I looked at Fleetfoot’s outstretched hoof. The feather was clearly one of her primaries, something that Cadence taught me was important for pegasus flight. It seemed to not hinder Fleetfoot’s hovering as her wings beat gently in the air. Looking up at Fleetfoot, her expression went from nervous to fearful. I was confused as to why she was getting like that, before realizing that I had been silent for a long time. I was too lost in her question and the sudden presence of her offering a feather that I hadn’t even acknowledged what was happening.
Shaking my head, I looked at Fleetfoot. “Uhh… sure.”

Fleetfoot’s fear turned to joy as she gave a bright smile, her purple eyes glinting in her excitement. She put the feather down on my desk as she wrapped her forehooves around my neck, but thankfully not tight enough to cut off my air as she squealed happily. “Thank you so much, Mark.”

Not really sure what to do in this situation and trying to get my hearing back, I did the first thing that came to mind. I lifted one of my arms and patted Fleetfoot’s back as she sighed contently. “No problem, Fleetfoot. So what should I do to prepare for the date?”

Fleetfoot pulled away from me, her eyes wide as she looked at me. “I forgot that I need to make sure my dress fits,” she said more to herself than to me. Fleetfoot flew towards the door, stopping as she looked at me again. “Just dress up nicely. It doesn’t have to be a suit or tux, but something a little cleaner than what you regularly wear.”

Fleetfoot flew through the door, leaving me to continue standing at my desk in confusion. The feather was still in my hand, glittering a little in the soft light, but still marvelous as though it was still attached to her. I turned the feather in my fingers, letting my brain process everything that had just transpired. Letting out a deep sigh, I plopped back into my chair and stared up at the ceiling. A small smile crept its way onto my face, a sense of joy in knowing that I was going on some kind of date. My smile slowly faltered as my eyes went wide, my brain finally catching onto what I just agreed to.

“What the hell have I done?” I asked no one in particular, hoping that I had just imagined everything.

I sat up quickly from my chair, and I honestly had no idea what I was going to do, especially what to expect. I wasn’t entirely surprised to have Fleetfoot ask me out since in Equestria it was more common for the mares to initiate a date, but I really didn’t know what would happen next. There were two different cultures clashing between us and I didn’t know which one to follow. My heart rate increased, my breathing becoming heavy as I was started to feel sick to my stomach as I leaned over a trashcan.

Sweat was beading off of me and it felt hot in my office. I grabbed a bottle of water that I kept near the desk, chugging it down as I tried to get my nerves back under control. Thankfully, the feather in my hand was still undamaged after I moved for the trashcan. I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I tried to figure out the best course of action. Nothing really good came to mind before I remembered what I saw when Spitfire and I returned from out trip.

I tucked the feather away in my pocket, making sure that it wasn’t going to get damaged before leaving my office. Closing the door behind me, I looked inside Spitfire’s office to see no sign of Fleetfoot. Spitfire looked up from her paperwork, probably waiting to see if I had anything to say. I just gave a dismissive wave as I left and took the quickest path for the throne room. Spitfire told me about today being an open court, so there should be one princess that could help me.

Part of me really didn’t want to go see Cadence because she could be a little intrusive about my relations with some ponies. She apparently had it in her head at one time that I was trying to court Celestia, but thankfully with Celestia’s help, we were able to explain my situation about relationships to Cadence. This still didn’t entirely stop her from trying to get me to connect to ponies on a more intimate level, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as it once was. Even with this, I still owed her much since she took time out of her days to help me learn everything I needed to adjust to Equestria.

As I continued to walk through the halls, I saw many of the maids sitting around, probably on a break. Many of them looked tired and ready to blow their stacks if they were pushed even an inch further. Thankfully, they at least smiled at me as I passed, knowing very well that I wouldn’t bother them with anything at the moment. Actually, the only time I ever had a maid do anything for me was either to know where either of the princesses were or they were sent personally by the princesses. I reached the throne room where two guards were standing at attention. I gave a nervous chuckle, as they were the same two guards from the last time.

As I approached, the two stallions gave me a hard glare. “Hey there,” I greeted with a nervous smile.

“Can we help you, Mark?” the guard on the left asked.

I hadn’t felt this nervous in a long time, unless counting my near panic attack in my office, but I tried to remain calm as I answered. “I was hoping to know if Princess Cadence is in right now.”

The two guards looked at each other before the guard on the right spoke up. “She’s currently seeing somepony at the moment, but I guess that doesn’t matter since you’re just going to barge in there.”

