bummed but…but then I calmed down and-and you still weren't home," he said; rambling on.

"It's all right Spike, I'm home and I'm staying put this time," she said comfortingly.

The pair separated from their hug. Owlicious hooted appreciatively of Twilight's return, he flew over to her and nuzzled her cheek before returning to his perch.

Spike smiled, looking up curiously to the purple mare. "So, how did everything go with Rainbow Dash and the whole Spitfire thing? Did you make any progress convincing Celestia to let Spitfire go?"

Twilight shook her head. As much as she wanted to offer good news, not much had changed since her impromptu return visit to Canterlot. Spike's smile slowly vanished. "I'm afraid not Spike. Her case isn't like Moonstruck's, the chain of events that led to the Phoenix gauntlet being stolen match up perfectly with the Pegasus guards and Wind Rider's testimony. Spitfire has no alibi, and as of right now, no chance of getting out unless we can prove someone impersonated her," she said miserably.

"Impersonated her? Wait, you mean this might be somehow tied to whoever or whatever impersonated Moonstruck?" Spike asked; shocked at his deduction.

"Maybe, but I can't prove anything yet. Spitfire and Moonstruck are completely separate cases for the time being. Rainbow is still upset over everything. I spent most of my time there trying to calm her down and explain to her Celestia had to do this. She didn't like it but she eventually learned to accept it. Unfortunately, now it feels like were back to square one," Twilight grimly admitted.

"So then what do we do now?" he asked.

Twilight groaned as she cracked her neck; grunting in pain at the popping sounds. The flight time, the emotional energy drain from Rainbow's situation and the painful realization of Moonstruck's dark secret had taken its toll on the princess. She was drained physically, emotionally and mentally.

"Right now, the only thing I'm doing is grabbing a snack and going to bed. I'm beat and I'm not going to be able to think straight until I get some serious rest," she said; releasing a yawn she had been holding back. The purple mare's eyes blinked wearily. "I'll see you in the morning, goodnight Spike."

"Uh…Twilight…um I just wanted to…well" he said, struggling to find the courage to finish.

The sleepy princess turned her attention to her number one assistant. She offered him the best smile her tired cheeks could offer, awaiting his question.

"Heh…eh just-just forget it, it's not important," Spike said dismissively.

Twilight hazily nodded and wished him goodnight once more. She slowly trotted upstairs to her bed, tail swaying side to side.

Spike hung his head, his voice low and powerless. The young dragon actually had something terribly important he wished to discuss with his mother, but she was in no mental or physical state to hear it at this time.

The dragon uncoiled his tail. A small white piece of paper dropped from his wound appendage, its crumpled edges slowly unfolding. The paper was, in fact, a letter that had been delivered to the library an hour before Twilight had arrived. It had no address, no name and no initials. One whiff of the scent wafting off the letter though, and Spike knew exactly who it was from.

"Rarity" he said in a dry, husky whisper.

Though Spike had never been in an actual romantic relationship before, and he had never formally or officially defined his relationship Rarity; he had an above average understanding about certain aspects within a relationship. The letter had only 4 words written on it, but those 4 words struck Spike's heart like a cannonball; shaking him to his core. Spike knew all too well how powerful and terrifying those 4 little words could be. They were the 4 words no pony in a relationship ever wanted to hear.

"We need to talk."

To be continued…

Looks like rough waters ahead for Spike. I had a lot of fun writing for drunk Moonstruck, and including Tirek with his little "Silence of the Lambs" like cameo. I wasn't sure where to include that scene but with what I have planned for the next chapter, it had to be here or it wouldn't be used at all. Next chapter preview: Spike and Rarity have gone back and forth with flirting, dates and spending time together, but they've never fully defined their relationship. That time has come. Spike and Rarity must have the ultimate talk and settle once and for all...is love going to bloom or will it crash and burn? Hopefully won't take as long to update like this one, bye for now!

23. The Door

Chapter 23: The Door

Hey everyone, hope you all had an awesome summer! Things have been busy here but pretty much the same as well; not much to report on really. Working on another AMV project, the biggest I've ever attempted and that's kept me busy as well as my video reviews on youtube called "BS Reviews." Check em out if interested! I also wanted to make a shout out to "Mathematic Pony" as it was her incredible original MLP song "The Door" that inspired this chapter's title and some of the dialog. You should totally look up her song! Also special thanks to "Luna Ticks" for their amazing Sparity song "Diamonds", which also gave some inspiration for some of the dialog in here. For today's chapter, I gotta tell ya...this was the hardest chapter to right so far. I went through so many variations and versions of how it would go down, and some stuff came out better than I hoped and other things came out differently than expected. I tried to encapsulate EVERYTHING people had said on Spike, Rarity and their relationship, pros and cons and all. I wanted this to feel real and feel like it had the real reflections of fans around the web involved in some of the dialog. Be prepared, it's going to be a rough ride! Now for the shout outs.

Lord Arkham: Glad I could help!

GIANTPANDAMAN: Hmmm, yeah your right, his cameo was more like in "Red Dragon." I have seen it and quite enjoyed that film btw.

ST4RSK1MM3R: If you love drama, wait til you read this chapter! You'll be definitely seeing more of Moonstruck come chapter 25.

Ponyloco: Really glad that I was able to clear that Discord/Celestia issue up for you. There are definitely more secrets yet to be revealed/explained for Moonstruck, so there will be more gasping all around. Writing for Fancy Pants was great because I always felt he was a great bridge between the high society and the lower class ponies, and I was all too happy to improve his behavior after "Princess Spike" (I refuse to rewatch that episode ever again because of how horrible they butchered everyone's characters). I agree with everything you've said on Spike 100%. Rarity is his waifu and he does deserve to be happy and feel loved like everyone else does. Rest assured though that everything that will happen between Spike and Rarity is necessary to the overall point of this story and that even after the end of this chapter, there will still be more to tell about our favorite dragon and fashionista.

LemonSmoothie: Glad to hear you liked all of it! Despite the drama in this chapter, I had a lot of fun with little inclusions like Moonstruck being drunk and Tirek showing up.

A Man Undercover: Thanks for all the awesome words of kind praise ^^ Moonstruck's drunk babble will certainly cause problems for him and Twilight, that's definitely on the horizon for the two of them. Tirek won't be showing up again but glad you enjoyed his little cameo!

And now onto the chapter!

It's been one day.

One full day since Rarity left that note for Spike.

Both knew what had to be done, however, both were too scared to find out what truth lay beneath the edge of the abyss, the abyss that had consumed their hearts and minds for what felt like an eternity.

Spike was in love with Rarity. He knew it, she knew it, everyone knew it, and yet, not a soul wished to speak of it. It was the public secret that too many knew and too few did anything about. Every pony seemed to have their own opinion on the matter, even if they wouldn't admit it. Some believed this was a case of puppy love, some believed this was a unique love that deserved to be nurtured, while others condemned it and sought every vindication on why the pair could not and should not ever work as a couple.

Spike had been unanimously accepted and welcomed by every pony as one of their own. No one treated him any different no matter what task or situation came up, no one denied him any right…except this one it seemed.

The young dragon had many questions in his life, but no question has ever plagued him as relentlessly and mercilessly as this one has: Why? Why is this one area of his adopted lifestyle the one people raise the most eyebrows at? He ate with ponies, befriended ponies, learned from ponies, lived with ponies, worked with ponies, partied with ponies…so why is loving one beyond understanding? How could anyone tell you who you can and cannot love?

"Why is mine the only one that seems wrong?" Spike muttered to himself.

His emerald eyes remained dark and shallow, glued to the crumpled paper with those 4 words; those turbulent, inescapable words: we need to talk. This was the moment he had waited forever since he met Rarity; to have a heart to heart with her about them. And yet, the thought of speaking to her about this terrified him beyond comprehension. It was like those 4 words were the keys that would elevate him to Heaven, or descend him down into an infinite, empty darkness.

"If every pony truly accepts me as one of their own," Spike stared gloomily down at his claws; flexing them idly in the sunlight beaming from the windows. "Then why do I feel like an alien in my own home?" He looked to his feet next, embracing the silent solitude like a security blanket soaked in ice water.

"What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say to her? This is insane. I've wanted to talk about this stuff with Rarity ever since that day we nearly fell to our deaths. Why has it taken us so long to get to this point, and now that were here, do I even want to be here? I'm so scared of her saying no that I…that I…no, I can't think like that now. I'm so close now, so close" he thought to himself.

The warm rays from the sun brought no comfort, no heat; just more unforgiving coldness. Spike wrapped his arms around himself in a futile effort to comfort his aching heart. He felt so petrified, like he was standing still and the rest of the world was moving on without him. The dragon's eyes achingly sought a friendly face or smile from the window to connect with, some tether that made him feel like he was still a living, feeling and breathing part of this world.

"I feel so alone…like a statue in a world of flesh and fur. I thought I was one of them, I thought I was truly one of them. I mean, they accepted me in every possible way; like I truly belonged here with them. But then…why does this one thing make me feel like I don't belong? They've given me nothing but love, unconditional love. Why is this love off limits, why is my love with her off limits?"

A creak from the staircase caused his green ears to twitch.

"Spike? Is everything all right? You've been staring out that window for a long time now," Twilight asked; a twinge of motherly concern in her voice. Spike turned his attention to his adopted parent. He smiled in reply, but it was a sad and weary one. Twilight didn't feel the least bit eased by it. "Did you get enough sleep last night? Did you skip breakfast or not eat enough today?"

He laughed softly at the bombardment of her concerns. "I got plenty of sleep and I didn't miss any meals, so don't worry about that," he said. The dragon turned towards the window once more. He took a deep breath, looked at the crumpled paper and slowly nodded.

"You sure you're okay? You look like you're ready to take on the world or something," Twilight commented.

"Heh, you're not far off," he faced his mother with a newly acquired surge of pride and confidence. Twilight was always the brightest light shining for him; even in the deepest darkness. "Today's the day, today's the day I confess my undying love to Rarity and ask her to be my special some pony."

"YOU WHAT?!" Twilight shrieked violently.

"I mean it Twilight. I've waited long enough, now is the time to stop acting like a little kid and start acting like a man and tell Rarity how I really feel about her," Spike said affirmatively.

"B-b-b-but are you sure? I mean, you don't want to rush into this. This could like-like backfire big time Spike. Everything about your relationship would change, it would all be different, and if you do this and-and it doesn't work then things will never be the same, EVER!" she said breathlessly.

"Gee, thanks for your vote of confidence," he said with a bitter scowl. The dragon stomped over to the scrolls and quills cabinet. He stuffed a few quills and scrolls into a teal back pack, his tail wound tightly in anger. "This is why I didn't want to tell you about the note" he grumbled under his breath.

"Wait, what note?" she blurted out.

Spike refused to answer. He continued busying himself by packing some snacks and soda cans. Twilight was about to ask him a second time until she looked towards the window Spike had been standing at. A crumpled paper ball laid beneath the window. She levitated it to her face and quickly read it. The mare's eyes slowly widened as it dawned on her: this was most likely the reason Spike and Rarity had been so distant and quiet on the train ride home. This explained everything.

"Spike, please, I didn't mean to discourage you from doing this," she said tenderly. Spike continued to ignore his mother's pleas. She was forced to magically hold him in place just to get him to look at her. Twilight quickly removed her possessive aura. "I'm just concerned, okay? This isn't just about you, it's also about one of our closest and best friends, and the last thing I want to see is either of you get hurt," she playfully ruffled his green scales with her hoof, "specially not my number one little guy."

"I appreciate the concern Twilight, really I do, but the whole 'little guy' thing is part of the problem. I'm not so little that I don't understand what's going on. I know the risks, I know this is a big gamble but I've gotta do this," he pleaded insistently.

"I know you're not some little kid Spike. Believe me, I know better than any pony else how much you've grown," Twilight said assuredly.

"Then you also know that this isn't some phase that's going away. This is something that's real, it feels real, I feel it in my heart and I know that everyone else says that what I am feeling is wrong…but it feels right to me," Spike said; pouring emotion into every word. The young dragon spoke as if his heart was a damn; split open and spilling out all of its contents in one, overwhelming force that couldn't be stopped.

Twilight had that look of parental concern on her face again. She was about to say something to dissuade him or warn him of his path, but Spike beat her to the punch.

"And you of all ponies know what it's like to believe something is true, even when no pony else will believe you," he stated.

Spike had stunned the purple mare into a ghostly silence. In a flash, she felt like Spike had aged 10 years right before her eyes. He was right. She knew exactly what it was like to believe something when the whole world is against you. No one believed her Nightmare Moon was returning when she first came to Ponyville, and no one listened to her when Chrysalis impersonated Cadence at her brother's wedding. Both times she needed others to listen. Both times she was ignored until it was too late. She can't put that feeling on Spike, she just couldn't.

"Spike doesn't have anyone in his corner," she thought to herself. "All this time, every pony has either dismissed his feelings for Rarity or outright ignored them…something I'm guilty of as well. This is one of the most important moments in Spike's life and I can't be the one to abandon him, I promised him I would never do that; that I would always be here for him. He needs to do this…and he needs me to be there for him."

Twilight looked at Spike fondly, finding it difficult to believe her little number one assistant had grown so much since she first took him in. The mare slowly pulled Spike into a hug. He resisted initially but quickly warmed into the embrace, rubbing his face against her belly fur. "I suppose I always knew this day was destined to come. I guess I just thought you needed to be a little older and more mature before you took this big step," she separated from the hug, "but the truth is; I just didn't notice that you've already grown older and more mature."

Spike smiled sheepishly. Despite how embarrassed Twilight's motherly affections made him, nothing made him prouder than hearing her speak so highly of him.

"Do what you have to do Spike, you have my blessing. Whatever happens though, I want you to know that I'm proud of the dragon you've become, and you should be proud of yourself for finally taking this big step forward. Rarity would be lucky to have you as her special some pony," she giggled sweetly, "special some dragon I mean."

No words could fully express the gratitude in Spike's heart. He felt like he could cry, his smile quivering with overflowing emotions. Unable to thank Twilight as she rightfully deserved, he hugged her once more; burying his face into her purple fur.

The two stood there, silent but content; enjoying the love they shared and the moment in all its peaceful bliss.

Spike felt much better knowing Twilight was supporting him, it was the first time he felt that someone understood how important this meant to him. He gathered up his things and headed out. Twilight wished him well and said she'd stay up waiting for him. She was eager to hear Rarity's answer; whether she rejects his feelings or returns them.

The young dragon headed for the hilltop that looked down upon Ponyville. He planned to meet Rarity at this very location, but he arrived early to rehearse what he'd say to Rarity by writing it down on the scrolls he brought in his pack.

"All right Spike, this is the moment you've been waiting for. No more holding back and no more interruptions. Today is the day you tell her everything," he mused to himself; dipping his quill into a jar of ink. The purple drake quickly began scribbling away his heart's inner most desires.

Rarity was frozen, drifting across a sea of uncertainty with no beginning and no end. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here or how she couldn't have seen the signs all this time. It was as clear to her as the sparkling red fire ruby that lay before her sapphire blues.

Rarity stared at her vanity mirror. The fire ruby necklace dangling off a hook on the wall next to the mirror, it swung side to side like an apple colored pendulum. She hasn't stopped staring at it since she pulled it out an hour ago. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? What am I going to-ARGHHH," Rarity slammed her face onto her vanity desk, "no matter how many times I ask myself or how long I look at that accursed-beautiful fire ruby, I just don't know what to do!"

The snow white unicorn told no one about what happened between her and Spike in Canterlot, or any details of their "relationship" actually. Not even Sweetie Bell knows what's been developing. She feared telling anyone else would make it real, that it would confirm that she has become something…more to Spike, and even worse, that he has become something more to her. It was no secret Spike loved her, even Fluttershy's animals knew he adored every speck of fur on her body. But her answer has always been the greatest secret, one that was tearing her apart from the inside.

"I have no one to blame but myself for this. I knew of Spike's affections, I've known for quite some time now and foolishly thought nothing of it. I care for him too, of course, but I don't know if that level of care can ever be what he wants it to be," she thought to herself. "I've been silent about my true feelings for him for so long; I can't tell if the excuses I made not to love him are even real."

Rarity stared at her mirror once more. She felt like she didn't recognize herself anymore, like this was some stranger from a faraway land who was staring back at her. This wasn't the woman who swore she'd made it big in Manehattan, this isn't the country mare who became the pony every pony wanted to know. No, this was some pony else.

"I'm just another heart waiting to be broken, or to do the breaking," she whispered mournfully to herself. That answer only made her feel even more alone and alien looking. "Is it wrong to ignore his feelings? Is it wrong to want to fall in love with him? I can't tell anymore…I can't tell what love is supposed to be."

A flood of handsome faces came flooding back into the fashionista's weary mind. She remembered them, every boy and colt she wasted her heart and dreams on. Prince Blueblood, Trender Hoof, Slick Charmer; those names clung to her soul like parasitic leeches. She thought she knew them; just like she thought she knew what love was.

"All my life I've read storybooks, fairy tales; dreaming of my gallant prince to trot up to me in a suit of shining armor. He would be brave, handsome, noble, but above all else…he would treat me like a lady," she sighed tragically. The weight of her dating failures crushed her like a tidal wave. "Anyone of them would have been simply divine to have by my side as a doting, loving special some pony. But they were all fakes, empty, hollowed husks that left me feeling just as vacant. I wanted one of them to love me like Spike loves me. It would have been so much easier if they didn't turn out the way they did, or even if Spike was a pony instead of a-"

Rarity shook her head and mentally cursed herself for thinking such thoughts. "I should be ashamed of myself, thinking such horrible, shallow thoughts about Spike! Such a selfish mare! Here I am, wasting my time on such selfish, prattling thoughts when Spikey Wikey's fragile heart hangs in the balance."

"What am I really trying to protect here? My heart from further disappointment, his heart from further neglect, or my image from every pony outside of Ponyville?" she questioned soulfully. It was after all, Toplofty's offer for business expansion that stirred these thoughts in the first place. "If I were to take this job and were to enter a committed relationship with Spike, every pony in Equestria would be watching us, but most importantly…judging us…judging him."

Spike was an anomaly to many ponies; though only those that lived outside of Ponyville. Living here in this town, Spike has been blessed with infinite acceptance. It's hard to imagine why anyone wouldn't want to shower such a sweet dragon with love after meeting him. But she knew not every pony felt the same way. Ponies could be just as fickle as fashion trends, love you one minute and then discard you the next.

"My life, my career, my dreams all put me in the public eye. Any relationship with Spike would force him to be exposed to that same level of publicity."

The fashionista headed down to the kitchen and fixed herself a cup of tea. She sipped it with a loud slurp; too rattled by her inner conflicts to worry about propriety's sake at the moment. Opal looked slightly shocked at her owner's un-lady like behavior. She ceased playing with her ball and tilted her head curiously at the distraught unicorn.

"Let's say for the sake of argument I do have feelings for Spike," she mused aloud. Opal looked around to see if her owner was speaking to her. "If we become a couple and I work with Toplofty, I would have to travel around Equestria and do business with many fashion designers and business ponies. I'd be gone a long time and Spike would be unable to assist Twilight with her duties if he comes with me," she rubbed her chin ponderingly, "But then again…I imagine he would leave Ponyville with me if it came down to it and wouldn't have any problem so long as he was by my side."

She stared hauntingly into her cup of tea. The ripples formed ghostly images of Spike and herself; walking hoof and claw down some street. The two looked so happy, like they were made for each other. Rarity smiled weakly.

"Such a wonderful thing, dreams. You experience total freedom to be with whoever you want and do whatever you want. No judgment, no hatred, nothing but your purest desires. Nothing else matters but what you want," she said longingly. Her aura circled the cup and shook it gently. The ripples washed away the images of her and Spike. Faces of other ponies, laughing and taunting appeared in the swirling liquid. Rarity frowned. "That's why they're dreams though, they're not reality. The reality is that Spike and I would never work out. No one would let us be together unless we stayed here forever," Rarity dumped the cup's contents into the sink; having lost her appetite for it. "As much as I love Ponyville, I have dreams beyond these borders and it would be unforgivable if I put Spike through more pain like I did in Canterlot."

Rarity levitated a few balls of yarn towards Opal's paws and refilled her dishes with plenty of water and cat food. The mare nodded informatively to her precious feline and exited the boutique.

She had made her decision.

"This is the right decision, the right decision," she repeated affirmatively. Rarity headed towards her meeting spot with Spike. "It's time we had a real heart to heart, Spike."

The mare felt a mix of anxiety and adrenaline pumping throughout her sorely conflicted heart. On the one hand, she wished to confront Spike about this matter and get it over with and move on with their lives, but on the other hand, she was anxious to begin as she still wasn't sure what to say to Spike or if she truly wanted to end things with him. Her head was pounding with uncertainty. Every time she thought about being with Spike or not being with him, a thousand scenarios would pop up; tearing her mind and heart in too many opposing directions. There were just as many positive outcomes as there were negative ones. No discernible answer came to her, no matter how long she mulled it over.

Sounds of giggling and laughter pulled Rarity out of her inner struggling. She noticed two familiar females sitting at a café table; smiling adoringly at each other. One was a mint green unicorn with golden eyes and whispery white hair, the other was a cream colored Earth pony with pink and dark blue, bouncy locks. Rarity recognized them as Lyra and Bon-Bon.

"H-h-hey would you stop doing that," Lyra squeaked out; trying to contain her rising laughter. "Were in p-p-public you know." The mint green mare was turning red in the face. Lyra placed her hoof on her lips, trying to hold back her giggle fit but failed miserably. One of her legs thumped like a rabbit's foot under the table.

Bon-Bon smiled alluringly at her lovely girlfriend. The Earth pony just couldn't resist teasing her. Lyra's smile was the light of her day, and her laughter; the music to her ears. "What, I can't show my special some pony some affection just cause were at a café?" she smirked. Bon-Bon continued to rub her leg teasingly along Lyra's; playing footsie with her under the table. "Not my fault those lovely legs of yours are so ticklish," she purred; kissing Lyra on her nose tenderly.

A firm "AHEM" from Rarity jarred the googly eye gazing ponies out of their starry stupor. Rarity had gone quite rosy in the cheeks as well; the couple's flirtations caused quite a stir in the fashionista's disjointed heart.

"Oh! Hey there Rarity, nice to see you," Lyra beamed cheerfully. Bon-Bon groaned under her breath, visibly bothered Rarity interrupted their date. Lyra's sweet nature left her oblivious to Bon-Bon's sourness. "Isn't it a beautiful day today?"

"Why yes, yes it is. I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you two on you're eh…snuggle time as it were, but I'm afraid I'm in dire need of your assistance. It's a rather urgent and personal matter. I wouldn't have interrupted otherwise," Rarity said anxiously. She was clearly uncomfortable discussing the matter, but knew only a friend's fresh perspective could help ease her mind before stress overwhelms her. "Would you two be able to keep a secret?"

"We can help for sure Rarity, I'm an excellent secret keeper," Bon-Bon proudly stated; almost instantly.

Lyra huffed bitterly at her mare friend's boasting. She grunted and turned her head away from Bon-Bon; snootily turning her nose up. "HA…yeah she's good at keeping secrets all right, too good if you ask me," Bon-Bon attempted to protest but was quickly interjected by Lyra. "She's so good; she can even fool you for years into thinking she's told you everything there is to know about her, after the two of you SWORE time and time again to share EVERYTHING with each other!"

"Ugh, are you still hung up on that? I told you we would talk about it later," Bon-Bon grumbled. Lyra continued to ignore her girlfriend's glowering glare.

"When IS later? Huh? Sweetie Drops? Every time I try and bring it up, you're like: Lyra I've got a headache, Lyra I'm defrosting the fridge, Lyra focus on the food or the house is going to burn down," Lyra said; mockingly imitating Bon-Bon's voice.

The two mares continued to bicker like an old married couple; inseparable and insufferable, as usual. Rarity rubbed her aching temples and tried to calm herself.

"EXCUSE ME" Rarity shrieked. The sudden outburst stopped Lyra and Bon-Bon dead in their tracks, their anger instantly deflating. "I haven't the faintest idea what this is all about, and no offense; but I don't really care. You two are the only mares who are capable of helping me with this eh…unusual…relationship problem," Rarity said meekly.

Lyra and Bon-Bon started to understand Rarity's problem a bit more clearly. The couple was at first confused why Rarity sought their help and not from her usual 5 friends, but now they were beginning to understand why Rarity said they were the "only mares" who could understand what she meant by the "unusual relationship" line.

Lyra and Bon-Bon looked at each other before looking towards Rarity. Her face riddled with billowing anxiety. "This is about you and Spike, isn't it?" Bon-Bon asked bluntly.

At first, Rarity adamantly denied this accusation. Her cheeks flushed with shades of pink and red. Her words blurred together into a rambling, nonsensical mess of denials and false claims of it being about someone else and not Spike. Eventually, she caved and told the truth. "Sigh, am I really that obvious? Have I sunken so lowly in the dating world that no one believes I could land any other potential date other than Spike?" she asked; dramatically raising her hoof to her closed eyes.

"Well it's just every pony in Ponyville sees Spike hanging around you, doing every little thing you ask of him," Lyra casually explained. Rarity should have surmised this. This is a little town after all; everyone knows everyone and sees everything.

"But why do you make it sound like that's a bad thing? Just because we assumed you and Spike are talking about relationship stuff, that doesn't mean that you've hit rock bottom or anything," Bon-Bon added.

Rarity bit her lip nervously. She hadn't realized her words had such a negative connotation to them.

"Is that how you see Spike, hitting rock bottom?"

"Of course not…well maybe a little…I mean err…Yes…NO I mean ugh….I don't know what I mean. I don't have the first clue what I'm doing. I don't even know if I like Spike that way, or if I really do and I'm just psyching myself out because of what this could mean for us," Rarity whimpered.

Lyra and Bon-Bon politely asked the fashionista to clarify what she meant.

"It's as you said, every pony has seen us together and knows Spike is attracted to me. We've played back and forth, flirting and bantering here and there but that's all I thought it was…playful banter. I figured he'd grow out of this puppy love stage and just give up on me," Rarity sniffled loudly, "but he hasn't and now I…I think he might actually tell me he's in love with me."

"Is that what you mean when you said what this could mean for the two of you?" Lyra asked.

Rarity slowly nodded. "I'm so mixed up with my own feelings, I don't have the foggiest how I really feel or what I'm going to tell him. If I tell him I don't love him, then I'll break his heart and I'll be forever tormented on whether or not I made that choice out of fear or if I truly don't love him that way. But if I tell him I do love him and I later find out I was wrong and I only did it to avoid hurting him, I'll resent it for the rest of my life and will most likely break up with him. By that point, the love and happiness in his heart will have grown tremendously, and thus, the pain he'll experience will be a thousand times more devastating."

Lyra and Bon-Bon looked at each other once more, a twinge of sadness painting both of their faces. The loving couple wasn't sure what to say to Rarity. This was a delicate, sensitive matter that involved the hearts of two of their friends/neighbors. They knew that any advice they give could contribute towards making or breaking a future relationship. Neither Lyra nor Bon-Bon wanted to be in this difficult position, but neither of them wanted to see Rarity go through it alone either.

Something had to be done.

"What in Celestia's name am I going to do?" Rarity said desperately.

Nothing but silence answered the pleading mare. Finally, after a few minutes of contemplation, Lyra decided to offer her insight into Rarity's dating dilemma.

"When I was interested in pursuing a relationship with Bon-Bon, I was a little nervous at first," Lyra confessed tenderly. She placed a comforting hoof over Bon-Bon's. The gesture eased any potential confusion in the Earth pony's mind, she smiled in return. "I knew that being with her would raise a few eyebrows. In a way, I understand where some of your concerns are coming from. Those same fears tormented me; kept me up nights too," Lyra said.

"So what did you do?" Rarity asked.

"There's this thing my mom taught me. It's sort of like a mental preparation trick, I used it to help me decide on Bon-Bon," Rarity nodded; listening inquisitively. Lyra stuck her tongue out and hummed. She tapped her chin idly, trying to find the best way to phrase it. "I want you to close your eyes first. Now, I want you to picture a door in your mind, a closed; locked door. Now, imagine everything you've ever wanted or desired in your true love. Every quality, every personality quirk; everything that your heart has been yearning for exists behind that door," Lyra explained, "I want you to imagine that your one true heart's desire is waiting for you behind that door."

"Okay, I-I think I've got it."

"Good, now I want you approach the door but don't open it. Make sure your mind is focused on the door and only the door. Nothing else exists in this world, no other ponies or animals or anyone else. There is only you and the door. Once you're absolutely sure that there is nothing in your mind but this door, I want you to lean in close and peek through the keyhole. Tell me what you see," Lyra instructed.

Bon-Bon watched in awe at her partner's impressive mental exercise. She had no idea Lyra went through so much preparation over her. Knowing this only made the special agent pony feel even more drawn to the minty unicorn.

Rarity's eyes remained tightly shut. She winced and moved her head as if actually looking at a door and bending down to peer into the keyhole. Rarity jerked her head back violently and gasped in shock. Bon-Bon and Lyra were both slightly alarmed.

"ACK! I saw…I saw" Rarity wheezed; gasping for air. She was huffing and puffing like she just ran 10 miles.

"What Rarity, what did you see? What did you see through the keyhole?"

"I saw…I saw…Spike. It was him, everywhere. It doesn't matter what angle I looked or how many times I rubbed my eyes, it was Spike…it's always been Spike," she said weepily.

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, now you finally got your answer," Bon-Bon suggested. She was slightly confused and was hoping some pony could explain why Rarity sounded like she was about to cry.

"I don't know if it's a good thing or not, that's the problem!" Rarity blurted out. The fashionista leapt and grabbed Lyra by her shoulders. "Please, you've got to tell me what this means. Does this mean I love Spike? Does this mean I HAVE to love Spike? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS?!" she screamed. Rarity shook Lyra vigorously, as if shaking her will clarify what path she must take.

