“Ah! How delighted I am that you all decided to attend this meeting!”

Each seat at the charcoal colored table was taken by a cloaked figure. A fully cloaked stallion with a purple unicorn skull covering his snout and a lengthy, spiked down jet-black mane protruding from the scalp sat at the very end of the long rectangular table; the side opposite of him empty and chairless. Each row was filled to the brim by about two dozen different shadowy figures, most with their hoods covering the rest of their facial features. There were a few exceptions to be made out; Glitch, Raven, Wild Card, and a snowy maned Terra Vita -better known as Winter- being among the obvious. However, there were a few others that decided to go without the hoods; a unicorn stallion, grey from mane to coat, even his eyes were a shade of grey- the most noticeable trait on the colt was a light horizontal scar on his left cheek.

Scanning the table from each row, the masked stallion let out a deep sigh filled with utter disappointment when he caught a few empty seats.. “Well.... most of you are here at least.”

“Pssh, stupid fruit. Always has to make a dramatic entrance and slow us down!” came from one of the many cloaked figures closest to the door, the voice unmistakably belonging to Stitch.

‘The irony being she’s practically a stallion in a mare’s body.’ Glitch thought to himself with a faint smirk.

The green colt slouched back in his seat, his own eyes now began to scan the room for himself. They happen to stumble upon two more unfilled seats next to each other that were usually taken in specific by two ponies. Looked like the twins were missing too. Two cloaked figures -one large one small- took place right beside the masked pony that was only known as Boss at the far end of the table, one other cloaked figure deciding to stand next to him instead of taking a seat. Obviously Boss’ top three, nothing too strange really.... until Glitch noticed there was one extra figure at the table. One he didn’t recognize, and was sure he wasn’t the only one.

“Well, looks like we'll just have to start without him, won't we?" Boss let out a deep breath filled with irritation, the only part of him actually visible were the slitted lizard-like pupils behind the eyeholes of his mask. "Alright, as you all may have very well have guessed, this meeting will be to discuss the recent turn events of a certain "missing" member of Akuma Tenshi."

With that, the entire room was lit up with a mixture of different pitched groans. The lead stallion's eyes disappeared behind the mask when he clenched them shut, letting out yet another deep sigh. "Yes, I know it's been about four months now." He started, "Mister Rays may be stubborn, but he's not impossible."

"Why even bother, Boss?" came from the full grey unicorn as he stretched out his neck, his half open eyes suggesting that he'd rather be taking a nap or something. And to be honest, that sounded great on Glitch's end too. "We all know how thick of a skull that damn colt has, don't we? He doesn't care about his own good, and frankly he's rather reckless in my opinion. Why not just cut our losses and-"

"Quit your bitching, Argon." the gruff voice of a mare cut off. Argon simply sighed. It wasn't hard to tell that Terra was full on Winter at this point, no punches would be pulled from her, metaphorically or not. "Maybe if you would pay attention and quit being such a jackass for once, you'd know that Boss always has a good reason for what he does. Never question Boss."

"Uh-huh. Sorry, miss suck-up," Argon continued on, despite the shit he knew he was going to get later from the pinto mare for that comment, "I'm just contributing my two bits by saying I just don't see why he's of so much value when he could easily be replaced." The stallion then gave a small yawn, relaxing back further in his chair.

"No, mister Tonnes, I'm afraid it's not that simple." The deep raspy voice was enough to send chills down the unicorn's spine. "Crimson holds a very vital role in this company. Don't worry, he'll come around. Even if Crimson doesn't know what's good for him, he'll come around to the idea if any of what Wild Card tells me is true..."

A faint chuckle came from the large figure on the left of Boss' seat. "Hehe, it's too bad Professor Diana isn’t going to be as easy to get, eh?”

Glitch had to stifle a chuckle at that. He knew the professor would have been pissed to hear that one. ‘Heh, oh how I wish he could have been here to catch that.’

“I’m afraid I have to agree with Orion,” Boss started once more, “Professor Plasm is too dangerous to pursue at moment. We’ll just have to make due with Crimson at the moment-”

"FRET NOT, EVERYPONY! THE DIAMOND OF EQUESTRIA HAS ARRIVED!!!" All heads snapped back at the sight of a pink maned stallion bursting through the conference doors, striking a pose before realizing that all eyes were on him... and not in a good way. "W-What? I didn't miss anything, did I?"

"GUH!!! Notch, you fucking waste of space!!!" A still fully cloaked Stitch roared as she jolted up from her chair, smacking her hoof on the table with a loud THUNK, all eyes now on her. "Why does anypony even keep your stupid fruity ass around?! Nopony wants you here anyway!" she shouted on, her nose giving a slight twitch though the hood of her cloak.

"Fruity.... It's not exactly proper etiquette for a lady to swear, you know." retorted Notch, eyes narrowed into a fearsome glare and a faint smirk on his lips. "But then again, you always could have fooled me. Are you sure you're really a mare, because you fit far better under the category of stallion anyway."

"THAT'S IT, I'LL BURROW MY STITCHES SO FAR DOWN YOUR THROAT THAT YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU WERE SHITTING DIAMONDS-"

"NOTCH. STITCH." The two averted their attention from each other to find that Boss was still sitting back ever so patiently. "Both of you. Take a seat."

"B-But Boss!" They started in unison, each a hoof pointing in the other's direction. "He/She-"

"Sit. Down."

"Y-Yes, sir...."

The masked stallion righted himself with an authoritative demeanor as he watched the two take a seat with less color in the face then they should have had as he gave a faint sigh, his unnatural eyes visible once more. “Anyway, time to get to the real point of this meeting. I am here to select a few of you to be the ones to retrieve Crimson Rays.” Boss’ eyes scanned the room once more as the rest of the cloaked members finally gave their full attention. “But first, I’d like to introduce our newest Akuma member. Please, stand up if you will.” Boss’ demeanor shifted slightly, almost as if he were smiling behind his mask. “Or, more to the point, come on down.”

“Of course, Boss...” A few of the more curious members looked around, trying to see who had spoken. Only one guessed the correct direction the voice had come from.

“Ah... lurking in the shadows, are you?” Glitch adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing. “Let’s see... Species: Earth pony. Blood type, A positive. Height, normal for a mare; and Weight, hmm. Above average, but no body fat adorning your midsection, so most likely all muscle. Ah, there’s a mutation in your DNA structure. It appears to be a major one, as well. Courtesy of Diana, I presume? If so, you appear to be a great step up from his failures.”

As he spoke, the mare crawled down the wall until she was directly above him, her smile as wicked as any predator about to strike. “Yes... Professor Plasm rewrote my DNA structure... And though I was reticent to admit it at first, after finding out my husband was cheating on me with another seamstress, My newfound powers were most welcome.” The pony chuckled darkly, her eyes glittering with malice.

“Ah... You’ve got quite the impressive resume, Black Widow. Ten accounts of murder in the first degree. Seventeen accounts of murder in the second degree.” The green pegasus colt chuckled. “We can all agree that those were just as premeditated, though, since each and every death was a married stallion who had, at any point in their relationship, committed an act of infidelity. Congratulations, your fame precedes you.”

The mare growled as she jumped from the wall onto the ground, and stalked to the head of the table to nod her head in a slight bow towards Boss. “Your information on her is correct, Glitch,” Boss said as he gave a nod of dismissal towards the Black Widow, “but not complete. Miss String here is not quite initiated as of yet, so we are sending her after Mister Rays as her first test in the field.”

Glitch felt a chill travel down his spine as his mind came to the only reason why they’d send a serial killer who dealt with unfaithful stallions. ‘No... Don’t tell me...’

Boss’ next sentence confirmed his worst fears. “And it has come to our attention that he is very likely stringing along two young mares.” Boss chuckled as Silk’s eye twitched and her grimace became a scowl. “I know how you feel. But the worst of it is that the two are best friends, and they very likely don’t realize he’s playing both of them.”

Glitch felt hollow. He couldn’t raise his voice in protest as the colt killer got more and more riled by Boss’ words, because to do so, he’d have to directly deny what Boss was saying. And he did not want Boss to be angry with him again, not ever again. Death was a welcome vacation compared to that.

“That’s not true, you know. Not completely, at least.” Glitch looked up as a few of the others gasped. Winter was gone; just looking at her mane was a good enough indication of that.

“Summer... What is the meaning of this?”

“I do not mean to contradict you, Boss, but Crimson Rays is an absolute pansy when it comes to mares. If there really are two mares vying for his attention, than I’d think that they are both well aware of the other, and are just trying to get Crimson to stop being so much of a pussy to get into theirs.” Summer gave a sultry wink to Wild Card, who held his forehooves to his chest as if he’d actually caught something.

Notch giggled, drawing a glare from Stitch and Glitch (heh). “Oh, our little hitcolt is finally becoming a stallion! Oh, when’s the wedding, Summer? Glitch, would you know? Oh, I hope he lets me make his tuxedo! It’ll be to die for!” Notch giggled again. ‘Crimson’s getting a herd together, hmm? Well, now, I really should go visit him... Gotta meet the rest of the family~!’

“So, Silk String. Even with the... interruptions... Would you still care to take the job?”

“And have the potential reward of ridding the world of another insufferable male? Of course.” And with that, Silk leapt into the air, flipping herself sideways, and scuttled away across the ceiling, the last trace of her to go the fading laughter. Glitch had a bad feeling that this wasn’t going to end well.

