A week had passed since the trial against Ever Ring and everything seemed so much brighter. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were more energetic and even seemed to be a little livelier than before. Cadence had stopped by Canterlot to talk with Celestia and Luna about the foals and their current health. And then there’s me, relieved to hear that they were doing well up in the Crystal Empire. I was even happier to hear that Everglade had enjoyed the company of both Echo and Moon. The castle, though, was a little lonely since Shield and Strongheart moved out. Though I did receive a letter from them saying they were making a trip up to the Crystal Empire to get everything in order for the orphanage they were going to run.

Cloudsdale didn’t see much change, but I read that there were going to be some projects with the new mayor in charge. There wasn’t a good picture of who the new mayor was, but from the small article I read, she was a pegasus mare whose name is Amber Waves. Fleetfoot seemed to think the new mayor was a fine choice, so I didn’t really bother worrying about what she was going to do. I was surprised to learn from Luna that Amber Waves had visited Canterlot to talk about allowing me passage in and out of Cloudsdale. Spitfire seemed to have mixed emotions about me being able to go to Cloudsdale without any trouble, but she seemed happy enough that I had one of my problems solved.

There was one slight problem though, as the week went by. With Fleetfoot’s newfound happiness, she seemed to get nervous around me on occasion. There were a few times that she either came to my bedroom, or even my office, and knocked on the door. After I would answer it, she would stare at me, her wings twitching nervously as she scraped at the floor with her hoof. I would try to ask her what was wrong, but as soon as I spoke a word, she would gallop away. Seeing her act this way worried me, but Spitfire assured me that there was nothing to worry about. I asked Spitfire how she knew and her best answer was just a knowing smile before patting my leg and trotting away.

Not really wanting to try and get an answer out of Spitfire, and seeing that Fleetfoot has been fine, even with her weird antics, I let things be. It also didn’t take long before I started working out in Fleetfoot and Spitfire’s gym. We had to go out and buy a few things since most of their weights were a little light for me. Given Spitfire’s tough nature, I kind of expected her to be my drill sergeant, but apparently she treated me like a workout buddy. I never exercised for long since I never really admired the whole muscle-bound look, but I made sure to keep some of the muscles that I had.

Everything has been really great with the mares and it seems their rehearsal for the upcoming celebration has been going well. I also finally learned that the celebration that they were preparing for was the Summer Sun Celebration. I was excited for this celebration since it was going to be held in Canterlot this time around. I would have practically been spending my time getting prepared for the celebration if I wasn’t stuck dealing with finances for the Wonderbolts.

I let out a heavy sigh as I threw my quill across the office, gripping my hair as I stared at my notebook and the financial sheet. I was silently trying to get the paper to combust into flames before a knock came from my door.

“Come in,” I said tiredly as I scratched my scalp.

I heard laughter from the doorway, easily recognizing it as Spitfire’s without having to look up at her. “I remember having to do this myself for the last few Summer Sun Celebrations. These were such a headache that I usually had to sit with Clover at her old bar and have her help me with all of this.” Spitfire flew to my desk and grabbed the financial paper, giving it a quick look before letting out a low whistle. “This is pretty impressive, Mark. You’re just as good as Clover.”

I gave a small chuckle as I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes as I tried to relax my tense body. “Thanks for the praise, Spitfire, but is there something you need?” I looked down to see the mare shuffling nervously, probably contemplating leaving the room and coming back another time. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward, lifting a hand to scratch behind Spitfire’s ears, earning a purr that I had never heard from any of the ponies before. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy your company, Spitfire, but I have until the end of the month to get this done. I also have to have Twilight to look it over as well, since I know she would find something I probably would have missed.”

Spitfire smiled warmly as she leaned her head against my hand, getting my fingers to scratch with a little more force. “I was talking with Fleetfoot and we thought about maybe getting a pet or two. I was going to head to Ponyville to visit Fluttershy since she has lots of animals and I thought you would like to come.”

