Marcus was asleep on the bed until the rays of the sun poured through the window and struck him on the face. He groaned as he turned to his side to avoid the blinding light. His efforts were in vain as more light seeped through the other window and struck him on the face. He gave up trying to fight the light and opened his eyes to the world. He rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

There was a slight murmur to his left and he looked over. He saw Rainbow in a chair with her head lying on a table. He shrugged as he got off of his bed and headed for the bathroom. Once in the bathroom he did his business as his brain finally registered that he was in his boxers. He looked around the bathroom and found a small sheet that he tied around his waist. He walked over to the sink and turned on the cold water so he could wake himself up fully.

“AHHHHH!” Marcus heard the scream and kicked open the bathroom door, ready for a fight.

Rainbow heard the splintering of wood as she stopped looking around the room. She looked across the room and saw the human with a bed sheet tied around his waist and ready for a fight. She blushed slightly as she tried to compose herself from her earlier episode.

“Is everything okay, Rainbow?” Marcus asked as he scanned the room.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I screamed because I stubbed my toe on the bed,” Rainbow silently prayed that he would buy the bluff.

“Well, you should be more careful next time,” Marcus said as he chuckled slightly. The pegasus gave her own chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “So how long was I out for?”

“You were out for two days,” Rainbow replied as she took her seat again.

“Okay. Hey, do you know what happened to my clothes?”

“Luke had to take your clothes off since they were all destroyed,” Rainbow lowered her head slightly as she tried to hide her blush.

“Oh,” that was all he could say as he kept his eyes of the cyan mare and hiding his own blush.

“If you want I can take you over to Rarity’s so she can make you some clothes,” Rainbow suggested as she got up from her seat.

“I would most definitely like that, but before we go, is that little filly still here?”

“Yeah, she is in the room across from you,” Marcus nodded as he headed for the door and opened it.

The pegasus followed him as he headed for the little filly’s room. They reached the door and he gave a few knocks before entering. The filly looked over as the door to her room opened and grew fearful at what she saw. As he entered the room he could see that the filly was shaking slightly so he stepped into a corner to allow the pegasus inside. When the cyan mare entered the room the filly smiled brightly.

The pegasus sat down next to the orange filly and ruffled up her mane. The little filly giggled as she pushed her hand away and fixed her mane. The filly stopped giggling as she looked back at the human and shuddered a little. The filly motioned for the mare to lean over and whispered into her ear.

“Rainbow, who is that strange creature that is staring at me?” Rainbow couldn’t help but smile as she pulled away so he could hear her.

“Well, Scoots, this is Marcus and he is the one that saved you and your friends,” Scootaloo stared wide-eyed at him, not believing a single word.

“Why would you do something like that? Were you trying to get yourself killed?” Scootaloo asked as she continued to stare at him. He walked over and took a seat on the other side of the filly.

“I did it because you three were in trouble and needed help. As to your second question I could ask you the same thing.” Marcus stated as he stared at the filly.

“What are you talking about?” Scootaloo asked as she averted her eyes and started sweating a bit.

“I’m talking about the wound you got on your head. You were either incredibly brave or just plain suicidal if you thought you can take on a harpy,” Rainbow looked at the filly in surprise for her recklessness.

“How do you know that I didn’t hit my head on something?” Scootaloo asked as she tried to put on a fake smile.

“I know because I’ve been around the block a few times. There have been enough dangerous situations that I can tell what caused an injury. I’m not getting after you about it, though what I want to do is congratulate you. Your friends a very lucky to have someone as brave as you,” Marcus said as he smiled at the little filly and ruffled up her mane.

“You weren’t hurt too badly were you?” Scootaloo asked tears starting to form.

“No worse than I used to get,” Marcus answered as he continued to smile at the filly. Rainbow shot him a quick glare for trying to play off his situation like it was nothing.

“If you weren’t hurt that badly then why do you have those scars?” Scootaloo asked as she traced a finger along the one on his sternum.

“I got these a long time ago.” Marcus answered in a happy tone. The filly was able to cheer up at his answer, but the cyna mare could hear the hurt that was in his voice. “Well, it is time for Rainbow and I to head out. Get plenty of rest and when you get out I will get you some ice cream,” Scootaloo smiled brightly at the thought of getting the sugary treat.

