“Oh come on.” I prodded, “Your parents are just a little more open than some ponies are.”

Aurora just seethed, “I know but…. just… I can’t believe they’d do that in front of us!” she exclaimed, “It’s like they have no shame!”

I felt playful, and Fray was busy with something in the back of my head. He’d been spending a lot of time in my subconscious, which disturbed me just a little. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him to be poking around in there, it’s just that I had to be on guard against sending anything his way that he shouldn’t be seeing. I’d gotten better at it in the past month or so, but it was still a task I couldn’t fully automate. Still, my efforts had kept him from seeing certain things and being exposed to certain thoughts, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to let him do whatever it was he was up to in there.

I trotted up beside Aurora, and brushed her side, which made her ears drop somewhat defensively out of reaction and allowed me to nibble on one just a little. The act made her blush hard and sigh just a little before she pushed me away.

“Not now…” she whispered.

I just grinned, “I think I know what the real issue is.” I teased, “You’re… frustrated.” I hissed softly in her ear.

I was rewarded with a sharp jab, “Stop it.” she demanded.

But I saw a smile cross her face. “I’ll show YOU frustrated.” she said, “There’s a lot you don’t know about wings… and I’m willing to bet that even though you’re a batpony… the same rules apply as for us Pegasi.”

I bumped her again, lightly, “That a threat?” I asked in a mischievous tone, “Or a promise?”

“You’ll see.” she warned, “It’s been a month… and I’m hungry.”

I raised an eyebrow at her as we continued towards her home at the edge of Cumulus. The town itself was more open than Ponyville, and much smaller by comparison. Despite that, there was a majesty about it that exceeded Ponyville and, in my opinion, rivaled Canterlot in terms of beauty… which may or may not have had a lot to do with how new everything was to me and the fact that Aurora flanked me as I glanced around.

Aurora continued to blush as we walked. I wondered what was going on in that head of hers, under that dark-pink mane, behind those ice-blue eyes. I’d like to say that I wasn’t thinking base thoughts at the time, but every part of me wanted to ravish her at that moment, to make up for lost time and lost feelings. I wanted to ruin her for any other stallion, satisfy her to the point that no other Pony in Equestria would do.

I wanted to make Aurora mine. For as long as we lived, and maybe longer than that, if I could.

Dear Luna, how I’d missed her.

Much to both of our relief, I feel, we reached her home without another word. As I look back on my first visit I remember that it was smaller than her parent’s home, being one story, but certainly no less stylized as far as the architecture went. Columns flanked each door, windows made of ice, and like many of the homes within Cumulus, a tall, fluffy roof made of could. I held my breath a little, in anticipation, at being able to be in her home for once instead of the other way around. Imagine my surprise when I entered the interior of her home to find that it was a plethora of color and light. Aurora had set up many prisms and crystals to cast light and color all across the inside of her home. Even the Moon’s rays were caught by them and spread across the floors and walls like so many spatters of liquid radiance.

“I didn’t know you had a thing for decorating…” I said, as I glanced around with amazement, “Not like this, at least…”

“It’s a hobby of mine. Painting with Cloudspire prisms… I guess you can call it.” she uttered almost dismissively, “It’s actually common practice up here in the clouds, where there’s plenty of Cloudspire to go around.”

I shivered a little, which was odd. The air was especially cold, which was a quality I had not noticed before and probably due in part at least to the wonder I was beholding. Fray joined in a moment later and it was then I observed that I could actually see my breath fairly easily. Aurora took notice of my shaking and, with a soothing smile, drew us into a bathroom. I don’t think I need to tell you that even it was immaculate as the rest of her home.

“You two are both covered in dirt, sweat, and dust from the past few days. Take a bath.” she commanded, and started the hot water, “I need to make Fray a bed, so just clean yourselves up and use the towels I’ve left you to dry off afterwards.”

Aurora left promptly after that, which put Fray and I alone in the bathroom as the tub filled with water and a steamy fog. The steam soon filled the room, obscuring my vision a little as Fray and I talked amongst each other.

“You’ve never taken a bath, have you, Fray?”

“No.”

“Come here.”

“Why?”

I think perhaps that all small creatures, foals and Spirits included, have a natural and instinctual aversion to baths in general. Almost as if the idea of being cleaned at some point was ingrained in the collective consciousness of all young creature’s minds so as to almost seem as if they were traumatized by the event. And so, it began. Fray was covered from ear to tail in a layer of dirt and I was being forced to chase him around the room.

At least until he jumped into my skull.

“Get out of there!” I demanded as I stared up towards my eyebrows, something I had begun to do more and more, “You’ll track dirt!”