Bon-Bon attempted to pry Rarity off her girlfriend, but Lyra raised a hoof and halted her from trying. Lyra used her aura and forcefully calmed Rarity down and pushed her off of her body. "Whoa-whoa, just calm down for a second Rarity; I'm not saying you have to do anything," she said soothingly.

"B-b-b-b-but I thought that this m-m-meant I-"

"There's a reason I told you to picture a door. The door represents the final threshold you must cross in order to reach what your heart desires. But just because this is what exists behind the door, that doesn't mean you have to open it," Lyra calmly stated. Rarity tilted her head in confusion. She didn't understand where Lyra was going with this. "Looking through the keyhole gave you a glimpse of what you could accept. The door will always be standing there, waiting there…waiting to be opened. You know what's beyond that door but it is up to you if you want to open it, or close it and lock it up forever," she clarified. Rarity slowly started to understand, her head nodding in agreement. "It's your door Rarity, your heart, your key. There's no right or wrong here…just you and the door."

Rarity felt like her mind just emptied out all of her stress and confusion. It was like Lyra's words were fan blades, whirring together and blowing away the fog that clouded her thoughts. Finally having the clarity she sought, Rarity refused to put off her talk with Spike for one second longer. She thanked Lyra kindly for her wonderful advice and headed towards that tree, that fateful tree where a young dragon waited for her.

One hour later…

Spike sighed heavily; leaning against the tree and staring solemnly at the approaching twilight sky beneath the branches and leaves. A sea of crumpled up letters and scrolls surrounded the young dragon like a moat. Hours and hours and hours had passed but Spike could not put down the right words onto a single scrap of paper.

"No matter how hard I try or how I word it, it's still not enough. I guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way," Spike grumbled miserably. He stared down at his most recently crumpled letter. He groaned and kicked it into the pile; staring once more into the twilight sky, "A lot of good that's done me in the past."

The sound of approaching hoof steps caused his fin like ears to twitch. She was here, finally after all this time; she was here. Spike leapt to his feet and quickly incinerated all of his mangled love letters into nothingness. He knew Celestia would probably be miffed at him for dumping all those on her head, but that was a problem for Future Spike to worry about.

There was only one problem he had to worry about now.

"Rarity" he said breathlessly; smiling apprehensively as she approached him. She looked just as uncertain as he did.

The pair stared at each other. Worlds worth of words to discuss, but neither one had the heart to speak first. For Spike, this was the moment he's been working up to since the first day he met Rarity. For her, this was the moment where she would decide if she opens the door…or closes it forever.

"Hello there Spike," she said softly.

"H-h-h-h-hey there R-r-r-rarity," he said; idly scratching the back of his head. Despite having hours of prep time, Spike oddly found himself tongue tied at the moment. "Um…I uh…b-b-beautiful weather we're having, don't you think?"

Rarity remained emotionless, blank; coldly immune to Spike's ill attempt at conversation.

"Please don't take this the wrong way Spike, but we both know I didn't ask you up here to talk about the weather. There's a lot we have to discuss and, quite honestly, I don't wish to delay it any further," she said with a dash of firmness, "we've put this talk off long enough."

"Heh…yeah…I guess it has been a long time coming," Spike sheepishly replied. He was a little offset by the word "we've." The dragon never thought of himself as being the one that avoided discussing this, but he shook it off and focused on the task at hand. "Thanks for finally doing this, Rarity."

"Before we get to the heart of the matter, I wanted to say how deeply sorry I am for the horrible way I treated you back at Canterlot," she said achingly. Spike blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected her to bring that up, he figured they were just going to have "the talk" and that was it. "I got too caught up in my planning with Toplofty, but that's no excuse for how I treated you. You were put into a large amount of pain because of me and for that I am infinitely sorry," she lowered her head; as if bowing in shame. "That is not the way a lady treats her friends."

Again, another cringe that rattled Spike, that word; friend. That word was part of the problem and the primary reason why he spent all day thinking of what to say to her today.

"Eh it's fine Rarity, don't worry about it. I appreciate the gesture but the fact you're finally agreeing to talk to me about all of…well…us, it means more to me than any apology," Spike said sincerely.

The fashionista sighed heavily. There was no more prolonging this, no more excuses or breaks to mull it over; the time was now. She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and looked at her young dragon friend.

He watched her with surging dedication in his emerald eyes. Spike looked like he never wanted to take his eyes off of her. The whole world could explode from a meteor crashing into Ponyville this instant, and Spike still wouldn't avert his gaze.

"As you and I both know Spike, you've become quite…drawn to me ever since you and Twilight stepped hoof in Ponyville. Since we met, you've become one of my closest, dearest friends. I've shared things with you I've never shared with others. I trusted you with my work, my shop and you've never let me down once," she said. Spike's eyes shined just a few shades brighter after hearing that. A small smile formed, though Rarity didn't have the heart to return the grin. "But I'm afraid that close friends is all that we were ever meant to be, I'm sorry Spike," his smile faded almost instantly, "but I'm afraid that there is no us…it's just not in the cards."

"Not in the…the what? What are you talking about? How can you say that after-after all we've been through, after all that we've done together?" Spike asked; slightly more desperate sounding now. He felt queasy; overwhelmed by a wave of confusion he couldn't shake. "Why are you saying all this stuff now? What made you want to have the talk now of all times?"

"Toplofty has offered me a generous position within his company. If I sign with him, he'll be able to mass produce my designs across Equestria, put my name, my line; my face in hotels and fashions chains everywhere. It could be the big break I've been waiting for all my life," she explained.

"B-b-but why does that mean you have to rush your decision about the two of us to right now? What does his job offer have to do with us?"

Rarity bit her lip. She knew Spike would probe her further for answers, but still she had ill hopes he wouldn't so she could avoid going into details. If she accepted this job and acknowledged any potential feelings for the dragon, he'd go with her and be exposed to more ridicule and judgment like he did in Canterlot…and he'd do it too; just because it's what she wanted. She couldn't do that to him, not to her beloved Spikey Wikey.

"B-b-b-because I…I uh…I would be gone a long, long time away from Ponyville. And if I say yes, I wouldn't want to leave any lingering doubt in your mind for so long," she explained; fumbling nervously. She knew that was a lie. Toplofty never specifically said she'd be away from Ponyville for very long. She had no idea what the travel plans were or if there were any or how any of this was going to work, IF she signed.

"Doubt? Now wait just a minute who said anything about having any doubts?" he said; accusingly. Rarity prepared herself, mentally preparing to defend her position better this time. "I've always known how I've felt about you. You may have doubted this or never wanted to talk about it, but there is definitely no doubt in my mind how I feel. This is something I've wanted to get off my chest for a long, long time now," he declared.

"S-s-s-spike n-n-no, please, let's just leave things as they are. You're a good friend, one of my best friends," Rarity said; shifting nervously.

"Rarity, I've known there was something special about you the moment I first saw you. No pony has ever made me feel the way you make me feel. I need to-"

"NO, Spike, PLEASE stop! Don't ruin what we have, don't ruin our precious friendship," Rarity pleaded; agonizingly.

"Don't you see? There's so much more than friendship that I feel for you, so much more I've felt in my head and in my heart. I can't stand dancing around this issue any longer. We keep walking on egg shells and it's driving me crazy. I just…I just gotta say it," he said.

Rarity got down on all fours. She shoved her forelegs into her ears; desperately trying to block out the words she knew were coming. "Spike PLEASE…DON'T SAY IT!" she shrieked to him, echoing throughout the heavens.

"Rarity…I love you."

Winds silent and empty as the grave chilled their fur and scales, rustling the grass and the fluttering leaves from the tree. The dragon and the pony felt frozen in time. Rarity knew she couldn't hide from it, couldn't avoid it; not anymore. She lowered her hooves from her ears and opened her eyes.

"Oh Spike," she whispered solemnly, "am I really what you seek? Is it really me?" The question slightly shocked Spike. He looked to her as if she just spoke some alien dialect to him. Rarity stood back up, staring down the purple drake.

"W-w-w-w-ell yeah, of course you are. Why else do you think I said it?" Spike asked; assuming the answer was fairly obvious.

"Because you just don't understand. The thing is Spike, I…I…don't love you and you can't love me," Spike's heart jumped into his throat. He felt his eyes pooling up small specks of tear drops. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I'm sorry Spike but it's the truth. You can't love me because you don't understand what love is. You're still too young, you'll understand what true love is one day but not today," Rarity firmly insisted.

He looked sad at first, but only at first. Spike's stance became rigid, tensed up; like his pain was flowing over into a newfound anger. The dragon looked at Rarity with a waspish glare. She was slightly surprised at this cross look. She'd never seen him look like this in all the time she's spent with him.

"Just stop it…please…stop talking to me like I'm some stupid kid who doesn't know what he's talking about. I may not be an expert on love but I do know what it is," he barked defensively. He felt insulted by this passive swipe of ageism. "I'm not some silly little foal whose too naïve to understand things. I'm not some cutie mark crusader you know."

"But Spike dear, you're still a baby-"

"DRAGON, I'm a baby dragon NOT a baby pony," he snapped forcefully. Rarity was becoming more shocked by his abrasive attitude. This was touching a nerve far more raw than she had ever expected, she could see it burning in his emerald eyes. "They are not the same thing and you know it! I already told you, I'm not like your sister or any of the other kids in their school. I've got more experience and maturity than any pony gives me credit for."

"Age is still an issue Spike, though you're right; I shouldn't have inferred you were like my sister or her friends."

"You don't think I don't know that? I just wanted to talk about what I feel has been going on between us before we even got into the pony/dragon age difference thing. Is that okay?"

Rarity nodded. She knew tempers would flare during this discussion, but she never intended to intentionally antagonize him like this. "I didn't mean to put it like that Spike, believe me when I say I'm sorry," she said a bit more comfortingly, "but age differences aside, I want you to listen to me when I tell you that you only think you know what love is. It's very different from the real thing."

"That isn't fair! You make it sound like my thoughts are wrong or something. You're not even giving me a chance, your just-just telling me what my thoughts mean even though you're not the one thinking them. I thought that's why you asked me to talk; to give us a chance to say everything we've wanted to say," he bit his lip; feeling like he was floating adrift at sea without a soul for miles to hear him.

"All right then, there's something I've always wanted to hear you say Spike. I want you to tell me what love is. How do you know what you feel with me is in fact, love? I want to hear you tell me in your own words," Rarity ordered briskly.

Spike was thrown by her request. She didn't sound like she had any faith in his convictions, yet she's asking for him to tell her what love means to him all the same. He rubbed his head uneasily. He was confused and caught off guard at the one moment he needed to be collected the most.

"W-w-w-what? What are you talking about? You just told me you believe I only think I know what love is and that I'm in love with you. What's the point in telling you if you don't believe me?" he asked; slightly more hostile than before.

"I'm as love struck as they come Spike. Trust me, I know a thing or two about true love," Rarity said matter-of-factly.

She towered over him, looking down with those sapphire blues that Spike still thought looked as gorgeous as the stars in the sky; despite present circumstances. He flexed his claws, curling and uncurling them as he mentally prepped himself. This was his chance to prove to Rarity, to all ponies that his body may be young and soft, but his mind is as wise and sharp as Twilight's.

"You're doing just fine Rarity. Things got a little rough but this is the perfect recovery. Once Spike explains himself out loud and realizes he doesn't really know what love is, he'll understand his feelings are misguided and he'll agree that this can't work between us. He'll see for himself. I never wanted to hurt him in the first place, I just figured that if I hurt him now and end it then he'd be able to get over the pain of losing me much quicker than if he stayed with me and traveled around Equestria; where he'd experience far worse pain for far longer. This makes things much easier…for both of us," the wary fashionista thought to herself.

The young dragon was ready. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled and then opened his eyes. His chest tensed slightly. Spike was going to tell it all, everything he's held in about his precious snow white princess would be revealed. Finally, she was going to listen.

"You asked me, how I know if what I feel for you is actually love, right?" he asked.

She nodded in confirmation.

"Well, when I'm with you; everything just feels…better. Air feels fresher, flowers smell sweeter, food tastes better, gems look more sparkly; everything I do with you feels way more fun and-and happier. It's like there's this glow, this nonstop heavenly bubble that just improves everything around you and I…I feel it; all the time when I'm with you. It's a fire that is always burning and it's always warm, always comforting. I love doing everything with you, and I mean everything. We could be scraping gum off of benches, going to the dentist or-or scrubbing mud out of a wedding dress…and I'd love every single minute of it…because…I'd be doing it with you."

"Boring things aren't boring when I'm doing them with you. I find myself thinking about you, thinking about what you're up to and wondering how your day is going, like all the time. I just love helping you, somehow someway. I feel um…what's the word…sunny inside when I'm able to cheer you up, yeah that sounds right. And when you're sad, I just want to make you laugh so I can see that wonderful smile of yours and help you feel as sunny on the inside as I am. I love the smell of your perfume, I love handing you fabrics, I even love going to the spa with you, heh. I would have never even tried that if it wasn't for you recommending it. You're more than just a pretty face to me; you're the definition of fun itself. I feel like I'm in a better place thanks to you. Wow…I uh…said a lot more than I thought I did. Well…I guess that's what love is to me, because that's what I feel when I'm around you…Rarity," he said.

Rarity felt her resolve shatter like glass. Her eyes were glossy, sparkling; bursting at the seams with affection that could not be contained. She was so certain Spike didn't understand love, she was absolutely sure of it. Hearing his words now however, they crippled her excuses, her defenses and left her completely vulnerable to his overwhelming love for her.

"That was just…beautiful…divine…the most wonderful, touching, heartfelt thing I've ever heard. In all my years, I've never felt or heard such love; unconditional love from such a sweet, kind and loving source," she whispered to herself.

Rarity wanted to say all of that out loud, she wanted to shout it out to Spike and let him know how immeasurably moved she was by his heavenly words.

Unfortunately, her brain spoke first.

"NO, NO, you can't let this change your mind! No matter how beautiful his words were, this is going to make his pain more unbearable in the end. You know this won't last, it can't last; your future will fail if it does. You know how fickle the fashion world is. They'll judge him, scrutinize him, harass and humiliate him until he hates himself for being born a dragon. You can't let him go through that, this has to stop NOW! Everyone will tell you it's wrong, everyone will tell you this is perverse. You know this love is WRONG, returning it will only bring him pain," Rarity thought to herself.

"Rarity um y-y-your mumbling, I can't-can't make out what you're saying," Spike confessed.

"Oh, right, sorry about that Spike," she adjusted herself; struggling to regain her composure. Spike looked to her with anxious eyes. He was no doubt eager to hear her response to his declaration, a fact that only made Rarity feel increasingly uneasy. "Yes well…that um was uh…a v-v-v-very nice and cute interpretation of love Spike but," she started to say. The hopeful light in his eyes started to fizzle out. "But I am afraid it's just as I thought…you don't understand what love is…not really. Your words are sweet but your notion of love just too cliché and…and," her lips trembled, not wanting to finish her statement but forcing herself to, "and it's childish."

Spike clutched his scaly chest. He knew it wasn't physically possible but, he swore he actually felt his heart breaking in two. The world around him stopped cold. Everything felt grey, flavorless and empty. Tears fell from his eyes but he couldn't tell for he appeared to have lost all feeling in his limbs.

"Childish…c-c-c-childish…you think what I just…that my love is…is childish?" he sputtered. Spike repeated the word "childish" over and over until the word sounded like nonsense to him. He stumbled, having trouble standing on his legs.

Rarity fought back her own tears. She didn't want him to see or know how truly moved she was by his words, she had to make this decision feel like it was the right one. "Spike, I am so sorry. I know this hurts, I know it feels like the worst thing in the world right now but trust me when I tell you it will get better," she extended a hoof to comfort the young drake, "this is the right decision."

Spike jerked his claw away from Rarity's hoof. He looked at her as if she was a poisonous snake, instantly recoiling for fear of her venomous touch. His eyes looked cold and unforgiving. She had never seen such empty pools of ice in his emerald eyes before, it was almost frightening.

"Trust you? Me, trust YOU?! SERIOUSLY?!" he screamed furiously. The unicorn skittered back, meeping in surprise. Spike looked just as furious as Rainbow did when Tank had to hibernate. "Why in the wide world of Equestria would I trust you about love? What do YOU know about it anyway?!" he snapped; tears dripping down his flared cheeks.

"I'm older for one thing, and I have actually dated for another," she said defensively. She was slowly finding her voice to prepare a rebuttal. "I've dreamed about falling in love my whole life. I've prepared myself to meet my one true prince ever since I first learned about boys, so don't act like I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to love," she said.

"You mean like that rich jerk wad you bent over backwards for, Prince Blue Blood? Or that sexist creep; Slick Charmer, the same one Idefended your name over? And what about Trenderhoof, the guy you literally changed who you are for; just to impress him. Not to mention that you had me support your attempts to catch his attention, even knowing how I felt about you. Is that what you call knowing what true love is like?" Spike argued fiercely.

Rarity's face turned a bitter shade of red. She no longer felt cautious or sensitive towards Spike's feelings, now her own anger had taken control of her voice. "How DARE you throw them in my face! A lady's past is her business and hers alone, you have no right using my heart's old wounds as your personal ammunition," she countered.

"There was nothing private about any of it, you told me everything about them; remember?" he added sternly. Rarity bit her lip; mildly annoyed at this development. "You spent the whole carriage ride home from the Gala telling me what a louse Blueblood was, and in case you already forgot, I was with you every step of the way when you were trying to win over Trenderhoof. You tell me everything Rarity, everything! We share everything together because I thought we were closer than friends, I thought that meant something to you…it certainly meant something to me," he bitterly conceded.

"If you were so against me and Trenderhoof dating then why did you help me?"

"Because that's what I do, that's what I always do! He was the only thing that made you happy at that moment, so I pushed all of my love for you deep down into the pit of my stomach and helped you as best I could. I'd rather see you be happy than miserable…even if it's not with me."

"Then why can't you accept my declination of your feelings now? Can't you see how all of this toing and froing is making me miserable?" she pleaded dramatically.

"That's because uh…look, I don't know how else to say this so I'm just going to come out and say it," he paused to take a mighty breath. Spike prepared himself for the damaging words that were about to be unleashed. He looked at her, stern; fiery resolve burning in his eyes. "I don't believe you when you said you don't love me."

Rarity whipped her head back in shock, her purple curls thrashing in the cold air. The fashionista felt like she had been shot by a cannonball. She almost didn't know how to respond.

"I'm not trying to call you a liar or anything Rarity, but no pony knows your body language like I do. You hesitated when you told me I didn't know what love is. You sounded unsure, like there was something you were holding back or wanted to say but didn't," he calmly stated. Spike approached Rarity but she inched back ever so slightly. His anger and irritation had dissipated; calmness and comfort echoed in his youthful voice. "I didn't come here to fight. I just wanted to tell you how I really feel and that's all I'm asking you to do: tell me how you really feel."

"Well, you're certainly doing a very good job of starting one!" she huffed indignantly.

The snow white pony began to pace back and forth; huffing and grunting several words under her breath that were far from lady like. Spike noticed her purple tail was rigid and stiff; it looked like a purple cobra that was poised to strike.

"UGH I just want to scream! You can be so frustrating, you know that Spike?! She scowled; still pacing back and forth. He was about to answer but the hot tempered mare curtly cut him off before he could even open his mouth. "I come here and tell you my honest answer and you completely ignore me and claim I don't mean what I'm saying…of all the…GRR!" Spike flinched as Rarity abruptly stopped pacing and glared her sapphire blue daggers at him.

"Rarity please, I didn't mean it that way."

"For some pony who claims to have changed and matured, you're certainly doing a splendid job of acting like the most immature person I have ever known!"

"Wait-what? What are you talking about? I have changed, I have matured."

"Ha, I'm sure the ponies at the Grand Equestria Pony summit would disagree."

Rarity's scoffing tone jabbed at Spike, like knives digging under his skin. The shame he felt after that debacle buried him like an avalanche of punishing snow. He hated it when others brought it up. Spike knew it was such a public event that he would always be reminded of it by some pony at some point, but he didn't think Rarity would ever use it against him.

Rarity could see by the dim light of his emerald eyes that she struck a sore spot, though in truth, Spike thought of it more as a low blow. The dragon's face bubbled with raw pain. It was consuming his resolve, twisting it into something miserable and ugly.

"And what does that have to do with anything?" he asked venomously.

"You always ask us to stop treating you like a child, yet what you did at that summit was about as childish as you can get," she said haughtily. Rarity lifted her hoof in a counting manner. "You abused Twilight's title, lied to the delegates, had them wait on you hand and foot and caused the whole event to descend into chaos," she said accusingly. She turned her head up and stomped her hoof down. "Certainly doesn't sound like the kind of gentlemen I'd want to spend my nights with."

Once more, anger and bitter sadness brewed inside Spike; drowning his calm in a hurricane of unyielding pain. He knew Rarity was always an overly emotional mare, but this side of her is one he's never seen before. It felt like she was intentionally saying hurtful things to drive him away. She claimed they came from a place of purpose, but it felt like a desperate, spiteful attempt to just push him away without any sincerity.

"Yeah, I admit it; that was a stupid thing to do," he said neutrally. Spike's eyes hung low, staring at the ground with unfeeling indifference. As his voice and emotions rose, his eyes looked back to Rarity. "Maybe I only did that because…I wanted someone to listen to what I had to say; for once. Or maybe I did it because I got tired of being left out all the time and I wanted to feel like I mattered again," his voice and emotions flared wildly; tears dripped from his eyes as he continued, "And maybe…maybe I did it because I-I wanted to do something cool that meant something important; so I didn't have to h-hate myself anymore!"

The fashionista's heart cracked with every word he spoke. She was overwhelmed by Spike's pain. Such suffering, so much silent agony; why is this the first time she's heard of this? Did Twilight know about this? Did he not tell her even?

"Hate yourself? Darling, why would you ever do such a dreadful thing?" she asked; her voice quaking with sympathy.

"Because every day I wake up, I'm reminded that no matter how hard I'll try; I'll never really be one of you. I look at myself in the mirror and say 'looking good Spike' so I don't hate what I see looking back; so I can find some reason, any reason at all to like myself…even a little bit," his voice choked on his own sadness. Years of pent up pain came flowing out through his hurt filled eyes and strained voice. "You should have been there Rarity. You should have heard those horrible things the Canterlot ponies were saying. Do you know what it was like, running home all alone; hearing them talk to me and look at me like a…like a freak? Can you even begin to imagine how that made me feel, or that sometimes, I have those same thoughts about myself even when no pony says anything? Do you even CARE?!" he sobbed.

"Oh Spike, I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean to leave you, I was just caught up-"

"But you DID, you did leave me and worst of all; you did it on the day you promised we would spend together. You did what every one of our friends has done: you left me behind and didn't care how it made me feel!"

Rarity turned pale with surprise. Where was all of this sorrow coming from? Could she possibly have been this blind for so long? Twilight and her friends didn't leave him behind…did they?

"No-no Spike, I swear you've got it all wrong," she shook her head frantically, "we didn't leave you behind; we didn't abandon you." Spike looked at her as if her words were hollow lies. "I know what I did to you was terrible and you have every reason to be mad at me, but I swear on sapphires our friends have never left you behind," she insisted.

"If that's true then why didn't any one bring me along to Twilight's birthday party in Canterlot?" Spike coldly asked.

The snow white mare opened her mouth; automatically preparing her defense against Spike's misplaced anger. Once he spoke however, she found her silenced by a horrifying realization: he was right. He wasn't at Twilight's birthday party.

Not waiting for some flimsy excuse, Spike revealed more heart crushing truths. "And how come no pony asked me to meet Maud and eat rock candy when she came to visit? Or what about the time no pony brought me along to watch Rainbow Dash at the Wonderbolts academy try outs, or the time you all left me alone at the Grand Galloping Gala…and-and the fact none of you tried to make it up to me when we went back to the Gala the following year?"

Try as she might, Rarity found herself too flabbergasted to come up with an answer to any of those occasions. She felt her stomach churn and her vocal chords shrivel up in disgust. She couldn't believe that all of them have been ignoring Spike on so many, many important occasions.

"S-s-s-spike…I…I…I don't know what to say….I'm so terribly sorry, so immeasurably sorry," she whimpered meekly. Her cheeks dampened by cascading tears.

"You don't need to say anything; your guy's actions say enough. None of you even asked me to come along to Starlight's village. I could have really helped there! I don't have a cutie mark to steal, I could have been useful in getting your guys cutie marks back," he bitterly griped.

"But you said you had already made plans to spend time with Big Mac; talking about hoof ball and trading hoof ball cards. You never said a word about wanting to come along," she countered.

"I only did that because I was so used to you guys leaving me behind. I would have gone with you guys in a second…all you had to do was ask," he replied.

A lifeless silenced dwindled between the dragon and the pony, it filled up the room like the stench of a rotting corpse. Words of pain and misery lodged in their hearts like arrows. Neither Spike nor Rarity knew what to say or where to go from here. So much had been said, so much pain had been caused, and yet the reason that brought them here together still felt unsolved.

"There's something I've always wanted to ask you," Rarity's ears perked up, "I've been waiting, hoping you'd bring it up first but you never did." Spike wiped the tear marks from his cheeks with his arm. "Why didn't you and I talk about all this after what happened on my birthday?"

Rarity knew exactly what he was referring to. Her mind flashed back to the sight of them falling to their deaths after Spike transformed back to normal from his rampaging dragon form. Spike told her that he had a crush on her; fearing death was approaching. Rarity stopped him before he finished, looked to him with a knowing look and smiled; tears dripped from her eyes. They were saved of course, but Rarity had never spoken of that moment since it happened.

"Honestly? I don't know; I don't even know why I stopped you from telling me. Maybe I was worried hearing it out loud would make it true, maybe I felt knowing it was enough and hearing it wasn't needed, or maybe I was just scared of dying," Rarity confessed.

"I was scared b-b-but also I was…happy. That was actually the happiest day of my life, believe it or not. That was the first time I truly felt like I belonged. For that one brief moment, I felt like I was heard and I had proof that I wasn't some delusional little kid with inappropriate feelings. We may have been falling Rarity, but I felt like I was flying."

Once again, Rarity returned to that door, that accursed; wonderful door that tempted her to open it and see what lay inside. The door had been alternating between being closed and being open during this conversation. Several times she had been tempted with both alternatives.

"Spike, I have always known about your crush. I know I've been too wrapped up in myself to see it sometimes but I've always known about it."

"Then why, why did you give me the romantic silent treatment all this time? Why haven't you talked to me about any of this at all?"

"I just didn't want to get your hopes up."

"If that's the case then why did you flirt with me and bat your eyes when you wanted me to do you a favor or something? I've seen you do it to other ponies too."

Rarity rubbed her head. She felt her skull throbbing; pounded by all of her actions being turned against her. Spike had valid points, too potent enough to ignore but she couldn't let them make her forget the most important thing: doing the right thing.

"This getting us nowhere darling; things are going to get worse long before they get better. Trust your original instincts. If you hurt Spike now he'll be miserable for weeks, but if you date him and he stays with you all around Equestria for your career, he'll be miserable for years; it's the only way he's going to listen to you. This is what's best for you, this is what's best for him," she thought to herself.

"That was…that was…sigh that was different Spike, we are different. Even if you grow up and become a mature dragon, were still too different. You and I? Together as a couple? It'll never work, I know it can't and you need to know that too," she implored. The fashionista's voice grew more desperate and intense. She was holding back something, something she feared she wouldn't have to say.

"Why can't it work? You keep saying were different but we have so many things in common. We both like tea, we love gems; we like having things tidy and clean. Are you like, just forgetting all the good times we had together? Like our date?" he pleaded. Spike's heart was racing. He felt like everything was spiraling out of control, like his love for Rarity was being eroded away.

"The date was a misunderstanding Spike! I was busy working on my orders, I didn't even hear what you said until Sweetie Bell told me after you had left," she blurted out.

Spike was momentarily stunned by her revelation. The young drake's voice became choked up, but he swallowed down the pain and focused on the positive. "T-t-t-that's okay, because you still came by and said you wanted to go through with it. Can't you see? You do feel something for me; I know it. I saw how happy you were that night, I remember every detail of every smile," Spike said, struggling to keep from crying again.

"You're only making this harder on both of us Spike. No one will accept us, I don't accept us; I just can't!" she said; more assertively.

"But why? What's so wrong with accepting-"

"BECAUSE I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT MY TRUE LOVE IS A DRAGON AND NOT A PONY!"

It was over.

Spike had spoken his last words that night. Rarity's statement echoed in his mind, swirling around like a flock of boomerangs. Everything in him stopped feeling altogether; as if his bodily systems had shut down simultaneously. Rarity instantly realized the brutality of her words and tried to say something, but it was too late. Spike was deaf to her pleas.

The dragon looked at Rarity with empty, vacant eyes, turned around and went home without looking back. Anything the fashionista said to him at that point was just white noise; no different than cricket chirps or owl hoots. The heartbroken dragon eventually vanished from sight.

"I…I…did the right thing…I did the right thing…I did the right…thing" she stammered.

Rarity kept on repeating that statement over and over in her head. She ended up back at her home; slightly shocked she made it back. The mare's mind was so overwhelmed with tonight's events, she didn't even remember leaving the hilltop or unlocking her front door when she arrived home. She eventually snapped out of it; her woe filled sapphire eyes adjusting to her home's familiar sight.

The sound of faint meowing drew Rarity's attention to the ground. Opal was sitting there, staring up at her with curious sun colored eyes. She mewed as if asking how her owner's night had gone.

"Well, it's done, it's finally done. Spike's feelings will no longer be an issue. I-I settled the matter like an adult, and-and now I don't have to worry about leading him on anymore," she muttered erratically. Opal wasn't sure who Rarity was speaking to anymore, she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

The purple haired pony went upstairs to her bedroom; exhausted and ready for bed. Opal followed her. The fluffy white feline was confused and concerned for her owner. She didn't like what she was seeing.

Rarity hopped onto her bed, her movements slow and unusual; almost mechanical in nature. The dazed mare was moving as if she was programmed to go straight to bed without washing up or brushing her teeth. This wasn't like her at all.

