James sat there in silence, mulling over what Twilight said. He left for this very reason because it was the best to do. Zecora left all of them alone as she went to get ingredients to make more of what was used. He just wanted this silence to extend for as long as it could, hoping that Twilight would drop the topic and leave. She stared at him, not out of sadness or anger, she was just staring.
Her stare was calm with no emotion but there was a hint of a tear that was about ready to fall. He looked around at the other mares to notice that they all held the same expression. Rarity was already having some tears come down her face as he could see the mascara that she wore was all over her cheeks.

“What exactly do we need to talk about?” James asked, looking down at the floor not wanting to make eye contact. He wanted to avoid looking at them hoping that he could control himself so he wouldn’t break down.

“We need to talk about our relationship and why you left all of us behind without even talking to us,” Twilight looked at him slightly lowering herself so she could make eye contact.

As she was about to make eye contact with the man, he pulled his hood over, covering his eyes. The unicorn huffed in annoyance at the man being stubborn so she lit up her horn and pulled his hood down as she held him down on the couch. He struggled against the magic restraints, trying to get free but couldn’t. He was now bound to the couch and forced to make eye contact with all the mares. He just took a deep breath and began.

“Like the note said, everything that Blueblood and Filthy said during that night was all true. I have done things that were terrible, but they were for the better of my people. You live in a peaceful town and haven’t witnessed some of the horrors that I have seen.”

“Sure there may be something similar around here, but it is better that you haven’t seen them. I truly love all of you. I want all of you to be happy, but it just wouldn’t work that well with who I am. So for the better of your future and your happiness, I left and decided to live in the Everfree to keep you all safe,” James looked at the mares, keeping in his tears so he wouldn’t cry.

As they continued another silent stare, Octavia came over and slapped him across the face. He looked at her with confusion and worry. Before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around him and held him in a warm embrace. As the two were hugging the others joined in the embrace. After the embrace was broken, Lightning Dust voiced in her opinion.

Lightning Dust

“James, you are such a dumbass half the time. Just because you may be different and maybe have your own secrets that you aren’t proud of, you are still yourself. So, now myself and these other ten mares are going to explain to you why we love you and how you have changed our lives for the better. During my youth I never had many friends to hang around with. My home life wasn’t the best as my father was neglecting and my mother didn’t care to take care of me. I just powered through it all as I wanted to be better than them.”

“I didn’t want to be like my mother or my father. As time went on I continued my schoolwork and began flying around, trying to be good enough to join the Wonderbolts. When college came around my parents cut off my funding because they didn’t want me to do better than them. I got a job delivering papers around Cloudsdale, trying to keep my education going. As a couple of years went by the tuition costs became more and I couldn’t keep up.”

“I was forced to leave college and go around job to job trying to keep myself going. Several months later I ran into Spitfire looking for an intern to help her train and keep her place clean. She interviewed me and I passed. So I helped her and got paid enough to stay on my feet. As I helped her with her training I got to understanding how the Wondebolts worked and got back into trying to join them.”

“We were training over the swamp one day and there was a strong head wind that blew us off balance. We fell down to the forest floor and hit the ground hard. When we got up the manticore attacked us and hurt us both. We both went unconscious and that’s when you came. When I was up and around I avoided saying thank you because I couldn’t face the stallion that I later learned was human. I never found a pony that I could love to give my heart to.”

“I went to the park after a couple of days and saw you and Trixie together. When I saw you two together I felt jealous and angry that I lost my true love. I attacked Twilight and kidnapped Trixie. You showed up and rescued Trixie and faced me straight up. I attacked you and you didn’t fight back and just held me. You cared for me and felt something for me. You talked with me and laughed with me. You understood how I felt and then you brought me back to your friends and let them forgive me.”

“After all of that you made love to me after a few days and cared for me very much. Without you James, I never would have found anypony to love and I would never be able to try my best, but also be myself when we were together,” After Lightning Dust was finished with her story she gave James a kiss on the cheek and walked away. Next to walk up was Rarity to talk with him.

Rarity

“James, I love you more than anything in this world. I’m a fashion designer and very successful at what I do. I could make any type of clothing to fit anypony’s needs and make them happy. Though as time went on I lost some of my inspiration for making clothes. Before, I could come up with anything on the spot and it would fit any occasion. I found it hard to get out of the bed in the morning and make any clothes.”

“I would stare at my ponyquins and my sketchpad and just didn’t find anything. Even my organized chaos wasn’t able to help me come up with any inspiration. I just went through the days just doing little commissions and patch jobs. I was thinking of closing my boutique and just heading back to my old home and just do little clothes jobs that I could find. You showed up in Equestria and I could feel a spark on inspiration come back to me.”

