I was startled awake by Fleetfoot harshly shaking my body. My entire body went into overdrive as I jumped to my feet. The blanket that I had on at some point fell to the ground. Fleetfoot fixed me with a worried look as I tried to wake up the rest of my body. My back ached as I stretched to the side, Fleetfoot’s gaze never leaving me as I tried to work out the kinks. After doing a few twists and turns, I grabbed the blanket and proceeded to fold it.

I was pulled from folding the blanket when Fleetfoot spoke, her voice holding a hint of worry and hesitation. “Is… is everything… alright, Mark?”

I smiled at Fleetfoot, the mare relaxing a little from my chipper look, but she still showed slight signs of worry. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”

Outside I was fine, but I wasn’t doing so well on the inside. After looking inside that folder, my dreams were haunted with awful nightmares. I could understand that Ever Ring was cruel, but I couldn’t believe how much of a demented bitch she was. Everything that Pyro had written down - even the pictures that she had taken - was more than I could handle at the time. I took a quick glance at my backpack as I thought about what to do with the information that I had found. I knew that if they read it, they wouldn’t be able to stop themselves from lashing out. I was half tempted to just take it to the princesses without telling either mare about what I had learned.

As I looked towards Fleetfoot, that idea was shut down immediately. Fleetfoot had spent years looking for something to use against Ever Ring, and the more I thought about it, Spitfire had just as much of a right to know as she did. I was glad that my smile never faded as I looked at Fleetfoot, my mind finally deciding what to do. I was going to share the information with the mares, and then we will go see the princesses and enlist their help to end this once and for all. Nodding to Fleetfoot, the mare finally stopped staring as she fixed her bed. While Fleetfoot was distracted, I grabbed my backpack and unzipped it. I cracked the folder open, grabbing a piece of paper and quickly zipping my backpack up.

I folded the paper and put it away in my pocket. I was going to let the mares see everything I had found, but this one piece of paper needed to wait until I could speak alone with Fleetfoot. Once Fleetfoot smoothed out the covers, I placed my blanket back on the bed. Fleetfoot turned around with a small smile that quickly disappeared as she stared at me with curiosity. I raised a brow at the mare as I tried to see what she was staring at exactly. Fleetfoot seemed to have read my mind as she lifted a hoof, pointing towards my left shoulder. I looked at where she was pointing, and on my shoulder was the spider from before.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as the spider gave a shrug.

I was pulled away from looking at the spider as Fleetfoot spoke up. “Mark, why is there a spider on your shoulder?”

I gave a gentle shrug of my shoulders as I lifted my hand to the spider. The spider walked onto my hand as I looked at her, answering Fleetfoot’s question as I petted the spider. “I found her when I was downstairs grabbing my backpack.” I stopped petting the spider as I moved her towards Fleetfoot. “Would you like to hold her? She’s very friendly.”

Fleetfoot gave a gentle giggle as she shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, Mark, but I think I’ll pass.” Fleetfoot gave one final look to the spider before looking back at me with a raised brow. “How do you know that it’s a she?”

I moved the spider around in my hand so she could see her abdomen. “Fluttershy taught me about this particular spider.” I gestured towards the blue ring. “Males have a red ring while females have a blue one.”

Fleetfoot nodded in understanding as she turned her attention towards me again. “So what are you going to name her?”

I scratched my chin in thought as I stared at the spider. “I’m not really sure. Are we keeping her as a pet?”

Fleetfoot laughed a little before shaking her hoof. “I’m all for pets, but Spitfire and I want something a little more… Umm, how do I put it…? Exotic.”

I gave a soft frown as I stared back at the spider. I looked at the spider before speaking to her, seeing how much she could understand. “Hey, little one, would you like to be with another spider of the same species?” The spider gave what I assumed was an energetic nod as it clapped its front legs together.

Fleetfoot gave the spider a curious look as she turned towards me, pointing a hoof towards the spider. “Does she actually understand what we’re saying?”

“From what Fluttershy has taught me, these types of spiders are very intelligent. She even mentioned them being very good pets.” I looked back at the spider, thinking of a name before one finally clicked with me. “Ah ha! Frightening, that’s her name. I’ll drop you off with a couple of friends of mine that have a spider named Scary, and before you ask, yes, Scary is a male.”

This seemed to get Frightening’s attention as I swore I saw her blush a little. I couldn’t help but laugh at seeing the spider blush as I placed her back on my shoulder. Fleetfoot took to the air as she looked at the spider, giving her an apologetic smile as she extended a hoof towards Frightening.

“Sorry that we couldn’t keep you as a pet. I hope there’s no hard feelings between us.” Fleetfoot smiled warmly, hoping Frightening would accept her apology.

Frightening looked between Fleetfoot and her hoof before taking it in one of her small legs and giving it a shake while another leg gave a dismissive wave.

After Frightening released Fleetfoot’s hoof, the pegasus turned towards me, her brow raised. “So who exactly is this friend that you’re going to give Frightening to?”

I couldn’t help the slightly evil grin that appeared on my face. “I’m going to give Frightening to Bon Bon and her marefriend Lyra.”
Fleetfoot backed away a little from seeing my grin. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

I looked towards Fleetfoot, getting rid of my grin and replacing it with a reassuring smile. “That’s because there’s a good chance that Bon Bon will be upset with me. She might also not find it amusing that I’m giving her another spider friend.”

Fleetfoot gave a gentle nod before her ears perked up. “When you say Lyra, do you mean Lyra Heartstrings?”

I nodded my head. “Yeah, mint green coat with a dual colored mane of light green and white. Has golden eyes and a cutie mark of a lyre.”

Fleetfoot’s eyes widened at the realization of who I was talking about. “The same mare that plays the lyre for the Canterlot Symphony?” I gave her a nod and she couldn’t help herself as she shook her head while laughing. “How are you still here and not attached to her at the waist?”

I gave a slight shrug as I headed for the door. “She used to pester me a lot about myself and my world, but we were able to work out a compromise where I could answer all her questions, and I don’t end up having my hand taken away from me.”

Fleetfoot bursted out with laughter as we headed downstairs. “I’m sorry, but that’s just too funny! I don’t care what some ponies say about her, she seems like a nice mare. She has heart to believe in things against all odds, and that’s something I can respect.”

I nodded my head in agreement as I let out a few chuckles myself. “She is a really great mare. Probably one of the quickest friends that I ever made beside Twilight and her friends.”

The two of us reached the bottom of the stairs and were standing in front of the door. I wanted to say goodbye to the foals, but it just didn’t seem appropriate. Some people thought it was weird that I never said goodbye, but that’s because of what I believed. Saying goodbye is almost like acknowledging that we won’t ever see each other again, and I plan on seeing these foals again very soon, hopefully later today if I can get with one of the princesses. Taking a quick glance up the stairs, I looked towards Fleetfoot as she placed her saddlebags on her back. Fleetfoot gave me a curt nod and I opened the door.

We were about to step outside, but were immediately stopped when five guards blocked our path. All five guards were clearly pegasi, and as I looked them over, I spotted the two ponies that I didn’t wish to see. The mayor of Cloudsdale stepped forward, a huge grin spread across his face as Ever Ring trotted up next to him. The mayor stopped in front of me while Ever Ring pushed past Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot seemed ready to pounce the unicorn, but I stopped her as I raised a hand in front of her.

I took a deep breath as I looked towards the mayor, making sure that my voice was collected. “Can I help you?”

The mayor waved a dismissive hoof as he smiled at me. “I just thought that you and your little whorse marefriend would like an escort back to the carriage station since your two days are up.”

I think the guards noticed my eye twitch as they prepared for some kind of attack. Taking a breath, I crouched down so I could look the mayor in the face. “Thank you very much for the escort.” The mayor raised a brow in confusion as I smiled at him. “Also, I hope you’ve enjoyed your time as a mayor, since your time is up.”

My smile turned into a serious look as I stared straight into his eyes. The mayor trembled under my stare before shaking himself free of the fear. Standing back up, I looked down at Fleetfoot as she gave me concerned look. I gave her a gentle nod as I turned back towards the building and looked up to where the foals’ room was. I felt something poke my leg, and looking down revealed Fleetfoot gesturing for us to follow the escort.

“Give me a second,” I whispered as I looked back up at the window. “Everglade, Torch, everyone!” I screamed. The window opened a few seconds later, the foals sticking their heads out and looking at me as Ever Ring opened the front door and glared at me. Ignoring the mare’s death gaze, I looked back at the foals. “I’ll be back very soon to get you out of this hell!” I could barely make out the smiles the foals gave me as I turned back to Ever Ring.

I walked towards Ever Ring, the sound of clanking armor behind me giving away that the guards were following my step. I crouched down when I was a few inches away from Ever Ring, my expression serious as I let hatred lace every work. “If I return to find out that so much as a single hair has been harmed on their head, you better be praying to Celestia that someone is holding me back.”

Ever Ring gave a smirk as she leaned in closer, her tone confident as she spoke with pride. “I have gotten away with this for years. There is nothing you can do to stop me. So why don’t you stop playing the hero and just go back to your two whorses?”

I continued to stare at Ever Ring as I gave her a big grin. “We’ll see about that.” I stood back up as I turned my back to the mare, beginning to walk back to the carriage station. I stopped as I glanced over my shoulder to look at Ever Ring. “Just remember that you started this fight against someone that you know nothing about. Also, Pyro wants you to know that she always despised you. So have fun while you can, bitch.”

