"Aaron. Aaron, wake up." The human slept soundly in his bed, only to let out a long groan as he was nudged awake. "Come on, I need you to get up." Aaron had awaken to find Twilight sitting over him, rocking him awake until she saw his eyes slowly open. By the sound of her voice, Twilight wasn't all that awake herself. She'd been waiting for Aaron to bring back news from Nightmare Moon. "Aaron, what did she say? Can she help us? Please, tell me you have anything, anything at all."

"Ugh... Twilight, come on. I just woke up." That was half-true. He had awaken early but went back to sleep for some time after seeing Twilight wrapped around him. Now that he was free from her, he sat up with a frazzled head of hair as he tried to get his vision to return to normal. All the while, Twilight was on the edge of her seat, waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, I'm just a little wound up."

"Its fine." Aaron let out a yawn as he tried to fully awaken himself. "Okay, so, I got good news and bad news." Twilight froze up, not knowing if she should be ecstatic for the good news or dread the bad.

"Okay, what's the good news?"

"Good news is that we now have a way of communicating within the prison. Bad news is that it can only be with someone who isn't protected from Nightmare's... dream walking ability."

"Oh, that is a problem. Rainbow had all of her troops protected from her as to not give away harmful information."

"Yeah, I know. However, I already know who can help." Aaron said with a smile, gaining Twilight's attention once more. "Applejack isn't protected as of yet. Thus, if I am to be sent in, I can tell you guys what's going on. Maybe coördinate something with your friend inside." Twilight bit her lip at the prospect of that idea. She didn't want to send in Aaron, truly she didn't. Thoughts of the griffins tearing him apart and eating him in gruesome detail lingered throughout her mind.

"You're really gonna go through with that, aren't you?" Aaron nodded in reply. "Do you know the risks?"

"No, neither do you."

"Then why go through all of this? Knowing you could get hurt for somepony you don't even know?" Aaron shrugged.

"Because I want to." That was the only reason he gave her as well as himself. It was the reason he told himself, yet not even he knew why he was willing to throw himself headlong into danger. Twilight was absolutely baffled, she had never known a pony, or anything else for that matter so reckless. Well, wasn't entirely true. If he was to take up the mission laid before him, Rainbow may indeed meet her match in the department of recklessness. Hopefully that wouldn't be a disaster in the making.

Before they could continue, a knock was heard at the door. "Excuse me your highness, but Draco wishes for you to join us at the table again." They recognized the voice as Knit-pick.

"I'll be out in a minute." Twilight called out, returning to Aaron. "If you are going to do this, then promise me one thing. I want you, no, I need you to promise me that you'll come back alive." Aaron nodded, but that wasn't enough for her. "I need to hear it."

"I promise."

"You promise what."

"I promise to come back with your friend alive." Twilight smiled, she would hold onto that promise until he returned. Without warning, Twilight brought her into a hug.

"I'll hold you to it."

"Don't worry. If I die, I'll be sure to haunt you." She punched him in the arm. "Ow. What was that for."

"This is serious. I don't want you dying in there."

"And I won't. I may not be able to fight, but that doesn't mean I can't take care of myself." Twilight sighed to herself, if he wasn't going to change his mind, she may as well make sure he wouldn't die in there.

"Alright. I'll go tell Draco the plan."

"What, that I have a direct link to the queen of the world?"

"Oh sweet Celestia, no! I'll just tell him I established a telepathic link to you."

"Could you do that?"

"I could, but that would use up a lot of my magic supply. I need all I can if we are to smuggle it into the prison." Twilight fetched her fake leg beside her bed, immediately strapping it to herself. "I'll see ya later Aaron. Maybe we could eat together during dinner." Twilight didn't mean to say that last part, in fact she pretty much froze up after realizing it had slipped out.

"Sure, sounds like fun." Twilight could hardly believe it. That was a complete accident and yet it had worked out so smoothly. With a firm blush forming on her face, she made her way out of the room. She didn't bother to pick up her cloak, she would return to sleep there when night fell once more.