"I may have been a bit too harsh but…but at least Spike got the message. Yes…y-y-yes…it's all clear now. He'll get over this, I'm sure he will and-and this way he'll be spared a much greater pain in the future," Rarity rambled. Her voice sounded like she was reading from a script. "I-I did what's best for Spike, even if he doesn't know it yet. That's right, I did the right thing," she said; attempting to assure herself. Rarity suddenly turned to her cat. Heavy tears were pouring down her eyes and running her mascara. "I did do the right thing…didn't I…didn't I?"

Opal looked uneasily at her babbling, broken owner. She didn't have an answer. All Opal could do was shrug.

Rarity buried her face into her pillow and cried as hard and loud as she possibly could.

To be continued…

Like I said, this was going to be rough. As much as I love Sparity and want them to live happily ever after in every story, I know there will always be rough patches and conflicts to overcome. I felt this turn of events was necessary for the story to go in the direction it needs to go. As I said before, there are still more stories to tell about our favorite dragon and fashionista. NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Heart and Hooves day is rapidly approaching. Rarity is dealing with the consequences of her actions, Twilight is worried sick over Spike's condition and Rainbow is still trying to patch things up with Arrowhead. And worst of all...Chimera Khan has finally arrived! Bye for now!

24. Heart Attack (Part 1)

Chapter 24: Heart Attack (Part 1)

Good to be back with a new chapter for you guys! Whoa man, did you all catch that "Pony Movie"? Fan-freaking-tastic! I loved every minute of it. The music, the new characters, the animation, it was a total blast and if I had the time and funds, I'd see it again! Definitely a must buy for me when it comes out. My only beef is I'd liked to see/learn more of the Storm King. I don't feel we got enough time to enjoy Schrieber's performance, he was definitely having fun with this role. Would have liked to see some more Sparity than what we got (obviously), but I'm glad they addressed it at all; even if it was a small mentioning. Speaking of Sparity HOLY CRAP were you guys upset! Now you can see why that was the hardest chapter for me to write. I chose to do the chapter from Rarity's perspective because we already know how Spike feels about the idea of a relationship between them. Rarity was still on that fence and I really wanted to convey the confusion and uncertainty of the whole thing. Personally, I took no pleasure in putting my two favorite characters from the show through that ordeal. The last thing I'd want the show or even the comics to do is play that kind of heartache out on screen or paper. However, for my story I felt it was the right thing to do in order to help these characters to grow in the right direction I have planned.

I also do recognize now I took too long bringing Khan into the fold. My intent was to develop my OC's enough so that when the sh*t hits the fan (I.E Khan arrives), you knew and cared enough about the OC's that you could invest in their drama when it comes. Now things are really going to start taking off, for everyone and everything. But before that, SHOUT OUT TIME:

GuyWithNoName: Yeah, like I said before, I didn't want this to be easy for anyone. The story still has a ways to go so don't be so sure about how this will turn out for everyone.

ST4RSK1MM3R: The fact this chapter gave you "dangerous feels" means I did my job very well. It takes real drama and real emotional conflict for real feels to take place so I'm happy to hear the drama and feels felt impactful enough.

magic135: Thank you! When I hear tear jerking and made me cry, that means it hit all the right notes! And don't you worry. Their story and the story in general is far from over.

LemonSmoothie: Thank you so very, very much for your kind and supportive words. I always love seeing your comments, you always give such insightful reviews and always so honest and heartfelt. I truly appreciate it. I'm super pleased to hear that you liked how their feelings all played out. I knew it was going to be heartbreaking but I wanted to make it meaningful and appreciate you taking the time to write/say more. I couldn't agree with you more on how Spike has been treated on the show, it's intolerable. The sad thing is it doesn't even come off as funny, it truly feels mean spirited. Like he's just there to pick on for no reason at all. The worst offense I saw recently was in "Newbie Dash" when Rainbow was getting ready to go to the Wonderbolts academy and Spike gets accidentally sealed in the suitcase like twice. To me, that was just insultingly unfunny. To treat Spike like he is so transparent, like they don't even notice him at all; it just hurts. Even if Spike wasn't my favorite character, I'd still be pissed. That level of mistreatment is flat out cold.

Ponyloco: As always, your lengthy reviews provide so much reflection and deep thoughts, I love reading these! I'm supremely glad to hear you loved this chapter as much as you did. I was hoping as a fellow true Sparity fan, you'd appreciate it and enjoy it despite the negative end result of their discussion. I worked very hard on making Rarity not seem like a witch or some kind of shallow person, so the fact you could still see her side of things despite siding with Spike tells me I conveyed her the right way (and I was SO worried about that). I always intended on Lyra and Bon-Bon to be the voice of reason so to speak. This story is all about odd couples and dealing with the judgments people bestow on them, so I figure who better to lend a hand than a lesbian couple? Since as you said, people in relationships like that typically deal with hatred and prejudice at least one point in their lives. The idea behind "the Door" analogy should be accredited to Mathematic pony for her wonderful and beautiful song was the inspiration for that whole "door" concept. Using the "looking good Spike" line was something I felt could have been used in a different way. Instead of Spike being seen as some image obsessed guy, I figured it would easily work as a self confidence issue; constantly trying to boost himself up because of his obvious differences. Its something I kinda would like the show to use/explore actually. The episodes where he wasn't involved, that I give credit to Blazewing and his/her amazing story "A True, True Friend?" as that story helped point me in the right direction for noticing all those times Spike was being left out. I highly recommend reading it btw. The exclusion from Starlight's village was something I always got confused about. I personally felt he would have been an invaluable asset and the fact the show excluded him from such a prime opportunity just baffled me, which is why I included it here. I try to keep my ideas/points involved with the story material as best I can and offer alternative interpretations of some of the same lines to keep it connected. I'm truly happy beyond words to hear you felt Spike was so on character. In truth, I write Spike the way I'd like to see him portrayed and also how I feel he really is in the show but the show's writers never attempt to utilize that side of him. I didn't realize the Twilight scene was so short, they'll be more of that rest assured; as well as some Spike anger moments...though not in the way you'd think. Glad to hear you loved it so much ^^ thanks for the suggestions and feedback, as always.

DanvilleBengal: I always find readers reactions to moments like Spike and Rarity's interesting because your reaction was a very strong one and as someone who has been on the raw end of bad relationships, I know that anger and frustration all too well. Lol, yes, that's the idea of this story in a nutshell: to have people realize that they need to say 'F off' to those being critical of others mates, and don't worry, more opportunities for that are coming.

A Man Undercover: I have avoided discussing this particular issue for fear of escalating things into a debate or argument, however, I feel I can no longer avoid bringing this up. My decision to create a story about heterosexual couples has no association or negative reflection with lesbian couples whatsoever. My reason for making a story with hetero couples was because there were so many lesbian relationship stories that I wanted to try something different, that does not mean I am against lesbian relationships in general or in the story. I am not making any kind of statement or sending any messages regarding my feelings about lesbian characters or relationships. While I personally do not support certain pairings like Twilight and Starlight, or Applejack and Rarity, it is not because I have anything against lesbian couples; it is strictly because I personally do not feel those characters are lesbians and I feel people commonly pair mares with other mares simply due to the recognizably small amount of male characters on the show. If the creators of the show ever come out and confirm they are lesbians, then that's all there is to it. But my inclusion of male OC's for most of the Mane 6 does not in anyway, shape or form reflect any negative feelings or beliefs towards lesbian relationships or lesbian characters in general. Lyra and Bon-Bon however are characters I like and support as a lesbian couple, therefore, I included them in this story because; as I said before, this story is all about celebrating different kinds of romantic couples; that includes interspecies as well as homosexual couples. Lyra and Bon-Bon are the most logical choice for helping Rarity as there are no other interspecies couples living in Ponyville or available. Discord and Celestia are still working things out and not aware of Rarity's situation as concurrently as everyone in Ponyville is, and Wind song and Star Crossed are relatives of the Heart family. They have NO connection to Rarity, so it would make no sense if they were in town helping Rarity with her problem as the only pony they know from Ponyville is Applejack and they only know her through Hopeful, who also has little connection to Rarity. Also, in regards to the comments about Hopeful's sister, Lovelorn being bisexual, that has nothing to do with the inclusion or exclusion of homosexual couples as Lovelorn's bisexuality is a part of who she is. I created her and I made her bisexual because that is who she is and who I wanted her to be. She was always meant to be that way whether this story was populated by heterosexual couples or homosexual couples or not. I am glad you have been enjoying the story but I am not going to exclude or avoid bringing up homosexual characters or homosexual relationships, I will bring them up when and if I feel they are necessary and will continue to do so; as I did with Lyra and Bon-Bon and Lovelorn. This is not meant as an attack or a flame or a hostile response, I am merely stating my point as honestly, respectfully and clearly as possible so there no misinterpretations on my feelings on this matter.

With all that said and done, enjoy the chapter!

2 weeks.

It had been 2 weeks since Rarity severed any romantic inklings or ties to Spike the dragon. This inevitably came to the attention of the other 5 ponies. Each one handled the news differently, but all experienced the same, suffocating awkwardness that came to pass. While Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity continued to socialize with one another, Spike naturally avoided their company when Rarity was present. The young dragon became more and more reclusive; shutting out everyone around him and avoiding interaction as much as possible…even with Twilight. The princess of friendship barely spoke to Rarity when the girls got together. They hated seeing two of their friends at odds like this, but then again, they knew all too well this was not a matter that was going to settle painlessly.

It didn't help that Hearts and Hooves day was just around the corner; a day Spike and Rarity both used to look forward to. Now, it only feels like a black spot on their hearts.

Celestia's sun shined beautifully in the sky. Clouds casually passed across the golden star; offering glimpses of shadows amongst red and pink colored decorations. Since so many new ponies had moved to Ponyville, Hearts and Hooves day had become a much bigger, more celebrated holiday that captured the attention and investment of more ponies than ever before. Everywhere you looked, banners with pink and red hearts could be found. Ponies were selling heart shaped boxes of chocolates and the flower mares always made a killing with bouquet sales this time of year.

Pinkie Pie was scurrying across town in a pink blur; bouncing on her tail like a pogo stick. The party mare blasted lamp posts and mail boxes with decorations from her party cannon. "That's right! You get streamers, and YOU get streamers," she shouted; showering ponies passing by with colorful streams and heart shaped confetti. "And you get a balloon, and you get confetti, and you guys too and you get-HEY FLUTTERSHY!" she squealed enthusiastically.

The shy Pegasus smiled sweetly at her cheerful friend. "Oh hello there Pinkie, how are the Hearts and Hooves day decorations coming along?" she asked; shuffling bags of groceries in her hooves.

"Just great thanks! I'm just about done here. All I gotta do is deliver an order from Sugarcube corner, then I get to go to Cranky and Matilda's and eat all the cake that's stuffed in their chimney," Pinkie beamed brightly.

"Oh…I see…that does seem like an odd place to put cake" she mused.

"Weeeeeeeeell I couldn't put the mega-super-jumbo-chocolate-coconut cake I made for them in their mailbox now could I?" Fluttershy blinked in confused silence. The animal loving pony didn't know how to begin processing Pinkie's rationale. "Putting it down the chimney was the next logical step, silly," Pinkie teased.

"Couldn't you just have delivered it to them in a box on their front porch?"

"Not if I wanted it to be a surprise, and oh boy, were they surprised. They were so surprised, they were speechless."

Pinkie's curious eyes searched the contents of the large grocery bags Fluttershy was carrying. Most of the items were basic cake ingredients, but she also heard something clanking and crackling inside; like shifting glass shards.

"So, what's with all the stuff Fluttershy," the yellow Pegasus tried to answer but Pinkie quickly cut her off, "you making something special for your some pony special?" Pinkie nudged her friend's side. The pink mare's eyebrows rose suggestively. "Huh, huh, say no more, say no more, nudge-fudge, wink-sink?"

Fluttershy blushed furiously. She tried to hide her rosy red cheeks behind her oversized bags, meeping sheepishly. "Gg-g-g-goodness no, I d-d-d-d-don't have anyone special in my life right now," she whimpered wistfully, "though that would be nice…if no pony minds that is." The gentle Pegasus tilted the bags down and revealed there were multiple gemstones amongst the cake supplies. "I decided to bake Spike a jewel cake to try and cheer him up. The poor little guy, he's been so crushed since Rarity…oh…well um…y-y-you know."

Pinkie's bouncy mane deflated slightly. She nodded; sighing with a twinge of sadness. The Earth pony knew all too well how miserable Spike had been feeling. She tried to cheer him up for days; working as hard as she did when she welcomed Cranky to Ponyville for the first time. Unfortunately, Spike refused to smile once. Nothing she did helped the heartbroken dragon. Pinkie felt like she failed as a friend and as a party pony, she wished she could do more but didn't know what more she could do.

"Hey, why not stop by Sugar cube corner after I'm done setting everything up? I'll help you with the gem cake. It's the least I can do for Spike since nothing else I came up with worked," Pinkie kindly offered.

"Sure Pinkie, that'd be great. Oh um, by the way, w-w-what about your special plans with your special some pony?" Fluttershy asked; quickly trying to keep the cheerful pony's spirits up. "Is he able to make it?"

"Oh! You mean my main squeeze; Cheese? Absolutely! He's coming to Ponyville to help DJ the Hearts and Hooves dance tomorrow night. Plus, he's got some great new party tricks to show me and I can't WAIT to do the Mango dance with him," she replied with a giddy giggle.

"Um isn't that actually called the Tango?"

"Not the way we dance it!"

Before Fluttershy could ask Pinkie for further clarification on her strange new couples dance, a second Pegasus approached the chatting ponies. It was Rainbow Dash. The colorful mare slowed her flapping wings so she could land next to her friends. She was out of breath, sweating profusely. Pinkie and Fluttershy noticed she was wearing the cheerleader outfit she wore when she danced for Arrowhead.

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Arrowhead? It's really, really, REALLY important I talk to him," she wheezed breathlessly.

"Sorry Dashie, but we haven't seen him," Fluttershy said regretfully.

"I think Applejack said she saw him," Pinkie mused; scratching her chin with her hoof.

Rainbow quickly thanked her Earth pony friend and zoomed off in search of her other Earth pony friend. Fluttershy looked down at the ground. The sweet mare was dismally depressed; sighing heavily.

"I hate to sound greedy but, sometimes, I feel so jealous all of my friends have someone special in their lives. Even Rarity and Rainbow managed to find guys that they liked…despite how things turned out for them. I really want them all to be happy together, really I do; but it would be nice if I could have something like that. Sigh looks like it's another lonely Hearts and Hooves Day for me."

Rainbow felt like she was going around in circles. First, she spent hours searching for Arrowhead, and now she was searching for Applejack just so she can go back to finding Arrowhead. She knew he was avoiding her like the plague…and she also knew she had given him every reason to keep his distance.

"No one wants to spend Hearts and Hooves day with a horrible, awful pony like me," Rainbow groaned miserably. She hung her head and let her colorful locks flap between her eyes. "I've just got to make it up to him, I've just got to. I don't care what it takes!"

After a few minutes of sky searching, Rainbow successfully spotted Applejack in the market place. She was speaking to a light blue male Earth pony about buying ingredients to make homemade chocolate candy. Two large baskets rested on each of AJ's sides.

"Yo AJ, I need your help and like super-super-fast," Rainbow shouted impatiently. Applejack looked up; halting her conversation with the grocer pony and turning towards Rainbow. The cyan Pegasus dashed down to meet her, her dark blue skirt flapping from the winds. "Pinkie said you saw Arrowhead last. I need you to tell me where you saw him so I can go talk to him and fix this mega mess I made, it's really important I settle this before Hearts and Hooves day," she said insistently.

Applejack had a gruff, indifferent look to her cyan friend. She tilted her hat over her eyes and turned her head to the side. "Ah wish Ah could help Rainbow, Ah really do but frankly," she leaned against the stand; crossing her fore hooves, "Ahm not so sure that's such a good idea." Normally AJ would never greet her friend with such a lukewarm response, but this situation had rubbed Applejack the wrong way. Rainbow's jaw nearly dropped. "Ah wreckon you've done wrecked enuff of that pony's life and Ah think anythin' you do now is only gonna make it worse," she said bluntly.

"WHAT?" she shouted indignantly. Applejack winced at the shrieking; rubbing her ears. "I'm trying to do right by Arrowhead, not cause him more pain. This is totally not fair AJ! No pony stopped you when you were trying to patch things up with your boyfriend," Rainbow fiercely argued.

"And Ah was plum lucky Hopeful took me back, but none of that would have happened without lettin time pass between us first," the southern mare countered. "If Ah had gone right up to him after our spat, he would've turned me away and ignored everythin Ah had to say," she said.

Rainbow frowned bitterly. She was racked with frustration. Every fiber and bone in her Pegasus body told her she had to fix this right now, but deep down, she knew Applejack was probably right. Unfortunately, patience was never one of Rainbow's strongest traits.

"It's like churnin' butter: ya gotta give it time until everything is smoothed out nice and soft. Tastin it before its done is just gonna give ya a tummy ache."

"But I hurt him REALLY bad and the longer I wait; the farther he's going to slip away from me. I know I was a total monster to him," Rainbow confessed. The speedy mare's eyes sparkled with heart crushing sorrow. "I hate feeling like this, but more importantly, I hate seeing him like this; knowing I caused so much pain to someone I care about. Hearts and Hooves day is only going to hurt him more; just another nasty reminder that he's alone…and it's all because of me," she said mournfully.

"Ah…Ah don't know…this still seems awfully fast if ya ask me."

Rainbow leaned closer to her friend, placing her hoof on AJ's shoulder.

The southern mare almost couldn't take her friend seriously in that ridiculous cheerleader costume. She never thought she'd see her wear that thing again. But then she saw Rainbow's eyes, those wounded, pain soaked eyes that trembled with misery. Rainbow was the toughest mare she knew, but now she looked so fragile and hurt; like she could break to pieces at any second.

"Ya know this won't be easy, right? This is gonna be the hardest thing you've ever done, and no offense partner, but Ah don't rightly blame Arrowhead for makin things this tuff neither," AJ confessed.

"I know and believe it or not, I totally agree," Rainbow nodded; smiling weakly. She removed her hoof from AJ. "I deserve everything that's coming my way. Arrowhead deserves better, he deserves true happiness and I'm going to give it to him," Rainbow proudly asserted, "I'm going to love him the way he loved me…it's what I should have done in the beginning. This isn't about my pride or ego; I don't care how bad I look from all of this…I just want him to accept my apology and maybe, just maybe…if he lets me in…I can love him right this time."

Applejack smiled warmly. Those were the right words she was hoping to hear from her friend. "Now that's more like it partner," the blond mare said approvingly.

The Earth pony pointed Rainbow in the right direction; detailing where she last saw Arrowhead. Rainbow eagerly thanked her and blasted off at mach speeds to find the grey colt of her desires. Applejack returned to her shopping. She approached a fruit and vegetable stand; run by a chubby mustard colored Earth pony wearing a pale blue chef's hat.

"Something I can help you with miss?"

"Ah certainly hope so. Ah need a little bit of everythin', only the freshest goods ya got. Ahm plannin' a mighty special supper for my man and Ah want to give him the finest Apple family cookin' this side of Equestria," she replied.

Though Hearts and Hooves day wasn't until tomorrow, Applejack knew that she'd need every minute to prepare all the cooking she had planned. A warm smile painted her face as she shuffled the various groceries into her baskets.

"Ah always loved cookin' for others, but somethin' bout cookin' for Hopeful just makes it feel extra special, heh. Ah can't wait for old Sugar to see this spread, mah man's gonna be in hog heaven! Ah ain't as good with all them fancy words like he is so Ah figure doin' what Ah know best will be the perfect way to say Ah love em," she thought to herself.

"OW! OW! OW!"

Applejack's serene dinner day dreams were interrupted by a series of familiar sounding grunts. She turned towards the source of the pony making them.

"What in tar nation…Rarity…is that you?" she asked; slightly alarmed. Her glimmering emerald eyes almost couldn't believe what she saw.

Rarity looked like she got run over by a buffalo stampede. Her hair was wildly twisted; matted and mangled into a disastrous mess. Her eyes were swollen from crying with dried running mascara marks striping down her cheeks. Rarity's tail dragged limply on the ground; it was knotted up and frayed. Rarity's movements were slow and sluggish. Her back was arched higher than normal, as if it was causing her tremendous amounts of pain with every step she took.

"This is nuts! Rarity looks more haggard than a yeti belly flopping into a mud pie. She'd NEVER step one hoof out of her home lookin' like that, and what's with the hunchback stance?"

After several more excruciatingly painful steps, Rarity finally hobbled over to Applejack. She quickly paid the vendor for the ingredients and turned back to her frazzled friend.

"So glad I OW bumped into you Applejack, I was OW hoping I could have a word OW with some pony," Rarity said shakily. Her body was visibly racked with pain. The fashionista looked fearful of moving or doing anything that would cause the pain in her back to worsen. "I tried talking to Rainbow first but OW she-she was moving too fast to be stopped," Rarity winced and motioned to her back "and I'm clearly in no shape to chase her down."

"Yeah…about that…mind tellin' me what the heck happened to ya? Ya'll look like some pony ran you over with a burnin' stage coach," she bluntly exclaimed.

"I'm afraid ever since the incident with Spikey Wi-uh I mean Spike, I just haven't been myself," Rarity woefully explained. "Lately I can't do anything right. My muse has abandoned me! All of my orders are suffering from such poor quality that my clients have sent them back for re-stitching or cancelled them outright. I haven't been sleeping right, I'm eating my own weight in ice cream, I haven't been able to stop crying so my mascara is constantly running, and no matter how many times I visit the spa; my hair still looks like THIS!"

Applejack flinched. Rarity dramatically flashed her scrambled locks to the Earth pony; forcing her to get an eye full. She laughed nervously and tried looking elsewhere.

"Gee Rares, Ah had no idea things were that rough for ya," Applejack said. Rarity nodded; sniffling loudly. She lifted her head back to AJ's eye level. Another searing spark of pain surged in Rarity's spine, she whimpered miserably. "And the searin' back pain?"

"Oh that, well it turns out carrying such large bags of gems all on my own didn't do my spine any favors. OW! I forgot how often Spike helped me with hauling gems…apparently I didn't realize how much he helped me around the boutique as well. It's like I don't know how to work without his assistance anymore," she mused drearily.

The blond mare felt even more awkward than before. None of Rarity's friends had spoken much about the "Spike issue" since it happened. They figured this was her business and they had no right to offer any opinions on the matter, despite how much it pained them to see what Rarity and Spike are going through.

"So…uh…what was it ya'll wanted to talk about?" the southern mare asked; nervously. She wanted nothing more than to change subjects and avoid discussing the "incident" any further.

"I was hoping you could….if it's not too trouble…perhaps….possibly," she fumbled with her hooves nervously, "you could tell me…how is Spike doing these days…if-if you happen know that is of course."

"Why don't you just ask me?" a cold voice hissed.

Rarity and Applejack's heads darted towards the intrusive voice. Like a jagged scar from the past, Twilight stepped forward from around the corner. Her eyes were scathing; full of bitterness and icy indifference. Applejack gulped nervously and faintly tried to hide behind her Stetson. Rarity never thought she would look at her friend and feel such crippling dread; it paralyzed her from horn to hoof.

"Twilight…darling…I uh didn't know you were here," Rarity squeaked nervously.

Twilight stared blankly at the quivering unicorn. Her face was devoid of emotion or sympathy.

"A-a-a-actually, Ah asked her to meet up with me here to get some cook books Ah need for makin' Hopeful's special dinner. In fact, w-w-w-why don't Ah just get started on that right now?!" Applejack babbled anxiously. She grabbed the books from Twilight and bolted back to Sweet Apple Acres before this tense scene got any more intense. This was one problem she couldn't help her friends with.

Eerie silence drifted between the two wayward ponies. Twilight's expression remained as silent and shallow as a grave; no trace of a smile anywhere on her scowling lips. Rarity knew running into Twilight was a possibility; the princess wasn't avoiding Rarity like Spike was. She had no qualms about making things as uncomfortable for Rarity as possible.

"Twilight, I know you're angry at me; reasonably so too. But I just-just wanted to let you know I didn't want to ask Applejack or any pony else behind your back about Spike. I just knew you wouldn't speak to me if I asked," she said.

Twilight stared flatly at the unicorn; still no hint of emotion or reaction visible on her stone cold face.

"T-t-t-t-this wasn't an easy decision for me, you know? I wracked my brain out trying to decide what was best for me and best for Spike. I thought of every possible scenario of how it could work, I tried my best…but in the end it turned disastrous all the same. I didn't want it to turn out the way it did."

Again, Twilight remained silent.

"For Celestia's sake Twilight, will you please say SOMETHING?! I'm in pain too you know? This hasn't been wine and roses for me! W-w-would it make you happy to know that I haven't been able to sleep peacefully for 2 weeks straight, would it?!" Rarity shrieked. Her body rattled with anxiety, she felt like her flesh was crawling from that penetrating stare of Twilight's. The silence was maddening and it was driving the fashionista to the deepest, darkest depths of madness herself.

Rarity groaned in frustration. She walked past Twilight and proceeded to head home; too enraged to even bother purchasing another ineffective spa treatment.

"You haven't been able to sleep, seriously? Did you honestly just say that?" Twilight mercilessly asked.

Rarity's hoof steps stopped suddenly. She turned around, slightly perturbed by Twilight's morose tone. Rarity blinked curiously at Twilight. The Alicorn princess slowly turned around and faced Rarity with, quite possibly, an even more deathly glare from her violet eyes. All the warmth and cheerful inquisitiveness in Twilight's usual voice was gone, empty. She stood and spoke as if her loving heart had been savagely corroded into a bankrupt shell; a pain soaked shadow of its former warmth and wealth.

"If you had even an inkling, a single, solitary inkling of what you did to Spike; you'd have thought twice before telling me how bad you've been having it," Twilight snapped.

The fashionista found herself tongue tied. She didn't know how to respond, Twilight's furious display had sapped her will to speak. Rarity's lips fumbled trying to compose a proper rebuttal but Twilight refused to let up.

"I stayed up that night you two had your talk. I told him that no matter what the outcome was, I would be there for him. And you know what he said to me when got home?" she sharply asked.

Rarity slowly shook her head.

"Nothing…he said absolutely nothing! Spike hasn't said a single word about what happened between you two, for 2 weeks I have been left in the dark about what you said to him. Truth is, I don't need to know, that look on his face was all I needed see," Twilight hissed.

"Twilight, please, there's more going on than you know. I was trying to-"

"NO! I don't need to hear what you said to break him, because that's what you did Rarity: You. Broke. Him! He barely says two words at home. He just eats, does his chores and then sleeps. He doesn't go out, he doesn't laugh or smile," Twilight whimpered. The more she spoke, the more distraught her voice became. Tears welled up in her glimmering, violet eyes. "It's like everything good in him died, I-I don't even recognize him anymore! He's an empty shell, an unfeeling shadow that is just there…he…he won't even talk to me anymore."

Now Rarity's eyes were drowning in sorrowful tears. Her heart ached with agony. It felt like her very soul was drowning in a river of sadness. Rarity didn't think she could feel any worse, how easily Twilight had proven her wrong.

"There was no way this was going to end without someone getting hurt. I knew he'd be in pain, I knew it would feel like he could never come back from this, but I…I had to do this. I'm sorry for what I said Twilight…but I'm not sorry for what I did," Rarity said solemnly.

"Don't you DARE try and tell me that! You only made it easy for yourself, not easy for him or for me," Twilight shouted back.

"No offense Twilight, but my relationship with Spike is none of your business!"

"Of course it is; I'm his MOTHER! HIS LIFE IS MY BUSINESS! How can you just-" Twilight stopped herself before going any further. She rubbed her hoof between her eyes. The princess took a deep breath, sighed and looked back at her unicorn friend. "Your right, what you and Spike do or don't do is none of my business. But what you do to Spike is my business. I may not be his biological mom but I raised him, educated him and treated him as if he were my own child. Not every pony will see it this way but for all intents and purposes, Spike IS my son and as his mother I have every right to try and keep him from harm. And when he mentioned wanting to be in a relationship with you, that's all I ever wanted from you as my friend; to keep from hurting him…and you couldn't even do that."

"Have you looked at me lately?" Rarity blurted out. She gestured to her mangled mane and aching body. "Spike's heart isn't the only one with wear and tear here. I can't tell you what this has done to me, how this has affected everything I do and everything I am. I'm hurting Twilight, I'm hurting just like Spike is and it's tearing me apart."

"Then why did you do it, Rarity? Why did you crush his heart like that?"

"I was just trying to save off a worse pain from coming. Let-let's say I do love him, what's more, let's say we became a couple…what good would that love be if it would always be surrounded by judgment and scorn? What kind of happiness is that?" Rarity asked, her voice cracking with raw emotion.

"I guess we'll never know," she sighed bitterly, "because while Spike tried his hardest to show you love; you never even tried to love him."

Rarity's fur turned ghostly white; even paler than her usual color. Twilight's words erupted in Rarity's mind like land mines. She felt so certain of her position and yet completely unsure and lost at the same time. Rarity wanted to prove Twilight was wrong, she wanted her to see that she made this difficult choice because of how much she cared for Spike. But every time she opened her mouth, no sound came out. Twilight's words felt like the final stitch across her lips.

The Alicorn princess silently stepped past the voiceless fashionista. All this talk of her adopted son had made her concerned for his well-being. She wished to head back home to check up on him.

"Twilight, wait!"

The purple mare stopped in her tracks.

"Does this…does this mean that we're not…are we still…friends?" she asked timidly.

"Rarity, you will always be one my closest and most dearest friends. Ours is a friendship that I don't think will ever tarnish or fade away," Twilight replied. A brief moment of happiness sparkled on Rarity's sullen face. "However," the princess turned to look back at Rarity; specks of tears shimmered from her stern eyes, "for the time being, I don't think we should see each other for a while."