Marcus and Rainbow got out of their seats as the filly made herself comfortable in the bed. The two exited quietly as the filly closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. The cyan mare was the first to leave the room while the human stayed around for a few seconds. He gave one final look to the filly and smiled as he saw the slight rising and falling of the bed sheets. He exited the room and closed the door, but before he could walk on he was stopped by the cyan pegasus.

“Were you serious when you said that she stood up to the harpy?” Rainbow asked as she gave a concerned look to Scootaloo’s room. He could see the worry in the mare’s eyes and sighed as he answered her.

“As much as I wish that it wasn’t true, it is. I don’t know the details of what happened but that cut on her head when I first saw her gave it all away,” Marcus could see the tears that started to well up in her eyes and gave her a pat on the shoulder. She looked up to him and he was smiling at her. “I can promise you this, Rainbow, that no matter what happens I will make sure that she stays safe.”

The pegasus wiped her eyes and gave him a big hug. He could feel his face burn with a blush as the mare held him. After standing around looking like an idiot, the mare finally let him go and gave him a warm smile. He gave her a nod as they headed down the hallway towards the reception desk. He stood next to some waiting chairs while Rainbow walked up to Nurse Redheart to sign for his release. As Nurse Redheart gave Rainbow the papers, she gave a look at him and slightly shook her head.

The pegasus finished signing the papers and grabbed the human as they exited the hospital. Once they were outside he looked at the building and couldn’t help but feel that he would be seeing this place a lot more. The two walked down the dirt path as the pegasus led him to Rarity’s boutique. During the walk he was able to use the silence to think to himself a bit. The main thing that plagued his mind was why the pegasus was at the hospital for the two days that he was out.

The mare was scared when he left his bed to go to the bathroom and didn’t tell her. She then became happy when she saw him burst through the bathroom. She also seemed relived more than anything to see that he was doing okay and healing at a steady rate. He was pulled from his thoughts as they stopped in front of a giant carousel turned into a home. He gave it a speculative look as the pegasus walked inside. The bell above the door rang and he heard the sing song voice of the white unicorn call down to them.

“I’ll be there in a few seconds, darling,” knowing that it would take longer than a few seconds the two of them sat down on an available couch.

After waiting for three minutes the marshmallow unicorn came walking down the stairs. When she reached the last step she smiled at the two sitting on her couch. After she looked at Marcus though she had to avert her gaze somewhere else. He rubbed his temple since he felt bad enough that he was walking around in a bed sheet. Rainbow broke the silence when she told Rarity why there were here.

“Sorry, Rares, but Marcus needs a new set of clothing,” Rainbow chuckled slightly as she rubbed the back of her head.

“It is quite alright, Dash. I just wasn’t expecting him to arrive in a hospital bed sheet,” Rarity laughed a bit as she pointed at him.

“Can we just get this over with? I just want at least a set of clothes for right now and I need a shower,” Marcus stated as he slumped into the couch.

“Of course we can. If you will just follow me into the back I can take your measurements. You are free to use my shower after I finish and when you come out I should have your clothes done,” Marcus sighed as he got off the comfortable couch and followed the unicorn into the back. The pegasus was about to follow, but stopped herself before she got to her feet.

The cyan mare remained seated as the event of two nights ago played through her head. Her cheeks started to burn slightly as the images became more provocative. She was squirming on the couch as she tried to distract her mind. She finally decided on something to help clear her head so she got up and got his attention.

“Hey, Marcus, do you want me to grab the others so they know that you are okay?”

“That would be nice, thank you, Rainbow,” Marcus replied as he gave her a warm smile.

The pegasus gave a smile back as she exited the boutique and flew off for the library. He followed the unicorn into the back and removed the bed sheet. He grumbled to himself as he stood on the giant podium that she had in the middle of the floor. She used her magic to lift a tape measure up to him and started recording his measurements.

“Hey, Rarity, can I ask something that I want done for my clothes?”

“Of course, Marcus. What do you want?” Rarity answered as she gave him a warm smile.

“Well, when you’re making the pants I would like them to be a little baggier.”

“Now why would you want something like that?” Rarity asked as she gave him a serious glare for his suggestion.