Now that Twilight was gone, Aaron had to get a new change of clothes. He sweat for most of the day yesterday and he could still feel it on his shirt. Pulling his it off, Aaron began to dig through his bag for new clothes. The pants were fine, the shirt was just sporting a thick-set of angel wings. He remembered where they had set their bags down and started to rummage through his for a new shirt. "There you are!" Aaron jumped in surprise, someone was shouting at him. "I've been lookin' all over for ya."

"Sorry, Applejack. Just wanted a few extra minutes of sleep is all."

"That ain't no excuse." Applejack loomed over him as he was kneeling down, searching for a new shirt. "What are ya doin'?" She asks sternly.

"looking for some clothes. I burn real easy."

"Burn? Aaron, I ain't gonna set ya through a fire course. I may be strict but I'm no monster."

"No, sunburn. From what I was able to find from my family heritage, I'm a third irish. Meaning I can be rather sensitive to the sun's rays. Hell, I can already feel myself peeling just thinking about it." Yet, in the time he had spent in Equestria's desert, not once did he feel a singe on his skin. He just wrote it off, thinking they had a thicker Ozone layer than Earth's. Applejack wa curious as to what he was doing. It shouldn't take that long to find a shirt and she hadn't known him to be so picky with what he wore. She leaned over a bit to see what he was doing, only to look in shock at what he was rummaging through. She saw bits of her own clothing in the bag.

"Uh, Aaron. I reckon you won't find anything in there."

"Why not?"

"Cause you're digging through my bag, and I suggest ya stop before ya find anything you don't want to see." Aaron stopped his search, gulping loudly as he stood up. He didn't see anything much, but it did explain why the shirts were too small for him. "Your bag is the other one." Aaron didn't know. They had the same looking carrying bags with the same black and grey design. The only one he could differentiate was Twilight's, but that was back in her room.

Without saying another word, Aaron closed up Applejack's bag and went looking through the other. He just grabbed a random white shirt and stood back up. "So, are we gonna-"

"No, we don't have to mention this ever again if we head out now and start today's training." He nodded in agreement and followed her outside. There, they could see that they had an audience. Sitting across the way was Boom-chew, Strongheart, Sneaky Quick, and Gilda. Not a particular fan of Gilda, Aaron avoided all eye contact with the griffon. He could tell she didn't like him much.

"Hey, there's the thing of the hour!" Sneaky shouted, raising his drink to them.

"What are y'all doing out here?" Applejack demanded.

"Draco had a tizzy when we started to clutter the, quote unquote, thinking room. He kicked us out cause he says we can't think."

"He told you that." Boom-chew corrected. "He said, Sneaky, put on some fucking pants, there are ladies present. You insulted him, he kicked you in the nuts."

"Which sucks cause I wanted to do that." Gilda chimed in.

"Then, as you were crying, me and Strongheart dragged you outside where Draco told us to keep you out of Knit-pick and Twilight's way and to make sure you keep the underwear on at the very least." The small pegasus humphed like a defeated child, sulking in his seat as he laid back.

"Interestin' story guys. So, why are you ladies out here with him?"

"Meh, the Warden at the prison is getting his tail feathers in a knot. Thought I'd come down here where at least somepony knows how to relax and take things a little easy." Applejack turned to Strongheart.

"I'm just here to be with friends for the moment." Applejack raised a brow at the four of them, only to turn her attention back to Aaron.

"Well, y'all can hang out if ya want. Right now, Aaron and I got some work to do." Aaron let out a quiet groan. Last time he let his frustration known, Applejack doubled the laps across the town. Then, he remembered Nightmare's words to him. He still didn't want to do it, but if it would get him out of it.

"Hey, Applejack."

"Yeah?"

"You know that whole... hitting test... thing?" That had caught Applejack's attention.

"What about it?" Aaron's eyes darted around nervously.

"There's... no other alternative, is there?"