“Well then, if she should fail, the list of hit attempts shall be as follows...” A really, really bad feeling.

*****************************************************************************************************************

The lavender mare was lying in a meadow, completely content as she soaked up the warmth of the morning sun. She felt a stirring next to her, and looked over to see a white unicorn colt there, looking up at the sky warily. “Good morning, Storm,” she sang with a lilting voice. “Are we awake?”

Storm looked to her with a confused frown on his face, as he groggily shook his head. “Uh... yes... We are awake, and... confused...” the colt hoarsely responded. “Twilight? Where in Equestria.... were we not in the Library last night? I must have had more to drink than I thought.”

Twilight couldn’t help but let out a content giggle, one even Storm found to be adorable. “Oh, we’re still in the library; this is just my happy place.” She snuggled her muzzle into the stallion’s chest and murred. “And I am well and truly happy, right here.”

Storm grunted, a small blush rising up his neck. As Twilight nuzzled herself closer, she could feel a wincing motion on the colt’s end. “Storm, are you alright?”

“Yes yes, I’m just a little... sore.”

Twilight could feel an ever growing heat creep its way onto her muzzle, her eyes immediately darting to the floor. “O-Oh. I... wasn’t too... rough with you last night.... was I? Or, do you like it rough... Was I not rough enough?”

“What? N-no, that isn’t what I meant!” the white colt’s face felt as if it had been hit by a giant ball of flame at this point. Too flustered to even look in the direction of the mare, Storm slid off the bed and got to his hooves, sinking into the ‘ground’ before the simulated environment dissipated into the all too familiar bedroom in Twilight’s Library. Twilight was still lying on her bed with a pout as she rolled onto her stomach.

“Awww, what’s wrong? W-was is something I said?” she asked uneasily.

“It’s fine, Twilight.” Storm sighed deeply, trying to get a hold of himself before he lost his demeanor to embarrassment. “And to answer your question, nothing.... like that happened. Sure we had gotten... quite lost... in each other’s embrace, but nothing like... that took place.”

“Oh... I see,” Twilight responded, with a hint of disappointment in her voice. “Well, it’s at least good to know I didn’t go too overboard when I did all that. If something were to have happened, I’m not sure if either of us are quite ready for parenthood. Now anyway, please tell me, why exactly are you sore?”

“Well... to answer that question, I never exactly got any rest as of late.”

“And ‘as of late’, you mean...” the mare hinted for him to go on.

“Well....” Storm scratched the back of his head, he had a clue about what her reaction would be.... “I’d say...”

“Out with it, Storm.”

“Alright then....” Storm exhaled a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, “I haven’t exactly slept or rested up since Zecora found me unconscious in Everfree. When I left the library last time after that party, I knew what Red said was right. If I would have tried to make the journey back to Canterlot in my condition and at night no less, I would have probably.... well, you know. So I decided to stick around, maybe buy some clothing so that none of you would notice me. So really, last night was the first time I had slept since then.”

The ever growing silence grew more and more awkward as Twilight kept up her glare, which looked to Storm to be a mix between frustration and disappointment. “Storm! You missed entire day’s worth of sleep?!”

“It isn’t that big of a deal.” Storm attempted to reassure her, “Red once missed an entire week of sleep.”

“Storm, that’s bad for you, especially in your condition! You are getting back in that bed right now, and you are getting some rest!”

“I’m sorry, Twilight, but-”

“Ah ah! No buts! Now,” Twilight purred, crouching low as she swished her tail back and forth, “get back in bed!” She leapt at the colt, who reflexively tried to bring up a shield.

With what little dignity still left to the colt, Storm got into bed. Well, he was more or less levitated and tucked snugly into it by a librarian, before she got back in with him, but still. Dignity. “Come on, Sprinkles. Let’s get back to sleep.” Twilight left a small kiss on Storm’s cheek, before snuggling against him, her forelegs wrapped around the lean barrel of his chest. Yes... Dignity...

*************************************************************************************************************

“Pinkie, good morning!”

Pinkie glanced up to find Roseluck standing next to her. “Oh? Uh, yeah... Yeah! Good... Morning.” She forced out a smile, but Roseluck wasn’t having any of it.

“Pinkie Pie, dear, what’s wrong? Feeling a bit under the weather?”

“Yeah, I guess I am a bit... Red got nervous when I tried to get in the shower this morning and help him clean between his wings, but just last night he said he loved me as much as I loved him, so I dunno what I did wrong!”

“Pinkie, is it possible he’s forgotten?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why, Berry Punch was talking earlier about how some colt named Red bought the entire bar quite a few rounds, and that she’d seen him not a moment before, and he didn’t seem to remember.”

“Oh...” Pinkie looked sadly at the ground, before realization hit her like a brick. Unlike a brick, however, realization was, in fact, able to hit Pinkie. “Oooohh! Oh, my gosh! I gotta tell Red that I love him again! And I’m gonna do it Pinkie Pie Style!”

The pale yellow mare smiled motherly, cocking an eyebrow in amusement. “Oh, and how do you plan to pull that off, hmm?”

“How else would I do something,” Pinkie asked flatly, “if it weren’t a party?”

*************************************************************************************************************

“Are you sure, Storm? Do you really need to go right now? You’re soooo much warmer than my blanket. Pleeeeaaaaase stay, just... thirty more minutes? Two hours, max, I promise.”

“I’m sorry, Twilight. I must report back in to Princess Celestia.”

“I can get Spike to write it and send it for you; that would be a lot easier, I’d think. Maybe I can get him to make us some breakfast, too?”

Storm cocked an eyebrow as Twilight got off the bed and started trotting towards the stairs, yelling ‘Spike’. “Are you talking about the small purple-and-green dragon?” he asked.

“Ugh, yeah. Have you seen him anywhere?” Twilight continued looking back and forth, tail flicking in agitation.

“Yes... You telekinetically threw him out the front door when we got here last night saying he would disrespect our alone time. You then started doing a terrible job at being seductive.”

Twilight sighed, her ears flicking back. “Oh, I should be more careful when drunk...”

“Apparently, so should I.”

Then, the second part of his sentence registered in her brain. “Hey! Was... was it really terrible?”

“Yes, it was terrible.” He sighed, and amended, “but it was cute.”

Twilight brightened significantly as she trotted up to him and started nuzzling him. “Well, since he’s not here, why don’t we go take a shower before you go? I’ll help you wash,” Twilight said with a dorky attempt at a seductive wink.

Storm barked out a laugh. “You really should work on your seductive look.” Twilight started pouting, her ears folded against her head as tears started pooling in her eyes. “....Dammit,” Storm said as he followed Twilight back up the stairs to what quickly became a steamy shower. There was, however, a disappointing lack of sex.

“There, nice and clean!” Twilight bounced down towards the library’s ground floor, with Storm still in tow.

“Yes,” he replied dryly, “and I’m sure we’d get dirty pretty quickly if you had your way.”

Twilight blushed, but didn’t deny it, simply leaning in to take another kiss. “I love you, you know.” She then started towards the kitchen.

“Yes, I... I think I do too.”

Twilight stopped, looking over her shoulder at Storm as she swished her tail back and forth. “Oh, you think? Well, then. Looks like I’ll just have to work harder!” She wiggled her hips and almost fell over before blushing and smiling sheepishly.

Storm gave Twilight a small smile before his face once again became a stoic mask. “Most likely. Ask your friend, the tailor, on how to be seductive. You might even have a chance at making me shiver with delight.” Twilight walked up to Storm, and rubbed her cheek against his, then running her tail along his side as she continued past him.

“I’ll take your advice, Lieutenant.”

Some time later, Storm was preparing to teleport, with Twilight acting as a buffer. Usually, a unicorn cannot teleport long distances for the simple fact that their magic has a tendency to ‘leak’. Even one as powerful as Twilight Sparkle, or an Alicorn like Celestia, would have trouble teleporting the distance between relatively close places like Ponyville to Manehatten- a day away by carriage, or Ponyville to Canterlot- a day away by train, respectively. But, with another acting as a buffer, a unicorn can raise their potential by reabsorbing their ‘leaked’ magic, like a sponge that soaks up water even as it is squeezed, causing the amount of magic to be exponentially increased. That being said, it still took a good twenty minutes before Storm had enough power to launch the spell.

-fwish- Storm blinked, -flash- and then he was gone. Twilight turned to look at where Storm had been looking, to see the window had been opened. Shrugging it off as a possible happening from magical output, she shut the window and grabbed her saddlebags. She was going to eat out for breakfast.

*****************************************************************************************************************

“Phew, that was close.” The black colt hid in the branches of the library’s tree, after narrowly avoiding a meeting with Storm. Crimson knew that he did not want to deal with him right now; not with the way his wounds were looking. 'Meh. She's been through a lot lately, and seeing me like... well, this, would just dampen her mood. I'll just get going so I don't bother her.'

And with that, Crimson hopped from branch to branch until was back on ground level. He almost ended up slipping on his way down, his ears were still ringing and it had some effect on his balance. Though he had to wonder; when the time came, who's side would she pick? Crimson's, or Storm's? He just shrugged it off, figuring it would most likely end up being the latter. And to be perfectly honest, Crimson was okay with that. At least she'd happy, and better off with the one she loved for that matter. Who was he to get in the way of that?

