‘Stubborn girls.... why don’t they just listen to reason for once?’

It would only be a few hours until their little journey began. The colt gave a mild sigh, as he trotted along the streets of the carefree town as his mind raced at speeds that would make even the Wonderbolts jealous. At least having his cloak back made this all the more pleasant, or at least as pleasant as walking in the Sunlight could get. And might as well, he figured. There was a good chance this would be the last he’d ever see of these streets....

‘I.... I don’t want to see them hurt, or........ And I won’t. Whatever happens to me happens, but I'm not about to let the only ponies that actually gave me something to protect since Star Bright share a fate similar to my own.’

Satisfied with his little affirmation for the time being, the cloaked stallion began to make his way towards the main gates of Ponyville where the five would eventually meet up. The colt’s ear twitched when a quick movement on the roof of a nearby home caused a faint takka sound.

“Heh, okay then.” Crimson finally came to a halt, the black stallion alone on a section of road behind a few buildings, where no prying eyes could see, other than a passing pegasus.

Crimson gave a wicked grin from ear to ear. “Looks like someone wants a little rematch, eh? Good news! I’ve got a few hours to kill, and I’m sure that you’ll be done playing hide-and-seek soon enough...” Crimson whipped around, his black-bladed katana flashing in the sunlight as he glared into a nearby alleyway. “BRAT!!!”

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

“C’mon, Twi! Check it out! There bar is fully stocked! Ohmigosh! I’ve never seen so much cider in one place!”

“What?!”

“Oooh, look at those cups! How the hay is somepony supposed to drink from such a tall glass? Is it a Unicorn thing or something? Hey, that looks cool...”

Twilight shook her head. She couldn’t hear anything Rainbow was saying over the thud of the electronic music.

The mare could feel her chest pumping a mile a minute. It was exactly how she had pictured it; multicolored flashing lights, ear-splittingly loud music, enough alcohol on the shelves to down an Ursa Major, hundreds upon hundreds of drunken dancing ponies, and one lavender unicorn standing awkwardly between it all....

“I... I knew this was a bad idea,” Twilight muttered, though more than likely to nopony considering that it was drowned out by the electronic beats. The mare trembled, her ears folding themselves down helplessly as her violet orbs targeted the exit. “J-Just a big, pointless mista-”

“M-Miss Sparkle- er, Twilight? Sorry, force of habit....”

It took a while, but Twilight noticeably beamed at the sound of the equally as awkward white stallion, despite the volume of the music currently blasting. It even looked as though he had acquired a new military jacket as well, which added to the colt’s already dashing looks. “....Storm? Storm!”

The flustered colt was caught off guard when he felt a warm sensation coat his lips, followed by a nuzzle from the Twilight. She was definitely getting.... better when it came to making him blush.

“I’m glad you came, Twilight. This isn’t exactly my idea of a Canterlot afternoon, but it’s better than nothing.” Storm returned the affection with a quick nuzzle of his own. He was definitely inexperienced at this kind of thing, and it probably showed much to his own dismay. “I promised sis that I’d.... relax, and she practically begged me to come to one of her raves.... and, well-”

Before he could finish his nervous attempt at recompense, the colt was silenced by another sneak attack of lip-locking via Twilight. “It’s fine,” the mare whispered breathily as she broke the kiss. “All that really matters is that we can finally spend some more worthwhile time together. Just the two of us-”

“Ahem.”

“... And Dash, heh heh...”

The tension that lingered where the three had been standing only increased as Rainbow Dash held her cold, hardy glare firmly fixated on the white colt. “....Right. Twilight, I think I’ll let you two have your fun. I’ll be over.... somewhere, if you need me.”

“Well, if you say so Rainbow-”

But in the blink of an eye, Twilight found that she was only talking to herself, the cyan mare nowhere in sight after she had dashed off at rather suspicious hurricane speeds.

“....Dash?”

“Just leave her be,” Storm spoke up through the silence, as his lips curled into a noticeable smirk. “I can’t really say I blame her after what happened in that town of yours. I seem to have that effect on ponies; it’s a pain in the ass for even my own sister to put up with me sometimes....”

Twilight looked over to the colt, questioning the slightly disheartened tone in his voice. “Well.... I guess you’re lucky you have me then!” she playfully teased as she nuzzled under the white colt’s chin. Storm could see through her desperate attempts to derail the subject matter, though he couldn’t exactly deny her unending affection was rather.... adorkable.

“Yeah.... Maybe I am.”

Twilight’s expression grew shocked, before slightly heady, a tint of rose engulfing the space under her eyes. ‘D-Did he just....’

“Well, what are we doing just standing here like stiffs?" Storm inquired as motioned he motioned his hoof around the crowded vicinity. “There’s plenty of.... activities, to do around here; dancing, getting something to drink.... dancing-”

The lavender mare couldn’t hold back her giggles at the colt’s forlorn attempts at enthusiasm. At least he was trying; baby steps. “In case you forgot, we are stiffs. Plus, I’m pretty sure that I couldn’t dance through a field of parasprites let alone that--” Twilight pointed at the crowd writhing to the bass like an eldritch abomination with epilepsy “--to save my life.”

Storm let out a small chuckle, awkwardly scratching the back of his head with a hoof as heat began to form across his muzzle. “Well, that’s good. At least I’m not the only one....”

“Well then, how about we rhythmless stiffs just relax a bit and catch up on lost time? It’s been around three or four years since I left Canterlot, I’m sure we both have some interesting stories that we could share with one another.”

The white unicorn nodded with great relief, thanking his lucky stars that his new-found marefriend could act as a scapegoat to what ponies around here would consider fun.... Wait a minute, were the two of them so close as to even label themselves as a couple, or dating for that matter? Honestly, Storm couldn’t care less at the moment, he’d rather dwell on those thoughts as they came. But like it or not, this could definitely be considered a date....

Oh, a certain DJ wasn’t going to let him hear the end of this one, would she....

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

“Hmm.... would you be so kind as to pass me that sprocket on your right?”

“Um.... Sorry, but do you mean this.... wheel thing?”

“Uh.... yes, that would be it, Raven. Thank you.”

The dark coated unicorn wiped a strand of her lengthy mane from her face as she sat quietly, ready and eager to assist the busy stallion with anything. Glitch turned his wrench to tighten the bolt, a loud PANG from his hammer filling the room every so often as he continued his work. The furnace at the far end dimly lit the workshop, but still kept a shadowy atmosphere about it, one that both ponies could very well appreciate.

‘This is almost romantic,’ Raven thought with a faint blush. ‘Dim lighting, just the two of us, him hammering away at... things. But.... I wonder.... what’s going to happen if....’

“...Glitch....what are you going to do when Boss finally gives the word about.... about Crimson?” Her violet eyes immediately shot off in the opposite direction, a blush seeping it’s way up her neck as she blew yet another strand of hair from her vision. “I-I’m sorry.... I-If it was was.... personal, I completely-”

“You should know it’s fine to ask me anything at this point,” the colt pushed his rectangular glasses up his snout with a hoof. “Honestly, Raven. We’ve known each other how many years now....?”

“S-Sorry....” the mare whispered, as her eyes slowly met with Glitch’s.