“I would just like to have free movement in my pants so when I fight I am not held back by them.”

“Do you honestly think that you will be getting in many fights?” Rarity asked as she laid down her sketch pad and pencil.

“I kind of do. I’m not sure what passes for okay in this world and I just want to be able to defend myself,” Marcus answered as he got off the podium.

“As much as I am not happy to do that I will see what I can do,” Rarity sighed as she imagined the awful looking pants.

“I know that you don’t want to do it that way since you seem to know what you are doing, but it is what I prefer. If it makes you feel any better if I come with any clothes request then you can have them done as you see fit,” Marcus saw a little grin form on her lips, but as fast as it appeared it was gone. He just shrugged it off as he headed for the shower.

“Hey, Rarity, quick question. Where is the shower located?” Marcus asked as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Up the stairs and the second door on your left. I will leave the clothes outside the door when I finish.”

“Also, completely embarrassing question, but I would like a new pair of boxers,” Rarity just nodded her head as he exited the back room and headed for the shower.

Rarity entered her work station and got down to business making the clothes. As she worked she didn’t hear the bell to her door ring. Rainbow walked up the stairs to see the unicorn hard at work on the clothes. The white mare already had the pants and boxers done and was busy on the shirt. The cyan mare knocked on the doorframe and it got the unicorn’s attention. The two smiled at each other as the seamstress continued to work.

“So when are you going to ask him?” Rarity asked breaking the silence before it got uncomfortable.

“What are you talking about? I have nothing to ask of him,” Rainbow stated as she kept her gaze off of her friend.

“Aw, that’s too bad since he said that I could make any clothes request that I saw fit,” Rarity playfully said trying to peak the pegasus’ interest.

“There is no way that he agreed to something like that. All his friends even agreed that he wouldn’t go.”

“That may be true, but they did mention that he does have an honor system. Since you did keep an eye on him during those two days he is inclined to owe you a favor. So why not use that to your advantage to get him to go,” Rainbow looked down at her feet as she mulled over the thought. After several seconds she gave a sigh as she decided to go with the thought.

Rarity finished her work and gave a slight smile at her handiwork. She wasn’t entirely happy about the loose fitting shorts, but it would have to do. She carried the clothes to the bathroom and set them near the door. After the clothes were placed she heard her bell ring and quickly went for the stairs.

Marcus finished his shower and was busy drying himself off. As he dried his body he looked at his left shoulder and noticed some skin hanging off. He rubbed his head before grabbing the loose hanging piece of flesh. He bit his lower lip as he ripped the dangling piece of flesh off. He tasted the familiar metallic sensation as he bled from his lip. He threw the piece of flesh into the trashcan and looked at the sword tattoo.

He didn’t look at it for long as he heard someone walk away from the door. He cracked the door a bit and saw his new set of clothes lying on the ground. He grabbed his clothes and set about putting them on. He was wearing a grey t-shirt and grey cargo pants. He smiled as he could move his legs freely in the pants. He looked towards his left shoulder and saw that the sleeve was a little short. Even with part of his tattoo showing he decided to go at it with pride.

He exited the bathroom and headed downstairs to have his ears assaulted. He was halfway down the stairs when a pink blur tackled him down the rest of the way. He was held in a bone crushing hug as Pinkie cried an actual torrent of tears. He ignored the fact that he wasn’t breathing at all to just see this awkward spectacle. Thankfully Luke was able to pull Pinkie off of him and he could breathe.

“Glad to see that you’re doing better,” Brandon said as he helped him to his feet.

“Yeah, I guess having a giant hole in your gut makes you a thousand times stronger,” Blake joked as he slapped his hand against his back.

“Eh, what are you going to do when some heartless creature attacks a child?” Marcus asked as he smiled at them.

“Oh, before we forget we found what was left of your knife,” Alex said as he tossed the hilt towards him. He looked it over and frowned at what was left of his knife.

“Hey, Rainbow, I have something for you,” Rainbow walked over to see what he was going to give her. “I want you to take this hilt as a reminder for something.”

“A reminder for what?” Rainbow asked trying to seem confused.

“That knife was something precious to me. Now that I can’t use it I will give it a new purpose. Since you stuck around while I was unconscious you are allowed one free favor. Whenever you want to call upon that favor you give me the hilt back and I will do what you ask,” Marcus handed her the hilt and she looked it over.

