[Shining’s POV, 10:00 a.m.]

“With Vogue President and CEO Mascara’s scandal with the human secretary Ozzy Shore, this adds yet another case in the recent chain of sexual assaults that’s been reported by some of the humans that have moved and settled in Equestria,” News Flash reported in the broadcast Oz and I were watching on the Lounge’s T.V. “It seems that the reality of humans being more vulnerable in our Equestrian Society with no enhanced strength, flight, or magic to defend themselves has led to a number of incidents in which both mares and stallions have taken advantage of this to have their way with the human males and females. We go live to the streets of Canterlot with reporter Notepad to explain more on this sudden outbreak. Notepad?”

“Thank you, News Flash,” the light-green unicorn mare with a straight blonde mane answered. “Yes, this series of sexual assaults started approximately one month after the very first group of human settlers and tourists had arrived. While some successful relationships have formed, many other humans have not only gotten uncomfortable with ponies’ forward invitations, but they’ve also been taken away against their will, leaving the humans to report cases of sexual assault the morning after the incident. Princesses Celestia and Luna have not only ensured the ponies who’ve acted this way have been punished to the full extent of the law, but they’ve also extended their personal and deepest apologies to the human victims.

“I’ve walked around Canterlot to meet up with some of the ponies and humans in the area to get their opinions on this problem, and they had this to say.”

“I can’t believe somepony would ever go so far,” a mare said with tears welling up in her eyes. “My only human friend was one of the victims, and she said she was going to go back to Earth after the lawsuit’s been settled. She was so kind, and we’ve gotten so close… I feel so terrible that it happened because somepony from my city drove her away. She would get so anxious, and cry out of nowhere from time to time. She even backed away from me when I tried to help her. She said it was best that we move on once she leaves, and I just…” The mare broke down sobbing while covering her face from the camera.

“I’m not sure if I made the right choice in coming here,” a burly human male admitted. “Have you seen how strong an earth pony can be? I mean I stay in shape, sure, but I’m not one to get physical with a girl, human or pony, even if it was to defend myself. In fact, who’s to say they’ll believe I’m the victim? *BEEP* I think I might have just made myself a moving target with that comment.”

“A buddy of mine said I should break up with my marefriend for how awful her kind has been acting to humans due to recent events,” another human male said. His pony lover’s ears were folded as she looked down while being held by her human lover. “I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon, but I’m worried this kind of xenophobia will escalate if these cases keep happening without something being done about it.”

“We haven’t gotten any cases in which a mare assaulter in heat was reported pregnant sometime afterward yet, and the human female victims have been treated to prevent pregnancies in case reproduction between different species is possible,” Notepad said with ears folded while looking down. “I honestly hope that never happens if the circumstances are like this. Who knows what may happen if that’s possible? I… I’m sorry, I can’t talk about this anymore. We’ll be keeping you up to date with this problem to see how it progresses and if there are any other developments. Now if you’ll excuse me… I have a very special somebody of my own I need to go and comfort... Back to you, News Flash.”

I turned off the T.V. as I couldn’t watch anymore of the news. I looked over to Oz, who’s been sighing and sifting his fingers through his hair for the past several minutes.

“O-Oz?” I asked as I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine…” Oz placed his hand over mine while still looking down. “I just can’t believe how bad this is getting. I figured there’d be problems here that are similar to Earth’s, especially after hearing what you and Fleur have gone through, but I’m relieved that the locals here are taking these cases seriously enough to reveal them in the news. You’d be surprised how much something like this would be swept under the rug back home.”

“Why would they do that?” I asked.

“I honestly don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’m not really up for thinking about the reasons right now.”

I leaned on Oz’s side while closing my eyes. “Oz… even though I don’t want it to happen, if you’re uncomfortable-“

“I’m not going back to Earth, Shining.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “I’ve dealt with worse, and I’m trying to make a better life here. I’m not going to let some horny mares get in the way of that. Besides, I sold everything before I moved out, and I thought I was screwed when I came here to begin with.”

I laughed a little from that. “Yeah, I remember that. It was that same night I first met you too.”

“And you couldn’t give me the time of day when you weren’t melting me down with your heated glares,” he joked.

“Shut up.” I punched his shoulder a little. “I’ve gotten better since then, haven’t I?”

“Yes, you have,” he answered while rubbing the spot I hit. “I guess that weird method you suggested actually works, huh?”

“Oh… yeah, sure.” I looked out in front of me, recalling all the times he’s tugged my tail.

How do I break it to him that tugging a pony’s tail actually turns them on? Same goes for rubbing their inner hooves and ears (though that last one can at times be more relaxing and heartwarming than arousing if the setting’s just right). As much as I’m afraid of how he’ll react, I have to tell him the truth at some point. It doesn’t help that I’m going back against being honest with him either; it’s something Oz and I promised to do with each other weeks ago, and he’s been holding his end of the bargain well so far.

“Anyway, if there’s a bright side to what’s happening right now, at least there are some human and pony couples forming,” Oz continued as he looked at the blank T.V. screen while my eyes widened. “I mean that last guy was certainly devoted to his marefriend, despite what his buddy said. Even that reporter had a boyfriend she’s going back to cherish. At least that’s what I’m seeing.”

