"Ugh..."

The bed, cool from the fan blowing against its sheets all day long, caressed my back as I fell onto it after walking nearly two miles around campus from class to class. I was exhausted, but in a good way. I had been lying around at home for months and months. Being able to get out and do something productive gave me an entirely different kind of exhaustion than I was used to.

Instead of it being like "Damn... I'm so bored. There's nothing to do. Might as well sleep.", it was like "I put in a good days effort and I deserve some rest for a while."

I sighed, then closed my eyes and smiled.

Due to our schedules, Lightweight had an extra thirty minutes of class than me each day, so I found out that I'd be getting back to the dorm earlier from then on. I didn't really mind, though. Even though she was a drop dead cutie, having a few minutes of alone time was super valuable to me.

The sun was starting its descent into the horizon and, at the same time, changing its color from bright yellow to orange. The atmosphere alone would've been enough to make me relaxed and drowsy if it weren't for a long day of classes and listening to boring lectures. There were still a few hours to kill before eight p.m. I really wished Lightweight was into video games as much as I was because it'd make our downtime alone a bit more bearable. I didn't quite get a chance to check it out earlier, but I assumed that it was the latest version of the Quest Box: the same one I had back at home.

I couldn't stop thinking about what Twilight might teach me. Something told me that I wouldn't be learning super O.P. lightning spells, but for some reason, as long as it was Twilight teaching me, I honestly didn't care. I knew that whatever she'd help me with would ultimately get me closer to becoming a high-level mage. Don't worry, I was completely grateful. Hell, it's not every day you have magic training with a princess. And, by the way it sounded, she'd be willing to have several more "meetings" in the future.

I did feel a bit guilty about it, though. I knew deep down that she wouldn't have even considered it if it weren't for my dad. I suppose she'd be willing to help out somepony who was really struggling; Twilight seemed sweet enough to do something like that. But, full-out lessons on a regular basis?

I said a silent "thank you" to my dad since he's the one who made all this possible. But, I knew from then on that I'd have to put forth the effort myself to pass this strange new school.

Eventually, I heard the front door open, followed by an audible exhale and an object colliding with the couch, making a gentle "poof" sound. The television clicked on and I got up shortly after, stretching my legs.

"Yo! How was class?" I called out from the bedroom.

"Oh! Hey, Angel!" I saw one of her light yellow hooves raise above the back of the couch to wave at me as I passed the hallway. "It was alright, just the same old boring introductions."

"Yeah... I guess it'll get more interesting as time goes on. You think?"

"Definitely! Erm, well, I hope so." She flipped through channels as I sat down on the couch next to her. I tried to sit far enough away so I wouldn't make her uncomfortable, but what if she picked up on it and deduced that I was purposefully trying to avoid her? I blew it off, knowing that I was probably over-thinking things.

I shook off the random thought and watched as she flipped, bored. The memory snapped back in my head and I realized I forgot to tell her about my plans for the night.

"Oh! Um..." I was about to finish the sentence, but I thought better of it since dropping such a big bomb like: "Hey! I'm having secret special lessons with the headmaster!" wouldn't make for the smoothest conversation. "What time do you usually go to bed?"

"Huh? Oh, usually around ten, but I'm exhausted... I might just doze off right here in a second..." Lightweight yawned and turned onto her side, lying down with her head close to one of my legs.

I sighed in relief knowing that I wouldn't have to explain why I was going out again so late and why she couldn't come with me. By the amount of exhaustion I saw from her, I knew she'd be knocked out hard enough for me to sneak out safely. On second thought, she could've tagged along, but it would've been more awkward than I was comfortable with since Twilight would probably think I was just in it for the popularity at that point.

It was funny. Every time she got closer to me, whether it was intentional or not, I felt my heart rate spike. I just couldn't get over how much raw beauty she had.

She sat back up and turned her back towards me.

"Hey, Angel? Could you gimme a little back rub? My back hasn't felt right all day..."

"Y- Yeah... Sure." With hesitation, I moved her golden-white mane away from her back and slid my hooves up.