As much as it pained the fashionista to hear that from one of her best friends, she understood and reluctantly agreed. Twilight continued on her way home. Rarity sighed miserably and was left with nothing but the dreary silence of her tormenting thoughts.

Meanwhile, Rainbow had succeeded in locating Arrowhead.

The beefy colt was carrying his mail in his teeth; grumbling "can't believe she can never get my mail right" under his breath. Arrowhead had been seen with a familiar snarl ever since Rainbow ended things with him. Few ponies saw him socializing with anyone outside of Hopeful, some even looked at him with mild signs of fear; afraid his temper would erupt at any moment.

Rainbow Dash, without the slightest bit of hesitation; zoomed down in front of the white haired colt and plopped her rump on the ground. An audible groan emanated from Arrowhead. The sight of that accursed cheerleader outfit was almost as infuriating to him as the pony who was wearing it.

"H-h-h-hi there handsome, long time no see," she said; smiling apprehensively.

"Whatever you got to say, I don't care and I don't wanna hear it so will you just scram? I've got things to do," he curtly replied.

"You're still mad huh? That's cool, I expected as much. If you want you can totally say whatever nasty thing you want to me…it's not like I don't deserve it," Rainbow moaned shamefully. She hung her head, closing her eyes and preparing herself for whatever verbal jab may come. "I know it doesn't mean much but…I'm still sorry…and…and I still really, really miss you; like a lot."

"Your right, your apology DOESN'T mean much. In fact, it doesn't mean a damn thing so now that we've gone over the obvious; are you done here?"

Rainbow looked up and shook her head. Her gaze was strong, rigid as steel, but also empathic and loving. It was the same look she had when she planted herself in front of Arrow's front door and wouldn't budge until he accepted her apology.

"Were not done big guy, not by a long shot; you hear me? I'm through making the same mistake again. My pride, my ego, none of that junk is worth all the Wonderbolt medals in the world if I don't have someone as amazingly awesome as you to share it with," Rainbow declared.

Arrowhead scoffed at her boldness. His eyes told her every negative thought he was thinking: that she was lying again, blowing smoke up his flank; just another sad stunt to trick him into being with her again so she can hurt him again.

"I know you think this is all a big pile of pony feathers but it's not! I don't care how long it takes, or what I have to do. I'll sit in front of your house until my hair turns grey and I'm racing ponies in a nursing home in a wheel chair if I have to. Mark my words, I WILL make this right between us and you will see what I should have seen all along…you're the only one for me."

"Pretty speech; tell me, did you practice that in front of the mirror? Did you have one of your Wonderbolt uniforms on or holding one of your trophies when you did it? Would have made the lie all the prettier, because that's all these are Rainbow: pretty lies. We're done here," he said mockingly.

Arrowhead moved around Rainbow and headed towards his house. Unwilling to give him up without a fight, Rainbow cried out and leapt onto the ground; clutching one of his hind legs. He grunted angrily at her desperate act. The Earth pony started shaking his leg vigorously, Rainbow held on as tightly as possible; refusing to let go.

"Are you out of your rainbow plastered mind?! Let go of me right freaking now," he barked impatiently.

"NO, I WON'T! I was too stupid to let you slip out of my hooves before. I'm not making that mistake again. Unless you got a crowbar handy, I'm not letting go until you talk to me," Rainbow shouted defiantly.

"What do you think you're doing? You're making a scene. All of Ponyville is looking at you in that embarrassing cheerleader outfit," he said; sounding angrier as he struggled against her vice like grip. "You're gonna be a laughing stock!"

"I don't care! Every pony in Equestria can flush my reputation down the toilet for all I care, I'm not losing you again," she pleaded; still clinging to his leg. Arrowhead started walking again; dragging Rainbow across the ground.

"Don't you get it Rainbow? You already lost me," he murmured gloomily.

Finally slipping his leg through her hooves, Arrowhead stormed off leaving Rainbow alone in the dirt. He never looked back. Rainbow sat miserably on the ground, her cheerleader costume covered in dirt; her skirt torn in a few areas along with the bow behind her rainbow locks. She stared longingly at the ghost that was once her boyfriend. He had vanished from view; only the silent wind and the howling pain of his rejection could be seen.

"Okay Rainbow…this sucks…this sucks really big time but you know what? I'm not giving up. I'm not quitting on you big guy. Not every pony in the world is worth this kind of aggravation…my friends are though…and so are you, and that's why I'm not leaving you alone. No colt that awesome deserves to be alone," Rainbow said firmly.

"Spike, Spike? I'm home," Twilight called out; stepping into her home. Her eyes looked up the stairs towards the bedrooms. "Are you feeling any better Spike? Do you want me to whip up some gems, or-or we could take a trip to your favorite comic shop if you like?"

No answer came from their room.

Twilight didn't know what to do anymore. She tried everything to cheer Spike up, trying to get him involved in something so Rarity wasn't always on his mind. He spent the last couple nights eating alone in his room; refusing to talk to Twilight. Each day the young princess grew more and more worried for her assistant.

"Come on Spike, I've let this go on long enough. We need to talk. I know Rarity hurt you, I know it was devastating but I can't take you shutting me out like this…not anymore," she said.

Again, Spike remained eerily silent.

It was at this time that Twilight realized that she couldn't hear anything coming from their room. No snoring, no yawning, no footsteps; nothing. Her voice became dry and shallow. She panicked and teleported into the bedroom.

"Spike?" she whispered softly.

Spike was gone, completely vanished. Twilight looked over the entire library for him; checking every closet, looking under every bed and in the basement as well. During her panicked search, Twilight noticed that Spike's belongings were gone as well.

"Oh my gosh! Where is he, where is he, WHERE IS HE?!"

The familiar sound of hooting broke Twilight's panic attack. She found Owlicious, standing on his perch and holding a rolled up scroll in one of his talons. Twilight levitated it front of her face and quickly read it.

"Dear Twi-err Mom

I'm sorry to have to do this to you and the others but…I need to leave Ponyville…for how long, I don't know. I know this is all confusing and you're probably freaking out right about now…

"You bet your scaly butt I am!" she shouted at the letter; as if it could answer her.

"But you know the reason why I have to leave. I can't live in the same place as her, it's just too painful. Despite what you're thinking; I've actually thought a lot about this and I'm going to stay with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. They don't know about any of this. I know it's a crummy thing to just drop this on them; guilt them into taking me in and dragging them into this whole mess…but I just can't do this anymore. It hurts too much. With Hearts and Hooves day coming up; staying here with Rarity would have been unbearable. The Crystal Empire ponies see me as a hero, so I figured that would help cheer me up or something…get my mind off holidays about love.

I'm well aware you're just going to come up and try and talk me out of this. You could always just force me back with a spell…but…I don't think you would do that, and we both know I'd keep trying no matter how many times you teleport me back. I don't know when I'm coming back, or if I even want to; it's just too much right now. I just want you to know that you're the best mom I could have asked for. Please tell Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy and the Crusaders I'm sorry and I'll miss them. As for Rarity…just tell her…I hope she finds happiness."

Love your son, Spike

Twilight's tears dropped down onto the letter; slightly smudging the ink on the word "son." She shook her head and quickly regained her focus. She teleported outside and looked around for any sign of Spike; despite the fact she knew he was long gone by now. Twilight flapped her wings into a furious frenzy. She propelled herself into the air and began her search for her scaly son.

Twilight needed to get her friends help as well, including the one pony in their group who would be instrumental in getting Spike back.

"RARITY!"

The princess shrieked that name across the sky; blaring thunderously like a tornado alarm. Several ponies popped out of their homes and windows due to the sudden outburst. Rarity was spotted shopping for hats in the market place; hoping to cover up her untamable mane.

"What in the-Twilight?!"

Before Rarity knew it, Twilight zoomed down like a purple and blue bullet and tackled her. The mares rolled into blurry blobs before finally skidding to a halt. Twilight was sitting on top of Rarity; wings still flared up.

"Sweet Celestia Twilight, what do you think you're doing?! I know you're still mad at me but that's no excuse for you to just-"

"Rarity, you've got to listen to me. Something horrible is happening and I need your help!"

Rarity opened her mouth to speak but stopped half way. She had a puzzled, pondering look on her face. She wiggled her snow white body under Twilight's weight.

"Why, there's no more pain. My back feels just fine now. Twilight darling, I think you just fixed my-"

"SPIKE RAN AWAY!"

Rarity felt like the world stopped moving after she heard those words. Any argument or bad blood between the two ponies became a distant memory placed on the back burner. Twilight assisted her back onto her hooves and quickly explained what happened; showing her the letter Spike wrote.

"This is terrible, absolutely dreadful. What are we going to do? We know where he's going but we haven't the faintest idea which means of travel he's using. He could have left hours ago; taken an early train to the Crystal Empire or via balloon," she whimpered frantically.

"No, I don't think so. I saw Spike before I left to give those cookbooks to Applejack, which means he could have only left during the time I left the library. More than likely; he'll be trying to board a train or fly on out of here as we speak," Twilight deduced.

"I can check the train station and you can fly to the balloon service and see if they've seen Spike," Rarity proposed.

"Good idea. I'm going to zap over and get the other girls in on this too. One more thing Rarity, I know this is the last thing you want to hear right now but, I have a feeling that you're going to be the only one who can talk him out of this. He has to know that you still love him," she pleaded desperately.

"W-w-w-wha…b-b-but I just…how can I…but Spike…I just…I JUST CAN'T! I'm the last pony he wants to see right now. I'll-I'll just make things worse. I don't think I can do this," she moaned dramatically.

The thought of seeing Spike, having to try to talk him out of this whole running way business was downright terrifying. Rarity felt a wave of nausea crashing over her body. She wanted to help him, truly she did, but if that's what it was going to take to bring Spike back; she's not sure she has the heart to do it.

"It's too much Twilight; I just can't. If I do this then I'll be forced to go through those 2 weeks of crying and wallowing in my misery all over again. I can't relive all that. Things are going to get better…they have to."

"But your still doing that now, you're still miserable. You act like this was the difficult choice you had to make, but no matter how much you tell me or yourself, it's still the wrong choice."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because look at what it's doing to you! This isn't going to get better, I see it in Spike and now, I see it in you. The reason you don't feel better is because, deep down; you know you made the wrong choice. Just give him a chance, or at the very least; give this a chance."

Rarity blinked in confusion. She didn't have the foggiest clue what Twilight was referring to.

"I didn't want to have to do this but we don't have much time," Twilight muttered; searching for something she brought along. "I know what happened between you and Spike is your business but before you make up your mind about this, there's something you need to see."

Twilight hoofed something to Rarity. The item was a rolled up scroll, a letter that Spike himself had written…but not the one he left for Twilight. It was the letter that Spike wrote in secret and Twilight hid upon discovering it.

"Wha-what is this? Spike left a second letter?" Rarity asked. She levitated it in front of her eyes, flipping it in circles; curiously examining the scroll. She eventually placed the letter in one of her hooves.

"No, this is a private letter Spike was writing to Princess Celestia. He fell asleep while writing it. I took the letter and hid it after I read what it said. Spike thinks he dreamed the whole thing up. I thought about giving it back to him but…I just can't let these…feelings and thoughts resurface in him; now more than ever," Twilight said brokenly.

"What feelings? What thoughts? Darling, what is it that you read?" Rarity achingly pleaded.

The Alicorn princess merely shook her head and motioned for her friend to read for herself.

Curiosity finally getting the better of her, Rarity felt frightfully compelled to uncover the truth of this mysterious letter. Her sapphire blues carefully scrolled down each line. As she got further and further into reading the letter, her oceanic eyes started to widen. Something she read caused her heart to swell. Tears started to fall, more and more as she neared the end of the letter. Rarity's lips gasped in sorrow. She held a dainty hoof to her trembling jaw; her voice reduced to babbling sobs.

Twilight levitated the letter from Rarity's hoof. The fashionista didn't even notice; still too stunned by Spike's alarming words.

"Sweet Celestia…I…I….I had no idea he was suffering so much. To think, all this time he was living with this-this ugh! How could I have been so blind?" Rarity wept; sobbing miserably into Twilight's shoulder.

"Rarity, I've been asking myself that same question ever since I read that," Twilight said. She patted her friend's shoulder with a comforting wing.

"We-we must find him. I have to tell him…tell him how wrong I was," she said; partially muffled by Twilight's feathers. Rarity lifted her head up and looked towards her friend. Mascara flavored tears no longer flowing down her cheeks. "I just hope I haven't missed my chance to set things right. I can't lose him Twilight…not now…not knowing what I've done."

"We won't lose him. I promise you'll get your chance, but first, we have to find him before it's too late. Go to the train station as fast as you can. I'll head to the balloon lifts after I've gotten the girls. Now move!" Twilight commanded.

Twilight and Rarity quickly dispersed and head to their designated areas. The two mares were worried they weren't to find Spike in time. Even if the girls found Spike and dragged him back to Ponyville, they still ran the risk of losing him; in more ways than one.

As the ponies of Ponyville continued to set things up for Hearts and Hooves day, they remain blissfully unaware of the turmoil befalling the princess of friendship. The ponies were also oblivious to a far more deadly and dangerous threat creeping upon their quaint little town. The silent, growing darkness that has been troubling the princesses has finally arrived.

Chimera Khan and his army of monstrous creatures stood at the border of the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. The savage pack of snarling beasts stood imposingly, menacingly; awaiting their master's commad.

"Wait here, there is something I must attend to," Khan ordered.

The 3 headed Chimera nodded all 3 of its heads obediently.

Khan approached Fluttershy's collage. The animals that surrounded Fluttershy's home recoiled in fear; terrified beyond belief at the armored villain. He looked into each available window, trying to spot any sign of the pink haired Pegasus. The villain sighed contently.

"Good, it appears she heeded my warning. I cannot tell for certain if she left town like I suggested, or if she merely is out at the moment. I can only hope the former is true…I do not wish for her to see what I am about to unleash," he muttered to himself. The villain's eyes suddenly flashed from orange to red and green. Purple smoke briefly sizzled from the changed eyes. "It doesn't matter. Nothing will stop me from obtaining my vengeance…not even her."

The monsters looked curiously at their master. They remain standing by; perplexed by his odd behavior but remaining loyal and obedient none the less.

"Who do you think he's talking to?" the tiger head asked her sisters. The snake and goat head shrugged.

"Enough prattling you stupid beasts! It's time to bring Princess Celestia's era of peace to a violent and bloody end. We shall begin with the total annihilation of Ponyville, and Princess Twilight. You all remember your orders, correct?"

The swarm of monsters chuckled in unison. Every one of the creatures gathered there remembered their orders, and they were all too eager to get started. The monstrous army consisted of the Chimera, a Manticore, a trio of Cragadiles, a Bug Bear, twin Phoenix's, the Cockatrice, vampire fruit bats, Star Spiders, Fliders, Twitter mites and a massive pack of Timber wolves.

"Remember, the witch has linked all of your minds to my armor's magic. I shall see everything you see and you will hear everything I command; via through your mind. We are linked and therefore one, unified force that cannot be stopped. Once we are down there, you have one sole mission: kill them all! Stallions, mares, foals, you will exterminate every last one of them. Do not hesitate, show no mercy. But most importantly; no one, I repeat, NO ONE is allowed to touch Princess Twilight Sparkle," Khan sneered; green and red eyes still flaring with purple smoke.

The monsters roared in acknowledgement; stomping their claws, tails and wings together.

"She's mine."

Without warning, the monsters stormed down upon the citizens of Ponyville like a plague of locusts. By the time the Pegasai noticed what was coming, it was already too late. Fliders spewed webbing into the Pegasai's wings; crippling them and grounding them with ease. The parasitic insects engulfed the ponies on the ground; biting them and leaving them covered with swollen, red marks. Mares and colts ran from the streets towards their homes; screaming and flailing as more creatures attacked.

Star spiders climbed along the sides of ponies homes and webbed their doors shut; preventing them from escaping. The twin Phoenix birds rained fire down upon the frantic streets of Ponyville. Lampposts and benches were being smashed to pieces by the monstrous muscles of the Manticore. The beast stung any pony foolish enough to try and escape or battle him with his scorpion tail. Café ponies eating outside were assaulted by the trio of Cragadiles. The stone hard reptiles munched café tables and chairs into bent heaps of metal. They snarled and snapped their bone crunching teeth at the waiters as they fled.

GONG! GONG!

The school bell alarm rang, its clanging chimes echoed across the carnage. The hope was the bell would warn any pony that heard it of the invading creatures. A crackling swarm of Twitter mites buzzed ominously above the school bell. Blue electricity sparkled along the cloud of mites like icy veins.

KABOOM!

The Twitter mites unleashed a colossal bolt of lightning. The bell and most of the tower was instantly destroyed, fried chunks of metal and wood crashed into the school's roof like death from above. Cheerilee rushed out of the school with the school ponies.

"Every pony just stay together. Remember our emergency buddy system, stick to the pony closest to you and head straight out of Ponyville as fast as you can," Cheerilee frantically instructed.

Among the ponies trying to flee, Lyra and Bon-Bon were scrambling to make it out together. The minty unicorn and vanilla Earth pony stayed shoulder to shoulder. Neither would leave the other's sight nor take one step out of this town unless they were together.

A monstrous roar bellowed from the heavens. The two mares, though still running, were compelled to look up. A nightmare in the flesh emerged; one that Bon-Bon was all too familiar with. It was a black and white bear with insect wings and a massive stinger. The Bug Bear swooped down upon the ponies like a ravaging vulture. Lyra screamed as the panda like creature clasped across her horn and hair and dragged her into the sky.

"BON-BON!" Lyra screamed; vainly extending her hoof to her lover.

Bon-Bon looked like a vanilla colored ant; growing smaller and smaller as the monster flew higher.

"NO, I WON'T LET YOU HAVE HER! YOU HEAR ME BUG BEAR?!" Bon-Bon shouted.

The colorful Earth pony reached into her silver suitcase of tricks, the same she used long ago in Princess Celestia's secret service. She pulled out her grappling hook and was preparing to snare her beloved and snatch her free from the Bug Bear's grasp.

ROAR!

Before Bon-Bon could fire a shot, the Chimera lunged at her and pinned her to the ground. She gasped at the horrid sight of 3 twisted heads snapping at her face. Bon-Bon tried to lift her grappling hook but the Chimera slammed her hoof down with her tiger paw.

"You've goooooot bigger problems to worry aaaaaaabout," the goat head snickered.

"Oh look sisters, we bagged ourselves some Earth pony meat: our favorite!" the tiger head said; drool oozing from her saber tooth like fangs.

Bon-Bon cringed in horror. The drool from the Chimera dripped onto her eyes; mixing in with her fright filled tears. The mare was terrified beyond belief. Not only was she about to become some twisted monster's lunch, but her beloved Lyra was being carted off by the one monster she had been tasked with capturing. She would never see her beloved's golden eyes ever again, or enjoy flirting with her at cafés. It was all going to end and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Hey, stop me if you've heard this one."

The Chimera's triple heads halted their attack on Bon-Bon. They looked up at the new voice that had addressed them; blinking in confusion.

ZAP!

Twilight Sparkle blasted the monster off of Bon-Bon with a single beam. The creature snarled in pain as its 3 heads skidded across the ground. Twilight walked past Bon-Bon; glaring down at the fallen Chimera.

"Heads up!" she joked. The mare's horn still sizzled with powerful magic. She fired it again, but this time the target was the menacing Bug Bear. The blast struck the beast along its winged spine. The Bug Bear was forced to drop Lyra from its claws. "Go on and help Lyra, I've got things under control here."

Bon-Bon quickly thanked the princess and went off after her beloved. The Earth pony secured her grappling hook around a structure, ran up along the walls of nearby houses and performed a spectacular dive and catch before her girlfriend hit the ground. The two smiled joyfully; happy to be in each other's arms again but quickly turned and ran out of sight before the Bug Bear or any other monster decided to attack them again.

"Now then, you're the only creature I've seen that can actually talk, which means I got questions and you're going to answer them. You can start by-"

The Chimera hissed scornfully at the Alicorn princess. Before she could finish interrogating, the monster bolted out of sight. Twilight was left flabbergasted at this strange behavior. She knew her magic and title were intimidating, but she figured the monster had more tenacity than to just run away without putting up a fight.

"Great! Now how am I supposed to figure out what's the cause of all of this?" Twilight groaned.

"Ask and ye shall receive," Khan thunderously replied.

Twilight turned around in response. Her eyes widened in surprise, mouth dropping agape in awe. Chimera Khan stood before her; lording over Twilight with a menacing, predatory glare in his eyes. The sunlight glared annoyingly off the twisted designs of the silver and blood red armor of the villainous pony. Khan's iron hooves rose up high. He slammed them into the ground with a crackling crunch, the ground and dirt caved inward from the massive weight from his anvil like hooves.

The princess shook off her stunned reaction and immediately took a defensive stance. She didn't have the slightest clue who or what this thing was, but there's one fact she was sure of: this guy is responsible for the monsters attacking all of her friends! He has to be stopped.

"Hey! I don't know who you are but I'm betting you know who I am. So, knowing that, I'm giving you one chance to take all of your mind controlled critters and leave Ponyville and my friends alone. Otherwise, things are going to get rough," Twilight barked aggressively. Though intimidation and violence were not the princess's favorite tactics, she knew that some ponies needed an extra push in order to listen to reason.

"Well, well, well, the princess of friendship comes to greet me in person. I'm flattered," Khan replied; his tone ripe with mockery and scorn.

"There's too much going on. I can't waste time fighting an epic battle with this guy, I need to take care of him fast so I can help my friends," Twilight thought to herself.

The princess summoned a colossal surge of magic from her horn. A bright pink ball of energy formed; growing larger and more powerful. Khan stood there; emotionless behind his lifeless mask. The villain remained unintimidated by Twilight's show of force.

SHRAKKABOOM!

Twilight blasted Khan with the full force of her magical energy attack. She held nothing back, pouring as much force into her attack as possible. The hot pink energy swirl consumed Khan's body completely. Twilight couldn't believe he didn't even try to dodge the attack, or put up a defensive barrier or anything. She immediately worried she may have put too much magic in that attack. However, her concerns were quickly diminished as she noticed something strange was happening.

The circular shaped explosion from the spell started to implode. All of the magic Twilight dispelled was disappearing, vanishing directly into the heart of the explosion sphere. Before she knew it, the magical attack disappeared completely; sucked directly into the chest plate on Chimera Khan's armor. The villain didn't even have a single scratch on him. In fact, his armor glowed as if it had become even more energized than before.

"But hardly impressed," he cruelly replied.

"W-w-w-what…h-h-how did…but you couldn't…t-t-t-that's impossible. How did you-ARGH!"

Twilight cried out as Khan retaliated with a devastating, crimson red lightning strike from his Sombra horn. She skidded to the ground; wings painfully grinding against the dirt. Chimera Khan looked upon the fallen princess with gross disappointment. She stared back at him, still baffled at how he absorbed her attack.

"You're quite slow for Celestia's star pupil. I would have thought someone as supposedly smart as you are would have noticed why your magic attacks won't work on me," Khan said with a dry droll.

Twilight took a longer look at the amalgamation of magical items protecting Khan's body. She noticed something familiar about his chest plate. It was right on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't place it. Suddenly the realization hit her. Twilight's eyes bulged in horror.

"That-that can't be! That's Starswirl's indestructible magical absorption plate; said to be capable of absorbing any kind of magical or energy based attack, no matter how large or what type. But-but there's no way! Princess Celestia has that locked up back in her private vault; I saw it with my own eyes."

"Are you really sure you saw what you saw?"

Twilight's mind raced with a million questions: who was this masked pony? Why is he attacking Ponyville? What does he want? And more importantly, how in the world did he have Starswirl's indestructible plate? The answers to all of these and more would have to wait though. Her top priority was stopping this fiend before he and his monsters hurt any pony else.

Khan blasted a green and orange uni-beam from the skull emblem on his armor. Twilight formed a purple barrier and barely managed to deflect it. He lunged forward; drilling into the barrier with his blood red horn until the barrier was destroyed.

"That looks like King Sombra's horn, and if I'm not mistaken, he's wearing the Alicorn amulet Trixie wore. How did he get that one? No one knew it was locked up in Zecora's hut, no one," she thought.

Before he could attack again, Twilight launched herself into the sky with her wings. She used her magic to uproot large chunks of dirt and stone from the ground, Twilight then hurled her makeshift boulders at Khan. He reared back his hind legs and smashed through the boulders like they were made of tin foil. Khan's armored hooves clanged loudly with each hit. Twilight fired another beam; hoping to catch him off guard, but Khan flipped around and absorbed that attack into his chest plate.

"Pathetic! I can't believe that back stabbing cow raised someone as incompetent as you," Khan snapped.

The spiked tail shell on Khan's backside launched from his flanks. The tail club flew like a cannonball; connected to a jagged chain that lead all the way back down to Khan's body. Twilight gasped as the spiked chain wrapped around her neck like a noose. Khan's armor burned brightly with intense, growing magical energy. He roared like a berserker; slamming Twilight down into the ground with his tail chain. She cried out, crashing into one of the craters she created when she made her makeshift boulders. The crater expanded due to her body's sudden impact.

"Killing you is going to be easier than I thought!"

Khan rushed towards Twilight like a rampaging bull. The silver markings and jewelry started to glow on Khan's armor, while his horn sparkled with thunder like energy. He barreled towards her like a freight train and looked as if no force in the world could stop him. Twilight forced herself back onto her hooves. She powered up her horn to cast another spell.

"Don't you ever learn? It doesn't matter what you-"

Twilight blasted her spell into the ground before Khan could finish, it turned the ground into a sheet of slippery ice. Khan's clanking hooves fumbled on the icy ground and lost his footing. He skidded towards Twilight, heading right for the large crater she created. The young princess flew into the sky; allowing Khan to fall right into the crater. She used her ice beam once more, this time freezing Khan inside of a large cluster-like iceberg.

"Whew…finally…that should hold him for a second…at least until I catch my breath," Twilight panted heavily. Her wings slowed down and eventually returned the Alicorn back to the ground. "Can't take too long though, I've still got to help every pony else. Just because their master is frozen doesn't mean the monsters will stop."

Much to Twilight's surprise however, there were no more screams of fear and panic. All of the fighting simultaneously stopped. The Bug Bear, the Twitter mites, the Manticore; all of them had ceased attacking. The creatures looked around Ponyville as if they were lost.

"Or does it? Fascinating! It seems that the creatures are somehow magically linked to this armored pony; whoever he is. They must have stopped attacking because he's frozen and can't control them anymore. That means we can still fix this! All we got to do is round up the creatures and-"

FASCHOOM!

The ice cluster violently exploded. Twilight screamed; thrusted to the ground by the force of the fiery blast. Icy mist surrounded the area like a miniature fog. The princess rubbed her head, it was throbbing due to an ice chunk smacking against her temple. Chimera Khan emerged from the fog; cloaking himself in the dwindling mist like the shadow of death. Two colossal wings made of pure fire sizzled blazingly on each side of his back.

"Well, at least now I know what happened to the Phoenix gauntlet," Twilight grunted. She stood back onto her hooves, feeling a bruise already forming on her aching forehead.

"That was quite the stunt you pulled off there, princess. You may make this interesting after all," he chuckled sinisterly. The fire wings dissipated back into the gauntlet.

"All right, I've had enough of these games. Tell me! Who are you? What do want from me and everyone in Ponyville, and how did you get all those mystical items? Some of those should have been impossible for you to get."

"My name, princess, is Chimera Khan and I'm not actually here for you or for Ponyville. I'm here to deliver a message to that traitor you call a teacher."

"Princess Celestia? Why, what did she ever do to you?"

"It's more what she didn't do that demands my vengeance. Let's just say I'm an old friend of hers, and I've come a long way to see that two faced face of hers again."

Twilight shook her head. She didn't understand anything Khan was saying or how Celestia fits into any of this. Her wings flared up, horn fully charged; ready to take on anything Khan would throw at her.

"All right then. If that's the case, why don't you just tell me the message and I'll deliver it to her myself? That way, you can leave right NOW and this doesn't have to go any further, and you can free those twisted critters from your hold while you're at it."

Khan laughed at Twilight's proposal. Hearing his cackle sent all kinds of shivers down her spine. His laugh was cruel, disturbing; like a nightmare that consumed every bit of happiness from your dreams.

ZAP!

Chimera Khan swung his horn as it were a samurai sword. A crimson lighting blade came hurtling towards Twilight, she teleported out of the way just in the nick of time. The lighting blade continued soaring through the air until it collided with the top of Sugar Cube corner. The tip of the roof and ceiling were sliced completely in half in a sideways fashion. The cleaved roof top crumbled to the ground; smashing into even more pieces upon impact.

"You are the message! I'm going to kill everything and everyone Celestia loves in this world, until there is nothing left for her to protect. Her precious kingdom will be a graveyard without end. Everything she's ever built will burn before her very eyes. Everyone she holds dear will turn to ash in her arms, and you, you my young little princess; you and your friends will be the first to fall. The end is already upon us, just look around and ask your friends."

Even as they spoke, Khan's monsters were already spreading out to eliminate Twilight's friends, family and anyone else in their path. They had resumed attacking now that Khan was no longer frozen. An endless horde of Timber wolves and Vampire fruit bats were swarming over Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were locked inside Sugar Cube Corner by the Cragadiles, the Bug Bear and the army of insects were shooting down any fleeing or attacking Pegasai, Rainbow was being chased by the Phoenix birds, and the Chimera and Manticore were hunting the ponies in the streets like prey. Every pony was surrounded, every pony was under attack.

"Come Princess Twilight, it's time you paid the price for your teacher's sins!"

To be continued…

They're heeeeeeere! Khan and his monsters are finally here, and boy what a bad time to arrive 0_0! It was very tricky keeping all the monsters organized and shifting around the story without it feeling too chaotic and all over the place. I had a real hard time getting Twilight's behavior right when she spoke with Rarity. I wanted to make her seem mad but, like I did with Spike in the last chapter, I wanted to make her behavior feel believable; as in if this really happened, this is how Twilight would really respond. That part alone delayed me for days. Expect a lot of BIG surprises for the next chapter as we reach our 25hth chapter! NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Ponyville is overrun by monsters, Rarity is searching for Spike while Twilight is still battling Chimera Khan. Will Rarity find Spike before he's gone for good and can all of Ponyville survive this invasion? Find out next time, bye for now!