“I deserve that,” I said, dejected, as I rubbed the back of my head. “I can actually wait till she’s done.” I headed for one of the chairs to the side, taking some time to figure out how I would talk about my situation with Cadence. “Do you know how long she has until she’s done?”

“She should be done in the next couple of minutes. She doesn’t have anypony else waiting to see her, so you’re up next when the pony comes out,” the left guard answered.

Nodding my head, I looked up at the ceiling before closing my eyes. I was really hoping for an easy conversation with Cadence, but I highly doubted that since this was now entering her realm of expertise, and she could sometimes get a little out of hand. Letting out a heavy sigh and not able to find a way to avoid any of Cadence’s overbearing eccentrics, I resigned myself to her fate. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard the doors to the throne room open. A well-dressed stallion trotted out, doing a quick turn to look back inside and give a formal bow.

The stallion started past me, but stopped to look at me with a raised brow. I watched his expression, waiting to see what he was going to say or do, then act accordingly. Several seconds passed before the stallion seemed to lose interest and continued on to wherever he was heading now. I looked over at the two and the one on the right waved me through. I gave a small nod as I entered the throne room, hearing the doors close behind me. Looking ahead, I spied Cadence on her own throne, the three next to her vacant of the other princesses.

Cadence had noticed my arrival, as she waved a hoof enthusiastically, getting off of her throne and trotting towards me as I walked to meet her halfway. The two of us met and she gave me a tight hug, partially crushing my spine as she gave a happy hum. Most ponies are very touchy to show their feelings, but with Cadence, she took it a little further so she could also get a better read on someone’s feelings. I awkwardly returned the hug, knowing full well that Cadence’s magic was checking to make sure I was still in good health. Surprisingly, she was actually a licensed psychiatrist along with being a princess.

Cadence pulled her head back, her legs still holding me in place as she beamed up at me. “Mark, it’s lovely to see you.” Cadence finally let me go, ushering me forward with a wing as we went to a side table. I took a seat in one of the chairs she pulled out, the mare pulling a chair next to me and sitting down. “So what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here? I thought you didn’t prefer my company,” Cadence said with a mock hurt expression.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at Cadence, her expression turning into a pout as she teased. “I never said I didn’t prefer you company. You’re just easier to handle in small interactions. As for why I’m here?” I looked at her, Cadence’s face turning serious. “I believe you already know after that hug.”

Cadence nodded her head as her horn ignited, a kettle and two teacups appearing on the table, her cornflower blue aura lifting the kettle and filling the two cups. She handed me one before taking a relaxed posture, lifting the cup to her lips and taking a dainty sip. I sipped at my own tea, relaxing a little as the warm liquid settled in my middle. The two of us sat in silence, which I felt was intentional on Cadence’s part. She probably wanted the environment more relaxed as she helped me with my problem.

A few minutes went by before Cadence set her cup down, refilling it as she looked back at me. “Your emotions were quite sporadic from what I could tell. Fear, anxiety, happiness, uncertainty; it’s like you don’t know what to feel at the moment.” Cadence gave me a worried look as she placed a hoof on my arm. “Is something going on between you, Spitfire, and Fleetfoot? Or is it something else?”

I sighed heavily, trying to figure out the best way to explain this. Not really finding a better way to explain it, I looked at Cadence with a neutral expression and decided to just be blunt. “Honestly, I don’t see anything wrong between myself and the mares.” I looked back into my empty teacup, Fleetfoot’s face appearing with a smile in the brown liquid. “I think I might actually be experiencing some sort of shock.”

Cadence raised a confused brow as she lifted my head to look at her. “I don’t think I understand. How exactly are you experiencing shock? What happened?”

I set my elbows on the table, laying my head on my palms as I thought back to only a few minutes ago. “After Spitfire and I returned from our trip in Ponyville, we went back to her office to introduce our new pets to Fleetfoot. We talked a bit more about a few other things, but then I kind of just started talking about a few personal things.”

Cadence started to rub my arm. It was comforting as I tried to shake myself out of my funk. “For some reason I decided to open my big mouth and mention that I’ve pretty much not pursued any kind of relationship. I go back to my office, then as I’m about to start my work, Fleetfoot shows up. I didn’t think much of it at the moment, but she did something I didn’t expect.”

“What did she do?” Cadence asked, her other hoof being placed on my hand.