“Is there anything that I am limited to ask when calling in this favor?”

“As long as it isn’t something evil or hurtful then you can have any favor that you want.”

“And you will do it without hesitation?” Rainbow asked as she smirked a little at him. The human felt himself shudder at the pegasus’ smirk but went with it anyways.

“I may have mixed feelings about it, but I will do it.”

“That is very good because I am going to use it right now,” Marcus stared at the pegasus dumbfounded.

“I just gave it to you and you are already going to waste it?” Marcus asked as he looked at the others hoping they knew what she was thinking.

“Don’t worry because I think that you will enjoy it very much. Before I tell you what I want you to do, you will need this,” Rainbow pulled out a golden ticket and gave it to him. He looked at the ticket and read what was on it.

“Dear special guest, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna cordially invite you to this year’s Grand Galloping Gala,” Marcus looked up at the pegasus, already knowing where this was heading.

“So I got invited to some formal party up at the castle?” Marcus asked as he gave the ticket an incredulous look.

“Well, it was more like Twilight and us got the tickets. We are all allowed a plus one and I am taking you,” Rainbow said as she handed the hilt back to the human. He took the hilt and put it in his right pocket as he looked at his friends.

“You all knew didn’t you?” Marcus asked as he gave them all accusatory glances.

“We did and besides, this will help loosen you up a bit,” Ryan said as he patted his shoulder.

“You do know that I am going to get you all back for this, right?”

“We do, but in the end we all think that it would be worth it. Besides, we heard there was a special aerobatics group that Rainbow really likes and wants to show you to them. By the way she explains them they also sound like they are some sort of air force,” Marcus couldn’t help but slap his forehead as he thought about that encounter.

“Please tell me that I have a choice in my attire for that party?” Marcus asked as he tried to stave off his headache.

“I’m sorry, darling, but it is a formal party and I get to make your suit,” Marcus just fell to his knees as he looked up at the ceiling and screamed at the top of his lungs.

“Hey, what is all the screaming about?” A familiar voice asked from behind everyone. The human looked down and he saw Scootaloo looking up at him.

“Hey there, Scootaloo. They let you out already.”

“Yeah they came in and checked on me and said I was clear to go. So now that I am out, can we go get that ice cream you promised?” Scootaloo asked as her eyes went big in hope. He was about to answer until Applejack cut him off.

“Sorry there sugarcube, but he and the others need to be shown the places they are going to be staying,” Marcus could see the hurt that formed on Scootaloo’s face and he was very certain that he heard her heart break. Looking around he caught a glimpse of the one pony that could save this situation.

“Pinkie would be so kind as to get some ice cream for Scootaloo and me?” Marcus asked as he got on his feet looking directly at the pink mare.

“But Applejack said that there was no time for that. Even though there is always time for ice cream. I mean who doesn’t like ice cream? I know that everypony here loves ice cream. Unless it is melted then it is just awful. But there are some ponies that like to have melted ice cream. I guess it is more of a preference than anything,” Marcus closed her lips as his head started to swim from the fast pace of Pinkie’s talking.

“That may be true, but can you let this little child be sad that she wasn’t able to get any ice cream?” Pinkie looked at the filly and was almost ready to cry when she made eye contact. Without another word the pink mare zoomed out of the house leaving behind her outline. A few seconds went by before the mare arrived with some ice cream for both the human and orange filly.

“So, Luke, have you figured out how she does this yet?” Marcus asked as he licked his chocolate ice cream.

“No I haven’t and no matter what I do I can’t seem to figure her out,” Luke answered as he slumped a little.

“At some point I think you will figure her out,” Marcus assured him and his mood visibly brightened.

Twilight coughed a little and got everyone’s attention. They all exited the boutique and headed for their first stop which was where Drak was staying. They arrived at Ditzy’s place and rang her doorbell. They could hear something crash and frantic footsteps. The door opened and everyone was staring at Ditzy. The pegasus blushed a little at seeing everyone at her door and tried to fix her messy appearance.