I could feel the mare trying to bore through the back of my skull with her heated gaze as I walked away. Fleetfoot took to the air, hovering next to me as we were escorted back to the carriage station. Frightening looked at me with a worried look, but didn’t do anything as she climbed to the top of my head. As we walked back to the carriage station, I noticed the mayor stumble a bit during his trot. The mayor took to the air, trying to collect himself. I smiled internally that I was able to cause his frazzled state. It took a lot of willpower to not cheer in joy that his time here in Cloudsdale was limited.

Fleetfoot and I were escorted back to the carriage station and the mayor handed us our tickets. Well, he handed Fleetfoot her ticket, he just dropped mine on the ground and retreated behind the guards. I picked up my ticket, smiling at the mare as I followed Fleetfoot to our carriage. Fleetfoot allowed me to enter first, the mare quickly following behind me as she closed the door. It wasn’t long before the carriage took to the air as the two of us reclined back to relax from that tense encounter.

During the trip back, I saw that Fleetfoot would look towards me, but quickly avert her eyes when I turned to face her. Fleetfoot kept at this for a few minutes before I finally spoke up. “What’s wrong, Fleety?”

Thankfully, my little nickname for Fleetfoot was able to get her to giggle as she sat up. Sadly, her laughter stopped as she gave me a soft frown. “Mark, how come you got those foals’ hopes up after we left?”

I gave Fleetfoot a frown of my own as I moved to sit next to her. Fleetfoot didn’t seem to mind as she made enough room so the two of us could sit comfortably. I let out a deep sigh as I rubbed at my head, trying to push away what the mayor and Ever Ring had called her and Spitfire. “I did that because I meant it.”

Fleetfoot looked up at me with a disbelieving expression. “How could you have meant that? It would take weeks if not months to get you another admittance into Cloudsdale, and even then, you don’t have enough time to take days off yet.”

I could clearly see the concern that Fleetfoot had as I grabbed at my backpack. Fleetfoot watched as I reached inside of my backpack before turning towards me as I spoke. “Do you know if Spitfire is at the house or the castle?”

Fleetfoot raised a brow in confusion as she ignored me digging through my backpack. “She should be at the castle practicing with everypony for the upcoming celebration. Why do you need to know that?”

I felt the folder in my hand, but I was hesitant to pull it out. I looked back at Fleetfoot as I gave her a small smile. “What if I told you I found a way to finally get rid of Ever Ring and the mayor?”

Fleetfoot gave me a bemused expression as she turned to face me fully. “First off, I would be surprised that you would have found something when I couldn’t find anything for years. Secondly, no matter how much I trust you, Mark, I don’t believe-”

I cut off Fleetfoot as I showed her the folder. Fleetfoot grabbed the folder in her hooves, looking at Pyro’s name that was on the front cover. Tears welled up in Fleetfoot’s eyes as she looked back at me, her voice cracking a little. “W-what is… what is this?”

I placed a finger on the folder, tapping it gently as I spoke. “This is stuff that Pyro gathered to convict Ever Ring. She even got a few things to convict the mayor as well.”

Fleetfoot opened the folder harshly as she started looking through all the documents. She made sure to keep everything in order as she turned back to me, confusion evident on her face. “How did you find this? I’ve been looking for years, but you found it in only two days.”

I gave a small frown as I looked back at my vacant seat, tears threatening to form in my eyes. “I just know a few things. I’ll explain it to you later since it goes with what I want to explain to both you and Spitfire.”

Fleetfoot closed the folder as she looked at me. She handed me the folder, and I quickly packed it away. The rest of the ride back was quiet, tense, but Fleetfoot wrapped one of her wings around my side to help ease the slight pain that I was feeling. I closed my eyes as I buried my face in my hands, leaning against Fleetfoot as she rubbed my back gently with her wing. One of her hooves was placed on my shoulder as she leaned close to my ear, humming softly as I tried to leave my thoughts of the past.

The carriage finally arrived at Canterlot, and as the two pegasi that were pulling the carriage opened the door, I felt Fleetfoot shift a little as she gestured for the two ponies to move away. It seemed they took to her request as I heard them fly away from the carriage. Rubbing the bridge of my nose, I slung my backpack over my shoulders and grabbed Fleetfoot’s saddlebags. Fleetfoot exited the carriage first while I took a quick look around to see where Frightening might have gone. A gentle tap to my cheek alerted me that the spider was still on my shoulder. With everything gathered, I stepped out of the carriage.

Popping my neck a few times, I headed off in the direction away from the castle. “Come on Fleetfoot, I want to see if Lyra and Bon Bon are still in town before heading for the castle.”

Fleetfoot quickly flew up to my side as she followed me. “I thought you wanted to get this over with?”

I nodded as I lifted my hands towards Frightening, letting the spider get a better view of the city. “I do, and I plan on getting it done today. I really don’t care if I have to interrupt a meeting to get it done. I just want to make sure this is taken care of before we forget.”

Fleetfoot nodded her head as she floated next to me. I had a rough idea of where Lyra and Bon Bon were staying, so hopefully it wouldn’t take too long. The walk was pretty quiet between Fleetfoot and I, but Frightening seemed to be enjoying the sights. I couldn’t help but chuckle as the spider turned around in my hand, her soft hairs tickling my skin. While Frightening was busy spinning in my hand, I took a glance at Fleetfoot to see how she was doing. When I looked at her, I had to shake my head to make sure I wasn’t seeing anything.

Before, I used to see Fleetfoot as just a regular mare, just like every other pony, especially my friends. My knowledge about relationships in this world has been very minimal, but I have learned a few things as I’ve stayed with the two Wonderbolts. It probably didn’t help that some of my friends were very lax with being open about what happens in their relations, then that gets added on to that I haven’t really had a relationship in a while, so now I’ve been dealing with these strange feelings. I never really thought about dating in this world, but then again, I’ve also had my mind set that I would be returning back to Earth.

Now that I’ve been stuck here for a while, I kind of accepted that some things were going to need some change. With everything that I’ve been through with Fleetfoot, I saw her in a different light. After sharing that folder with her, she seemed to positively glow with joy. Her wings were lovely as they beat gently to keep her aloft, her mane and tail gently moving as the wind blew past us. Her light purple eyes were lovely as the sun made them shine a little more. It was at this moment that I had no words to describe the beauty that I was seeing. Fleetfoot turned to look at me and I had to quickly avert my gaze.

Fleetfoot didn’t say anything as I silently chastised myself for staring at her like some kind of creep. I kept my eyes to the ground for a few minutes before looking up to see where we were. Taking a look at a few of the buildings, I knew we weren’t far from where the two mares were staying at. Picking up the pace as I held Frightening close to my chest, I rounded the last corner to see the small house Lyra and Bon Bon were staying at. Fleetfoot landed next to me, trotting along as I walked up the cobblestone path to the door. I didn’t pay attention to the details of the house since I wasn’t going to be coming here that often.

Reaching the door, I gave a few knocks and waited for an answer. Seconds went by after my first knock. With no answer, I gave another one, putting on a little more force than before. An uneasy silence started to settle as I began to worry that neither of the mares were home. A few more seconds passed before I finally decided that Fleetfoot and I should head back. As soon as I turned to leave, I heard the door click, signaling that someone had started to unlock it. I turned around to see Bon Bon standing in the doorway with a warm smile adorning her face.

“Hello there, Mark. What can I do for you?” Bon Bon asked as she stepped to the side, allowing us entrance.

Fleetfoot trotted into the house with me following close behind. I kept Frightening hidden from Bon Bon as I wanted the spider to be a little surprise. Fleetfoot took a seat on the couch as I saw Scary’s aquarium in the corner. I raised a brow as I didn’t see the spider anywhere, not even in the sand. I joined Fleetfoot on the couch as Bon Bon closed the door, joining us in her living room.

Bon Bon took a seat in the chair across from us. “Hey, Bon Bon, where’s Scary?”

Bon Bon looked confused for a moment before she realized what I asked. Holding up a hoof, she used her other hoof to reach into her mane. I watched with slight interest as she pulled Scary out of her mane. “I was cleaning up in the kitchen and he wanted to join me.”

I nodded my head as I mumbled under my breath. “That spider is so weird.”

I was pulled from my thoughts when Bon Bon spoke up again. “So was there anything you needed, Mark, or were you just wanting to visit a little?”

Looking up at the mare, I moved my hand away from my chest. “I actually have a surprise for you.”

Bon Bon looked at my hand with interest before giving me a deadpan expression. “If it’s anything like the other surprises you’ve given me, then I’m not amused.”

I leaned next to Fleetfoot to whisper in her ear. “Told you.”

My actions didn’t seem go unnoticed by the candy mare. “What did you tell her?”

I sighed as I kept my hand closed, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal Frightening. “That you wouldn’t be very amused with my surprise.”

Bon Bon rolled her eyes as she began to pet Scary. “That’s because you have poor sense in what a surprise is.”

I waved my other hand dismissively as I moved on with the topic. “Either way, do you mind bringing Scary closer?”

Bon Bon looked at me with a skeptical brow before getting off of her chair and bringing Scary closer. Once Scary was in front of my hand, I uncurled my fingers, and I’m pretty sure that I saw Scary blush. Bon Bon was busy staring with wide eyes at the spider in my hand. Frightening took tentative steps closer to Scary, a small blush appearing all over their bodies. The two spiders met where there was a gap between my hand and Bon Bon’s hoof. The two spiders touched their two front legs together as they did something I assumed was some kind of dance.