That’s true… There are human and pony couples forming. If that’s the case, then the idea of me being with Oz is possible—at least I hope that’s what he has in mind. Speaking of which, Fleur and I haven’t discussed what happened back at Manehattan privately yet. We’ll need to get to that soon. If things work out and Oz is okay with having both of us, there’d certainly be a lot of changes. I may have to move in with them, find some place to store all of my things, figure out sleeping arrangements (‘cause I’m going to say right now that I’m not going to sleep anyplace as pink as Fleur’s room for the rest of my days), planning time for the more intimate moments of our relationship when we get there. Dear Luna, I can see it now: the three of us would have so many things to try and spice things up in the bedroom, getting kinky like Fleur taking me from behind with a—

“Shining?”

“H-huh? What?” I asked with a few blinks.

“I was asking if I should come by your place at a certain time once we get back,” Oz clarified. “You know, for dinner?”

“O-oh yes! Right!” I replied. “Yes, I would definitely need some time to get the ingredients for dinner and tidy up the place a little. I’ll let you know what time sounds good when we get there. You don’t mind waiting back at Fleur’s, do you?”

“Nah, I can do that.” He shrugged.

“There you two are,” a voice said, making Oz and me turn back from the couch and seeing Fleur and Fancy walk inside.

“I see you’ve showed Oz the lounge, Shining,” Fancy said. “Did you enjoy yourselves?”

“Oh yes! I beat Oz at pool while he won a few rounds of five-card hold ‘em,” I explained.

“Very nice,” Fancy said with a smile. “Lunch is currently being prepared. It will be some time before it’s ready. While we wait, Oz, would you care for a walk around the garden?”

“Sure, Fancy,” he said as he got up.

Fleur, for some reason, gave her brother a stare with a raised eyebrow. “Oh don’t fret, Fleury,” Fancy said with a wave of his hand. “We’re just going to have a little chat is all.”

“If you say so,” Fleur said.

“So I’ll see you at lunch then?” Oz asked.

“Sure thing. Enjoy the stroll,” I said before the boys walked off, leaving Fleur and me alone.

Alright, since we’re now alone in the room, let’s get the elephant in the room taken care of, shall we?

“So… you slept with Oz, huh?” I asked.

She sighed while rubbing her eyes. “Yes, and I mean that literally. We didn’t do anything else.”

“And you somehow couldn’t sleep without holding onto him?”

“You wouldn’t believe how frustrated I was getting not being able to sleep in one of the most comfortable beds in Equestria. If you were in my position, you’d do the same thing.”

“Yes, but here’s the thing: I was in your position. Last night, at my own home, with a regular mattress, and I couldn’t walk all the way over to your place in his room like you did so I could get a good night’s sleep myself because of the awkwardness that would ensue.”

“Yeaaah, I figured that outburst earlier was from the lack of sleep.” Fleur looked to the side while scratching her head.

“But, Oz has told me that he’s okay with you coming to him late at night, and I was given those same privileges should I be in the same situation in the future.”

“That’s good.”

“However, there’s something I need to ask of you just for tonight, and you’ll be given this same opportunity tomorrow if you have the time for it.”

Fleur raised an eyebrow. “Okay?”

I took a moment to take a breath while trying to loosen myself up a little. “I need you to spend the night here with Fancy while I treat Oz to a home cooked dinner in my house tonight in order to pay him back for the kick to his stomach the other day.”

Fleur’s eyes widened while her jaw dropped. “Uhhh… wow, Shiny, I would say I’m proud that you’re finally taking a stallion out on a date after five years if I wasn’t concerned that Ozzy’s that same stallion.”

“He doesn’t think it’s a date,” I defended. “Or I certainly hope he doesn’t think so. I wanted to do something for Oz after that kick, and since he couldn’t come up with anything, he let me think about it. So I thought showing him around my house for the first time while making dinner for him would do the trick, and he said it was okay.”

“I see…”

“He wasn’t sure about it at first, that was for certain, and I already had another idea in mind,” I continued. “If it made him comfortable, and I know you’d be into this as well, I told him he could spend an evening with you tomorrow, or the next time we have a day off doing whatever you’d like to do to make things fair.”

Fleur’s eyes widened again as her body trembled. “M-m-me and Ozzy? Alone?”

“Yes.”

“T-together by ourselves?”

“Yes.”

“Doing whatever I want?”

“So long as it’s not something outside of Oz’s comfort zone, then yes.”

Knowing what happened next from the grin on Fleur’s face, I took the initiative to plug my ears.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” she screamed before squeezing and spinning me around. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you!”

“Alright alright, take it easy,” I said before she set me down and I straightened my clothes out. “So are you good with my plan for tonight?”

“Definitely! Oh my gosh, I wonder what I should do with him tomorrow? A shopping spree? No, it’s too soon to do that again. I’m not sure another night at the jazz club would be a good idea if we run into that stallion or the like again. Wonder if he’s into dance clubs? Oh! Maybe he’d be into—”

“Whoooa, settle down there, Fleur,” I said while holding her shoulders. “There’s still something we need to discuss that we learned from Manehattan yesterday.”

