Author's Notes:

And number 4! Finally. Sorry for the delay, my beta reader can only work on weekends and was kept really busy. But either way please don't him, he works hard to make these chapters turn out great. I'd also like to thank my newest beta-reader, The Exotic Natasha. She's really helped me find some grammatical errors I've missed and will continue to help if she can. So please say thank you to both of them.

And also I hope you all have a Merry Christmas/ Hearth's Warming/ Happy Holiday's.

On another note, for those who've wondered when there will be sexual acts in this story, here you go. It's as close to nudity and sexual themes as you'll get for right now. So do enjoy it.

And the OC's in this chapter belong to friends of mine on deviantART so please do check them out when you can.

Anima Memoriae, Skull Candy, Cloud Heart, Sunny Daze, Strawberry Rose, Mia Hairspray, Zen Wheeler, and Celly Script belong to Alesha-Zee
Bard belongs to dlazerous
D3 belongs to despisedandbeloved
Glitch belongs to bamart19
Gadget belongs to lahirien
Yoshi Ringo belongs to yoshiringo

Edit: Fixed some grammatical errors and added the scars from chapter one. Hope you all enjoy.

Edit 2: Cured it's LUS and fixed some grammatical errors.

Edit 3: Time for some swimsuits and new friends.

“Come on, Anima, just a few more and we’ll be able to take a break,” Caster Forge said, giving his friend the support she needed.

“I’m doing the best I can here, buster! You try doing wingups with a blazing hot sun over your head,” Anima Memoriae said, with an out of breath tone as she kept pushing her body up and down with her wings.

Caster simply chuckled, hearing her snap at him like that. He knew she didn’t really hate him for the effort he was putting her through. It was just how she talked whenever she was extremely fatigued during their lessons together. And Caster had been there firsthand to witness such moments in all that time.

It had been about three months since the two ponies began their lessons and their friendship had truly taken a turn for the better. Nearly every day of the week, Caster had been teaching Anima the many ways to use her wings properly. At first it started out with simply getting adjusted to her wings through wing-ups and simple stretches. But as time passed they got into more advanced techniques for better control and navigation. Even as the challenges got harder, Anima didn’t mind. For it was worth it not only because she was getting to use her wings better, but also because it allowed her to spend time with her newest friend.

In the time that she and Caster had spent together they had gotten to know each other more and more. Both about how they did their usual jobs and went about their lives. Though of course some things they chose to keep to themselves. Particularly Caster’s love life situation as he felt it wasn’t something he should bring up. Part of him however felt a bit different. From their time together, Caster had begun to grow small feelings for Anima. She was always so attentive when learning from him and that was something he truly appreciated. And even outside of their lessons she wanted to spend time with him simply because she could. It even gave him a chance to meet some of her friends from time to time. While he had his own circle of friends it was nice to expand and enter someone else’s. Caster was overjoyed to have so many ponies to keep him from being lonely and it was all thanks to Anima, the pony he offered to help on a whim.

But even as his feelings for her grew very slowly, Caster still didn’t know if they were true or not. Many times in the past he had fallen for the charms of other mares only to end up in disappointment and rejection. Plus he didn’t even know if Anima shared his feelings. So he thought it best to simply hide how he felt for now, as he didn’t want what they had to end so abruptly because of his own personal affections. At the moment, Caster only wanted to focus on improving Anima’s wings, which currently involved helping her with her wing-ups.

“All right, one more and we’ll be done,” he stated, encouraging her further.

“All I needed to hear,” Anima replied, preparing herself for the last wing-up.

With an impressive amount of effort she slowly descended, doing her best to ignore the pain her wings were giving off. In only a few moments time, Anima fully brought herself back up again, only to fall back down when she collapsed from exhaustion. Caster gave her a few words of congrats before bringing her up onto her feet. Anima dusted off and wiped a small layer of sweat from her brow before following her tutor to the bench they usually sat upon. Caster reached for some water bottles in a bag the food court gave them and passed one to her. They took a moment to view their all too familiar surroundings of the Royal Gardens. The grass and flowers looked slightly wilted from the intense rays of the sun. The leaves of the few trees were a deep shade of green and they provided an excellent source of shade for the two ponies.

“Geez, why’s it have to be so hot today?” Anima exclaimed, taking a big gulp of water.

“It can’t be helped, I suppose. Heat waves just come and go as they usually do,” Caster said, taking a similar gulp as her.

“Yeah but it’s never usually this hot, even in Canterlot,” she said, fanning herself with her hand.

And she was right. Despite it being Summer time, Equestria didn’t usually face a heat wave like this. Lately most ponies had chosen to stay indoors and do whatever they could to beat the heat. Caster and Anima were forced to wear shorts and shirts a size larger to let in some air. Heck, on the way to the Gardens the two ponies ran into Princess Celestia. Finding her actually agreeing that it was hot. One would think that someone who controls the sun would be used to its radiating heat. But she was still just a pony like everyone else.

“True, I heard that the weather teams had to bring water to some nearby dried up lakes and even to Froggy Bottom Bog. Amazing how much the temperature can rise so quickly,” Caster said, wiping away some sweat.

“I guess. So is there anything else you wanted to go over today?” Anima asked, already feeling a little refreshed.

“Yes actually, I thought I’d show you how to glide,” he said, standing up.

“Interesting, how would we do that though? I still can’t exactly fly up to a proper height yet to get started,” she stated, curious how this would work.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered. Here grab on,” Caster said, holding out a hand for her.

“Um, okay,” Anima said, a bit hesitant as she took hold of it.

Caster then spread his wings and flew up with Anima in tow. While she was a bit surprised at first, she soon calmed down as she let him hold her above the ground. He led her to a nearby tree that had long and sturdy branches. Caster let her sit on one of the higher ones as he let go of Anima’s hand and flew in front of her.