I was pulled away from the spiders as Bon Bon spoke. “Mark, where did you get that spider?”

I shrugged my shoulders, making sure to not interrupt the dance between the two spiders as I answered. “I found her during my trip to Cloudsdale. I was wondering if you would be willing to take her in since Fleetfoot and Spitfire don’t want to have her around.”

Scary and Frightening let go of each other as they made their ways to the floor. Bon Bon watched as the two spiders walked across the carpet, heading for the aquarium. She watched them for a few more seconds before turning around to face me. “I don’t know, Mark. Scary already requires a lot of my attention, let alone Lyra taking up a lot of that time as well.”

“Yet you still love them,” I said as I pointed at her.

Bon Bon rolled her eyes as she gave a small sigh. “Yes, I do love them, but I still don’t think having another spider around is a good idea. I mean, I would love to watch after… what’s her name?”

“Her name’s Frightening,” I answered.

Bon Bon gave me a deadpan look as she gestured towards the aquarium, then back to me. “Really?” I gave a slight shrug of my shoulders as Bon Bon shook her head. “I would love to watch after Frightening, but I don’t think it’s such-”

“Oh, sweet Celestia! Scary, what are you doing?!” Lyra screamed, cutting off Bon Bon.

I looked towards Lyra as I could barely make out sand being thrown around. I scrunched my eyes in concentration as I tried to figure out what exactly could be going on. It’s obviously something embarrassing since Lyra was blushing profusely, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Scary and Frightening seemed to hit it off very well, and they seemed to enjoy that… dance. At that moment I just realized what was going on. Bon Bon got up from her couch to see what Lyra was looking at, and I leaned close to Fleetfoot.

I looked towards Bon Bon and the door before speaking to Fleetfoot in a hushed tone. “Let’s get out of here before this gets out of hand.”

Fleetfoot gave a curious look at me before looking back to the aquarium. I could see the gears turning in her head before a small blush formed on her cheeks, her wings giving a slight twitch. She looked back at me and made gestures with her hooves to symbolize what the spiders were doing. I gave a slow nod, and Fleetfoot immediately got off the couch. The two of us briskly walking towards the door as we watched Bon Bon near the aquarium. As Fleetfoot and I neared the door, we saw Bon Bon freeze in front of the aquarium. Not leaving anything to chance, I opened the door and the two of us bolted out as we heard Bon Bon scream.

“MARK, I’LL GET YOU FOR THIS!” Bon Bon appeared in front of the door, her face red from anger and embarrassment.

“Take good care of Frightening!” I yelled as I hopped a tiny bush and sprinted down the sidewalk, Fleetfoot following suit.

After running for a good two minutes, I slowed down to a walk to get my breath back. Fleetfoot continued to float in the air, her breathing still normal after booking it from the house. Taking a few deep breaths, my lungs began to burn as I tried to get air in them. Once I was done heaving, we started towards the castle.

“Looks like somepony needs to get in shape,” Fleetfoot said as she nudged my side.

“I’ve actually been thinking about going to a gym again, but I really don’t want to spend the bits for that,” I said as I wiped some sweat off from my forehead.

Fleetfoot placed a hoof on my shoulder as she smiled at me. “If you don’t want to pay for a gym membership, you can just use mine and Spitfire’s personal gym at the castle.”

“Are you willing to be my spotter if I do?” I asked as I smiled back at the mare.

Fleetfoot nodded as she started to float circles around me. “As long as you take your training seriously, then I’m willing to help you.”

As the mare started to make another pass in front of me, I stuck out my hand. Fleetfoot stopped her movements to extend her own hoof and grasped my hand. “Deal,” I said as we shook on it.

The two of us continued on our walk back to the castle, neither of us saying anything as we tried to think about how to approach Spitfire with the news. I wasn’t really sure what Fleetfoot had in mind, but I was thinking of going with just a more direct approach. After a couple of minutes of thinking about what to do, a random thought just crossed my mind. I just gave Scary a spider I had found, named Frightening, who was female. It didn’t take long for those two to get intimate in the aquarium. Both Scary and Frightening were very intelligent spiders, and that caused me to wonder what their children would be like.

As I continued to think about the future little baby spiders, I came to the conclusion that I probably just doomed Equestria to a swarm of miniature Scaries and Frightenings. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought as the two spiders swarmed all over Canterlot, their children helping them conquer the kingdom. Well, it was fun while it lasted. I probably just doomed Equestria, but it was still pretty funny no matter how I looked at it. Maybe if I was lucky, Frightening would be kind enough to spare Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and I.

Shaking away my silly thoughts, I saw the castle coming into view and picked up the pace. As Fleetfoot and I neared the gates, the two guards nodded to us as they allowed us to enter. A few maids and guards were out and about in the castle, doing their regular duties. Fleetfoot and I greeted them as they greeted us in return. Thankfully, the halls to Spitfire’s office were clear of any ponies, and we were able to get there without any distractions. We were about to enter the office when I had a strange feeling about mine. I handed Fleetfoot my backpack and her saddlebags as I walked over to my office door.

Fleetfoot watched me with a raised brow as I inspected the door. Everything seemed perfectly fine from what I could remember, and my key to the door was still where I left it. Still, I couldn’t shake this weird feeling that someone had been inside and did something. Grabbing my key from the plastic bin, I unlocked my door and opened it slightly. I left enough space to squeeze my arm through and flipped on the light. Seeing that there was nothing on the walls, and that nothing grabbed at my arm, I took a peek inside. My face burned slightly at all the pictures that were strewn about my office.

There were very lewd pictures of mares strewn about my room. Each mare was in an almost exposing pose, but thankfully everything was still covered up. The problem was that a few of the pictures were ponies that I easily recognized. There was a picture of Spitfire with her flank high in the air. A picture of Fleetfoot lying on her back, her tail covering her intimate area as she gave bedroom eyes. Another picture had Echo and Moon cuddling together, their tails entwined as they looked to the side, their eyes burning with desire. A picture of Surprise and Steel Wing hung behind my desk. Surprise was on Steel Wing’s back, the pegasus preening the griffoness’ wings while Steel Wing was running her talons along Surprise’s side. The final picture had Shield, Strongheart, and Razor Wing all lying on a bed together, each of them wearing some very fuzzy socks while their eyes held lustful intentions. I was slightly surprised to see a picture of Clover and Cinnamon Spice together, both mares holding each other as they gave each other a deep, passionate kiss.

I quickly slammed my door, probably causing many ponies to look towards the sound of the disturbance as I tried to banish all those pictures from my thoughts. I locked my door and threw the key into the plastic bin as I planned my next prank on Luna. I knew there was a chance that Luna had possibly gotten someone else to help her put up those pictures, but I wasn’t entirely sure who it could be. This left me with only one option, and that was to make sure that Luna understood that she had brought this upon herself. I continued to stare at my door as I tried to figure out how I was going to deal with those pictures, when a sudden thought occurred to me.

I looked back at Spitfire’s office to see that Fleetfoot wasn’t there. I assumed that she had probably already entered the office and was already talking with Spitfire. Giving a few nods and deep breaths, I took a step towards the office, when a sudden thought returned in full force. My eyes widened as I remembered I had the revealing magazine with both Spitfire and Fleetfoot on the cover. Taking one of my hands, I started to slap myself against the forehead, repeatedly, until a red mark started to form. I took a few seconds to collect my scattered thoughts, assuming that maybe Fleetfoot only grabbed the folder and didn’t happen on the magazine. Taking a few deep breaths, I headed for Spitfire’s office.

I let out a heavy sigh as I opened the door, a smile spread across my face as I prepared to greet Spitfire. I opened the door, and much to my chagrin, Spitfire was looking at me. Spitfire held the dirty magazine in one hoof for me to see. Spitfire’s expression was devoid of all emotion as she gave me a blank stare. I looked over at Fleetfoot to see her staring at me with wide eyes before looking back at the magazine, then only to look back at me. My hand was still on the doorknob, and I took this chance to make this a ‘nope’ moment for me.

As soon as I turned to leave, I was stopped by Spitfire’s voice. Oddly enough, her voice was calm and collected. “Would you care to explain why you have an issue of Playpony in your possession?”

I slowly turned around, sweat starting to form on my brow as I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I promise that isn’t mine.” Spitfire raised a brow at me as I raised my hands to defend myself. “There’s a perfectly good reason why I have that.”

Spitfire looked at me for a few seconds before setting the magazine down and gesturing towards a chair for me to sit on. I nodded as I closed the door behind me and took the offered seat. “I promised to try and be a friend, so I’ll let you explain yourself.”

Nodding my head, I shifted in my seat nervously as I licked at my dry lips. “I was in Ever Ring’s office.” Both mares stared at me with wide eyes before Fleetfoot gestured for me to continue. “I entered her office to find anything I could use against her, and as I looked around, I stumbled upon her stash of magazines. She has many issues, but seeing that one, I had to take it away from her. I don’t really know why you’re both on it, but I felt like that bitch didn’t deserve to have it, and I wanted to maybe protect you both.”

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously as the two mares looked at each other. An uncomfortable silence settled between us before Spitfire finally spoke? “What did you plan on doing with this later?” There was no anger in Spitfire’s voice. If I had to guess what her tone sounded like, I would have to say curious would be the very best way to describe it.

