The sun was high in the sky and Ryan was still sleeping in bed. He slowly stirred awake as the sun burned at his closed eyes. He slowly blinked his eyes open as he stretched in Applejack’s bed. It still felt weird to the human as he slept in his girlfriend’s bed after they finally settled on their relationship. The farm mare was encouraging to get him to share the same bed with her, but it took a bit to actually convince him. He actually went to Big Mac to have the older stallion try and stop his sister. It was the one of few times the human relied on the red stallion and he felt betrayed when the stallion told him that he wouldn’t speak to the orange mare.

He went to Rarity and she told him to just try it out. He was still reluctant after the first night in the shared space, but he was slowly warming up to the idea. There were a few times that he almost fell off the bed or even was crushed under the mare. He also learned a few things about her while she was asleep. It wasn’t often, but there had been a few nights the orange mare would be heard talking in her sleep. Her sleep talk woke him a few times and he easily made out everything that she was saying.

He never said anything to the mare so he wouldn’t upset her, but after hearing from Rarity that her parents were coming to Ponyville, he made a note to get both mares together for a special trip. His body slowly started to wake and he found that the orange mare was missing from his side. He looked over his side at the nearby clock to see that it was ten in the morning. It took a few seconds before his brain caught up with how late he stayed asleep. He quickly jumped out of bed as he ran over to the closet.

The human started to pull out clothes and quickly changed as he went to get something to eat. He was halfway down the stairs when he tripped on a loose board and fell the rest of the way. His crash to the ground was audible enough as three ponies ran into the living room. He looked up to see a blurry red, orange, and white splotches. He noticed the white splotch near him and he could feel a delicate hand run along his head. His eyes slowly came back into focus and he was staring into the white unicorn’s beautiful eyes.

“Are you okay, darling?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah. I was just going too fast down the stairs,” Ryan answered as he grabbed the white mare’s hand.

“Are you sure, sugarcube? You look like you took a pretty nasty fall,” Applejack said as she helped the human to his feet.

“I’ve had worse than this before. I fell out a two story building a couple years back and dislocated my shoulder. Also fell from scaffolding when I was hiding from Blackwatch and lucked out with walking away with a few bruises,” Ryan said as he stretched his back.

“If you think you’re fine, then I won’t force you to go to the hospital,” Applejack said as she gave the human a kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks, but I need to get something to eat and head out to the fields. Why didn’t you wake me when it was time?” Ryan asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“That’s because my parents are coming to visit, darling. Applejack also said that we would be visiting her parents as well,” Rarity answered, but the last part made her ears fold back.

The human was aware why the white unicorn was being careful with her words, but didn’t want to show that he already knew. He gave a small nod as he walked into the kitchen and saw that there was a plate ready for him. He gave the two mares a peck on the lips before sitting at the table and enjoying his meal. To help pass the time, the mares started to question him about his training.

“So how has your magic lessons been going?” Rarity asked.

“They’ve been going pretty well. Can’t really learn much of the stronger spells, but I’ve made due with learning the basic spells. Drak already has levitation and magic blast down so he has already started learning his defensive spells from Shining. Luna and Celestia have been paying attention to mine, Jaeden’s, and Alex’s training, but it seems slightly pointless. The three of us can’t really learn anything outside the basic magic and it makes us feel even more useless,” Ryan said.

“I’m sorry to hear that, sugarcube, but have you talked to your friends about it?” Applejack asked as she held his hand.

“We have, but the answers have really varied. A couple of them have said to not worry about it while a couple others have said to learn the stronger spells on our own. Drak has offered his cryptic advice for now,” Ryan said with a slight shake of his head.

“What did he offer?” Rarity asked as she scooted closer to the human.

“Learn what must be learned, but make sure we’re ready to face any consequences that may come,” Ryan quoted as he gave a light chuckle.

“What about your four other friends that can’t use magic? Have they said anything of use?” Applejack asked.

“They said that we should try to train our hardest and learn as much as we can. They even offered their support if we got into the darker sections of our magic, but made their concerns clear about staying away from the necromancy. We’re fine with staying away from that magic since we don’t need to be dealing with more undead people,” Ryan explained as he rubbed his temples.

“Applejack may not fully understand, but I know that she stands by my side as well as yours that we will accept your choice in how you learn your magic. I don’t like the idea of you or the others learning dark magic, but with everything that has happened, I’m willing to make an exception,” Rarity offered with a warm smile.

“She’s right, sugarcube. I’m with you one hundred percent no matter your choice. As long as you stay safe, I’ll make sure that you feel helpful around your friends,” Applejack offered as she leaned against the human.

“Thanks you two. I’ll give it a few days so I can think about it, but if everything works out, then me and the others should be able to learn more than we already are,” Ryan said as he pulled the two mares closer to him.