I looked up at the ceiling as I thought about her offer. I looked back at the paper, trying another time to get it to burst into flames before finally giving up. “Anything to get me away from this damn paperwork.” Spitfire smiled, her tail wagging excitedly as she grabbed my arm.

Spitfire gave a quick nuzzle to my arm before letting go and going back to the floor. “Then get changed into something more comfortable. The train leaves in four hours and we don’t have all day to spend down there.”

I nodded to Spitfire as I stood from my chair, popping my back in multiple places to finally get some feeling. “Sure thing. I’ll meet you at the castle gates in a few minutes.” Spitfire nodded, heading for the door before I stopped her. “Before you go, I have a question.” Spitfire turned around, her ears flicking forward to show I had her attention. “Your mane, is it just the color, or can I set this paper on fire if I place it there?”

Spitfire gave me a deadpan expression before shaking her head. Spitfire said nothing as she turned back for the door, walking out of my office and disappearing from view. I only shrugged my shoulders as I opened the bottom drawer to my desk. I kept at least a few work clothes and casual wear in my office if I ever needed to change into anything. I actually ordered a new set of casual wear from Rarity through a letter. After I received her letter that she would make my new clothes, I think she may have been a little confused. I wasn’t really sure since it’s hard to read emotions through a piece of paper, but I could hazard a guess thanks to the few scratched out words on the letter.

I went back to my old style of where I wear a short-sleeved shirt with a button-up shirt over it, but I leave it open so everyone can see my undershirt. I also went back to wearing cargo shorts since they were really comfortable to walk and run in. On my shirts, though, I have a little design on them. I asked for Rarity to put Spitfire’s cutie mark on a few of the shirts by itself, Fleetfoot’s cutie mark by itself on the other, and at least two pairs that share their cutie marks. It seems this request is what had her flustered, but she still agreed to do it. Even though she made them out of her generous nature and decline any sort of payment, I had Twilight take my payment to her.

Sometimes I felt that mare was too generous for her own good, and I felt that she deserved a little something for having to make clothes on such short notice. Laughing at myself at the few times I tried to pay for my clothes, I changed into my casual wear. My undershirt had Fleetfoot’s cutie mark on the front and my over-shirt had Spitfire’s cutie mark on each shoulder. Rolling my shoulders to get out a few kinks, I walked out of my office and stopped by Spitfire’s office. I looked in to see Fleetfoot floating lazily on a cloud above her desk. It seemed Fleetfoot was deep in thought about something as she didn’t even notice me enter the office until I was standing over her.

Fleetfoot’s eyes widened as she rolled to her hooves, a tinge of pink painting her cheeks as she took notice of my shirts. “M-Mark, what can I do for you?”

I smiled at Fleetfoot, chuckling silently as I found her slight awkwardness adorable. “I just stopped by to let you know that I’m heading out with Spitfire to Ponyville. We’re going to stop by Fluttershy’s to see about getting a pet.”

I was pretty sure that I was seeing things, but I was certain that Fleetfoot’s left eye twitched a little before she took a few breaths to speak to me. “That’s great to hear, Mark. I hope that you and Spitfire find a pet that we can all enjoy.”
I reached out a hand, scratching behind Fleetfoot’s ears as I spoke in a cheerful tone. “I think I know what to get. It all depends on how Spitfire feels about the animal.”

I pulled my hand away from Fleetfoot, the mare giving a small frown as I placed my hand by my side. Fleetfoot jumped off her cloud, giving me a quick hug before laying back down and staring back up at the ceiling. Nodding to Fleetfoot, I turned around and walked out of her office. I walked through the halls, greeting a few of the maids that I passed. I reached the front gates to the castle and saw Spitfire hovering in the air, looking at me with a bright smile. As we waved to each other, Spitfire’s face turned pink like Fleetfoot’s back in their office. I was tempted to say something, but she just turned around and starting flying for the train station. I followed her to the train station, chalking up her reaction as nothing to worry about.