“....I’m not entirely sure myself, actually.” Glitch sighed to himself, returning his gaze back to his work table. “I’d rather not kill him; he is my friend; and barring that, he also holds a zodiac mark. It’s for that same reason why Boss punished him when he killed Hinode-” The door to the workroom slammed open, a pony silhouetted against the brightness of the room beyond looking around before spotting Glitch.

“Ah, there you are, my fine fellow! And a very fine hello to you too, Miss Raven.” The mare only hid her eyes from sight behind her mane until the pony redirected his attention back to Glitch. “How are you doing today, hmm? Working on another of those... what did you call them again? Rowboats?”

“No,” the green pegasus said as he studiously ignored the newcomer. “It’s a robot. A Remotely Operated Battle Optimizing Technodrone.”

“You don’t say....” The baffled stallion scratched at the locks of his pink mane, one brow raised higher than the other. “I’m afraid to tell you this, Glitch, but you’re going to have to put that on hold for now. I just received word from Boss about something rather urgent.”

“Urgent? What exactly are you getting at here, Notch?” Glitch’s attention almost immediately dropped from his work, his heart thumping in his chest at an alarming rate. ‘

A sheet of paper flew itself into Glitch’s slights, a rosy aura around it similar to what coated the light blue- almost silver- stallion’s horn. “It says here that you and I must head out immediately to meet with an old friend of ours....”

Glitch swiped the paper right out of the unicorn’s magic grip in order to get a better look for himself. “....It says here that the two of us are required to head into the Everfree forest just near Baltimare, to find.... Professor Diana Plasm?!” The green stallion shoved his nose deeper into the print to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks with him. “yatayatayata-Head towards the base he’s been confirmed to be located in and.... either take him in, or take him out.”

“Glitch! A-are you sure the two of you could handle him all on your own?” Raven’s spoke up, a twinge of worry definitely apparent in her violet orbs, which were glued to the green colt’s in an almost pleading manner. “Plasm used to be one of us, just him alone could mean serious danger! What if captures you, a-a-and ends up using you for one of his experiments or even-”

“Raven, please, calm yourself.” Glitch had trotted over to lay a hoof on the mare’s shoulder in order to help her cease her panicking, which unfortunately only seemed to do the opposite. “You and I know full well that I can handle myself, even against the likes of Diana.”

“Of course! And besides~,” Notch chimed in with much enthusiasm in his voice, almost as if he were about to burst into song. “Glitch and I are more than a match for Plasm and his entire gang of freaks. Remember who you’re talking to, Raven. Aaaand even if something happens to Glitchy over here, I’ll be sure to bring him back in one piece.... or two. Haha~!”

The pretty-colt’s grin only widened when Raven’s face seemed to drop itself of all color, as he recieved a look from Glitch that signified the message ‘You’re not helping at all’.

After much thought and lip biting, the jet-black mare sighed before glueing her gaze onto Glitch once again. “Okay, you can go as long as you promise me you won’t get hurt,” she requested sternly, as if she had a say in the matter.

“For the last time, Raven,” Glitch gave her a brief, but warm smile, “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

Notch smiled warmly at the scene, unable to stop the honest happiness from showing. ‘Ahh, to be loved... Such a wonderful affliction; the best and worst sickness out there.’ Notch shook the thoughts from his head, turning around. “Ta, Raven! Me and Glitch need to head out; don’t worry, he’s got me. He’ll be fine.”

“I-If you say so....” As the pegasus got to his hooves and the two colts went out the door, Raven simply stayed seated, staring at the sprockets she was still holding. ‘... Yes... Romantic.’

As the two trotted down the charcoal colored hallways, Notch couldn’t stop himself from letting out a small snicker. “Such a shy girl she is, and yet she still seems to have you whipped.”

“Cut me a break; I’ve known the girl since she was only nine.” the green stallion sighed, once again toying with the alignment of his lenses. “Not to mention I’m at least five years her senior. It’s more of a brother/sister sort of deal by now.”

“Well in case you haven’t noticed, that Raven’s a full grown mare now. You can’t just keep treating her like a kid forever.” As a thought passed by, a crooked smile gradually began to curl over his muzzle. “.....Heh. Think about it, my friend. Mares have needs of their own; you’d better be careful if you want to keep your.... stallionhood intact....”

Even though the green colt managed to keep his expression seemingly composed, a faint twitch of the eye was the only clue the unicorn needed to know he had broken Glitch’s stubborn stoic exterior.

“.....Anyway,” Glitch muttered in a tone that highly suggested he was suppressing an urge to strangle the colt next to him. “It’s not often that I’m chosen for this kind of thing, and when I am, Wild Card is often the one I’m partnered with.”

“Yeah, poor Wild,” Notch stated, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Poor guy’s been sulking all day about not being allowed to come with. But you know how Wild is; his hastiness and energetic behavior are what usually end up killing the pony we need to capture. Or his carelessness ends up with the wrong pony’s blood on his hooves, much like that one filly’s father if I recall correctly....”

“Indeed,” the four-eyed stallion exhaled mournfully, “And last I recall, Wild wasn’t the one who ended up suffering from it either....”

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

“I wonder where that insufferable stallion has gone off to, I mean really. He told us to meet there within four hours, not after.”

The farm mare sighed. “Rarity, it’s only been an hour! He’s got a whole ‘nother one if he’s gotta pack or somethin’! Give him the benefit o’ the doubt fer once, honestly!”

Fluttershy gave off a small sigh of defeat. “He probably left without us...”

Applejack turned to look at the demure pegasus, who had only stopped by her home long enough to tell her animal friends that she was leaving Spike in charge and pack a small lunch for all of them. “Really, Fluttershy? Rarity of all ponies, Ah expected to be skeptical. But you? Ah know you ain’t hung around him much, sugarcube, but he ain’t that bad a colt. He’s kept his word of helping around the farm, even when he wouldn’t show his face. He’s good, an’ Ah don’t know why nopony else wants t’ see it!”

“Oh! Oh! I see it! I see it!” the bubbly pink mare cheered as she bounced along the dirt road that lead towards the town gates. Applejack couldn’t help but crack a smile; Pinkie’s always seemed to be contagious.

“Now I’m not saying that I can’t see it in particular, darling. It’s just.... complicated to do so at times really.” The discomfort on Rarity’s face was visibly obvious, which could have meant she at least held some regret for her previous assumptions concerning the black colt. “I admit, that stallion can be rather sweet when he wishes to be. And none of it is his fault actually, it’s how he’s grown to see the world throughout his life....”

There was a silent agreement between the girls, as they continued down the path that led to the cloaked stallion.

And there he was; crimson eyes slid shut as if he were simply taking a nap, blood red cloak wrapped tightly around his entire frame as if to conceal the secrets that were locked inside. Nothing out of the ordinary, much to the mares’ surprise. He looked at peace.... that is, until they looked down to find him sitting on top the back of another pony, who was helplessly plopped on his stomach with no clear way of escape.

“So you came early? Good, less time spent on waiting so we can finally get this show on the road.”

Rarity mentally facehoofed. “I see you can’t keep yourself out of trouble for a measly few hours, can you?”

“He’s the one who attacked me, so it’s not my problem,” Crimson countered, smiling down mockingly at the robed pony glaring daggers right back. “I’m still trying to figure out what to do with him actually. Payback always comes to mind, however...”