I gave a shrug of my shoulders as I leaned back in the chair. “Honestly, I was either going to throw it in the trash or just burn it.”

The two mares shared a quick look before nodding their heads. Spitfire tossed the magazine towards me as Fleetfoot spoke. “Thanks for you honesty, Mark. You’re free to do whatever you want with the magazine. You may even keep it if you want.”

I looked towards Fleetfoot with a raised brow. “Why do I feel like this is a trap?”

The two mares laughed for a few seconds before Spitfire composed herself to answer. “Thankfully, this issue was just a swimsuit issue. Also, none of these should have been in public hooves since the photographer didn’t say anything about making any of our photos public. A few still got out, but most of them were collected and destroyed. You pretty much have a collector’s item there. Then again, like Fleetfoot said, do whatever you want with it.”

Looking at the magazine in my hands, I rolled it up as I stuffed it into my backpack. More than likely I was going to destroy it, but if I was, I wanted to make sure I made some kind of showing for it. Zipping up my backpack, I moved on to the next subject that was at hand. I took the folder that was next to Fleetfoot and dropped it in front of Spitfire. Spitfire ran her hoof over the folder as she gave a small smile. It was really adorable to see her smile like that. I shook my head clear of that thought as Spitfire pushed the folder towards me.

I took the folder as Spitfire jumped out of her chair and flew towards the door. She stopped when her hoof was on the doorknob, turning back to look at me. “Fleetfoot told me about some of the things the two of you did while you were in Cloudsdale.” I raised a brow as I looked at Fleetfoot before turning back to Spitfire. “I just wanted to say thanks for looking out for her. It really means a lot to me.’

I nodded to Spitfire as I stood up from my chair, Fleetfoot taking to the air and floating next to me as we headed towards Spitfire. “No problem. I was glad to be there for her, and I’m glad that I was able to learn something about Pyro.”

The next thing surprised me as I didn’t expect it from this one pony. Spitfire wrapped her legs around my neck, giving me a friendly hug for the first time. I returned the embrace, petting the mare’s head as I got a feel of how smooth it was. Just like Fleetfoot, Spitfire’s mane was smooth and taken care of. I couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped my lips at that similarity.

Spitfire broke the hug off and gave me a curious look. “What’s so funny?”

I gave a few more chuckles before regaining my composure. “I just find it different that both of your manes are taken care of so well, and yet they look like you both just got out of bed.”

Spitfire gave a slight smirk as she gave a soft punch to my arm. “Hey, a lady needs to be presentable, no matter their lifestyle.”

I raised my brow at Spitfire as I crossed my arms. “Since when was Captain Spitfire ever a lady?”

Spitfire gave another punch to my arm before wrapping it around my neck and did something that I thought I would never expect. Spitfire gave a small nuzzle to my cheek, something that ponies only do to either family, close friends, or loved ones. After two seconds of Spitfire nuzzling me, she pulled back as she gave me a bigger smile.

“You really are something, aren’t you, Mark?” Spitfire asked as she opened the door.

Spitfire was the first to leave her office, and I stood frozen in place, looking between Fleetfoot and the open door. Fleetfoot gave me a gentle pat on the back as she gave me a reassuring smile. I wasn’t really sure what has brought on all these emotions for Spitfire, but it was nice to see her in this kind of mood. I actually enjoyed seeing her smile, and she even seemed to take my joking in great stride. This was a side of Spitfire I didn’t mind seeing, and it seemed like I would be one of the lucky few to ever see that side of her. Even Fleetfoot’s attitude had changed after everything we’ve been through, and it was something I would like to see more of as well.

As I followed the two mares through the halls, I kind of wished we weren’t having to deal with convicting Ever Ring at the moment. I really wanted to see the two mares smile even more after seeing Fleetfoot give a bright smile back in Cloudsadle, then followed with Spitfire smiling brightly in her office, but everything that comes up must go down. Ever Ring was something that needed to be dealt with first, and maybe if I was lucky, I would get to see them be happy for the very first time. The walk to the throne room was silent as we prepared to show whichever princess was present the evidence we had found. We reached the throne room, and the two guards standing outside blocked our path.

“We’re sorry, but Princess Celestia is currently in a meeting,” the earth pony guard on the left said.

“Well, whoever she’s seeing at the moment can take a raincheck. We have something that the princess needs to see immediately,” I said as I stepped closer to the door.

“Whatever it is, it can wait until the princess is finished with her meeting,” the pegasus guard on the right said.

Not really wanting to deal with this much longer, I crouched down so I could look the guards in the eyes. I leaned in close, the guards following suit as I kept eye contact with them. Fleetfoot and Spitfire watched me with curious expressions as the guards and myself leaned closer. Once I felt the guards were close enough, I took a deep breath as I screamed in sudden surprise. “Holy crap, what’s that over there?!”

The guards easily took the bait as I pointed to the right, and they quickly turned to see what was going on. I moved quickly as they were distracted with nothing down the hall, and opened the door to the throne room. I didn’t catch what Princess Celestia was saying as she stopped her conversation and stared at me with a curious expression. The pony that was talking with Celestia was one I recognized, and who I would consider probably the more respectable noble of the ponies in Canterlot. I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar white unicorn with a blue mane and tail. He had a monocle over his eyes and his tux looked as clean pressed as always. The unicorn’s blue eyes lit up in recognition as I called out to him.

“Fancy Pants, it has been too long since we’ve last met,” I said as I waved to the unicorn.

Fancy smiled as he trotted up to me, extending me a hoof to shake that I gladly accepted. “A pleasure to see you as well, Mark. I’m sorry that I haven’t been around to converse with you, what with all the charities that I have to attend.”

I gave a dismissive wave to Fancy. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve had my own things to deal with as well. Anyway, enough about me. How’s your wife?”

Fancy smiled at me as he spoke in a cheerful tone. “She has been talking about you nonstop since you two met. She really wants to see you again, and she even wants to meet Rarity again so they can talk about future fashion shows.” I gave a slight nod to Fancy as he moved on to the next subject I knew was coming. “May I ask what you’re doing here, though? I hope you haven’t gotten yourself in any kind of trouble.” Fancy gave me a worried expression that made me laugh a little.

I shook my head as I explained my situation using as little detail as possible. “I’m just trying to solve a problem that has existed for too long now. I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting with Celestia. If it was anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared, but I feel kind of bad for walking in on your meeting.”

Fancy Pants gave a hearty laugh as he waved a hoof dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, old sport. You know that my meetings are just me trying to prepare for future events planned a few years down the road. If I’m not here for that, then it’s just to make sure that everything is going along smoothly for the upcoming events. This is something I can easily reschedule for a later date.” Fancy looked at the two mares behind me before looking back at me, a huge smile adorning his face. “Plus, it looks like whatever you have to talk about is more important than what this old stallion has to say.”

I laughed at Fancy as I gave a few pats to his back, the unicorn laughing along with me. “Dude, if you consider yourself old, and are able to get someone like Fleur to marry you, then I have to say that I’m some type of fossil. You’re still in your youth just as much as me, and I wish the best for everything for both Fleur and yourself.”

Fancy’s laughter increased in volume as he gave a few strong pats to my back, causing me to cough a little. “You really know what to say to somepony to make them feel better. How you’re still single with no mares chasing after you amazes me.”

I let my own laughter grow in volume to help hide the small pain that I felt inside from the truth of his words. I knew he would never mean any harm by them, but it just hurts to be reminded sometimes. “Maybe it’s because some mares, especially stallions, are a little intimated by the giant bipedal human.”

Fancy Pants continued to laugh a few more seconds before getting himself under control, his cheerful voice still present, but a hint of seriousness was laced within. “Then those ponies don’t know what they’re missing. You’re a wonderful human, and if they can’t see you for how great you are, then they aren’t worth your time.” Fancy’s horn glowed for a few seconds as he made himself and myself presentable. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must return home to my wife. You have a nice meeting with the princess.”

I smiled at Fancy Pants as I gave him a quick hug. Fancy returned the hug before letting go and trotting through the throne room doors. The two guards looked between me and Celestia before the princess waved them off. The guards gave each other a quick look before closing the door behind them. Celestia gestured for Fleetfoot, Spitfire, and myself to the front. The two Wonderbolts bowed to their princess while I gave a small wave. Neither of the mares seemed to mind my slight ‘disrespect’ since it’s very well known that I haven’t treated any of the princesses like ‘true royalty’.

Celestia smiled as she spoke in her motherly tone. “It seems that you still like to barge in on meetings that I hold.”

Fleetfoot and Spitfire stood up, looking between Celestia and myself with raised brows as I chuckled. “Hey, if it’s important, then I’m not waiting around for you to listen to a noble drone on about pointless matters that waste your time.”

Celestia raised a hoof, giggling as the two mares stared at their princess with wide eyes. “Never a dull moment with you around, is it, Mark?” Celestia then looked at the two mares and smiled at them as she kept her motherly tone. “You both can relax now. Mark is a dear friend that is open to speak his mind however he wants.”

Fleetfoot and Spitfire took Celestia’s advice as they shook off their wide-eyed stare. Clearing her throat, Celestia got our attention as she tried to get to the point of our visit. “So what may I help you with?”

Not even hesitating, I brought the folder up to Celestia, and she took it up in her golden aura. “I wish to convict Ever Ring and the mayor of Cloudsdale for child abuse, mental scarring of children, and the death of Pyro.”