Fleur paused for a moment before her cheery expression turned into a thoughtful one. “Oh… yes, actually, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that too.”

“Let’s just mark off what we already know about this situation, alright?” I asked, and she nodded in response. “One, both of us like Oz probably more than just a friend, and we’d like to give dating him a try. Two, both of us haven’t had a date with anypony ever since we broke up with our horrid coltfriends who I pray to Celestia we’ll never see again.”

“Amen to that,” Fleur commented.

“Adding into it, Oz has never been on a date in his whole life, and is still a virgin,” I continued. “Three, both of us may have some misunderstandings about how herds work thanks to that time in Junior High and how they were seen by the majority of ponies in Canterlot, including your parents. We’ve got everything cleared up with the former, correct?”

“I believe so.” She nodded. “If it hasn’t been said yet, I apologize for making you feel inferior because of my popularity and appearance.”

“And I’m sorry for almost pushing you out of my life because of some crush for a colt,” I returned. “Finally there’s number four, where Oz was uncertain about giving dating a mare a chance because of Mascara.”

“Wait, ‘was’?” Fleur asked.

“I’m not sure if it was that big of an influence, but we watched some… very morbid news about reported cases of sexual assault like Oz’s.” I looked down with ears folded. “It’s gotten very bad to the point that some of the humans who’ve arrived may be considering moving back to Earth because of how unsafe they feel.”

“How awful… is Ozzy?”

I shook my head. “He’s a tough one, not wanting to go back even with what happened to him, and I certainly hope that he won’t come to that decision at any time. Anyway, along with what the news mentioned about those cases, there’ve also been reports of human and pony couples sighted around the city.”

“Really?”

“Yes. One of the couples was interviewed to discuss about the assault cases, and the human male wouldn’t break up with his marefriend despite what his friend said. It looked like the pony who was reporting the news even had a human coltfriend herself.”

“And you think Ozzy might have changed his mind about dating mares?”

“I say only a little. He may be trying to be careful with who he talks to now, but I think seeing other humans with ponies has given him some hope. Right now though, we shouldn’t push on the idea of dating him yet. Not until he’s ready himself.”

“I agree,” Fleur said with a nod. “And as for the herd thing, once Ozzy is comfortable enough, I was thinking we could… give it a try.”

It was my turn to have my eyes widened after hearing what Fleur said. “Y-you mean you’re willing to give it a shot?”

“It’s like you said before, Shiny, we may have misunderstood the concept because of outside influences,” Fleur answered. “I’m not sure what Ozzy would think, but if we ask once he’s ready, I mean, who else would he be comfortable doing this with besides his two best friends? So what do you think? Are you willing to give it a try?”

I must admit, there may be some complications along the way, but as long as Fleur and I know what we’re doing, maybe look into getting some help to see how it works...

“We’ll have to discuss it in further detail when we get there, but I’m willing to try something at least once,” I answered with a smile.

“Excellent! And just to make this official, let’s perform the pact ritual,” Fleur suggested.

“… Seriously, Fleur?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “You do realize we’re kind of too old to do something we made up when we were fillies, right?”

“But that’s what makes our friendship so unique!” Fleur exclaimed. “This is also very serious business, Shiny, and this calls for a very serious pact to set it in stone.”

“With the words we came up with? Pft. Please, like there’s anything serious about… no,” I said as Fleur was starting to make… the face. “Fleur, stop, you’re too old for this. You’re much better than that! Stop it!”

With Fleur pulling off the saddest looking puppy dog eyes ever seen with quivering lips, my will was slowly deteriorating until it was completely demolished by the next phrase: “Pweeeeeease Shiny with sprinkles and a cherry on top?”

DEAR LUNA NOT THE SPRINKLES AND CHERRY ON TOP!

“Alright alright I’ll do it! Just please make it stop!” I pleaded while covering my eyes.

“Yes!” Fleur said with a fist pump.

Why she was given this horrid power from the pits of Tartarus, I don’t know, but I pray to Celestia that it will stop working with age, and nopony else will ever succumb to the almighty cuteness.

“Okay, let’s get into position,” Fleur said before we moved to a more open space in the lounge.

“Let’s just get this over with before anypony else see us,” I groaned.

“Oh lighten up Shiny. We need to do this to show how serious this is. You remember the words and movements?”

“Unfortunately,” I said before the two of us got in a stance, and started the pact with the following movements.

“One, two, three,

I pinky sweary,

Music, theater, art,

With all my heart,

Puddle, pond, lake

To never ever break,

Blue, pink, blonde,

My best friend’s bond,

Coats, tails, manes,

For my own gains,

Clap, stomp, bump,

Or I’ll smack my rump.”

[Meanwhile, Ozzy’s POV, 10:00 a.m.]

“I have to say, Fancy, you’ve got quite the place here,” I said as we walked through the mansion’s gardens. “It looks like it has a lot of history too. I’m surprised you were able to afford this.”

Fancy chuckled. “Thank you, Oz, but I didn’t own everything here by buying it.”