I reached with my other hand into my pocket and pulled out the feather. Thankfully, it was still in perfect condition from when Fleetfoot had given it to me. Cadence’s eyes went wide as she looked at it before turning back to me. I was about to say something, but she cut me off. “Do you know what this is?” Cadence gestured to the feather, her horn igniting to probably take it. I wasn’t sure what caused it, but I withdrew my hand to my chest, giving a slight glare.

Cadence’s horn went out, the alicorn putting up her hooves to show that she wouldn’t try it again. “I don’t know what it means. The only thing I know is that she gave this to me and asked me out on a date tomorrow night.”

Cadence seemed to freeze in place before turning her head away. “Looks like all your feelings are true for each other,” Cadence said in a whisper.

Her body went tense after I placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned back to look at me, realizing what she said. It seemed like she was hoping that I didn’t hear anything, but unfortunately, I did. “What do you mean that our feelings are true for another?”

Cadence’s eyes scoured the room, possibly looking for a way out of the conversation. Her eyes landed back on me, her worry turning to defeat as she let out a deep sigh. “Mark, please understand that I remained within the realms of my powers as the Princess of Love.”

I looked at Cadence, keeping any emotion out of my tone, but she could probably sense the slight anger I was emitting. “What did you do?”

Cadence became downtrodden as she placed a hoof on my hand. “After your ‘confrontation’ with Spitfire during your first visit, I placed an enhancement spell on all three of you.” My brow raised, but I remained silent as I waited for her full explanation. “The spell was to help all of you use emotions that you’ve kept repressed for some time, and it was to help you see that love was possible for you in this world.”

I released Cadence from my grasp, the alicorn turning towards her tea as she lifted the cup and started to swirl its contents. “The spell, though, was designed to go away after you had your first realization that there’s beauty in the mares around you if you took a few seconds to look. It’s obvious it worked, since the spell is no longer on you or either of them.” Cadence looked back at me, a small, hopeful smile present on her face. “Do you mind sharing when you realized something about a mare’s beauty?”

I gave a small frown before leaning back in my chair. “First off, what you did was a little out of line in my view.” Cadence gave a hurt expression, her ears going flat until perking up again as I continued. “Although, if it wasn’t for that, then maybe I wouldn’t have reached this point. So I guess you kind of cancelled both the good and bad out.”

I grabbed my teacup and finished off the rest of its contents before leaning back again and giving the short version. “I realized it when I was with Fleetfoot during our trip to Cloudsdale. It was actually a little jarring to see her stand out so much. It probably didn’t help, though, when all those pictures were put up in my office by Luna and her accomplice. Also, not too long ago, I just had the same kind of realization with Spitfire.” I looked back at Cadence as she smiled at me, but her wings twitched a little, showing that she was trying to hold back giggles. “I’m not sure if Spitfire will do the same as Fleetfoot, but I can’t deny that she really does have a radiant beauty about her.”

Cadence gave a gentle pat to my shoulder, her giggles still contained but threatening to spill out. “If it doesn’t happen, Mark, it doesn’t happen. Like I said before, the spell was removed from all three of you, though surprisingly at the same time. I do, however, want to congratulate you on having a date.” Cadence then gave a sly smirk as she leaned close, her voice going sultry as she spoke. “So, you going to give it to her good after the date? Take her for a ride that probably not many mares will get to experience?”

I knew this was coming after mentioning the date, but I was hoping for a few more minutes before it got this far. I knew I should be mad at her, even yell at her for what she did, but I couldn’t. After my first meeting with Cadence after my arrival, the other princesses assured me that even though I would find her methods a little unorthodox, her magic could never force anything. Her magic only gives a gentle push on a person’s feelings so they can realize what they could possibly be missing out on.

I gave a few chuckles before looking at Cadence. “Really? You couldn’t have waited at least a few more minutes before pushing that on me?”

Cadence offered a few giggles of her own as she sipped at her tea. “Mark, I think we both know the answer to that question.” Cadence set her teacup on the table before turning towards me and giving me a hug. “Although, I’m very excited to hear this. I am a little surprised to see it turn out this way, though.”

I looked at Cadence with a raised brow. “Why are you surprised?”

Cadence gave a nervous laugh as she rubbed the back of her head. “I just wasn’t expecting Fleetfoot to push for a date.” Cadence’s eyes went wide at realizing what her implication could be taken as. “Not that I’m saying it’s such a bad thing. I’m very happy for the two of you. The most I was expecting was just a closer friendship between the three of you, but this is a wonderful outcome as well.”