As he trotted down the dirt road, Crimson couldn't shake the constant ringing and soreness his ears channeled to him. He was sure his coat was stained with dried blood as he could smell it for himself. Oh, and that skull pounding hangover was still present in all it's glory. All in all, he was feeling absolutely miserable, and couldn't give a rat's ass who saw him at this point, today couldn't possibly get any worse-

"REEEEED!!!~"

Crimson had to really try in order to keep the squeal from leaving his lips as he was forced -no, tackled to the ground by a marshmallowy pink blur. Yeah, the black colt had a good feeling who the culprit was at this point. With the amount of times this particular event has happened, it wasn't hard for anypony to take a guess. What happened next however, not so much. "Um, Pinkie Pie? Would you mind loosening your grip a tad?"

"O-Oopsie, hehe~!" the pink pony sweat dropped as she made her way onto her hooves. She didn't want to go overboard with affection just yet... "Sorry Red, I-"

The colt's brow arched itself when he noticed Pinkie's ever growing eyes. "Uh... Pinkie, you okay-"

"Red, you're hurt!!!" she shrieked in utter horror as she came close to tears. "Oh nonononono! What happened? Was it Storm again? Or worse, one of the company?! That would be soooooooo dangerous, I-"

"Pinkie." Crimson broke off her train of interjections with a calm, but stern tone. Before he said anything though, he grabbed one of Pinkie's hooves with his own and began to caress it gently, looking her deep in her cerulean eyes with his crimson ones in order to ease her panicking. Crimson once witnessed this performed on Terra when she lost it and had a nervous breakdown, so he figured it could work to the same effect in this case as well, right? "No, it wasn't the company, no, it wasn't Storm. Look, if we go somewhere with more privacy I'll tell you the whole story. Deal?"

The party pony beamed in a flash, completely ignoring how red her entire face was lit up. With a nod, she took hold of Crimson's hoof and dragged him down the dirt street. "W-Waitasecond, where are you taking me?!"

"Like you said, someplace private!" Pinkie winked back, a slight blush over her face. "And I have just the place set up to do that!"

"Um, I'm not exactly sure what your definition of "private"-"

"Enough chit-chat, let's GO~!!!"

"PinkieeeEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

And with that, the pink mare trotted blissfully as she dragged a slightly discontented Crimson by the hoof, both getting an equal amount of amused stares along the way. The colt still couldn't get over how rambunctious this town was, and it looked to him that he never will....

*****************************************************************************************************************

Numerous hooves shod in golden horseshoe armor clicked against the grand hall’s marble floor, the rich tapestries adorning either sign a show of the peace that has reigned in Equestria, as they marked the treaties of peace signed with all the other countries over the past thousand years.

But the highest ranking officer in the Celestial Army had eyes not on trinkets of peace, but tools of war. Storm Scratch strode past the collection of spears and crossbows laid out on tables to be tested for efficiency, and up the steps to bow before his Princess of the Sun.

“What is your report, Lieutenant Storm?” Princess Celestia’s voice, while usually mirthful and bubbly like a can of soda, had fallen flat; becoming cold and hard, as if that soda that children so love to drink was rudely tossed aside and a block of ice was put down for them to lick at instead.

“Milady, the Crimson Shadow almost had me. We fought in the depths of the Everfree Forest, and while I used the naturally occurring storm clouds to my advantage, he was able to overpower me in the end.”

Celestia looked over the soldier before her; he was wearing nothing but a determined but chagrined look on his face, and bandages covering most of his body. “Is that what these wounds are from, Lieutenant?”

“No, milady. I had an unfortunate run-in with a Manticore on my way to your Advisor’s residence in Ponyville. I was still weak at that point, and it was able to poison me. If it were not for the resident zebra, I would have not made it out alive.”

“Ahh, yes, Zecora...” Celestia’s eyes twinkled with amusement for a second, before becoming hardened once again. “Corporal.”

“Ma’am,” said one of the guards stationed at the foot of the dais.

“Send my regards for helping the Lieutenant to one Zecora, residing in the Everfree Forest, please. Also send an invitation to tea.”

“Yes ma’am.” With a salute of his wing, the pegasus took flight, heading off towards the distant Everfree.

Celestia turned back to her lieutenant. “Storm... How long was your stay in Ponyville?”

Storm thought back, but with being unconscious for a while at Zecora’s, and all the time he spent on the road prior, without a calendar... “I would hazard a guess at about a week, my Liege.”

Celestia nodded. “Very well. I shall contact my stu... advisor... and receive her report as well. You are dismissed; please rest, recuperate, and find that colt.”

With a salute of his own, Storm walked stiffly out of the Throne Room, through the grand hall, and out into the sunlight. He had a full day ahead of him, and he had promised Vinyl he’d stop by when he got back. Grimacing, he started towards her apartment, knowing full well how she was going to yell at him for getting wounded again.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Crimson Rays shivered as the pink mare ran her hoof down his back, washing blood and grime out of his coat. “Why you shakin’, bacon?”

“W-what? Pinkie, I know you want to help, but I really don’t need it. I’ve cleaned myself up from much worse before.” It also didn't help the fact that the colt was rather unsettled to be sitting on his haunches in a tub while another pony, especially a mare, cleaned him off. He felt so revealed and naked. Not that most ponies wore clothing anyway, but the usually cloaked colt had always been a bit embarrassed when it came to his own nudity. Not to mention he always saw showers as his alone time; a place that he could get away from it all and just indulge himself in the soothing sound of the water spraying from the shower head and through his fur.

"Aww! You gotta lighten up a little, y'know?" Pinkie Pie continued sliding her hoof though his sudsy black coat. The black colt glanced back at the mare; her mane, opposed from its usual cotton candy fluff, was doused to the point of hanging down almost completely straight. He had only seen her mane like that when they first met.

This time however, it didn't look as though she were saddened at all. Crimson thought it looked... pretty. Very pretty. "Hm?" The mare cocked her head in slight confusion. "What'cha starin’ at, Red?"

"N-Nothing." Red quickly replied as he whipped his head in attempt to conceal the faint blush over his cheeks.

"Anyway, I'm here now, so let me just clean you right up!" Pinkie squealed with a cute giggle. "Just relax, Red. I promise you'll enjoy this."

"Pinkie, I-" Red gasped, the words caught in his throat as Pinkie pressed a bit harder with her hoof.

"Just... relax..." Pinkie breathed softly into his ear, a shiver going down his spine as his blush deepened.

Crimson simply sighed as Pinkie's hooves began to prod deeper into the colt's withers. Red couldn't help it as his wings began to unfurl all on their own, his tail giving an ever so slight swish as his mind began to drift off into a sea of bliss. The harder Pinkie pressed her hooves as she stroked his back, the more intense the feeling grew, and the more the uncomfortableness began to slowly, yet surely fade from his thoughts....

Until he felt her tongue.

“Geep!” Crimson yipped like a puppy smacked on the rump as Pinkie’s tongue traversed the edge of his ear, from base to tip.

“Stay still, Red! I gotta clean everywhere, and boy do I mean everywhere...”

“... Oh, horsefeathers.” Pinkie’s body pressed against his back as he fell into the sudsy water at the bottom of the tub, his senses deadened from embarrassment.

Pinkie, ever the blissful mare, continued washing him, giggling all the while.

Pokey Pierce and Berry Punch were walking out of Sugarcube Corner together, their hoof falls unplanned as they stumbled drunkenly away from their first date, when suddenly the air around them was split by what sounded like a filly squealing with delight as she was given her first popsicle. What followed was a strangely enticing description of the male genitilia that left both drunken ponies blushing from more than just the drink, and yet with an idea of what might occur as soon as they got back to... whichever one of their homes they stumbled into first. On an unrelated note, it happened to be neither of their homes, but Lyra and Bon-bon’s abode, where the two started kissing messily as soon as they entered the front room, completely disrupting the meal Lyra and Bon Bon were having with Bon’s parents. Needless to say, the ring Lyra had bought for the occasion was lost in the ensuing chaos, though she did eventually find it, and gave it to her wife where they joked and laughed about it. But, that’s quite a few years from now, and completely unrelated to the story.

Regrettably, this editor’s note must take precedence, as it should be clearly noted that Pinkie did not rape Crimson’s unconscious body.

Because rape is wrong. But then again, is unrequited sex rape? Probably.

So saying, we’ll leave the two lovebirds to get acquainted better (heh), and check in on some sisterly... ‘love’... that Storm is receiving.

***************************************************************************************************************

SLAM!!! Vinyl’s hooves beat relentlessly against her brother’s slightly wider frame, his stance absorbing some of the blows as they rained down. “You asshole! Storm, you promised me you wouldn’t do anything dangerous! Look at you! Was Buckinghog’s Palace dropped on your face or something?!” Even though he kept his composure, there was no hiding the pain in Storm’s eyes as he weathered the shitstorm he was receiving.

“You’re correct, Vinyl. I should have been more careful in my pursuit of R... Crimson. Now, however, your attacking of me is doing nothing to quell the bruises I have already received.”

“Bruised?! Look in a mirror, blockhead! You’re a mess! UGH!” the mare turned away from her brother, only to punch a good-sized hole in the concrete wall beside the door. “You’re paying for that, Storm... My whiny neighbor already has it out for me as it is. I don’t need her calling the landlord again.”

“Not punching holes in walls might actually help, you know.” The white unicorn(s) almost jumped when the voice of a grey earth mare in a pink bow tie spoke up, casually sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in hoof. “So, having fun are we?”