“Really?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “How did you get this then?”

“Has my sister told you about our parents yet?” he asked.

Suddenly a sense of dread and coldness went through my body as I recalled what Fleur had told me about them back in Manehattan. With Fancy referring to their parents like that, it wasn’t hard to figure out how he got the mansion. “Oh… she hadn’t told me the details, but… yeah. I’m really sorry about that.”

“It’s quite alright, dear boy,” he said while he patted my back. “It was very sudden for all of us when Mother and Father went out like that, but they’re in a better place. Fleur and I visit their graves in the Everglade Meadows every year to pay our respects.”

“That’s nice,” I said.

I wonder if Dad ever paid a visit to Mom’s grave? Come to think of it, Robert probably knew her more than I did. How hard did he take it when she died?

“But don’t you get lonely being in the mansion by yourself?” I asked. “I’m sure Fleur puts in the time to visit, but what about close friends, or even a… what do you call it? Special somepony?”

“I have my moments, I’ll admit that,” he replied as we looked at a pond. “I wouldn’t exactly call the ponies who are around me friends really, and I’ve just been too occupied with other matters to worry about romance. However… I think I’ll probably get myself back out there soon enough. I just need to find a good place to look. Fleur’s even helping me out too.”

“Nice, I wish you luck on that—“

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” a high pitched scream came from inside the mansion, loud enough to even get the birds that were on the roof flock away in fright.

“What the heck was that?” I asked.

“Ah, from the tone, I could only guess it was Fleur squealing with great joy about something. I’m sure she’s fine,” Fancy answered.

With Fleur’s name brought up, a sudden thought came to me about what I promised Fancy a while back.

“Hey, Fancy?” I asked.

“Yes?”

“About what we discussed when we first met… I’m not sure if I’m holding up that promise very well.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Well, it seems like the girls are protecting me instead of the other way around,” I explained. “You already know about the Mascara thing, but there were a couple other troubles the girls pulled me out of. From what I heard, they seem to be capable of protecting themselves, what with Shining’s strength and self-defense, and Fleur’s knowledge around magic. What do I have to bring on the table? Not much to be impressed about, I’m sure. If I can’t even pull my weight to protect them, then what good am I?”

A light gust of wind filled the silence in the air while a few fish in the pond were leaping out of the water before splashing back in.

“I assume you know Fleur’s ex-coltfriend, correct?” Fancy asked.

“How could I forget?” I scowled while remembering what the girls have told me. “I haven’t met him in person yet, but knowing what he did to Shining, I swear, even if I may break my hands, I’d give anything to give that bastard a piece of my mind.”

“Ah, so you know about Shining Star’s condition.”

“Yeah, and her time of being a model before she became Fleur’s manager, and how Puff Tie dumped her. Seriously, from what that poor girl’s been through, I don’t blame her for not seeing any stallions after that.”

“And that’s where you come in with your promise.”

I looked back to Fancy with a raised eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“You may not know of it yourself, but you have an ability that got Shining to finally come out of her shell,” he explained. “When I last saw her at my party, I could have sworn I saw some of the old Shining I knew back in the day. Now? I can’t remember the last time I saw her so happy and open with herself. When I had my chat with Fleur earlier, I could tell she was happier the last time we met too.

“I felt I had to look after Fleur ever since our parents left. She had a terrible time trying to move on. What got me suspicious with Solar Flare before the break up was that he wasn’t there to support her when she needed it most.”

Welp, that’s one more thing to add on my ‘Why I should beat the crap out of Solar Flare’ list.

“That’s where you come in, Oz, because you have the patience, compassion, and sympathy that Solar doesn’t,” he continued. “I know I can’t hold my sister’s hand forever, and Shining can only do so much to help her best friend. I may have not been clear with what I want from you when we talked last, and I apologize if I gave you the wrong idea.”

“So… what is it that you want me to do?”

“I want you, no, I need you to be strong not to protect the girls from danger, but for them to lean on when times get tough. They can only do so much taking everything that’s shared between the two of them, but with you there to share some of their burden, they’re on their way to becoming happier ponies like I’ve always wished them to be. From what I’ve seen out of the two of them today, you’ve far exceeded my expectations from what you promised me two weeks ago, Ozzy Shore. I thank you for what you’ve done, and I do hope you continue doing what you do that helps them.”

Whoa… I didn’t really think about it like that. I want to be stronger to protect them, sure, but if what I’m doing right now is making them happy, then I don’t think I want anything to change that. Plus, they’ve shared my burden from seeing my nightmares. Maybe it’s time I start holding onto theirs.

“I’ll do my best, Fancy, I promise. For real this time,” I said with a nod.

“That’s what I like to hear.” He smiled as he patted my shoulder. “And please, if there’s anything you need to discuss, give me a call, and we’ll set something up.”

“Thanks, Fancy,” I replied with a smile.

“Now let’s head on inside and have some lunch, shall we? I do believe it should be almost ready.”

“Sure, that sounds good right now.” As we made our way back inside, one last thought came to mind. I wasn’t sure how off it would sound, but I needed to ask. “Can I ask one last thing?”

“But of course.”