The two of us boarded the train, Spitfire having already bought our tickets and taking a seat in one of the empty cars. I leaned back in my seat, waiting for the train to get moving so I could get some rest. I was slightly startled when I felt Spitfire lay her head on my lap, her hooves curling into her body as her tail moved to her front. I wasn’t surprised that she was already getting some sleep since this entire week has been hectic for her with preparing the upcoming show. The only thing that really surprised me was that she was using me as her pillow. I wasn’t sure if she was really aware of where she was sleeping, and I wanted to wake her so I could get her a pillow to sleep on, but the way she looked made me not want to wake her.

Deciding not to wake up Spitfire, I leaned back against my seat again, closing my eyes as the train finally started to move. It wasn’t long before I reached up and put my hand on Spitfire’s back, the mare letting out a pleased sigh as she moved closer to me. Soon after, I was out like a light.

A Few Hours Later

I was startled awake when the train’s whistle blew shrilly. I blinked my eyes rapidly as I tried to get myself standing, finding it rather hard for some reason. Something was weighing me down, and when I was finally able to see, I looked down to see Spitfire had moved to lay across my entire lap. I shrugged, assuming that she probably moved in her sleep and started to prod her awake. Spitfire tried to swat my hand away with a hoof, but I easily moved around it and continued to poke her side. I continued this for a couple of minutes before Spitfire finally relented.

Spitfire opened her eyes, blinking them slowly as she gave a cute yawn and stretched her wings out. “A-Are… we there?” Spitfire asked between yawns.

I grabbed Spitfire, getting a surprised ‘eep’ from her as I stood. “We’re about a couple minutes from the train station.”

Spitfire’s cheeks were scarlet red as she looked between me and the floor. She continued to avert her gaze for a few more seconds before speaking quietly, surprising me that she could even sound so quiet. “Mark, can I ask for a favor?”

I smiled at Spitfire as I nodded my head. “Sure thing, Spitfire. What do you need?”

Spitfire looked at the ground, refusing to look at me as she pressed her hooves together. “Fleetfoot told me about the piggyback rides you gave to the foals and then the one you gave to her.” Spitfire looked up at me, a slightly hopeful look glinting in eyes. “I was wondering if you would give me one as well?”

I smiled at Spitfire, running my hand through her mane. “I don’t mind giving you one. Just let me know if you start feeling uncomfortable with it and I’ll let you down.”

Spitfire nodded as I set her on the ground. I looked out the nearby window as I hunched down, seeing that we were nearing our destination. I felt Spitfire climb onto my back, her weightlessness still surprising just like Fleetfoot’s. If I wanted to, I could probably carry them both on my back without any worries. Sure, I carried them once from Clover’s bar after they got drunk, but maybe this time I wouldn’t be left in such an awkward position. Spitfire’s front hooves wrapped gently around my front, the whistle giving one final shrill blow as the brakes on the train screeched.

As the train came to a slow stop, I turned back to see Spitfire smiling happily, her tail swishing as she placed her chin on my shoulder. I cleared my throat to get Spitfire’s attention. “Before we get off, I know that we’re getting along more as friends, but are you sure that you want to have this piggyback ride? There’s a lot of ponies that really hold you as their idol, so they might be a little confused about this. Rainbow Dash on the other hand might not care since she knows that I’ve been rooming with you and Fleetfoot.”

Spitfire looked at me in the eyes as she gave a low hum in thought. As the train finally stopped in front of the station, Spitfire spoke in a confident tone. “I fine with that. I’m always putting work first so I haven’t really had time to just let loose. They can think what they want because as long as I’m with you, then I know most of them won’t care.”

The doors opened, ponies entering and leaving the train as I gave Spitfire a bemused look. “How much did Luna tell you about my visits to Ponyville?”

Spitfire gave a cheeky grin as she looked forward again. “Just enough to know that many of the ponies here like you, barring a few that you got into arguments with, and your first time seeing Lyra.”

I walked out of the train, seeing many familiar faces in the small town as I shook my head at Spitfire. “Lyra is a really nice mare, but she really has a hard time making good first impressions.”