“What are you ponies still standing here for?! Run! Save yourselves before he slaughters your entire village!” the mysterious pony cried out before he felt an enraged hoof deliver itself over the back of his skull, the pain not uncomparable to a metal baseball bat. His alabaster robes were littered in dirt stains, strands of his ebony mane were carelessly evident even through his hood, along with a slight reddish orange coat that was comparable to that of a sunset. His vermillion orbs almost matched, as they peeked themselves just over the mask that had kept his mouth free of any dirt.

It was then that a metaphorical light bulb lit itself inside the pink pony’s noggin. “Hey! I just ran into this guy only a few hours ago!”

“What? When?” the black colt tilted an eyebrow, directing his glare over the clans colt in question. “If he so much as touched a single pink hair on your mane I’ll-”

“Red- Do I look hurt to you, silly? All he did was run off while carrying some big overgrown crocodile thingie on his back. He also made a big ol’ cloud of smoke after throwing some kind of ball on the ground. I wonder if they sell those anywhere in Ponyville! I could use it for special effects for a circus act, or even the next Summer Harvest Parade! It’d probably be even more super extra snazzerific than my lettuce float last year! I’d have to think of some puns for that one too! Smoked Carrots? Nah... Ohh! Maybe even....”

‘Dear Luna, I almost forgot how much this mare could blabber on about nothing,’ Crimson massaged the crease of his snout, desperately trying to block out Pinkie Pie’s constant jabbering from his thoughts as he let his gaze slip to the almost equally annoyed Hayai. ‘So, my suspicions were correct; there was more than one of them. Guess I owe him one for potentially saving this town from turning into pony stew.’

“-But then she said she was too busy to let me in! Too busy for giving Pinkie Pie candy, are you crazy-”

“Pinkie,” Applejack interjected, placing a reassuring hoof over the frantic pink mare’s withers. “Ah think they get the gist of it, puttin’ it mildly....”

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” Pinkie gave a goofy salute, causing the apple farmer to once again break in another grin.

“Um.... well, I...” The pale yellow pegasus shifted her hooved awkwardly in the dirt, giving a quick gulp as she struggled on with her words. “If you don’t mind me asking.... who exactly is this pony?”

“Well.... would you believe a prince from a faraway land filled with ninjas that all want me dead because I took out their leader?”

“.........No, r-really... Who is he?”

“....It’s not important right now,” Crimson sighed, a hint of frustration in his tone. “What matters now is a way to get rid of hi-..... Pinkie?”

Pinkie delivered her full attention towards the colt’s roguish, blood red orbs. “Something the matter, Red?”

The black colt couldn’t help the devious smile forming over his muzzle. “.....You don’t have a spare, perhaps mobile, Party Cannon, would you?”

Pinkie giggled. “Oh, silly! My Party Cannons all have wheels! Look!” Reaching behind herself, she whipped a cannon easily thrice her size over her head to land with a small tremor in front of Crimson, whose smile just got bigger.

“Red,” Applejack started, tilting her head quizzingly, “what in tarnation do y’all plan on doin’ with-”

“Just a second and you’ll find out....” Picking the clanscolt up by the hood, he shoved him into the oversized Party Cannon. “Ya!” Slamming all four hooves into the ground as hard as he could, he sent the Cannon a good ten inches into the air; that was more than enough. Crimson got beneath it with a hoof and threw it skyward, the colt’s startled yell muffled by the distance.

He then jumped up to the cannon, where it hung at the peak of its arc, a good quarter mile above the ground. “Next stop,” Crimson exclaimed as he brought a forehoof back. “Canterlot!” He slammed his hoof on the button, the cannon flying back a good three feet as the colt inside was sent flying straight towards the mountainside city.

It was quiet, the only sound being the panicked screams slowly fading out in the distance. If Crimson had counted correctly, this would have been the second time today he made the mare’s jaws drop to the floor....

The white unicorn struggled to move her lips coherently, causing whatever words to come from her mouth to be almost illegible stutters. “I-he-you-cannon-fire-boom......do you even REALIZE-”

“Yup, and he’s Canterlot’s problem now,” the black colt made his descent and gently landed with a snicker, Rarity’s face red to the point where it looked as though it’d burst any second. “Now don’t get your saddle ties in a twist; the guy’s harmless towards pedestrians, so nopony there has much more to worry about that a little bit of confusion. Now let’s get a move on already. You do know that every second we stand here, the longer it’ll take to get to Plasm’s lab....”

“Um, excuse me, um... I-I think Rarity’s worried that y-you shot him from a cannon.” Red sighs, his head sagging towards the ground.

“Look, he’s tried to kill me, what, at least five times in the past week or two? I’ve been wanting to do something like that for a while now, and he’s tough enough to be able to take a hit like that, so don’t worry. Really. With my luck, he’ll wind up hitting somepony on the way there, and get a ride back so he can chase after us. Wouldn’t be the first time.... Alright, let’s get a move on already.”

Rarity gave off a frustrated sigh before trotting after the colt, the rest of the mares following suit. Though Fluttershy needed a literal tug from the pink mare to get her going. And the five were off, the sun lighting their path as though it was their holy guardian....

‘....Eh, I still prefer the moon anyday....’

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

“... And that just leads us right into Copernicker’s theory, that our planet isn’t in the center, but rather orbiting the sun. Of course, this has been proven completely false, and both his and Colambess’ theories have been removed from study, as they are unnecessary for learning even the basics.” Storm nodded, his face as impassive as ever.

One wouldn’t have known he was having fun, if they hadn’t noticed the subtle way he was leaning towards Twilight, or how he was at ease instead of standing stiffly at attention. Of course, this meant that Dash hadn’t noticed, and she pitied him. Not to mention herself. “Uuugh, this is so booring... Nopony wants to dance, and Twi and her colt are geeking out, and that’s no fun. What the hay is a mare supposed to do?!”

“Maybe me?” Dash looked up, startled, as somepony actually contrived to answer her question.

The other mare giggled, as Dash’s already fuzzy brain attempted to deal with this sudden new thing that took on the appearance of the mare taking a seat next to her. Despite her coat being an earthy yellow, it wasn’t hard to tell that it was very well groomed. Her mane was a glossy black that almost reached past the middle of her back, and while a little shaggy, still appeared well maintained.

She also sported a sexy, if not a too revealing, black dress that held slots for her wings to breathe and showed off her cutiemark: A set of scales with a moon on one side, and a sun on the other.

“To dance with I mean. Unless of course you had.... other ideas.” the strange mare smiled flirtatiously, navigating a hoof under the cyan mare’s chin. Rainbow Dash felt the heat rising to her muzzle, as she felt her head be gently tilted to meet the mare’s blazing orange eyes.

“S-Sorry, lady,” Dash pulled her head away from the other mare’s gentle grasp. “My wings fly only one direction, and.... yeah, sorry.”

“S’cool, I just believe it’s only fair to give both teams a chance,” the mare shrugged. “We do have two wings for a reason, you know.” The mare giggled again, before holding out her hoof. “My name’s Steady Flight. What’s yours?”

“Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in all of Equestria!” the cyan mare stated triumphantly- albeit while wavering the slightest bit- as she shook the mare’s hoof. “You can call me Dash, though.”

“Right, Dash....” Steady giggled. “Though “Dashie” sounds much cuter to me, dont’cha think?”

“Yeah, no thanks. That name’s a little....” Dash paused to tap a hoof to her lip, racking her brain to search for the right word. “....Personal, I guess.”