“I may sound stupid for asking this, but… does this make us friends?”

His eyebrows were raised for a moment before he gave a light chuckle. “Don’t worry, you’re not stupid for asking. But yes, I do believe we are friends if you are alright with that.”

“I wouldn’t settle for anything less,” I replied as I held up a hand and firmly grasped his before we pulled into a brief guy hug.

Huh, I guess the stallions here are more open to things like this than guys back home, or this could just be Fancy’s thing. That works too, I don’t mind.

[5:30 p.m.]

During lunch, Fleur asked Fancy about spending the night, and he didn’t hesitate to say yes. After we finished, Shining and I bid the two good-bye before Silver took us home. Once we got back, Shining asked if I could come by around 5:30 so she’ll have everything ready. She also mentioned to bring a change of clothes if I wanted to spend the night. I figured “eh, why not?” and went back to home to relax.

I have to admit, it was odd having the whole place to myself. It’s a wonder how Fleur was when she was living like this before I came around, especially when she got really bored like I was getting. I unpacked everything from the trip and set my dirty clothes in the laundry basket to clean later. After that, I fiddled around on my laptop and watched some T.V. I wondered if the girls would be interested in video games. I played a couple times with the neighbors and my old roommate back on Earth, but I couldn’t remember the last time I did it. I’d have to ask them at some point to see what they’d think. If we’d start off with anything, I thought the Wii U would be a good start as any, especially with that new Mario Kart game. That looked like loads of fun.

As the appointed time came closer, I decided to take a shower before I packed a change of clothes and bathroom essentials in a sack. Once I turned out all the lights and locked the place up, I walked over to Shining’s house until I approached the door. As I was about to knock, I stopped myself because of a sudden thought.

I’m about to step into someplace that nobody else but a select few have ever entered. What could Shining have in there that she didn’t want anybody else to see? She mentioned she had a personal gym, but that’s the only clue I ever got out of what’s inside. Does she have something big in there, or is she just not into letting somebody she doesn’t know in her home? It may sound a bit like a cranky old man yelling at little kids to get out of his property, but Shining isn’t even remotely close to that description, even if she gets a little uptight at times. Weird, it’s like if I step through this entryway, I’ll be going into some kind of portal that leads to another world like Narnia. Wonder where this may take me? Is there a world made entirely out of pepperoni? I may actually die happy if that were to exist. Or a world out of pastrami, that sounds good too—wait, what the fuck am I even thinking about? I must be hungrier than I thought if I’m already having these kinds of daydreams.

I mentally shook myself out of it before I finally knocked on the door and waited. A couple seconds later, the door opened to reveal a cleaned up, smiling Shining inside. “Oz, I’m glad you made it.”

“Glad to be here,” I replied with a smile of my own.

“Dinner will be another couple of minutes, which gives us enough time for me to show you around.” She stepped off to the side. “Please, come on in and put your things anywhere.”

“Thanks,” I said before I stepped inside and took a look around one of Shining’s first rooms at long last.

Despite how big it looked outside, the living room was actually homier compared to Fleur’s, something you see and feel in almost any kind of home. One thing that jumped out to me was the stereo playing music in the living room. There was a comfortable looking couch and a few chairs facing the flat screen, which wasn’t as big as Fleur’s, but still looked pretty hi-def. There were stairs leading up to the second floor, a bathroom below them, another door that was further down, and I could see the kitchen and the dining room behind it. Further in the back was a sliding door to the back yard. Besides the kitchen area, everything on the floor had pale light-blue carpeting. Besides the smell of food being cooked, there was also a very subtle scent of cinnamon in the air.

“Wow, this place looks really nice,” I said as I took off my shoes. “Do you usually have music like this playing?”

“Thank you,” she said. “I don’t always have this music playing, but when you have a job like mine, having something like this playing in the background helps me relax after a long day.”

I can agree with her there. The music gives off a nice atmosphere that makes me practically melt just standing here. The scent of cinnamon adds into it too.

“Come on, let me show you around while we wait for dinner to get ready,” she said before she walked me through the rooms. “This is the living room, you see the kitchen and dining room over there.” We went out to the backyard, which has a nice open space with a flower bed on the side. “Here’s the backyard. I have landscapers help keep this maintained every other week, but I take care of the flower garden myself.”

“They look really nice,” I said as I squatted down to the flowers’ height. “You must have done this for a while. They look really healthy.”

“It’s one of those hobbies that I like to do in my spare time.”

We went back inside and she led me through the door that was a couple feet away from the bathroom. There were a flight of stairs across the small hallway that led down to a basement. After Shining turned on the lights, we went down, leading me to a personal gym that had more equipment than what Fleur has. There was a punching bag hanging with a crumpled up picture of Puff Tie’s face taped to it, a yoga mat, a small T.V. with a DVD player and a collection of workout videos below it, a bar hanging on the wall for pull ups, one of those stepping platforms with adjustable height features, an exercise ball, a smaller stereo that’s ipod-attachable like my own, and even a couple posters of mares doing various exercises with numbers hanging along the walls.

“As you can probably guess by now, this is my personal gym,” Shining said.