Celestia looked at me, her expression turning serious as she spoke in an authoritative tone. “You understand that this matter has been brought to my attention a few times before, right?” Celestia looked towards Fleetfoot with a concerned expression before looking back at me. “What makes you think that you can finally convict them?”

I couldn’t blame Celestia for her doubt in what I was doing. “This is a folder created by Pyro during her time at the orphanage up until her passing. Everything in there was collected by the young mare to convict the both of them.”

Celestia held her gaze with mine for a second before opening the folder. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and myself remained silent as Celestia looked through the papers. Her brow scrunched as she focused on reading every detail that was in the folder. Silence filled the throne room. Eventually, the sound of papers being shuffled and reorganized drowned out the silence. After several minutes of looking through the folder, Celestia closed the folder. The mares shuffled in place nervously as Celestia placed the folder to her side.

Celestia looked at me, her expression hardened as I gave my own. Celestia gave a single nod, the mares releasing their held breaths as I smiled. “Thank you for this, Mark.” Celestia stood from her throne, walking down the stairs. “I shall return shortly.”

Spitfire and Fleetfoot bowed to Celestia as I gave a curt nod. Celestia’s golden aura surrounded the door as she opened them, her wings spread wide as she took an authoritative stance. Celestia began speaking to her two guards, but I couldn’t hear the rest of what she was saying as the doors closed behind her. Once the doors were closed, I let out a heavy breath that I didn’t even know I was holding. Spitfire and Fleetfoot joined me at my sides as I slumped to the floor, laughing as the tension eased out of my body.

I was broken from my laughter when Spitfire spoke up. “Seeing that we have some time alone at the moment.” I couldn’t help but give a cheeky grin at the mare, who in response slugged me in my arm. “I don’t mean anything along those lines.” Taking a few breaths, Spitfire continued with what she wanted to say. “Fleetfoot mentioned that you had something to share.”

I nodded my head as I looked up at the ceiling, my laughter quickly coming under control. “I do, but I think it’s better if I talk about it over some cold ones. Do you think Clover could possibly give the three of us a private booth?” I looked over at Spitfire, who nodded her head.

I was pulled away from looking at Spitfire as the throne room doors opened. The three of us watched as Luna walked into the throne room, a large yawn escaping her muzzle. “Hey there, sleepy head.”

Luna blinked her bleary eyes before giving a huge smile. “Mark, so you’re the reason why my sister has woken me from my slumber. Is this to get me back for what I did to your office?”

Luna gave a suggestive wink as I laughed. “Not really. I have something else in mind for that. Although, do you mind removing them from my office so I don’t have to explain that to anyone who walks in?”

Luna nodded as her horn gave a brief flash of dark blue. I gave Luna a warm smile as she shuffled over to her throne. I looked back at Spitfire to see her staring at me with a raised brow. “What?”

Spitfire gestured towards Luna as she spoke. “What kind of pictures were in your office?”

After what happened with the magazine, I felt that Spitfire would be understanding of what exactly I found in my office. “They were suggestive pictures of you, Fleetfoot, Razor Wing, Steel Wing, Surprise, Clover, Cinnamon Spice, Shield, Strongheart, Echo, and Moon.” Fleetfoot was next to Spitfire, looking at me with a raised brow. “I can assure you there was nothing too revealing in those pictures. They were just very provocative.” I found it hard to look the two mares in the eyes as the memory of their pictures flashed in my mind.

I was pulled from my awkward thoughts when Fleetfoot spoke. “What did you think about them?”

I raised a brow at Fleetfoot as I rubbed my chin in thought. “Honestly, they weren’t half bad.” I could have sworn that at that moment, both mares had noticeable blushes. “Granted, it wasn’t something I was really expecting to see.”

The blushes on the mares’ faces disappeared as they looked at me. They seemed saddened at this response, and as I was about to ask them what was wrong, the throne room doors opened. The three of us looked towards the large golden doors as Celestia walked in, an aura of power radiating off of her as her wings were spread wide. I have seen Celestia when she was serious, but it paled in comparison when she was using her full authoritative power. As Celestia walked towards her throne, Luna quickly taking her regal pose as her wings spread wide, I saw Ever Ring and the mayor trot in. The two ponies had eight guards, leaving them in the middle of the small circle.

This didn’t seem to stop the mayor as he saw me standing to the side with the two mares at my sides. “YOU!”

The mayor took to the air and charged straight at me. Thankfully, I was friends with Rainbow Dash, and getting to know the two mares, the mayor paled in comparison to their speed. The stallion barely went fast enough for me to not follow his movements. No longer taking anymore shit from him, and not wanting to let him get away with what he called Spitfire and Fleetfoot, I steeled my stance. I pulled back my left arm, and as soon as he was close enough, I brought my fist down. The sound of the stallion’s body slamming against the marble floor could be heard through the throne room.

All the ponies in attendance stared at me with wide eyes as a few drops of blood dripped from my knuckles. A small trail of blood traveled down the stallion’s head. I got on one knee as I leaned in close to the stallion, my voice laced with anger as I spoke in a harsh whisper. “That is for thinking you could assault me.” I stood back to my full height, my voice raising in volume as I brought back my left leg. “And this is for insulting my friends!” I slammed my foot into his gut, sending him sliding across the floor.

The guards quickly shook themselves from their wide-eyed stare and quickly ran towards the fallen stallion. Four of the guards broke off and came towards me. I put my arms in the air as I got on my knees. As the guards prepared to cuff me with magic, Luna stood up from her throne and trotted up to the guards.

“Return to your stations with the other two ponies. Mark defended himself from an attack by Cumulonimbus.” The guards bowed to Luna before backing away from me, joining the other four guards that were standing to one side of Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus.

As Luna returned to her throne, I rose to my feet. I was about to join Luna’s side when I felt something grab my hand. I looked back to see Spitfire holding my hand as she looked it over. Fleetfoot brought over a cloth and wiped away the blood from my knuckles, only to see I had a few minor cuts. Fleetfoot gave them a quick lick before discarding the cloth, and allowing Spitfire to release my hand. I nodded to the two mares as we made our way towards the princesses. As we neared the princesses, Spitfire’s voice cut into my thoughts as she spoke in a hushed tone.

“What exactly did he say to earn that second hit?” Spitfire looked at me with a slight frown. What exactly the frown was about, I don’t really know.

Scratching my head, I answered her like it was no big deal. “He just insulted you and Fleetfoot by calling the both of you whorses. I’m not really sure how insulting works here in Equestria, but if it has any equivalent to what I think it does, then I wasn’t going to let him get away calling either of you that.”

Spitfire turned her gaze to the ground as we walked to the thrones. As we neared the thrones, she looked up with a huge smile as a tear threatened to escape her eyes. “Thanks for that.”

I nodded to the mare as we stood next to Luna, watching the two ponies in front of us slightly tremble in fear. A heavy silence filled the throne room as Celestia passed Luna the folder. Luna took the folder in her dark blue aura and started to look through the pages. Taking a glance out of my peripherals, I could see Luna using her years of experience of being a princess to keep a straight face. Being around Luna for several months allowed me to see that she cared deeply for all of her subjects, and she hated to hear when any of them were harmed in some way. There was actually one time where she screamed using her Royal Canterlot voice when she heard that a foal was hurt in a carriage crash.

I was fairly certain that if Celestia and her guards weren’t here at this very moment, then Luna would really let Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus have it. Looking back to the two ponies, I heard Luna heave a heavy sigh as she placed the folder on the arm of her throne. The two ponies winced from what I could assume was Luna giving them an icy stare. The silence lasted for a couple more minutes before Celestia’s stern voice finally broke it.

“Ever Ring, Cumulonimbus, you are brought before the Royal Sisters under multiple charges of mistreating foals at the orphanage.” Ever Ring made to say something but was stopped by a harsh glare from Celestia. “The evidence in this folder is enough to convict and have you locked away in Tartarus for years to come.” The two ponies winced slightly at the thought of having to go to that prison.

Luna spoke up next, her magic being used to amplify her voice a little. “Instead, we have decided to work out a different punishment.” Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus seemed to relax at hearing that, but I glanced over at Luna as she gave a cheeky grin. “The two of you will serve fifteen years in the crystal mines at the Crystal Empire.”

It took much of my willpower not to laugh at that. Tartarus was still a very harsh punishment, but out of everything else that was used as a sentence in Equestria, the crystal mines at the Crystal Empire was the second worst place anyone could go to. If I also had to pick between the four princesses on who loved foals the most, I would have to go with Cadence. Then add in the over protective brother of Twilight Sparkle, and Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus are going to have one hell of a time there.

I looked over at Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus to see them staring at the princesses, their mouths agape. Ever Ring stepped forwards to say something, but was silenced when a magic suppressor was placed on her horn and wing binds were placed on Cumulonimbus. I knew Celestia wouldn’t let those items stay on either of them for long since she detested them, but she did to make sure they understood that her decision was final. As the guards moved to take away the two convicted ponies, they looked in my direction. I gave both of them a huge smile as I raised both of my hands and flipped them off.

Both ponies looked at me with pure hatred in their eyes as they were taken away. Ever Ring struggled against the guards, but they easily subdued her and were able to take the two ponies away. The throne room doors slammed shut, the noise echoing in the room as the five of us waited for the silence.