I could already feel a considerable amount of knots under her shoulder blades, so I went to work on them first. She leaned back against me as I pushed my hooves up her back and I could feel her chest vibrate as she let out small moans of satisfaction. Her fur was bunching up near the tip of my hooves as they dug in and worked out some of the thickest muscle spots I'd ever come across.

"Geez, Light, how long has it been since you had your back rubbed?"

She let out another groan. "Ages. Nngh..."

My hooves were getting tired from rubbing, but I kept going; didn't wanna make her think I didn't care. Her body leaned back against me more and more and eventually, I was putting forth more effort into holding her up than actually massaging her.

Lightweight’s groans grew less audible and it became obvious that she was too relaxed to stay awake. Feeling somewhat proud of my work, I laid her down on her back.

"I take it that felt good?" I chuckled and looked down at her cute little face that was half-covered by her mane. She didn't respond. "Lightweight?"

She was asleep. That darned mare fell asleep as I was massaging her back... Lucky. It had been a while since I experienced a massage that good and it was kind of making me want one, too. Her belly rose and fell softly and I knew I couldn't just leave her there on the couch. I picked her up with my magic and kept my eye on her to be safe since she was way more important than the normal inanimate objects I levitated on a daily basis.

I was certain that she was out cold. Not only did she fall asleep within a minute of my massage; being levitated didn't wake her either. I slowed down so that I could carefully fit her through the door frame to the bedroom and soon enough, she was lying down in bed as I pulled the sheets over her tired body.

My perverted mind was particularly gifted at concealing itself until the right time, but for some reason, I thought about taking the opportunity to show her a little affection while she was sleeping. My cheeks felt hot as I leaned in, and my lips kissed her forehead right below her horn. It wasn't what I really wanted to do at that moment since I hadn't gotten laid in ages; it was the most I could do without having to do too much explaining if she did happen to wake up from it. As expected, her fur felt as soft as cotton against me and it made me feel all the more jealous of whoever her marefriend was.

"Night night, Lightweight." I whispered as I turned and exited, making sure that there was a small crack in the door for some light to come in.

I paused outside the door and sighed, knowing I was in the clear.

Alright, Twilight. Let's do this.

The air was chillier than it was the last time I was out. The pegasi must've ushered in a cold front within the few hours I was waiting at the dorm. I could clearly see the condensation in front of my face every time I exhaled thanks to the light that the full moon was giving. Everything was peacefully quiet on campus as I walked through the middle courtyard; most of the ponies were probably doing the same thing Lightweight was doing at the time.

However, I started to hear ambient background noise once I left campus and got closer to the streets. For a fraction of a moment, the dark alley that led to the middle of town made me worry about getting jumped on, but I quickly remembered that I could *zap!* anypony cold with a flick of my magic. I doubt any pervert would be dumb enough to jump somepony from the academy, anyways. After a while, I started to see street lights help guide my way.

Even though I usually didn't care about my mane, I remembered that I didn't fix it like I usually did before I left. It was still straight, but slightly parted to the left like my mom has her mane, but without all the spray to keep it spiky. I nervously and futilely tried to neaten it up with my magic so that I wouldn't get any strange looks from any of the aristocratic broads in town, but it just went back to the way it was before. I blew a puff of air up at it in frustration and it settled back over one of my eyes as if to tell me "buck you, I do what I want."

The only thing I brought with me besides my scarf was the strange book that was at my doormat when I left. It wasn't like a school textbook. In fact, when I flipped through it, none of the pages even made sense to me; half of the words were written in this weird language I couldn't understand. It was either made by a foal who managed to find a quill or a wizard so powerful that he made his own written code or something. I knew it was fairly important since it was straight from Headmistress Twilight's library, so I brought my backpack with me to keep it safe.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that most ponies in Canterlot were gaudy and judgmental of everypony that didn't dress themselves like them, I didn't get many odd looks save for the occasional stallion glancing at me to check me out. I was used to that, though. I pretended like I didn't notice a few glancing at my butt, but I knew they were. Ponies like me practically reeked of exoticism and that usually peaked interests.

I faintly remembered seeing a restaurant named "Gastoire's" when I walk through the night before with the new freshmen.

Let's see... If I'm not mistaken...