“Sheesh, do you even need to go to the real gym? You have so much equipment here already, why even bother going to the one we were at?” I asked.

“I could only get so many machines for various exercises, plus they take up too much space.”

“I guess that’s understandable.” I shrugged. “We’re still going into those training sessions after our last day off, right?”

“Of course. I’ll make up a program for what we’ll focus on tomorrow while you spend some time with Fleur. Anyway, I should get things ready for dinner. I’ll show you upstairs when we’re done afterwards, alright?”

“Sounds good.” I turned the lights off as we went back upstairs. “What are we having by the way?”

“Not yet Oz. It’s a surprise,” she answered with a wink. “Have a seat and I’ll bring the food in a bit.”

“Alright then,” I said before I went to the dining room and sat in the table where one set of silverware and wine glasses were already on it. There was also wine being chilled in a bucket of ice.

After a couple minutes, Shining came back with two plates. One had a nice looking pasta dish with marinara and cheese sauce, while the other plate strangely had a cover on top, not allowing me to see. She set the latter dish in front of me before she sat down with her pasta dish.

“Huh, so I’m having a metal lid for dinner? Well, that is certainly a surprise,” I joked.

She tried to stifle some giggles. “Very funny Oz, but it’s under the lid that’s the surprise.”

I pulled up the lid by the handle, and my eyes widened. What was in front of me was something I haven’t seen back on Earth for quite some time. It was an easy dish to make, and probably one of my favorites to make with little ingredients to work with. The dish itself was small enough for one person to feel satisfied when they’re finished.

“Is this… meatloaf?” I asked as I looked up to Shining.

“That’s right.”

“How…”

“I found the recipe on the internet. I figured since you made our vegetarian meals for some time, I thought I might return the favor.”

“Weren’t you… uncomfortable cooking something like this?”

“A little bit, but not very much. Go on and have a taste before it gets cold.” She took the wine bottle and with a pop from the cork, she poured white wine into our glasses.

I can’t imagine what she was feeling when she made this, or whatever strange stares she got just for buying the meat. Did she have to taste test this? Do ponies have taste for something like this? Guess I’ll have to find out then.

After I cut myself a loaf, I used my fork to tear a piece of the glazed meat from it. I glanced up to see Shining was waiting patiently for me to take the bite. With no hesitation, I put the piece in my mouth and evaluated the taste. I tried not to cringe from the taste I didn’t expect out of a meatloaf, which was saltier and spicier from the amount of onions it was cooked with, but Shining might have saw my reaction already as her ears folded.

“It’s not good, is it?” she asked.

“It’s a little salty,” I said after I swallowed, trying not to lay it on too thick.

“I’m sorry,” she said as she looked down, her eyes wavering. “I thought I could do something to help repay all that you’ve done and what you’ve been through, but—“

“Whoa, please don’t get too emotional over this,” I interrupted while waving my hands out front. “Shining, just being here in your house, and trying something you made that’s out of your comfort zone? I haven’t met anyone back on Earth that would go this far. I couldn’t feel any luckier right now having somebody, or somepony, like you as a friend for doing this. I’m happy for just being here having dinner with you like I always have when the three of us ate together.”

She sniffled and wiped her eyes before looking back up to me. “You really mean it?”

“Of course,” I answered with a smile. “The meatloaf isn’t bad really, so I could eat some more—“

“Don’t torture yourself for my sake!” she exclaimed as she took my plate before she slid hers towards me. “Here, try this while I go grab myself another plate. I have extra helpings prepared in case something like this happened. I’ll be right back.” She left the dining room with the meatloaf plate, and I silently sighed once she was gone.

Not that I think it was really gross, but I’m kind of glad she stopped me from eating any more. At least the pasta looks good though.

I took a clump of noodles covered with a good amount of cheesy sauce before I took a bite, and felt much more satisfied from the taste compared to earlier.

“How is it?” Shining asked as she came back from the kitchen with her own plate.

“Now this is delicious enough to knock my taste buds off. Definitely a Shining Star specialty,” I complimented.

Her face was covered in red as she looked down with a small smile. “Th-thanks, Oz.”

Over time we chatted while we ate and drank, the strong alcohol content from the wine was making the both of us tipsy and in a giggle fit. She even told me funny stories about her mother and siblings that I hadn’t known until then. Simply put, I was having a great time with Shining. I’m sure any guy back on Earth would call me crazy for having this much fun with my boss, but during that time she wasn’t Shining Star the manager. I was talking and getting to know Shining Star, one of my best friends since I came to Equestria. Despite the bumps we had along the way, I couldn’t be happier and more relaxed having her around.

Suddenly, Shining’s ears perked up as the stereo from the living room played a certain song.

“Oh my gosh, I love this song!” she gasped. “We should go and dance to this.”

“Pfft, what?” I asked, my head a little foggy from the alcohol. “The living room looks too small to do the waltz though.”

“That’s for fancier parties. Slow dancing doesn’t require as much space to use, and it’s easier to do.” She then tries to pull me out of my chair. “Come ooooon, I’ll even show you how to do it.”

“Are you gonna drink yourself out cold like last time?” I asked as I stood up.