I smiled as I scratched behind Cadence’s ear, getting a happy hum from the mare. “Thank you, Cadence, but I still need help.”

Cadence gave me a confused expression. “Help with what, exactly? It’s now just a simple courting ritual by pegasus standards.” I raised a brow at the mare, Cadence still looking at me with confusion for a few seconds before it finally dawned on her. “You don’t know what to do, do you?”

I simply shook my head as I looked back at the feather. “No, I don’t know what to do. So far, Fleetfoot has initiated the courting by asking me on a date, but I still don’t know what’s important about this feather. I feel a slight need to keep it safe, but I can’t comprehend why,” I exclaimed, my voice beginning to raise in pitch and volume. “I also don’t know how to act on this date, since you’re so culturally different from where I’m from. Let’s also add in the fact that I’m in Canterlot and that dating me is probably going to do something to her image. I mean what could she…”

I was cut off as Cadence placed a hoof on my lips, her other hoof on my shoulder as she leaned her head close and placed the tip of her horn against my forehead. I could feel her magic spread throughout my body, relaxing it from the shocks the panic attack that I was having. Cadence held me caringly, much like Celestia had when I would enter an attack in the past. I rubbed at Cadence’s leg, letting her soft fur relax me further. We stayed like that for several minutes before the alicorn pulled away from me, a motherly smile just like Celestia’s on her face.

“Okay, let’s start with the simple answers.” I looked at Cadence with interest, gesturing for her to continue. “The feather is related to old pegasi traditions. A pegasus presents a primary feather, like the one you have, to somepony that has caught their interest. It’s a way for them to give something personal to show how deeply they feel.”

I looked at the feather, turning it over a few times before placing down on the table. “So Fleetfoot really is interested in doing this date?”

Cadence nodded her head as she smiled down at the feather. “It would seem so. Though, usually a pegasus waits to give a feather until they’re certain about their special somepony. It seems like she wants to put everything on the line to see if she truly cares for you.” I gave a small frown as my gaze returned to the feather, but Cadence caught onto my worry as she turned my head toward her again.

I looked into Cadence’s shimmering, light purple eyes as she refused to break eye contact. “This leads to answering your other concerns.” I tried to pull myself free from Cadence’s hooves, but she held me firmly. “For how you should act on this date… just be yourself. That has been the biggest problem between ponies because they try to act like somepony they’re not. Fleetfoot likes you for you, so there’s no reason to try and change yourself. Finally, don’t worry about what other ponies think about the two of you dating.”

I gave Cadence a flat look as she finally allowed me freedom to move. “I’m in Canterlot, and she’s the wingpony of the Captain of the Wonderbolts. I don’t need a bunch of ponies ruining her life because she starts to date the giant freak.” Cadence was about to say something, but I cut her off as my voice raised in volume again. “Also, don’t tell me that it will be okay! I can live just fine with the snide remarks, hateful comments, and the evil glares, but neither of those two need that! Fleetfoot’s interest is actually nice to see, but I really think this is a bad-”

I was cut off by a harsh smack to my cheek from Cadence. She gave me a serious glare, one on a different terrifying magnitude when compared to Celestia’s. I placed a hand on my cheek, trying to process the fact that the Princess of Love had just struck me. Cadence’s wings were slightly flared, twitching a little as she took calming breaths. As Cadence continued to calm herself, I pulled my hand back to see a drop of blood on my finger. Seeing as there wasn’t much and it wasn’t dripping anywhere, the cut wasn’t that bad.

Cadence finally got herself under control as she looked at me. She winced slightly at seeing the tiny cut from her hoof and offered me a tissue. I nodded as I took it and cleaned up the little amount of blood. I balled the tissue up and put it into my empty teacup.

“I’m sorry about that, Mark, but you were getting hysterical again,” Cadence said as she looked at my cheek closely.

I let Cadence look at my cheek as I gave a few weak chuckles. “That makes three,” I said to no one in particular.

Cadence stopped looking at my cheek as she gave me a confused expression. “Three what?”

I just shrugged as I pulled away from Cadence, not needing her to baby the tiny cut. “This makes you the third princess to slap me out of hysteria.” I looked up at the ceiling, thinking about those three times. “Actually, if I were to organize the slaps, only one of them was by accident.”