“All right, so for this exercise I want you to spread out your wings and leap from this branch. When you do that you’ll have to keep your wings straight out at your sides. This’ll allow you to keep yourself afloat for a short amount of time and you’ll have to perform your glide as straight as you can. Want to give it a shot?” he asked, hoping she would be ready.

“I don’t know, we seem pretty high up,” Anima said, looking down at the ground nervously. “What if I falter and fall down?”

“You’ll be fine. I’ll be sure to grab you in case that does happen. You trust me don’t you?” Caster said, giving her a comforting smile.

“Of course,” she said, feeling relieved by his words.

“Good,” Caster said, flying a few feet away before he landed. “Just see if you can glide to where I’m at. I promise to catch you if anything goes wrong.”

“Okay, just give me a moment,” Anima said, preparing herself.

She spread her wings out to their full length, like he asked, and took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Anima looked across the garden and saw where Caster was, looking at her, confident that she would be able to pull this off. That was more than enough for her as she flexed her wings slightly. With ease and grace, Anima closed her eyes and leapt off of the branch toward her friend. She expected a falling sensation, but as she opened her eyes she saw that she was moving forward, above the ground as her wings kept her aloft. It was difficult keeping her wings straight out at first but she managed to hold them with the best of her strength.

Anima continued her glide forward, only a few more feet away from Caster, until one of her wings gave out and she fell to the ground. True to his word, Caster flew toward her with incredible speed and was about to catch her. But as he did, the force of impact sent them both falling to the ground and landing on top of one another. They both groaned at the slight pain they received but they shook it off. Caster was the first to recover as he tried to get back up. Though he soon found something soft and round pressed against his face. Looking up he saw Anima sitting on top of him, slowly recovering from the crash, with her breasts pressing against his head. Even though they were still covered by her shirt, that didn’t stop Caster from blushing so hard, his face nearly turned crimson.

Anima soon recovered as well and was about to say thanks when she noticed where Caster was. Immediately seeing the position they were in, both ponies scrambled away from each other, blushing wildly. Anima held her arms across her chest, feeling embarrassed over that accident. Caster just stared off into space, unable to believe that he got so close to a mare like that. After a moment of silence, Anima decided to speak up.

“So, um, thanks for the rescue back there,” she said, facing him after her blush wore off.

“Heh, heh, no problem. I made a promise after all,” Caster said, wiping his own blush away and turning to his friend.

“Yes, yes you did. So is that all for today?” Anima asked, as she stood up with her friend.

“I believe so. Besides I need to get back and fill out some important orders. Plus I’m sure you have some more lessons to go over with Princess Luna,” he said, packing up some supplies in a backpack he brought.

“Yeah, she’s going to be teaching me some spells that Princesses should know about. Some of them are a bit more, personal though,” Anima said, blushing slightly without him noticing.

“I see, well I hope you have fun with that. And I’ll see you on Monday,” Caster said, slinging the backpack over his shoulder.

“Oh actually, there’s something I wanted to give you,” Anima said, digging into her own backpack that Luna gave her.

A minute after digging through supplies, she came back with a small envelope and handed it over to Caster. He looked it over curiously before opening it up. Inside was a letter that had an address, time, and date written on it.

“What’s this all about?” he asked.

“It’s an invite to a pool party I’m having tomorrow at my house. With how hot the weather’s been getting I thought I’d take a chance to just cool down and unwind with some friends of mine. I was wondering if you’d be able to come, but that’s up to you of course,” Anima said, nervously as she held her arms behind her back.

“Hmm, it does sound like fun. And I’ve been needing to take a break from work for a while now,” Caster said, thinking the proposal over. “Sure, I’m game.”

“Awesome!” she exclaimed, excitedly as she gave him a quick hug. “I can’t wait to see you there. I’m sure the girls will enjoy hanging out with you again.”

“I look forward to seeing them again too,” Caster said, thinking about that last part she said. “Hey, if you don't mind, would it be alright if I brought a few friends of mine over as well?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not. The more the merrier,” Anima said, packing up the last of her stuff.

“Cool, then I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, smiling as he watched his student head inside.

“Yup, see you later, Cast!” she said, running back to class.

While Anima went on ahead to her other lessons, Caster was left behind to think of tomorrow’s events. He’d be able to get a chance to hang out with friends, beat the heat, and relax from all the hard work he’s done over these last few months. Though Caster’s mind drifted to a certain fact about the party. Anima said it was going to be a pool party. That would mean she and her friends would be dressed in bikinis, one pieces, and any other piece of swim wear his brain thought of. Slowly but surely Caster’s face resumed its former blush, which was stronger than before, and his wings stood up quick and firm.

“Oh boy, maybe tomorrow won’t be as relaxing as I thought,” he said to himself, as thoughts of Anima in a bikini plagued his mind.

===============================================================

As with the day before, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, sending extreme rays of heat down to the world below. Some ponies thought it was hotter than yesterday, as evidenced by the lack of ponies outside, opting to stay indoors until this heat wave eventually subsided. Though the few ponies who were brave enough to venture through this nearly unbearable weather could be seen in the streets of Canterlot. A certain group in particular, all dressed in summer attire, and seemed in a hurry to move along, made their way to one of the remote parts of the city. The streets and buildings slowly giving way to more trees, which provided shade from the blazing sun.

“Thanks again for inviting us with you, Caster, I didn’t think I would’ve survived this weather much longer on my own,” a tan-colored earth pony said, his black mane, tail, and goatee becoming frizzy from the humidity.

“No problem, D3. It’s been a while since we all got a chance to hang out together. So I thought this would be a nice way to unwind,” Caster said, shifting the backpack on his shoulders.

“That’s definitely one thing I needed. I’ve been up to my flank with deadlines from my publishers that I’ve barely gotten any time to myself,” a dark-orange, brown-maned Unicorn said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Heh, you think you’ve got it rough? Try dealing with the generals during training drills. They make us work almost night and day to keep us in shape, and even more so just to learn strategies and tactics,” a Pegasus with light-brown fur and brown and white mane said, pushing up a pair of glasses on his nose.