Dinky used this time to run past her mother and jump up at Drak. He caught her out of the air and gave her a warm hug. The filly started to laugh as he tickled her sides. The pegasus couldn’t help but smile at her little daughter being so full of energy. They all greeted each other and moved on to their next destination which was Callie’s. They arrived at a futuristic home that was similar to Whooves’ TARDIS.

Before anyone knocked, Whooves arrived at the door and smiled at them. His smile was even wider when he caught sight of Callie. Marcus didn’t like that smile that he had for his friend and walked up to him. The stallion looked at the human who gestured to the back of the house. The stallion followed the human and then was thrown against the wall.

“I want you to listen to me, scientist. If you so much as hurt Callie in any way there will be nothing that stops the wave of destruction that I will bring.”

“Don’t worry, dear Marcus since I have no intention of hurting such a beautiful lady.”

“Either way you better make sure that she stays happy. If you can do that then I think we will be able to get along,” Whooves nodded and the human let him down onto the ground.

The two of them joined the group and headed for Andrew’s place. It took a while to get there since Fluttershy lived far outside the town. Once there they looked at all the little critters that were running around. The animals all turned around and saw the timid pegasus. They ran towards her and inspected the newcomers behind her. There was a small white rabbit that came up to Andrew and looked at him sternly.

After a few seconds of the intense glare the bunny made the ‘I’m watching you’ sign as he hopped back to Fluttershy. Andrew just shrugged at everyone as they headed for Jaeden’s place. Finding his temporary home wasn’t hard since you could hear it a mile away. They arrived at the house and gave a few loud knocks. The music slowly died out as the door was opened. When the door was fully opened Vinyl and Octavia were staring at Jaeden.

They were still not happy about him staying at their home and made sure that he understood that. Luckily for Jaeden, he wouldn’t see much of them since they were getting ready for the Gala or a gig somewhere far away. He was warned that if he left the house a mess or cleaned up Vinyl’s room or even stepped into either of their rooms then he was in for it. Everyone laughed at Jaeden who kept his mouth shut since he didn’t want to upset them further.

Everyone already knew where Luke was staying and they would be lying if they said they weren’t jealous. He was staying in a bakery surrounded by delicious treats and he could have them whenever he wanted. They headed down towards the floral shop and Brandon was starting to shiver. He was still thinking about how Rose felt after the party and was still trying to come up with an apology.

Twilight knocked on the door and Rose answered it. She was smiling brightly until she looked at Brandon. He was amazed at how fast she changed emotions. She went from happy to sad and then to anger. He could feel her gaze pierce him and it hurt a lot. It was like he was being stabbed with a knife in the same wound that would heal up after the knife was pulled out. Deciding some type of apology is needed he walked up to Rose and stuck out his hand.

“I am very sorry for the mean prank that I pulled on you. I would like to start over and get to know you better,” Rose looked at him for a few seconds before grasping his hand firmly and speaking to him.

“I will accept you apology, but on one condition. During your stay here you will help me with the shop if I need it. Is that understood?” Brandon nodded his head as he pulled his hand back. The mare gave him a smile as she greeted everyone else.

After that weird encounter they were all heading for Ryan’s place which was another long walk. Marcus and Scootaloo finished their ice cream and threw away their trash. The filly looked up at the human as he stared down at her. She pointed at her shoulders and then at him. He knew what she wanted and picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. The filly leaned forward as she took in her surroundings.

They arrived at the farm and were greeted by three other ponies that were staying with Applejack. Everyone recognized Apple Bloom as she ran up to Marcus and hugged his leg. They looked forward to see a big red stallion coming their way. He walked past everyone and stopped in front of Ryan. The human extended his hand and the stallion took it and nearly crushed it. He remembered Big Mac from the party and he was still intimidating now.

The other was an elderly green mare that was using a cane to walk. She walked up to Ryan and smiled at him as she shook his hand. She was a kind mare that didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by their presence. She gave everyone a slice of pie as they headed to where Marcus was staying. Blake as Marcus now finally notice was back at the castle with Luna. Alex was staying with Twilight and after their last few trips to the library they didn’t need to go see it.

They walked for a bit before stopping in front of a house. The lavender mare knocked on the door and before a silence could settle the door swung open. Marcus was greeted by the sight of Lyra who was smiling happily at him. The mint green unicorn grabbed him in a bone crushing hug as she let a few tears fall. He just shrugged since she was probably worried that she lost her favorite human subject to talk to.