After letting my ears ring for a few more seconds from the slam, I turned towards the princesses, a curious expression on my face. “So who’s going to take care of the foals now?”

Neither of the princesses answered me as Luna pointed a hoof towards the door. I looked at the door to see it open and two ponies trot inside. The ponies that walked in were both unicorns and mares if I was judging right from what I could make out. The pony on the left had a pink mane and tail with yellow streaks running through them. Her eyes were a bright amethyst and her coat was white as snow. Her cutie mark was a shield with a heart in the middle. My eyes widened as I jumped to who exactly these mares might be. Wanting to be sure, I looked to the mare on the right. The other mare had a snow white coat and her eyes were a deep sapphire. Her mane and tail were an electric orange, which was still odd to see from a member of the guard. Her cutie mark was three shields with the end points on the bottom pointing inward and meeting each other.

I smiled as I recognized the two mares. “Shield, Strongheart, how are you two doing?”

The two mares galloped towards me and tackled me to the ground as they each gave me a hug. I hugged to two mares back as they both sighed happily. I looked at Fleetfoot and Spitfire, and I think I saw them looking at the two mares with slightly jealous looks. Not really sure what they could possibly be jealous about, I ignored their looks as the two mares gave me a quick nuzzle and I stroked their manes.

“It’s so great to see you, Mark,” Shield said as she dropped back to the floor.

“Really great, Mark,” Strongheart said as she smiled at me. “Have you been avoiding us?” Strongheart teased as she poked my shin.

I shook my head as I laughed at Strongheart’s antics. “I don’t think I could avoid you two even if I tried. You two are always determined to find me when you wish to tease me.” The two mares laughed as some of the tension left my body. As I got some of my laughter under control, I looked towards the two mares. “So you two are going to take care of the foals? Isn’t that going to cut in your time as guards?”

The two mares gave each other a quick look before Shield spoke up. “Actually, we both have resigned from our positions so we can dedicate full time to watching over them.”

I raised a brow at the two of them as I looked back at Celestia. “Guards can do that?”

Celestia nodded her head as Luna spoke up. “Mark, guards are free to join and leave as they see fit. Not all ponies were destined to be guards, but if they show the determination and fortitude, we are glad to have them. Many guards have actually resigned from their posts to do something else that they enjoy.”

I nodded my head as I turned back to the two mares. “So you two really want to take care of the foals?”

The two mares nodded as Strongheart stepped forward. “Don’t get us wrong, Mark. We’ve actually enjoyed our time as members of the guard, but we were more inclined to actually take care of foals. Celestia actually came to us about the offer before she brought those two despicable ponies in.”

I nodded as I smiled at the two mares. “At least I know they’re in safe hands.”

Shield gave me a flat look as she let out a heavy sigh, her hoof meeting her forehead. “Mark, for the last time, we have hooves.”

I smiled at the mare as I just gave a shrug of my shoulders. “That’s just a little detail. Besides, you know what I meant.”

The two mares could only shake their heads as a small laugh escaped their lips. Celestia cleared her throat which caused us to face her. “Glad to see that the three of you are getting along so well. Anyways, the foals will be relocated to the Crystal Empire so they can receive therapy from Cadence. They will also be sent to the hospital to see if there are any physical ailments that we need to be aware of.”

I nodded to Celestia as I smiled warmly. I was able to help the foals get away from Ever Ring, and now they were going to receive the help they need. I looked back to Shield, a serious expression on my face as I crouched down to the mare. “Hey, Shield, can you do me a favor?”

Shield seemed a little surprised at my sudden shift to seriousness, but nodded nonetheless. “What do you need, Mark?”

I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving a quick look to Strongheart so she understood that I wanted to be part of the favor as well. “There’s a thestral named Everglade.” I heard Luna give a sharp gasp from behind me. “Please watch over her as it seems Ever Ring was especially harsh with her.”

The two mares nodded before I felt a wing against my back. I looked over my shoulder to see Luna giving me a concerned expression. “I’ll have Echo and Moon check up on her as well. It sounds like Everglade could use some interaction with her own kind.”

I nodded while moving my hand to pet Luna’s neck, getting the mare to relax a little. Celestia had dismissed us from the throne room, wanting to discuss with Luna about moving the foals and getting a letter sent to Cadence for her services. I followed the four mares out of the throne room where we went our separate ways.

I was following after Spitfire and Fleetfoot before I stopped and looked over my shoulder, calling out to the two unicorn mares. “Shield, Strongheart.” The two mares looked back at me. “Let me know when you’re both settled in at the new orphanage so I can visit at some point.
The two mares smiled as they waved back at me. “Don’t worry, Mark. You’ll be the first to know when we’re ready!”

I waved goodbye to the mares as I resumed following Spitfire and Fleetfoot. The three of us walked out of the castle to see the sun starting to set. I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I let out a heavy sigh. I’ve been going through so much since I started staying with the mares, that I didn’t even see how fast time has been flying by. I felt something poke my leg, and looking down, I saw that it was Fleetfoot giving me a concerned expression. She seemed very worried about how I looked at the moment. I leaned down and scratched behind the mare’s ears, something I learned that ponies really liked, especially if you have fingers.

I gave a small smile as I looked at the mare. “I’ll be fine, Fleety. It has just been a very long day, and we still have a few things that need to be settled.”

Fleetfoot nodded her head, smiling a little as she took to the air. Spitfire was already in the air and floated towards me with a raised brow. “Since when did you start calling Fleetfoot ‘Fleety’?”

I gave a shrug of my shoulders as we followed Fleetfoot towards Clover’s bar. “It started during our stay in Cloudsdale. She hasn’t said anything about not liking it, so I assumed she didn’t mind. Would you like for me to give you one, too?”

I could barely make out the red tint on Spitfire’s muzzle before she turned around quickly, picking up her speed so she could float next to her friend. “You would have to think for a long time to come up with a good one, and even then, I would have to buy you dinner first.”

I shook my head as I started to laugh at Spitfire’s antics. The chance of her buying me dinner would be as likely as me getting both of them to go out with me. The two of us walked in silence, watching as the setting sun set about beautiful colors to the city. We passed through the marketplace, Razor Wing waving to us as she packed up her stall. She could probably tell we weren’t in such an entirely great mood, so she avoided coming to talk with us. I made a note to make that up to her at a later point.

The three of us finally made it to Clover’s bar, and it was pretty dead compared to when we went to its grand opening. We walked inside to see Cinnamon Spice at the front, and she smiled at us as we walked in. She didn’t even bother asking if we were going to stay to eat as she grabbed three menus and led us to a vacant table.

Cinnamon started to place the menus on the table when Spitfire spoke up. “Do you mind seating us at a private booth where nopony can see or hear us?”

Cinnamon looked at Spitfire with a raised brow before beaming a bright smile and nodding her head. “Of course I can, Spitfire. Clover told me that you both sometimes like a little privacy from everything and asked that I make sure a private booth will always be available for the two of you.”

Spitfire nodded her head as we followed Cinnamon Spice further back into the bar. “Thank you. Also, we’ll have our regulars while we’re here. Can you also let Clover know that we’re here so we can say hi?”

Cinnamon nodded her head as we reached a private booth that had a plaque that said it was reserved for ‘Spitfire and Friends’. Cinnamon placed the menus on the table as we took our seats. Spitfire and Fleetfoot sat on one side of the booth as I took the opposite side for myself. I placed my menu in the middle of the table, the mares following suit as we relaxed in the dimly lit booth. Cinnamon wrote down the mares’ orders quickly, and I guessed mine as well since she didn’t really ask what I wanted.

Cinnamon took the menus from the table as she spoke cheerfully. “I’ll have your orders out for you soon, and Clover should be here in a couple of minutes after I let her know of your arrival.”

Once Cinnamon Spice was gone, the three of us let out a deep breath as we relaxed in the soft cushioned seats. We remained quiet as we waited for our orders and for Clover to arrive. Both mares look exhausted after going through everything and there was a small throb in my knuckles from when I hit Cumulonimbus. I looked at my knuckles to see that no blood has seeped through from my small cuts, and I was thankful for what Fleetfoot did. The two mares relaxed in their seats, breathing lightly as whatever heavy weight was on their shoulders disappeared.

A few minutes passed before I looked out at the bar and saw Clover trotting towards us, our food wrapped in her dark green aura. Clover placed our food in front us and handed us our respective drinks. Clover even handed me a cider as well in case I wanted to drink a little something. I nodded to the mare as I started to eat my food. Spitfire and Fleetfoot took their own bites of food before looking at Clover and nodding their approval.

Clover smiled at us as she hopped up next to me. “So, how have my favorite ponies and human been?”

I gave a slight shrug as Fleetfoot answered for us. “Things have been hectic for the past few days. Good news though, we finally got Ever Ring locked away for abusing all those foals.”

Clover seemed to smile even more as she patted my back. “Great job, Fleetfoot. That’s wonderful news.”

As Clover was overjoyed at hearing one of her friends was able to lift something off their shoulders from their past, Spitfire cut in with even more great news. “We even got the current mayor of Cloudsdale convicted as well.” Clover stared wide-eyed at Spitfire as she gestured for her to continue. “Apparently, he had been releasing a lot of his anger on the foals. He even paid Ever Ring to abuse them and paid a few of the guards to keep their mouths shut.”

Clover was speechless as she looked between the three of us. We took this chance to eat more of our food. A couple minutes passed, and we finished our food in that small time period before Clover found her voice again. “How did you even find enough evidence to convict them both?”

