“Well howdy there, partner! I see you rolled inta town with Trey! A friend o’ his is a friend o’ mine. Pleasure making yer acquaintance.” started Applejack.

“Well now we have two handsome colts in the town! It must run in the family, darling?” said Rarity. Backdraft slightly smiled, a light blush on his cheeks.

“Don’t worry, she does that a lot.” said Trey after she left. “Don’t think anything of it.” Backdraft’s blush immediately disappeared.

“She’s not my type anyway.”

“She’s still fairly beautiful.” said Trey, nudging him.

“Never said I cared about looks, Trey.” Backdraft said sternly.

“Neither do I. I was just lucky to get a lovely lady with all the good qualities.” Trey said, rubbing his cheek against Fluttershy’s.

“Lucky you.” Backdraft rolled his eyes.

“Um...and I think you met me earlier.” said Fluttershy, a slight look of worry as she tried to remember if she did or not. She was quickly cut off by Pinkie Pie, who came out of nowhere, bouncing in front of Backdraft.

“Hey there! Are you enjoying the party? Huh? HUH? I threw it just for you! You were new so I was like ‘HUUUUUUUUUUUUH!!!’” she started, as Trey simply laughed at Backdraft’s dumbfoundedness. He’d never seen any pony act like this before and he was trying to make sense of it.

“Yes... I am enjoying the party. I am honored.”

“Oh, goo!”

“Goo?” asked Trey.

“Well I meant to say good but I forgot the d so it was goo!” she said, giggling. “That’s never happened before. I guess handsome colts fluster me!”, she started, as Backdraft’s wings started slightly rising.

“WING BONER ALERT!” Rainbow Dash called out. Trey instinctively checked himself, since Fluttershy was on his mind, but noticed Backdraft with a slight protrusion in his wingspan. Trey smiled to himself, not saying anything.

“Bow chicka wow wow!” called out a cyan pony sitting with Dash. Backdraft looked over in that direction, noticing his old friend. He trotted over to her to catch up.

“Dash! My good ole’ comrade!” he said to Rainbow Dash, quickly embracing her.

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Backdraft! How’s the leg?”

“It’s still a bit stiff.”

“Yeah, so are your wings.” she said, touching one with her hoof. “Is Pinkie Pie on your mind?” she said, laughing. Backdraft nodded, blushing heavily.

“Oh!” she said, trying to stifle her laughter. “Trey came to town and fell in love with Fluttershy, and now you’re falling for Pinkie! There’s something with you guys...”

“Careful Corporal, I still outrank you.” Backdraft said smirking.”Besides, I had to find somepony to replace you, you know.”

Rainbow suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, blushing, looking away from him. “Yeah...I almost forgot about that...” she said. Back in Coltistan, Rainbow Dash and Backdraft served in the same unit. Rainbow and Backdraft had a fling. Shortly after their deployment, Rainbow Dash discovered that she was, indeed, a lesbian. Backdraft was slightly heartbroken. He had started to like her more than the simple friend with benefits...but he left her with a parting gift. He was the first-and only-colt she’d ever made love with.

“Bow chicka wow wow...” a cyan pegasus standing next to Rainbow Dash.

“What is your name?” said Backdraft, almost annoyed.

“It’s Lavernius, but he has a thing for bedmaking, so we call him Tucker. Short for BedTucker.”

“That’s not why they call me Tucker!” Tucker protested.

“It sounded better than the fact that you used to tuck yourself in the fetal position and wet yourself whenever you didn’t have a nightlight before bed.” Rainbow Dash stated, nudging him.

“Oh...” said Tucker, realizing he’d shot himself in the hoof. “I’m just going to go over there...you two have fun.” he said, shimmying away towards Rarity, a smug grin on his face.

“Anyways, what brings you to Ponyville?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I live here now, that’s why.” he stated plainly.

“That’s it?”

“Both you and my brother live here, where else am I going to go? Canterlot?! It is a rather silly place, I would rather not go there.”

“It’s only a model.” said Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes.

“Shh.” said Twilight, trotting up to the two of them. She looked at Backdraft and smiled. “Hello! I’m Twilight Sparkle. I guess you’re Trey’s brother?”

“You guessed correctly, miss.” he said, nodding slightly.

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you! What’s your specialty? Trey’s a Bandmaster. What do you do?”

“I’m a marksman.” Backdraft showed off his cutie mark, which was of a red crosshairs.

“Oh, cool! Well if you ever need any books on proper shooting technique, I’m bound to have some.” she said, smiling. Backdraft gave her a weird glance. She’d obviously never considered that somepony with that as their specialty probably wouldn’t need any sort of educational material on the subject.

“I appreciate the offer... but it’s not necessary. Best in the division.”

“Well I have several other books on world records if you want to look at those. Just let me know.” she said, smiling. Backdraft simply nodded, refusing to say anything that may offend her.