"Yes, there is actually." Aaron seemed to perk up. "Ya keep exercising until you pass out or I tell you how to stop."

"But how does that teach me how to fight?"

"It teaches you when to fight. If somepony is pickin' on ya, you best be ready to fight for yourself because sometimes the ponies ya rely on most ain't always gonna be there." That had struck a blow with Aaron, he knew that lesson all too well. Though he never raised a fist, he always found ways around his problems without resorting to violence. But with Applejack, there was no other way. "Now, I can understand not wanting to fight, trust me I do. I was just like you when I was learnin'. I never wanted to hurt no pony, but I learned fast that not everypony thinks that way. Specially with this day and age, ya best be learnin' how to defend the ones ya love and for yourself. Cause Twilight an' I, we ain't always gonna be there to protect you." Aaron sighed in defeat. Her words sank into his psyche and stuck firmly.

"Fine, I'll... do it." Applejack smiled warmly at Aaron, placing a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Smart move. Now, hit me with your best shot." Aaron took a deep breath, calming his nerves and brought back his fist. Applejack had a determined smile on her face as she saw it coming. Closing his eyes, he sent his fist flying into Applejack's arm. He had made contact with her, but it didn't feel like an arm. It was... softer. Opening his eyes, he nearly gasped in fear at what he did hit.

Laughing hysterically, Boom-chew and Sneaky could barely control themselves at what they had just watched while Gilda and Strongheart looked on with a deadpanned face, though Gilda was trying not to crack a smile. Aaron had wanted to hit her arm, her shoulder at best. But in his folly, he went for something a little off the path. His fist was planted on her right breast.

Aaron waited for repercussions from Applejack, frightened at what they might be. A hundred laps with no breaks, a thousand push ups with no water, sit ups off the edge of the town hall with the threat of dropping him off. His mind was racing so fast at what he would face, even going to irrational things Applejack would do. Instead, Applejack took off her purple glass as a smile cracked on her face. "Ya know," She began as she chuckled. "If ya wanted tah feel 'em, I would of let ya if you asked." Sneaky immediately stopped laughing, only for his jaw to drop.

"A-A-A-Applejack... I-I'm so-" She pressed her fingers to his lips and hushed him.