“I can do that?” Fray asked.

I shook my head a little, “I don’t know, but the last thing I want is to find out!”

“Fine.”

Fray popped back out, clean as a whistle. I didn’t buy it. That dirt had to go somewhere.

“Where is it?”

“What?” my son asked innocently.

“The. Dirt.”

Fray just smiled and told me that he had no idea what I was talking about, to which I responded that I’d go in and check if he didn’t tell the truth. I guess he hadn’t really hid it well, because after he popped back inside and then back out, he was coated in it again.

“In the tub.” I said flatly.

“What is in the tub?” Fray questioned, peeking over the edge.

“You.”

Amidst screams, squeals, and thrashings, I managed to pull Fray into the tub with me. It took some time for him to calm down… but I really think he was overdoing it, forcing me to note that Fray was developing a more expansive personality. I felt proud, albeit annoyed, that I had to fight with my son over getting into the damn tub.

In time, though, Fray relaxed, floating about in the water. I too settled in and for the first time in a long while felt really, truly comfortable. Warm water, laying on my back in a rather large tub made of cloud. Was there really anything better?

Oh… I got clean too... Took me a good while, though. There was a lot of leaf-stuff in my mane from the Everfree. I must have looked a real mess to everypony who’d seen me in town. It probably didn’t help my case for innocence.

After quite a while, the exact amount of time being something I could not be certain of, I saw Fray yawn deeply.

“Are you tired, buddy?” I asked with a little smile, “Aurora’s probably got a bed ready by now.”

Fray just nodded, yawned again, and rubbed his eyes. I picked him up with my hooves and set the small, blobby pony-spirit on the sink nearby and grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry him off. Afterwards I did the same for myself after pulling the plug in the tub and so that it could drain. For just a moment I wondered where that water would go, then tried not to think about it.

Sometimes, it’s better not to ask.

I picked up Fray again, and headed out into the open area that was Aurora’s rather large living room. I estimated that it took up a good portion of the house, but also noted that it included the kitchen… so maybe it wasn’t really all that big.

“Aurora?” I called out, as I sought her attention.

I heard an answer from another room, on the opposing side of the house. Two doorways sat across the immaculate, ice-like tiled floor from where I stood, one of which was open. I trotted over, making sure that Fray stayed securely on my back as I did so, as he had fallen asleep after I’d finished drying him off. My approach was greeted by a set of ice-blue eyes, undoubtedly Auroras. They were soft in expression. I kissed her on the cheek and motioned back to Fray.

“I can’t thank you enough.” I began with a whisper, “For taking us in, and for… well… being Fray’s mother. I don’t know everything about him,” I admitted, “... but it’s important that he knows he has parents. I’m pretty sure about that.”

Aurora smiled and stared at Fray over my shoulder, then picked him up and cradled him for a moment, before she transferred him to her back so she could bring my son over to the cradle. She had fashioned it from a hole that looked as if she’d smashed in the ice-tiles of her floor for. What was amazing about the cradle was that it had been risen from the cloudfloor that lay beneath as if by a potter’s hooves, and molded into a raised miniature of a small tree with an impacted bed-nest-thing atop it. Aurora was very talented, indeed.

“It’s… not that big a deal, really.” Aurora told me, careful not to awaken Fray, “In fact… Fray is part of the reason I want you back so much.”

“Really? Why?” I asked, curious about her reasoning.

Aurora placed Fray in the cloud cradle, then covered him with a cotton-like blanket before she turned her gaze back to me, then pushed me out the door with her head.

“It shows you’ll make a good father some day… which is very valuable to me.” she said, “That… and you clearly… really… are a lot stronger than I thought…” she added with a sad expression, “I really am sorry for leaving…”

I shook my head and nuzzled her neck, “Aurora, don’t. It was a tough time, and we’ve been over this already.” she stared at me as she pulled away and looked into my eyes, “I don’t hold anything against you. I mean that. I’m just happy to be with you, I promise.”

I meant that, too and tried to convey it with my eyes as my favorite Pegasus in the entire world that I did. I wanted her to be at ease and not feel like she should be ashamed. It had been a strange month and then some. How could anypony have dealt with it any better? I think it got through to her, because within moments, her expression changed and baffled me a little.

“Well…” she said, “I’m happy to be with you too… and I want to... and don’t say a word…” she warned, “...make up for our lost time.”