Spitfire laughed lightly as she gave a small nuzzle to my neck. I couldn’t help but laugh as well since even with my first horrible experience with Lyra, I took the chance to get to know her. Now I’m great friends with the human-interested mare and her marefriend. Shifting my hands to make sure I have a good hold on Spitfire, while also making sure that I’m nowhere near her intimate parts, I walked off the station, many of the residents taking a quick look at me and waving at me. I nodded to those that waved as I made my way for Fluttershy’s cottage. As I walked through the town, I stared at the giant crystal castle that stood near its center.

How Twilight was able to live in such a place was beyond me, but she seemed happy to have a bigger place to store more books. As I reached city hall, I was surprised that a certain trio of fillies, or even a prismatic pegasus haven’t made themselves known, but I knew it would be only a matter of time before I ran into either one of them.

I was starting to pass city hall when I heard a mare call out to me, her voice easily recognized with her playful tone. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite human.”

I gave a heavy sigh as I turned around. True enough, the unicorn mare who I thought was calling to me stood a few paces away from me. The sun easily made her snow white coat stand out, along with her electric blue mane and her signature purple shades. Next to her was a gray earth pony mare who stood out with her raven black mane and tail. Her purple eyes shone brightly as she gave me a friendly smile.

Nodding to Octavia, I looked back at Vinyl with a bemused expression. “For the last time, Vinyl, it’s ‘hoo-man’ not ‘human’.”

Vinyl stood in front of me, her tail wagging excitedly as she held a hoof up to her muzzle. Octavia was trying her best to stifle her laughter, but she was doing a very poor job of it. I looked at the two mares with a raised brow, trying to figure out what was so funny. After running through only a few scenarios that could have caused them to laugh, I finally realized my mistake.

“God damn it. I can’t believe I walked into that one,” I said as I looked at the ground, chastising myself for walking into Vinyl’s trap.

Vinyl let her laughter break free as she fell onto her back. She was laughing so hard that I swear I saw a few tears falling from her eyes. Thankfully, Octavia was able to keep her laughter in a controlled state as she took a jab at my mistake. The two mares continued to laugh before finally getting under control, Vinyl taking a few more seconds so she could get some of the dirt out of her coat. Spitfire didn’t seem to want to stop her laughter anytime soon, but I didn’t mind as I liked hearing her laugh.

After Vinyl finished picking the dirt out of her coat, I looked back at Octavia with a serious expression. “Hey, Octavia, can you do me a favor?”

Octavia smiled at me as she spoke in a warm tone. “Sure, Mark. What do you need?”

I looked back at Vinyl, giving her a small smirk before turning back to her marefriend. I heard Vinyl give a small gasp. “Can you please find Wubz and make him disappear for a couple of days?”

Vinyl let out a loud gasp as she looked between Octavia and myself. “You wouldn’t dare, would you, Tavi?” Vinyl asked as she held Octavia in her hooves.

Octavia gave Vinyl a loving nuzzle before prying the mare off of her and giving her a soft frown. “I’m sorry, Vinyl, but I do kind of owe Mark after having him pick up Marchello for me.”

Vinyl looked a little crestfallen at hearing this, but quickly shook out of it as she turned back to me, pointing a threatening hoof at me. “Mark my words, Mark. I will have my vengeance!”

Nodding towards Vinyl, I decided to move the conversation along. “So how has everything been here in Ponyville since my last visit?”

Vinyl and Octavia gave small frowns as they looked at the ground. Before a silence could settle between us, Octavia spoke up. “Apparently one of our judges has been taking bribes and is now being sent to jail.”

I gave a small frown at hearing this news. A lot of the ponies in Ponyville were so close that there was a sense of closeness that not a lot of other places shared. “I’m sorry to hear that. Who was taking bribes?”

Vinyl decided to speak up. “It was Judge Takes Bribes.” My frown turned to into a bemused expression as I stared at the mare. I went to say something, but was cut off as Vinyl continued. “He was such a good stallion. It’s sad to know that he had been taking bribes since he took the judge position. I don’t think anypony really saw that coming.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” I asked, causing the two mares to look at me with raised brows. “His name is literally Takes Bribes. How did anyone not see this coming?”