“O-oh, Tavi!” the rather surprised Vinyl said with a sweatdrop. “I sort of forgot you were even here... you really need to learn how to be more noticeable sometimes.”

“I’m only noticeable when needed, and that’s on stage.” the mare retorted without even so much as a change in facial expression, despite witnessing yet another family quarrel. “I can’t exactly say I blame the neighbors, it usually is quite the ruckus in here when you two really go at it. Perhaps settling it in a way less... brutish would fix up the problem.”

“Mmmh, just drop it, Octavia....” Vinyl then tore her gaze from her snooty roommate and gave her brother a questioning look. “So... did you see Red?”

“Well...” Storm started, “I did fight with him, but unfortunately he had some help.”

“Help?” Vinyl tilted her head ever so slightly. “Who could he have had to help him? Wild Card and Glitch or something?”

“No no, just a group of insufferable mares. They seemed to buy that Crimson is some sort of “good guy” deep inside or some shit.” the colt’s eyes softened however when one of those mares happened to come to mind. “Absolutely insufferable....” The echoed giggling and warm feeling were dissipated by Vinyl’s dismissive snort.

“Well, now you’re here, Storm. For now, just relax a bit. Alrighty? And maybe you should give Red a teeny tiny break for a while, he wasn’t all bad when we knew him.” his sister gave a quick smile, her red eyes disappearing as she magically poofed up a pair of giant purple shades. How her attitude changed so quickly was still a question that Storm had yet to figure out. “Now I gotta jet, Sprinkles! A good party doesn’t start without DJ Pon-3 in the house! Get some rest, you’ll live longer!”

Storm didn’t even get so much as a word in before his sister bolted out the door. Wherever there was a rave there was a PON-3 he supposed....

“I wouldn’t look too much into it, Lieutenant Scratch.” the grey mare sipped at her tea, almost as if to hide a faint smile. “You and I know full well that when your sister puts on those glasses she’s a whole different mare.”

Storm simply gave a sigh. “Yeah, I figured that much out myself. I just hope she doesn’t hurt herself one day....”

“Ah, but that’s just the thing.” Octavia put her cup of tea down, gesturing towards the opposite couch with a casual wave of her hoof. “She uses those glasses to hide her hurt. Maybe you should go to one of her raves, it might make her feel better.”

Storm sighed as he settled down, lifting the teapot and pouring himself a cup, offering to do the same for the earth pony. “Yes, that is the case, isn’t it? I became a guard so she wouldn’t have to be tough, but ever since we were little, she’s always wanted to be the protector, not the protected. When she was told she couldn’t join the guard because of her poor eyesight, she was angry. Living the wildest life possible seems to be her coping mechanism, and I’m not going to be the one to tell her to quit it.”

*****************************************************************************************************************

Crimson awoke with a small groan to the feeling of a coarse towel rubbing against his back. Looked like he wasn’t in the shower anymore, rather the studio apartment that reside upstairs in Sugercube Corner; it had a bathroom, living area, bedroom, a small kitchenette, the works. More specifically, he was on the couch. It looked as though there were a few streamers spread around the place as well, though Crimson wasn’t exactly sure if it was for occasion or not. As the colt’s senses began to return, he could hear a cheerful humming to a very upbeat tune. “Mornin’ sleepy head!~”

“Mmmnm....” the black colt groaned, tiredly rubbing at his eyes. “Pinkie, I’m pretty sure it’s the middle of the afternoon at this point.”

“Details, shmetails!” she smiled back, poofy mane intact once more with a faint tint of red over her petite muzzle. “What matters is that you’re awake now! I can’t have you falling asleep on me when I have soooo much to tell you!~”

“Is that so?” The black colt’s brow arched when the mare excitedly nodded back. What he found odd is that instead of just blurting it out without remorse, she was warning him about it first.... ‘Must be something important then.’ he figured. “Alright then, shoot.”

“Not yet, Red, it’s a surprise!~” The mare was absolutely beaming at this point, as she gave a completely obvious wink.

“A surprise, huh? I’ve never been one for surprises, Pinkie...” Thoughts back to what Wild Card considered ‘surprises’ filled his mind, and he shuddered. Brownies were not something he’d ever find appetizing after that.

“Well, fine, I’ll tell ya, Red, but I’m gonna do it my way!”

“Your way? What do you-” The music changed from a simple ambiance in the background to something that he’d almost call techno... if he knew anything about music.

Then, Pinkie began to sing.

Crimson was on his haunches, his jaw working in a circle as he tried to find something intelligent to say. Nope, nothing. What was going on again?

Crimson’s face was taking his name a little literally, as he continued to watch Pinkie dance around, singing and occasionally vocalizing a “Woaoaoah”

Pinkie stood there panting, her face flushed not only from her exertions, but also from how much of her heart and soul she’d bared for the ex-hitcolt.

“That... that was quite the song, Pinkie, but... what are you even talking about? Love? Y-you know I’m not good with that kinda stuff...”

“I know, Red! But... well...” Pinkie’s demeanor, which had always been boisterous and over the top, was suddenly replaced by a timidity that Crimson had not even seen present in Fluttershy.

“What’s wrong, Pinkie?” His alarm bells were ringing, though it could have still been that soundwave grenade from that morning.

“.......”

“Pinkie,” Red prompted as he pulled her into a reassuring hug, “what’s wrong? I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s bothering you.”

Pinkie pulled out of the hug enough to see the clear worry and incomprehension in the black colt’s eyes before she couldn’t stop herself. She closed her eyes and planted her lips on Red’s.

The kiss was long, and was only cut off when Red’s brain rebooted enough to realize what it was he was doing, and where his tongue was in the process. “Oh, um, P-Pinkie, aha, hee hee, um...” He couldn’t even scramble, his straight was badly think so brained! “Um, wow...” He giggled nervously, like a schoolcolt who’d just gotten a kiss from his crush on Hearts and Hooves Day. However, the giggles then began to shift into a heavy panting....

“R-Red?” the pink -more red in the face at least- mare piped up. “Are you alright?”

Frankly, the colt wasn’t even sure. Crimson’s body began giving off uncontrollable shakes; beads of sweat were now beginning to run down the temple of his skull; even the past tingling feeling from Pinkie’s lips on his was still ever present. “Oh! Y-Yeah, I.... just need to.........”

Without even so much as a second thought, Crimson jolted through the apartment as quick as his panicky hooves could carry him. As he finally made it to the door, shakily turning the knob and swinging the door open, he felt a pair of hooves wrap around his waist and prevent his movement any further....

“Red, please! Don’t go....” releasing her iron grip, the pink eyed mare turned to face Crimson snout to snout. He almost couldn’t bare to look; streams of tears ran like rivers down her cheeks, the poofiness in her mane was starting to slowly fade, and to top it all off she was biting at her bottom lip as if it were the wall that kept her emotions in tact. The sight alone made Crimson's heart feel like it was slowly ripping in two.... and all he could do was sit on his haunches like a speechless foal.... Until something happened to come to mind.

“Pinkie.... what happened yesterday?” the pink mare just stared into the black colt’s eyes for what felt like eons, which had hardened into seriousness at this point. Pinkie’s ears folded back, and from the distraught expression she was radiating back, he could tell she knew exactly what Crimson was more or less wanting to hear.

“I.... okay, Red.” she sighed in defeat. “Just... please don’t get mad at me?”

The black colt simply nodded with the same stoic look on his face. Pinkie couldn’t read a single emotion coming off. She couldn’t even figure out what he was thinking in the slightest, but then again, it was like that from the start too.

“Alright,” Pinkie Pie started, “me, you, and Applejack were all playing this game called ‘two truths and a lie’, a game where each one of us takes turns telling two truths and a lie about ourselves like the title suggests, and the other two have to call out which answer is the lie.”

Now that she mentioned it, he could vaguely remember something like that happening, as if it were slowly coming back to him... but it still wasn’t enough. “Go on.” Crimson encouraged, still keeping a surprisingly strict tone, yet at the same time soothing.

“Well, as the game progressed, the truths started getting more and more personal. Until finally, you brought up... her.” Just saying that much, the pink mare’s body was now trembling under the weight of her own emotions. “You,” she continued with a sniffle, “you started to cry, then we started to cry and... and you pleaded us not to die. And, me and AJ, lost in the moment....”

“You don’t have to go any further,” Crimson let out a deep breath of air. She hit the nail right on the head, it wasn’t hard to guess what happened after that. “So I guess I really didn’t just now lose my first kiss, but.... nothing happened further than that, right?”

Pinkie shook her head with a look of disappointment plastered over her face, as if she would have wanted more to come out of last night. “All we did afterwards was fall asleep in each other's arms, the three of us.”

Crimson just sat there in awkward silence, eyes towards the ground, almost managing to lose himself in his own deep thoughts. ‘Almost’ referring to the mare wrapping her arms around the colt and squeezing him as if she couldn’t bare to let go, nuzzling her tear-soaked muzzle into his chest. The colt’s prior awkward feeling was beginning to slowly return; what in the pits of Tartarus was even going on? And then, through a faint whimper, she looked up at him, eyes locked once again.

“Red.... do you love me?”

Red’s eyes lit up like flying saucers. He was completely unprepared for that, and it ended up hitting him in the face like a timebomb. “O-of c-course, Pinkie Pie! I-I love all of you! You gals are the best sisters a colt could ask for.”