25. Heart Attack (Part 2)

Chapter 25: Heart Attack (Part 2)

Hey everyone, finally back with another LOOONG update! I would have gotten this up much sooner but I was insanely sick the past couple of weeks, sickest I've ever been in my life actually. But I'm better, I feel great AND I got a new job which was a major source of stress for me for the past few months so now that's covered, let's get to the stuff you actually came here to read about: the story! I apologize for taking so long to put the villains into play, I've been kicking myself for not having him show up until now. But from here on out, the bad guys are taking center stage and they're not leaving the story anytime soon. I should also mention that this is the chapter where this story starts earning its T rating. In other words, things are going to get a bit...messy in this chapter. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read, review, favorite and follow this story; whether your a long time reader or just recently come on board. Thank you all. Its because of you guys this story has become as amazing as it is. Now onto shout outs:

GuyWithNoName: Yeah, I'd like to believe that this is what Rainbow would do if this kind of thing happened. She's always been hard headed and determined but because she was the one that hurt him, it's made her even more compelled to fix it; unaware she's making it worse.

magic135: Glad I can still surprise you! As for your question, funny you should ask...

Lemon Smoothie: Really glad to hear the awkwardness came off naturally, I wanted to make sure that felt believable. I always felt that (if by some miracle the writers ever made Sparity official) Rarity would inevitably see past her image based issues despite stumbling in the beginning. In the end, she always comes back to see the real picture and I feel here would be no different. Pinkie is pure joy but I think we all have those moments in our lives when we reach a point where nothing can make us smile, Rarity is that point for Spike. I agree Twilight would fight more brains than brawn. Granted, she was an uber DBZ powerhouse when she fought Tirek but I feel the only reason she did that was because she was pumped full of Alicorn magic. I feel using her head is more her style more so than pure magic. So glad to hear you liked the inclusion of Cheese Pie! They're one of my favorite ships, behind Sparity and DerpyWhooves. This story is all about love after all so I couldn't not include them. As for Fluttershy, keep a look out for that.

Ponyloco: Yeah, that latter is very important to the story and I'm sorry to say you will have to wait much longer until you find out what is says. The letter won't be revealed until were closer to the end. So sorry to hear your sick, I just got over something horrible myself. I know many see Twilight as more of an older sister role model to Spike, but for me, the fact she raised him, educated him, sheltered him; that says to me parent more so than sibling. She raised him and in my opinion, that makes her his defacto mother. Thanks for the kind words regarding their mother/son relationship, I was hoping to get it right. Rainbow and Rarity both have a ways to go before Arrowhead and Spike are 100% okay with everything that's happened, but that's part of being in a serious relationship: there are no easy fixes and sometimes, forgiveness has to be earned not given. Spike's depression plays a role in this chapter and an even bigger one in the next chapter. In fact, it's thanks to one of your suggestions in one of your reviews that helped me come up with an idea to use in the next chapter. I won't say which one though *wink* that way you can be surprised along with everyone else. Please don't apologize for the review being short. I'm eternally grateful to have readers who consistently review my story, any contribution is a welcomed one and I'm always thankful for each and every one. Feel better soon!

A Man Undercover: To answer your questions in order: 1- I feel Rainbow would probably react very similarly to the way Arrowhead is now, though she probably wouldn't be as hostile. 2- Probably, when she was upset over Tank she wanted to be left alone for most of the episode. 3- Most likely, again, look at how she acted over Tank when he had to be hibernate, though Arrowhead holds grudges longer than Rainbow does. 4- I believe she would. It depends how lonely she feels she would be without him and if/how he's making things up to her.

Thanks again to all for your comments, subscriptions and followings! Enjoy the chapter!

Spike sat miserably on the turquoise colored train seat, his little legs and tail hanging lazily over the edge. Next to him was a brown back pack full of scrolls, comics, quills and several bags of gems for snacks. His shallow eyes stared sorrowfully at the floor.

"I'm so sorry mom. I didn't want it to come to this, but I just can't keep doing this. I feel alone all the time…even when I'm with the girls. It's like I'm an afterthought. I know we've had good times, I know we've made lots of great memories, but right now, it's like all my mind can picture is the times you guys left me behind," he said solemnly.

The whistling engine of the train surged to life. Spike felt the train car vibrate; preparing to depart from the train station.

Rarity…I'm sorry my love wasn't enough...maybe…maybe you would have been better off if I never-

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shattered Spike's dreary delusion. Ponies started gasping and yelling, they rushed to the windows to see what had happened. Spike also found himself gripped with curiosity. He gasped in horror at what he saw. The school bell: destroyed! It was blown off like someone detonated dynamite inside of it.

"Wha-what the heck is going? What could have done that?" he mused frightfully.

"SPIKE THE DRAGON! Please, some pony help me, I need to find Spike the dragon!"

The purple fire breather turned towards that voice. He didn't recognize it, and he knew every pony in Ponyville like Pinkie did. There was a yellow Earth pony at the train's boarding door. He wore a small green cap, had dirty blond hair and a pair of deep, royal blue eyes.

"Um I-I'm Spike the dragon, who wants to know?" he asked timidly.

Crowe looked at Spike and nearly jumped out of his fur. He rushed towards Spike, scrambling his jittery hooves across the train floor. He grabbed Spike and shook him vigorously.

"You gotta get off this train. Some metal faced psycho is attacking Ponyville; all of your friends are in danger!"

"W-w-w-wait, what, who's attacking Ponyville? Who are you? How do you know my friends are in danger?"

"There's no time! If you don't hurry, Princess Twilight is going to die!"

"She's going to WHAT?!"

Crowe had said the magic words. Spike grabbed his things and ran off the train without hesitation; Crowe followed. The conductor announced they'd be departing for the Crystal Empire immediately before the attacks reach the station.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man, I sure hope she'll be able to read this," Spike said nervously. He scribbled an emergency S.O.S note for Princess Celestia, his claw jerked erratically as he was writing it as he was running. Once finished, Spike incinerated it with his fire breath and sent it off.

"Just keep going that way, you'll run into them eventually," Crowe instructed.

Spike thanked the mysterious pony for his help and dashed off in search of his adoptive mother and his friends.

The yellow colt wiped his brow with his hoof. "Good, that ought to throw a monkey wrench into bucket head's plan. Now, I've get back to the cave before Khan or any of his freaky pets see me. If he finds out what I'm-"

OOF!

A light purple unicorn mare crashed into Crowe. She has dark purple eyes and a long, dark violet mane with a crystal blue stripe in it. Her cutie mark was a purple star with a sea green wisp floating above it.

"Hey, watch where you're going you-" Crowe said; attempting to protest.

"YOU watch it loser! I'm getting on the last train out of here and I don't need dead beats like you slowing me down," Starlight Glimmer snapped.

The mare's terrifying response abruptly silenced Crowe's complaining. He shivered like a frost bitten dog, nodding weakly at the unicorn. Crowe ran off without looking back and vanished into the chaos.

"Get this heap moving already!" Starlight shouted; climbing onto the train.

"Okay okay, I get the picture," the conductor replied.

Starlight planted herself in Spike's vacant seat. She stared out the window at the chaos breaking out across Ponyville, monsters and ponies were scrambling everywhere. The mare sighed angrily as she looked towards the sky. Khan and Twilight were fighting with dueling magic beams.

"I can't stay in this dump any longer. I'll have to come back once the heat's died down," she muttered vindictively. Her eyes stayed locked on Twilight as she battled Khan. The train started to move and the image of Twilight began to drift away. "You better not lose Twilight. I've got unfinished business with you and rest assured, I will be back to get my revenge on you."

Twilight Sparkle and Chimera Khan circled each other in the air. Their horns and eyes locked firmly on one another, blasting beams and spells in rapid fire fashion. The beams burst into an explosive array of colorful flashes like fireworks. Neither pony appeared to have an advantage over the other. Sounds of rampaging monsters and shrieking ponies continued to distract the princess during the battle. She wanted nothing more but to end this duel and go help her friends and neighbors, but Khan wouldn't let her go without a fight. She had no choice but to defeat Khan if she wanted to save every pony from his tyranny and his army of mind controlled monsters.

Khan's armor unleashed a barrage of multicolored beams from every gemstone and talisman on his body. The beams lunged out at Twilight; like a hurricane of deadly rainbow beams.

The princess flashed a purple, oval shaped shield in front of her. The beams splashed upon the surface of the barrier; spilling off from the sides like a waterfall. "Ugh, no matter what you do or what you throw at me, I swear on my life as a princess I WILL protect my friends and my home," she fiercely declared. Twilight pressed her hooves against the barrier to ensure it withstood the onslaught of beams.

The masked villain rocketed himself on fiery wings towards Twilight's barrier. He grunted savagely as he drilled his spiraling Sombra horn into her barrier. The horn sliced through the barrier like it was glass. She gasped in horror. The sizzling, blood red horn was inches from her muzzle and drilling closer and closer. Cracks spread along the barrier's structure. Khan stared menacingly through a fractured portion of the barrier, his masked face pushing closer.

"You know, I used to admire the miraculous powers that Alicorns possess; it was one of the many things that inspired me to work for Princess Celestia," he said; chuckling morbidly. "But seeing your performance now, I finally realize how overrated you wretched creatures are. You must be such a disappointment to her."

Anger surged across Twilight's face. She cried out and unleashed a powerful blast, shattering the barrier and forcing Khan back with a violent shove. The mare fired another beam towards Khan. He snickered, preparing to absorb another spell into his chest plate. At the last second however, she cleverly redirected it towards one of Khan's Phoenix wings. The beam sliced through the fiery wing; dissipating it. The wing reformed almost instantly.

"And I thought you were supposed to be the smart one!"

Khan lunged forward and head butted Twilight. She cried out at the blinding, searing pain erupting in her skull. The metallic mask made it feel like she got hit by a sledgehammer. She swayed in the air; dizzy and off balance. Eventually, Twilight dropped to the ground; cringing as the ground made her head feel even worse. She could feel a small trail of blood running down alongside of her right cheek.

Khan swooped down like a vulture towards Twilight, his anvil like hooves ready to squash her into a purple grease stain. She looked up in enough time to see him coming and teleport a few feet back; dodging his attack completely. Though wounded, the princess shook off her dizziness and quickly launched a counter attack.

SPLAT! SPLAT!

Two large raspberry pies splattered across Khan's face. Twilight smirked confidently. She knew he wouldn't have seen that coming. His eyes intensified; clearly irritated and confused by her peculiar means of spell casting.

"Your spells are stupid as they are juvenile," he coldly sneered.

"Wait for it," she replied.

Twilight summoned two more objects: two ball shaped creatures with wings and great big, green eyes. Khan recognized them as Parasprites. The adorable looking insects leeched onto Khan, voraciously devouring the remains of the pie as well as chomping into his armor. The Parasprites multiplied mid meal. Soon, more and more of the colorful munchers began to spread and swarm over Khan's body; eating more and more.

"GR, Argh, g-g-get off of me!"

"That won't hold him for long. I've got to focus if I want this spell to work. I've never used it before like this, I just hope it works."

The princess closed her eyes and channeled all of her energy into her horn. A neon, pinkish glow shined brightly from the princess's horn.

Khan glowed as bright as the sun before creating a powerful heat blast that incinerated the Parasprites in a blinding white light. Though his armor had a few dents and dings, the creature's unyielding appetite failed to effectively penetrate the enchanted metal. He powered up his horn to fire an attack of his own. Suddenly, green vines sprouted from the ground and lassoed his horn; jerking it downward. More and more vines slithered out like snakes; they grabbed Khan's neck, tail and all four of his hooves. The tyrant was bound to the Earth and struggling belligerently.

With Khan temporarily restrained, Twilight moved onto the last step. She fired a beam next to her side and created a tire shaped swirl; it was cinnamon brown and whirring rapidly. Her eyes flashed open. The swirl fired a concussive stream of sand out like a ruptured fire hydrant. Twilight pummeled Khan with her condensed sandstorm attack, increasing velocity and intensity to its maximum. The masked villain was engulfed in the all-consuming sand attack. He dug his hooves into the ground to try and anchor himself from being pushed back, but the vines made it difficult for him to maintain a steady stance.

Twilight smirked. It was working; he can't absorb this kind of attack or stand up to it. Maybe she's got a chance after all!

Red swells appeared in the blur of the sand attack. Khan's phoenix wings emerged; slicing away the vines and acting as a shield as against the sand. His clanking hooves started to stomp forward, the fiery wings were slowly pushing back the sand attack. The red swells eventually exploded in a monstrous fire ball. A stream of fire soared like an arrow across the sand; slicing through it and incinerating it in an eye scorching flash of light. A startled gasp escaped Twilight's lips. Her sand attack had been transformed into a sparkling sea of razor sharp glass shards.

"I don't believe it! The sand's been turned to glass. His wings actually heated every grain of sand into glass. The Phoenix gauntlet could never make temperatures THAT hot. It's like his armor is somehow making the artifacts magic even stronger than before," she thought frantically.

Khan's aura enveloped the glass shards like a blanket of twinkling embers. He launched the shards at Twilight while she was still stunned. She screamed in agony, the blades slicing dozens of tiny cuts along her body. Khan had not only countered her spell, he turned it against her and wounded her far deeper than any attack she's struck him with.

"That is but a mere sampling of the butchery your witch of a teacher inflicted upon me. I want her to feel every scrap of agony I was forced to endure. What better way to do that then to mercilessly tear you, her beloved princess pupil, into a thousand, broken, bloody pieces?" he growled venomously. The hatred raging in his sunset eyes knew no boundaries.

Twilight panted heavily. Her body racked with pain, red marks littering her purple body like red zebra stripes, even her wings had slash marks. "We must be talking about a different princess. Because the Celestia I know, the Celestia I care about, would never do that to another pony, certainly not one who claimed to be her friend," Twilight bitterly replied.

"Don't you DARE question the validity of my vengeance, you pitiful puppet. If you even knew half of the horrors I've experienced thanks to that cow's treachery, you would not speak so protectively of her. She deserves every bit of savagery that comes her way…and so do you," he hissed; seething with toxic hatred.

"Good. I've got his attention locked on me and me alone. I'm not strong enough to beat him now, not with so many innocent ponies that could get hurt in the crosshairs. If I fly far enough away, I can lead him from Ponyville and minimize the chances of anyone else getting hurt. Considering how angry I've just made him, it shouldn't be too hard convincing him to follow. I just hope I can keep him away long enough for my friends to evacuate everyone safely," she thought to herself.

The thickly scaled Cragadiles chomped into Sugar Cube corner as if it were an actual gingerbread house. Their dark green, armored bodies barreled through chairs and tables; biting towards the cowering ponies inside. The Cakes backed up from the snapping beasts as far as they could; they clutched their children tightly against their chests.

"Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Cake, I've got this," Pinkie declared boldly. She stood on top of the counter with boxes of pastries stacked beside her. "These guys may be frosty customers, but I know a cakewalk when I see one. They're gonna be creamed, whipped and baked real good."

The Earth pony couple looked at each other nervously.

"You get it? Cake puns! You know, because I said frosty customers and it's like frosting-"

"YES PINKIE WE GET IT!"

"Oh um, s-s-sorry to interrupt but if you don't mind, we really need you guys to get to higher ground," Fluttershy intruded.

Pinkie quickly regained her intense focus on the rocky reptiles. She pelted the Cragadiles with every cake, pie, cupcake and pastry she could grab her hooves on. Fluttershy assisted the Cakes and their babies up the stairs to get to the highest point in Sugar cube corner; safely away from the ground based Cragadiles.

"Take that, and some of this, and some of those, and sprinkles and jelly beans, and maybe some chocolate brownies too if we didn't run out of them this morning," Pinkie shouted.

The beasts snarled as their faces were being drowned in thick cake frosting and cream filling, their eyes and mouths drenched in every flavor of every baked good. One Cragadile chomped at Pinkie's hooves; biting part of the counter off with a loud chomp. Pinkie flinched, scooted back and blasted the Cragadile in the mouth with her party cannon. The creature gagged and wheezed as confetti and streamers spewed out his clogged throat.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake were making it to the second floor when a Cragadile burst through the window. The couple screamed; instantly turning their backs to the beast to protect their children.

"Leave them alone you big, dumb, rock headed meanie!" the Pegasus shrieked.

Fluttershy grabbed the snout of the Cragadile and wrapped all 4 of her hooves around his mouth. Her wings flapped furiously against the beast's face; temporarily blinding him. Mr. and Mrs. Cake moved to help the yellow mare, but she shook her head and shouted for them to move forward. Hesitant to leave her all alone, the Cakes nodded and left for higher ground. Fluttershy continued to struggle holding the beast's jaws shut; knowing she'd be an easy meal once they were free.

"I don't know why you don't understand me or why I can't understand you. One thing is clear though: I am not letting you hurt ANY pony, not on my watch buster," she fiercely growled.

Fluttershy flapped her wings downward and flew directly up to the top of the window. The croc's snout went with her, his head bashed into the windowsill; forcing him to lose his grip. She released her hooves and allowed the creature to fall back down to the ground level. A loud thud signified the creature's landing. The nature loving mare curiously peeked outside the demolished window. The Cragadile was gone. What's more, there were dents and cracks in the side of the building that the creature made when it climbed to the second floor window.

"That's strange; Cragadiles don't know how to climb. They usually stick to either the land or in the water. How in Equestria did he learn to do that?" she mused worriedly.

As Fluttershy went back downstairs to help Pinkie combat the remaining two Cragadiles, the rest of the Mane 6 struggled with their own animal adversaries.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY" Rainbow shouted thunderously.

The junior Wonderbolt flew across town like a cyan bullet. The Phoenix's followed her in hot pursuit, blasting streams of fire from their beaks. Rainbow evaded as best she could, but with each blast their flames grew closer and closer. Some of the blasts struck buildings and the ground; scattering more ponies across the landscape.

"Hey what's with you guys? I thought we were all cool when Spike brought your egg back, why are you acting nuts all of the sudden?" Rainbow called out.

The birds stared lifelessly on their colorful target, their eyes glowing with a zombie like daze. No sign of emotion or self-control in their glassy orbs. The Phoenix's split up and each one positioned themselves on one of Rainbow's sides. They spewed their scorching fire directly towards the cornered Pegasus.

She gasped and soared even higher into the skies; narrowly dodging the colliding flames. Rainbow spotted a few clouds drifting in the sky. An idea formed in her mind.

"If I can get one of those clouds to downpour, I can fizzle those featherheads right out of business," she schemed.

As if anticipating her plan, the female Phoenix swooped up past Rainbow and blocked her from reaching the cloud. The mystical bird spread her wings and blinded Rainbow with a blinding burst of light. The male Phoenix took advantage of Rainbow's distraction. He snuck up behind her and slashed his scorching talons across her wings and spine, Rainbow cried out in pain. The female Phoenix joined her mate in attacking Rainbow's backside. The two striking birds forced Rainbow down to the ground. Her wings were full of cuts and burn marks.

"Ugh! I used to think I was hot stuff, but not like this," she joked.

The Phoenix's flew into the sky and circled back; descending down towards Rainbow's location. Their speed and velocity were increasing at an alarming rate. Rainbow knew she wasn't fully prepared to get back up in the air again, and even if she was, she couldn't reach her top speed. The burning birds barreled down upon her like two meteors hurtling from the heavens.

Rainbow could roll off to the side but they'd catch up on her in a heartbeat. She looked around for something she could use to help fight them off. She spotted something directly behind her. "Okay, that could work but I'm only going to get one shot at this. If I miss it then I'm toast for sure," she said.

Once the Phoenix's came into range, Rainbow sprung her trap into action. The speedy mare squatted down on her tail, pulled her legs back and as soon as the fiery birds appeared, she bucked them over her head; splashing them directly into the fountain behind her. The birds writhed in sizzling agony as the water doused their flames into harmless sparks. They splashed about, smoke spewing from their flapping bodies. The Phoenix's limply fluttered off in retreat once they escaped the fountain.

"Hot, hot, hot, HOOOOOT!" Rainbow shrieked.

Her hind hooves were burning bright red; heavily burned from kicking the mystical aviaries. Rainbow leapt into the fountain and quickly doused her sizzling hooves in the cold water. She lay on her back and sighed contently. The water quickly cooled off her burning hooves as well as her singed wings. Unfortunately, she didn't have long to recuperate.

Another figure landed in the fountain. Rainbow felt a slight tremor from the force, followed by a splash and a roar. The colorful mare looked over her belly to see a pair of Cragadile teeth snapping right for her. She squeaked and kicked her burnt hooves at the beast; trying to give herself some distance. Rainbow tried to jump out but cracked her head on one of the layers of the concrete fountain. She cried out and dropped back down into the water. The Cragadile was directly on her now. The beast opened its flesh hungry jaws and prepared to devour the grounded Pegasus. Rainbow vainly raised her hooves up and closed her eyes tightly.

Suddenly, a pair of muscular grey pony arms latched onto the monster's rocky tail and hurled him out of the fountain into a nearby dumpster. The beast landed with a clattering clang as the lid closed shut.

Rainbow slowly opened her eyes to see what had happened. What she found was that her savior's face was one she knew all too well: Arrowhead.

"A-Arrowhead? Oh man, am I glad to see-"

"What the HELL is your problem?! Are you trying to get yourself killed? You should have been able to get away from that thing easy," he snapped viciously.

"Hey what the…are you serious?" she said defensively. Rainbow sat up on her elbows in the water, her soggy face was riddled with disbelief.

"Your damn right I am! If I hadn't stepped in, you'd be nothing but bones in his belly right now," he argued.

"Hey he caught me off guard; otherwise, I would have had him. Besides I'm trying to thank you. There's no need to bite my head off about it," she countered bitterly.

"I don't want your thanks, and I don't want anything else to do with you either. But that stupid ego is going to get yourself killed if you don't keep it in check," he growled hatefully.

"Ugh this is SO not the time to bring this up! There's a huge invasion going on here, can't we just-"

"NO, there is no we anymore, got that? You're so full of yourself; you can't even see what's going on around you."

"No, that's not what I'm trying to say. Will you please just listen?"

"Just watch your own ass because I'm done caring what happens to you!"

Arrowhead and Rainbow's argument was interrupted by a chorus of animal roars. They turned to see the Chimera creature baring its claws and fangs towards the bickering ponies. The beast charged towards them but Arrowhead rushed out to tackle the monster half way. Arrowhead traded blows with the Chimera, striking tiger claws with pony hooves. The two rumbled and rolled together in a blur of grey and striped orange colors.

Rainbow felt even more devastated after hearing Arrowhead's merciless words. She knew he wanted nothing to do with her anymore, but she couldn't just leave him like this. She quickly approached the two brawlers.

"NO," Arrowhead's voice quickly stalled Rainbow's advances, "I told you I don't need your help." He grunted and groaned as he struggled against the menacing claws hovering above his jugular. He bit into the snake tail as she failed to bite him, she hissed in pain and recoiled to the backside of the creature's body. "Just get out of here and go help someone else, I've got this, you hear? Now GO!"

The speedy mare felt like her mind was tearing itself apart. If she left to help others or go find help, Arrowhead may lose his life, but if she tries to help then Arrowhead will never speak or go near her again. This argument that was clouding their judgments all stemmed from her and she had to set it right, without losing him or his life. Bottom line; she had to trust him.

"All…all right…I'll do it," she muttered hopelessly. As much as this decision twisted every part of her up inside, she felt that the only way she was going to get on better terms with him was to trust him. Even in a situation like this. "You better not die on me, you hear? You can hate me all you want, but you're going to live to see more of me…whether you like it or not," she added. Rainbow turned away from the colt she loved and flew off to help others.

Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, the Apple family was fending off a vicious horde of Timber Wolves and a flock of Vampire Fruit bats. The creatures had swarmed over the farm like storm clouds. They cornered the Apple family at the farm, edging closer and closer.

"Ah don't know what got into these timber wolves or the vampire fruit bats, but one thing is for certain, they ain't here for no apple harvest," Applejack said through clenched teeth. She wielded a shovel in her mouth, swinging it at any wolf or bat that dared to take a bite out of her or her family. "Just keep 'em back as best ya can, Ahm sure Twi is already cookin' somethin' up to deal with…whatever the heck this is."

The 4 ponies were positioned in front of the barn's front door. Applejack and Big Mac stood at the forefront of the invasion, while Granny Smith and Apple Bloom stayed behind them. Granny Smith launched projectiles at the wolves with a sling shot. She fired rotten apples, rocks, horseshoes; anything Apple Bloom handed to her.

"This is crazy! Timber wolves and vampire fruit bats don't work together, but now they're attackin' us like they're good buddies or somethin'. We gotta get Fluttershy over her to talk to 'em," Apple Bloom whimpered.

"Sugar cube, Ah don't even think Fluttershy can calm these critters down," AJ grunted; smacking a timber wolf upside its head.

A pair of vampire fruit bats zeroed in on Apple Bloom. She squeaked in fear and started pelting apples at the flying beasts. The bats ignored the red projectiles; not even showing interest in eating them. They bared their fangs and went right for the young filly. One bat bit into her tail while the other clamped it's fangs over her head. Apple Bloom screamed out loud, her limbs flailing wildly.

Big Mac grabbed the two bats and pried them off of Apple Bloom like rusty nails. He smashed them into a crumpled up, bat ball and tossed them over his shoulder. Apple Bloom smiled gratefully to her brother.

"BIG MAC, WATCH OUT!"

AJ's warning came a split second too late. Four timber wolves attacked Big Mac from behind, they dug their fangs and claws into the back of his body and limbs. The burly colt growled angrily in pain. He dropped onto his back and smashed 3 of the timber wolves into rotting driftwood, a quick hoof punch to the face got the 4th off his neck. The red Earth pony quickly got back to his hooves and grabbed a pick axe with his mouth. He charged into the wolf and bat infested battlefield; wildly swinging his weapon and mowing down any creature in his path.

The busted fragments of the fallen wolves glowed bright green and started to move on their own. In a matter of moments, all of the slain wolves had reformed and reassembled to join the fight once more.

"Ugh! Yer doin' a bang up job big brother, but it's just not enough," she grunted; kicking the wolves into splinters with her bucking legs. "These varmints are harder to bust than a buckin' bronco at a black eyed bull fight. They just keep comin' and we can't-"

Applejack's words suddenly stopped. She felt a painful, piercing sensation tingling in her flanks. The strange feeling was spreading up her spine and hind legs. She turned to see a ghastly gaggle of vampire fruit bats sinking their fangs into her body as if she were a juicy apple. Oddly enough, the bats seemed to be drinking her like she was one too!

"Get yer filthy fangs off mah flank ya flyin' rats!" she barked.

She bucked and thrashed her heart out like a freshly branded bull. The bats dug their fangs deep and held onto their pony beverage as long as they could, eventually being flung off her body like fleas. The bats hissed at the orange mare with blood covered fangs. They greedily slurped their lips, visibly enjoying the taste and smiling sinisterly.

"Ah have seen some wild things in mah life, but Ah ain't never seen a vampire fruit bat drink a pony's blood. What in tar nation is goin' on here?" Granny said blusteringly.

Applejack stumbled to keep her stance. Her legs wobbled like bowls of jelly, eyes grew heavy and sluggish. The bats took more out of her than she realized and it was taking its toll on her. Stubbornly, she refused to fall and prepared her bucking hips once more.

The bats collectively snickered. They rubbed their leathery wings together, grinning gleefully at the sight of such easy prey. The fanged mammals started to zero in on the weakened blond. The timber wolves started to encroach closer, their jaws dripping with fowl smelling green liquids and sharp wooden fangs.

Even with Big Mac swinging at full steam, losing Applejack would make it impossible for the family to remain guarded. She was a weak spot the monsters fully intended on exploiting and there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Thou shall not touch thy fair maiden or thou will have to answer to ME!" a voice called out.

The bats and wolves turned reactively towards the source of that voice; it belonged to Hopeful Romantic. He was wearing a large backpack and wielding a rake he found in the fields as he soared over. The red Pegasus dive bombed the attacking horde, swinging the rake like a baseball bat against the creatures and pushing them back from the cornered Apple family. He swooped back for another dive and strike before landing protectively in front of Applejack.

"Next beast that lays one claw on my maiden or her family, I'm gonna send you screaming towards the heavens," he snarled fiercely. The young poet mustered every drop of venom in his voice towards the menacing creatures.

Though tired and drained, Applejack sported her most pride filled smile at her hero's bravery.

"T-t-t-thanks there Sugar. Yer timin's better than a rooster's alarm clock, though yeh sure were cuttin' it mighty close. What took ya so long?" she teased weakly.

He shifted his head back; motioning to the bag. "I wanted to write you something extra special for Hearts and Hooves day. Unfortunately, I couldn't decide which one to read to you so I just packed them all. Of course that meant it took me a bit longer to get here than I planned," he said bashfully.

"Awwwww, now ain't you just the sweetest thing Sugar? Tell ya what, let's fix these critters wagon and Ah'll listen to every single poem ya'll packed," she gushed warmly.

"Are you sure you're okay to keep going fair maiden? Those bats looked like they took a lot of out of you," he cautioned.

A timber wolf lunged towards Hopeful's throat. The colt gasped and defended himself with the rake, jamming the wooden base into the beast's mouth before it could reach him. The wooden wolf thrashed violently against the pony's improvised shield, he struggled to keep it steady. Drool and fowl smelling breath dripped alongside the base of the rake.

Applejack grabbed a nearby apple, squeezed it's juicy innards into her mouth and guzzled down the juice like a shot. She reared back her legs and bucked the menacing monster right between its glowing eyes. The wolf's body split completely down the middle and collapsed into pieces.