“When I made those shirts for you, I felt happy that I could make them simple but elegant to show how much you cared for some of us. Then during our trip to Canterlot you protected me from an old client and showed me something that I only dreamed about. My dress was on display at the fashion show and you thought that it was beautiful. You showed actual joy in my dress and I couldn’t help but feel happy for you.”

“When we returned back at the hotel and made love you showed that I could still create, but I needed to stop using my head and start using my heart. If it wasn’t for you, James, I wouldn’t still be here in Ponyville with all my friends and the man that I love. Don’t ever think that anything you say will change my mind. You are who you are and that is all there is to it,” Rarity kissed his cheek and walked away. Twilight was next to talk and she released her magic hold on him.

Twilight

“James, I was a shut in when I was a young filly. When Celestia took me under her wing and became my mentor I was ecstatic. I was able to learn magic from a powerful and wise teacher and I could always come to her when I had problems. As I got older she sent me to Ponyville to check on the summer sun celebration. Little did I know that she knew that Nightmare Moon was coming back and was actually trying to have me get friends.”

“When Nightmare Moon showed up the other girls and I stood up to her and gained the Elements of Harmony. After she was defeated and we were able to get Luna back we all stayed friends and went back to normal lives. I continued to study friendship and magic as the days went on, but I felt like I wasn’t learning enough. I kept looking over the same books to see if there was any way that I could improve a spell and sometimes I could.”

“Then you showed up out of nowhere and gave me something new to learn about. You gave me the chance to learn about love and true kindness from the heart. You made time out of your schedule to help me practice my magic and helped me improve the best you could. You always were there when I was sad and did your best just like Spike to cheer me up. Then the day came where Celestia showed up and I was more scared than I ever had been before.”

“You stood up to her and kept your ground because of what you believed in. I was afraid Celestia would take you away and lock you away in one of her dungeons. That is when I truly felt in love with you. Before, I thought I was just having a little crush and just shrugged it off thinking that it would pass. After she left I just let all my emotions do the talking for me and I have yet to regret a single action that I did. I believe that you can still do some good, James and I will stand by your side until you realize that,” Twilight gave a kiss on his cheek and walked away. Vinyl was next to make her stand.

Vinyl

“James, as you already know, I was treated differently for my different eye color. My parents even shunned me because they thought I was cursed. I tried to play it off as time went on, hoping that they would all grow up and leave me alone. I was wrong to think that though. When I was in high school, I was bullied worse than I ever had before. I was treated so badly that I tried to take my own life at one point.”

“Octavia was there at the time because she was getting her cello fixed by my parents. Octavia never knew about my eye color or why I was bullied because she transferred to the school. She came up to my room to try and become friends with me. When she opened the door she saw me on the floor bleeding from my wrists. I tried to take my life, but was saved at Ponyville hospital when she took me there.”

“My parents refused to pay for any of the medical costs. I was used to how my parents treated me, but Octavia wasn’t going to have any of it. She paid for the whole hospital visit out of her own pocket because she actually cared for me. After she paid for the hospital she offered me a place at her home. I was reluctant to go, but I did and when I was there, I felt happy for once in my life. As I stayed with her I got a small job just as she did to help pay for the costs of me living there.”

“I was then sought out by a music producer that had heard one of my songs and wanted me to sign on with him and his music company. Before I met him I bought my signature goggles that I wore during my performances and any time I left my room. I worked hard to keep the money coming in and keeping up my fair share when staying with Octavia. You showed up in Equestria and just looked past what everypony saw.”

“You looked into my eyes and saw them as a part of me then some type of curse or monstrosity and loved me. You made me step out of my shell of fear and had me walk around without my goggles. You stood up against a stallion that saw me as a monster and took care of me. You made love to me not out of pity or sadness, but out of true, genuine love. Without you, James, I wouldn’t be the different kind of mare that I am today,” Vinyl kissed his cheek and walked away. Octavia walked up and started her story.

Octavia

“James, I never mentioned this to anypony before, but I don’t know who my parents are. I grew up in an orphanage as a foal until I was old enough to leave. When I left I was given a note by one of the caregivers to visit a bank. When I got to the bank and told them my name they told me that there was an account with money in it for me. The money was for when I came of age and I could spend it on how I saw fit. I was left with ten million bits and I couldn’t believe that I had so much.”

“I knew that I didn’t need that much money so I donated two million to the orphanage that took care of me when I was a foal. I left Trottingham and went for Ponyville. I paid for a house there and went to high school with Vinyl up in Canterlot. I saw her around school a few times and saw some of the students give her a hard time. I tried to see what they were talking about, but they ignored me because they thought that I didn’t need to know.”

“When I returned home I broke one of the strings on a cello that I bought and visited a music store that I heard about that Vinyl lived in. When I arrived I met her parents and I must say that they were the worst ponies that I have ever met. I heard them talk badly about their daughter and how they wished that she would disappear. I didn’t want her to live in that kind of environment anymore so I went up to her room so I could invite her to live with me.”