"Don't be sorry. That was a good punch, even if you were holding back a bit." She said with a pair of bedroom eyes. "Now that I know you can hit, how's about we get to the real training." Aaron gulped as he watched her get into a fighting stance Aaron had never seen before. He had seen a few kung-fu movies in his life, but he had never seen one quite like this before. He didn't know how to match her and merely put his fists up in a boxing stance. "Don't worry... I'll be gentle, at first that is."

~~~~~

Twilight, Draco and Knit-Pick were inside. Twilight had divulged the information to Draco without telling him the whole truth. All she said was that she had a way of communicating with Aaron inside the prison without anypony knowing. Thus, it had spurred a new rush of enthusiasm for their plan. It was almost too good to be true for them, but if Twilight said she had a way to get messages in and out, then they'd believe it.

"So, we got a way to communicate with Dash. How do we do get her out?"

"Well, I have a few ideas running around. My magic supply is limited at the moment, but it if I use a small amount of it, I could hide it on Aaron with a small invisibility spell."

"How, they'll search him. D-Knit-pick barely got out of it unscathed."

"Physically that is." He added.

"Yeah, I've been curious about that, how did you get out of that?"

"The less you know about that the better. Long story short, I played therapist for half a month."

"Month and three weeks." Knit-Pick corrected.

"Right. So, even if you hide the potions with some illusion, they'd still pat him down and give him a good probe." Twilight began to think for a moment.

"They won't pat him down if he's naked." Knit-pick added. The two froze for a moment. The two looked to each other for a moment, unsure of what to make of the idea.

"I don't know. I mean, that feels... like we're taking advantage of him. We're already sending him into a dangerous situation, stripping him to smuggle something in synthetic magic seems like going a little too far." Draco looked to be struggling with the same issue.

"Well, what if we... bribe him?" Draco asked.

"With what? We're barely a recon squad. Hell, calling us a guerilla squad is being generous."

"Yes, thank you Knit-pick. Clearly you are the beacon of morale on this team." Draco said in a monotone voice. With a sigh, Draco began to think of any alternative for the plan, but he wasn't exactly coming up with anything. "Look, Twilight, I'm not saying I'm on board with the idea, but considering our current position-"

"Oh come on, Draco!"

"Hold, on. I'm not on completely on board with the idea, less than forty percent, but we're pushed up against a wall here. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Twilight. I wouldn't do it unless there was no other way."

"Well, there has to be another way! I'm not going to take away his dignity like that!" The room goes quiet as Twilight slams her fist on the table. The two had reached a stalemate in the plan after gaining the proper advantage they so desperately needed. With a sigh, Draco sat back and began to think. He looked about, weighing his options.

"What if... we send in Aaron to scout out the area, see if it's safe to come in... and... I'll see if ew can have somepony else do the whole-"

"Sneaky Quick." Twilight suggested.

"I was going to say that." Knit-pick added. They looked to each other and nodded. Draco however, wasn't too keen on sending in more soldiers than he already had to.

"Huh, got through that one fast. Okay then, looks like we got a plan. Lets hope to Celestia that it works." Twilight sighed in relief, falling back into her seat as she had dodged a bullet for Aaron's sake. "Twilight, would you care to accompany me so that we may explain the plan we've concocted?"

"Might as well. I'd like to get this rescue mission underway as soon as possible." The three ponies got up and began to walk outside. They were more than happy to have finally come up with a plan that had a chance of success, especially Twilight. She was quickly running ideas through her head on how to safely undergo a rescue mission with the least amount of suffering friendly casualties. While she thought, Draco opened the door for her, only for Twilight to break her concentration with a gasp in surprise as Aaron fell before her hooves with a thud.

Seeing Aaron before her, bloodied and bruised with a black eye to match, practically drained all the color from her face. But what got her most was seeing him get back up for more. "That the best you got?!" He shouted, throwing his fists back up.

"Heh, you ain't seen nothin' yet." As he approached her, Applejack delivered an expertly performed aerial roundhouse kick to the face. The peanut gallery let out a cheer as Applejack had come out victorious, or so it would seem. Somehow, by some miracle of fate, Aaron managed to get up and walk away from that. "How are you still standin'?!" Applejack was impressed. Not many could stay away after a kick to the face from her, let alone three.