“Well not all of us have to work night and day, defending this country like you, Yoshi,” Caster remarked, chuckling at his friend’s comparison on stress.

“True, speaking of which thanks for the gear upgrade in our platoon. The boys and I really appreciate it, Caster,” Yoshi replied, showing his gratitude.

“It’s nothing, I’m just doing my job,” he said, glad to know his improvements were being praised.

“By the way, how’s work been for you lately?” a red earth pony with a brown mane asked, wiping away some sweat with a towel.

“Things have been going well, Glitch. Just been filling out the usual orders and making special requests. Which strangely enough has become my favorite part of the job,” Caster said, thinking back on all the unique weapons and armor he was asked to build.

“Sounds like you’ve been quite busy yourself, Cast,” a brown-coated Unicorn said, his spiky teal mane moving from a light breeze. “Though from what I’ve heard you’ve been even busier as of late.”

“Well when you’re teaching a newly-crowned Princess how to fly, it’s impossible to not ‘not’ be a little busier,” Caster said, rolling his eyes slightly. “I’d like to see you try it, Gadget.”

“I think I’ll pass. As fun as it sounds I wouldn’t want to get in the way of your guy’s ‘relationship’,” Gadget said, with a sly wink and a light chuckle.

“For the love of- how many times do I have to keep telling you guys? It isn’t like that between us!” he retorted, blushing slightly from his sudden outburst.

The rest of the group followed swiftly with the Unicorn and soon broke into fits of laughter. Caster simply gave an annoyed sigh, but turned it into a smile as he looked upon his fellow compatriots. The ponies beside him were the very few friends that he had. They had always been there for him through thick and thin, usually when he was feeling down. And of course he did the same whenever he could. All of them were close like brothers, and even though they rarely hung out anymore they still cared for each other.

Glitch, for one, was usually a hyperactive pony, always trying to find some game to play. Mostly because he wanted his friends to have as much fun as possible when they hung out, even if it was only for a little while.

Bard was probably one of the busiest of their group, spending most of his time working on his novels. But when he got a chance to spend time with his friends he always made the most of it. He was considered the ‘peacekeeper’ of their inner circle, breaking up and resolving any arguments the best he could.

Yoshi Ringo, a member of the royal guard, was there for both his fellow soldiers and his friends. Whether it be for keeping ponies out of danger, or helping them with problems they faced in their lives, he was there to help them out.

Digi Doodle Doo, or D3 as his friends liked to call him, was the shy one among their group. He usually preferred staying home and working on making art. But years of time spent with his friends helped him break out of his anti-social shell. He was always kind towards his friends and did his best to keep their spirits up when they hung out.

And finally, Gadget, the slightly geeky one amongst them. He was sometimes preoccupied by his inventions, reading, and anything else in pursuit of scholarly interest. While he spent the majority of his time in libraries and labs, he would try to find time to spend with the few friends he had. And whether it be with his friends or his work, he managed to find enjoyment in almost everything in his life.

They were all a varied sort of companions, each with their own unique traits. But that was what Caster liked about them. After all variety was the spice of life. Besides on occasion they taught him valuable morals, which helped make him into the stallion he was today. He didn’t want to trade any of those moments away for anything, that certainly went for right now as well, as he focused once more on reaching their destination. They all took in the scenery around them, as it faded from city buildings to more comfortable residencies. After a few more minutes of walking they came upon the appointed peach-colored house mentioned in the invitation. Not wanting to prolong their walk further, the ponies went up to the door as Caster rang the doorbell.

“So, Cast, you’ve met Anima’s friends before right? What’re they like?” Yoshi Ringo asked, wondering about them.

“They’re alright I suppose. They all have their differences at times but they still manage to get along just fi-” he said, before the door swung open and he was tackled by a figure with lavender fur and a braided tan and lavender striped mane.

“Hey, Caster, it’s so good to see you again!” the mare said, wrapping him in a nearly bone-breaking hug.

“Nice to... see you too, Cloud Heart,” he said, straining to get the words out. “Would you… mind letting me go? You’re kind of... crushing my lungs.”

“Oops, sorry I tend to get a little carried away,” Cloud heart said, pulling away with a goofy smile.

“Yeah, you’ve certainly made that clear before,” Caster said, chuckling as he tried to catch his breath.

The lavender ball of sunshine before them, Cloud Heart, was one of Anima’s close friends. Pretty much every time he met her she was always in a good mood for one reason or another. One of her trademarks was her ability to talk for who-knew-how-long about any subject, to the point where ponies would consider her to be a tad crazy. But she was always full of energy and fun to hang out with. Cloud made the former known as she zipped back into the house, to the living room where the rest of her friends were. Caster and his friends followed swiftly.

“There you are, Caster, I’m glad you could make it,” Anima Memoriae said, walking up to him and giving a hug that was gentler than Clouds’.

“So am I, Anima,” he said, returning the hug before turning toward the ponies behind him. “These are my friends I mentioned yesterday.”

“Nice to meet you all,” she said, giving them all a timid smile and a wave.

All of the stallions simply smiled and waved back, saying their own greetings. It seemed a bit awkward, not knowing what to say to a Princess that they didn’t know personally. Wanting to ease the mood a bit, Caster decided to introduce them one by one.

“I guess we should start off with introductions. This here is Glitch, he’s been my friend here in Canterlot for as long as I can remember. I met him at the arcade where he haggled me out of ten bits,” Caster said, remembering that day.

“Hey, it’s not my fault I rock at playing video games,” Glitch said, with a cheesy grin.

“Well to be fair nopony else can exploit glitches in nearly every game like you can,” he retorted, with a grin of his own.

“Eh, you have a point there,” Glitch said, as the two of them started laughing.

“Sounds like you two had a fun childhood. Though if you don’t mind me asking, what’s with the cape?” Anima asked, pointing to the small green cape tied around Glitch’s neck by a gold medallion.