“Silly! He doesn’t need books! He needs practice! If you want to shoot in sugarcube corner, that would be A-OK!” she said, smiling.

“Pinkie?”

“Yes?”

“Do you know what I shoot?”

“Cupcake guns and pie slingers, right?”

“Not exactly. I think it’s best if I don’t shoot in sugarcube corner. Besides, I’m on break, I don’t want to have to shoot.

“Oh...ok then!”

“I’ll come by anyways, though.” Backdraft said, smiling.

“Oh, of course. I’m sure I have some sweets that you might like.” said Pinkie, winking, before bouncing away happily. Backdraft’s wings expanded into their complete wingspan.

“WING BONER!” somepony called out. He heard Rainbow Dash laugh once again as he blushed slightly, flapping his wings to play it off as stretching.

“That’s a big wingspan.” said Twilight, who suddenly reappeared next to him. She looked at it with a scientific look, studying it.

“Uh...can I help you?” he broke out into a mad blush.

“Oh, no, I’m just studying your physique. Do all military ponies have this big of a wingspan? I’m studying the effects of culture on musculature structure, and I think this may help my studies.”

“Nope! Just the black ones!” Tucker called out.

Backdraft’s eyes opened wide in slight embarassment.

“Runs in the family, I guess.” said Trey, nudging Backdraft. “We’re all black where it counts. Just ask Fluttershy.”

“Oh...my...” said Fluttershy, blushing.

“Bow chicka wow wow.” Tucker muttered.

“Kinky.” Backdraft said to Trey. “Why won’t these things go down!? Did this stuff happen to you when you were my age?”

“Dude, you’re only three years younger than me. But...yes. It just means you have a crush on somepony. We all know who.” said Trey as Rainbow, Tucker, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, who reappeared out of nowhere, laughed. Backdraft’s blush increased exponentially.

“Don’t worry, Backdraft, your secret’s safe with me! Cross my heart, hope to fly...”

“Pinkie, I think it’s not a secret at this point. We’re all here.” said Rainbow Dash, rolling her eyes.

“...stick a cupcake in my eye!” she said, stabbing her eye with her hoof.

“Sounds like that would sting.” Backdraft stated.

“Oh, no, silly! Those cupcakes are sugar free!” she beamed. Everypony else shared a look of confusion as Pinkie Pie continued.

“That still sounds like it would sting.”

“Not if they’re baked with love and care!”

“Uh...alright then.” said Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t even know what to say to that, honestly.” said Tucker.

“I agree with Tucker on that one.” said Backdraft, a hint of confusion on his face.

“Well anyways, it’s getting kind of late. We’d better head back home.” said Trey. “I’ll make sure Backdraft visits you tomorrow, Pinkie.”

“Yeah...” said Backdraft, almost looking for an excuse to get out of this awkwardness. He didn’t know why, but he found Pinkie Pie amusing...almost attractive...his wings certainly agreed with her, that was for sure. “But... we go home my way. The modern way to travel.”

“You seem to have forgot none of us have a car, Backdraft.”

“I have a hot air balloon! And a helicopter! Let’s take one of those!” said Pinkie, bouncing.

“Shotgun!” Backdraft practically shouted.

“But I thought you used machine guns?” said Trey, confused.

“It means...I’ll tell you later.” said Backdraft, frustrated at his brother’s lack of understanding. “Besides, I technically used an assault rifle.”

“You two have at it. I’m going to walk Flutterheart home.”

“Flutterheart?”

“Fluttershy.” said Trey. He didn’t mean to refer to her pet name outside of their private time, but it happened on accident. “So...you two have fun. Make it magical.” said Trey, winking.

“Bow chicka wow wow.” Tucker said.

“Seriously, dude, you gotta stop that.”

“I’m here to lay some pipe... bow chicka wow wow.”

“Tucker, shut up!” Backdraft shouted.

“I made your mom shut up! In bed! Naked!”

“I’ve never met my mom.” said Backdraft. “Neither has Trey.”

“Oh...I never knew that...” said Fluttershy.

“I banged her anyway...” murmered Tucker as Trey and Backdraft ignored him.

“I’ll tell you later, Fluttershy. Let’s get you home.”

“Oh...ok...” she said as she and Trey trotted out towards her cottage. Backdraft and Pinkie headed out towards her hot air balloon. Everypony knew she had it, but nopony knew where she kept it...

“I should probably show you my car sometime...” Backdraft said, smiling. “It would only be fair.”

“Only if I get to show you the Pinkacopter!” she said. It seemed like Pinkie was almost trying to one-up him. Regardless, he followed her to her mysterious storage place, and they took off to the air, waving at Trey and Fluttershy before they disappeared.

“Hey, wait...this isn’t the way to Trey’s house...” Backdraft said.

“I know.” said Pinkie, smiling.