With those words, she stepped in front of me and pushed me into the bedroom next to the one where Fray had been sleeping. I nearly fell backwards as she shut the door and grinned like an Everfree Timberwolf. In my surprise, I took a retreating step back and was nearly pounced upon, and thrust onto the bed and pinned under Aurora’s body. She sat up on my lower abdomen and kept my forehooves down with her own, flushing just enough to let the red come through on her cheeks. She wasn’t satisfied with pinning me down though, and pressed into my hips with her own, garnering from me the desired response and making me moan out loud. In turn, I blushed hard as my wings shot out from under me and directly to my sides, which was something totally unexpected.

“Ah…” Aurora smiled, “There they are.”

“W-what?” I asked, looking to my sides, “My wings?”

Aurora said nothing in response to my question, but instead bent over again and pulled the quick release from Rarity’s apparatus, setting my wings free and exposing them to open air as the armor-like structure fell away useless onto the fluffy, cloud-like bed we occupied.

“Fray won’t feel any of this, will he?” Aurora asked before she continued. “I know you two are connected mentally.”

I shook my head, “Right now… no. Probably not. He’s asleep outside my head. I’m more worried about him hearing anything...”

My wings drew in a little, making Aurora frown.

“Don’t worry.” She assured me, “These walls may be made of cloud, but you could howl all night and no one would hear it.” she said as she stroked the leading edge of my wings, which made me shiver and squirm a little and forced them back completely open.

Aurora then put a hoof to my lips and pressed down with her hips again and made me whimper a little. She wasn’t ready yet. I could tell she had something else in mind, but I had trouble figuring out what it was through the heat the creeped into my bones and fuzzed up my mind. After she had sufficiently subdued me, Aurora took to playing with my wings, and touched on spots I never knew existed. She kissed joints and nibbled on the forward edge of both my wings, driving me to fight weakly against her advances. Though not because I disliked her actions, but because she was building me up and it was starting to become uncomfortable where her weight pushed down on me. She took notice of this, of course, and wrapped her back legs around my hips, which only served to worsen the pressure, and continued to tease me until I nearly lost my sanity.

Then the night truly began.

I had forgotten that she and I knew each other better than we knew ourselves and, in our union, I like to think we rediscovered lost parts of who we were, just the same as we had and would outside the bedroom, except being knowledge of a different caliber in those cases. Throughout the night and well into the morning, Aurora and I tumbled, teased, and exhausted one another until there was nothing left for us to express and we were too tired to continue. At some point I think we fell asleep together, myself curled around her form, half buried in her body and snuggled close into her mane. The smell of Cloudspire was ever present and lulled me into a sense of happiness and security that which I hadn’t felt for what seemed to have been ages.

{I swear to Luna, Lightning Strike, if you don’t get that look off your face and stop making those motions with your hooves, I’ll smack you so hard it’ll feel like you kissed the Ponyville Express at full steam! … Yes I saw you, ya’ friggen ‘shoe!… In any event…}

For the first time in a while, I slept with ease. No dreams. No allusions to war, which was something I had not experienced yet and scarcely understood. Still, when I awoke… I couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Sunrays cast themselves through an ice-window, rousing me from my slumber. Not too keen on moving from the combined warmth and softness of Aurora and her bed, I did my best to ignore the notion of getting up and those thoughts which plagued my waking mind. Which left my mind to wander in a most obvious direction.

Scootaloo, Featherweight. Both were still in great danger. I knew I deserved some time off, especially after everything that had happened. Some time to recouperate, some time to relax, but the more I thought about it the more my muscles ached for action in their favor. I tried to put the thoughts out of my head, which only served to make me feel even more guilty about NOT thinking about them. Despite knowing full well that training was supposed to come first, I began dragging myself from the bed to embark towards the first steps to saving their lives. Moving from the bed awoke Aurora, however, something which I was both thankful for and yet still dreaded.

I watched over my shoulder as she stirred while I considered how I’d tell her what I was going to do. It almost hurt when those ice-blue eyes fluttered open and stared at me with only a little bewilderment. After I decided that it would be best to say my peice quickly and get it over, I sighed with a heavy heart.

“Aurora?” I began quietly, to which her ears perked up instinctually, “I… I’m going to the Spineybacks today.”

Aurora said nothing, but instead forced herself up with some effort and stretched a little.

“I… I can’t leave Scoots and Featherweight they way they are. In a coma, I mean..”

She stood up but kept an ear turned on me and pushed me out into the open area of her home and lead me into the kitchen. I knew she was still listening despite her silence, else she’d have not bothered with keeping me nearby as she started some tea from a packet of leaves and some water that she set to boil on the eye of her stove. She turned back to face me as I continued to speak.

“They followed me all the way through the Everfree, trusted me to lead them back home safely. I might not have even made it back without their help…”

Aurora stared at me with her mouth drawn to the side in an unamused expression. One which I couldn’t immediately figure out what meant. Still, she hadn’t stopped me, or interrupted me yet. So that was a plus.