“Heh, don’t worry, I understand,” the earth-yellow mare gave a smiled warmly, which turned deviant when she followed up with “As long as you tell me why you were checking out my flank not too long ago.”

Rainbow Dash’s face flushed from cyan to rose, which she attempted to cover up with an embarrassed grimace. “Hey- D-Don’t get the wrong idea, idiot. Your cutiemark just reminds me a lot like a friend of mine’s cutiemark.”

“Is that so?” The playfulness in Steady’s eyes was replaced with one of curiousity, but figured the rainbow mare must have been naughtier than she had guessed and had somehow gotten a sneak peak of Storm’s mark from under his jacket. “Well, if you’re really that curious, it’s the sign of the Libra. I don’t see why Storm decides to keep his all covered up; this mark signifies that we’re unique~!”

“Storm? How do you-”

“Oh, he’s a colleague of mine,” Steady stated as if it were no big deal, turning her attention towards the two lovebirds across the other bar. “He and I work together, though he’s a good few ranks higher than I am.”

“W-Wait a sec- you’re a-” Her suspicions were confirmed with a simple nod as Rainbow Dash tried to fathom how her words could be true. “I....would’ve never pegged you for a Celestial Guard, actually. Ehehe....”

“No worries, I realize that I mustn't look the part without any kind of armor on.” the tan pegasus chuckled with no evident signs of being offended.

“So.... you work with that ass?”

“Unfortunately....” And with that, Steady’s blazing orange orbs lingered their way back over to the couple, almost letting out a squee when the lavender mare planted a kiss over the now blushing Storm’s cheek. “Awww, aren’t they just the cutest~?”

“Buck no!” the rainbow maned pegasus shot back with poison in her tone. “Twilight doesn't deserve to put up with a jerk like him, she's way too good for that! I mean, Red’s an okay colt, and he’s supposed to be the ‘evil’ one.”

“....Red? That name sounds familiar....” Steady only shrugged. “Well anyway, I think it'll do him good. Maybe soften him up a bit. Would be quite a vacation from his usual poutiness.... Hmm, I wonder what their kids would look like.”

Dash, unfortunately, was drinking Wild Pegasus when that was said, and it ended up burning her throat worse on the way out. “Pff-what?! What?!”

“Just a thought is all~! Hahaha! You should have seen the look on your face!”

“ARGH, Celestia dammit!”

Storm lightly cursed under his breath, trying his hardest to contain the sigh within his throat. He couldn’t tell exactly what they were saying, but knowing Steady Flight, it was enough to make him cringe.

“.....Storm? Are you feeling okay?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry. It’s just that this place is so nosy- er, noisy to the point where it’s getting a little complicated to talk is all....”

Twilight nodded in agreement, until her eyes lit up as though they were stars in the sky. “I remember reading that those special passes you gave me also allowed me private access to the lounge backstage!”

“Ha, well that’s good news. I can’t believe I didn't think of that earlier, Miss Smartypants.” Storm teased, giving a quick chuckle. However, the stallion’s grin slowly faded when he noticed the look Twilight was giving him. She stared lovingly, alluring violet orbs at half mast with a blush spread over the mare’s entire muzzle. The lavender mare lips curled into a smile far, one that definitely proved the naughty librarian stereotype was much more than a mere myth.... “....Twilight, why are you-”

“Storm, don’t play dumb....” The heat in the white colt’s cheeks grew tenfold, as Twilight pressed her snout into his mane, murring in pleasure as his musky scent filled her nose. Storm was sure his heart was pumping at lightning speeds, as he felt mare’s warm breath coursing through his mane. Finally, the librarian got up from her stool, running her tail under Storm’s muzzle as she looked over her shoulder with that same look at before. “Well, what are you waiting for, Lieutenant? Let’s “talk” somewhere a little more.... private.”

Before he even had the chance to protest, Twilight’s horn alit with a rosey aura, along with the collar to Storm’s jacket as he was dragged against his will by the mare’s superior magic. Yep, she was definitely getting better. Steady Flight let out a faint laugh, the cyan mare sitting next to her trying to stop herself from barfing all over the countertop.

There was an unsure silence wavering over the two mares- or as silent as a gigantic rave joint with speakers even larger than a full grown manticore pounding from the raw power of the electronic bass could get- before Steady decided be the one to break the ice.

“....Well, looks like we're two sober mares with nothing to do.... wanna change that?”

“Eh, why not. I'm game.”

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

“Oh come on now! Please? Pretty please? I’m begging you, darling; we’ve been walking for hours! Even the moon is a sign from the Princess of the night herself that we should take a incy-wincy little break!”

It was taking the black colt all of his might not to respond to the white unicorn’s whining- or as she she corrected him with the proper term, complaining. Though it was true that the moon was visible, the sky was still red and just well enough lit to continue onward.

“C’mon now, Rarity.” the orange mare began. “Remember, we’re the ones who agreed to the term’s n’ all.”

Though he didn’t let it be known, the cloak clad colt let a smile form over his muzzle; at least somepony saw the method to his madness.... Wait a minute, what was that- “Stop.”

Crimson tried not to roll his eyes as Rarity, ever the drama queen, set herself down with an exhausted sigh, massaging her aching hooves before catching a whiff of why he’d ordered them to stop walking.

“Ugh, what is that horrid stench? It smells like... I don’t even know what it smells like. I’d say rotten eggs, but it’s more akin to the stench of something my sister made when she tried her hoof at baking cookies.” Rarity put a hoof over her mouth as the stench made her feel nauseous.

Crimson grunted, sniffing at the air and wrinkling his nose. ‘Something’s dead, and it’s fresh. Maybe a day or two. Either an Ursa got careless with its meal, or someone’s sending a message.’ He looked at the group of mares waiting patiently behind him. “I’ll check it out. Stay here until I say you can move. Pinkie, you’re on guard. AJ, you watch the rear, in case we were followed. Fluttershy, you get into the air, or even a tree, and scan the skies. Rarity, you can take a break. Eat something, all of you. This counts as one of our breaks for the day.” As the mares all set about their tasks with varying levels of reluctance and silence, Crimson disappeared into the trees, barely leaving a whisper of wind at his departure.

“Shit, I figured as much,” the black colt sighed, inspecting the completely still manticore lying on it’s side, noting the various slash marks that could only be done with a quick hoof and a swift katana. “Those bastards couldn’t have signaled me a different way? The poor creature didn’t need to act has a medium....”

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

“Wooo!!! You go, girl! Work that rainbow butt!!!”

“Shaddup! Yuuurrr Drunk!”

“Hehehe! Y-Yer wun ta talk! Ya’ve had more to drink ten meee-eheheeee!”

The cyan mare merely waved Steady off with a dismissive hoof and took another swig of her “happy-happy fun drink”, too inebriated to even notice that the earthly-yellow mare’s blazing orange orbs were now replaced with an alluring shade of midnight blue. Once she finished off her entire bottle, Dash couldn’t help but notice the discomforting swaying of Steady’s frame. “Hey, yurr nawt lookin’ so gud, y’know.....”

“Nawww, dun worry ‘bout et, Ah’m jus’ gettin’ starte-” Steady brought her hoof up to her head as a reflex to the sharp pain, a grunt escaping her lips as she tried to fathom how her new friend managed to clone herself.... “.....Onnnnn second thought, Ah need ta sit down fer a bitty.... ehehee-owie....”