"Ahmn, gha nndt... mmfm crap... thunder... eash lightnin'." Aaron managed to slur something out resembling speech. Twilight watched in horror as the two fought. somehow, Aaron was able to block some of Applejack's attacks and divert them but now and then, a punch would slip through and hit its mare.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!!" Twilight shouted to them all. She looked furious, diverting her attention to Applejack and Aaron specifically. "I leave you two alone, for thirty minutes... THIRTY... MINUTES... and that is how long it takes you both... to do something stupid!"

"Ah, come on Twilight. I'm just teaching him how to defend himself. Look, he's fine." Applejack brings the swaying man over to her in a small hug. The two of them give a toothy grin, however Aaron seemed to be missing a few teeth in his grin. Twilight took a deep breath and sighed. "Hell, I'm surprised he lasted this long. He can take a lot of punishment. He just kept gettin' back up. I thought I couldn't stop 'em." Twilight held up her hand to stop the talking, obviously frustrated.

"Aaron. My room. Now!" She demanded. Nopony made any snide remarks, they all knew when to take things seriously. Aaron followed close behind Twilight. Draco looked over to his team and didn't say anything. Normally, he'd encourage team members to spar together, hell he'd even take bets with his friends just for fun. But they needed Aaron to be at his best, not with a proper ass kicking.

Forcing her door open, Twilight stormed into her room, visibly pointed toward Aaron. "Sit." She commanded, going for her bag. Aaron sat as commanded, not wanting to aggravate her anymore than she already was. He gulped a bit as he wiped a bit of blood from his forehead. Applejack had really done a number on him, but it was nothing all too serious to him. He had learned much from Applejack today and didn't regret a single moment of it, regardless of the killer headache he had.

Turning towards Aaron, Twilight could be seen taking a gulp out of the synthetic magic supply she had brought. With her horn springing to life with magic, Twilight sat down close to Aaron as her hands glowed to life. "Hold still, this is going to hurt." He knew it would. After the changeling bite, he knew what to expect from the healing spell. Taking a deep breath, Twilight placed her glowing hands onto his face. It felt like his skin was being singed by some hot object but he refrained from moving too much. He just kept focus on Twilight and her alone.

"You have pretty eyes." He said out of nowhere. It nearly threw her off but she kept it where it needed to be.

"Please, don't distract me."

"Sorry." Things went quiet for some time, the two just stared at one another in an awkward silence. "Um-"

"Just what were you thinking!" She blurted out. "You could have gotten yourself killed or badly hurt!" Aaron didn't know how he could respond to that. He was about to try, and was yet cut off again. "Maybe you shouldn't go in, maybe bringing you along was a mistake in of itself." Twilight looked on at Aaron, who looked hurt by her remark. She let out a sigh and continued her work. "I'm sorry... that was uncalled for. I'm just so... I don't know... protective of you. I brought you here, away from your home. Even if you like it here, I brought you into this nightmare. You don't... know it like I do. The horrible things I've seen, the nightmares I have on a daily basis, the fear of losing everything I ever had." The healing was done and Twilight removed her hands to see Aaron's fixed face. "I'm... sorry for yelling earlier. I just got a little over-emotional is all, but you must understand. I care about you, you're my friend and I don't want to see you get hurt."

He was unsure if he was allowed to talk yet, though even if he could, what could he say to something like that. Seeing someone show that they cared that much about him was practically foreign to him. He liked it, but he had no idea how to approach it. So, he let his instincts take hold.

While Twilight looked at him, Aaron brought Twilight into a warm hug. Twilight froze up immediately upon contact but eventually let her guard down and accepted it. All the while, two ponies watched from the crack of the door. "Heh, told ya they were cute together."

"Yeah, when you're right, you're right, AJ." The orange mare crossed her arms smugly as they walked away from the scene. "Still, I am nervous about this whole thing. I have my own issues with sending in the stallion."

"Yeah, but after today, Aaron will do just fine."

"You sure?"

"Remember who you're talkin' to, Draco? If I wasn't sure, I would have had Aaron sit in the corner the entire trip." Draco groaned a bit, his doubts eating away at him.

"Fine, if you say so."

"Trust me, Aaron will do well."