I continued and sat on the floor in front of her, “I don’t expect it will be easy, finding the cure that Kain said was up there. I don’t even know what to look for.” I sighed, “... And even though I’m supposed to wait and train, I just can’t.”

The water on the stove came to a surprisingly quick boil. Aurora continued to keep an ear turned in my direction as she removed two cups from a cupboard and set two of the perforated bags of dried leaf into them gently, then poured water. A light steam wafted from the cups, dissipating into the cold air of Aurora’s kitchen.

“I just need to find a place to buy supplies, and I’ll be on my way… I’m sorry about this. I know it’s probably not what you expected… at least not so soon.”

Aurora furrowed her brow, then hoofed over a cup of tea, and sipped a bit of hers in a very dignified manner. After a moment, during which I hadn’t taken a sip of my own, she sighed and set the cup down.

“Just going to head on off like that, without considering what I want?” she asked, frowning a bit, though there was no malice in her eyes, “Without asking what I think?”

I was taken aback a little, “Well.. I… It’s not like I want to… I just can’t live with myself, like this… ignoring the problems I’ve caused those two.”

Aurora nodded, “I know that!” she frowned and put her cup of tea down on the stovetop, “Which is why I’m confused.”

“Confused?” I asked, worriedly.

Aurora nodded, poking my chest and pointing to herself at the same time, “Why you haven’t asked me to come with you, ya big dope!”

Her straightforwardness about the subject baffled me a little, and I think it showed. Between sips of tea, Aurora chastised me. Not in a hurtful way, but in a way that reaffirmed my trust that she was with me one-hundred percent of the way. From now on if she could help it. In addition, she suggested that it would be helpful to have more than just myself and Fray on the journey, and having an experienced Pegasus along might even make things a lot easier. I agreed, but Aurora insisted that we at least awaken Fray, sit down, have some breakfast, and THEN go get the gear we needed to have.

If it weren’t for Aurora I probably would have gone off and started the journey without breakfast, and who knows how what would have happened? So, after having tea with my fiance’ I stepped into Fray’s room, and roused him from the most peaceful slumber I’d ever witnessed him enjoy. It was absolutely adorable, but I’d never say that to his face for fear of him asking why. In any case, yawning and stretching upon my back, Fray and I headed for the kitchen where Aurora was making pancakes. We held idle conversation for a while, nothing of terrible consequence as opposed to the serious discussion which was sure to follow in its wake. Laughter echoed through Aurora’s home more than once as Fray asked questions about various things in the kitchen and what they were for, offering his opinion on their shape, composition, or why they seemed inefficient.

I hated that life like that couldn’t continue, and that every time Equestria seemed to throw me a bone, so to speak, I was destined to be ripped from the solace it provided without mercy. Only this time I was ripping myself from it willingly, which made the pit in my stomach for longing a life like this to last all the worse. I didn’t voice that, however, as there wasn’t much of a point. I had to save Scootaloo and Featherweight. Or at least... try to, since I had little to go on except ‘tallest mountain in the Spineyback Ridge.’

Aurora finished making the pancakes and set them in a pile on a dish before us all, but not before her stomach growled loudly, forcing a blush from the beautiful Pegasus mare. I grinned, she frowned then laughed, and it was almost routine. In that, I found comfort. Perhaps some day I’d have this kind of day without having to worry about the ‘fate of Equestria’ or something. We sat in the Sunlight which beamed in from a clean, clear window to the outside and ate once everything was set. Not much conversation followed between our chewing. It wasn’t that we didn’t have things to talk about, instead simply that the pancakes were damned good. Aurora really knew how to cook and, considering the meal I’d had last the night before at her parent’s house, I wasn’t really surprised. Aurora had probably learned a lot from them both.

As soon as we were done Aurora started the dishes, with which Fray and I helped. We were silent most of that time. Fray knew what was going on already as he’d sifted through my thoughts to find out and was reserved in his opinion. I think he knew I was hiding the events from last night, after he’d gone to bed, from him. Fortunately, time was on my side as taking a shower was the next event on the list of things to do before we all walked out the door that morning. Fray had less objections to that than he had about a full-on bath, but I could not be sure if it was a result of his experience from the night before, or because there was fundamental difference between the two, being that a shower was more like a rainstorm that wasn’t cold. A little guilt settled in my chest when we entered the tub, though… I had left the leaves from last night in the base. Aurora wasn’t in, and didn’t seem to have checked since the night before, so I spent a little time gathering the bits and pieces up in my hooves, and then deposited them into the trash.