“Oh that, well, that’s a story for another time. Let’s just say that Discord has rubbed off on me a bit,” he said, not wanting to explain himself too much.

“Um, okay?” Anima said, confused by what he meant.

“Anyways, over here is Digi Doodle Doo, or D3 for short. We met a few years after I got into the University, where he was studying painting. The same goes for my friend Bard right here, who was more into the works of literature,” Caster said, introducing her to the earth pony and the Unicorn.

“Nice to meet you both,” Anima said, giving the two of them a quick handshake. “So what was the school like?”

“It was all right. The teachers were always making us do the best we could and the results certainly showed,” D3 said, thinking of all the drawings he’s made since graduating.

“Though I have to admit, the lessons were difficult at times. Sometimes I thought my brain was going to explode from all the studying I had to do,” Bard said, shivering slightly after remembering those days.

“But hey look on the bright side. You’ve become a writer of some of the best novels out there, a few of which I own,” Caster stated, reminding his friend of his work.

“True, I guess it was worth it a bit,” he said, being reminded of one of his more recent pieces.

“I think I may take a look at some of them when I get the chance,” Anima said, wanting to support Caster’s friend.

“I’d like that your high- I mean, Anima,” Bard stuttered, remembering what Caster said about no formalities. “I’ll introduce you to a few later.”

“Awesome, thank you, Bard,” she said, turning back to her flight teacher. “So who else is there?”

“Well over here is Gadget,” Caster said, introducing her to the other Unicorn. “I ran into him at the library when I was studying for one of my tests at school. If it weren’t for him being so strict about the study routine, I don’t think I would’ve been able to pass.”

“Excuse me for always wanting everything to go just right for once,” Gadget said, smiling at his own small flaws. “Besides you’re the one that nearly begged me for help after seeing how organized I was.”

“Point taken, but that’s one of the things that makes you awesome, Gadget,” he said, giving him a fist bump.

“Indeed,” Gadget said, returning the gesture.

“Well it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Gadget,” Anima said, lightly giggling after hearing their story. “I hope we can become friends as well in the future.”

“Same here,” he replied, smiling.

“Hey now, don’t forget about me,” Yoshi stated, gaining their attention.

“Don’t worry, Yoshi, I was just about to introduce you too,” Caster said, bringing his two friends together. “Anima, this here is Yoshi Ringo, a member of the Royal guard. We’ve been friends ever since I became the Royal blacksmith.”

“Yeah and since then I’ve gotten some of the best armor and weapons for me and my fellow soldiers,” he said, complimenting Caster’s efforts.

“I can certainly tell he’s done some great work from the armor I’ve seen all the guards wearing,” Anima said, knowing how much her teacher worked to make his creations near perfect. “I’m sure you all have the best of protection.”

“That’s an understatement. But moving past that, it’s an honor to meet you in person, Anima,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Likewise,” she said, shaking his hand as well.

When they all finished their greetings, a Unicorn mare with a short pink mane and purple fur stood up from the couch in the living room and walked up to where the group was standing.

“So Anima, who exactly are these new friends of yours? Don’t you think you should introduce us?” she said, staring at the ponies before her.

“Oh, yes of course. Sorry Mia, I got a little carried away,” Anima said, blushing a little in embarrassment. “Come here guys, I’d like to introduce you to my friends now.”

Caster went with his friends over to the living room where they all took their respective seats and greeted one another. He listened as Anima’s friends told of how they all met, though he already knew a lot about them having met them a few times in the past. And just like his entourage, they too were an interesting bunch.

The mare that had introduced herself earlier, Mia Hairspray, was a renowned beautician in the world of fashion. Like her idol, the fashionista Rarity, she strived to make everything she worked on beautiful. That included fights between friends, as she would always be there to sort out any ugly disputes.

There was also Spring Sunglow, an earth pony with white fur and a bright yellow mane, whose name seemed to match her personality. She was always so cheery and loved spending time with any of her friends. Caring for them as much as she did for the flowers she grew.

Two mares Caster recognized were Pegasi, one with hot pink fur and a messy purple mane, Skull Candy, and the other with a flowing amber mane with golden fur, Ivory Dancer. They were well known for being mischievous in the group, even sometimes being a bit aggressive. Though they always looked out for their friends and kept other ponies from messing around with them. The fact that they were also in a band helped keep others off their backs, not wanting to mess with stars after all.

Then there was the other earth pony, with a dark and light red curly mane and red fur, who he knew as Strawberry Rose. The mare was almost always in the fields on her farm, picking some of the best strawberries Equestria could grow. But she would still find time to be with her friends, as she enjoyed their company.

Then there was a Unicorn with gray fur and a violet and blue mane fashioned into a pony tail, whom Caster recognized as a rather new addition to Anima’s circle: Windie Light. It was only about a month ago that Windie had gotten out of rehab and started the difficult task of making amends for her actions. It was tough at first, but Anima helped her through it all, wanting others to see how much she’s changed. While everypony was hesitant at first, they all welcomed her into their lives, doing whatever they could to make her feel better. After all, if it wasn’t for her, Anima would have never discovered her destiny as a Princess or even her special talent.

Caster considered himself lucky to have made so many new friends so quickly. Even better now that his own circle of friends were getting along with them as well. As the conversations continued on, two ponies, a mare and stallion came out from the kitchen nearby and caught their attention.

“Hello everpony, I’m glad you all could make it. It’s good to see so many of you could attend this little get together,” Celly Script said, smiling at the group of ponies that had arrived.

“As if I’d miss a chance to hang out with my favorite student,” Caster Forge spoke up, flashing a smile as well. “Besides we all needed a chance to cool off.”

“Ah, so you must be the one Anima has told us so much about. Caster, was it?” she stated, walking up to him.

“That I am, and I must say it’s been an honor teaching your daughter how to fly. She really is a fast learner,” he said, making said mare blush.

“I see, nice to know she’s doing well. I guess she really picked a great teacher, especially one as handsome as you,” she said, teasing Caster a bit.