“What do you mean?” Octavia asked.

“I mean it’s clearly obvious that he was going to be taking bribes. He stood out, pretty much saying that he was going to be doing something illegal,” I explained as I looked between the two mares.

“I don’t understand,” Vinyl said as she looked up at me. “What exactly does his name have to do with this?”

I looked at the mare like she was crazy. “He was pretty much saying that he would take any bribes. How is this so hard to understand? It’s like having a pony named Killing Spree and five of his friends turn up dead.”

Octavia gave an audible gasp as she placed a hoof over her mouth. “Who killed all of Killing Spree’s friends?”

“Oh come on. You can’t honestly tell me that it isn’t obvious who did it,” I said, hoping that the two mares were just messing with me.

“We’re sorry, Mark, but we really don’t see where you’re going with this,” Vinyl said with a small frown.

I wanted to continue this conversation, but I finally convinced myself to stop. I don’t know how these ponies couldn’t understand what I’m saying, but if I continue, I’m just going to give myself a headache.

Shaking my head, I let out a deep sigh before looking back at the mares. “Just forget it. I’m sorry to hear that one of your trusted judges has been caught doing such a crime.”

Both mares nodded as they smiled back at me, giving me a quick hug. I heard a low growl and I was certain that it was Spitfire, but looking at her showed that she was staring across town. Ignoring the growl, I gave the two mares a quick hug before they let go.

“We would love to stay and continue to chat, but Vinyl and I have places to go,” Octavia said, giving me a small smile.

“It’s fine. I’m only here to see about getting a pet for Spitfire and Fleetfoot, then I’ll be heading back to Canterlot. It was nice seeing you again, though,” I said as I smiled at the two mares.

“Hope you find a nice pet for all of you. Who are you going to see to get one?” Vinyl asked.

“We’re heading over to Fluttershy’s to get one,” I said.

The two mares nodded before turning around and leaving for wherever their destination was. I watched the two mares trot off before turning around and continuing for Fluttershy’s cottage. The walk from City Hall to Fluttershy’s place took about several minutes, but it seemed to make Spitfire really happy. I only knew of a few times that Spitfire had visited Ponyville, and most of those visits were mainly work related. Now that she was away from work, she seemed to really take the town in. I didn’t say anything as I neared the quaint little cottage, the small river sparkling in the sunlight.

All the animals around the cottage noticed my arrival and were courteous enough to retrieve Fluttershy without having to ask them. As I waited for Fluttershy to show up, I crouched down to let Spitfire off of my back. Spitfire seemed confused at first, a hurt look showing on her face before quickly disappearing as she got to the ground. I felt a little bad about having to let her walk around, but she wouldn’t have been able to see the animals as well if she was on my back. It wasn’t long before Fluttershy came around her cottage. The mare gave a loud gasp, flying directly at me and tackling me to the ground in a hug.

“Mark, it’s so great to see that you’re doing okay,” Fluttershy said as she buried her face into my shirt, a few tears staining the front.

I quickly pulled Fluttershy into a hug, petting her mane as I tried to coax her out of what was wrong. “Fluttershy, why are you crying?”

Fluttershy pulled away from my shirt, one of her hooves rubbing at where her tear stains were. She quietly whispered ‘sorry’ as she composed herself. “I-I heard about w-what you did up at Cloudsdale. I was so worried that you got hurt during your trip there.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Fluttershy’s concern. Fluttershy looked at me with confusion as I petted her mane. “Trust me, Fluttershy. I don’t think anyone can compare to when Spitfire tackled me at her house.”

Fluttershy continued to look at me with a concerned look before taking a deep breath, collecting her nerves as she finally smiled at me. “As long as you’re okay, Mark, then I’ll stop worrying about it.”

I smiled at Fluttershy as I got to my feet, giving her a quick scratch behind her ear as I moved towards the reason I was visiting. “Anyways, I’m here with Spitfire because we’re looking for a pet.”