“When I opened the door I was shocked by what I saw. Vinyl was on the floor, bleeding and I felt sick to my stomach. I picked her up and brought her downstairs, trying to get her parents to help. They refused to help me so I ran out and took her to the hospital. It was raining and I could feel her shallow breathing. I didn’t want to lose her as I wanted to get to know her better. I arrived at the hospital just barely in time as the doctors told me.”

“I paid for her hospital visit and brought her back to my home in Ponyville. I caught a glimpse of her eye color and that was when she decided to get her goggles. I worked around town playing in small concerts to make an income. Sure I had a vast amount of money, but I didn’t know where it came from. So I kept the money for emergencies only and earned my own money. During one of my performances a talent manager found me and signed me on for the Canterlot Orchestra.”

“A few years went by and I was losing my musical touch. You showed up and I could write my own compositions again and I was so happy that I could write about something meaningful. You made love to me after you let me play for you and you enjoy my music so much that it meant everything to me. James, you are the reason that I can write music and share those feelings with you,” Octavia kissed his cheek and walked away. Rainbow Dash was next to speak.

Rainbow Dash

“James, there isn’t much that I can say about how I feel. I like being brash with my feelings and I want to get straight to the point. My love for you means everything to me. You give me courage to continue to train my hardest and do my best. You always put my safety above your own when I do one of my crazy stunts. When I get hurt you look me over and make sure that everything is okay.”

“You care for me more than a friend usually would and I could see the look of worry on your face when I was hurt. You want to make sure that I never forget my dreams and that I keep things in priority. I may not be able to share my feelings like I used to, but when you showed up you gave me a good run for my money. I looked at you and I could feel my heart race. For the first time I could remember I was nervous and didn’t know what to do.”

“I tried many different techniques to try and talk to you, but I would always chicken out and leave. There were times when I wanted to tell you my feelings for you, but I couldn’t find the words. I spied on you that one time at the waterfall because I was hoping that I could get my feelings out to you if we were in a secluded area.”

“When I saw you naked that was when I got really nervous and ran away before you saw me. Then the day you made love to me you took me in a way that I didn’t find possible. It was gentle and rough enough that I could feel actual bliss. James, you are the only one that has ever made me feel nervous and I love you more than anything. If I had to I would leave my dream of the Wonderbolts to stay with you,” Rainbow Dash then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and left. Trixie walked up next to speak.

Trixie

“James, as I showed you before I lost my parents at a very young age. I will not lie that life was hard for me and I couldn’t do much about it. I tried my hardest to stay afloat and continue to work hard. I was never good at magic since I was never able to get any proper training for it. I learned visual art magic as I traveled around to make my shows greater. Though during my show that I gave you there was one thing that I didn’t show you.”

“There was a day where I was so down that I contemplated taking my own life. Ponies chased me out of town and tried to hurt me. I looked around my caravan one day and planned my own suicide. It would work out as I thought because nopony would ever miss me. I had no friends and family to care for me. When you saved me from the Ursa Minor I thought at first you were crazy.”

“You saved me because you thought that I had a heart. Then when the ponies turned on me you continued to stand up for me. I never felt such care from anypony before and that was when I learned about love for the first time. As I stayed with Twilight I took the time to learn some magic. Twilight helped me to understand where I specialized in magic. The magic that I was most attuned to was healing magic.”

“So as I studied I learned everything I could about healing magic so I could keep you safe from harm like you did for me. The visual arts book that you gave me has also been helpful in making my shows more entertaining and everypony has been enjoying it very much. You allowed me to learn magic that I can specify in and able to continue my shows so I could make ponies happy. I love you, James and I am glad that I have somepony to look forward to making happy,” Trixie gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. Pinkie Pie walked up and she was a little down as shown by her flat mane.

Pinkie Pie

“James, I may be weird sometimes and not make a lot of sense at the time, but that is just who I am. I lived on a rock farm before I moved here to Ponyville. On the farm it was always dark and depressing. Then when I learned about happiness and wanting to give smiles I did everything I could to make great parties. My parents at first weren’t happy when they saw the party that I made.”

“They quickly grew on the idea of the party and I saw them smile for the first time. My sisters who I have never seen before smile were the proudest that I have ever seen. There have been ponies that have insulted my parties and treated me badly. Though since I was meant to bring happiness I just took the insults in stride and continued to do my best. You showed up and were happy to have a party with me.”

“You helped me in a time of need to show that a party can be fun with a small amount of ponies in attendance. You took me in your heart and just let me be myself. I was weird and continued to confuse you, but you allowed it to happen because you were happy to see that I was happy. You made love to me as though I was normal as any other mare and you wouldn’t let anything change that,” Pinkie Pie gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. Lyra was next to walk up.