The shower was… uneventful and allowed me some time to reflect in silence. It was odd that in spite of the fact that I wanted the life I was experiencing at the time, I still almost looked forward to the fact that we were going to be out and about again. Almost as if I was developing an itch that couldn’t be scratched by ease and routine. Confusion settled in my mind about why, though. Had I gotten so used to being on the run, having fought for my life more than once in the short month or so since Fray had entered it, that I couldn’t stay settled without feeling like I was wasting time? Part of me really, really hoped that was not the case. The other part of me wasn’t so sure.

I shook my mane, stepping out of the shower with a soft clacking against the tiled floor. Fray did a small, rodent-like grooming thing that I found hilariously adorable. He asked me what was so funny, but I didn’t tell him and instead just nuzzled my son, who giggled and hugged at my snout. It was then that I realized that, at least as I was at that time, I could live without adventure, and that I wanted to. I entertained the thought that Aurora might give up her job with the ERNG, so we could live simply again, but then Kain’s voice shattered that illusion.

“You can never return to that life as long as the Machine of Order continues to awaken.”

I jumped a little and Fray cried out in surprise as he pointed to the door from which we’d come. I turned my head, and Kane came into view. Just as tall and spindly as I’d remembered, and dressed in the same robes as before..

“Fray?” Aurora asked from the other room, “Ramp? Is everything okay?”

My mind lurched as I remembered the hell which Kane had put us through. Fray must have sensed my sudden flashback and hopped into my skull as he prepared us to fight and dropped me into a low stance.

“Why are you here?” I growled, “I swear to Celestia, Luna, Tartarus, I don’t care… I swear I’ll kill you if you even so much as touch Aurora!”

“Guys?” Aurora called, “What’s going on?”

“Stay back! Kane is here!” I called back and bared my teeth at the unwanted intruder.

Kane shook his head, “I suppose this is my fault.” he said in an airy tone, “I was too harsh on you… In my defense, there was little time, and that’s what I’m here about.”

“Buck off!” Fray and I cried in unison as I fired off a bolt of light from my eyes, with Fray’s help of course, which barely missed his shoulder, “We won’t miss again!”

“... I can see this is a bad time.” Kane sighed with an almost smug nonchalance, “Here. The supplies you’ll need.” as he tossed a saddlepack which hit the ground with a loud ‘thud.’

“Wait… what?”

Kain shrugged, stepping out of the doorway and bowed just slightly in greeting towards Aurora, “Afternoon, miss.”

“Kain…” she mumbled before she asked, “Kain, why are you here? You nearly killed him, from what I was told, the last time you saw each other.”

“My dear, I never even came close.” he smiled, “It was all planned. You, of all Ponies, should know that.”

Without so much as another word beyond that, Kane threw another saddlepack onto the floor, this time in front of Aurora, reached out and opened a door in mid-air, stepped through it, and was gone. The door hadn’t been there a moment ago and was gone just as soon as he’d passed through too, which made me do a double-take of what I’d just saw. Not that it helped. The door had already disappeared by the time I had done my second take of the situation. Fray popped out of the back of my head as the glow from my eyes disappeared.

“I do not like Kain.” Fray insisted, “No one being should have so much power.”

Aurora laughed, though I noted some nervousness in her voice, “... You wouldn’t like the Princesses then.”

“It’s all in what you do with power, Fray.” I added, “The Princesses use theirs to guide and protect. Kain just uses his… however he feels necessary.”

I didn’t want to say that Kain used his power however he felt like doing so. That didn’t seem to be entirely true, no matter how much I wanted to believe it. No I felt, even back then, that Kain was a being lost in the web of time, reacting to things in an effort to save the last legacy of his race. Though, I don’t think those were my exact words back then… maybe more just a feeling in the pit of my stomach.

In any case, we checked the packs, made note of the things Kain had given us, and drew up a list of other things we probably would need. Fray was the first to say ‘food,’ which was typical, and at least little amusing. I think his effortless honesty about things was somewhat comforting to both Aurora and I, and put us a little at ease after Kain’s sudden appearance and exodus. I still think we weren’t quite ready to leave though… things were getting back to normal… and we were both loath to abandon the cold but comfortable security of Aurora’s home.

But then… how secure was it, really? Kain had just popped in and out without so much as a wave of his hand. I suppose as long as we were part of whatever insanity was breaking loose in Equestria, it wouldn’t have been secure at all. Those thoughts in mind, I found myself determined. More so than ever.

I was going to take back my life. Somehow. Even if I had to fight something bigger than myself to do so.

Oh how right I was… How very right I was...