Cadence raised a curious brow at this, ignoring my current problem to inquire more about my previous slaps. “What exactly led to those?”

I smiled a little as I chuckled. “Luna slapped me in a dream once because I was dreaming about her having fat flanks from eating a lot of junk food.” Cadence gave me a deadpan expression to show that she wasn’t amused. I ignored her as I continued on to the next incident. “Celestia’s slap was by accident because I was standing behind her when she was having her morning tea. Philomena seemed to fly down from somewhere and as Celestia went to hug her phoenix, I ended up getting a hoof to the cheek.”

Cadence placed a hoof on her head, shaking it slowly as she let out a soft sigh. “You must be one unlucky stallion, aren’t you?”
I gave a shrug as I leaned back in the chair. “I blame Discord for that, but I’m not that unlucky. So far these past seven months, I’ve had a pretty fairly lucky life. It just seems like I’m unlucky since I don’t talk much about the good things.”

Cadence nodded her head in agreement as she got rid of the kettle and tea cups. “I guess that’s true.” Cadence hopped off her chair, ruffling her wings a little before gesturing with one for me to follow her. “Let’s continue this conversation as we walk. I want to stop by somewhere and hopefully by the time that we get there, we should have your problems solved.”

I nodded as I stood up from my chair, popping my back as I closely followed her. The two of us exited the throne room, the guards giving a sharp bow before being relieved of their stations. I could only assume that neither of the princesses would be returning since the guards were leaving. I looked forward again, seeing Cadence trot with a little more skip in her step, giddy about something. A feeling in my gut told me that I should be worried about her happiness, but I pushed it aside as my fears of the date with Fleetfoot clouded my judgement.

As we continued down the hall, I saw many of the maids returning to work or switching out for the night. I wasn’t really sure where in the castle we were, since I didn’t recognize any of the paintings or pottery. If anything, I probably went this way only a couple of times and didn’t find any reason to keep it to memory.

The two of us continued to walk in silence before Cadence finally spoke up. “Going back to what we were talking about before you went hysterical, you shouldn’t worry.” Cadence cast me a quick glance before looking forward again. “Fleetfoot is free to make her own choices, and she is probably very well aware of the consequences of her upcoming actions. She’s willing to live with any kind of ridicule to see if this will work between the two of you.” Cadence then looked at me, still trotting like she knew the path from memory to where we were going. “Do you think my marriage to Shining Armor didn’t have any consequences?”

I raised a brow at Cadence. “Probably not that many. I know this world doesn’t have a problem with interspecies dating, Steel Wing and Surprise are a very prominent example, but he’s at least from this world while I’m an alien. The only problem I see is that you’re royalty and he’s the Captain of the Guard.”

Cadence shook her head softly as she let out a small sigh. “Mark, there was a lot more to it than just that. Twilight’s family are very influential ponies, but compared to most of the nobles here, they aren’t a big name. To all the other nobles, I was just marrying some commoner that didn’t deserve to walk next to me. There was a lot of hate towards our wedding. So much, in fact, that a few ponies even attempted to disrupt, minus the changeling invasion that happened.” Cadence’s gaze returned to mine, her eyes showing a little bit of hope. “Mark, I’m not going to force you on this date, but I really believe this will do you some good.”

I continued to stare at Cadence as I gave her a confused expression. “Then what should I do? I’m at an impasse here and could use some real guidance.”

Cadence gave a curt nod as she stared forward again. “All you need to do is listen to your own feelings. Push aside any doubt that you have and give it a chance. Forget about what other ponies have to think about what Fleetfoot is doing since she’s doing this to be closer to you.” The two of us reached a large brown oaken door as Cadence gave one last glance towards me. “You’re feelings for each other have grown since the beginning and I think if you actually give this a shot, something good will come out of it for both of you.”

The two of us stood for a moment, my mind thinking over everything that was said. I looked at the door, something eerily familiar about it, but I couldn’t remember what it was. Cadence seemed to watch me intently, not moving from place as she waited for me to say something. I let my mind wander over the days I spent with Fleetfoot. As I thought back over everything we’d done together, I couldn’t help but smile. Cadence gave a small smile at my happiness as I looked at her.

I gave a stiff nod at Cadence as my smile widened. “I’ll give it a shot. Fleetfoot and I have been through a lot together and I really do want to see where this goes.”

Cadence jumped on the tips of her hooves in excitement as she smiled back at me. “I’m so glad to hear that, Mark. Now, let’s get you something for that date.”