The black colt smacked onto to the floor and onto his back with an audible “Oof!”, his body pinned to the ground by Pinkie’s as she locked lips with him once more. His eyes rolled to the back of his skull, losing the will to fight it any longer as their tongues began to dance in each other’s mouths. Crimson’s own eyes began to water as he broke the kiss once again. “I-I'm sorry, Pinkie, but... it hurts to do that...”

“Dangit, Red!” The tears flowing down her flushed face started to drip onto his coat as Crimson seemed to take witness a mixture between anger and sadness on Pinkie’s face. “I love you so much it hurts!”

‘.........What did she just say?’ Had he heard that right? Was he hearing things? That had to be it, there was no way in hell that he heard her say-

“I love you I love you I love you I love you! Everytime I’m near you it makes me just want to sing! I love you to death, Red!”

“Pinkie Pie!” growled Crimson, the tone in his voice making the teary mare flinch back. “You’ve only known me for about a week! How the hell can you even say-”

“I do! I love you, Red! I know I do!” Pinkie desperately interjected. “I don’t care how long ago I met you, I’ve never felt like this about anypony before in my entire life! I even get this feeling as if I’m as light as a balloon every time you come into my thoughts. My heart starts to beat really fast a-and-”

“Pinkie Pie,” the colt repeated with the same amount of power in his voice, his crimson eyes boring through the mare like stone. “Just get a hold of yourself already! I’m dangerous, a terrible influence, something that you absolutely do not want to overly involve yourself with! And really, at most this is all just a simple little ‘crush’-”

“Simple? Little? Crush?!” Pinkie screamed, her voice raising in emphasis after each word. “Quit trying to act like you can dictate how I wanna live, Red! And quit trying to act like you can tell me what’s best for me! I’m a full grown mare! I can make decisions for myself without somepony trying to make them for me!”

“Then why don’t you quit trying to do the same for me!” Crimson yelled back in an equally irritated tone. “You treat me like a fucking charity case and make it as if I’m fucked up in the head and need all the help I can get! News flash, Pinkie Pie! I’ve gone twenty two- almost twenty three years without absolutely anypony’s help, and I can do it for another twenty three years if I wanted! Or at least until Princess Celestia, Boss, or hell, even Storm finally comes and takes my head!”

“Red....” Pinkie’s voice began to crack, tear, and break in front of the colt she held so dear, leaving Red immediately drowned in regret. “Red, you do need help. You can’t just go it alone and deal with your problems by yourself anymore!”

“Pinkie, I-”

“Shhh...” the pink mare cut off the possibilities of any new words escaping with a simple, yet light and gentle hoof placed over his lips. Soon, her hoof began to slide down the side of the colt’s mouth until it was softly caressing his cheek. “Red, how many ponies have you shared that many laughs? That many tears? How many ponies know you enough to love you? I want you to be happy, Red, and I’m going to show you as much affection possible until you can at least love too, even if it’s not me.... and just darn it all if I’m going to let you say ‘happiness’ doesn’t include ‘love’....”

Pinkie slowly began to bring her head closer to Red’s, making sure not to break eye contact as her cerulean eyes began to twinkle even through the tears. Finally, she reunited her mouth back together with his, more passion flowed then the first two kisses combined as Red’s eyes softened and, finally, came to a close. Losing all intentions of resisting, his thoughts began to melt with the radiant heat of their breath as their tongues performed a slow dance within each other’s mouths. Red felt tears sliding down the creases of his eyes, this time his own. But deep in the back of the black colt’s skull was an irritating persistence screaming it’s way into his thoughts. Deep inside he felt dirty, hollow, like a pestilence upon the amazing life of Pinkamena Diane Pie....

The kiss was finally broken, both lacking the breath they needed as they panted heavily, Pinkie Pie staring adoringly and lovingly into her love’s crimson eyes. That is, until they clenched themselves tightly shut, her heart nearly stopped when she was brought into the tight, gripping embrace of Crimson’s toned arms. “I..... I'm... sorry.” Crimson’s voice was now on the verge of breaking as well, and he thanked Luna he couldn’t see the expression on her face. “I... I need some air!”

Red broke the hug and galloped away as quickly as he could from the pink mare before he could stop himself otherwise. Despite the repeated protests of his name by the sorrowful voice of the mare, the black colt spread his wings, slid open the window, and with one final glance back, took off as fast as his wings could carry him, using all of his power in order to keep forward and not make the mistake of looking back a second time....

Pinkie simply stared at the open window for what felt like hours until she couldn’t even feel the strength to stand anymore; the pink mare just curled herself up on the floor and allowed the everlasting waterfall of tears to flow until her eyes were swollen shut. What hurt Pinkie Pie the most wasn’t the fact that the only colt she’s ever loved completely rejected her, or the fact that he won't, and might not ever be able to return any of the feelings she had for him. No. What hurt her the most was the pain that was present in the colt’s eyes.

The pain, the shame, and most of all, the fear.... ‘He... he’s afraid... Afraid of me...’

*****************************************************************************************************************

“.....got any threes, Apple Bloom?”

“Nnnope.”

The gamboge orange pegasus sighed as she reached towards the dwindling deck of cards, her own hoofful becoming rather over-filled. Her pale olive companion mimed her sigh, adding her unspoken thoughts to how boring their day was so far. The earth pony filly closed her eyes as she shook her head, amaranth colored hair flicking up out of her eyes as she did so. The two fillies continued their game almost silently, hoping that the last member of their group would show up soon, being in the clubhouse wasn’t that much fun without the full club.

A pony’s hoofbeats tapped out a staccato as a white unicorn filly with a two-toned mane galloped towards the clubhouse in question, her saddlebags filled with books and newspaper clippings.

“Got any fahves, Scootaloo,” the earth pony drawled in a bored monotone.

“Ugh, no... Go fish...” Scootaloo looked out the window again, wondering what was taking Sweetie Belle so long-

“GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS!!!” A ear splitting crash came from the door, causing the two fillies to almost shriek in fright. At the door was a marshmallow-y white unicorn filly almost reeking of panic, her curly rose and mulberry split mane frizzed from its usual beauty.

“Land sakes, Sweetie Belle! What n' tarnation’s got y'all so worked up?”

“Yeah, Sweets. What could possibly be so important to make you act like the sky is falling?"

"I told you enough with that, you dodo!" Sweetie Belle puffed out her red cheeks in a pout as the two fillies stifled a laugh. "That was one time and you know it!"

The tomcolt simply raised her hooves with a coy smirk. "Hehe, okay okay. Now, what's got ya?" Scootaloo couldn't help but roll her purple eyes when her friend began to take deep, slow breaths.

"Alright!" the white filly shouted to the heavens with a new found confidence. "Girls, you are both aware that Hearts and Hooves Day is only a couple weeks away, right?"

".......So?" the pegasus raised a brow in question.

"Yeah, why would y’all honestly waste yer time wit some borin’ ol’ holiday?" the farm filly followed up, her head cocked to the side with an equally bewildered expression. "An' 'sides, how would that help us get our cutiemark?"

"Don't you see? Having a special somepony would bring us one step closer to getting our cutiemarks!" Despite her desperate preaches, her two companions still sat on their haunches in a void of their own confusion.

"Okay, let me try to explain this again." Sweetie groaned through her facehoof. "Look, don't you see a bunch of the grown ups with their special somepony?" The unicorn started to beam when her two friends nodded in unison. "That must mean that having a special somepony is usually a sign of maturity! And once we start to mature, it'll make our cutiemarks all the easier to get, like hitting two birds with one stone!~"

Sweetie Belle's smile only grew when she knew she had finally gotten to her friends, they're eyes widening from the sudden realization as they both sprouted grins from ear to ear.

"Apple Bloom, she's right!" the small pegasus joyously exclaimed in an overly dramatic fashion, "We're already fourteen now, almost adults! That's too old to not have a special somepony!" She then turned to her friends with a surprisingly devious smile plastered across her muzzle. "Soooooooo~! Do either of you have somepony you were thinking of?"

"Yeah...." Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her arm with a faint blush. "Now that ya mention it...."

"Me too!" Sweetie Belle cheerfully interjected, now a noticeably shade of red herself. "He's really nice..."

"Strong..."

"He's cute..."

"So...." Scootaloo's smirk was only getting wider at this point, eyebrow arched as her curiosity pushed her further. "Who're you guys talking about, huh? C'mon, I won't tell!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle each, took in a deep breath, squeezing their eyes shut as they prepared to shout. "S-spike!” The two friends turned to look at each other bewilderedly. “Huh?! You too?!" The two fillies stared at each other in shock and awe as their faces collaborated and unanimously decided on the color of a tomato. The fuchsia maned pegasus, however, was already laying on the floor in stitches.

"HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!~ Come on guys, you've gotta be kidding me! Spike?! Are you guys serious?! AHAHAHA!!!"

"Yeah, an' Ah'll bet that y'all are jus' jealous you didn't think of him first, ain't ya, Scoots?" Apple Bloom began to smirk behind her blush when the orange pegasus' laughter suddenly came to a conclusion.

"L-Like you have anything for me to be jealous of!"

"A'm not hearin' a noooo~!"

"Aww, come on Scoots~! Don't be a-" it was now the white filly's turn to choke back her chuckles. "...chicken~."

"Oh, just be quiet, you two!" Scootaloo looked at anything but her two friends, who were trying vainly to hold back their giggles. "He's... okay, I guess."