Hopeful and Applejack looked at each other with revitalized passion in their eyes. They embraced a brief but loving kiss; running their hooves along each other's cheeks. Much to their regret, the two separated.

"Ya'll hit em high and Ah'll hit em low?"

"I take the bats and you take the wolves? Sounds like a solid plan fair maiden."

"Solid as an apple oak in buckin' season; Sugar."

"Let's do it then…together!"

Hopeful and Applejack bravely charged the horde head on, not one trace of fear or doubt in their burning hearts. The Pegasus swatted away the bats with his rake while the orange mare bucked any timber wolves into broken clumps of wood with her legs. Big Mac protected Granny Smith and Apple Bloom; a shovel in one hoof and a pick axe in the other.

Twilight continued to battle with Chimera Khan. The princess's spells were unable to inflict any damage on the masked villain, however. Anything she blasted him with was deflected, dodged or absorbed into his chest plate. She battled him on the ground and in the air but he proved to have no apparent weaknesses. He was unlike any foe she had ever faced before.

The pair circled each other in the air, both eyes locked squarely on the other.

"You're getting sloppy, princess. The longer we continue this pointless dance, the more tired and drained you become. Your power fades while mine is everlasting. Why not cease this pitiful performance and simply face your end with some pride and dignity? We both know you're not going to last for much longer," Khan coldly stated.

"He's right, I'm running out of gas and spells," she panted heavily. She scanned for any stragglers out of the corner of her eyes. Twilight knew she couldn't beat him, but at least she could give her friends and the other citizens of Ponyville more time to escape. "I don't know much longer I can stall him, but I'll keep going until every pony makes it out of here okay."

Khan soared full speed ahead towards Twilight. His armor gleamed like a pony sized knife coming right for her. Twilight gasped and forced out a spell out of panic. A massive black smoke cloud formed; engulfing the purple princess and the approaching Khan as well. He sliced portions of the cloud in half with his energized horn. Khan snarled angrily, failing to find Twilight in this suffocating cluster.

"Quit hiding behind your defensive tricks and fight me head on like a real pony! You're not going to make it out of here alive unless you hit me with everything you've got," he snarled.

Khan eventually cleared away the smokescreen and found no sign of Twilight anywhere. He looked to the skies and spotted a purple mare flying away in the opposite direction. Her tail waved to him like a flag; making sure he would chase after her. The metallic tyrant sneered bitterly. He felt insulted by such a cowardly tactic; he couldn't believe she was this spineless. Khan soared after Twilight without a second thought.

Twilight kept flying faster and faster; trying to get as far away from any other ponies as possible. Khan suddenly materialized right in front of her. She squeaked in panic. Twilight forced her wings into full brake mode, stopping just short of running into the masked villain.

"You're not the only one who can teleport, you know?"

Twilight didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to respond or how she was going to get around this guy, she decided to just keep on trying. She teleported away and started to fly in a completely different direction, but Khan quickly cornered her; just as before.

"Why don't you cease this pointless running and hit me?"

Again and again and again, Twilight popped herself all over the sky in varying angles and directions. She made it a little bit farther from Ponyville with each teleport. Khan kept up with her every zap of the way. Everywhere she turned he was there, confronting her, blocking her escape with ruthless precision.

"Hit me, hit me, hit me; HIT ME!"

Twilight couldn't stand the relentless harassment any longer. In a state of panic, she powered up a shield like blast and launched it towards Khan. The villain expectedly absorbed the attack. He swung his horn like a hammer and blasted Twilight down to the ground. She cried out as she smashed into the Earth with a violent, shattering crash.

The fallen princess lay twitching within the crater she created. Khan materialized in front of her, leering down upon her with a glare of disappointment. Twilight quickly rushed to her hooves. Her eyes nervously darting from side to side; making sure the other ponies were still able to escape.

Khan's menacing gaze noticed the princess's erratic attention. He followed her eye movements and observed her awareness of the other ponies. The realization dawned on him; he knew now what Twilight had been doing.

"Oh I see…that explains everything…such a noble little princess, aren't you?"

"W-w-w-what are you talking about? We're fighting, aren't we? I've been trying to put a stop to you."

"Come now, let's not kid ourselves princess. You've been stalling so your frivolous friends could make it out safely. There's no point in continuing our battle now, you're far too distracted to focus. You leave me no choice but to rectify this matter before we can continue."

"Rectify? What exactly do you mean by that? What are you saying?"

Though she couldn't see his face, Twilight got the unnerving sense that Khan was smiling behind that gruesome mask. He turned his back to the princess and started clanking his armored limbs back towards the center of town. She could only think of one thing Khan might do to free up her distractions, just thinking about it took her imagination to a terrifyingly horrific place.

"No, No, no! YOU CAN'T!"

Twilight leapt after the villain, her hoof extended and her horn charging up another spell. Without looking back, Khan mentally blasted Twilight back into the ground. The princess felt like she was being flattened by some sort of a gravity spell or mental paralysis spell. She couldn't move; she couldn't teleport; she couldn't even flap her wings.

"PLEASE! You don't have to do this. I'll fight you right now! We'll duel to the death, use weapons, whatever you want; just PLEASE…please…leave my friends alone," she achingly pleaded. Tears dripped from Twilight's eyes, her face being mushed into the ground by the force.

Khan stopped, turned around and looked curiously at the grounded Alicorn.

"Sigh, look at you, your just like her…you still don't get it," he coolly replied.

"What-what don't I get? What are you talking about?" she cried out. Her eyes filled with fear, longing to free herself from this powerless position.

"The most valuable lesson you will ever learn, princess: friendship isn't magic…friendship is suffering," he hissed hauntingly.

Khan vanished with a small pop. The physical hold on Twilight vanished the instant Chimera Khan disappeared. She looked around frantically for any sight of him, despite knowing she knew he was going after her friends. Twilight was drowning in an ocean of fear. She didn't know who Khan was going after. It could be one of her close 5 friends, it could be Cheerilee; it could even be one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Worst of all, she was too worn and depleted to track him down. He could be anywhere, attacking anyone and she didn't have a clue where to begin.

"I never thought I'd say this but I hope Spike left Ponyville. The last thing I need to do is worry about what that monster might do if he gets his hooves on Spike," Twilight said fearfully.

Rarity ran fervently through the chaotic town. Ponies and their pets were running in every direction, some were being chased by those dreadful creatures. She hated seeing such madness. She loved this town and she loved the ponies she had befriended here. Despite all the fear and franticness of the situation, she had to focus, focus on the one person she had been searching for even before all this began: Spike.

"For my sake, I hope Spiky Wikey didn't get on that train and is still here somewhere in Ponyville. But for his sake, I hope he did get on that train and is far away from this horrible nightmare. I would never forgive myself if something…if something happened," she started to say. The fashionista stopped in her tracks and shook her head. "No, I can't think like that now. I mustn't let my fears get the best of me. I have to keep going until I am certain of his location."

Rarity resumed her dragon hunt mission. She tried her best to drown out the screams and roars that echoed all around her, as well avoid the beasts causing those awful noises. Amongst the screams for help, Rarity recognized a very familiar, squeaky female voice.

"What the… is that…Sweetie Bell?!" Rarity shrieked.

Out of nowhere, the unicorn's pink and purple haired sister came running into view. Her eyes closed shut, tears dripping from her screaming lips. Sweetie Bell recognized her sister's voice. She opened her eyes and spotted her; running immediately to her and wrapping her hooves around her in a powerful hug.

"Rarity, Rarity, thank Celestia I found you!" she wept.

"Sweetie Bell, what in the world are you doing out in this-this insanity? I thought you were with Scootaloo and the other school ponies," the mare asked.

"We were, but our class was attacked by the Bug Bear. Miss Cheerilee told us to run and-and I got separated from Scootaloo. I tried to find her or the other school ponies or Miss Cheerilee, but I couldn't find anyone," she sobbed miserably.

Rarity comforted her sister as best she could. They couldn't stand there long though, the wild beasts attacks were getting closer and closer to their location. As much as the fashionista wanted to continue searching for Spike, she couldn't leave Sweetie Bell like this.

"I'm so sorry Spike but I'm afraid I must put my search for you on hold until I know my sister is safe," she thought to herself.

The snow white sisters started moving towards the back end of streets and homes; they figured it'd be more discrete. While crossing over towards another back alley, Sweetie Bell mistakenly went left while her sister went right.

"No, Sweetie Bell that's the wrong way, we've got to-"

A vicious Manticore suddenly appeared between the sisters; cutting them off from each other. The creature snarled and swiped his razor sharp claws at the two unicorns. Sweetie Bell kept looking around the beast; trying to find some means of escaping to the other side with her sister. The Manticore couldn't decide which pony it wanted to attack.

"Sister, darling, stay RIGHT there and don't move! I don't want you going anywhere near this beastly brute," Rarity warned.

The Manticore hissed wrathfully at Rarity for that unpleasant comment. He lashed his scorpion tail at the pampered pony. She squeaked in fright; hastily making a weak shield with her magic. It was enough to deflect the attack but she knew it would not withstand another. Rarity's magic had almost never been used for any kind of offense or defensive spells, a fact she was instantly regretting at this very moment.

"Hey you big ugly monster, leave my sister alone!" the filly barked.

Despite her sister's warnings, Sweetie Bell refused to sit there and watch her sister get assaulted. She levitated a busted soda can she found on the ground and chucked it at the monster. The can clinked as it bounced off the creature's lion head, a small lump formed where it struck. The Manticore turned its attention towards Sweetie Bell. His eyes widened with blood thirsty rage, his claws and fangs' gleaming sharply in front of the filly's terrified green eyes.

"Sweetie Bell, run, run for your life NOW!" she shrieked desperately.

The frightened filly found herself unable to move. Rarity watched in horror as the Manticore lunged towards her younger sister; unable to do anything that could stop him in time. Before the beast could sink his claws and fangs into the tiny unicorn, Fluttershy suddenly appeared in front of Sweetie Bell and shielded her with her body.

"You stop right this second, mister!" she firmly scolded.

The monster's eyes took on an eerie orange glow. Some strange, foreign force was suddenly afflicting the creature. A demented voice started speaking inside the Manticore's mind, it boomed like thunder.

"NO, NOT HER! YOU CANNOT HARM HER!"

The Manticore stopped dead in his tracks, he immediately lowered his paw. Rarity gasped in utter disbelief. She knew Fluttershy was good with animals, but she'd never seen her calm a beast down so instantaneously like this. Fluttershy hovered defensively in front of Sweetie Bell. The misshapen monster stared blankly at the pink haired Pegasus; like a zombie under a spell. Chimera Khan's voice continued to echo in the beast's mind.

"Blast it! I thought for sure she had left town per my warning. This is troubling, most troubling indeed. I cannot abandon my campaign now…but permitting any harm to this sweet girl would be unfortunate. I'll have to work around this as best I can. I shall deal with this inconvenience at a later time."

"That's it, now follow me, keep your eyes locked on me and no pony else," Fluttershy instructed. The Manticore hypnotically obeyed her commands; flapping his bat wings and following her every move. Fluttershy slowly backed away with Sweetie Bell. "I've got this under control Rarity. I'll make sure Sweetie Bell gets back with you as soon as I shake him off. You go on ahead; we'll catch up with you."

"You do as Fluttershy says Sweetie Bell. I'll be joining you shortly, there's something I must do first. Fluttershy knows what she's doing; I trust her and you should too," Rarity anxiously stated.

Sweetie Bell didn't like leaving her sister alone like this, but she had made up her mind and Fluttershy had never steered either one of them wrong before. She nodded and followed the Pegasai's lead. The mesmerized Manticore followed obediently. It seemed more curious with Fluttershy rather than harming her or Sweetie Bell.

Rarity let loose a hefty sigh of relief. With Sweetie Bell under Fluttershy's protection, she knew her sister would be safe from that dreadful creature. Now she could resume searching for Spike and quickly return to her family and friends as soon as she found him.

She headed down the alleyway she was originally heading towards when the Manticore first appeared. Her hooves rapidly clopped against the ground as she ran down the alleyway. Another turn took her down another alleyway, only this time, she ran into something far worse than a mind controlled Manticore: Chimera Khan.

Rarity gasped so suddenly, she felt her voice leave her body like a detached spirit. Her whole body went numb all at once. Never in her life had she seen such a face, such a ghastly, unsettling face such as his. The blood red color on the cold, murderous armor froze her blood in her veins. She didn't know who or what this thing was but one fact was evident: he was not friendly.

"Hello," he said flatly.

"Oh h-h-h-h-hi there," Rarity squeaked in reply. She gulped slowly and loudly, she felt her flesh crawling just by looking at him. She didn't know if she should run, stand there or try and fight the masked villain. Fear had frozen her legs solid.

"Goodbye," he said with a newfound coldness.

Khan's eyes burned brightly, as if he had two suns boiling inside of his sockets. He blasted Rarity up against the wall with his eye beams. Rarity screamed in agonizing pain, her limbs flailing and writhing. The beams electrified every muscle, every cell in her body; as if every strand of fur and blood vessel were simultaneously bursting into flames. Khan squinted his eyes and intensified the beams. Rarity screamed even louder and harder, tears starting to drip down her eyes.

"Please stop! ARGH AUGH! It hurts…I can't stand it, it hurts so much," she wailed in agony.

Khan remained silent. No emotions or concern could be seen on the masked colt's face. He continued blasting Rarity with his eye beams; ignoring her screams. He would not stop until she laid dead at his hooves.

As the pain intensified throughout her body, Rarity feared this would be the end for her. She was going to die…alone in an alleyway…and there was nothing she could do about it. As the blinding light of Khan's beams grew brighter, her final thoughts drifted to those she would never see again.

"Girls, I'm so sorry but I'm afraid this is the end for me. I'll never be able to make another dress, not for you or any pony else. Mom? Dad? I love you both so much. Thank you for letting me be the pony I wanted to be and always supporting me. Sweetie Bell, dear sweet little sister, keep on growing. I know you'll be a beautiful, talented singer one day. I just wish I could have seen it. And Spike…my beloved Spiky Wikey… I am so terribly, unimaginably sorry for what I did to you. You didn't deserve me…you deserve better than me. Of all the regrets that I have, my biggest one is not telling you how much I truly-"

"GET AWAY FROM THE WOMAN I LOVE!" a bold voice shouted.

Khan looked around for the source of that voice. It was coming from high up from one of the homes they were behind. There, standing on a window ledge, was Spike the dragon.

The purple dragon leapt at the metallic pony. His green eyes blazing with rage, nostrils flared from baring his fangs in a feral manner. Spike clamped his fangs directly into Chimera Khan's left eye. A sickening squishing sound came from the masked pony's face.

Khan's energy beams stopped immediately. Rarity dropped to the ground in exhaustion, she coughed and wheezed achingly.

"GRAAHHH! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!" he screamed violently.

The dark colt thrashed around wildly; trying to throw Spike off. His screams roared like a wounded wolf. No matter how hard he moved or how much he struggled, Spike's jaws remained firmly clamped on his eye. It felt as if the dragon was crushing Khan's eye in a razor sharp hydraulic press.

Slowly, Rarity started coming back to her senses. Her legs still wobbled and her head and vision were still hazy, but she was starting to come back to full strength. Her diamond blue eyes adjusted to a familiar blob of purple and green that was dangling from Khan's face.

"What the…Spike…is that you?" she wheezed out.

Spike finally released his jaws from Khan's mangled eye. He crawled over his armored body like a spider; hacking and slashing his claws against any possible weak points. "Don't you ever touch her again!" he snapped.

Before Khan could grab the wily dragon, Spike chomped a large bite into the metallic pony's neck; right near his right shoulder. The metal crunched loudly under the weight of Spike's shark like bite. Another violent scream erupted from Khan's lips. He tried once more to pry the purple dragon off. He stomped his hooves and flapped his fiery wings, but Spike refused to let go no matter Khan did.

"What is going on here? Who is this and what in blazes are those things made of? I can actually feel him puncturing through my armor. I've got to get him off of me before he tears anything else off," Khan thought.

"Run Rarity, you've got to get out of here right now," said Spike; pausing briefly from his attack.

"Wha-what? I can't just leave you here Spike, there's just no way," said Rarity. Her voice trembled just thinking about such a ludicrous request.

Khan capitalized on Spike's distracted state and electrified his body with a powerful surge of magical energy. Spike was blasted off Khan's body; like an insect after colliding with a bug zapper. His metallic hoof crushed against Spike's stomach. The young drake was pinned to the ground, he struggled to free himself. Khan stared murderously down at the struggling dragon, looking down with his one eye and bloodied, empty socket.

"You meddlesome wretch, do you have any idea what you've done?!" Khan scowled. Sombra's horn started whirring like a spiraling drill. Red, fire like energy surged across the blood red base of the mystical unicorn horn. He bent down towards Spike's head and attempted to impale one of his emerald eyes. "Well, you know what they say: an eye for an eye."

"Get your filthy hooves off my Spiky Wikey!" Rarity bellowed.

The fashionista charged towards the armored villain like a rampaging bull. She lowered her head and rammed into him; plunging her horn deep into his only remaining eye. Khan threw his head back and screamed once more. Blinded, he was reduced to flailing wildly against the air; screaming and attacking without rhyme or reason. Rarity suddenly realized what was stuck on her horn. She squealed in utter disgust; shaking her head and repeating "eww" over and over again. The liquefied, bloody remains of Khan's eye fell to the ground with a sickening plop.

Spike coughed freely now that Khan's hoof was no longer crushing his lungs. He staggered back to his feet, his concern instantly fell on the whimpering beauty that had saved his life. "Rarity, Rarity! Are you all right?" he asked; breathlessly. He ran to her side, his claws running over her body in search of any wounds. She gently cupped his rubbery claws and placed them down. The mare assured him she was fine. "I can't believe you just did that. That was awesome, gross but awesome! You totally saved my life, thank you" he said gratefully.

"Only after you saved mine darling, thank you," she replied; nuzzling his cheek softly. When this was all over and done with, she was going to spend many hours in her shower scrubbing down her horn. "I've been looking everywhere for you. I feared we had lost you for good," said Rarity.

"Oh yeah…that," Spike said glumly. In all the chaos and madness, he almost forgot he was running away from Ponyville. Despite Rarity being the primary reason for his abrupt exit, he felt he owed her an explanation for saving his life. He opened his mouth to speak but Rarity quickly stopped him.

"Please, don't say anything. You don't even have to apologize for leaving. I should be the one apologizing. That's why I came to find you, so we could talk about…us," she said lovingly. Spike's eyes widened in unparalleled shock, he couldn't believe what she was saying. "I was wrong darling, so very wrong about all of this…about you. I just hope I'm not too late to-"

"Whoa, whoa, just wait a minute. Are-are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked hopefully.

Chimera Khan cracked his armored head against an alleyway wall. He screamed savagely, maddeningly moaning in agony. With no vision to guide him, the villain was just lashing out randomly at anything within his immediate proximity.

"Um perhaps we can continue this conversation after we figure out what to do with him?" she inquired. She cringed in revulsion upon looking at the armored villain. Even before he was so crudely blinded, she felt mortified looking at him.

"What, are you kidding me?! You can't leave me hanging like that. Besides, he's blind, it's not like he can do much. What's he gonna do, grow his eyeballs back?" Spike teased.

Khan's thrashing and screaming eventually stopped. His eerie, stone like silence sent even more shivers up the spines of the unicorn and dragon. Khan's back started to glow, dimly at first but brighter and brighter with each passing second. The crudely assembled assortment of feathers, gemstones and talismans produced a vibrant bouquet of dark colors. A pair of blindingly white lights emerged from Khan's empty sockets like headlights. Within a few moments, both of Khan's eyes magically regenerated. He glared loathingly with his new eyes at the stunned pair.

"Uh I-I was only joking, I didn't think he could actually do that!" Spike gasped, gulping loudly. Rarity and Spike clung to each other protectively.

"That. Actually. Hurt! If it wasn't for the combined magic of the Phoenix gauntlet and the various Phoenix feathers I acquired, I would be permanently sightless," Khan hissed cruelly. He stomped his hooves in a charging stance. Multiple energies surged over his body like electrical serpents. "For this transgression, I'm going to send both of you screaming to the gates of Hell!"

Khan took one step closer. As if on reflex, both Spike and Rarity stepped forward and extended a protective arm over the other's chest. They looked at each other; slightly surprised at how instinctual their desire to protect each other was.

"If you so much as ruffle her fur, I'll bite your head off and burn it until there's nothing left," Spike fiercely growled.

"And I've said this before but I'll say it again: I'll rip you to pieces if you touch one little scale on his cute little head!" Rarity threatened. She raised her hooves up like Rainbow Dash would; preparing to fight with everything she's got.

"Don't insult me! I'm more powerful than even an Alicorn. You really think some runt in an enchanted dragon costume and a second rate seamstress can stop the likes of me, just because you got in a few lucky shots?" Khan scoffed angrily.

"HEY NOW, who are YOU calling second rate? I'll have you know my fashions have been featured-"

"Whoa, wait a second; did I just hear you say…dragon costume?" Spike asked curiously. Rarity also expressed genuine bewilderment at the villain's statement; after ignoring his slanderous remarks about her fashion skills of course.

The two looked at each other strangely and then looked back towards Khan. The young dragon examined his limbs and scales, trying to see what it was that made him look like a costume. Khan remained unconvinced that the drake was the genuine article.

"You actually think this is some kind of costume?" Spike asked; sounding almost hurt in his defensiveness. "Isn't it obvious that I'm a real-"

"SILENCE! I will not waste one minute longer on this pointless prattling. If the two of you are so disgustingly fond of each other, then perhaps you'll find some comfort knowing that neither one of you will live to see another day again!" Khan sneered.

Khan stepped to the side and revealed a surprise companion he had hidden behind his back. The Cockatrice creature emerged from the shadows; flapping its scaly wings and flashing its Medusa like eyes towards the duo.

Rarity gasped in horror. She had never seen such an ugly, repulsive creature like this. This beast was even uglier than those rancid Changelings. "What in Equestria is tha-" her voice trailed off whisperingly. A stone like wave froze her lips permanently in mid-sentence. The curse of the Cockatrice was spreading down her face and head, slowly turning every inch of her to stone.

"NO RARITY…no," Spike called out; his claw longingly reaching for her. She was gone, frozen in an ever expanding block of stone. Her voice and face were locked permanently in that shocked state. Spike tried to move his legs but found no feeling in them; even his tail had gone completely numb. "Oh no, it got me too," he grimaced. Spike looked back and saw the lower half of his body was already turned to stone. It was crawling up his belly and towards his neck.

Everything was turning out wrong…just when it seemed to be turning out right. He came back in time to save Rarity, and she was willing to talk things out with him. Who knows what could've been if this hadn't happened, what might have changed if it weren't for this? The world was turning grey faster and faster. Spike watched in gut churning horror as Rarity's mane turned to stone, her white fur was vanishing and being replaced with cold, rough, unfeeling stone. Very soon, neither one of them would ever feel or think anything ever again; forever locked in an escapable stone prison.

Spike looked to his beloved purple haired goddess one last time. He felt so devastated seeing her like this; he could cry. Spike's last thoughts were filled with grief and regret.

"So…this is how it all ends, huh? Frozen forever by the pony that broke my heart. Sad as it may sound, that doesn't sound like a bad way to go. If I had run away, I wouldn't be here with her now. Sigh, I only wish I knew if she had really changed her mind or not. I'll never know if she realized she loved me or not, or if we could have patched things up. Sometimes…I really hate being a dragon. I'm supposed to be this fierce, fire breathing, scary force of nature, and yet, here I am: losing everything because I'm a weakling…just like Slick Charmer said.

"What's the point of being born a dragon if I can't do anything real dragons do? Why do I have to be so small and worthless, why do I have to sit here and watch the love of my life turn into a soulless hunk of rock? Dragons are supposed to be strong, dragons are supposed to be fierce. So why can't I save the ponies I care about, why can't I do anything right? I can't take this anymore! Just once, I want what makes me different to make me strong. Come on you scaly, ugly body, do something for a change! Help me help her, please, just let me do something right! PLEEEEEEEEAAAASE COME OOOOOOOOON!"

The grey curse stopped just below Spike's green scales atop of his head. An emerald glow emanated from within Spike's petrified body parts, the glow grew brighter and stronger as it spread across. The stone shell cracked like an egg. More and more emerald green light came pouring out from the cracks, consuming every inch of Spike.

Chimera Khan and the Cockatrice stared baffled at the amazing display. Neither one knew what was going on or how to stop it. The light grew so powerful, they had a hard time keeping focused on it.

FASCHOOM!

Spike's body was enveloped by a roaring, emerald green fire. The stone flesh cracked off like a second skin; shattering into pieces on the ground. The petrification spell had been broken. Spike had grown larger, taller, and stronger; right before Khan's eyes. His neck was slightly longer, his arms and legs had grown lanky and stretched, even his tail and green spines had grown. Spike had somehow aged into the first form he grew into when he was overloaded with dragon greed on his birthday.

Without even thinking, Spike sucked in his newly aged chest and blasted Khan and the Cockatrice with a monstrously large wave of fire. His primal rage and fury could be heard in his demonic roar, his savage attack continued to flow freely from his scaly lips.

A second blinding flash sparked vividly. Khan's chest plate successfully absorbed the flames, leaving the armored villain unharmed. The Cockatrice however, had become blinded by the fire. It screeched in unimaginable pain. The beast ran off, smoke and magical sparks sizzling from its blinded eyes.

Once the smoke had cleared, Spike had finally learned his attack proved useless against the metallic pony. However, something was definitely different about him. Khan was displaying an emotion that Spike assumed he rarely ever showed: fear. Chimera Khan was unimaginably terrified of Spike. His orange eyes were twitching anxiously, his armored chest rising and falling with intense breathing. He looked like he had seen death himself. Khan hadn't even noticed the Cockatrice had run off; too busy shaking in his clanking boots.

"D-d-d-d-d-d-dragon, y-y-y-you're a r-r-r-r-real d-d-dragon," he babbled senselessly. Khan felt overwhelmed by a crippling wave of anxiety. Nightmares of smoke and fire ravaged his thoughts. He remembered the horrifying sight of the dragon that burned him, how it nearly had killed him and how it permanently scarred his body. "No…no…n-n-not again…that fire…that horrible green fire. No, make it stop, please make it stop. J-j-j-j-just m-m-make it all STOP!" he shrieked.

Khan turned and ran, he ran so fast he couldn't even tell he was moving. The psychic link connecting to him to all the monsters spread his fear to them like wildfire. All across Ponyville, the creatures were fleeing the town; screaming and running.

Several ponies stared at the monsters as they left. They scratched their heads, looking to one another for some semblance of an answer or reason for this sudden change of events. Not a soul had a clue what had happened or who had actually saved them.

"What was that all about? And more importantly, what happened to ME?!" Spike gasped. He had been so lost in his rage, he hadn't realized he had transformed into a taller, lankier, more adult looking dragon. His voice had changed as well. The drake examined his body, wondering how this had happened or if he was going to keep on growing like last time.

CRACK!

Rarity's stone shell cracked and collapsed into dozens of fractured pieces. Her eyes briefly fluttered back to life before closing them, her voice whimpering faintly. Rarity collapsed to the ground. Spike rushed in and grabbed her with his new longer, larger arms. Her purple curls never even touched the ground. Spike held her delicately in his claws, holding her as if she were made of glass and would break if she left his embrace.

"Rarity, Rarity, please, say something," Spike pleaded. He looked at her longingly, tears swelling up in his enlarged emerald eyes.

Seeing her so weak and fragile like this, it broke his heart. She was always so glamorous, so passionate. Rarity was filled with more spirit and imagination than any pony he had ever known. He didn't know what was wrong or what he could do to help her, all he knew was that he wanted to see those luminous eyes of hers open up again. He longed to hear her melodious voice again, just so he knew she was okay.

Rarity moaned sleepily. Her eyes fluttering open; slowly adjusting to her new surroundings. She felt warmth caressing her body, like the sun had arms and it was cradling her like a foal. "What the…wha…Spike, what happened?" she asked anemically. Her eyes opened up all the way; finally getting a full view of the new Spike.

"Rarity, oh thank Celestia, your all right," he beamed ecstatically. The sound of his new voice caused Rarity to raise her eyebrow in confusion.

"Spi-Spi-Spike? You look so… you look so…ugh," she moaned; passing out once more.

Spike sighed miserably; closing his eyes in shame. He figured his new look was probably too scary for her. At the very least, he was happy that she was all right.

Meanwhile in the far reaches of the jungle…

Ahuizotl rested comfortably on a golden throne, leaning back in it like a lawn chair. He and his minions had amassed a wealth of stolen treasures and artifacts. They were pooled around the jackal creature's throne. He rested his paws comfortably on top of the petrified stature of Daring Do; using her as a foot stool.

"Ah, now this is the life," he mused; slurping loudly out of a straw inside of a mango fruit.

Daring Do's statue suddenly exploded; blasting off the rock shell in a surge of mystical light. Ahuizotl was thrown off his chair. He gasped; sputtering his drink and coughing heavily.

"Ay Dios mio!" he exclaimed. His eyes widened, he stared horrified at the frighteningly familiar sight of a bronze colored mare standing before him.

"AHUIZOTL," Daring Do screamed; her nostrils flared like a wild boar. Her stare looked like it could drill right through a diamond.

"Oh no."

Daring Do leapt at the pilfering criminal and started wailing on him.

Chimera Khan and the animals continued fleeing Ponyville. Twilight, Applejack, Arrowhead and the other ponies stared in wonder as the beasts scattered like roaches in the light. The flying creatures flew off into the sky, while others either dove into rivers and lakes or scurried into the Everfree forest. The last one to leave was Chimera Khan himself.

Khan soared through the clouds on fiery wings. He looked back at Ponyville; grumbling bitterly that his invasion failed because of one puny dragon. Flying past Khan's left side was an elite convoy of armored Pegasai. They were wearing golden armor, golden helmets with blue tops and carrying multiple diamond tipped spears. Flying just behind the cadre of royal guards was their leader, and the one they were sworn to protect: Princess Celestia.