Fleetfoot seemed to let out a huge smile as she pointed a hoof towards me. “You can thank Mark for that. I don’t know how he did it, but he found what I spent years looking for in just two days.”

Clover looked at me, her mouth agape as she tried to process this. Shaking herself from her million yard stare, she looked at the three of us with a raised brow. “If this is all great news, then why are you celebrating in a private booth?”

Spitfire thankfully answered for us as she took a drink from her piña colada. “We’re here because Mark is going to explain exactly how he was able to do it, but it’s a very private matter.”

Clover nodded her head in understanding as she stood up from her seat and jumped to the floor. She looked over her shoulder as me as she gave a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Mark. I won’t listen in on your conversation, and you don’t have to worry about other ponies overhearing you.” Clover’s horn flashed a dark green before it died out. “I placed a sound bubble around your booth, it has extra protection so nopony can hear what you have to say.”

I smiled at the mare as I gave her a quick nod. Clover nodded back, took our empty plates in her magic, and trotted away from our table. The three of us sat in silence again, taking sips from our drinks as I tried to work up the nerve to talk about my past. I drank from my water, but it wasn’t really helping me in wanting to talk about this. Sighing heavily, I popped the cap off my cider and took a deep pull from it. I shook my head from the slight burn it gave to my throat as I looked back at the mares.

The two mares waved their hooves, letting me know that I could take this at my own pace. I nodded my head to them as I already felt a tear starting to form. I hadn’t even started talking about it, but the memories brought back a lot of buried feelings.

I took a few deep breaths and a few more pulls from my cider, which was thankfully being magically refilled. “The reason why I was able to find the evidence was because of luck, but my step brother actually helped play a big part in that as well.”

Fleetfoot took a small sip from her sea breeze before she spoke in a quiet tone. “What was your step brother’s name?”

Looking at the mares, I felt a tear slide down my cheek. “His name was Jackson, and step brother wouldn’t be the proper term to use to describe our relation, but I felt it was better than the other since we were so close together.” Spitfire looked at me with concern as I continued on. “He was actually my adopted brother.” Both mares looked at me with wide eyes as they slowly nodded their heads.

“My parents adopted him when he was seven. I was two at the time, so I was the little brother. We actually got along pretty well, despite the few arguments and fights that we would get into.” I took another pull from my cider. “The sad part was that the orphanage we adopted him from was put under investigation for child abuse. The police found evidence to support these claims, and they were actually gathered by Jackson.”

The mares looked at me with surprise as I shifted the bottle from hand to hand. “He did the same thing Pyro did when she was in the orphanage. He gathered as much as he could to completely convict those that were guilty, and after we had adopted him, along with a few more years to grow up, he gave the cops an anonymous tip.”

“He actually told me this story one night, and I asked him how he knew to hide it so well. He explained that the best place to hide it was somewhere close to one’s heart. I never understood exactly what that meant until Fleetfoot took me to the orphanage. After seeing how miserable all the foals were, and hearing the story about Pyro, I finally understood what he meant.” I looked at the mares as I smiled at them.

“So taking my brother’s advice to heart, I looked in the few places that would have meant a lot to Pyro. I actually had no success in finding it until I tripped on where she hid the key to her safe that actually held that folder.” I gave a small smile as I gave a gentle pull to my drink. “So if there’s anyone to really thank for all of this, then it would have to be Jackson. I don’t think if I ever had him in my life, I would have never thought of looking for Pyro’s evidence where I did.”

I took a deep breath as I placed my hands on the table, closing my eyes as I collected myself. I felt something touch my hands, and when I opened my eyes, I saw each mare holding a hand in their hoof. Both of them smiled at me as they patted my hands, showing that they were very happy for everything I had done.

Fleetfoot broke our silence as she spoke up. “Jackson sounds like he is a great brother.”

I nodded to the mare, but I couldn’t help the heavy frown that I gave. Spitfire seemed to notice as she leaned closer, her tone taking on a hint of concern. “Are you alright, Mark?”

I shook my head as I looked up at the mares. “Jackson was a really great brother. He would have loved to hear you say that.”

Fleetfoot’s expression became one of concern as she leaned closer. “What do you mean ‘was’?”

My expression turned somber as my hands slid back to my lap. Several tears bean to fall down my cheek as I remembered that horrid night. “He passed away when I was sixteen.”

Both mares gasped as they looked at each other. Silence filled the space between us for a few seconds before Fleetfoot spoke up. “How did he pass… if you don’t mind me asking?”

I wiped away my tears as I looked at both mares. “He was killed in an accident. The person driving their car was drunk and smashed right into the side of my brother’s car. I was there when it happened as I was sitting in the passenger seat.” I gave a small hiccup as I fought back my tears. I heard the two mares move as they gathered on either side of me, wrapping me in their wings. “He took most of the crash, protecting me from any harm. I got away with a few cuts, but I saw my brother in his seat, covered in blood, not even moving an inch.”

I could see the slight confusion the mares had, probably because of me mentioning a car, but they seemed to ignore that fact for now as they tried to comfort me. Spitfire rubbed my back with her wings as she spoke in a caring tone. “I’m sorry to hear that, Mark. Is that why you went through so much trouble to help those foals and Fleetfoot?”

I nodded my head as I wiped at my eyes. “I promised Jackson that I would try to do as much good as I could, no matter how difficult. Sure, there was a few things that I couldn’t do, but I still tried. I actually became a recluse by the time I turned eighteen.”

Fleetfoot gave a small nuzzle to my chin as she spoke in a soft tone. “What happened to make you like that?”

I let out a heavy sigh as I stared at my drink. “I think everything Jackson did, and then his death finally hit me. I just couldn’t stand being around others as they laughed together while I was busy feeling miserable. I probably would have stayed that way if it wasn’t for three friends that I made.”

Spitfire pulled back as she placed a hoof on my shoulder, a small smile gracing her features as she spoke. “Is that when you met Maurice, Chris, and Will?”

I nodded my head as I allowed a small smile to appear on my face. “I did, and they were probably three of the greatest friends that I’ve ever made. I actually think about what it would be like for them to move here, and I think it’s kind of funny in a way.”

Fleetfoot pulled away from my chin as she looked up at me with a confused expression. “How would it be funny?”

I grabbed my water and took a large gulp before setting it back down on the table. “Maurice is a pretty fun guy to be around, but he somehow ends up in the weirdest situations you think he could have easily avoided. I actually thought it would be interesting if he ended up staying with Vinyl and Octavia. Then I feel like at some point he would get kidnapped in a situation that should have easily been avoided if he took two seconds to listen to the little voice in his head.”

“Chris is a very good cook, actually knows a lot about cooking. If it wasn’t for him, I probably would have been living a very unhealthy lifestyle. Chris has one problem though, and that is he sometimes attracts the weird people. I think that’s how all four of us became really good friends. Bon Bon and Lyra would actually be a pretty good match for him since Bon Bon is a candy maker and Lyra is just weird enough to help balance each other out.”

“Will sometimes likes to keep to himself a lot. He’s about as stubborn as Rainbow Dash, but I feel there would be a second pony that he could get along with very well. He and Rainbow Dash could probably be together as well if they both didn’t beat around a bush every time they would meet, but that’s just my opinion.”

Spitfire playfully punched me in my shoulder. “So what’s your special quirk?”

I shrugged my shoulders as I rubbed the spot that Spitfire hit. “Maybe because I can understand how people feel sometimes, or I just know when they never mean any harm. I’m not really sure since all three of them were a few years my senior, but I usually got along with people a few years older than me a little better.”

Fleetfoot leaned against me as she laughed gently. “That explains why you’ve been able to handle these two old mares so well.”

Spitfire gave Fleetfoot a bemused expression as I raised a brow at her. “Come on, you two can’t possibly be that old.”

Fleetfoot laughed as she waved a hoof lazily in the air. “Please, I’m twenty-seven years old and Spitfire is twenty-eight. I practically feel like an old mare already.”

I sometimes hated being in these situations. It was easy enough to joke with Fancy about our ages since we could take it in stride, but I remember when Fleur and Rarity freaked about how they were reaching twenty-five, and the next thing that happened was the two mares stuffing their faces with ice cream. I don’t know what it was like for Fancy to comfort his own wife, but trying to comfort Rarity was like trying to tame a manticore. Actually, now that I think about, I think taming a manticore still would have been easier than trying to comfort Rarity. It was still weird in its own way since it seemed a lot of the mares in Equestria really took their age into account, and that’s if someone was lucky to even know how old they are.

I ask one time how old Twilight is, and the next thing I realize, I’m sitting through a six hour lecture about not addressing a mare’s age. It was made even worse because she even brought in Rarity, who really let me have it as she tried to teach me proper etiquette. I asked Princess Celestia, and it might be because she has lived for a couple of millennia, but she proudly stated her age. I was surprised to know that Celestia was only two thousand and two hundred years old, while Luna was only one thousand and nine hundred. In the end, I came to the decision that out of everything that could possibly happen, the complications of some of these mares have will be the end of me.

“You could have fooled me.” Fleetfoot and Spitfire looked at me with raised brows as I silently chastised myself for opening my mouth. “You both look like you’re about to hit twenty-two.”