“Shut up, that was a one-time thing.” She pulled me to the living room between the couch and the T.V., which really didn’t have enough space for us to do the waltz like back at Fancy’s birthday party. “Alright, now you just bring your arms around me like so,” she instructed as she brought both of my hands to the small of her back. “I bring my own around you like this.” She wrapped her arms over my shoulders, bringing us to a close enough proximity that her chest was pressing against my own. “And all we do is sway and move to the beat like this.” We then slowly moved in a small circle with each rocking side-step we made while I stared into her big, pale green eyes. “See? Not so hard, is it?”

“Uh… no, not really,” I replied.

What is this? Is the alcohol playing tricks on me, or is my heart beating really fast? Or is that Shining’s I’m feeling?

“Hey, Shining?” I asked.

“Hmm?”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I feel fine. Why?”

“You just seem… different now than when we last danced.”

“Is that bad?”

“N-no no! It’s fine! I’m just not used to seeing you like this.”

“Probably because I’m having a good time right now.” She pulled herself closer to me where her head was beside mine, and she pressed her chest into me more. “What about you, Oz? Are you having a good time?”

I couldn’t help but melt into the warmth and comfort Shining was giving me, despite whatever logic my head was trying to tell me. I laid my head in the crook of her neck, getting a good smell out of her mane. “Yeah, this is nice.”

She and I stayed silent as we danced through the rest of the song with my eyes closed, savoring the strange, but good feeling that was welling up inside of me. Once the song ended and played something else, the two of us stopped and pulled back, with Shining sighing after the release. “Well, that was fun,” she said. “How about we have some dessert? I got the works to make some sundaes like we said we would.”

“Yeah, sure, sounds good,” I replied before we went to the kitchen, feeling a little down and cold for stopping the dance.

We ended up making some awesome sundaes, like the real deal with hot fudge, bananas, whipped cream, and a cherry, all on a few scoops of vanilla. Shining continued the tour in her home by taking us upstairs as we ate out of our bowls.

“So here we have the guest room, just in case I have somepony like Fancy or Bubbles over,” Shining explained as we looked into one of the four doors in the hallway. The room was pretty plain with nothing but a regular sized bed and a night stand. “Over here, we have the other bathroom with the shower.” The room in question was at the other side of the stairs from the guest room, having a considerable size with a sliding glass door to walk inside the shower. “And then we have my room.” She opened the door across from us, showing a comfortable, pale purple room with a queen sized bed, a walk in closet that’s smaller than Fleur’s, and a nightstand with an alarm clock.

“Looks really comfy,” I commented.

“Alright, now there’s just one last room for me to show you… and it’s the very reason why I haven’t let anypony else inside my home,” Shining said, making me widen my eyes as she led me to the last door in the hallway just a few feet away from her bedroom, across from the guest room. She looked nervous as she stood there with her trembling hand just centimeters away from the doorknob.

“You know, if you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to show me,” I said. “Just bringing me into your home was great enough, and I can just—“

“No, Oz,” Shining interrupted before she turned to me with a small smile. “I appreciate your concern for my comfort, but this is something I need to show that you have the right to see.” She took a deep breath to calm herself down before she finally grasped the knob, turned, and pushed the door open. I followed her inside, and my eyes widened at what I saw.

The biggest thing in the room that stood out to me was the glass display case across the door. Inside that case were many photos, magazines, and awards. In chronological order from the top left to the bottom right, there was Shining looking much different in the photos and magazines with Fleur. Shining wasn’t as muscular in the photos as she is currently, maybe a few centimeters thinner, but her figure still maintained that cello-shaped form while her curves were accentuated at the right places. Her mane was also longer, more professionally styled, and she wasn’t even wearing her white-framed glasses. Shining and Fleur were either by themselves, or with each other in the photos and magazines, doing poses for various advertisements, holding up the same awards that were displayed in the case, and were looking happy and proud. As time progressed, the magazine advertisements with Shining inside suddenly disappeared. There were only photos of her and Fleur holding up more awards, with the latter being shown in more magazines displayed. From that point to the end, Shining was wearing her business attire and glasses I usually see today, and her smile had softened compared to her time as a model. The rest of the room had a large bookshelf on one side of the room while a lone couch sat on the other.

“Besides the landscapers I’ve told not to come anywhere near upstairs, I didn’t want anypony else to stumble across this room and come remind me of my past,” Shining said as I turned to her. She took a moment to eat a scoop of her sundae before continuing. “I’m happy with the life and career I have now, but having somepony ask me questions about my previous life that was ripped away because of that night five and a half years ago… I still feel pain inside just thinking about it sometimes.”

“Shining…”

“It hasn’t been as bad as it was before, thankfully,” she continued as she set her sundae bowl on a small table at the side of the couch, and walked over to the bookshelf across from it. She looked up at a framed photo on the shelf, showing the most recent picture that was taken back at Fancy’s party. “I make new memories to display here, to show how far I’ve come since I’ve moved on, and how much Fleur and I have grown.” I set my sundae bowl down next to Shining’s as I heard a few sniffles. “Mom would tell me how proud she was for what I’ve accomplished, and how Dad would be too if he was still here, telling me I was one of the most beautiful, brightest stars that fell from the night sky like he always did…” Her voice broke as her shoulders shook, and tears fell to the floor.