I thought to myself and tried to reconstruct the memory last night before remembering that it was a few blocks down. I looked around for some sort of clock, and there was one conveniently placed on the corner of the next four way intersection that said it was three minutes to eight.

Shit...

With any other pony, I wouldn't have cared so much about being late, but this was Twilight. Not only was she a princess and headmaster of my school, but I knew that she naturally had a peeve with tardiness. I sped up my stride and I felt my throat become raw and cold from the winter air.

I had pictured in my head the back alley of Gastoire's to be like any old ally you'd see on a daily basis: dark, damp, dirty and dangerous, but when I spotted the restaurant and stealthily made my way around it, I was glad to be wrong. It literally looked just like the busy street behind me, but it was more compressed and without an abundance of lighting. If it weren't for the steam rising up from one of the grates in the distance, I would've had trouble convincing myself that I was in a back-alley. The moon light hit the top quarter of the wall to my left which gave just enough radiant light to help me see where I was going. It was a good thing; it'd help me see anypony coming my way who was up to no good much faster.

Already, I could tell that Twilight hadn't shown up super early like she frequently did, unless she was using some advanced invisibility spell. The alleyway both behind and in front of me was devoid of pretty much anything save for the occasional rubbish bin here and there.

"Glad you made it, Angel." Twilight's voice echoed behind me.

Yup... Advanced invisibility. Why am I not surprised?

I didn't say anything at first, probably because I didn't quite know how to start the conversation that would lead into what I knew she came here to do.

"I couldn't buy any longer than an hour, so we should get started. You ready?" Twilight was fully visible now and she was wearing a white and blue striped scarf alongside a goofy beanie that had to be for some sort of disguise.

"Yeah... But, are you sure nopony will notice us? I mean, my lightning spells can get pretty lo-"

As if Twilight were trying to show off, a loud roll of thunder crashed in the sky above me. She was smiling when I looked back down; pride was practically painted on her face.

"I had some of the weather team make a local thunderstorm for the next few hours."

"Oh, right." I took a deep breath and cleared my mind. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Good!" Twilight approached me slowly. "Now... Lightning spells are perhaps some of the most lethal spells in a unicorns arsenal. They're quick, effective and extremely powerful. However, approximately eighty-eight percent of all lightning spells I've seen used by students lack in one aspect: accuracy."

She stopped a couple of yards away from me. "Your spells don't mean anything if they can't hit their target and a powerful, yet unstable spell is always less advantageous than a weaker, controlled one. So, we're going to work on your accuracy with your lightning. Oh, and don't worry about damaging anything. These back walls are three feet thick."

A hologram-like target appeared within throwing distance of me.

"Let's get right to it, shall we? Go ahead and try to hit the target."

I focused on the cartoon-ish red and white circles that collapsed into a single red bull's eye, charging up my horn and feeling the fur on my back stand up. I tried not to make it a big bolt. In fact, I was a little afraid, so I ended up making a charge that was much smaller than my typical ones.

The spell released from my horn and after a loud crack and a bit of smoke from my horn, I looked up to see that it missed high and right.

"Not great, but I've seen worse." Twilight stared at the black burn mark I made on the concrete.

I was glad she straight up told me that my shot sucked. Giving somepony praise for not doing their best was always one of my pet peeves.

She looked back at me. "Try not to close your eyes this time. Lightning always arcs and its completely random; the only thing keeping lightning magic from acting the same way is you. Try thinking of the lightning as an extension of your horn and keep your eye on the target. With enough focus, the bolt will obey you. Try it again, Angel."

It was very simple to understand what she was saying, mostly because it involved one of the very few things I actually enjoyed learning. I lined back up to the target and, even though I was a bit fidgety from the fear of the lightning sparking in my eyes, tried to center my vision on the red dot in the middle. My horn charged up with about the same amount of power as before and flew out.

This time, I saw the bright flash of it hitting the target instead of just opening my eyes to see the aftermath. It was still high and right but only a foot away from the center mark. I smiled.

Yes!

"Much better! Try a little harder to think about that extension bit I said earlier. Imagine your horn literally extending with your bolt and stabbing the target right in the center."

After catching my breath for a few seconds, I repeated my previous actions a third time. I did as the princess said and, like a laser, my bolt struck dead center of the target, making it shatter onto the cobblestone street before dissipating into the air.