The meal after the conversation was left in silence. The human took this chance to think about everything his friends and the two mares have said to him, Jaeden, and Alex. His friends expressed before that they weren’t entirely liking the idea of them learning dark magic, but their thoughts have slowly changed. The friends were willing support him if he went to more of his advanced spells, but that would require lying to the princesses or convincing them to allow him to learn more magic. The thought was quite unsettling to him, but he needed to be able to do more.

He couldn’t explain it, but all his friends were able to feel what he was feeling. They’ve had their fair share of fights since coming to Equestria and it didn’t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. The harpies have thankfully been quiet, but it was too quiet since their last encounter and something was definitely up. They also have to worry about assassins that were hunting them down, but it seemed those were lying in wait as well. Not wanting to stay on this thought path any longer than he should, he finished his food and put away the dishes. None of them knew how long the road was, but they needed to be ready.

He knew that Luna was going to be pissed with him, but things needed to change. All the humans had a chance to make something of themselves in this new world and refuse for anything to destroy it. Jaeden and Alex would be onboard as well since it was time they started becoming stronger as well. Giving a slight nod to himself, he looked over at his two mares who continued to give him reassuring smiles.

“I know I’m going to get in a lot of trouble for this, but it looks like I’m going to need some late lessons,” Ryan said.

“We’ll help you anyway we can, darling,” Rarity said as she brought the human into her warm embrace.

“We’re with you to the end, sugarcube, but we need to get going,” Applejack said as her expression fell a little.

“Is everything okay, AJ?” Ryan asked with concern.

“It will be easier to explain when we get there,” AJ answered as she looked at the ground.

Without saying anything to the mare, he walked next to her and offered his hand. She gladly accepted and leaned against him as Rarity took up her other side. The human could feel the farm mare shiver slightly, but kept quiet as he let her lead them to wherever she wanted to take them. The mare kept her head on his shoulder as she mumbled quietly to herself. He couldn’t make out what she was saying, but offered comfort as he stroked her mane. The mare nuzzled deeper into his neck as she enjoyed the feeling of his fingers running through her mane.

Rarity offered her own support as she whispered in the orange mare’s ear. The white unicorn also ran her hand along the farm mare’s back, helping calm her nerves even more. The human didn’t let up on stroking her mane as he looked to see where he was going. The three of them had entered Ponyville and he could see they were going towards the cemetery. A slight frown crossed his face as everything came together. His slight frown didn’t go unnoticed as the seamstress got his attention.

“Is everything alright, darling?” Rarity asked with a concerned look.

“Yeah. Marcus just told me what he found here when he came by here, so I know what AJ wants to show me,” Ryan answered.

“What was Marcus doing here?” Applejack asked.

“He came here to talk to Scootaloo. I didn’t ask beyond that, but he found what we’re walking towards and gave me a heads up about it. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to bring up painful memories. I just wanted to wait until you were ready to talk about it,” Ryan explained.

“Well, that ruins the surprise a little, but Rares still needs to see it,” Applejack said as she leaned against the human again.

The unicorn gave the two of them a confused look before they stopped in front of a pair of tombstones. There were no names on the tombstones, but if the apples on the top were any indication, they had significance for the Apple family. Silence settled between the three of them as they took in the sight. Tears flowed freely from the farm mare and fashionista, but the human remained calm. He looked over at the two distraught mares and brought them into an embrace as they continued to cry.

He could feel their tears staining his shirt and he knew that it was probably ruined by the white unicorn’s makeup. He didn’t care about his shirt at the moment as he tried to keep the mares together as they shuddered. He wasn’t sure how long they were standing there, but he could hear them give a few sniffles as they finally found their composure. He continued to rub them in the small of their back as they let the last of their tears drop.

“So what were they like?” Ryan asked as the farm mare finally calmed down.

“They were an honest, hard-working family. They made sure that Big Mac and I grew up right and that we understood the meaning of hard work,” Applejack explained.

“What happened to them, darling?” Rarity asked as she wiped at her eyes.

“Mother died when she gave birth to Apple Bloom. Father passed away when he was crushed by a tree from the Dead Marshes,” Applejack explained as she fought back more tears.

“I’m sorry to hear that, AJ. I’m sure they would be proud to know that you’ve kept the farm running and that you and your family have remained strong,” Ryan said as he gave her an assuring smile.

“Thanks, Ryan. I know they would have loved to meet you. They were always glad to meet new ponies and welcomed them like they were part of the family. They never turned away a pony in need and were helpful to those in town that needed it,” Applejack said as she gave a smile of her own.

“Do you think they would approve of all of this?” Rarity asked as she gestured to their small group.

“I’m not very sure. They said that we should do whatever makes us happy,” Applejack said as she crouched near the tombstones.