Rainbow Dash let out a disheartened sigh as she watched her only dance partner head off on her quest to recharge, both completely unaware of the eerie cloaked figure pushing past the doors, an intense sense of determination present under her hood.

Dash suffered a momentary wave of alcohol enriched depression. ‘I’m hot, right? I’ve got good looks. You’d think guys would be falling for me left and right. I haven’t seen a single guy looking in my direction all night; am I intimidating? Am I too coltish for them?’ She sighed, her inebriated swaying causing her to become slightly dizzy. ‘I wish a colt would just appea-’ CRAASH!! Rainbow Dash yelped in surprise, though she seemed to be the only pony who’d noticed the noise. Looking around, she didn’t see much except for a broken table, and part of the ceiling on top of said broken table.

Next, she saw the pony laying amidst the heap, face down, groaning beneath his cloak. “‘Ey, buddeh. You oakie down thayeh?”

The handsome colt— ‘Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh, please tell me I’m not hallucinating!’—looked up groggily, getting to his hooves with Rainbow’s help.

“I am sorry for my rude entrance, Miss. I seem to have been cannonized.” Dash couldn’t help the giggle that followed, and she couldn’t care less how girly it sounded.

“C’mon, dude! Let’s hit thuh dance fleur! Nice mask! Woohoo~!”

Dash pulled the colt onto the dancefloor, continuously invading his space as she rubbed up against him. Completely accidently. It was the alcohol’s fault. Totally. Like, uh, completely.

... She wasn’t enjoying the way the barrel of his chest was firm and corded with muscle, and it totally didn’t feel amazing to rub her wings along his sides and back. Nope, not at all. No, really. She wasn’t interested.

“You are quite drunk, Miss,” the colt yelled over the sound of the music.

“Dash!”

“What?”

“Muh name’s Dash! An’ don’t call me missus Dash, either! Muh Cootie mark’s not a spice rack! ... Oh, hai mark... Whuzzit mean?”

What?”

“Yer mark, ya wingless turkey!” Rainbow Dash giggled as she leaned against the colt, running her hoof along the firm muscle of his fla- pointing at his cutie mark. (She’s not attracted to him.)

“It... it’s a scroll. And a katana.”

“Yeah, cool. Wazza mark on th’ scroll mean?”

“The symbols are 日没, which is the symbol of my clan, the Nichibotsu.”

“Cool, wassat mean?” The colt didn’t get the chance, as Dash suddenly grabbed him, and pulled him off the dance floor, and to the bar. “Whaddya usually drink, Mista masked colt?”

“.... Sake. And my name is Kaminari Hayai; I am the Prince of-”

“Drink up, Kamin-uh, Karme-no, Kalimari! Kalimari Hi hi~ You got a coo’ name.” The mare leaned against Hayai, rubbing his shoulder with her cheek before starting to snore. The barkeeper grinned and waggled his brow in Dash’s direction when he saw Hayai looking towards him.

“You feelin’ lucky, kid?”

Hayai’s eyes narrowed. “I do not like the suggestive edge your tone has, sir, nor do I appreciate your lack of respect.”

“And I don’t appreciate your face; can’t keep it covered and drink at the same time.”

It turns out, actually, that you can.

-----

“Mmmm.... Storm, what products do you use to get your fur so.... soft?”

The mare nuzzled her snout further into Storm’s coat, relaxing her head on his chest as she lay on top of the stallion. She seemed content with cuddling like this, and to be honest, Storm didn’t find a problem with it either. It definitely beat the other idea that dreadfully swam through his thoughts into the ground.

The white colt couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought now, of course a mare like her wouldn’t want to rush into intimacy so soon.... “Heh, I guess we both have our own definition for “private”. Not that I mind or anything....”

Twilight didn’t even bother to lift her head in response, as she found the colt’s midriff much too comfortable. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll get to that part soon enough....”

The stallion’s heart felt like it was running on a treadmill, his face lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree. Luckily, saving him from having to form an awkward response was a series of terse knocks coming from the other side of the lounge door.

“T-This lounge is occupied!” Storm let out, though he was sure the cracking in his voice didn’t make it sound at all convincing. Where.... Where did his confidence runoff to.... Did this mare steal it when he wasn’t looking?

A couple seconds passed before yet another set of repeated knocking struck the door once again. Storm sighed, “Sorry, Twilight. I’m gonna have to get up and see who it is.”

“But.... But then I’ll lose my comfy combat pillow!”

The lavender mare gave a pout similar to a puppy when she was forcibly pushed aside. As Storm let his first hoof make contact with the floor, he couldn’t help but notice how shaken it was. Storm shook his head in attempt to regain his composure and made his way to the door; sparks coating the handle as it turned itself, revealing other side of the door to be something the white stallion had not expected.

A fully cloaked figure with height to rival the colt’s own stood at the doorway in uncanny silence. With one swift motion of it’s hoof, the hood was pulled back to reveal the figure to be a mare; her coat a dark sapphire, eyes a blue that rivaled the midnight sky, and the horn on her head on a much larger scale than most unicorns’. Her most distinguishing feature however, was her majestic mane that flew freely without any assistance from the wind, which also mimicked the night sky with hints of distant stars engulfed in it’s everflowing beauty.

“P-Princess Luna?”

“Ah, yes. Lieutenant Scratch. We were hoping that you’d be present at this rather.... vociferous establishment.”

Without hesitation, Storm knelt before the deity out of the utmost respect for the moon princess. “M-Milady, to what do I honor this pleasant visit?”

“Save the formalities for another time, Lieutenant; we do not wish to draw attention to ourselves, as we are here of a different accord. We wish to speak to you about-”

“Storm, can you hurry up with whoever you’re talking to so we can get on with-”

“Ah! And how lovely to see you here as well, Sparkle.”

“L....Luna?!”

The lavender mare beamed, throwing caution to the wind and embracing the princess in a tight hug that was happily returned, leaving the Celestial Soldier simply trying to process what was even going on. But now that he had begun to think about it, Storm couldn’t help but roll his eyes; Twilight must have saw her less as “Princess of the Night” and more of “aunty”.

“It’s great to see you too, Luna,” Twilight broke the hug, as her excitement was slowly being enveloped with curiosity. “But.... what brings you to a place like.... well, this?”

“Actually, we- er, I came because I have an order from Tia to give to the male Scratch twin.” An uncharacteristic, yet smug smirk formed along the Alicorn’s muzzle as she followed with, “And as if I even need to ask why you’re here....”

“H-hey! What’s that supposed to-”

Luna simply raised a hoof, effectively cutting off the intensely blushing mare.“Nevermind that, Twilight. As I have stated, I must pass on this order from dear sister.”

Storm’s ears perked, Twilight sitting patiently as the two kept silent, both eager for her to continue. “As you may be already aware, lieutenant, there is a mad professor by the name of Diana Plasm- a master gene splicer and bio-scientist, who had disbanded from all his ties with any former affiliates so that he may work on his.... “experiments” without any hinderance.”

‘Plasm.... Plasm?! There’s just no way!’ As it had hit her, Twilight’s violet orbs grew in revelation from the Lunar Princess’ words. It was as if all the wheels were now finally coming in motion. ‘But... Chances are she wants him out of the picture as much as.... as.... Sorry, Luna, but I can’t let anything about Crimson slip from my mouth, or he’ll really be in trouble this time....’