~~~~~

As night began to fall, dinner was decided to start a bit early to discuss the plan. Draco and Knit-pick had taken center stage before the others. Aaron, Applejack and Aaron took the back seats. They already knew the plan, everypony else might as well be filled in on it as well.

"Alright everypony, listen up." Draco said in an authoritative tone of voice. "The day we've all been waiting for is coming up. Our next rescue is coming close and we need to make sure everypony is up to speed." They all gave Draco and Knit-pick their undivided attention. "Now, thanks to our unscheduled visit by our lovely princess and her friends, we now have access to magic, as to what little there may be. But before we do anything with it, we will be sending in a scout who will be able to tell us all about what goes on inside and how to make use of prison itself to our advantage."

"How are we going to do that? There isn't exactly a post office here."

"That may be true, Boom-chew, which is why we'll be sending in Twilight's companion. He and Twilight have a telepathic connection which allows them to communicate."

"Really? Hey, kid. What does the princess think of me?" Sneaky says with an ego stroking smirk.

"She thinks you should wear pants more often." The others broke out into a small fit of laughter, even Sneaky found it quite amusing.

"I didn't know you could talk to him through your mind?" Applejack whispered.

"It's... complicated. I'll fill you in later."

"Calm down guys. For once, Sneaky's constant need to expose himself to the world is going to come in handy for a change."

"I find that quite hard to believe." Gilda scoffed. "What's he gonna do, make them die from laughter?"

"Not quite. Sneaky shall smuggle the synth into the prison once Twilight gives us the signal to move in. After which, you will be sent with the magic strapped to yourself with an illusion spell to hide what remains of the package."

"Why do I have to be naked though?"

"They won't do a pat down on you if you're naked. And as far as they know, we don't have any magic."

"But... they'll still do a cavity search."

"I know." The room went quiet for a moment as the realization soon came in.

"Ohhhhhhh... fuck."

"Precisely." Draco said, clearing his throat. "After the magic is secured, we'll see to it that dash and several other pegasi get fly out and free themselves. After which, we outnumber them and drive them out of here. We'll see what we can do about making some make-shift weapons. Strongheart, do you think you can make more bows for us?"

"I can try with what we have. I'm not a miracle worker."

"Excellent. Boom-chew, I'm gonna need you to bulk up and lose the gut. I want you ready to crack skulls as soon as I give the word."

"YEEAAH!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, flexing what were once muscles.

"Knit-Pick." The tall stallion turned to his friend and nodded. "Do what you do best."

"If I must." He said in a calm tone of voice.

"What about me, boss?" Gilda asked as she stood up. Draco sighed to himself as he turned to her.

"Look, Gilda. I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but what I'm asking for you to do is to kill members of your own species." She snorted at the remark, sickened he even made the comparison.

"Dude, those ain't griffins. Griffins don't bow to some asshole with a god-complex. Nopony, and I sure as fuck mean, no pony tells the griffon empire what to do. So, you either tell me right here and now if you want me here or if I should fuck off." Draco merely smirked.

"Very well then. I'd be happy to have you fighting on our side then." They all smiled to one another. This was it, this was what they had waited for, to rescue their leader and friend from the prison that was beneath their hooves. "Hey, kid. How long 'til you think you're ready to go?" Aaron began to think for a moment.

"Well, how about a week? Gives me some time to keep on training with Applejack now that we are finally punching and kicking."

"And groping." Sneaky added.

"It would really help if I had some way of defending myself. Plus, a little freedom before I get sent into the slammer."

"Okay, I can understand that. In one week's time, we begin operation... um... Knit-pick a little help here." The tall stallion sighed as he stepped forward.

"In one week, we shall commence on Operation Naked Mole. I suggest you all spend your time wisely in preparation." They all looked to each other with mixed emotions. Twilight, however, was the one with doubts and thoughts of how this could fail. She always considered all outcomes, not just the positive ones. Yet, as she pondered how this could all go wrong, she would see an image of Aaron laying dead on the ground. Seeing such a thing terrified her to no end.

"Twilight." Hearing her name, she snapped out of her worries of Aaron in favor of the real one standing over her. "Come on, let's go fill Applejack in on our part." Twilight nodded as she got up from her seat. The two saw Applejack from across the room, sizing up Draco. It was painfully obvious to the two of them.

"AJ." Twilight called out. "Come on, we need to talk." Her smile soon faded, thinking she was going to be scolded for what she did to Aaron earlier today. The three walked to a separate part of the building to talk more in private. "Alright Twilight, before ya get goin' I wanted to say I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't kno-"

"No, Applejack, this is something else." Twilight interrupted. "We need to fill you in on what's going to go on with our side of things?"

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"Aaron has something he wants to ask you." Twilight clarified. Applejack turned her attention to the human and smiled.

"What'cha want to ask me, sugar cube?" Aaron cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

"Well, I wanted to ask you for permission to use your...m-mind as a way for me to communicate with you and the others."

"... Is that it?" She said a little confused.

"Well, yeah. I thought it'd be an invasion of privacy so I wanted to ask you for permission first before I went on through."

"Sugarcube, ya don' need to ask me for that."

"I don't?"

"No. I trust ya not to go rummagin' around where ya don't belong. I don't have any secrets worth keepin' anyway."