Fluttershy moved her mane out her face, her smile nearly blinding me as she grabbed my arm, pulling me towards her cottage. “Oh, that’s wonderful. I have so many animals that would be perfect for you three.” Fluttershy let go of my arm, Spitfire floating to my side as Fluttershy gave various whistles. Many animals started to arrive and get in some form of line so we could see them all. While the animals were busy gathering together, Fluttershy turned towards us, her voice barely able to hold back her excitement. “So what kind of animal are you looking for?”

I gestured for Spitfire to explain. “We’re looking for something exotic… if you have something like that.”

Fluttershy nodded as she started separating the animals. “Do you know what kind of size you want the animal to be?”

Spitfire moved next to Fluttershy, staring at the animals as Fluttershy sorted them. “Well, we need one that isn’t too big since our house isn’t that big, but nothing too small so we can’t lose them easily.”

Fluttershy nodded as she continued to sort through the animals, moving them across the lawn with practiced ease. “So we’re going with something exotic of medium size. I do have a few, so let me know what you think.”

Fluttershy stepped away, letting Spitfire look over the remaining animals. I looked away from the animals as I turned towards an animal that was swimming through the river. The animal was similar to that of a ferret from what I could tell. The animal had red fur covering its entire body. The underside was snow white, along with its face. The tail had two rings near the end that were brown in color. I ignored the two mares as they talked between themselves about the animals, a little more interested in this new animal I haven’t seen before. I neared the river and the animal looked at me, its nose twitching with its head cocked to the side.

I crouched down to look less intimidating to the animal. The animal continued to watch me as I extended a hand forward, trying to see if it would come to me. The animal started to lean forward, but stopped as another one of its kind show up. The other animal was similar to the first, but its entire body was covered in snow white fur. The underside was red, along with its face. The tail had two rings that were purple in color. The other animal looked at me curiously for a few seconds before leaning forward, the red one mirroring its actions. The two animals sniffed at my fingers for several seconds before moving closer to me, nuzzling my legs.

Laughing at the animals as they inspected me, I moved to lift them up. The animals happily allowed me to grab them and place them on my shoulders. I was surprised to see how well they could hold on and move freely across my shoulders as I made my way back to the mares. As I neared the two mares, Spitfire was rubbing her head with a hoof while Fluttershy was giving a heavy frown. I could barely make out the little apologies that Fluttershy was making as I saw that there were no animals left.

“Again, I’m sorry that I couldn’t find you one that interested you,” Fluttershy said, her voice heavy with disappointment.

Spitfire stopped rubbing her head as she wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy. “It’s okay, Fluttershy, you tried your best. I’m probably just too picky about the pet that I want.”

A little disappointed that Spitfire couldn’t find a pet to bring back home, I decided to see what she thought about the two new additions that I brought with me. “Hey, Spitfire. What do you think about these animals?”

Spitfire looked up at me and her eyes went wide. Fluttershy’s eyes went wide as well, a hoof covering her mouth as she stared at the two animals. I went to see what was wrong when Spitfire tackled me to the ground, grabbing the two animals in her hooves.

“Oh, my, Celestia. They’re so adorable,” Spitfire said as she nuzzled the two animals.

I coughed a few times, groaning as I slightly sat up. “Couldn’t you have just… asked to hold them?” I was certain that one of my ribs was broken, but there was a chance I was probably just in a massive amount of pain.

“Sorry,” Spitfire said as her cheeks became a little pink.

Fluttershy moved next to me, looking me over with a critical eye before turning back to the animals. “Mark, where did you get these two?”

Moving to sit up, I let out a slight groan of discomfort. “I found them… by the river.”

“Do you have any idea what these are?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes still looking at the animals with wonder.

“Not really. You never went over this type of animal,” I said, starting to feel slightly better.

Fluttershy looked back at me, her expression calming down as she explained. “That’s because I never thought I would see them. These are very rare animals and they hardly ever let anypony see them. These are a very rare kind of ferret species called elemental ferrets.” Fluttershy moved towards Spitfire, gently picking up the red one as she showed it to me. “This one is known as a fire ferret,” Fluttershy said before switching it out with the white one. “And this one is known as an ice ferret.” Fluttershy returned the ice ferret back to Spitfire.