Khan and Celestia passed each other slowly, their eyes briefly locking with one another as they crossed paths. The ponies felt as if time had slowed down at that very moment, as if destiny itself was forcing their eyes to make contact. Celestia and Khan both halted in midair. The guards stopped. They had no clue why their princess had stopped but intended on staying by her side no matter what happened next.

"No…it can't be…is it really you?" Celestia gasped. Her voice was so shrill, so stunned; the words almost didn't slip past her lips.

Khan shook his head, his eyes darting around anxiously. He immediately regretted his decision to halt in front of Celestia. "No…n-n-n-no…this-this wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to see me yet, not like this," he babbled erratically. The armored pony didn't know how to process this encounter. His eyes strained under his crippling confusion.

"It is you! I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. I can't believe it. You're alive after all this time, Sir-"

"DON'T YOU EVER SAY THAT NAME! That pony is dead. He died years ago when you abandoned him and wiped his name from existence."

"B-b-b-but I don't understand old friend. I would never do such a thing. You must tell me what has happened to you. Whatever it is, I can help."

"There is no point old friend. This was a mistake, it could cost me everything. I'm afraid I have no choice but to help you forget this entire conversation."

Before Celestia could ask what her ghost of a friend meant, the crystal orb in his mask fired a metallic blue energy beam. The beam struck Celestia's forehead. She screamed in excruciating pain, the beam felt like it was drilling right through her skull and into her brain. Her wings and limbs flopped around wildly.

"Colton's third eye will erase this meeting from your memory. This wasn't part of the plan, but now that you know it's me, you could use your knowledge of my background against me; giving you an advantage. This is something I cannot allow," he said grimly.

The Pegasus guards launched their spears at Khan. Most of them bounced off his mystical armor like they were pebbles, but one spear struck Colton's third eye directly. The orb shattered into several chunks, they plummeted to the ground. Khan reeled back his head and snarled at the skull splitting pain. The beam stopped instantly. Celestia gasped as she collapsed, several of the guards flew in and caught her before she dropped any further.

"Don't celebrate yet you fools, this is FAR from over," Khan declared.

Chimera Khan turned to the sky and flew off into the clouds. He disappeared.

"Princess, princess, are you all right?" one of the guards asked.

"Ugh…I uh think so…ugh but my head…feels like it's on fire," she weakly mewed.

"Forgive us your majesty but, who was that masked pony?" another guard asked.

Celestia stared blankly at the spot where Chimera Khan once was. She looked as if she was in a dream; lost in a transparent sea of fractured thoughts and hollow memories. She raised her hoof to her head and rubbed it. Everything felt hazy and clouded.

"I…I'm not sure…I thought I knew him but…I'm just not sure," Celestia said; quivering.

To be continued…

Hope you all enjoyed that! Some nice little cameos here and there, our ponies working together, and Khan finding out how bad his dragon phobia truly is. Like I said at the beginning, things are only going to get more intense from here. NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Celestia explains her history with Chimera Khan, Twilight and Moonstruck are reunited, and a shocking revelation will be revealed that will change one character's life forever! Happy Thanksgiving everyone and bye for now!

26. Hurt

Chapter 26: Hurt

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to all! I hope your all doing well. Me? I'm doing fan-freaking-tastic! I just finished my first week at my new job and it's going great so far. This job is certainly going to make my life a lot easier, but also take up more time from projects like this. Don't worry though! I fully plan on finishing this story and continuing writing fics in general, I was lucky that I got this one finished faster than I planned. You guys have been giving me tremendously helpful feedback, it's really making a dent in shaping my story. THANK YOU TO ALL! This chapter is back on the emotional side of things; lots of big surprises and revelations are coming so expect some serious feels. Time to tackle those shout outs, you guys sure sent a lot this time around:

Brown Phantom: Hmm, never heard that term before *looks it up* ah I see! I never thought of it that way, but yeah that sounds like what he did there. Nothing makes me feel more proud when I hear someone saying I'm making Sparity work for them, it's a high compliment I will gladly take. Rarity is my favorite pony character, but Spike is my favorite character overall, which is one of the reasons I enjoy them as a couple so much. There's going to be plenty of tension between them in this and the next chapter. Rainbow and Arrowhead is still a rougher patch to fix though. I feel it's important Rainbow really understands the severity of her consequences if she wants to get him back.

magic135: See, I didn't forget! I always planned to bring Daring Do back this way, I just needed to wait for the right time to execute it. Khan's fear of dragons and Spike's new form definitely play large parts in the upcoming battle.

patrickharris98: Done and done!

Sam Fraser: Thanks for the Sparity recommendations. I'm always on the hunt for good Sparity stories, I read them more than any other shipping pair in the fandom.

Ponyloco: Whew! That's your longest one yet (Not that I'm complaining mind you)! First off, let me say I'm supremely pleased to hear your feeling better. Let's jump right into this mega packed review reply now: the comment you made involved getting payback on some snobbish Canterlot ponies. I won't say who or how it appears, but rest assured it all becomes clear in this chapter. I always feel it's important for me to do Spike's character justice, I feel he needs it more so than any other character. I originally was going to have just a random pair of generic Phoenix birds attack Rainbow, but then I remember Rainbow was around them when Spike saved Pee Wee from Garble, so it was kind of like a happy, coincidental accident it came out that way. I'm glad you love those little moments for Dash/Arrow, AJ/Hopeful. That kind of stuff is my absolute favorite material to write/read. You'll be happy to know all THREE of your wishes are granted! Expect to see more moments with those two, AND Rebel and Luna in this chapter. Bullseye! That was indeed a Heath Ledger/Joker reference. I like including little movie nods or quotes like that in my story when I can.

As far as the transformation criticism, I don't take any offense by it whatsoever. Obviously I am not going to win everyone over with everything I do and I applaud your honesty and doing it in a respectful and decent manner. And I hope you take my words just as gracefully when I must tell you that Spike's new form is not temporary and is going to stay. I'm doing this for several reasons: 1- Spike is going to be HEAVILY involved in the final act of this story and his transformed state is a big part of that act. 2- I plan on taking Spike and Rarity's relationship to new heights (thought not without expected complications) and they wouldn't feel right if Spike stayed in his baby dragon state for them. And 3- I wanted to have Spike grow without needing a time jump to explain it. The fact he was able to grow and change back in Season 2 left a plausible plot device for me to utilize; having dragons height be related to their emotions, so keeping him this height has many uses and purposes. I challenge that idea that Spike isn't his "true self" if he's tall. Whether Spike is 4 feet tall or 50 feet tall, Spike is still a dragon. Being a dragon and being "Spike" is what makes him true to himself, not his height or shoe size. If anything, Spike will have even more acceptance issues now that he's changed. Because Spike and Rarity were about to sort things out, he had accepted who and what he is and was ready to heal. This change provides a new challenge for him and for Rarity. I feel this is the next logical evolution for the character and I mean that in the show as well. Spike has always been taken less seriously more so for his age rather than his height. I felt this transformation was the best way for him to grow up without it taking 20 years AND still tie back to his core issue of self doubt, self confidence and being neglected by his friends, which is HEAVILY explored in this very chapter. In my opinion, I feel this part is still true to who Spike is and it still makes him unique because of the new hurdles this change will create and continue helping him to grow.

I completely understand your perspective however, I get why you feel the way you do about Spike and I can see why some would have trouble with this. I never took what you said as negative or disrespectful so don't worry. I am sorry to hear your going through such difficult struggles, I'm all too familiar with the damages depression can cause. You never need to apologize for delivering a "late" review. No one HAS to leave any reviews. I greatly appreciate anyone who takes the time to write their thoughts about my story so I don't really care if it comes 5 hours or 5 days after my chapter is uploaded. I applaud you still taking the time to be so thorough and offering so much insight even when everything is all over the place emotions wise. I'm truly happy to hear my story has been helping you in some capacity and commend you for your courage in discussing such personal issues publicly. Hope things continue to go well for you and thank you again for your continual commitment to my story!

LemonSmoothie: Congrats on grad school! Yes, I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving and I hope you did as well. I wanted to include Starlight in some capacity to remind people that this is still taking place in the middle of season 5, as it will help connect to some things that happen towards the end of the story. Khan, like you said, is afraid to promote his fear. He hates appearing weak in front of his subordinates and as you pointed out, it was such a traumatizing experience; he never brings it up unless its unavoidable. More of that is explored in this chapter. Daring Do I never forgot about, just wanted to bring her back in a fitting (and funny) way. She'll definitely make another appearance now that she's no longer petrified. Thanks again!

Enjoy the chapter!

Despite the fact that Chimera Khan and his monstrous minions had fled Ponyville, there was no time for celebration or relief. Ponyville had been ravaged without warning. Buildings were on fire, ponies were terrified and not a soul knew why this had happened. The Hearts and Hooves day's festivities were understandably postponed until further notice. So much had happened this day, and still so many questions remained.

Who was Chimera Khan? Where did he come from? Why did he hate Princess Celestia so much? And most importantly: what was he planning to do next?

After Princess Celestia had been attacked by Khan, she returned to Canterlot with her guards for treatment. Twilight, her 5 friends and Spike were requested by the princess to board the next train to Canterlot for debriefing. Rainbow and Applejack brought Arrowhead and Hopeful Romantic along with them. They had never mingled with royalty and their involvement in this matter seemed outside of their expertise, but still, the girl's insistence eventually won them over; though Arrowhead still refused to sit next to or speak to his former girlfriend. The 8 ponies and now-taller dragon made their way onto the next train, after first receiving medical attention for their wounds of course.

The ponies sat miserably in their broken, defeated silence as the train rumbled onto its destination. Nearly all of them had bandages or sported some kind of visible damage. Twilight had multiple bandages all over her body, Rainbow's hooves were still raw from the burn marks, Applejack had bite marks on her backside, Hopeful had a black eye and Arrowhead had a chunk torn out of his left ear.

"Oh man, that looks really painful. Are you sure you're okay?" Rainbow quivered anxiously. She wanted nothing more than to comfort Arrowhead, to be at his side and ease the pain her fowl words had caused; as well as his wounds. Rainbow reached to examine the ear but Arrowhead coldly batted her hoof away.

"Just don't," he replied gruffly.

The speedy mare felt her heart splitting apart. She remembered when he craved her touch; when she craved his. Rainbow could recall when they were lost in each other's bodies and felt nothing but pure, unwavering love for one another. Now their love was as torn as Arrowhead's ear. He was so close to her, and yet still so far away. She reluctantly agreed to keep her distance.

Arrowhead wasn't the only male brooding in isolation however.

Spike had elected to stay alone in a separate train car; away from everyone else. After he rushed Rarity to the hospital, he wrapped himself in a dark cloak and refused to show anyone what he had become. Even after reuniting with Twilight and the others, he would not remove his cloak or speak much with his pony friends.

Rarity stared longingly at the door to the next car. Her eyes drooping with overwhelming sadness, her heart lumped firmly in her throat. She knew he was in there, sitting all alone and worst of all…she knew it was her fault. Her reaction to his new form must have made him think she saw him as a monster. Seeing it was certainly a shocking surprise, no doubt about it. And he was already sensitive about his appearance…now this.

Twilight was devastated. Her adoptive son was but a few feet away from her, and he wanted nothing to do with her or anyone else. He was experiencing a radical change and it's causing him unbearable pain. She wanted nothing more than to comfort him, be there for him and guide him through this uncertain path. He did not.

The morose silence made the ride feel hours longer than it actually was. They eventually reached Canterlot and made their way to the castle to see Celestia; Spike intentionally hanging far off in the back. They entered the throne room together. Inside, Princess Celestia was fussing over being examined by a male, brown unicorn doctor. To her left stood Princess Luna, and next to her was a punk pony with colorful hair and a black leather jacket.

"You sure you want me to get ghosting? I know this royal jelly ain't my kind of jam, but I'd hate to abandon ship if you still need to me to steady your boat Luna-love," Rebel said comfortingly.

"Even your briefest of visits brings me great warmth and comfort, my charming beloved," Luna crooned. She leaned and nuzzled Rebel's cheek tenderly. Her horn clinked harmoniously with Rebel's piercings; a sound she loved recreating each time they touched. "Dealing with troublesome matters in Equestria is an unavoidable task for a princess. Do not worry though, I shall find you as soon as I have aided my sister with this pressing matter," she said assuredly.

Rebel Streak felt the stress melt right off his body upon hearing those words. Her voice and lips produced such a soothing melody, he found himself powerless against it every time. The punkish rogue shared a tender kiss with his beloved princess before departing the throne room. Twilight and the others curiously looked his way as he walked past them. Pinkie Pie winked at the punkish colt. She whispered "Nice" to him and hoof bumped him before he left the room.

"I don't know fair maiden. I'm just a regular old Pegasus who likes to write poetry, I don't have any real experience with royal issues or princesses or anything. I don't know what good I can do here," Hopeful said nervously.

Applejack gently wrapped her hoof around his. She pulled him close and kissed his lips; closing her eyes and deepening it. Their lips eventually separated. She rubbed her nose against his and giggled. "Don't go doubtin' yer fine self now, Sugar. Just cause Ahm stronger than ya or mah friends got magic don't mean you can't help out. Ain't no pony Ah'd rather have by mah side then you lover boy," she said smoothly; winking affectionately.

Hopeful blushed glowingly. He giggled in reply; feeling much better.

"Princess Twilight, friends, thank goodness your all right. I was worried you could have been seriously harmed," Celestia said graciously. She finished her discussion with the doctor and kindly requested he leave the room. The sun princess approached the ponies and lone dragon, they bowed respectfully before her. Celestia did the same for Twilight. "I only wish this visit could be under better circumstances. We have a critical situation on our hooves and I must ask all of you for your help in dealing with this new threat," she stated.

Celestia motioned to one of the guards for something. The unicorn guard nodded and opened a door directly behind him. Out of the doorway stepped Moonstruck.

His eyes were sheepishly downcast. Twilight instinctively looked towards her green haired friend, but looked away just as quickly. The mare's feelings towards him were still gravely mixed since their last interaction. Those damaging words still haunted her thoughts.

"Oh that's easy, it's because he was trying to forget the fact he remembered killing his parents when he was little."

"Twilight, Twilight, hey, is everything all right?" a voice asked her; sounding hazy at first but gradually getting clearer.

It was Moonstruck. The sarcastic colt was standing right in front of Twilight; looking at her with deep concern swelling in his silvery eyes. She shook herself out of her daydream like daze. He looked at her multiple cuts and bandages with grave concern, it churned his stomach seeing her in such pain like that. The princess assured him she was fine and he needn't worry about her.

"Look, I know things have been um weird with us since our last visit," he said wearily.

Moonstruck was completely unaware of what he had said or done to Twilight during their last encounter. The cider had blocked out any recollection of what happened. He looked somberly at the princess. Moonstruck knew whatever it was he said or did; it had only made things worse between him and his beloved princess.

"I just-just wanted you to know that I've been really worried about you and-and this whole masked bad guy business; it's freaking me out. I just don't want-"

"Later Moonstruck…we can um talk…later, okay?" Twilight interjected.

She backed away hesitantly from the purple colt. The princess hated doing that to him, she hated seeing the hurt in his eyes even more; but she couldn't help it. She didn't know who she was looking at anymore. Her mind raced with dreadful thoughts and scenarios. Moonstruck saw he was visibly upsetting her and backed off, though it pained him greatly to do so.

"R-r-r-right, yeah um later, we-we can totally talk um later and, uh yeah," he babbled hopelessly.

The ponies collectively turned to the princess. Celestia stumbled slightly as she approached them, Luna supported her sister with her body. Spike's cloaked appearance and distance were most puzzling to the sun princess. She called to him; inviting him to come closer. The other ponies joined in welcoming their scaly friend forward. He insisted he was fine where he was and remained secluded in his spot and within his cloak. The drake clung to it like a shield; as if his life would end if he lowered it from his body.

"I think it would be best if we just give him some time and space. Spike's been through a lot and he's not going to get better if we keep pestering him to come out," Twilight suggested.

"Is he injured or scarred? Did the attacker do something to make him like this?" Luna asked inquisitively.

"Spike will join us when he's ready," Rarity added; speaking with a hint of finality in her voice. Though she hated seeing her scaly admirer locked up in his own darkness, she knew Twilight was right. She had to be patient, they all did.

"Understood," Celestia said affirmatively, "I am grateful to see you all here; the same goes for you as well friends of my friends." Hopeful and Arrowhead nodded respectfully to the sun mare. "Equestria is in great danger. As you know, Ponyville was attacked by a dangerous new enemy; who controls an army of monsters and wields tremendous mystical powers. I believe this foe is the culprit we have been searching for, the one who has been stealing mystical artifacts from various nations," she boldly stated.

"Oh great, NOW whose trying to kill us?" Rainbow groaned sarcastically.

"I met him. He…he…he nearly killed me," Rarity whispered frightfully. Her heartbeat slowed and her hooves felt sweaty just by thinking about her encounter with the masked pony. Pinkie Pie comforted the fashionista as best she could. "This is no mere pony girls. He's a demon, a cruel, sadistic, merciless tyrant who would have surely slain me had it not been for Spike's gallant rescue," she said timidly.

The fashionista smiled sweetly to Spike. Her smile was sad and she knew it looked that way, but she offered it to him none the less. Spike's claws longingly clutched the cloak over his face. Despite his phantom like attire, Rarity spotted the faintest signs of blushing under that concealed face.

"I met him as well; we dueled before he decided to go after Rarity. He called himself Chimera Khan. He said that I was the reason he came to Ponyville, because I was your student and you were my teacher," Twilight said ponderingly. She rubbed her chin with her hoof, thinking about everything he said. "He was so obsessed with you; it was like he couldn't go 5 minutes without mentioning how much he hates you."

Celestia appeared morbidly puzzled. None of this was making sense, nothing she knew about this pony was adding up in her mind. She still had trouble processing the fact that he was alive after all these years. The royal mare couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened him, or what could have driven him to become this…thing.

"There was something else…he had Starswirl's indestructible plate. I saw it in action, it's the real thing," Twilight said alarmingly.

Moonstruck looked like a ghost had floated right through him. He remembered that plate, he remembered it well; it was the reason he had been locked up in Tartarus.

"I want everyone to come with me at once," Celestia commanded. The sun princess wasted no time exiting the throne room; not even bothering to see if the others were following her. Her golden hooves stomped impatiently. She wished to get to the bottom of this matter at once.

Twilight and her friends followed the princess; Spike continued to follow distantly from behind. Celestia stood before the royal vault. She unlocked it, swung the door open and headed right for the case containing the plate. Her magic lifted the case up and set it aside. Twilight and Moonstruck watched intensely as Celestia examined the mystical artifact.

Without warning, the sun princess tossed the plate high above her head.

ZAP!

CRASH!

Celestia's horn beam blasted the plate into charred chunks. The ponies collectively gasped as the plate's remains dropped to the ground, they clanked like shards of porcelain.

"A fake…all this time…we've been protecting a worthless forgery," Celestia growled bitterly. She felt like such a fool; being tricked for so long without ever having a clue.

Moonstruck poked the broken bits with his hoof. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Then this-this means that…I was sent to prison over some hoof crafted copy?! I never had the real one to begin with?" he deduced; vengefulness darkening his tone and conviction.

"Your imposter must have stolen the original, forged a duplicate and then planted the fake by your bedside. The thief has had the plate all this time," Rarity deduced. "But if the imposter has the original plate, then that means the identity of the one who impersonated you is-"

"Chimera Khan," Moonstruck interrupted; his voice dripping with scathing hatred. The stallion finally had name and a face to put to the one who ruined his life. He didn't care if Khan had every living creature in Equestria under his control; he swore he would find him and kill him.

Seeing Moonstruck like this only caused Twilight to grow even more concerned for him. She feared what he might do in order to get his revenge, even worse; she feared what might happen to him if he takes on Khan.

"I'll have to stop him before Moonstruck gets anywhere near him," she thought to herself.

"Who is this pony Tia?" Luna asked.

"It sure sounds like he knows who you are," Arrowhead gruffly remarked.

"I'm sorry to say I do know the stallion that attacked you, I know him all too well. He recognized me when we crossed paths," she sorrowfully replied.

"Who is he princess? How does he know you? And more importantly, why does he hate you so much?" Twilight impatiently asked.

Celestia sighed heavily. She materialized a cup of water before her lips. She drank the cup, teleported the cup away and took a deep; calming breath. Twilight had never seen her mentor like this before. Celestia looked as if she was opening a door she never wanted opened; shining a light on a skeleton she wished had remained buried.

"Once, he was my royal advisor…and one of my closest friends. I wish I could tell you his name, his real name. I don't remember what it was. He never went by such a tyrannical sounding title like Khan before. He attacked me with some sort of mind spell and attempted to erase our encounter from my memory. Fortunately, my guards stopped him but the memory of his name was lost during the mind wipe. Now his true name is gone, and from what I saw today, so may his soul be as well," she grimly conceded.

"It's okay princess. Just tell us anything you can remember, anything at all," Fluttershy said comfortingly. Celestia smiled in return.

"Long ago, before Nightmare Moon had been banished to the moon, Khan was my most loyal and trusted advisor. He was the top of his class; brilliantly talented at anything he put his mind to. Khan was exceptionally gifted in magic and even greater in his wisdom and knowledge. He dedicated himself to learning every possible thing he could about magic. His thirst for knowledge aided me in many difficult times, even assisting in bartering peace with warring pony tribes and hostile enemies. But as I said before, Khan wasn't just my advisor; he was my friend. He believed in me and I put my trust in him. He admired what I stood for and had the utmost reverence for the knowledge and experience I had accumulated.

"However, after my sister had been sentenced to her lunar prison, everything changed. He became paranoid and suspicious. He felt the loss of the second princess would inevitably invite challenge to our doorstep; specifically: dragons. Khan had always loathed the dragon race. He believed they were too dangerous to co-exist peacefully with. I remember countless times he warned me of their power, of their numbers and what they could do to ponies if they ever decided to rise up and decimate Equestria. According to Khan, it wasn't a matter of if it was a matter of when. He truly believed they were the greatest threat to our people and had to be dealt with.

"Of course, I disagreed with his views. Dragons may be dangerous and different than us, but they are still living creatures and I would never engage in a war unless I had absolutely no other choice. Khan claimed I had gone soft. He said losing Luna had shaken my resolve and made me blind to the true severity of the threat the dragons presented. There was this specific pair of dragons we came across one day. They had been attempting to move into the caves behind Canterlot castle, they claimed we had no right to deny them these caves, that this was their land too and we should back off. Khan didn't take this very well. He wanted to use our combined magic to drive them off, but I refused. Thankfully, I was eventually able to convince them to leave without using violence.

"Khan said this was the last straw. He knew I would never consent to an all-out war against the dragons; though that didn't stop him from bringing it up again. After I made it clear for the hundredth time that I wouldn't approve such an action, he proposed an alternative solution. He wanted me to grant him access to use Starswirl's indestructible chest plate as the basis for an experimental magical armored suit that could control all the dragons. He figured if he couldn't kill them to stop them from advancing on our territory, controlling them would be the next best thing. Theoretically, he claimed he had sufficient resources and magic to pull this off.

"I denied his request and forbade him from using the chest plate or any other means of manipulating or harming the dragons, in any way, shape or form. He called me a spineless coward and swore that I would one day regret sparing the dragons."

Rainbow Dash flew up with a sudden jolt. She waved her hooves; frantically seeking the princesses' attention. Something about Celestia's story seemed to deeply unsettle her. "Whoa, whoa, hold everything. There's something that's bugging me. If this Khan guy was your advisor when Nightmare Moon was banished, then that would mean-"

"Yes Rainbow Dash, Chimera Khan is over a thousand years old," Celestia clarified.

The ponies collectively gasped at this revelation. Twilight and Moonstruck were especially baffled by this shocking discovery.

"But-but how is that possible? I thought only Alicorns could live that long," Moonstruck asked hesitantly.

"After the…incident, a full investigation was launched into Khan's work. Apparently he had long been researching ways of extending his life; he even looked into forbidden magic as well. Potions, spells, amulets, mystical elixirs; he tried everything. Khan was always jealous of our long lasting lives. He envied us because we could keep on learning more and more information, whereas Khan's mind would inevitably succumb to age and illness. It's possible one of his experiments or potions was successful and he didn't realize it, or perhaps something he did or something that happened to him during all these years granted him long lasting life. The truth is I don't know. I thought Khan died years ago, that's why I was so surprised to see him. Coupled with the fact that it has been over a thousand years, there's no way he should be alive today…but somehow he is," Celestia said drearily. Her face looked withered and forlorn, as if telling this story was draining the warmth from her heart.

"Boy did he miss out on a lot of birthday parties," Pinkie gasped; sounding alarmed.

Everyone rolled their eyes and just shrugged it off. Pinkie Pie will always be Pinkie Pie. Twilight had a melancholy look on her face. There was a question her curious mind was longing to ask, but deep down, she feared the answer would be most unsettling. The purple mare swallowed her fear and forced her lips to speak the words she dreaded.

"When Khan…um…died, did it happen the same time as this 'incident' you spoke of?" Twilight asked. Celestia slowly nodded. "I have to know princess, what was the incident that happened with Khan?"

"To answer that, you have to understand; as angry as my friend was, I never believed he was capable of disobeying me and stealing the chest plate. He had been planning to craft the mind control armor without my knowledge for some time. I later found out he went to the Everfree forest and tested the armor on the monsters in the forest, apparently; it was a success. Khan went back to the cave to find the two dragons that we drove off before. He needed to test the armor to see if it would actually work on dragons. He always said they wouldn't listen and they'd be back, turns out he was right. Based on what the guards and I found at the scene, Khan's armor must have failed and the dragons attacked him.

"He killed the two dragons but not before one of them set fire to him, which caused him to fall off the mountain. We searched every inch of that mountain, every area within miles of the cave; but we never found a body. I knew that if word got out that a royal advisor pony had slain two dragons, the Dragon Lord might take this as a personal attack on his kind and a war between the two races would be inescapable. Believing my friend to be dead, I held a funeral service in his honor, erased all evidence the battle ever took place and buried the dragons within the cave. I believe Khan seeks vengeance because I did not retaliate against the dragons for his death. He thinks I erased everything from that day…but…there was one thing that still remained."

FLASHBACK

The bitter cold engulfed the mountain trail. Celestia and her guards blindly walked through the relentless blizzard, feeling it bombard them punishingly. Their breath was visible from their trembling lips. The frigid wind became more unbearable the higher they went up.

"There! I see something my princess, over there!" a guard called out.

Celestia squinted as she searched within the blinding white haze of snow and ice. Two large purple blobs laid lifelessly on the ground, their limbs and tail rapidly disappearing under the snowstorm's clouds of white. She approached the closest dragon corpse. Her golden plated hoof was suddenly grabbed by the dragon's claw. She gasped in shock.

The male dragon's face weakly looked up at her. His features were riddled with dripping clumps of snow and icicles. His eyes strained to stay open, but he could feel his final specks of life quickly fading. The creature tried to get his scaly lips to work; forcing himself to say the most important final 3 words of his dwindling life.

"P-p-p-p-please…the…b-b-baby…"

The dragon dropped to the ground; dead. His claw slid lifelessly off Celestia's hoof.

Celestia stared achingly at the fallen creature, her tears mixing with the snowflakes striking her cheeks. She cautiously approached the second fallen dragon. This one was female. She had something curled up against her chest, both of her arms were around it; protecting it. The princess used her magic to pry the frozen limbs off whatever it was that was being shielded.

A small, purple egg with dark purple spots rolled onto the ground. It was a dragon's egg.

END FLASHBACK

The room had been stunned into a grave like silence. The pony's eyes widened. Some hung their mouths open, while others clutched their hooves over their lips. Unsurprisingly, the news hit Twilight like an avalanche. She felt like she was standing beside herself. Moonstruck attempted to comfort her but found it difficult not to be swept up in the shock as well. Every pony turned towards Spike's direction. The young drake had finally stepped out of his dark corner.

"My mom and dad…they're…they're dead?" Spike whispered brokenly.

He walked towards Celestia as if in a trance, his cloak dragging along his shuffling feet. Spike was too stunned to conceal his gangly new form. He didn't even notice all of his friends and adoptive mother staring at his transformed state. The young drake was in a daze. He had become a shadow of a ghost; empty and lost.

"You knew…you knew all this time and-and…you never told me? All this time, all the questions I had. Who my parents were, where I came from, how my egg came into your possession…you've known all along," he said faintly. Celestia closed her eyes; unable to look Spike in the eye. She had been dreading this day for many years now. Spike approached the princess. His proximity and tone made the guards exceedingly nervous. "How could you…HOW COULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?!" Spike snapped.

The guards cut Celestia off from Spike's reach. They aimed their spears at his snarling face.

"Lower your weapons this instant! Spike has every right to be mad, let him speak his mind," Celestia commanded threateningly. The guards reluctantly complied.

"Every…right? What do YOU know about rights? Who gave you the right to keep this secret from me? You think because your the princess you can just toy around with someone's life like that, who the hell do you think you are?!"

"That's enough, Spike. I know this is devastating for you to hear but you can't talk to the-"

"Stay out of this Twilight! All this time, I've been searching for answers; looking for some kind of clue as to who my parents are, where I came from. Now I find out she's known all this time, that I would never find them because her friend murdered them in cold blood!"

Spike glared violently back towards Celestia. She remained silent and highly attentive; facing Spike's justifiable rage head on.

"Do you have any idea how many nights I cried myself to sleep, how I would wake up in the middle of the night; sobbing into my pillow because I felt so alone, so lost? DO YOU EVEN CARE?!"

"Spike, I'm not going to tell you again!"

He ignored his step mom's orders and angrily pressed on. Tears streamed down his face, he pointed firmly at the heartbroken sun princess.

"I looked up to you because Twilight looked up to you, I thought you cared about me the way we cared about you. But you sat and watched me grow up; knowing I would never meet my mommy and daddy…and you said nothing. You took my family away from me…in life and in death…I HATE YOU!"