"Okay, I can do that. I promise I won't go near anything that isn't my business. though this is the mind, so who knows what I may find in there."

"We'll just have to find out. While we're here though, did Nightmare tell ya anything else I should know?" Aaron began to recall his dream, groaning a bit as he recalled her new interest in human pop culture, outdated as it may be.

"Well, after she told me how she could help, I do admit we talked a bit afterwords."

"Nothing too fragile I hope." Twilight still had some lingering mistrust in Nightmare, and it was clear in her voice.

"Not really. She just asked me how I was doing since the last time we spoke and I asked her what a herd was. Other than that... nothing worth remembering." Applejack and Twilight looked to one another upon hearing that he now knew what a herd was. While twilight wasn't glad to hear it, she was happy that she didn't have to explain it to him.

"So, you know what a herd is now, do ya."

"More or less so, but yeah I got the picture." The gears in Applejack's mind were starting to turn, a devious smile on her face as she started to size Aaron up.

"Hm. Interesting. Aaron, could you got get us something to eat. I wanna talk with Twilight for a moment."

"Oh, sure. Twilight, I haven't forgotten about dinner. I'll waiting your room with our food, if that is okay with you."

"Yes, that is fine." With that, Aaron left the two mares alone, who patiently waited for him to turn the corner.

"So, what do ya think?"

"About what?"

"Oh, don' give me that. Don't tell me ya haven't wanted to take 'em for a ride. Twilight turned beet red.

"I-I have no idea what you are insinuating here."

"Oh, you know. I seen the way ya look at 'im. How ya get all scared stiff when danger comes his way, how protective ya are around him. The subtle looks ya get when he ain't looking. I already know ya like 'em, so I was wonderin' if you and I would like tah share 'em." Twilight looked at her friend dumbfounded.

"You're serious? Starting a herd with... Aaron?"

"I don' see why not. He's tall, kinda funny lookin' but in a good way, strong, kind, and-"

"Not Equestrian. He doesn't know how that sort of thing works. What if we fall apart. What if he... breaks our heart?"

"Then I break his face." Twilight started to pale. "But it won't come to that. Aaron's a good kid, he won't do anythin' to hurt us. Hell, I think we have a greater chance at hurting him more. He may be strong, but he's a big softy. When he was about to hit me today, I thought he was about to throw up or pass out by the way he was shakin'." Twilight let out a groan, weighing the options in her mind.

"Well... say I... may be interested, what then? Would it be just the two of us?"

"Don' have to be. If the others want in on what we got, I ain't got a problem with sharing. Just as long as no pony gets hurt that is." Twilight sighed to herself. She did like Aaron, she was just unclear if she liked him more than a friend. Sure she ogled him here and there, but never to a noticeable degree.

"I... would like some time to think about it. I don't really know if I should rush into something like this."

"Suit yourself, but the moment ya make your move, I want to be there when it happens." Twilight nodded in agreement. "Good, now go enjoy your dinner, I'm gonna go scrounge up whatever those animals didn't eat."