“Mom! Don’t say stuff like that around my friends!” Anima said, her blush intensifying.

“What, I can’t pay him a compliment or two for his efforts?” Celly said, chuckling at her daughter’s embarrassment.

“It’s okay, Anima, it’s not like I haven’t gotten comments like that before,” Caster said, a light blush appearing on his cheeks as well. “Either way, it’s nice to meet you, Ms. Script. I’ve been looking forward to meeting the parents of our new Princess.”

“It’s good to see you too, Mr. Forge. Her father and I have been waiting to meet you as well,” she said, turning to her husband beside her.

“So, you’re the royal blacksmith right?” Zen Wheeler asked, wanting to know him a little more.

“Um, yes I believe so. Why do you ask?” Caster pondered.

“I’ve just been curious, why exactly did you offer to help Anima learn to fly? I’m sure as a blacksmith you’re already very busy from your own work,” he said, hoping his question would be answered.

“It is true that I have my work cut out for me and yes teaching Anima has been a bit challenging. But I say it’s worth it not only to help a Princess but a friend as well,” Caster said, making a few of the mares in the room ‘aww’ at his words. “Plus my break times were a little boring so I thought this’d be a fun way to pass the time.”

“I see. Well thank you for taking the time to help her, it means a lot to us,” Zen said, shaking his hand.

“No problem, it’s been my pleasure as well,” Caster said, returning the gesture.

“Enough with the mushy gratitude stuff already. Let’s get this thing going already,” Cloud Heart said, cheerfully bouncing up and down on her seat.

“Don’t worry, Cloud Heart, we’ll be out of your hair soon,” Celly Script said, turning her attention to the group. “We just wanted to let you know that we prepared some drinks and snacks in the kitchen in case any of you get hungry. So please help yourselves.”

“Oh right that reminds me, Yoshi and I brought some food over as well,” Digi Doodle said, he and Yoshi breaking out platters of food from their bags. “We didn’t know what the food situation would be with so many ponies so we thought we’d bring something with us.”

“Thanks, I’m sure everypony will enjoy that. So now that that’s taken care of, Zenny and I will be heading out. You kids have fun and try not to get into trouble,” Celly said as she and her husband closed the front door behind them.

As soon as they left, everyone in the room started getting ready before heading out to the backyard. Yoshi and D3 began setting up the food they brought in the kitchen, which consisted of sandwiches, tacos, and various assortments of snacks. While they did that, the rest went off to go change into their swimming attire. They all found their own rooms and changed in privacy. Caster was the first one to return to the living room, wearing black swim trunks with a gray stripe on each side, a white t-shirt, and a towel slung over his shoulder. He then went over to the back of the room and opened the glass screen door that led to the backyard.

Big was certainly one word Caster could use to describe this place. While about half of the area was taken up by the large pool, the rest of the place was covered with either concrete pavement or bushes and flower groves. On the far side of the pool was a diving board about ten feet high. Off to a corner was a set of white chairs and a table with a large blue and white striped umbrella set in the middle. And around the edges of the pool were a couple white-painted lounge chairs for tanning. Caster made his way over to one of them and set his backpack and towel down as his friends entered the backyard.

Everyone was wearing their own swim gear, the guys just wearing swim trunks while Anima and her friends wore either one pieces or bikinis. Anima, in particular, caught his attention with her red, two-piece bikini, which showed off her ample cleavage and the curves of her hips and waist. Needless to say, Caster felt himself grow hotter and couldn’t tell if it was from the rays of sun beating down on them or from what he was seeing. Feeling the need to cool himself down he stripped off his shirt, it wasn’t going to be necessary.

“Whoa, I can certainly see why Anima enjoys hanging around you, Cast,” Skull Candy stated, noticing his toned upper body as she walked by.

“Oh please, Skull, you know full well that she hangs around me because I’m her friend,” Caster said, blushing a little from her statement.

“Right, and not because you’ve got such a killer bo- ow!” Skull exclaimed, as her ear was pulled by Mia.

“Skull Candy, that is not how we act with our guest, let alone one of our friends,” she said, chastising her.

“Come on, Mia, you know I was just teasing him. Besides how could I possibly ignore a gorgeous hunk of stallion like him? Especially those kick-ass scars of his,” Skull said, eyeing him up and making him blush more.

“It’s called having self-control. Perhaps you should look into it sometime,” Mia said, grinning as a thought popped into her head. “Besides, I remember you saying you had the ‘hot’s’ for that little fan of yours. Snow Wings, I believe he was?”

“Hey, you swore you wouldn’t tell anypony about that!” she said, her face growing pinker as she blushed.

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed,” Caster said, making a gesture of zipping his mouth.

“Thanks, I guess. It’s just I don’t know if I really like him or not. I mean he’s a nice guy and very good looking as you just heard. But I don't know much else about him aside from the times we occasionally hang out,” Skull said, seeming conflicted with her feelings.

“Hey it’s all right. I felt the same way in the past when I had crushes,” he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “My advice to you, just try to hang out with him a little more. See where things go and if it seems like it could go somewhere, take the initiative and see what happens.”

“Huh, that does sound like a good idea actually, I think I’ll give it a shot. Thanks, Cast,” Skull said, appreciating the advice.

“No problem, Skull, I do what I can to help ponies in these matters,” Caster said, looking a bit bashful.

“Well I can certainly tell your heart is in the right place,” Mia said, admiring her friend’s knowledge in relationships. “Perhaps I can put some of that advice towards adorable drummer of yours, Skull.”

“Wow, I did not need to hear that,” Skull Candy said, surprised her friend was interested in one of her band members.

“What, I can have fantasies too you know,” she said, her cheeks reddening from her crush. “Either way, you enjoy yourself while you’re here, Caster. You certainly deserve a break from that forge of yours.”

“Thanks, Mia, you two have fun as well,” he said, taking a seat at his lounge chair while the two mares walked away.