I looked at Cadence in confusion as I tried to figure out how I was going to prepare for this. Cadence gestured toward the door and I looked back at it, trying to figure out what could be in there that would help. I looked around the hallway, many fabrics hanging from shelves along with some clothes that I’d seen the princesses wear a few times. My eyes widened when I finally realized where I was.

I looked at Cadence, shaking my head as I tried to back away. “Nope. No way. Not going to happen.” I waved my hands in front of me in protest. “I have nothing against that mare, but she’s way too touchy.”

Cadence gave a slight smirk as her horn ignited and froze me in place. Her aura then encompassed the door before she opened it and trotted inside, carrying my still body along with her. She slammed the door closed to alert the other pony in the room that she had guests. “That’s something you’re going to have to learn to live with, Mark. Do you expect Fleetfoot not to get a little touchy during the date?” Cadence then pulled me closer, her voice going into a husky whisper. “Plus, who do you think made the clothes those mares were wearing? You know, the mares that Luna and I took pictures of to hang in your office?”

I looked at Cadence, shocked, but not entirely surprised that she had helped Luna. I had a sneaking suspicion that it was her, but I couldn’t claim that until I had some proof. “I’m seriously going to get you and Luna back for that.”

Cadence only giggled as she set me down, her magic cutting off and allowing me to move. “I wish you luck in that, Mark.” Cadence trotted back to the door, cracking open before turning around, a sly grin on her lips. “Silk, make sure Mark has the appropriate clothing for his date tomorrow night.”

I looked at Cadence with wide eyes as she exited the room, slamming the door again. My anger was reaching its breaking point as I was about ready to yell for her when the sound of clopping hooves drew my attention back to the room. I watched as a familiar pegasus trotted into view, her amber eyes glittering with giddiness and her joyful smile was wider than I would have preferred. The sunlight coming from the window hit her light strawberry coat, making it shine a little. Her mane - which was pulled back in a ponytail - and tail were a swirl of yellow and black, an odd combination of colors for a pony from what I’d seen. Her cutie mark was a pair of black, opaque, silk stockings, making me wonder how she’d gotten a job here.

“Mark, it’s so great to see you again!” Silk quickly jumped at me, her wings giving her enough push to wrap her legs around me and give me a tight hug. I could feel her nuzzle my cheek as her tail playfully swatted against me. “I heard that you’re having a date and need something presentable?”

I put my hands on Silk’s barrel, pulling her away as I set her down on the ground. I took a few steps back, watching her closely to avoid any unnecessary touching. “You hear correctly. I need something a little nicer than what I have, and Cadence seemed to believe you’re the pony for the job.”

Silk took a few steps forward, grabbing my hand in her wing and starting to pull me to her fitting room. “I believe that I can get something made in this short amount of time.” She moved me to stand on top of a stage, moving over to separate fabrics as she mused to herself on what colors to use. “To help narrow my choices, can you tell me who you got a date with?” I went to answer, but she cut me off. “If not a name, then a coat color will work as well. Also, do you know where you’re going?”

Again, I went to answer before a loud pop sounded near her. I saw Fleetfoot’s feather levitating in front of her, making me chastise myself for forgetting it back at the throne room.

I was pulled from my thoughts when Silk spoke. “You’re a very impressive stallion if you were able to get a date with Fleetfoot. I have the perfect design just for you.” Silk turned around, her expression a little calmer than what I’m used to seeing. She placed the feather on her work station, grabbing an arctic blue and gold fabric.

Silk’s expression seemed a little uneasy as she grabbed a tape measure and flew up to me. “Hey, is everything alright?” I asked, seeing there was a hint of tears in her eyes.

Silk waved a dismissive hoof as she set to work, her hooves not touching me in certain areas like she used to. “I’m fine, just a few fond memories passing through.” I saw her mumbling to herself, whispering out my measurements, but there was something else that I couldn’t hear.

Even with the fact that she could be very touchy, I didn’t like seeing her this way. “Do you want to talk about it? I know we don’t talk much since I kind of avoid this place, but you seem really out of it. I mean, you’re not even trying to feel me up like you usually do.”

Silk wiped a leg across her eyes before landing on the ground. She grabbed my hand in her wings, letting the feathers tickle my skin as she relaxed. “I remember my old mates who I gave a feather to.” I looked at her with a raised brow, confused about she meant by ‘mates’. She seemed to notice my slight confusion and she clarified. “A unicorn mare and earth pony stallion were my mates. We were a small herd.” Silk shook her head as she gripped my hand tighter. “Skipping all the details of everything, I’ll get to the main point.”