“So this is where you stay, Rainbow?” Marcus asked as he felt that she wouldn’t be staying with a roommate.

“Not really. I live up there,” Rainbow pointed up and everyone looked at the marvelous cloud home.

“So I guess someone told you that I wouldn’t be able to stay there.”

“Exactly, so I asked Lyra here to house you and moved my home closer so I could keep an eye on you. Also there is another guest staying with Lyra.”

“Who exactly is this other guest?”

“That would be me,” a new voice answered.

Marcus turned around and was staring at a purple pegasus. He remembered her name was Blood Rain since he saw her slitted eyes. It was weird seeing her out of her armor, but she was probably off duty right now. She was wearing a short tank top that showed her well-toned abs and her small shorts showed off her slender and well-toned calves. He had to avert his attention as he felt that he was staring at the mare for too long.

“Now that everyone is aware of where they are staying I have one question. When is the Gala?”

“The Gala isn’t for a couple of weeks so that will give us time to prepare and get excited.”

“I feel like I am the only one that is not going to enjoy this party.”

“Oh and why is that?” Blood Rain asked.

“Not only is this a formal party, but it seems to be filled with a bunch of pretentious assholes that will be annoying.”

“How dare you speak like that. The Gala is a wonderful event that so few get to attend. Not only that, I will be able to meet my Prince Charming. I can’t wait to meet Blueblood this year at the Gala,” Marcus could see Blood Rain shaking her head and knew this wouldn’t end well for Rarity. Before anything could be said Twilight and her friends started leaving since they had things to do.

“So who is going to be in charge of damage control at the Gala?” Marcus asked as he looked at his friends and took a seat a nearby table.

“What do you mean?” Andrew asked.

“Well, after Rarity mentioned Blueblood, Blood Rain was shaking her head. Since she is part of the guard that is never really a good sign. I don’t want to crush her dreams and I doubt that she would listen anyway. So what I need is someone to comfort her when things go south for her.”

“Why do you want to help her so much?” Drak asked.

“I want her to have a good time. I can tell that her whining will be terrible, but not much can be done about that. She really wants to enjoy her time there so we should at least give her some fond memories.”

“I guess I’ll do it then,” Ryan said.

“Are you sure about that? I was certain that you were Applejack’s plus one for that evening,” Callie stated.

“I am, but she would understand if I went to help a friend. Hell, I think any one of us could do it since I think they would understand,” everyone nodded as they agreed with him.

With the future event handled for now, the friends put their fists in the middle as they smiled at each other. It felt weird since Blake wasn’t there with them, but since he was at the castle they knew that their feelings would reach him. The friends parted as they headed for their respectable homes for the night. Marcus thought about the shoulder ride he gave Scootaloo and couldn’t help but feel like she never had any.

He hoped that filly would grow up into a strong mare in the future. He felt that there was something that she wasn’t telling him, but he would let her come out with it. She was tough on the outside, but on the inside she was hurting. He felt bad for her, but he felt some pride that the filly would put others before herself. He felt that he could learn a thing or two from the tough filly about being brave.

Castle

“Luna, you know that this party is going to be a disaster. Marcus will not be very happy about coming to such a formal party,” Blake said as he followed the princess around the castle.

Luna showed Blake around the castle so he knew where everything was. Celestia was fine with him staying at the castle as long as he didn’t try anything funny. He was certain that there was some hidden meaning in those words, but hoped that he was over reading them. The only fact that he couldn’t shake was the difference in the way Celestia looked. She used to have such a bright white coat, but now it was slightly duller. He kept these thoughts to himself as he would look into it if he needed to.

“That may be true, Blake, but I thought you said that your friend needed to relax more.”

“I did, but he can be a bit hard headed about a formal party.”

“He enjoyed Pinkie’s party didn’t he?”

“He did, but that was different. It wasn’t a formal party so everyone could have fun. There were also no people trying to suck their way up in power like they will at the Gala.”

“You don’t need to worry about that though. If everything goes okay then this will be the best Gala in years that either Celestia or I have hosted,” Luna finally showed the human his room that was next to hers. He gave the princess a hug for her hospitality and entered his room to get some sleep.