As Mia and Skull walked over to their own chairs, where Anima was seated as well, the former saw that she had been looking in their direction. Mia also noticed she had a slight blush on her cheeks, which seemed to grow when she turned her gaze away as the two of them took their own seats. Mia simply smiled as she took out a bottle of sunblock.

“I must say, you’ve really found an interesting friend over there, Anima,” she said, applying the sunscreen to her arms and legs.

“Huh? Oh um yeah, he really is a nice guy,” Anima stuttered out, applying her own sunscreen. “So, what were you guys talking about anyway?”

“Nothing, nothing at all!” Skull Candy exclaimed, her blush returning.

“Um, okay?” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry about it darling, we were simply just getting to know him a little more that’s all,” Mia said, continuing rubbing the sunscreen on her fur.

“I see,” Anima said, still wondering what they were actually talking about.

She decided to just brush it off for now, as she focused her attention back on applying her sunblock. Anima soon finished up rubbing it into her front in time as she turned to see Caster struggling with something. He kept trying to reach his arms behind his back, sunblock in his hands, as he failed to rub it in, only getting a few splotches in. Anima saw the difficulty he was having and decided to go over and help him.

“Hey, Caster, would you like some help with that,” she asked, walking up to him.

“What? Oh you don’t have to do that. I can handle this,” Caster said, blushing at the idea as he kept trying to apply the sunscreen.

“C’mon, Cast, I can see you’re having some trouble with this. What, you don’t think I can help out?” Anima said, giving him a sad puppy look.

If there was one weakness that Caster had, it was this. He never could resist Anima’s requests when she made that face. Whether it be to hang out with her and her friends, or spend a bit more time in their lessons, this would always make him agree to it. And this time was no exception. So after a few seconds and with a hesitant nod, Caster laid himself flat on the chair, lying on his stomach and extending his wings, as Anima put some sunscreen into her hands.

Caster shivered a bit when he felt the sunscreen, as well as Anima’s soft hands, rub along his back. He was glad that his wings were already standing up because having them suddenly pop up from this feeling would have been extremely embarrassing. He continued to lay there, blushing hard as Anima’s hands gracefully and delicately spread the sunscreen onto his back, shoulders, and at the back of his neck.

Anima, for her part, was blushing up a storm at what she was currently doing. She would never have admitted it, but when Mia and Skull were talking with Caster she couldn’t help but stare at his body while they were chatting. Anima knew that he would’ve had a muscular frame from all his time being a blacksmith, but she didn’t expect to see it like this, or even feeling it no less. Even the scars on his body intrigued her. She had seen the few scars on his arms and face in the past but she didn’t think there would be so many more underneath his shirt. Anima was most interested, however, in the long scar that went across his back. She wanted to ask him about them but felt it would be too personal and decided to just leave it alone. She had debated whether or not to help him with this, but ultimately she pushed away her nervousness and decided to just go for it. Now as she felt the well-toned muscles of his back she couldn’t help but enjoy it, admitting to herself that he was indeed a handsome stallion as her friends had pointed out before. Not wanting to let this whole ordeal go to her head, she tried to start up a conversation.

“So, um, w-why didn’t Hotpop and Jack Spirit come along? I thought you would’ve invited them too,” Anima said, breaking the tension in the air.

“Actually I did invite them. But Jack had a few emergency patients he needed to take care of at the castle. Plus Hotpop’s taking Vicente to a party at one of his friend’s house, and she’s staying with him to make sure he doesn’t get into trouble,” Caster said, answering the question with ease as the situation started to feel less awkward.

“That’s too bad, I really wanted to see them again,” she said, thinking back to the few times they met after the coronation.

“Yeah, they wanted to see you too. They told me to tell you that they said hi and they hope to hang out with you sometime soon,” Caster said, trying to cheer her up a bit.

“Well aren’t they sweet,” Anima said, her mood perking up as she finished her task. “There, all done.”

“Thanks, Anima. I really appreciate it,” he said, sitting up.

“You’re welcome, Cast, anything for a friend,” she said, her blush brightening as a thought crossed her mind. “But um, if you don’t mind would you be able to return the favor? I haven’t gotten a chance to do my back yet.”

Now it was Caster’s turn to blush. Having a mare rub sunscreen on your back was one thing, but to do it the other way around was something else entirely. The thoughts suddenly going through his mind were driving him a bit crazy. But he knew he had to do it, because it would seem rude to just accept a favor from another and not return it.

“S-sure I guess,” Caster said, grabbing the bottle of sunblock.

The two ponies switched their positions and now Anima was lying face down on the chair. Though before Caster could begin, the Alicorn held up a hand telling him to wait. She then brought it to the back of her bra, where she unclasped the strap and lied down again, being careful not to reveal her more intimate details.

“Okay, g-go ahead,” Anima said, looking away to hide her crimson red face.

It also kept her from seeing how red Caster’s face became as he started rubbing the sunscreen along her back. Even as time passed his blush never seemed to fade as his hands and eyes kept tracing her body, from the curves of her hips, the sides of her breasts, and occasionally her generous flank. Caster had always admired her beautiful physique before, but feeling it was much more different than just seeing it.

Anima, however, seemed to be in a state of bliss. She expected his hands to be a bit rough with working in the sunscreen. But surprisingly enough he was actually quite gentle, only being slightly thorough at certain points. She figured it must’ve been a product of working on his figurines, having to be careful about the more delicate features. And she enjoyed it thoroughly, it feeling more like a massage. Anima was quickly snapped out of her stupor when Caster’s hands touched the base of her wings, causing her to gasp slightly from the sensation.

“Oh, sorry about that. Pegasi wings can be a bit sensitive and you’re still a bit new to them,” Caster said, ceasing his actions.

“I-I see, that’s good to know,” Anima said, trying not to let on that it felt pleasurable to her.

With that little event over, Caster went back to applying the last of the sunblock. A minute or two later he told her she was all done and she brought the straps of her bra back together before sitting up. Both were feeling a little embarrassed by what they had both done just now. Though it shouldn’t have felt that way to them right? It was just two friends helping out one another after all, so why did it make them feel so awkward? The two of them kept on thinking about this until their thoughts were interrupted by Cloud Heart yelling from the top of the diving board.