The two mares looked at each for a few seconds, probably sharing secret messages that I wouldn’t understand no matter how hard I tried. Spitfire looked back at me as she leaned against my form, her tone becoming neutral as she tested me. “Is that so, Mark?” I did the only thing I could in this situation and that was nod my head as I looked at my water.

Fleetfoot leaned against the other side of my form as her eyes became half-lidded, looking almost the same as the picture that Luna had hung in my office. I was really going to get her back for that. “Would you be willing to have the Element of Honesty stand next to you to see if you’re lying about what you’re saying?” If it wasn’t for the fact that the two mares were leaning against my shoulder, one of them giving me bedroom eyes while the other gave a sly grin, I would be slamming my head on the table.

Spitfire leaned in close, her warm breathing blowing across my ear as she spoke in a sultry tone. “Thank you for the compliment, Mark.”

The tension that I was feeling was immediately broken when the glass in my hands broke. This was really not the way I expected the night to go, but it was slightly nice. All three of us had been glum for the entire day, and it seemed the mares finally relaxed after teasing me to such an extent - if Fleetfoot holding my hand tenderly was anything to go by - so I allowed it to slide for now. I rubbed my temples as Spitfire cleaned up the mess while Fleetfoot checked to see if I added anymore wounds to my hand.

I couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped my lips as I looked at each mare. “You’re both just so terrible.”

The two mares giggled as Spitfire finished cleaning the table and Fleetfoot allowed me the use of my hand. Fleetfoot turned my head towards her as she spoke in a cheerful tone. “You just make it too easy sometimes, Mark. Being able to handle our combined teasing is truly amazing. You should really get out more, though, and try to find some mare to make you happy.”

I don’t know what it was, but hearing Fleetfoot say that I should find another mare to be around to make me happy really felt unsettling. I pushed the feeling deep down as I leaned back in the booth. “So you do this to everyone you meet?”

Spitfire let out a hearty laugh as she looked back at me, her wings flapping gently as she floated in front of me. “Only to the ones that make it easy, or just really close friends.”

I laughed at the last part Spitfire said, causing the mare to raise a brow in confusion. “You’re now considering me a friend?”

Spitfire gave a small smile as she shrugged her shoulders. “You’ve done a lot in two days, Mark. You’ve done more than I’ve seen other ponies do, and it’s nice to see you do it without really expecting anything. Most ponies would want some sort of compensation for their help.”

I waved my hand defensively as I grabbed my cider, taking a small pull from it. “I don’t expect anything because hardly anything works for humans.”

The two mares gave me a flat look before laughing themselves. Hearing the mares laugh so openly was wonderful to hear. It was weird to see how different the mares could act between their work and their social lives. Being close to them like I have been so far has even been more eye-opening as I’ve seen a side that probably most other ponies haven’t seen. All three of us raised our glasses into the air, cheering at a wonderful day tomorrow and wishing the foals a better life now that Ever Ring was gone.

Once the three of us had a few more sips of our drinks, we made our way out of the bar. I went to Clover to pay for my stuff, but she declined my payment. She said that it was on the house since I made the mares’ lives better after everything they’ve been through. I nodded to the mare as I headed for the exit, but stopped at her office before leaving. I looked back over my shoulder to see the green unicorn taking a few orders from ponies, and I placed a few bits into her office bin. The mare could decline all she wanted to, but I was going to pay her back for her understanding and helpful nature. Catching up with the two mares, I looked up at the sky to see the beautiful moon and stars that Luna had pulled out tonight.

Spitfire and Fleetfoot were about to leave, and I felt in my pocket for the one paper that I had taken out of the folder. Taking a deep breath, I decided to see how she would feel about this. “Hey, Spitfire?” Spitfire then turned towards me as I addressed her. “Do you mind if I speak with Fleetfoot alone for a few minutes before returning home?”

Fleetfoot raised a brow at me before looking at Spitfire. Spitfire just shrugged her shoulders and just shooed the mare towards me. “I’ll leave the front door unlocked. Just try and not make too much noise when you get back.”

I waved to Spitfire as she flew down the street, a small fire trail following behind. Fleetfoot trotted next to me, shuffling nervously like she had something to say. “What’s up, Fleetfoot? Is something the matter?”

Fleetfoot looked at me with hesitant eyes, her tone portraying her nervousness. “Would you mind… letting me… ride your back?”

I was glad that there was no pony that could match Fluttershy’s whisper voice as I crouched down to the mare. “Sure, but what brought this on?”

I turned around as I allowed the mare to climb my back, her front legs carefully wrapping around my neck as she nuzzled the top of my head. “The foals seemed to enjoy you carrying them, and I wanted to see what was so great about it. I must say, even though I can fly high into the air, being this high is a really different experience.”

I laughed a little at Fleetfoot’s antics, and a little from feeling her muzzle against my head as she nuzzled against me. Making sure that I had a good hold on Fleetfoot, while also trying to avoid touching anything too intimate, I started to make my way towards a little park that I knew about. I walked with moonlight guiding me, the mare on my back humming happily to herself as she moved in closer against my body. Her wings would give a gentle twitch that I felt against my arm, tickling me and threatening me to lose my hold on the mare. I walked in silence with the mare against my back for a few minutes before finally making it to the park.

I felt Fleetfoot move against my back as she looked at the park that we had arrived at. It wasn’t anything like the ones in the castle, but it was still nice to walk around as it offered its own form of comfort. I walked into the park, heading for a cherry blossom tree that was on a little hill, looking over a little pond at the bottom. Fleetfoot’s wings started to flap a little as I assumed the mare took in the sights. Seeing the park in the morning was nice, but it paled in comparison to the night. When the moon was high in the sky, the leaves of the trees would give a subtle pink glow while the stars sparkled against the surface of the pond’s water.

I reached the tree that was on the top of the hill and moved to let Fleetfoot down. The mare was hesitant at first to release her hold on me, but a small smile towards her finally got her to let go. Once the mare was off of my back, I pulled out the paper in my pocket, making sure to keep it hidden from the mare. I sat with my back against the tree as Fleetfoot sat at the edge of the hill, staring at the pond and the stars that were reflecting off of it. Fleetfoot’s tail swished gently against the grass as she stared into the pond for several minutes. I let the mare enjoy the calm feeling the park gave before she finally trotted next to me.

Fleetfoot laid down in the grass, putting her head on my lap as she let out a happy sigh. I smiled down at the mare as I ran my hand through her mane and down her neck. This got the mare to smile brightly as she hummed in pleasure. I continued to pet the mare, letting my fingers run along her neck and mane to elicit happier sighs from her. I stared in front of me, the subtle pink glow moving across the open air as I gave a small smile of my own.

Looking down at the paper in my hand, I looked back at Fleetfoot before letting my gaze look out into the pond. “Hey, Fleety, can I ask you something?”

Fleetfoot let out a small yawn that looked really cute on her as she buried her head deeper into my lap. Thankfully, her head was nowhere near another part of me that I didn’t want to have to explain. “You’re free to ask me anything you want, Mark. I’ll gladly answer any question that you may have after everything you’ve done.”

Pulling my hand up, I looked at the paper hesitantly before letting out a deep sigh. “If you could figure out what your actual name was, would you ever want to find out, or even take it?”

Fleetfoot lifted her head from my lap, her face contorted in confusion as she looked at me. “What do you mean?”

I lifted my hand up for Fleetfoot to see, presenting the paper that was in my palm. “I think while Pyro was in the hospital, she may have done a little searching to help you.”

Fleetfoot eyed the paper suspiciously before turning her gaze on me. Her eyes held a mix of emotions, but two were very prominent. The first was worry and the second was confusion. “What exactly is on that paper?”

Lifting a hand to pet Fleetfoot’s mane, which the mare thankfully allowed me to do, I spoke in a calm tone to avoid giving her any stress. “Pyro found out what your actual birth name was, along with who your parents are.”

Fleetfoot’s eyes widened as she jumped to her hooves, looking between the paper and myself with confusion. “Where did you get something like that?”

Scooting closer to the mare, I pulled her into a gentle hug as she started to shake harshly. “It was in the folder with all the evidence to convict Ever Ring and Cumulonimbus. I know it was wrong of me to hide it from you, but I didn’t want to see you get hurt from finding out while we dealt with Ever Ring. I can accept you being angry at me, but I leave the choice to you if you want to know.”

Fleetfoot took the paper from my hands, her hooves shaking as she looked at the one thing that could change her life. She looked back at me, understanding that I already knew what was on there since I was the first to see it, before looking back at the paper. I watched with patience as the mare started to unfold the paper. I said nothing as she undid the first fold, but she stopped after that. I raised a brow at the mare as she smiled back at me, adjusting her hooves to each side of the paper. I was surprised to see the mare tear the paper in half, then continue to tear it until it was just tiny scraps. After she finished tearing the paper apart, she threw it into the air, the gentle breeze taking away the pieces of paper.

Fleetfoot turned towards me, the ripped up pieces of paper flying away as she gave me a warm smile. “Fleetfoot is who I am now, and nopony is going to take that away from me. I made that name mean something after I was given it, and if my parents didn’t want me, then I have no need to ever know who they are. I have a new family that cares for me and I’m proud to know them.” I sat next to Fleetfoot as we stared up into the sky. The both of us smiled as we held each other close, the heavy feeling on our shoulders lifted as we enjoyed each other’s company.

Author's Notes:

Here's the end to "The Orphanage and Pyro" arc. Let me know what you think, and I hoped that you enjoyed it.