“Are you happy with everything so far?” Ryan asked as he crouched next to her.

“I am. I have you and Rares looking out for me and maybe more if we expand. They never talked about it much, but they always smiled when either I or Big Mac smiled. I think they would approve of our choices and support us with everything they had,” Applejack said with a small smile, her hand rubbing gently across the tombstones.

“I wish I could have met them,” Ryan said as he pulled the farm mare close.

“In some ways your friends were like my parents. Sure all of you were stubborn and hard to get along with, but you knew the ground you stood on. My parents never backed down from a challenge if it meant others would have to suffer,” Applejack said as she gave the human a peck on the cheek.

“We’re always standing behind you. You need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. You all have become very good friends with us and we want to help if we can,” Ryan said as he pulled the mare up to her feet.

“Don’t forget that you have us, darling. I may hate getting my hands dirty, but if you need my assistance, I’m more than willing to offer it,” Rarity said as she kissed the mare on the cheek.

“Thanks you guys. Let’s get going. Thank you for being here with me,” Applejack said as she smiled to her two lovers.

The human and two mares gave each other a warm hug before leaving the cemetery. A silence settled between the three of them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The silence was a time for the three of them to connect even closer than before. They understood what each of them were feeling and felt stronger than before because of it. They exited through the iron gates and the human noticed the local school teacher sitting at nearby bench. He recognized her because she was one of the few ponies that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom spoke so highly about.

The mare’s coat was a moderate cerise and he could make out the three small, smiling sunflowers on her hand. Her mane and tail were a light rose with light ceriseish stripes running in the middle. Her eyes were harlequin and showed her bright attitude. The mare noticed the three of them and waved at them. The human waved back as the other mares did so as well. He remembered that he wanted to speak to the teacher about what happened when Discord broke free and wanted to see if everything was okay.

He excused himself for a few seconds from the mares as he started walking towards the teacher. Rarity mentioned that he should just stop by the boutique as her parents were due for their arrival. He gave a small nod as he continued towards the school teacher. As he neared the mare, he faintly noticed her smoothing out her clothes as she moved closer to the edge of the bench. He reached the mare and took a seat next to her as he stared out at the town.

“How has everything been going at the school?” Ryan asked.

“It has been going well. The students were very eager to learn about what it was like growing up during my time,” Cheerliee said as she gave a small giggle.

“That’s good to hear. How have the girls been since after the Discord incident?” Ryan asked as he looked at the teacher.

“They were very down for a while since they blamed themselves for his release. They perked up though after I told them that you and your friends handled the situation. I can still see the hurt in their eyes still, but I think they understand that it wasn’t entirely their fault,” Cheerilee explained as she looked out at the town.

“I’ve talked with Sweetie and Apple Bloom about it and they do apologize still. No one really got hurt, so I think that’s a plus. It also helps that they have a great teacher that’s understanding of their problems,” Ryan said as he offered the mare a smile.

“I’ve had my fair share of mistakes when I was young. My parents would give me a scolding, but that was because they loved me. I care for each of my students and I don’t want them to blame themselves for something that was out of their control. You’ve also been a huge influence on the girls as I hear them talking about you and your friends a lot,” Cheerilee said as she gave the human a smile as well.

“I hope it has been good things that you’ve heard,” Ryan said as he gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“The stories have been interesting to say the least,” Cheerilee said as she giggled behind her hand.

“I promise that whatever those fillies have said is way more made up than it probably is,” Ryan said.

“Foals shall be foals though. They really do look up to you and your friends. They even heard about how neither of you really finished your education and have been studying very hard for their exams. Their grades have improved significantly since your arrival,” Cheeliee said as she gave a small smile.

“We understand the importance of a good education. It’s somewhat true that you don’t need it, but it helps to open your eyes. You can learn many of your skills from hands-on training, but an education allows you to question everything. You start questioning the things around you and you can find new ways of expanding knowledge,” Ryan explained.

“Well don’t tell that to my students, you’ll run me out of the job if they heard you say that,” Cheerilee said as she giggled.

“It would be a long time before either of us allowed those three girls to miss out on an education. They can do better where we haven’t and we’re going to make sure it happens,” Ryan said with determination.

“That’s good to hear. Sorry to cut this short, but I need to head home before my sister does,” Cheerilee says as she rubs her temples.

“You have a sister?” Ryan asked with a raised brow.

“Yeah. Her name is Berry Punch. She runs the local bar here, but she’s closing down early for the night since her daughter Berry Pinch is performing in the school play,” Cheerilee explained.

“Well, I hope you have a good rest of the evening and can make it back to school,” Ryan said as he shook the mare’s hand.