“Now, rumors be told that he has been spotted somewhere inside the forest of Everfree, where, supposedly, he has been hiding out. This stallion could be a danger to all of Equestria if he is permitted to roam free. Your mission, Lieutenant Scratch, is to snoop around the general area for clues of his whereabouts. Thou musn’t approach him head on; even alone he is proven to impose an immense threat. Neigh; you shall only get as much information as you can muster, Celestia and I will take over the rest.”

“Princess, if I may be granted a question....” the white colt, all the while had returned to bowing before her royal presence.

“Permission granted, lieutenant. To what question would thou likest to have answered?”

There was a slight hesitation, but Storm managed to still squeeze out “Well.... I’m Celestia’s top guard; why am I only allowed to act as a spy? And for that matter, if it’s just a simple spy mission, why wasn’t a lower rank assigned instead of me?”

“We believe your first question was already answered.” Princess Luna stated matter-of-factly. “He is much too dangerous for somepony even of your caliber to try and ambush all by yourself. And to top it all off, Plasm is very... clever. What makes you believe that a pony of a lower rank could pull off a simple investigation mission if thou wilt have trouble thyself?”

The stallion’s royal blue orbs narrowed before finally coming to a close, a bead of sweat rolling off of Storm’s chin as he exhaled in regretful defeat. “Y-Yes, your royal highness.... I shall see to your order as soon as equinely possible.”

“Good to hear, Lieutenant Scratch. We give you the rest of this glorious night, as you shall arise to your mission first thing in the morn. We suggest you spend this precious time wisely.”

Storm could have sworn the Princess’ eyes flickered towards Twilight for a brief moment as she cited her last words, draping her hood back over her luxurious mane before trotting her way out the doorway and toward the unknown. This only left two unicorns sitting in silence, both too consumed by their own thoughts to utter a single word....

“I guess that’s it then,” Storm sighed, grievance painfully obvious in his tone. “I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning. Don’t worry, I’ll be back, then maybe we can-”

“I’m going.”

“Y-You can’t be serious-”

“I mean it, Storm!” The lavender mar’s voice grew, as did the colt’s from Twilight’s new found attitude. “You heard her, so you should know! There’s no way you can do this all on your own! Not without a little help-”

“Forget it, Twilight,” Storm interjected with a new found confidence of his own. “The Princess chose me to fulfill this mission, and me alone. And besides, you heard her yourself; this is going to be dangerous, too dangerous for me to risk you getting hurt-”

“I think I can handle myself, Storm. Or, did you forget that my magic capabilities surpass even your own?” the mare stated in a surprisingly cold tone of voice, a flame of righteous fury in her eyes hidden just beyond the violet.

“....What’s your point?” shot back Storm as his eyes glowed with irritation. “Your magic may be stronger, but you were never trained to use it on a real battlefield.”

“Storm, I-”

“And I can also tell that there’s more to this than you’re letting on.... Exactly what are you trying to hide from me?”

Twilight remained hesitant to answer, as the stallion kept his glare locked firmly on her’s. “....One of my friends was attacked by one of his mutants. If it weren’t for Crimson, I don’t know what would have-”

“So I take it Crimson’s going after Plasm as well....”

“N-No! I- well yes- but- I-I mean-........” The mare simply let out a defeated sigh and gave a nod; it was too late now anyway.

“I see.....” Seconds passed with the colt in silence, until a scowl made it’s way onto his muzzle. “....I see I have more reason to take this mission seriously.”

-----

“Mi- er, Dash. Please, wake up.” Hayai shook her by the withers, trying not to be rude but also not wanting to let anypony around them think anything untoward had happened betwixt the two of them.

“Grrnl-mrrfrlum... Nrrmmm....” Dash twisted and turned on the chaise couch, coming to a rest with a foreleg wrapped around Hayai’s midriff, her face against the barrel of his chest.

“Uh-uh... Um.... M-miss Dash, p-please wake up...”

-----

“Why are you so adamant about hurting Crimson?!”

“It’s my duty to give that criminal scum what he rightfully deserves! I will not pass this up, not in a million years, Twilight!”

"Storm.... just leave." the lavender mare huffed.

"Why do you insist on protecting that scoundrel?”

“Because he’s my friend, and he’s been nothing but nice to me and my other friends. You, on the other hoof, almost killed Pinkie Pie! Her being my friend aside, that would be going directly against the Kingdom, because she’s a Bearer of an Element. Try being civil for once around him. You were his friend at one point, he told us so!”

“A mistake that I still regret even to this day....” muttered the colt, looking her dead in the eyes. “....I really do envy you, Twilight."

"J-just shut up, Storm! I don't need to hear this from you!" Twilight sighed. "At least.. not anymore..."

"Oh, but it's true. For many reasons, actually." Storm continued. "Here I am, working my ass off to learn a new spell; sometimes it would even take me years. And yet... it probably only takes you maybe a few days with relative ease."

Chuckling to himself, Storm began to inch himself ever more closer to the mare. "And not only that, but you're actually allowed to see Princess Celestia's good side, and all the time, might I add. It's funny, I always sort of thought of her as the mother I never had, but it looks like mother always keeps her irritation hidden from her favorite."

"Just knock it off, you're just talking nonsense now." Twilight growled, narrowing her glare.

"Oh, but it's true, my dear sweet foster sister." Storm went on with a smirk on his face, despite the mare's intense death stare. "But you can't really blame her. When you lose more of your nation’s population by the hour from a certain black organization, you tend to get frustrated now and then, and these are times of fighting. I'm her top guard, so it'd make sense that her war face is the only face I'd get to witness."

"Don't flatter yourself,” Twilight clenched her teeth, “Don’t underestimate my brother, Storm. The only reason you’re Celestia’s top guard now is because he’s too busy leading the Crystal Empire with Princess Cadance. Otherwise, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

"I wouldn't exactly say that now; I’m the offence of Celestia’s men, while Shining Armor was simply the defence." The colt stated coldly, but he wasn't quite done just yet. "Oh, and one more thing I envy of you..."

"Oh, I can't wait to hear this..."

"You have friends." he sighed. "Friends who actually give a rat’s ass about you. Friends you can actually trust; all I have is Vinyl. And you wish to give that all up just to be with me?"

"Oh you've gotta be joking!" Twilight yelled, feeling that she could take no more of the words he was spewing. "Crimson cared for you like you were his Goddess damned BROTHER, and YOU left him when he needed you the most!!!"

"He's the reason I left in the first place!" he retaliated. "That asshole is nothing but a monster, just like the rest of the ponies in that filthy fucking organization! I couldn't just let my only sister be a part of that, I'd rather die!!!"

An awkward silence formed through the air, as the white colt exhaled deeply, trying desperately to stay calm. "I envy your life so much it hurts..."

"IS THAT WHY YOU LEFT ME WAITING FOR YOU ALL THESE YEARS?!" the mare's face grew red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment, tears threatening to leave her tightly shut eyes.