"Wow, Angel. You learn pretty quick!"

I couldn't help but smile again, feeling an insane amount of confidence.

Thirty minutes later...

I was starting to get a headache, and therefore some irritation, from using up so much magic in such a short amount of time. Still, Twilight kept drilling me over and over again to make sure I had my accuracy down to a science. It definitely felt like training from an expert which was exactly what I was hoping for.

"Alright, Angel, you look pretty worn out. Let's do one last exercise and then we'll call it a night."

A while ago, there was no way anypony would be able to make me leave, but I actually was glad to be done then because of how strenuous it was.

"Yes ma'am."

"Now that you've got a better grip on your accuracy, let’s try tuning up your power. See if you can keep your bolts straight then."

I knew that I only had enough energy in me for one last big bolt; after that, I wouldn't be able to do so much as lift a pencil. Nonetheless, I spread my stance and readied one more, taking an extra second or two to let it charge up more.

I felt a trickle of sweat roll down my cheek as I gritted my teeth. For a second, I almost lost control of the spell. I was still able to fire it off, though, and it made a louder *boom* against the target about six inches from the center. I was happy enough with that for the time being.

"Very good!" Twilight trotted towards me and got close before looking me right in my exhausted eyes. "Now, do you think you could've hit that close with a bolt that large before?"

I hesitantly shook my head as the point of the whole training began to bring itself together. She didn't want me to just practice my accuracy, although that was a pretty helpful thing to know. What she was really trying to do was make me practice with lower level spells so my bigger ones would mirror the improvement. It knocked my ego down a level or two because it was basically as if she was saying "Angel, you're not experienced enough to do higher level spells yet." But, I supposed that was the whole reason I was going to C.A.A.M. at the first place. I needed a touch of humility from Twilight to realize that I wasn't special and that I had to push my limits every day to be where I wanted to be.

Though, seeing a step of improvement, however tiny it was, gave me some motivation that I really needed.

"Judging by that look in your eye, I think you know what I'm talking about already. You're not as slow as most of the other first years; I can tell that much." She put one of her wings over my back which made me blush from the sudden intimacy. "You did a spectacular job today, Angel. You're really showing some improvement after just one practice!"

"T- Thank you, ma'am... But," I eyed my backpack that still held the book she gave me earlier. It had been sitting on the edge of the curb since I arrived. "Weren't you going to use that book for something? I was just wondering since we hadn't used it at all..."

"Oh, that? You didn't need it for today, but be sure to read over chapter two for next time, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." I said as I found myself naturally pressing myself against her side, tucking into her wing to shelter myself from the cold."

Wow... Her wing is really warm...

"Angel, Angel... Didn't I tell you not to think of me that way? I'm your friend, not your boss! Well, I guess I sort of am... But, try not to think of me that way." Twilight smiled and hugged me with her wing. "Anyway, you should be getting back. Don't worry; I'll give you a teleport. Can't in good conscience send you walking home so late at night..."

I thought she'd say a few more words at least, but her horn immediately started glowing and my body tingled from her magic. I felt my backpack being shoved against my chest and I held onto it for dear life, knowing that dropping an object mid-teleport usually ended up sour.

"Until next time!" The princess said happily whilst waving at me. I managed to return it before being thrown into the rift.

Before my next breath exited, I was in the middle of the living room at the dorm. My mind was dizzy after such a sudden change in scenery, but it only took a few seconds to settle down and cope. I immediately found the nearest thing that could cushion my weight, which was conveniently the couch behind me, and collapsed in it.

I had a massive headache, but not in the way most headaches were. I keep forgetting that some of you out there aren't unicorns, so it might be harder to understand.

Basically, headaches caused from over-using your magic feel like muscle cramps, but in your forehead. It's not something you can just take some medicine for and make it go away. Usually, you have to mix some kind of potion with special herbs in it. Twilight supplied my dad with it from time to time back at the house and a pony who thinks ahead would've packed some, but I'm not one of those ponies. I doubted there would be anything like that here at the dorm, anyway.