“CANNONBALL!!!” she exclaimed.

Cloud Heart spread her wings and leaped into the air from the diving board, doing several flips and twists. Ultimately falling back down, cannonball-style, into the deep end of the pool, creating a huge splash of water that soaked a few of her friends.

“Wooooooooo! Cloud Heart that was awesome!” Anima cheered, seeming to forget about her thoughts from earlier.

“I know right!?” Cloud said, emerging from the water. “First I was so high up then I was all spinny then I was all flippy then I just kersploded into the water like an actual cannonball. It was so unbelievably, epically, totally, and completely amazing!!”

“Heh heh, well now it’s my turn. Incoming!” Anima said, running and then jumping into the pool, doing her own cannonball.

Caster could only watch as both his and Anima’s friends followed swiftly and jumped into the pool. He could only laugh to himself as he saw everyone having so much fun. This was what he wanted most, to just spend time with his friends and have fun. Even though he did just have an awkward moment with one of his closest friends, Caster didn’t seem to care anymore. All that mattered now was just getting into the pool and having a good time. So following their example, he took a head start and jumped into the pool, letting the cold water embrace him.

===============================================================

The soft flow of the water caressed every part of Caster’s body as he rested on the floor of the pool. The warm amber glow of sun shone through the water’s surface. He continued to hold his breath wanting to savor the tranquility of this sensation. Though when his lungs sent a warning signal to his brain, Caster immediately started swimming back to the surface. He soon appeared at the top of the water, taking a deep breath of fresh air. As he looked around him he saw the late afternoon sun on the horizon, its light covering the area in an orange glow. The moment was cut short however when Caster heard the cheer of ponies behind him.

“Woooweee! Nice dive, Cast,” Strawberry Rose said, applauding him like the rest of the group.

“Thanks, Strawberry, though it wasn’t nearly as awesome as Cloud Heart’s from earlier,” he said, getting out of the pool and moving toward the table where all his friends were enjoying some lunch.

“What can I say? I’m just that awesome I guess,” the aforementioned mare said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

“You certainly were something back there, Cloud,” Spring Sunglow said, savoring her food. “You too, Caster.”

“Thanks, Spring,” Caster said, taking a seat where a plate of assorted foods awaited him.

The day had certainly turned out well for everyone. Not only was Caster finally able to hang out with all his friends, but they even all managed to get along and make friends amongst each other as well. They all played a couple of games, did a few dives off of the diving board, got in some good tanning, and just talked and got to know each other in general. All in all Caster’s friends agreed that they were grateful they came along and thanked him for inviting them in the first place.

“So, what do you guys want to do now?” Glitch asked, up for another game or two.

“Well, my parents got a volley ball net for the pool, so I was thinking we could try that,” Anima said, already finished with her food.

“That sounds like fun! I haven’t played volleyball in years,” Windie Light said, everyone nodding in agreement.

“All right then, I’ll be right back with the net and ball,” she said, getting up from the table. “Hey, Caster, would you mind helping me bring it out?”

“Not at all, Anima” Caster said, walking with her.

The both of them made their way over to a small shack near the pool, where Anima’s family kept their backyard supplies. She unlocked it and looked around for what she needed. She soon found a large volleyball net and the ball for their game. As she passed the net over to Caster, she spoke up.

“Thanks again for inviting your friends over, Caster. They really helped liven the party a bit,” Anima said, closing the shed behind her.

“Of course, Anima,” he said, slinging the net over his shoulder. “They’ve always been fun to hang with, plus they needed this break just as much as I did.”

“Well you certainly made the right call. And I hope you had as much fun today as I did,” she said, giving him a warm smile.

“Absolutely, I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun. But the cherry on top though, is that I got to share that fun with all of you,” Caster said, matching her smile.

“Aw, come here you big lug,” Alehsa said, wrapping him in a tender hug.

He returned the hug, blushing a bit from feeling her breasts pressed against him. After that they went back to where their friends were and started setting up the net. Once Caster set the net up, everyone divided into two teams. It was going to be a boys' vs girls' competition. Everybody got into the pool looking forward for some splashing, screaming fun.

“You boys are sooooo going down,” Skull said, taunting them while spinning the volleyball on one of her fingers.

“Oh we’ll see about that,” Bard said, showing a cocky grin his friends rarely ever saw.

“Y’all better get ready cause we ain’t gonna go easy on ya,” Strawberry said, as she cracked her knuckles in preparation.

“Right back at you, Ms. Rose,” Yoshi Ringo said, flaring his wings out.

“Wonder who’ll be better, the teacher or the student,” Anima said, throwing a competitive stare toward Caster.

“Only one way to find out,” Caster said, stretching his neck.

“Service!” Skull shouted, jumping up from the water and hitting the ball to the other side of the field.

With that, the game was already underway. D3 was the first to react as he managed to hit the ball back over to Mia. She quickly responded and passed the ball over to Cloud Heart, who immediately jumped up in glee and slammed it straight toward Gadget. He barely managed to counter the force in that blow, but was able to at least get the ball over the net. It descended toward Ivory Dancer, who didn’t know whether to pass it or hit it back. Ultimately she raised both her hands as a shield and let the ball simply bounce off of them. Before she could do anything else, Anima rushed in and hit the ball towards Strawberry, who in turn hit it with all her might over the net and into a gap in the other team's defenses, scoring the first point.

“GOAL!!” all the mares shouted, as they cheered on their scorer.

“Whoa, I think we might have our work cut out for us guys,” Caster said, witnessing the near instant defeat.

“You said it, Caster, I was not expecting that from Cloud Heart,” Gadget said, his hand slightly shaking from the power in that serve.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I forgot to tell you how strong she can be sometimes,” he said, thinking back to the ridiculous feats she had pulled off in the past.