Lyra

“James, you saw what my family life was like and so you know what I went through. I never did tell you that I did try on multiple occasions to take my own life. If it wasn’t for Bon-Bon during when we were together I probably would have killed myself. During my time in the orchestra with Octavia, I tried my best to be friends with her. We easily became friends as she was very caring.”

“I enjoyed playing my harp and doing duets when I could with her. My love for music came to a standstill as my father came to one of my performances and insulted my playing. He beat me for my poor playing and that I insulted him with my terrible playing. I tried to stand up to him at that one time and he got really pissed more than I have ever seen him get besides my relationship with Bon-Bon.”

“He beat me to an inch within my life and then healed me just so he could do it again. After he did it for the second time he took me to the hospital and threatened to break my horn off if I told the doctors on how I got my wounds. You stood up to my dad even with him using magic against you because you didn’t want to see anypony treated like that. After all of that, you made love to me, allowing me to feel as comfortable as I could be. James, you gave me more courage than I could ever have and you are the one that I give my heart to at all times,” Lyra gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. Fluttershy was next to walk up.

Fluttershy

“James, you are a caring and gentle pony when you want to. You want to care for others as you wanted to be cared for. You helped me care for my animals when they were sick or when I was out of town. You made sure that every animal got equal care and was shown love. You learned to deal with my shyness as you tried to open up to me so I could see that you meant no harm. I was afraid to share my feelings because I didn’t know what to do.”

“I live on the outskirts so I could easily take care of the animals so I never had a chance to have an interaction with a male. I was nervous to speak to one and never knew how to deal with what I felt. You stayed patient and were persistent to get me to open up. You took your time to learn how to take care of animals and learn the different kinds. You wanted to make sure that I was comfortable around you and you always stayed on the topic of animals with me when I started to talk about them.”

“After the whole Angel incident I was glad that you were there for me. You never want your feelings put above anypony else. You make sure that the other pony is happy before you deal with your own feelings. James, I love you so much that if you were gone I wouldn’t know what to do. You are the only one that can be around me and know exactly how I need to feel. You made love to me in a way that showed that you wanted me to enjoy it more than you did. I love you so much and I don’t want you to change,” Fluttershy gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. Spitfire was the last to walk up.

Spitfire

“James, you saved me and Lightning Dust from the manticore that was going to kill us. When I woke up in the hospital and heard that somepony almost lost their life protecting me I almost broke down. I later heard that you were doing okay and I came over to your room to say thank you. I was scared to death to thank a pony for saving me. I almost turned around and flew away not wanting to face the pony that almost died for me.”

“I used all the courage in my body and opened the door to see you looking at me. You were so handsome that I could feel my heart move faster than me when I was flying at my fastest. You had a smile on your face to see that I was okay and I about lost it. I wanted to break down crying that you almost lost your life. I could never stand it if somepony lost their life for my sake.”

“So when I saw your smile I decided to show my other true affection for you. I kissed you and you allowed me to do it. I was happy to share that kiss with you and couldn’t ask for anything else. When everypony else showed up though I had to leave quickly because I thought that I was stepping on broken glass. I avoided seeing you again because I felt my heart a little broken that I may not be able to be with you. I took the time to figure out my feelings and was training to get my mind off of it.”

“When I felt that I couldn’t get this feeling of love out of my heart I decided to figure out on how to court a stallion. I did my best to make sure that everything went perfect. You showed that you didn’t care whether it was perfect or not as long as you were with me. Then you made love to me and that was the first time I could feel myself heat up in the moment of love. Then Hearth Warming Eve came and you gave the most important gift that means very much to me.”

“I love this stone so much that I would never get rid of it. You are the stallion of my dreams and I can’t lose you no matter what. I don’t want you to leave and think that I would be okay. I wouldn’t be okay because once you leave I would break down. So please don’t think that you need to protect me from everything. I am here for you and always want to be,” Spitfire gave him a kiss on the cheek and joined the other mares as they all let their tears fall from their faces.

James

James placed the two sleeping animals on the floor as he got up from the couch. The animals looked at him happily. He petted them both on the head and walked towards the door. He opened the door and walked outside. The mares watched as he left the hut and waited for him to think this over. Silence held the room as the mares waited for him to come back inside. The mares were getting worried because it had been several minutes and he hadn’t come back in. The mares walked towards the door to check on him when a loud noise rang out.

BANG

The noise was so unexpected that the mares ran towards the door. Rainbow Dash flung the door open. The mares all gasped as they saw the man lying on the ground with a pool of blood forming around him. They saw a foreign object in his right hand and they feared that he took his own life.

Author's Notes:

One of the few most heartfelt chapters that actually made me cry as I wrote it. Thanks to ErikTheSoulReaper for the challenge of doing this chapter and the idea on how it should be done.