"Hehehe~, either way," the earth filly got back to business, "we still need ol' Spikey to comply wit us to get this whole thing ta work out."

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Scootaloo's brow arched like the golden gate bridge.

"Yup!" Sweetie Belle still had to fight off her own flustered giggles which Scootaloo found infectiously girly. "I think I'm thinking what you're thinking~!"

"CUTIEMARK CRUSADERS DRAGON TAMERS!!!! YAY!!!!"

***************************************************************************************************************

"For the last time, LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!!!"

"I already told you, NOT UNTIL YOU SPILL IT!"

The black and red striped bangs of his mane whipped across his face as the black colt ran- well, flew- away as fast as his wings could carry him, though the tears that burned at his eyes didn't help with his steering any. "Mind your own business, Dash! It does NOT concern you!"

"Like HELL it doesn't! It became my business when I saw Pinkie's face covered in tears!" The cyan mare wasn't going to let up. No way in hell was she going to let him get away. "You're going to tell me exactly WHY one of my best friends is crying her eyes out! I swear on Celestia's mane if you hurt her in any way I'll-"

"Pinkie Pie brought it upon herself, alright?! If you were her friend, you'd be back there consoling her- SHIT!" Dodging clouds at this height swiftly became tedious at this point. Dash was just barreling right through them, her speed barely flagging. Even as he twisted and turned, flying through maneuvers to lose pegasi, she gained on him.

"It's best to tackle a problem from the root, right?! I know you had something to do with this, now quit being such a goddess damn CRYBABY and-"

Coming to a very sudden halt, the black colt turned around. Dash had to take a sharp curve to stop herself before ramming into him.

Crimson glared at Dash through his tears, a growl creeping up his throat. "If you even went through HALF of what I've went through my entire life, you'd have probably gone mentally insane by this point! If there's one thing that I KNOW I'm not, it's a crybaby!"

"Your face coulda fooled me!" Rainbow Dash snapped back, though the fire in her eyes were starting to diminish. No way she was going to make that apparent though. "Have you looked in a mirror lately?! The only thing you've done around here is cry, cry, CRY! Give it up, Crimson, you're a wreck!"

"Why you..." The black colt couldn't help but grit his teeth at this point. "And maybe if mares just knew when to quit...."

"You're talking to the element of LOYALTY, jackass!" the cyan mare spewed. Good thing she was out of earshot from that cranky ol' donkey. "You should be grateful you actually have friends that even bother to put up with your sorry flank! Or are you too good for us?!"

"Shows how little you know! If anything, you guys are too good for me!" The pegasi were engulfed into a lengthy abyss of silence, both losing their will to protect their pride. "...I....I don't deserve you girls, alright? I don't think Pinkie gets that at all..."

".....She confessed, didn't she?"

Crimson sputtered, his left wing faltering for a half second before he stabilized."W-W-Wha-"

"Don't play dumb with me, dude." He wanted to deny everything, play it off as if she was dead wrong. That'd shut her up. Instead, Crimson kept completely silent, knowing full well that it was nothing but the truth. And boy the truth hurt. “I don’t know what happened, but judging by the looks of it, it didn’t go over smoothly.”

“Gee, what makes you say that...” the colt mumbled under his breath.

“Look, I know Pinkie might have come off as brash, but that’s who she is! But you know her, she’s practically a kid on the inside, I’d imagine she’s almost as experienced at this as you are.”

“How... how did you even-”

“Figure all of this out?” Dash finished for him with a cocky smirk. “Dude, it was kinda obvious! Pinkie talks non stop about you, she’s also extra dopey when you’re around, etcetera. She’s got it bad for you, and I really doubt I’m the only who noticed.”

Crimson felt the temperature of his cheeks rise. His eyes were stung by the cool breeze in the sky high above Ponyville, the tears still fresh on his face, though no longer streaming. He absolutely hated it, why has he been so emotionally vulnerable lately?

Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but let out a sigh, she was never exactly good with this sentimental crap. “So now that it finally happened, I can tell you this. Pinkie Pie is one of my best friends in the world, and it’d mean the world to me too to see her happy. It’s your choice on whether you actually want a relationship with her or not, but please, just be understanding and go easy on her if you decide she’s not for you. I’ve lost a good friend before, I really don’t want to see Pinkie end up turning into a big grump as well.” As she said this, she playfully slugged at the colt’s arm. “Though I doubt she’d ever make a big of a grump as you!”

Crimson gave her a warm smile. It surprisingly helped, reminding him of the good times he used to have with his old friends... “Heh... thanks for that I guess.”

“Meh, It’s nothing. Just don’t go all sappy on me, ‘kay?” the cyan mare winked. “Look, I’ll talk to Pinkie, but think about what I said, alright?”

The black colt simply nodded, to which Dash gave a quick wave of her hoof before she, well, dashed off at impressive speeds back the way they came. That just left Crimson alone in mid flight, a silence looming through the skies. It wasn’t a pleasant one either, more of an awkward silence, despite him being the only one around to experience it. Those mares really did feel like sisters to him....

After what seemed like hours, Crimson finally decided he might as well head back to the barn where he could get a good night’s sleep. Who cared if the Sun was still shining, it’s not like it wasn’t out to get him anyway....

****************************************************************************************************************

“Oh, Spike~!” The young dragon looked up at the sound of his name.

“Oh, hey, Sweetie Belle. You guys crusading again?”

“Uh... Yeah! And, well, we need your help... Can you help us? Please?”

“Well, I was going to go see if Twilight would let me back in the Library...”

Apple Bloom cut him off with a well practiced pout. “Please, Spike? We need a guy who’s strong, and y’all are always carryin’ around them big, heavy books, Cain’t y’all jus’ help us for a teensy, weensy li’l bit?” Sweetie’s eyes grew wide, shining with hope and the radiance of the Sun herself.

Spike, his ego being rather lavishly stroked, gave in after a second’s worth of thought. “Oh... fine, if you really need these babies to help you girls out,” he gave his rather small biceps a flex as he waggled an eyebrow, “I guess the Library could survive a few more hours without me.”

Inside the Everfree Forest, a great, lumbering star-bedecked beast was prowling around, looking for a tasty morsel. It stumbled upon a zebra who was meditating in a silent glade, and it smiled predatorily.

From the distance, an almost muted ‘YAY’ could be heard, causing Zecora to startle from her relaxed state. She looked up at the confused face of the Ursa Minor, whose ears were twitching, and silently made her way into the cover of the Forest. It seemed she owed her life to the over-exuberance of three young fillies, something that just thinking about gave her the willies...

*****************************************************************************************************************

“Oh come on now, AJ, don’t you think all this isn’t a bit.... excessive?”

The orange mare simply chuckled, tightening the bandages to her liking, something the energetic pink mare managed to let slip her mind. Well, that’s what a certain black colt told her anyway. “No more than needed, hon’.” Applejack planted her hooves firmly onto the soil. “There we are, they’ll be all good as new in no time! Ah have to wonder though, how in all of Equestria did these here cuts come ‘bout in the firs’ place?”

“Well,” The black colt awkwardly waddled like a turkey. Those bandages did a better job constricting his movement really. “I kinda let my guard down against this damn ninja punk. A mistake I definitely won’t make again...”

The mare tilted her head quizzingly. “...Ninja punk?”

“Oh, right. They’re just a band of rejects I wiped out around something something years ago. Who’s counting, right?” the black colt shrugged in a worry-less manor. “Anyway, the kid had skill, I’ll give him that. I was being too cocky I guess, these little scratches wouldn’t have happened if I just took him down from the start....”

“Ya sure we shouldn’t be a lil’ more concerned ‘bout this?” Applejack asked in a concerned, yet level headed tone. “The varmint’s still wanderin’ ‘round Ponyville, ain’t he? What if he starts causing’ even more trouble before he goes after you again?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Crimson carelessly waved a hoof, “one thing I was able to figure out about this guy is that he has a sense of honor, which is more than what I can say for a lot of ponies I’ve clashed with. And he may be naive, but he’s not exactly what I’d call stupid. He’ll be back, but it will most likely be a good time after he recuperates. So, rest assured my fine farm fellowed friend~!”

Crimson reached out and playfully patted Applejack’s blonde head with a hoof, which she swatted off with a giggle and a hefty blush over her muzzle. “Hehehe~, hold on there, pardner. Pinkie Pie sure is rubbing off on ya, ain’t she?”

“Heh, maybe!” Now that he thought about it, despite how crappy this day had been so far, Crimson really did feel a lot more at ease. Maybe all he really needed was to get away from the town for a little while, Celestia knows that just standing around in this orchard of vast amounts of land and apple trees was definitely more soothing to him. He always did like the outdoors. Or, maybe it was Applejack. She did seem to be the most down-to-earth pony he’s met in this town thus far, not to mention she was really calming just to talk with....

‘....Though Pinkie seems to really be more of rubbing up on-’ The black colt shook the thought as quick as equinely possible. How could any mare possibly be attracted to him, he just couldn’t get it! Thank Luna Applejack’s voice managed to snap him out of his thoughts before he managed to drive himself crazy.

“Actually, y’all already looked to be healin’ quite nicely....” The farm mare hummed, cupping her chin with a hoof as she the gears began to turn. “Hmm.... y’all even healed from yer lil’ scuffle wit’ that nasty ol’ Storm much quicker than the doctor expected ya too. Why do y’all suppose that is, sugercube?”