“All in favor of never underestimating Cloud Heart again say aye,” Glitch said, raising a hand.

“Aye,” all the stallions replied, raising their hands as well.

“All right guys, it’s one to nothing. Let’s see if you can’t make a comeback,” Windie Light said, drawing their attention back to the game.

“Don’t worry, we’re not down and out just yet,” Bard said, raising his team’s morale.

“Good, it’d be boring if we won too easily,” Skull Candy said, getting ready to serve again.

With that she hurled the ball up and sent it flying towards the other team. Gadget passed it over to D3, who then sent it back over to the mare’s side. Ivory and Windie were the next to step up as they seemed to pass the ball back and forth between each other and the other mares. The guys were kept waiting for something happened when the ball was suddenly tossed over to Anima who served it back to the stallions with great force. The ball almost hit the water before Yoshi rushed in and knocked it into the air, allowing Bard a chance to serve it back in full, managing to hit into the water on the mares side.

“WWOOOO!!!” the stallions shouted, managing to score back.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Caster said, amazed at their teamwork.

“Surprised you managed to keep up, boys,” Ivory stated, flashing a flirtatious grin. “I thought you’d be a little distracted by something else.”

“As if,” Yoshi replied, feeling insulted. “I’ve dealt with enough strategies like that to see that coming a mile away.”

“Oh yeah? Well I’ve still got a few more tricks up my sleeves,” Windie said, feeling ready for more.

“Then bring it on!” Glitch exclaimed, serving the ball back over.

And so the game continued on, both teams passing the ball back and forth and scoring every now and then. About an hour passed when they reached the tie breaker match, both teams at nine points.

“Last match, you girls ready?” Mia Hairspray said, looking back at her team.

“Yeah!” the mares all responded, getting ready.

“Don’t think we’re letting you win that easily,” Caster stated, grinning as he kept tossing the volleyball in his hand.

“Well then quit yer yappin’ and show us what you got,” Strawberry Rose said, egging him on.

“Done and done,” he replied, throwing the ball in the air and sending it forward with his fist.

Spring was the first one to act, quickly racing towards her target. She went and passed it on over to Stawberry Rose, where she sent it flying towards Glitch. He managed to jump back enough to backhand the ball back to their opponents’ field, right before splashing into the water. The ball traveled a few feet into the air where Skull had flown up to. With a mighty slap of the hand she brought it right back down to Earth. However, she miscalculated the amount of force she had used, which Caster Forge soon found out as the volleyball beaned him straight in the face. He was knocked unconscious as he fell back into the pool. Slowly, he descended to the bottom. For a moment they all waited, wondering if he was going to awaken and come back up to the surface. A couple of bubbles rising up showed the opposite of what they had hoped for.

“Caster!” Yoshi yelled out, diving in after him.

“Oh sweet Celestia, what did I do!?” Skull exclaimed, going after him as well.

Everyone could only watch as their friend kept sinking into the deep end of the pool. The two Pegasi swam as fast as they could and soon managed to grab him before he got to the bottom. They swiftly brought him back up to the surface and pulled him out of the water onto the concrete floor. All of the ponies got out as well, surrounding the three but giving them some space. Yoshi did a quick check up on Caster.

“His heart rate’s fine but he isn’t breathing! Quick, does anypony know CPR?” he asked frantically, worried about his friend.

“I do, move!” Anima said, rushing over to Caster’s side.

Remembering what to do, she began checking for any blockages in his airway. Once that was done she held his nose shut with one hand while opening his mouth with the other. Throwing all nervous inhibitions out the window, Anima pressed her lips against his and started breathing air into his lungs. It only took about five blows before Caster’s eyes shot open and he coughed up water until he was able to properly breathe again. When he finally settled he looked around to find all of his friends surrounding him with relieved expressions. His gaze then fell upon Anima, who was already starting to tear up. Before Caster could say a word he found himself wrapped in a tight hug from Anima.

“Welcome back, knucklehead,” she spoke softly, letting a few drops run down her cheeks as she smiled.

“You’re pretty lucky, Cast, you weren’t breathing when Skull and I pulled you out,” Yoshi said, letting him know what happened. “Be glad Anima here knew CPR, otherwise I don’t know if you would’ve made it.”

Caster merely looked back and forth between Yoshi and Anima, who was keeping a tight hold on him. Realizing what she surely did to help him, the series of the days’ blushes continued once more on his cheeks.

“Caster, I’m really sorry for hitting you in the head like that,” Skull Candy suddenly spoke up, breaking his thought process. “It was an accident, honest. I shouldn’t have gone so far with my strength. I’m really, really, really sor-”

“Skull, calm down, it’s okay,” Caster said, cutting her off. “I’m okay now, that’s what’s important and I understand. It was just an accident after all, I can’t be mad at you for something that happened out of your control.”

“I-I see,” Skull said, rubbing her arm timidly.

“And, Anima, thank you for saving me,” he said, holding her to him. “I’m glad you took the initiative to help me in my time of need. You really are an amazing student, and an even more amazing friend. So please don’t cry, I hate seeing you like this. You don’t ever have to worry about me, because until I get you into the sky I’m not going anywhere.”

Everyone around them only watched as Anima kept crying, yet her smile never went away. She and Caster held each other for about another minute or so before standing up and separating, as she wiped away her remaining tears.

“So, I-I think we should probably call it a day,” Anima said, sniffling a little.

“Good call, you both look like you could use some rest,” Digi said, the rest of the group nodding in agreement.

With that they all began packing up their stuff. After putting away all the pool toys and getting back into their normal attire, everyone started heading home one by one. That left Caster, who had stuck around to rest for a bit before leaving, which Anima insisted upon. When he felt like he was all better he decided to get home before his parent’s started worrying. Anima gave him one last hug before he left, looking forward to seeing him again on Monday, and they both departed. As Caster walked back to his home, one thought was very clear to him.

“Today was certainly more exciting than I expected,” he said, smiling to himself.