"Thanks. I'll see you later then." Applejack nodded and left Twilight in the hall. It didn't take long before she could hear Applejack arguing about the food rations that were left.

~~~~~

Twilight cracked the door to her room and found Aaron sitting on the mat with two plates of buttered bread and beans. She could see him waiting patiently for her to enter. He had a nervous look about him that reminded Twilight of herself in the early days of her life. She couldn't help but smile.

She cleared her throat and knocked on the door to announce her presence. She walked in to find Aaron pushing back his hair, trying to make himself look presentable. She didn't mind either way. She prefered ponies to just be themselves instead of trying to make a good impression. Besides, Aaron had already made an impression on her, he just didn't know how big of one it was.

Twilight sat down and took her plate into her lap, using her bread to scoop up the beans. "So, what did... you and Applejack talk about?" Aaron asked, trying to dispel the silence that had overtaken the room.

"Nothing, just some lingering doubts about the mission." Twilight said, avoiding eye contact to hide her lie.

"Oh... Is there... anything you'd like to talk about then?" Twilight shrugged, feeling the awkwardness of the situation. Aaron could see her eyes dart about, in search of an invisible topic as if it were floating about in the air. Though, she did find one in particular.

"Do you... really think my eyes are pretty?" Aaron nodded with a warm smile.

"Yeah. I've never seen purple eyes before. I think they look amazing." Twilight couldn't help but blush. "Have you ever dated before Twilight?" She chuckled at the question.

"No- well, actually there was this one time. It was with a stallion. His name was Flash Sentry. He was a soldier back in the Crystal Empire, it was where my brother and sister-in-law ruled." She took another bite of her food. "Anyway, he and I had a little crush on each other. I asked him out to dinner and we actually clicked. We both came from regal backgrounds, both military families, and we both were fans of the Sir Feather Breaker of the Seven winds." Aaron just smiled and nodded as if he knew what that was, getting a giggle from twilight from his exaggerated expression.

"So, what happened with you two."

"Well, after the second date, I... may have botched things."

"What did you do?"

"... I may have... said the "L" word too fast." She said with an innocent smile.

"Ooh, Twilight I've never dated before and even I know that's a dating no-no."

"I know, I regret it everyday too. He was so nice too, but... we did manage to stay friends, regardless of some lingering awkwardness between us." She took a large bite of her food yet again. "Hey Aaron. Why the sudden interest in dating?"

"Because, I was wondering if this was a date. You asked me so suddenly and you looked like you had stepped on a landmine."

"I don't know what that is."

"Not important, but I would like to know if this is a date?" The silence returned, Twilight turning a few shades of red before answering.

"It... can be if... you're interested." She gave Aaron a warm smile.

"I'd like that. I'd like that very much, Twilight." Aaron looked to the purple alicorn, a strange feeling developing in his mind as he looked to her. Though it was for a split second, Aaron could have sworn her eyes sparkled. He had no idea if it was a natural part of her anatomy or was something else. Either way, he found it beautiful. "You're not going to say the "L" word on the second date are you?" Twilight used her pillow to hit Aaron over the head. The two laughing from the remark.

"How do you know there'll be a second date?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to find out."

"Smooth." With that, Twilight finished her food. Aaron took her plate and hers to take out of the room.

"I'll be back in a minute." Aaron left the room with their plates. Once he left, Twilight began to get ready for bed. She removed her leg with a relieved sigh. She hated having it on when she sat on the ground, the straps often tugged on her coat. As she began to rub her sore leg, the door opened once again to see Aaron returning.

"Wow, I didn't think you meant an actual minute."

"Yeah, well, lets just say I heard some interesting sounds coming from one of the bedrooms and I didn't want to invade in their privacy."

"Ah, I understand completely." Twilight said, making room for him to sit on the mat. "So... do you know who-"

"I don't know who it was, and frankly I don't really care. The walls here are thin, so... Yeah, I could hear a lot of it."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"So am I." Aaron said in with a small shudder. He laid back in his bed, relieved to be relaxing on the bed with Aaron soon joining her. He was tired, and still sore from the beating Applejack had given him during their training. A good rest would be amazing at this point. Before he could sleep, Twilight curled up close to him. "A little early for that, don't ya think?"

"Don't read too much into this." Twilight said in a deadpanned voice. "I just like to have somepony close by is all. I've done it all my life and... I just miss it is all." Aaron looked at the alicorn with a raised brow.

"Who did you use to sleep with then?" Twilight remained silent, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close to her.

"Goodnight, Aaron." She closed her eyes and pretended to fall asleep right there. He knew she wasn't sleeping but he didn't want to push on a subject she wasn't comfortable with. He laid in the bed with Twilight, wrapping his own arm around her much to her surprise but soon found herself enjoying it. As he laid in bed, he began to think of Nightmare Moon to call her to his dreams. There, he would test out his connection with Applejack.