“I’ve never been entirely sure myself, AJ. I’ve always been a pretty quick healer, same with Storm. In fact, Wild Card and Glitch....” He had thought about it before, but the answer never made a lick of sense in the past. But maybe... “...It’s gonna sound weird, but I honestly think it has to do with my cutiemark. Everypony I know of with one of these cursed things has been known to take absolutely intense amounts of damage and be up and running maybe a few days later. At least that’s what I’ve come to notice anyway.”

“Well, ain’t that just mighty impressive?” Applejack praised with an honest smile, “Is there anythin’ else strange y’all got when yer cutiemark appeared?”

“I’m not all that sure, really. Even Glitch is still trying to figure these marks out. However, there is one thing...” Crimson’s eyes hardened as he directed his stoic glare towards the ground. “From what Vinyl told me, I was covered in these weird flames when I first got my cutiemark.”

“Flames?” AJ arched a brow with an absolutely puzzled look on her face. “That’s.... somethin’... Iffin’ y’all wouldn’t mind, Ah’d like to hear ‘bout how ya got yer cutiemark, if that’s fine with y’all o' course.”

“Wait, didn’t I already-” The black colt stopped in his tracks right there. Of course, Applejack wasn’t even there when he explained at breakfast. If he remembered right, she had to leave early for work or something. “Well, alright then. It all happened about eight years ago....”

By the time he actually managed to finish, the mare and the colt sat in the orchard, shrouded the nighttime sky that was only lit by Luna’s bright moon. Crimson was definitely sure he covered everything, which left a very silent Applejack, her mind racing a thousand miles a second with enough imagery to last a lifetime. “So, yer mark... is a one of the twelve astro-whatever signs?”

“Astrological signs,” the black colt corrected. “My sign is the Taurus, the second zodiac symbol and its sign represents the bull. Or, something...” Crimson scratched his head, not exactly too keen on the subject of his freakish mark. “Supposedly, the personality traits of a Taurus are that they're persistent; honest; patient; tough; realistic; steady; stubborn; and, well, loyal. Now that I think of it, you might actually be a Taurus, AJ.” the colt chuckled to himself.

Of course, like with anything, there were also some bad qualities with a Taurus like spitefulness, resentfulness, jealousy, and they can even sometimes be a bit lazy, but Applejack always seemed to shine with her better qualities to him. Her strength, laid back attitude, how dedicated she is towards her friends, family, and business,

Applejack could swear that the heat from her blush could light through the dark. ‘Ah’m.... like him?’ The same thought sung in her head over and over again. And to be honest, she didn’t really have a problem with it....

She snapped out of her train of thought when the black colt got back to his hooves and lightly stretched. “Heh, it sure has gotten dark out, maybe we should-”

“Oh, shoot!” the orange mare facehoofed, voice tinged with distress. “Ah was supposed to be out here applebuckin’ the trees! Ah’ve gotten so distracted lately-”

“Hey, calm down, AJ. I’m sure with the two of us we can-”

“Crimson, no.” Applejack cut off, “Ah appreciate the offer, but y’all are injured, I couldn’t let ya do that.”

“Aw, c’mon,” the black colt pleaded, “I’ve done a lot harder than this while injured. I’m sure I could-”

“No means no! An’ b’sides, this is mah responsibility, so Ah’ll handle it.”

“Well... alright then. Just remember that you can ask for my help anytime.” Crimson said with a disheartened tone in his voice, to which Applejack regretfully nodded.

It almost broke the farm mare’s heart to watch the colt turn his back and leave with a slightly saddened vibe about him. She didn’t want him to go, but she knew that she did the right thing. Or at least that’s what she kept telling herself, not that it helped or anything.

“Well... shit.” the black colt said aloud to nopony in particular as he slowly followed the dim lights of the farm back. ‘I swear, I take these mare too much for granted. Hm... maybe if I just-'

Thwock. “Yeeeeooooow!!”

“Applejack!” Crimson eyes grew three times their size, and he about-faced and sped back towards the farm mare, burning wounds be damned. He got to her not a minute later, AJ gripping one of her hind legs, excruciating pain written over her muzzle. “AJ! Are you alright?! What happened?!” The bandaged colt spread his wings defensively, his eyes flicking wildly around, looking for trouble.

“Grrk, settle down,” Applejack grunted. It looked as though she was trying to hide the hurt in her voice, though she wasn’t fooling anypony. “Ah musta not been thinkin’ straight when Ah kicked the tree. If ya buck them wrong y’all can really hurt yerself...”

“Here, Applejack, let me-”

“Ah’m fine, Crimson.” reassured Applejack with a fake smile. When she tried to stand right on her hooves however, she just ended up falling back to the ground with a thud and a pained hiss.

“That is not fine, AJ. And as your friend, fuck, as a stallion, I cannot let you sit there in pain. So,” he crouched down low beside the pained mare, “I’m gonna carry ya. The trees can wait, you can’t.”

Just as she was readying another stream of protests, Applejack felt herself being easily picked up off the ground and into the arms of the black colt. The mare could have sworn the heat from her face could start a fire. She definitely wasn’t used to this kind of thing unless she was the one doing it for her friends. Applejack felt so helpless, but yet, at the same time.... safe. As if all her worries flooded from her thoughts.

Before she knew it, she was draped across the colt’s back, her forelegs dangling uselessly on either side of his neck as he started to canter in the direction of the Apple Family Homestead. She couldn’t help but grab on tightly, the firmness of Crimson’s muscular frame causing her to blush even further. By the time they made it to the door, Applejack could have sworn her face was the reddest of any red delicious apples on the trees....

“Applejack! Oh, are ya alright there, sweetie?”

“I-It’s nothin’ Granny.” AJ stuttered to the elderly mare, as she was still dazed from embarrassment of it all. “Ah jus’ got clumsy an’ sprained mah leg. Ah’ll be fine!”

“Ah, well, sure is a good thing tha’ there coltfriend of yers was there to save y’all from havin’ to crawl yer way back, now ain’t it?”

“Granny Smith, he ain’t-”

“Oh, Ah’m jus’ playin’ wit ya, deary. Now let’s get y’all inside before ya break the nice colt’s back with yer weight.” Granny Smith let out a loud holler, leaving the orange mare further reddened in the muzzle, though with a feeling of anger mixed in with the heat.

“S-Sorry ‘bout that, Red. Sometimes she tends to crack jokes at the worst o’ times...”

“Well....” Crimson started with a noticeable smirk, “If it’s any consolation, you’re not that heavy.”

“Oh hush!” Applejack lightly smacked the colt upside the head, which made him begin laughing even harder. She tried to keep the furious look on her face, but soon it cracked into a smile and she burst into a fit of giggles as well. Crimson’s laughter came to an abrupt halt when he felt the mare give him a quick peck on the cheek, her soft lips causing his face to once again rise in temperature. “Jus’ a simple thank ya for helpin’ me out, even if Ah was a lil’ stubborn at first.”

“Oh, n-n-no problem at all! I’m grateful that you would even put up with my crap!” The colt nearly melted when he felt Applejack dig her chin into his shoulder, the warmth of her breath going through his fur sending jolts down his spine. ‘I need to calm down. It’s just sisterly affection, right? Nothing to worry about.... right? S-Star Bright acted the same way... right?’

When he got to the dining room, a sweet, sweet aroma began to flare inside the colt’s nostrils. Warm, sweet, a hint of cinnamon, and of course his favorite, apple-y....

Crimson made sure to gingerly lower Applejack into her chair before grabbing one himself right beside her. The burly red stallion was already in a seat across from them, a plate full of crumbs just below his face as he happily licked at his lips. That bundle of filly energy didn’t seem to be around, must have been with her friends or something.

Crimson’s mouth began to water at the sight of apple tart pastries on the silver platter. Though it looked like a good chunk was already devoured by now. As Granny Smith began passing out slices, the black colt had to wipe the drool rolling down his chin before anypony could take notice.

“Well, what’aya waitin’ fer, sonny? Yer gonna waste away inta nothin’ if y’all just stare it like that!” the old mare laughed.

Crimson had to smile at how much of a stereotypical grandmother she came off as. You know, the one’s kids actually looked forward to going to see. Always spoiling their grandkids for the simple pleasure of being a grandmother. “It looks great and all, Missus Smith, but I don’t wanna intrude on a family dinner. After all, I am kinda intruding just sleeping here-”

“Red,” Crimson turned his head to see a deadpanned Applejack holding a fork of tart up to the colt’s mouth. “Shut up and eat.”

On cue, the black colt’s stomach gave off a gut wrenching growl, that he was sure even Granny Smith’s hearing was good enough to catch. He did only have an apple today- which he didn’t even get to finish, his empty stomach making it literally painfully obvious.

“Go on. Eat.” the orange mare pestered on. Did she expect him to eat it off her fork....

Crimson could feel a blush coming up, and it didn’t help when he shakily leaned over and brought his mouth up to the fork. When he finally caught the piece of tart in his mouth.... wow. The crust wasn’t too crunchy, and wasn't too chewy either. He tasted hints of cinnamon, just as he guessed, and the sweet bits of chopped up apple were a rich, flavorful touch. Crimson was never much into sweets, but it was one of- hell, it was the best damn tart he ever had! He really needed to ask that Granny Smith exactly how she did it, though he doubted he could making anything nearly this perfect....