"....No." replied Storm. "Listen, kid... Once you gain responsibility, a purpose, you tend to let go of the lesser important parts of your life. My purpose is to not only protect my twin sister with my life, along with the rest of Equestria, but to exterminate the Crimson Shadow, and the rest of that organization of hitcolt scum. You unfortunately just happened to fall under the lesser important category-"

Storm's head was shot to the side from the force of the enraged mare's hoof smacking against his cheek. The rest of his body not moving a muscle, he watched through the corner of his eye as Twilight galloped out of the room, tears flowing from her eyes like the river Styx itself. The smack didn't cause him much physical pain, only a minor sting. However, he wasn't worried about the physical pain at the moment. "Hey, Twilight! You should really come dance, girl! Hey, Twilight, hey! Hey!! Whatssamatter?!”

The colt knew he was in deep shit this time, as he sulked to himself, by himself, alone once again, waiting for his Divine punishment. There was no way out of it this time...

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

Twilight didn’t know where she was. Somewhere in the back of the club, that’s all she knew. Maybe in a storage room. It was too dark, and she didn’t care. The dark was good. It hid her tears and swallowed her sobs. “S-stupid... Stupid, Twilight,” she whispered hoarsely. “O-of course that would happen. Wh-who c-could ever love a-a-an egghead a-anyways? Y-you pa-pathetic idiot.”

“Hey. Don’t use that word. It’s not nice, kid.”

Twilight gasped, looking around her as she tried to see who it was that had spoke.

A glow emanated from the doorway on the near wall, a white unicorn strutting into the room as if she owned the place. “Hey, kiddo. Why’re you back here? I had to put Neon on the turntables.” The unicorn stuck her tongue out in playful disgust as she sat down beside Twilight. “Now, what’s got you all frowny, girl?”

“I-it’s nothing, j-just... St-storm...” A hoof was pressed against her lips, causing Twilight to stop.

“Ahh, my brother’s broken a heart, huh? Well, I’d offer you a spot in my bed if it weren’t already filled with my amps, heh, so instead, I’ll offer my words. That alright?”

“Hee, yeah, whatever. Words hurt, but...”

“Words hurt? Psh, if me and my roomie argued even half as much as we do regularly, I think we’d love each other half as much as well. I love her, because she can bring me to tears, but she can also make me smile. That’s Storm’s problem right there, he doesn’t stop at the tears. He pushes further and further, until everypony feels terrible.”

The white mare pulled her sunglasses down on her snout, so she could smirk at Twilight over them. “But, if he could be taught how to be more loving, then you wouldn’t get hurt when you tried to reach his heart. Celestia knows I’ve tried- seriously, we’ve talked about how overly stoic he is- but we can’t do it. He needs somepony to love, somepony to show him how much of-”

-----

“-an asshole you are!” Rainbow Dash panted, her nostrils flaring. “I’m sick of your shit. You keep on ranting about how evil and messed up Crimson is, but look in a bucking mirror! You’re heartless! A complete dick! Crimson at least had the balls to apologize when he yelled at Pinkie, but you? What do you do?! You... you stand there like a, like a royal high-hat! I don’t care if you love Twilight or not, the very least you could do is apologize! Twilight’s apparently hidden herself away from every other colt who ever thought her cute- she turned down Royalty before! All because she was waiting for you to-”

-----

“-be there for him. He doesn’t really like to show it, and he hides it under a thick woolen blanket of jealousy, but he really does like you, Twi. C’mon. You’ve got a heart to melt, and a rock to grow. Yeah, don’t give me that look. You need to let that rock grow into the jewel it can become. But that’s only if you’ve got the determination to break its shell.”

Twilight nodded, a small smile forming on her lips, even as she tried to force it away. “A-alright, I’ll-”

-----

“-just go, already, Storm. I don’t like you. You hurt Red. You hurt Pinkie. You hurt Applejack. And now, you hurt Twilight. I’m done shouting, but I’m not done being mad. So you’d best listen to me here, nice and good. If you ever make Twilight cry again, I don’t care what for, I’ll hunt you down like the snake you are and throttle you till your head falls off.” Rainbow Dash pressed her nose right up against Storm’s, growling the whole while. “Do I make myself clear?”

Storm just stood there, his mouth in a tight-lipped expression that showed little in the way of expression. Rainbow snorted. “Fine, be silent. I don’t care, just don’t hurt my friends. Because if you do... I don’t care how powerful you are. I’ll stilll buck you in the schnoz.”

“I’m sure you’d manage to make me tear up a little, too.”

“What?”

“No, no... you’re right. You probably hit too soft for me to feel pain from it.”

“Don’t try me....”

“Bring it.”

Storm’s head shot back full force from the tomcolt’s hoof. He remained still as a statue as he wiped the small stream of red liquid rolling down his face with a free hoof, staining his pure white coat. “Was that supposed to hurt?”

“Rrgh!”

The colt felt another hoof slam into his other cheek, but the reaction was all the same. Before getting the chance at a response he felt a similar pounding of the mare’s hoof. Again. And again. And again.... Each result no different than the rest.

Rainbow Dash was at a loss of breath, not even entirely sure if a single one of her hits managed to get to him. ‘Can nothing get to this jerk.... I might as well just go get Twilight and leave this dump-’

“Pathetic. Your hits are as unrecognizable as your gend-GRK!”

Storm landed on his side, the mare’s roundhouse kick finally doing the trick. “You... fucking... JERK!!!”

Rainbow Dash dropped hard onto the colt’s stomach as she proceeded to wail on the colt’s face with her forehooves, any signs of exhaustion vanishing into thin air. Or beats, in this case. Seconds felt like hours when the blows finally ceased, Storm opening a single eye to find the cursing pegasus flailing wildly inside the grip of a familiar violet aura.

“That’s enough, Rainbow Dash,” a furious Twilight spoke over the cyan mare’s rapid series of swears. “It’s about time I have a little talk with a certain stallion....My stallion.”

Rainbow Dash, snorting heavily and eyes wild, stopped struggling long enough to look at Twilight. “... Yeah, alright. I got him tenderized for ya.” Twilight let go, and Dash stalked out, muttering about her needing another drink.

Twilight again turned to Storm, a look of pity on her face. “Why do you go to such great lengths to push others away?”

Storm got to his hooves, legs wobbling slightly before becoming solid beneath him once more. “Because I am not required to make or keep friends in order to do my duty.”

Twilight shook her head sadly, her anger draining away as she failed to find anything more to yell at him for. “Storm... That’s where I’d say you’re wrong, but.... deep down, I’m sure you already know that, don’t you?”

“….Your friend hits like a filly.”

The colt almost squeaked when he felt his body being levitated off the floor, only to be aggressively pinned against a wall as Twilight took her sweet time to trot towards him. “Answer me, Storm,” she growled, pawing at the floor as her tail flicked back and forth. “Well?”

“Really, Twilight, you say you’re a good magicia-” Wham! “-slamming me into the floor’s not goin-” Bam! “-You really aren’t that stron-” Bam! Wham! Slam! “... You know, this could be considered domestic abu-” Slam! Crack!

Twilight huffed, almost literally fuming as her anger started to boil once more. “Storm Scratch,” she said, her voice icy like a poisoned dagger. “You. Will. Answer. My. Question. Now.” Storm, wisely, just nodded. “Good. Now, tell me. Why do you think I think that you’re wrong when you say you don’t need friends?”

“....” Seeing no means of escape, except via teleportation to a few thousand meter drop, Storm took his time trying to finalize his answer before speaking. “....It’s because we can trust our friends, and lean on them when we need help.”