The two parted ways as they went their respective destinations. The human came upon Rarity’s place and walked inside. He stopped as he spotted Deluxe Magnum and some random mare hugging his girlfriend. He didn’t anything as he watched the seamstress break out of the older mare’s grip. He couldn’t help but laugh at her distress and this got the attention of the other guests in the house. Deluxe waved at him as the older mare started at him with a critical eye. As she looked at, he took the time to take in her features.

The mare’s coat was a pale fuchsia and he could make out three cookies that had a bite taken out of each on her hand. Her mane and tail were a combination of indigo and persian blue. Her eyes were a cornflower blue and she had a huge smile as she waved to him. He sat down next to Rarity as Deluxe and the older mare sat across from them. Both parents had warming smiles as they stared at their daughter and her two lovers.

“So this is your coltfriend, Rarity?” The older mare asked.

“Yes, mother, this is my coltfriend Ryan,” Rarity answered as she sat closer to the human.

“It’s good to see you again, Deluxe,” Ryan said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you again as well, Ryan,” Deluxe said as he smiled at the human.

“You met him without me?” The older mare asked as she looked at the stallion.

“I met him during the Father Hooves Social. Ryan, this is my wife Pearl Belle. Pearl, this is Ryan,” Deluxe introduced.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Belle,” Ryan said as he shook her hand.

“Please, Pearl is fine. Mrs. Belle makes me sound old,” Pearl said with slight dramatics.

“But we are old, honey,” Deluxe said and received a hard punch to the arm that caused him to wince slightly.

“I’m old when I have grandkids,” Pearl said with a serious tone.

“May I ask who this other mare is?” Deluxe asked.

“Mother, father, this is my marefriend Applejack. She and I are part of a herd with Ryan,” Rarity said a slightly quiet tone.

The human could feel the stares from the couple across from him. They both held stoic expressions as he started to sweat in his seat. He felt uncomfortable under their gaze, but was assured as he felt the two mares grab his hands and hold them in their own. He could feel their assurance that whatever happened, they would still be together. Releasing a small sigh, he allowed their comfort to wash over him as he looked back at the two unicorns. Rarity’s parents continued to stare at him for a few more seconds before giving off smiles of their own.

“Looks like I’ll get to lots of grandkids,” Pearl said with excitement.

“Good job there, young colt. Just remember to take care of them and we won’t have any problems,” Deluxe said with a slight threat.

“If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here now. These two have been the best I could ever ask for and I would never trade them for anything. They’ve handled my friends’ and my antics, so I don’t think they can deal with anything worse,” Ryan joked.

“I’ve heard some of the stories. Is it true that your friend Marcus is the leader of all of you?” Pearl asked with a raised brow.

“Not really. He doesn’t enjoy being in charge of anything, but will lead if need be. Everyone has as much say as he does about any decisions that we need to make. He doesn’t want all the pressure that comes with being a leader, so he’ll deny any statement saying he is a leader,” Ryan said a he gave a small chuckle.

“But is he someone that you all look up to?” Deluxe asked.

“He is, but the same could be said for all of us. We wouldn’t have made it this far without having each other’s backs. It’s also true that we’ve had our own problems, but that’s because we don’t want others to worry. We care so much that we end up making a bigger problem than what we were dealing with before,” Ryan said as he started laughing.

“You and your friends get in a lot of trouble, don’t you,” Pearl joked.

“More than we would like to. The mares themselves have surprised us with staying by our sides with all the shit that’s been going on around us,” Ryan said as he busted out laughing now.

“We may not know what your lives, especially your world was like, but we don’t back down from challenges very easily. We may be a peaceful race, but we will protect the ones that we care about with everything we have. Just remember that you and your friends have each other and your mares and nothing can stop you,” Deluxe said as he offered a smile.

Everyone at the table smiled as they continued on their conversations. Pearl found it the perfect time to embarrass that seamstress as she talked about what Rarity did when she was younger. The human had a good laugh at the expense of his mare, but she took it in stride. The seamstress easily got back at him as she gave a few embarrassing about him. Everything was pleasant for everyone and he found everything to be his to his liking. All the ponies that he has met so far have been very caring, barring a few unfavorable ponies that he had seen.

They enjoyed conversation late into the night until the final train was scheduled to arrive. The human and his two mares walked with the married couple back to the train station. Everyone said their goodbyes as the couple boarded the train and left back for Manehattan. Once the train was out of sight, the group turned back around and headed for the boutique. They were all tired when they entered the house. Ryan checked Sweetie Belle’s room to see that she was still asleep. Silently closing the door, he headed for Rarity’s room.

He saw the two mares collapsed on the bed, already out cold. He shook his head as he gave a small smile and took up the middle. Once he was settled in, the two mares turned to their sides and pulled themselves closer to him. He felt their tails wrap around his legs as he let their soft breathing lull him to sleep.