I nodded my head as I looked at the two ferrets nuzzling Spitfire. “Do they make good pets?”

Fluttershy nodded before giving a little information about them. “They’re usually pretty tame compared to regular ferrets. They’re very loyal like dogs, but they can take care of themselves pretty well. As long as food and water is out for them, or in an easily accessible place, then they shouldn’t be a problem.”

I nodded as I turned back to Spitfire, smiling as I watched her play with the ferrets. “So what do you think, Spitfire? Would you like these as pets?”

Spitfire stopped playing with the ferrets as she turned towards Fluttershy. “Where do I sign for them?”

Fluttershy gestured towards her cottage and Spitfire trotted towards the door. Fluttershy looked back at me to see if I was going to follow. I gestured for her to head on up and get everything settled. Fluttershy gave a small nod as she flew back to her cottage. Letting out a deep sigh, I laid back in the grass, looking up at the sky. I probably stared at the sky for maybe five minutes before Spitfire came flying out of the house, the two ferrets on her back.

“Mark, I would like you to meet Blaze and Tundra.” The two ferrets looked at me, nodding a little before getting comfortable on Spitfire’s back again.

“Those are very lovely names. Did you figure out what gender they are?” I asked as I moved to stand up.

“Fluttershy was able to determine that they are female and that they are sisters.” Spitfire smiled brightly as we walked back to the train station.

I smiled back at Spitfire. “That’s good to hear. I think Fleetfoot will like these two a lot.”

Spitfire nodded her head excitedly as she went back to playing with the two ferrets. It was adorable to see the ferrets and Spitfire nuzzle each other lovingly. We passed City Hall and I saw Vinyl on her knees, probably begging for something from Octavia. I couldn’t help but smile at how fast Octavia was able to make Wubz disappear. Seeing her do this only pushed me further to the fact that Octavia had some connections with certain ponies. The two of us neared the train station, only to stop and stare wide-eyed at the slight destruction. The station was thankfully safe, but there was about forty feet of track missing.

“Well, looks like we’re stuck here,” I said as I knew exactly the culprits that probably caused this. I really wondered how those three were able to get away with all the destruction they cause.

“What do you mean we’re stuck here? We can’t stay overnight. We have to be back in Canterlot to run the performance a few more times,” Spitfire said as she started to pace back and forth.

I let the mare do several paces in front of me before finally placing a hand on her back. Spitfire looked up at me, worry evident in her eyes as I spoke in a calm tone. “If it’s that important to get back to Canterlot, then fly back. I can stay here for the night and I’ll catch the earliest train that will be able to leave.”

Spitfire looked at me, then at the mountains before settling on me again. “No, if you’re stuck here, then I’m stuck here with you. I refuse to ditch my friend after coming all this way to get two pets. Fleetfoot can handle the practice runs until our return.”

I looked at Spitfire, my brow raised in confusion. “Are you sure? I really don’t mind if you head back to Canterlot. I have a few friends that would be more than willing to let me crash at their place until the tracks are repaired.”

Spitfire nodded her head as she gave a determined look. “Of course I’m sure. Plus, I think this would be a great time to get to know one another. I mean it can’t possibly get worse, can it?”

I looked at the mare with a deadpan expression. “First, never say anything can’t get worse because then something worse will happen. Secondly, I would like to make this a fond memory that we can look back at to see how much closer we have gotten as friends. Finally, the only way it could get worse is if ponies enslaved humans, and I was a half-blind human who was stuck being mute and my name ended up being Max.”

Spitfire looked at me with a raised brow for a few seconds before nodding her head. “Yeah, that last part sounds like it could be worse. Thankfully, that could never happen.”

The two of us laughed as we turned away from the train station. As the two of us walked through the town, the sun started to lower. I could feel myself starting to get hungry, and it seemed the same for Spitfire as she looked around at the restaurants. The ferrets seemed to have fallen asleep, Spitfire’s wings covering them a little as they slept soundly.