Twilight released him from her magical grip, and he slumped over, the broken coffee table beneath him shifting slightly and digging into his back. “Good, you have learned something. Friendship is what caused Rainbow Dash to attack you, in my defense. Friendship is what lent Crimson the strength to risk his life and raise Star Bright, and ultimately give her the greatest mercy by letting her die swiftly and with someone who cared for her, instead of alone and in agony, as was Terra’s way. Friendship is what let Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and myself forgive Crimson for being mean to Pinkie, and to forgive you for being mean to Crimson, and destroying half of Applejack’s Western field.”

Twilight looked into Storm’s eyes, tears glistening in them as she begged him to understand what she was saying. “Friendship is what let me blossom, because without friendship, this world would be covered in darkness, the sun lost forever. Or did you forget that?”

“But.... I.... Where’s the friendship exactly in being a soldier? I fight for Equestria; I interrogate ponies; I eliminate anypony who tries to hurt the kingdom.... Friendship never seemed like a necessity in my line of work.”

“Yes, but that’s the main problem right there, Storm... You’re always talking about ‘work’ this, and ‘orders’ that. You need to live for yourself, and not just the next battle. And if you won’t live for yourself, then indulge me, at least. Please?”

Storm held his tongue, creating a long pause of silence, desperately attempting to break eye contact with the mare as he could feel the tears beginning to well up in his eyes as well. Finally, after hiding his eyes behind his mane, his legs finally gave way under the colt as he sighed. “....Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. Least I can do for the only pony who would even bother with me at this point....”

Not a sound was to be heard through the room aside from the soft steps that Storm couldn’t help but notice getting louder and closer. With a final clack on the linoleum, the colt felt a warm hoof slide gently under his chin, which slowly turned his head to meet Twilight’s tear filled gaze, causing his own emotional walls to be shattered. ‘That rowdy pegasus was right about something; she really is too good for me....’

The warmth had made it’s way to his muzzle when Storm felt the mare’s lips being pressed against his own. Breaking the kiss, Twilight murred into the colt’s ear, “You’re such an idiot, you know that?”

“Heh, you’re the one who loves an idiot, not me.”

“Yeah, I guess that's one smart thing about you.” Twilight rubbed her muzzle up against Storm’s as she locked lips with the colt once more, a simple kiss evolving into a long, passionate dance between their tongues. The mare pushed her forehooves down on his barrel, pushing Storm onto his back as he wrapped his around her in an embrace, all without the two ever breaking the kiss, and all the while showing no signs of doing so any time soon....

Meanwhile, the DJ stared at her handiwork with pride; with the large shelf in the way of the door, there would be no way anypony would be able to tell there was even one there in the first place. That also meant that there was no escaping fate for her brother this time; though she had a feeling it wouldn’t have mattered to him in the slightest.

“I hope you enjoy your private time, you two, but I’ve gotta head back to the turntable station. The PON-3 doesn’t keep her fans waiting, you know!”

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

“Guh, dammit, Crimson. You can’t fall asleep now! Not after all this....”

Applejack stirred in her sleeping bag (courtesy of Rarity), eyes fluttering repeatedly before they decided that they’d rather remain open. Everypony looked to be fast asleep, but a ringing in the back of the mare’s head told her there was something missing. It was dark and the sky was almost pitch black, so she could only barely manage to make out the silhouette of a pony sitting facing away from the small fire they’d built, shivering in the wind.

“Red? Is that you?”

“Huh? What- Where... Oh, hey, AJ.” the black colt turned his half open gaze towards the orange mare. With aid of the fire’s light, she was able to notice subtle swaying on the colt’s part, and not to mention the dark rings displaying proudly under his eyelids. You’d best get some sleep, we’ve got a big day tomorrow and-.”

“Red, when was the las’ time y’all got any shut eye?”

“Let’s see.... how long ago did you and Pinkie get kidnapped?”

“Three days?!”

Crimson responded with an almost ursa-like yawn, struggling with the simple task of even keeping his eyes open for more than two seconds. “Uh, yeah, something like tha- Ow, what the hell?!”

“C’mere fer a second, ya lummox.” The apple farmer grabbed his ear with her teeth, pulling him over to her sleeping bag despite his low protests. “Ah ain’t gonna let you sit there n’ freeze ta death. An’ if yer tryin’ ta be nice and watch our backs while we sleep, that’s fine an’ all, but y’all gotta sleep, too.”

“Applejack, I don’t even get cold as easily as you ponies, and-”

“Don’t. Care. Sit.”

Red half heartedly sighed, yawning as he was made to sit next to Applejack near her sleeping bag. His crimson eyes glowed through the darkness, waiting for what the mare could possibly have in mind. What happened next. however, completely threw the colt off....

Was Applejack.... singing? Crimson had always thought of her as the rough n’ tough pony that could work with the best of the stallions, but.... who would have guessed her voice would be so angelic....

As Applejack repeated the chorus, the black colt could feel his eyes growing even heavier. He had really underestimated this mare’s soothing voice, to the point of where he wasn’t sure how much longer he would stay conscious....

Applejack smiled with a warm blush coating her muzzle, cradling the head of the black stallion resting against her chest. “Y’all sleep t’night, Red. Ah’ll keep us safe fer awhile.”

“Applejack...?” The farm filly froze, snapping her head around to the inflatable chaise lounge her fashionista friend had brought along.

“R-rarity,” Applejack started a blush forming as her ears flattened against her head. “Y’all heard all that?”

“My goodness, yes, Applejack! I had no idea you could sing so... beautifully! Wherever did you learn to sing like that?” Realizing that could be taken the wrong way, she quickly added, “Not that you’re bad at singing normally, of course, but-”

“No, it’s okay, Rares. Ah unnerstand what yer sayin’. Y’all remember when Ah went ta Manehatten, right? Well, parta mah stay there, they were tryin’ ta git me ta be more lady-like. Ya’d like Auntie an’ Uncle Orange, Rarity. Right up yer alley.” Applejack shook her head, a rueful smile caressing her lips. “Ah had to speak like ‘em, Ah had to walk n’ dress like ‘em. They even made me sing like ‘em. Ah had ta practice Swang Low, Sweet Cha’iot till Ah didn’t have a single mussed up word. That got me outta mah ack-ceint right quick. Ah still love ‘em, but that just weren’t me.”

Applejack’s ears perked up at the colt’s stirring, faint mumbling as he finally kept still once more. “Mmnn...soft.....”

Rarity couldn’t hold in her giggles at her friend’s mild flustering. “I’ll let you get back to sleep, darling. We have a long walk ahead of us, and you know me without my beauty sleep....”

The earth pony gave a nod as the two sank back into the embrace of sleep once more. Though AJ still had the problem of not being able to pry the pass out Crimson off of her.... but at the same time, she was still trying to comprehend what that problem even was. She’d deal with it in the morning....

Editor’s Note: Super here, to say that this was awesome, even though I’m half blind at the moment. Kerataconus sucks major balls, guys, and I suggest you all see eye doctors as soon as possible if your vision starts to blur or fade. Also, do NOT get Lasik, as Lasik does not help Kera, but worsens it. That’s all for now, bye~!

PS, Kerataconus is a hereditary disease, so if anyone tries to tell you you’re going blind from watching porn or reading pony fics, kick ‘em in the dick, ‘cause they don’t know what thy talking about.