I leaned back and put my hoof over my face, admitting to myself that I'd just have to deal with it until it decided to wear off. My horn was throbbing terribly. It felt like being on a boat for months and months and then stepping back out onto land only to sway back and forth since the mind was used to it for so long. I could feel my mind involuntarily wanting to cast spells even though I had no intention of doing so.

As I relaxed and the ringing from all the loud lightning pops died away in my ears, I heard something strange coming from one of the back rooms. It was muffled, but it sounded... Like crying.

I forgot all about my sore head and got up to see what was the matter.

Lightweight was curled up in her bed sobbing when I opened the door. The sudden influx of light caused her body to recoil and I quickly closed it back once I walked in.

"Light?! What's wrong? Are you okay?!" I nearly galloped to her bed. Seeing somepony who was usually so happy turn sad always played at my heartstrings and it gave me more motivation to help.

All she did was sob. She didn't even pick her head up to look at me. I was getting nervous, thinking that it was somehow my fault that she was so upset. Ditching her in her sleep probably wasn't the kindest thing to do, but why would she get so worked up over something like that?

"Lightweight..." I said as I laid down next to her, facing her tear stained face. I was very close to her at that point and if it weren't for the touchy situation, it might've even been inappropriate. Nonetheless I wrapped my front legs around her and hugged her tight. I did it without thinking, without a single thought in my mind telling me not to for any reason.

"I..." She sniffed and her words were shaky.

"Shh, calm down... Its okay, Light... Just tell me what happened...."

After a few deep yet unstable breaths, she actually managed to settle down as she snuggled into my chest.

"M- My marefriend... Just sent me a *sniff* a letter telling me she doesn't wanna see me anymore..."

All my emotions centered on whoever her marefriend was at that moment and it took all the effort I had not to explode and go track her down for hurting Lightweight.

"What?! Why?!" I tried not to sound too angry.

"I dunno... She *sniff* just sent this letter and all it says is 'I'm tired of not being able to see you every weekend like I used to.'"

"Seriously? That's the only reason she gave?"

"W- Well, yeah... But that's my fault..." Thankfully, her sobbing had dried up and she was able to talk clearly.

"That's stupid. She can't seriously expect you to do everything with her every single weekend, right?"

She sniffed again. "She... Would always get mad at me if we couldn't hang out and she'd threaten to break up with me if I did it one more time... I told her I was going to the academy but she... I guess she didn't care."

I hugged her tight, not caring about the possible overly-intimate implications, and whispered into her ear.

"I'm really sorry... I know how it's like to go through something like this, but if it means anything, I don't think it's your fault at all. She sounds like a total jerk."

"R- Really?" Another cute sniff. "But..."

I held a hoof to her muzzle softly. "What she did, expecting you to spend time with her instead of going to school here... That was over the line. And if you ask me, I think you're better off without somepony like that.

My words seemed to cheer her up a little and seeing her quivering lip stabilize gave the confidence to keep comforting her as best I could.

"She was..." Lightweight giggled a little. "Pretty mean..."

"And you're the sweetest mare I've ever met... I- um..."

Shit, Angel... Don't go in too hard...

I felt her finally return the hug. It felt so blissful to be held that way from somepony other than my parents.

"I don't suppose you could beat her up for me?" Lightweight giggled again and nuzzled into my chest, making my heart rate spike.

"Um... I can, if you want me to." I smiled back, knowing that she was just teasing.

We laid there in silence for a few minutes. It would've been awkward, but the hug made it bearable.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier..."

"It's alright, Angel. I probably would've ended up saying something I didn't mean... But, where were you, anyway?"

"Um..." I quickly attempted to decide whether or not to tell her about what actually happened, but I just couldn't find it within me to lie to her. "I was having some lessons with Twilight..."

Her ears perked up and she looked up at me from my chest. "Wow! Really?! How did you manage that?!"

It nearly broke my heart when I saw how red and irritated her eyes were from crying, but I stayed resilient. "I guess she saw potential in me and... I dunno. Maybe she owed my dad a favor somehow."

Lightweight didn't say anything back but resumed plugging her face to my fur. "That's great, Angel..."

It was best to drop the subject since talking about me too much would've come off the wrong way.

"You feeling a little better, Light?" I said as I rubbed her back.