The rest of dinner went fortunately well actually. Most of the time was just spent eating, but there was plenty of just regular small talk every now and then. Most of Crimson’s time however was consumed with the apple tart. At one point, Applejack stopped halfway through and offered the rest of her’s to Crimson. It didn’t matter how many times he refused, AJ wouldn’t let up. After he relented, the colt was fork fed by Applejack once again. It seemed to really make her happy though, so, he himself happily- and awkwardly- obliged.

“Thanks fer the meal, Granny, but Ah gotta go. Cheerilee expects me to be at her place soon, don’t wanna leave the lady waitin’.” Big Macintosh got to his hooves and gave a quick nod to Crimson before making his way to the door.

“Tha’ boy doesn’t wanna admit it, but he sure has the hots fer that school teacher.” Granny Smith chuckled, as she got up from her chair, and, unknowingly, stepped down on the black colt’s tail... “Ah remember when Ah was spry as a chicken! Young love even got to me at the time.”

Granny Smith sighed to herself. Crimson tried to hold his whimper, mostly because she was still standing on his tail... “Ah fell fer a muscly stallion by the name of Jonagold. Such a sweet feller. He was always willin’ to help the family out , ‘specially when Ah wasn’t feelin’ at mah best. He was real shy to boot, an’ eventually he warmed up to me.... Alrighty now, Ah’m plum tuckered out. Good night you two~!”

‘Oh thank Luna!’ His poor tail throbbed in agony when the elderly mare finally made her way to bed. As he was getting up, Crimson looked over to Applejack still in her chair, muzzle a very noticeable red, eyes locked in deep thought towards... nothing in particular really. He hadn’t really noticed at the time, but during the story, Applejack was rather... quiet. “Yo Applejack.... you alright?”

“...Red...” She slowly brought her gaze over to the colt. If he didn’t know any better, Crimson could have sworn he saw a twinkle in her emerald green eyes. “...Have ya ever had....well, feelings fer somepony? Y’know... romantic ones?”

What in Equestria.... “Well...” Crimson scratched at the back of his head, face now close to the same shade of red. “In Case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a lady’s colt y’know, not that I honestly care. Most of them are too intimidated to even get close to me.”

Crimson gave a small laugh, but the mare simply stayed silent, obviously not finding that very funny. “Well Ah honestly don’t see how ya think no mare has ever shown y’all any interest before! Ya always keep yer cool, yer very fit, an’ girls go crazy fer colts that don’t show signs of interest. Plus... y’all make yerself out to be some sort of bad guy, but honestly, Ah’ve seen such a sweet, hard workin’, and loyal stallion in ya that many stallions jus’ can’t pull off.”

That.... was possibly one of, if not the nicest thing anypony has ever told him before. Crimson never held himself with high regards, yet here was this mare he he’d only known for about a week showering him with praises. His blush only intensified at her words, but, it wasn’t something he minded her seeing for some reason.... “....Wow. Thank you, Applejack. Just.... thank you.”

“Well, somepony had to say it.” Applejack smiled, which the colt had to admit did make her rather attractive. “An’...” the farm mare pulled her stetson over her eyes. “Ah always thought y’all were really cute....”

It was hard to tell whose blush burned brighter -Applejack’s or Crimson’s, as the silence grew from a pair of legs and a fancy mustache and offered the two ponies a nice table at the awkward table. ‘................Cute?’ There was no fucking way he just heard that right....

“Red?”

Crimson looked back over to the mare, who seemed to be sliding her hoof in little circles on the wooden floor, desperately trying to keep eye contact with the colt. “Ah.... Ah may have left out a lil’ ‘bout last night....”

‘Oh no.’

“Well, Ah recall that y’all said ya really like animals, that ya cheered me up an’ made me look past mah insecurities, that y’all got sad when a certain somepony was mentioned an, well....” Applejack was sure the light from her blush could probably lead long lost sailors all the way back home from miles away. “....Ah can remember that Ah kissed ya and made ya feel better. But Ah didn’t lie about not knowing what happened before we went to sleep, Ah can’t remember anything after that kiss.... An’ y’all know what.... Ah couldn’t care in the slightest.”

Applejack brought her head back up and gave the sweetest, shyest smile Crimson had seen from her yet. It was absolutely adorable... but there was something he just couldn’t get.... “So.... h-have you ever had... feelings for anypony?”

Applejack nodded her head confidently. “An’ y’all know what? H-He makes me feel.... beautiful, an’ jus’ so good about myself, like Ah’m the only mare in the world that matters. Everytime Ah see him Ah feel so warm, an’ Ah wanna always spend every wakin’ minute with him....” She didn’t think she could act so mushy, but she just had to get this off her shoulders. She took a big, deep breath, and... “Ah... Ah love you, Crimson.”

Crimson’s breath hitched in his throat, and all that managed to get past was a sort of strangled humming noise, that can only be spelled like this: “hnnnnnnngh.”

….There was just no way..... The black colt never thought he’d ever hear that word again. What did he ever do to deserve it? Hell, what did he even do to deserve to have such wonderful friends like these? Or even deserve their approval of him, a place to stay, warm meals, all the affection he wasn’t even used to? To be treated like a regular pony for once, as if he wasn’t something other than a... a monster? Really......... nothing came to mind.

“....I... I don’t get it.” Crimson said outloud. “You’ve only known me for maybe a week. I’m dangerous, a criminal, a murderer, and a bloodthirsty monster. Applejack, I guarantee you that if you knew how I was really like, you’d keep your distance as far away as possible. Hell, you’d probably want me wiped off the face of Equestria like everypony else.”

“Crimson....” Just his words, they alone genuinely hurt the mare deeply. How could he call himself those things, and speak of himself so horribly, as though he accepted it as the truth? But it was the truth. She’d be able to tell if he was lying, and there was definitely not even a tinge of doubt in his voice. “Crimson, Ah don’t care just how bad y’all say ya are! Ah’ve seen first hoof evidence that yer nothing like how you make yourself out to be. Ah love ya almost ta death, Red.”

…..Déja vu. He remembered exactly how this went the last time. So, Crimson just released the breath he felt he was holding for centuries now, to make sure he avoided everything from happening a second time. “Well.. I’m not sure how I feel to be honest. I’ve always thought of you girls more like sisters than anything.”

“Jus’ take yer time, Red. Ah can understand if y’all wanna sort out yer feelings first before we think about actually making anythin’ outta this.” The orange mare gave a warm smile, but started to grow uncomfortably timid while she fought herself for the courage to ask just one more question. “Ah- Ah don't wanna sound too forward, but.... C-can we, I mean, would’ya like t-ta kiss?”

“Uh.... I.... I dunno, I'm not comfortable with kissing, really....” Crimson’s heart was beating a mile a minute, his breathing growing a bit more rapid at even just the thought.

“H-How ‘bout, um... o-on the cheek? I-Is that fine with y’all any? Ah-Ah mean Ah won’t do it if ya don’t feel comfortable-”

“Applejack.” The colt cut off her rambling with a somewhat strict tone. Had she gone too far with that one, or possibly pushed him unintentionally? As the seconds turned into minutes, Crimson finally responded with a small, hesitant nod. She... She honestly didn’t think he’d say yes.

With a small grunt, Applejack got up from her chair, completely disregarding the leg she had sprained. Did... did she lie about it to let herself be carried? The answer was given when Crimson managed to catch an unbelievably subtle wince on her face. Was she... ignoring the pain... just for him?

Finally, the black colt felt his face heat up once more when he heard a small chu~. Applejack kept her lips on his cheek for a surprisingly long amount of time, the soft feeling of her warm lips made him quiver, but yet at the same it felt.... nice. Meanwhile, Applejack was fighting with herself to decide when she should break it. Deep inside, she didn’t want to settle on just a kiss on the cheek. She wanted to shower him with nothing less than her love and affection, to give the colt everything she had to offer. But she knew that with Crimson, one wrong move could end any chances of something happening between the two. Forever...

After what felt like eons, the mare finally parted her lips from his cheek, as both once again fought to see who could blush the hardest. “....Ah think Ah should be hitting the hay right ‘bout now. Good night, Crimson.”

“.....Here, let me walk you to your room.” Applejack complied, her heart aflutter even though she’d been turned down. She was glad she’d been as calm as she could about telling him, no tellin’ how he woulda reacted if she’d done something closer to her normal behavior.

*****************************************************************************************************************

The pink mare simply laid in her bed, feeling as though she wasn’t going to be sleeping tonight. Had she really lost her chances... forever? She wanted to cry, but her tear ducts felt too swollen to produce anything from overuse. ‘Red... I-’

The mare almost jumped out of her bed when a split second shadow flashed near her window. “Calm down, Pinkie Pie. It was probably only a little spider or something...”

The pink mare rolled over in her bed, pulling the covers up tight around her withers. As she drifted off to sleep, her ear twitched, her stomach gurgled, and a single tear rolled out of her right eye. ‘Well, looks like somepony else is gonna be heartbroken. Just like me... I should... help cheer them... up...’ The mare snoozed on peacefully as a shadowy figure slowly descended from the ceiling, a smile clear on her face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editor’s Note: Heya, everybody, it’s AntVenom here, and today we have another Minecraft video! Okay, no, not really, but you gotta love the guy! In all seriousness, this was a pretty great chapter. Flame and myself did our best to move the two mares’ love for Red into the light, as well as give another example of exactly why he thinks they wouldn’t like him if they really got to know him. We don’t wanna make our Main Character into a Mary Stu, now do we?