Twilight spun Spike around and slapped him across the face. The other 5 mares and 3 colts gasped at Twilight's sudden strike.

"You will never talk to the princess like that again. I know you're in pain, I know this hurts more than I will ever understand…but it hurts me just as much to see you like this," Twilight said pleadingly. She felt like she failed him as a mother and as a friend; unable to find him the answers he's wanted for so long.

"Ugh…I'm out of here," he said dismissively. Spike coldly pushed past Twilight and stormed towards the exit. Applejack and Fluttershy blocked the dragon from leaving. "Get out of my way…now," he sneered venomously.

"Ya'll got some nerve treatin' Twi and the princess like that. Believe me, Ah understand plenty were yer comin' from but that's no excuse to act like a rotten apple. You need to calm yer biscuits down and mighty quick," Applejack snorted.

"Um I think what Applejack is trying to say is that we-were your friends and we just want to help. It's okay to be mad, every pony gets mad; we just got to be careful what we say and do when were angry," the yellow Pegasus said cautiously.

"Please darling, just listen to us, we've all been through so much together. We just want to help you through this calmly," Rarity added; pleadingly.

Spike's new height gave him much better perspective than before. He looked around and saw everyone had circled around him; even Princess Luna, Moonstruck, Hopeful and Arrowhead. The cornered dragon clutched his claws tightly but then quickly relaxed them. He looked at everyone briskly, a frigid smirk formed on his lips.

"Friends? Don't make me laugh…you don't care about me…none of you do. I'm just an afterthought, a sad freak of a charity case you all have to put up with. None of you want me here," he said heatedly.

Twilight was on the verge of tears. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was breaking her heart.

"B-b-b-but Spike, how can you say such-such hurtful things like that? I've cared for you, raised you. I loved you as if you were my own child. How can you just forget all of the good memories and times we've had?" Twilight sobbed.

"Good memories? You mean like the memory I have of you celebrating your birthday in Canterlot with everyone, BUT ME?! If you cared for me as much as you say you do, then why did you forget me; like-like I was some…piece of luggage?" he said hatefully.

Twilight felt like she wanted to die. She clutched her mouth; trying to stop the overwhelming sadness that was suffocating her. Tears poured down her cheeks flowingly. Spike wasn't finished however. He turned towards his other "friends" and pointed an accusing claw at each one.

"What about you, Rainbow Dash? Everyone gets to go see you perform at the young flyers competition in Cloudsdale, but you don't bother to invite me; on top of how many other events that I was never invited to? Or Applejack: you gave me such a hard time for being in love with Rarity. Always downplaying my feelings for her, acting like it's wrong for me to love her; where was your friendly support there, huh? What about Princess Luna? You visit every one of my friend's dreams and seek their help to fight the Tantabus, but you don't bother with me at all?

"Or you Pinkie Pie: you act like you're everyone's friend, and yet, you didn't bother to ask me to meet Maud and share rock candy with everyone? I thought you cared about your friends Pinkie! And then there's Rarity. You used me to do all your dirty work; like carry your stuff around or take out your trash. I thought you felt differently about me after what happened, but then I saw the look on your face when I changed. You looked at me like I was no different than one of Khan's monsters…and I even rushed you to the hospital to make sure you were safe," he grimaced.

One by one, the ponies realized just how horrible they have been treating Spike. Not inviting him to attend the National dessert competition, not going to meet A.K. Yearling/Daring Do, and even ignoring his requests to join their missions across Equestria; to places like Griffinstone and Manehattan again. He was always being left behind…always being forgotten.

"You're not my friends…you're not my family…NONE OF YOU LOVE ME!" the sobbing dragon declared. Spike looked to the ceiling and unleashed a skull splitting draconian roar. Everyone winced; holding their ears in a feeble attempt to block out the monstrous scream. He rushed out of the room, leaving a trail of tears behind. The doors slammed shut behind him.

Celestia felt like she was drowning in an ocean of blackness. Her posture was hunched, her eyes brimming with tears. The mare's voice was choking on the heart wrenching pain that was suffocating her heart.

"I'm sorry."

"Sister…Tia…you did the right thing not telling him until now," Luna said comfortingly. "If you had told him any sooner, it surely would have destroyed him."

"I…I need to be alone…please. I know we still have much to discuss but," Celestia said; muffled through her broken sobs.

"It can wait a little longer, sister dear. We all understand," she said assuredly.

Luna looked to the others and requested they all take a break and come back to the throne room in a few hours. Honoring her sister's wishes, the princess of the night left as well and decided to check up on Rebel Streak. Every pony left the room with a gloomy, crushed look on their dreary faces. Spike's words and tragic past had left them feeling devastated.

"If none of you mind, I'd like to go check on Spike. He needs some pony at his side right now. He should not be alone," Rarity said shakily. The other ponies looked curiously to the fashionista. Rarity turned to chase after him but was stopped when she felt a purple hoof clutching her curly tail. It was Twilight.

"Please Rarity; let me talk to him first. I know you want to go to him, I know in your heart you've realized how much he means to you. But the thing is…he's still my son. I swear, you can talk to him right after I'm done just please…let me be there for him now," Twilight pleaded.

Despite being overwhelmed with the urge to rush to see Spike and hold him tightly in her arms, she understood Twilight's position without question. Spike's heart would always belong to two mares. She smiled weakly and nodded to her royal friend. Twilight thanked her and teleported off to find Spike.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Moonstruck, Arrowhead and Hopeful stared miserably at the ground. Their minds still reeling from the unforgivable amount of times Spike had been left behind or forgotten. Pinkie's mane deflated and drooped pitifully.

"I always thought I was every pony's best friend, but that's not true. No best friend or super-duper party pony would ever let a friend be so unhappy all the time…I'm the worst," Pinkie moped sorrowfully.

"Don't blame yourself Pinkie, we all let this happen," Fluttershy added.

"When Spike told me how often we had ignored him, I didn't believe it at first. But the more I thought about it the more I realized how distant we have all been to him. It's just the absolute worst feeling, isn't it?" Rarity whimpered.

"Ya'll got that right. Ah feel slimier than a snake skinny dippin' in the swamplands. Ah treated him so coldly because of mah own ignorance. Some kinda family we turned out to be," Applejack grumbled. Hopeful comforted her as best he could.

"We just kept getting wrapped up in our stuff that…he got lost in the cracks. I thought we knew everything there was to know about friendship. Guess not. I mean, how could we just keep forgetting the poor little guy like that? Well, poor big guy now," Rainbow said correctively.

"It happens. Sooner or later, somebody always forgets us," Arrowhead said dismissively.

Rainbow looked at the grey colt with a perplexed stare. She assumed that was a jab at her due to their breakup, but something inside her gut told her that there was more to his words than he let on.

Inside her royal bedroom, Celestia was drowning her sorrows into her pillows. She cried for what felt like a thousand years; sobbing miserably until her voice grew hoarse and exhausted.

"I'm a failure as a princess…a complete and utter failure…how could I call myself a fair ruler when I've caused so much pain and misery to one I care about? I'll never forget that look in his eyes, that hateful, heartbroken look…Oh what have I done?" she said; gasping between her constant weeping.

A loud knock banged onto her door.

"I believe my instructions were clear: I do not wish to be disturbed," she said flatly.

"Oh there's nothing wrong with being disturbed, after all, it's done wonders for me!"

That voice, it was unmistakable. Discord had snuck into her private quarters, again. The doorknob morphed into a single yellow eye with a beady red iris. The eye split in two and the rest of the door's structure morphed into the trickster's mish mashed body. He snapped his claws and quickly materialized a new door.

Celestia dismounted from her bed and approached the annoying chaos spirit.

"I don't suppose telling you I'm upset, I want to be alone and you have no right to be in here will make any bit of difference, will it?" the princess asked dryly.

Discord materialized a script out of thin air. It read "Chapter 21: Beautiful Strangers." He flipped through the pages and stopped about half way in. Discord shoved it into her face, pressing on her muzzle. "You recall how well that worked for you the last time you tried it," he teased. The script vanished in a small puff of smoke.

"Ask a stupid question…" Celestia groaned meekly. Her heart and mind were too fractured by guilt to deal with Discord's shenanigans today. She just wanted to crawl into a tub of ice cream and die.

"Oh come on Sun butt, I thought we were past all this. You know now my jesting is only for harmless mischief. I care too much about you to kick you when you're down anymore," Discord said earnestly.

Resigning to the unfortunate fact that nothing she said or did would make Discord leave, Celestia trudged back to her bed and shoved her face into her tear soaked pillow. She called out to him; muffled and miserable.

"Maybe you should stop caring then, just give up on me and any chance of loving me. Clearly such a pitiful princess doesn't deserve love. Not when she hurts those she cares about so cruelly," Celestia sniffled.

"Hey now! As the master of chaos, I've crafted some truly warped things in my time but hearing you say THAT was by far the craziest thing I've ever witnessed," he exclaimed astoundingly. Discord carefully approached the bed. His lion paw gently stroked the silk soft white fur on Celestia's back. "Why in the world would you say such a thing?" he asked.

The princess looked groggily at Discord. Her eyes were puffy, red and still producing fresh tears. "Because it's true, I'm a failure as a ruler. I've made so many, many mistakes and everyone in Equestria continues to pay for them. I feel like I'm just making everything up as I go along and hoping for the best. I feel no confidence or wisdom in my abilities anymore," she said.

Discord's face contorted erratically. He couldn't believe his ears, he felt like he was in some wacky alternate reality or he was being pranked by some pony. Discord's eyes rolled like pinballs, he tried to wrap his head around her words. "A failure…you?! You've ruled Equestria successfully for over a thousand years and that was by YOURSELF I might add. Every pony loves you! Twilight practically worships the ground you walk on. How could you possibly think that you're a-"

"Luna became Nightmare Moon because I was too arrogant and ignorant to realize she was suffering, an innocent pony lost two years of his life because I was brash, our country's latest threat comes from an old friend I failed to save, and for years; I have been lying and hiding the truth from the same sweet and caring soul I always saw as a sort of grandson. So you tell me Discord, is there any other life crushing, colossal failure I've left out?" Celestia asked coldly.

"Ah yes I um…ahem…just uh…f-f-forget I asked," he replied sheepishly. This was clearly far more serious than he realized.

Celestia wiped her tear soaked eyes clean with her wing.

"Every pony may love me and look up to me, but the only thing I can see now is one unforgivable failure after another. And there's still so much to do and I just…I just…I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore," Celestia confessed.

"Well I would say that's obvious: I'm going to sit here, you're going to talk and I'm going to listen and do everything I can to help you become the boring, goody two shoes princess everyone needs right now," Discord said firmly.

The white mare attempted protest, but one flashing look on those rotten egg yellow eyes of his told her that his position was firm as steel. She smiled warmly. No words could explain how truly grateful she was that he was staying by her side during this, but she tried all the same.

"Thank you Dizzy, thank you," she said passionately.

"That's the first time you've called me that since our date together…I missed it," he said; chortling softly.

In the heart of Canterlot, Princess Luna and Rebel Streak were approaching a luxuriously rich and extravagant house. The bold home practically screamed royalty with its gold colors and decorative use of fashion modeled gems. Both ponies looked increasingly nervous.

"Okay sweet stuff, mind spinning that record round one more time for me? Why the sudden cravings to get all face friendly with the parent patrol? Seems a little gun jumpy if you ask me," Rebel inquired.

"Truth be told, I have been greatly enjoying our time together; far more than I could have ever hoped for. With a new battle rapidly approaching, I wish to take advantage of our availability while we still have it," Luna explained. Rebel still looked uneasy but understood his girlfriend's reasoning. "Besides, is it not customary to meet the birth givers of one's date while in a relationship such as ours?" she added.

"No-no your right, that's a pretty standard price of admission when boarding someone's love cruise," Rebel added. His voice still sounded strained and anxious.

"Last I checked, neither my sister nor I possess any ownership over a cruise liner," Luna said matter-of-factly.

Her adorable naiveté genuinely made Rebel laugh a little. He felt some of his stress evaporating, though not entirely. Luna was acutely aware of her boyfriend's odd behavior.

"Darling Rebel, why does speaking to your parents trouble you so? I know they have been unjustly horrid to you, but I thought it was I, the outsider who had more to fear from their scrutiny," the princess said; her voice dripped with concern.

"Are you yanking my chain? Your Princess freaking Luna! Any mom and pop would sell their own skulls just to splash you into the family portrait. I'll be lucky if they even remember I'm part of the tree," Rebel exclaimed anxiously.

"You know I'm not. You lack any chains for sufficient yanking even if I desired so. But I don't want you to worry about this in either case, my charming rogue. I have every confidence they will warm their hardened hearts to you when they see what a fetching mare you've landed," Luna said with a flirtatious purr. She winked at him supportively.

Rebel blushed furiously at such glowing praise from his special some pony.

The punk pony hesitantly raised his hoof to knock on the front door. Luna nuzzled his cheek tenderly; giving him every bit of support he needed to ease him through this difficult matter. Rebel smiled more confidently and finally knocked.

The door opened. Upper Crust looked out at the two ponies, her features flattened drolly upon seeing her punk pony son standing at the doorway.

"Hmmm I don't recall the forecast mentioning a shower of disappointment today," she said dryly. Jet Set popped his head out and displayed a similarly disappointed expression upon seeing who it was.

Luna's eyes practically leapt out of their sockets. "Your parents are JET SET AND UPPER CRUST?!" she gasped; inadvertently speaking far louder than she had expected to.

Rebel Streak sighed miserably. He rolled his eyes and nodded in reply. He knew this was going to be one long day.

After being invited in, Princess Luna and Rebel explained to his parents the nature of their visit. Luna and Rebel sat on an icy blue loveseat while Jet Set and Upper Crust sat in twin, royal red recliner chairs with their initials embroidered in gold thread on the backs. Rebel told them he and Luna had been dating for some time and wanted to introduce his new girlfriend to them. Their reaction was not what he had been expecting, in fact, it was much worse than he was expecting.

Jet Set and Upper Crust burst into an uproar of derivative laughter. Hearing their son was dating one of the 4 princesses was just as preposterous as it was hilarious. Rebel cringed pitifully at his parent's reaction, he felt like he was shrinking under the punishing weight of their crippling mockery. The punkish colt knew this was a bad idea.

Luna however was completely baffled. She didn't understand what was even remotely funny about what she said, or why it was taking these snobs so long to recover from this so-called 'joke.'

"Oh ho, ho, ho princess, you're an exquisite delight. I knew you had class but I had no idea you had such a wicked sense of humor too," Upper Crust said; giggling madly.

"I'll vouch for that! I mean really, our delinquent son cavorting around with the princess of the night? How amusingly absurd," Jet Set added. His snorts reminded Luna of some maggot eating wild boars she and Celestia came across in the Everfree forest when they were fillies.

"Excuse me, but I assure you this is no laughing matter. I am happily commencing courtship with your son," Luna defended adamantly. Rebel just kept his head down and prayed this would be over soon. "And furthermore, I find your treatment of Rebel to be quite-"

"Ugh! Not this nonsense again. I know you favor this repulsive…style of yours Spendy, but I thought you had the decency to at least drop that frivolous moniker of yours," the yellow mare scoffed haughtily.

"M-m-m-other please, I really like my clothing and my artist's name," Rebel babbled nervously. He felt so weak and powerless in front of those scrutinizing eyes.

"Mind your mother Spendy, you know those splotchy stains you glob on people's walls can't be considered art. They're no more art than a wad of chewing gum lodged under a bench. I had really hoped you had already moved on from this embarrassing phase of yours," Jet Set bitterly remarked.

Luna angrily interrupted the couple from hounding her boyfriend further. "Halt this sickening slander at once! I am at a loss to explain my frustrations. Why do you speak so viciously of your son's talents, and why do you keep calling him Spendy? What does that even mean?" Luna demanded.

"That's…sigh…that's my real name, well; it's the short version of it. My real name is Spendthrift," Rebel conceded. He spoke so guiltily of this harsh truth. Rebel despised his real name, just another belittling reminder of his parents disdain for him and his talents. "Rebel Streak is just my street artist name."

Luna looked bafflingly at her beloved colt. She had no idea how much misery his parents had routinely put him through; even with his own name. She always knew Upper Crust and Jet Set were royal pains, but this conversation was generating new levels of loathing she didn't think were possible.

"And it's quite an appropriate name your highness," Jet Set clarified.

He magically rang a golden bell he had in one of his pockets. In seconds, a white Earth pony colt arrived carrying a pristine silver bucket with a bottle of champagne. The colt placed the bucket by Luna's side and poured her a glass, before serving Jet Set and Upper Crust as well. The butler placed the bottle back into the bucket, took a bow and then left.

"We spent a great deal of money to try and whip our C- son into someone a bit more…A+ shall we say. Everything we tried failed miserably because Spendy wanted to 'think outside the box' and 'not conform' as he put it. What a senseless waste," Upper Crust said. She took a few sips from her champagne glass.

"But mother, I tried to tell you that I didn't want that lifestyle, I wanted to do things my own way," Rebel protested.

"And how has that fruitless existence worked out for you, Spendy?" she cruelly probed.

"Gold doesn't come from spray can splatters or self-mutilation you know," Jet Set added; subtly expressing his disgust for Rebel's piercings.

"My-my art has actually been selling quite a bit lately. I sold a few portraits to a couple tourists that came by 2 days ago, and I even got something officially approved by the royal sisters. The piece is actually painted on your favorite café," Rebel said.

Jet Set and Upper Crust looked at each other briefly. They looked back to their disappointment of a son; silently sipping their drinks. A new found coldness was evident in their icy replies.

"I guess we'll have to find a new café to visit dear," Jet Set quipped.

"Pity; and I was looking forward to trying their new mint jelly bagels too," Upper Crust added.

Rebel Streak hung his head down shamefully. He felt broken inside and out.

"Can I be excused? I need to use the washroom, I feel quite ill," he whimpered sorrowfully.

"May you use the washroom, Spendy. We speak properly in this house after all," Jet Set said with a nod.

Rebel slowly made his way to the bathroom upstairs. He didn't dare look back at his parents for fear of being wounded by their disapproving glances once more.

"We apologize for our son grossly wasting your time like this, princess. We'll make sure he never embarrasses you again," Jet Set said apologetically. The snobbish couple ceased their spirited slandering upon noticing their royal guest was unusually quiet. "Princess, is something the matter?"

The reason Luna hadn't said anything before was because she was struggling to contain the volcanic fury that was raging inside of her. The princess's left eye was twitching; veins pulsated over her forehead and neck. Her magical aura was so intense; it actually crushed the silver bucket and champagne bottle like they were made of plastic. The champagne glass she held exploded almost instantly.

The snobbish unicorns suddenly flinched. Their judgmental eyes widened.

"I have been sitting here for 20 minutes, and in that time, the only thing you pretentious swine have done is reveled in the merciless butchery of your own son's life's work. You look down upon him like some negative colored ruminant mammal. How can you be so ashamed of the most enchanting and passionate stallion I have ever met?" Luna said scathingly. Her wings flared and her horn was sparking, it felt as if she was brewing a hurricane inside of the room.

Upper Crust giggled obnoxiously. She couldn't help but be critical, even to a princess. "Actually princess, I believe black sheep is the term you were-"

"I'M NOT DONE TALKING!"

Luna's royal Canterlot voice jolted the ponies off their seats and into each other's arms. They clung fearfully together; acting as if their overpriced, well-groomed coats would shield them from her wrath.

"From this day forward, I hereby designate that Spendthrift's name shall be forever changed to Rebel Streak! And furthermore, you will show your son the love and support he has always desired from you. Fail to comply with these two royal orders, and I swear on the moon that I will turn both of your dreams into a never ending shower of the most terrifying, horrific and unimaginable nightmares I can concoct; for the rest of your days! DOES THOU COMPREHEND?!" Luna shrieked menacingly. She glared hatefully down upon them with her storm flashing eyes; like a demonic vulture from the deepest pits of darkness.

The unicorn couple turned shades of ghostly white. Their lips trembled senselessly; both too frightened to form words or thoughts. They merely nodded and continued quaking in their chairs.

Rebel finally returned from the washroom. He blinked curiously at his parent's appearance. They looked like those victims you see in horror movies just before the killer hacks them to pieces.

"Hey, what just-"

"Come my darling scoundrel, I think stopping for a bite to eat would do both of us some good; especially since I have to be back at the castle soon."

Luna pranced merrily past Rebel, stopped to kiss him on the cheek and then exited the home. Jet Set and Upper Crust squeaked nervously. The princess made sure to give them an all-knowing glare before leaving their oppressively, uncomfortable home.

Rebel exited shortly after. He stared curiously at his parent's front door, alternating between it and the prancing flanks and tail of his beloved moon princess. His eyes suddenly widened. A coy smirk stretched across his lips.

"Say, what'd you do; you razor little minx you?" he asked slyly.

After Spike had run off, Twilight searched all over the castle for him but found no trace of him. Spike had run away once again. The panicking princess gathered her friends to fan out and search all over Canterlot for him. Princess Celestia joined the search as well. After a couple hours had passed, the ponies still had no luck in locating their scaly friend.

Twilight stood idly in the center of Canterlot's main street; looking up at the castle as if it would whisper a clue to her of her adopted son's whereabouts. Her eyes slowly widened as an idea sparked into her brilliant mind.

"I think I know where he might be," she said hopefully.

She vanished in a flashy burst of light. Twilight eventually made her way to the farthest reaches of the back of the castle; in the mountains. She vividly remembered Celestia's description of it in her story. A small surge of light steadied her turbulent heart upon seeing a figure sporting a familiar set of green and purple scales standing there.

It was him, it was Spike.

The heartbroken dragon stood like a hollowed shell in front of a collapsed cave. His eyes stared vacantly at the unremarkable pile of rocks and boulders. Were anyone to walk past this sight, they'd find it no different than any other mountain side view.

But to Spike, this was more than just a closed off cave…this was his parents gravesite. Here, buried under the piercing pile of crushing stones, laid the mother and father he would never share a single moment of happiness with. No bedtime kisses from mom, no stern talks from dad, no memories of family outings; all of it had been snatched away by the hands of death and the passage of time.

There was no family here…just a place for dead things that no soul knew or cared enough to grieve over; no one except the son who would never feel his parent's loving embrace.

"I used to look past this mountain through your telescope. We had that great big view from our house. We used it to look all over Canterlot, trying to see every cool landmark or constellation in space. I always thought the mountain was the most boring thing to look at. Who'd ever thought it was the one place I've been looking for all my life," Spike said gloomily. He raised his claw and placed it on one of the rocks. Sighing heavily, he dragged his claw down the rock sluggishly.

"I had a feeling you might be here Spike. Even though I'm not your real mom, I was worried sick about you," Twilight whimpered suggestively. She hoped Spike would at least look at her; let her see he's all right. The dragon's eyes remained coldly locked on the empty epitaph.

"I wonder what they'd think of me now. I mean, dragons don't always have the highest opinions of ponies, but I'd like to think maybe they'd be proud of who I've become," he said dully.

Twilight hated this. She felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing her heart, it was tearing her up inside. She wanted nothing more than to run to him, wrap her hooves around him and tell him everything was going to be all right.

But that was a job for his mother, not some silly filly who got him during an entrance exam.

Twilight raised a hoof outwardly to her ghost of a son. Her violet eyes desperately longing for him to make contact with hers, but he remained hauntingly frozen; unable to look away. She figured he must need time to deal with all of this. Slowly, she turned to leave.

"Hey…Twilight…you've read books about feeling pain and…like…nerve endings and stuff like that, right?"

Twilight's ears perked up. She stopped and turned to look back at Spike, nodding. Spike didn't see her nod, but he knew how smart she was. He knew the answer had to be yes.

"I know there's no info on how dragon's bodies work, but I was just wondering," he mused brokenly. The dreary dragon turned his face towards Twilight. She gasped aloud. Spike was sobbing his eyes out, drowning his quivering lips in waves of tears. "Do you…do you think it hurt when they…do you think they suffered…do you?"

The crying pair rushed towards each other almost immediately. Twilight and Spike wrapped their arms across each other's bodies. They buried their muzzles in each other; soaking their respective shoulders in even more tear drops.

"I'm so, so, so sorry, I didn't mean to say those awful things to you guys. You've all been the best friends a dragon could have asked for. I was just angry, I wasn't thinking straight," he wept heavily.

"I know that, of course I know that Spike. I should have been more understanding to your pain. You've gone through so much lately. I'm sorry we weren't there for you, I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. I've failed you, as a care giver, as a friend and-"

Spike abruptly cut her off. He shook his head and gently pulled back from her.

"No Twilight, you've been the greatest…well…everything. You gave me a home, love, affection. Everything that's good inside of me, I have because of you. Even though I finally now know where I come from, that doesn't change anything between us. You have and will always be my mom."

As if casting a magical spell, Spike's words warmed Twilight's heart and caused all of the pain and heartache inside to disappear. The purple mare embraced her dragon once more and never wanted to let him go. It felt a little strange hugging such a taller, more muscular version of her number one assistant. Twilight giggled at the thought. The two eventually separated.

"Come on, we should be heading back now. I know several ponies who will be so thrilled to see you back," Twilight said merrily.

"R-r-r-really, even after all the horrible things I said to them?" he asked hesitantly.

"Though it was in anger, there was a lot of truth in what you said. I bet everyone is already thinking of ways to make it up to you. I promise that we will do everything in our power to make sure you never feel alone or forgotten again. It's going to take time, I know, we did a lot of damage and you deserve all the time in the world to figure out when you feel you're ready to forgive us," Twilight said earnestly.

"But do you think Princess Celestia will ever forgive me? I was way out of line back there. I don't think anyone's ever spoken to her like that. I should be thrown in the dungeon or something," Spike said miserably.

"There's not a single thing you said that I would ever hold you accountable for, Spike," Celestia said soothingly. Spike and Twilight turned suddenly. The snow white princess approached them with a wilted frown. She bowed her head in unconditional compassion. Spike bit his lip; fidgeting uneasily.

"I was the only guilty party in that room. I should have told you what happened to your parents from the very beginning. I thought I was sparing you from a terrible pain, but all I really did was needlessly draw it out. I am infinitely sorry my young friend. If you choose so, I'd understand if you never-"

"I forgive you princess."

Celestia's eyes widened. Spike's boldness had caught her off guard. Twilight smiled smugly, she felt such pride seeing her son's maturity.

"What happened to my mom and dad wasn't your fault, it was Khan's. All you were trying to do was keep me from growing up sad and depressed. I'm sorry for how I acted in front of you. I wasn't ready to understand everything, but now more than ever, I feel I'm ready to face the truth about who and what I am."

Twilight patted his back with a comforting wing.

"We'll have to do some tests to understand your new transformation, but I have a feeling it's going to stick this time. You haven't gotten any bigger since the attack in Ponyville, and your intelligence has actually increased instead of decreasing like last time. My theory is that your love and desire to protect Rarity triggered your change, and since it's a more positive emotion than greed, maybe it'll last longer."

"I suspect Twilight's hypothesis is correct. Your accelerated transformations seem to be triggered by emotional awareness. Perhaps your transformations on your birthday were unstable due to your lack of control of your dragon greed, and you can control it more effectively now that you're older."

Spike scratched his head idly. All of this talk about emotional awareness, intelligence fluctuations and everything else was making his head spin. His green eyes flashed suddenly. He just remembered something very important he had to tell everyone.

"Princess Celestia, mom, there's something really important I got to tell you. It's about Chimera Khan; I think I know of a way we can beat him," he said firmly.

Celestia chuckled softly. She rubbed his taller green scales with her hoof; smiling sweetly. "I think that's something every pony would be pleased to hear. But before we tackle that issue, I believe there is a certain someone who needs have a heart to heart with you," she said; matter-of-factly.

Before Twilight or Spike could ask what the sun princess was referring to, she blasted a nearby bush with her horn beam. The bush vanished and Rarity collapsed to the ground. She squeaked in shock; falling face first in a most un-lady like manner. The purple pair were both visibly stunned.

"What the…Rarity?! What the heck are you doing here?" Twilight exclaimed.

"Come Twilight, I think they could use some privacy," Celestia said.

Twilight reluctantly followed her mentor. She sputtered many protests as she was hurried off the mountain. The princess's headed back to the castle to wait for them with the others.

Rarity stumbled back onto her hooves; dusting her white coat off. She looked sheepishly at the dragon she had been following. She felt just like when her mom has caught stealing gems from her jewelry for her early fashion designs.

Spike stared flatly at the exposed mare. He was still visibly hurt and irritated with the pony he had fallen in love with. The memory of Rarity's horrified reaction at his new form still painfully vivid in his mind.

"Let me guess: we need to talk?"

To be continued…

BOOM! Some major bombs dropped in this one! Khan and Spike's history is finally revealed. Believe it or not, I had always planned on connecting them this way since I decided to introduce villains to this story. I planned on including Rarity's talk with Spike but I felt that there's too much weighted material in this chapter already and adding such an important moment between them would take away from some of the chapter's other big moments. NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW: Spike and Rarity sort things out once and for all, Khan tries to come up with a way to overcome his dragon phobia, and both sides begin planning their plans of action for the war that it rapidly approaching. Bye for now! Everyone have a wonderful holiday/New year celebration and I'll be seeing you for more chapters in 2018!

Strange Yet Wonderful

by Nukem999

Chapters

1. Darkness Rises

2. The Letter

3. Chance Encounters

4. A Fast One

5. Whispers in the Dark

6. Help Wanted

7. Out of Place

8. Moonstruck (Part 1)

9. Moonstruck (Part 2)

10. Truth aches

11. Secrets and Flies

12. Courting Chaos

13. What Just Happened?

14. Date Night (Part 1)

15. Date Night (Part 2)

16. Secret Admirers

17. The Season You Were There

18. A Pain That I'm Used To

19. Home Is Where The Heart Is

20. Thunder In Paradise

21. Beautiful Strangers

22. We Need To Talk

23. The Door

24. Heart Attack (Part 1)

25. Heart Attack (Part 2)

26. Hurt

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