I nudged Spitfire a little to get her attention and she looked up at me. “Hey, it’s getting a little late. Want to find a place to get a quick bite to eat and then go find a hotel to stay at for the night?”

Spitfire nodded her head as she stopped walking, pointing her hoof at a nearby restaurant. “Sure, that’s sounds like a good plan. Want to eat here?”

I shrugged my shoulders as I gestured for Spitfire to lead us in. The two of us entered the little restaurant and took a seat at a table. A stallion came by our table and I ordered some fries and a sundae while Spitfire ordered a salad and a milkshake. The two of us sat in silence together, Spitfire placing the two ferrets on the table as she smiled at them. I smiled as well as I looked at the peaceful creatures sleeping.

I was pulled from staring at the ferrets when I heard Spitfire call my name. “Mark, do you mind if I ask you something personal?”

I looked at Spitfire, who fidgeted slightly in her chair. Whatever question she had seemed to make her nervous, and I spoke in calm tone to ease her tension. “You can ask me whatever you want, and I’ll gladly answer whatever question you may have.”

Spitfire nodded as she took a couple of breaths. “Okay, just know that you really don’t have to answer it if it’s too personal for you.”

Spitfire was about to ask her question when the waiter appeared again and dropped off our food. I gave the stallion some bits as a tip before he left. Spitfire took this chance to ignore whatever question she was going to ask and start stuffing her face with her salad. I had a feeling that she would probably ask it later, so I didn’t continue where she was cut off. I ate my food happily as Spitfire seemed to enjoy her milkshake. The two of us finished off our meals quickly, just in time as the sun started to set. Spitfire paid for our meal, grabbing the ferrets and placing them on her back. I couldn’t help but grin as we walked away from the table.

We were heading for a nearby hotel before I nudged Spitfire. Spitfire looked up at me, her eyes wide as she saw my grin. “You realize what you just did earlier, right?”

Spitfire quirked an eyebrow as she looked at me. “What do you mean? All I did was pay for our dinner…” Spitfire’s eyes went wide as she realized what she did. Spitfire let out a deep sigh as she shook her head. “I can’t believe I did that without remembering what I said. Go ahead and give me a nickname, but it only stays if it’s good. Also, the only ponies that get to know it are Fleetfoot, you, myself, and possibly a few friends that I know that won’t tell others.”

I nodded my head as I thought about what kind of nickname I would give Spitfire. It took me a few seconds before I finally settled on one. “Fire. That’s your nickname.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but Spitfire’s cheek exploded into a deep red that threatened to take over her entire face. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Spitfire refused to look at me, her strides increasing as she tried to get to the hotel faster. Spitfire was already through the door and ordering a room by the time I walked through. The mare at the front desk handed Spitfire a key to the room before waving her goodbye. Spitfire gestured with a wing for me to follow her as I waved to the mare at the front desk who happily waved back. Our room was thankfully on the first floor and near the lobby so we could make to the train station as quickly as we needed to.

As Spitfire opened the door to the room, we both noticed how cozy it looked. There was a bed against the side wall and a couch in the middle. I took the couch as Spitfire hopped onto the bed. It wasn’t long before Spitfire fell asleep in her bed as I bordered on my own sleep. Staring at the ceiling, I smiled as I remembered the blush that Spitfire had after I gave her a nickname. Since she didn’t complain about it, I was safe to say that she liked it. My smile soon turned into a frown as I leaned up from the couch. Spitfire was sleeping peacefully, but I kind of wished that we could have done more together.

Looking around the room, I found a small notepad next to an inkwell and a quill. Grabbing the quill, I dabbed into the ink and made a note to get together with Spitfire again so we could have our own alone time. There was still much I need to learn about Spitfire, and I wanted to show her that I was willing to take the time to get to her know her. My time with Fleetfoot went well, even considering some of the stuff that we went through, so I was more than happy to try and get closer to Spitfire. Finishing off my note, I set the quill down and let the ink dry on the note. I moved back to the couch and closed my eyes as I let sleep finally take me over, a happy sigh escaping my lips as I thought of a few things that Spitfire and I could do.