"Mhmm... Thank you, Angel..."

My whole world stopped when she picked her head up and kissed me on the cheek. I couldn't say anything because I was so shocked, but she seemed confident enough not to apologize for it a second later like I expected her to. She didn't need to say anything, though. I knew what she implied and I was sure she knew the implication, too.

At that point, I couldn't take it anymore.

"Lightweight, I... I know this is a bad time but I need to tell you something."

"Hm?"

I could feel my face radiating heat from blushing and I was certain that she could feel my heart beating harder. Telling her would probably make her blender of emotions worse, but I just couldn't keep quiet about it anymore.

"P- Pretty much ever since we met... I..." I bit my lip, trying to fumble for the right words to say, but I figured it'd be best to throw it at her blunt and get it out of the way. "I've kinda had a thing for you..."

"I noticed..." She said with a surprisingly confident tone.

"Oh... Really? I- I'm sorry, I-" My speech was slowly beginning to mimic the nervousness I was feeling.

The next few moments would probably go down as some of the best I had ever experienced. Before I could say anything more, I felt her warm soft lips press against mine only for a second or two. My eyes never closed because I was too shocked.

Lightweight giggled again. "I guess you know how I feel too, now."

I wanted so badly to just blow it off as her just being emotionally unstable, which would've been a valid observation to make, but she didn't seem like she was losing control. Her kiss was soft and delicate and her body wasn't trembling at all compared to earlier when she was crying. No, it was obvious that she had been thinking about doing that for a long time. I couldn't sense a whiff of nervousness about her.

"B- But... You're sure that it's not too soon? I mean..."

"Well, to be honest, I was thinking of breaking up with her anyways and then asking you out after that."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why were you so upset about her dumping you if you wanted me all along?" It felt weird saying it that way.

Her muzzle scrunched and she made a comical pouty face. "She was really mean... And called me a bunch of things that kinda got to me..."

"Oh. So, you..." I couldn't help but smile from how excited I was. "Like me?"

"Of course I like you, silly. You're beautiful and talented... Your personality is really attractive..." Her sentence dipped off as it went and ended with a yawn, hinting that she was getting sleepy.

"You're sure you're talking about me?" I blushed and couldn't help but feel a little ego trip coming on.

"Mhmm. And don't pretend like I didn't see you staring at me all those times, either." Lightweight booped my nose with her hoof and it caused an involuntary smile.

"Yeah... Sorry 'bout that..." I tried my best to match the confidence that she was putting forth so it didn't look like I was out of her league. "Everything about you is like eye candy to me."

"Oh really, now?" She teased with a mock-seduction tone.

We both giggled and snuggled a little more, both of us feeling the electrical tingle of nervous new love.

"But, I mean..." I paused to think so I wouldn't say something in haste that came out wrong. "Every time I'm around you, I just feel... Happy. I dunno what it is... To be honest, I just felt a connection to you since day one, which... Would be yesterday, I guess. I dunno... I just get this feeling when I'm around you that's totally different than every other mare I've met."

"I feel the same way, Angel..." Lightweight yawned again, the smile on her face not fading one degree. "Right now... Like we are right here... I just met you yesterday yet I feel safer in your arms than any other pony I've ever been with."

She was beginning to rub herself against me in a way that went beyond just hugging. It was slowly turning into passionate cuddling as her hind legs laced with mine.

"Well... You can stay right here with me tonight, if that's the case." I said, pulling the covers over us with my worn out yet barely functional magic. They covered up past her face so that I could only see her eyes and nose when I looked down at her.

Damnit, why do you have to be so cute...

"Just tonight?" She looked up at me as if she was a puppy and I just took away her favorite toy.

I giggled and squeezed her, kissing her forehead next to her horn. "Any night you want, Light."

She let out a girlish *squee* and nuzzled her face into my chest again happily.

I stroked her back fur slowly and affectionately, still somewhat oblivious to how lucky I was to receive my current circumstance.

"You're too cute."

Author's Notes:

This chapter took a while to finish and I apologize for that, I had a lot of other things going on that limited my time to work on it. Because of that there may be some mistakes that I missed, so I apologize for that in advance as well.

If there are any errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3