I took the initiative to embrace her, and she sobbed into my shoulder as she gripped the back of my shirt. I couldn’t help but shed a few tears myself as she and I just stood in the room, with only Shining’s muffled cries to fill the dead silence in the air.

It felt like minutes had passed before we finally stopped crying. We pulled back from the embrace, and wiped our faces with our arms and sleeves. “Sorry about that,” Shining said.

“Don’t be,” I replied as I handed her the sundae bowl. “Thank you for showing me this, Shining. I feel I’ve gotten to know a lot more about you now.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied with a small smile before we finished the rest of our sundaes. “I’d like to show you some of the photo albums I have here, but maybe for another time. I’m getting a little tired after a long day like today.”

“I know what you mean. Should I just bring my things to the guest room then?”

Her eyes widened before she looked to the side with a slight blush to her face. “Um… actually, Oz.”

“Yes?”

“Do you mind if you could… sleep in bed with me for tonight? I could use some snuggling after that little break down.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle a little from how embarrassed she looked. “Sure thing, Shining. I’m alright with that on any kind of night. I’m starting to like them myself.”

“R-really?”

“Really.”

“A-alright… uh, I still need to take a shower. Could you put the bowls in the sink? I’ll take care of cleaning them in the morning.”

“Sure thing. I already took my shower before I got here, so I’ll change and wait in your room when I’m done, alright?” I asked, and she nodded in response with a smile.

I took our bowls and spoons in the kitchen sink. I then took my bathroom essentials out of my sack, and brushed my teeth in the first floor’s bathroom before I changed into some comfy nightwear. I put my used clothes and essentials back in the sack, and carried it upstairs to Shining’s room after I made sure all the lights were off, and the doors were locked.

Once I set my sack on the side of the room, I sat in Shining’s bed with the covers over my lap and waited. The bed was comfortable, probably softer than my own back in my room, and the blankets were nice and warm too. Moments later, a few knocks from outside the room grabbed my attention as I turned, and my eyes widened.

Shining wasn’t wearing her usual tank top and night shorts she wore during our stay in Manehattan. Instead, she was wearing a silk white chemise that stretched down just to her upper thighs. I could barely make out her cutie marks that were on the sides of her hips, and if she were to lift her arms, the ensemble may just rise enough for me to see her panties (at least I had hoped she was wearing them). The straps that were holding it up was thick enough to not dig into her fur, and her bust was fitted snugly enough that her breasts had enough room to move, jiggling slightly as she walked, but was still kept inside her nightwear from falling out.

“I… hope you don’t mind me wearing this, Oz,” she said as she looked to the side with a blush. “I uh… didn’t have much else to wear on short notice, with laundry that still needs to be taken care of and all.”

“N-no, Shining, you’re fine… you look good—great! You look, great, was what I meant,” I stammered.

“Thanks,” she replied with a smile. She flicked the lights to her room off, the lamp on her nightstand the only thing keeping the room lit before she closed the door behind her and she walked over to the bed. “You want me to set those glasses on the side for you?”

“Y-yeah, sure.” Feeling a little dumb for forgetting, I took my glasses off before handing them to her, and she set them on the nightstand next to her own.

Once she turned the lamp off, she got under the covers and snuggled close to me. My head was under her chin, her breasts pressed against me, and her arms wrapped around me, as well as one of her legs. I silently prayed that she wouldn’t stumble over the tent that was pitched under my night pants.

“Are you comfy, Oz?” Shining asked.

“Y-yeah, I am,” I replied.

“I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for coming over.”

“Thanks for having me. So are we good with that accident from Manehattan the other day?”

“Absolutely...” She yawned. “You know, despite how things started off between us, I’m glad you came here. I don’t know where I’d be right now if you hadn’t come around.”

“You really mean it?”

“Every word.”

“I’m glad I’m here with you and Fleur too. You two mean so much to me, more than anything I’ve ever come across.” I turned to face my body towards hers, wrapping my arms around her waist while I couldn’t help but rest my head on her bosom, glad my boner calmed down at least a little. “I hope I won’t have to lose either one of you for anything.”

“Thank you.” She pulled me closer, getting us as snug as she could make it. “Good night, Oz.”

“Night, Shining.” I let my eyelids grow heavy until they closed, easing myself into my friend’s bed. My mind wandered to what Shining’s father told her back in her personal room, and I mouthed silently:

“You still are a beautiful, bright star, and you always will be.”

Author's Notes:

And that marks the end of Shining and Ozzy's first date! At least in Shining's head. So many feels in this chapter, I even shed a few tears myself while I wrote some of this.

As I've said in my blog post, I'll be taking a temporary leave to catch up on school work and do some job hunting. I'll probably have the next chapter published by next week.

Next chapter Shining will confess what the tail tugs really do to her, and how Ozzy will prepare for his next date with Fleur. How will things heat up between these three? You'll have to wait until next week to find out. Until next time,

This is Dudeler, signing off.