I could see that this was making her uncomfortable, so I crouched down and scratched behind her ear. “If you don’t want to talk about it, then you don’t have to.”

Silk hummed pleasantly at my scratching as she gave a small, content smile. “I do want to talk about. I don’t share this with many ponies and it feels good to talk about it.” Silk pressed her head further into my fingers as she let the calming scratches ease her worries. “We were happily herded for several years, but bad things happened. My mates were out on their vacation while I was busy working. They were several days late on their arrival and Celestia came to see me personally. I didn’t need to be told what happened because her sad look told me everything.”

Silk ran a hoof along my arm as she looked up at me. “My two mates’ carriage apparently got caught in a storm as they tried to find some shelter. They were on a mountain when this happened and a rockslide occurred, hitting the carriage and knocking it off the mountainside.”

I ran a hand through Silk’s mane, bringing her in for a hug as I tried to comfort her. Silk nuzzled my cheek as I held her close, her wings even embracing me as she found a little more peace. I pulled away from Silk, smiling at her as I placed her on the ground.

Silk smiled at me as she moved off the stage and headed for her drawing table. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

She nodded as she grabbed a pencil and started sketching a few different designs. “I’ve moved on from it, Mark, but your sentiment is truly appreciated. I miss them dearly, but I know they would want me to move on and I have.” Silk turned back to me, a genuine smile on her face as she spoke cheerily. “I’ve actually found a new herd that have found interest in me and I might be joining their family.”

I petted Silk’s mane as I continued to smile at her. “I’m glad to hear that. I hope that it works well for you in the future.”

Silk nodded as she went back to sketching her designs. “Thank you, Mark, and I hope that it goes well for you, too.” I nodded as I moved towards her work table. I was about to grab the feather, when Silk’s voice called out to me. “Actually, can you leave that here? I think I might have something it could work with. If not, I’ll return it back in its same pristine condition that you left it.”

I gave a curt nod as I handed her the feather. “Sure thing. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about in your care.”

Silk gave me a small wing salute as she picked up the feather and studied it intently. “You don’t have to worry. It will be entirely safe here. Just make sure that you come back before your date so you can pick up your new attire.”

I nodded before raising a brow in confusion. “But you haven’t even asked me what I was looking to wear.”

Silk shooed me away with a wing as she grabbed a pair of green-framed glasses similar to Rarity’s and went back to work. “Don’t worry about that, Mark. I have a decent idea what the date is going to be like, and it will be appropriate.”

I gave Silk a skeptical look before heading for the door. “If you say so. Take care, Silk, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Silk absently waved a hoof as she went back to looking at the feather. I took notice of the smile that graced her lips as she looked at the feather with intense care. I swore I saw a small tear escape from her eyes, but I couldn’t be sure. I lingered for a few seconds longer, waiting to see if she would say anything or to possibly comfort her if she broke down. I watched as the mare took a deep breath before setting the feather down and going back to work. Seeing that she was at least somewhat fine, I left her workplace. I let out a deep breath as I looked around the halls, not really sure how to get out.

Giving a blank look, I grabbed a bit from my pocket and flipped it. It came up tails, so I went left. I began walking down the hall, letting what Cadence had said run through my mind. Those thoughts were quickly interrupted by Silk’s actions tonight and it caused me to frown slightly. I really did hope the best for her because even with her antics, she really deserved happiness again. Glancing over my shoulder, I could barely make out the door before giving a small smile.

Turning back around, I saw that I was lost and let out a deep groan. With nothing to really go by, I started walking, hoping to reach one of the castle staff or guards. It didn’t take me long to find a maid, and she kindly showed me out. Once out of the castle, I headed back for the house, thinking about different scenarios regarding how the date would go. When I arrived, I went to the kitchen and saw a container of food on the table with my name on it. I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry, so I put it in the fridge and headed straight upstairs. I moved over to Spitfire’s bedroom and looked in to see Fleetfoot and Spitfire quietly asleep.

Smiling at the two mares, I moved to my room, the two ferrets sleeping at the foot of my bed. I removed my clothes and went under my covers, smiling a little and hoping that the date would go well tomorrow night as I drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes:

I was actually thinking in the beginning not to have Silk, but I decided to keep her because of her importance to the story. So expect more of her later on.