My morning was pleasant as I felt something warm pressed against my chest. A contentful sigh escaped my lips as I wrapped my arms around whatever was emanating that delightful, soothing warmth. Who or whatever it was, snuggled against me and released a happy purr, the object nuzzling deeper into my chest. Much to my chagrin, I was awoken from my peaceful slumber as the sun’s rays shone on my eyes. Groaning in frustration, I rolled onto my back as I rubbed the last bit of sleep from my eyes.

Not able to see myself going to sleep again, I glanced down to see exactly what was pressed against me. A smile spread across my lips as I gazed upon Fleetfoot’s sleeping form. She looked so adorable, yet peaceful in her slumber, a leg twitching every so often along with a wing. Looking over her unconscious form, I could easily make out her displaced feathers, many of them protruding out at odd angles. She apparently, at some point during the night, had removed the last bit of clothing she had fallen asleep in.

Giving a quick peck behind her right ear, causing it to twitch and tickle my nose, I moved to the side of my bed. Unfortunately, I was halted yet again when I couldn’t move my left arm. Looking over, I spotted my arm trapped beneath Fleetfoot’s barrel. I honestly have no idea how ponies were able to pull this off whenever they fell asleep, it was getting a bit annoying. Tolerable, but still annoying. The only ponies that fell asleep and effectively trapped either of my arms were the four princesses when either of us stayed up late doing stuff. However, it was thanks to Twilight sometimes falling asleep was a chance to get some reprieve from our extensive study sessions, but I also can’t lie and say that I didn’t enjoy them.

Focusing on Fleetfoot, I gently slid my free hand under her barrel, easing her up a few inches. Feeling there was sufficient room, I slid out my arm. I paused as Fleetfoot stirred a little, but thankfully she never woke up. Sighing, I removed my arm before gently setting her down. Thank God, she only stirred a bit. I’d have hated to wake her up. After stretching my arm a few times, I slowly rolled myself off the bed and gave Fleetfoot another kiss on her cheek as I pulled the blanket over her. I noticed her body give a small shudder as she let out a small whimper but then buried herself in the blanket. Waiting a few seconds to see if she would follow up on that curious action, she never revealed herself.

Shrugging my shoulders, I grabbed a clean set of work clothes and made my way to the shower. The house was still quiet during my short walk to the bathroom, and Spitfire’s door was still closed. If anything, I assumed that she was probably already outside doing whatever she needed to before heading off to the castle. Closing the bathroom door, I walked over to the shower and turned on the water. I waited several seconds for the water to warm up before stepping inside.

The hot water felt heavenly against my body, the remnants of last night’s activities washing away. I let the water cascade over me as I thought about my past actions. Even with my slight, yet not so slight, inebriation, I still had adequate sense of mind that I could have stopped if I didn’t want to go through with what I did with Fleetfoot. I harbored no regrets with my actions, and if the smile that I saw before was any indication, neither did she. Leaning my head against the wall, I continued to let the water wash away the morning drowsiness as I closed my eyes and smiled.

I was so preoccupied with my own thoughts that I didn’t hear someone – or rather somepony, enter the bathroom. I felt something rubbing up against my leg, and I looked down to see a soaked, silver tail carefully swathe its way around my body. I ran my eyes from the end of the silvery tail and was met with two beautiful violet eyes that gazed at me with such warmth that I couldn’t help but grin widely. Fleetfoot stood in front of me, leaning her forelegs against my chest, the water matted down her mane and coat as she let out a relaxed sigh. She hummed to herself for a few seconds, allowing the warm water to wash over her before finally speaking.

“So, mister, you thought you could skip out on your promise of preening my wings?” Fleetfoot said, smirking playfully.

I nudged her jokingly as I grabbed my soap and began to lather up my body. “Of course I didn’t, but your sheer cuteness and common courtesy kept me from disturbing you.” I chuckled, petting her mane.

“You mind lending me a hoof- er, hand since we’re in the shower together?” Fleetfoot asked, already spreading her wings as if she answered for me.

“Not at all,” I said, squatting down to sit on the floor of the shower.

Fleetfoot sat on her haunches, grabbing her own shampoo and lathering it into her mane as I checked out her wings. I was relieved that the shower was long enough for me and another person – or pony to be in, otherwise this would’ve been more difficult and uncomfortable than it had to be. Taking a closer look at her wings, I effortlessly spotted the protruding feathers and got to work. As I fixed up her wings, I moved one hand to the necklace that I hadn’t removed, playing with the personal feather I was given. Pulling on the most apparent misplaced feathers, I received a sigh of contentedness from Fleetfoot.

Finishing my first lap, I moved on to checking for hidden feathers. Fleetfoot shuddered under my touch, but had enough self-control not to jump me as I touched her. This didn’t stop her from pushing herself back into my lap, her tail coyly flicking against my abdomen as she continued to clean herself. Her lower backside was covered with suds that were dripping off me after I used my own soap, cleaning her a little as I found a hidden feather. Fleetfoot gasped as I pulled at the feather, making me worry that I might have hurt her. Hearing nothing from her, I continued searching as she rinsed off her mane and grabbed my soap.

As she began lathering up her coat, I found two more broken feathers and removed them easily. I gave one final pass over her wings to make sure I got them all, and when I found none, she handed me my soap and shampoo. Smiling softly at her, I moved to finish cleaning myself as she finished rinsing off. Covered in soap, I moved under the water and rinsed myself off, leaving me refreshed and clean. Turning off the water, I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around Fleetfoot. She yelped as I picked her up and carried her out of the shower, drying her with my towel in the process.

She showed no resistance, eliciting small coos as I grabbed another towel. I dried her a little more and, sadly, I had to set her down so I could tend to my own wet body. Fleetfoot finished drying herself off, flapping her wings a few times to rid herself of excess water. Some of it was flung in my direction and she giggled while grinning at me. I only chuckled as I finished drying off, making sure to get the extra water she sprinkled on me. Grabbing my clothes, I got dressed as Fleetfoot threw the towels into a hamper.

After checking myself in the mirror, Fleetfoot grabbed her toothbrush, and I moved towards the door. Upon opening it, I was greeted by Tundra, who looked up at me. She was squeaking and moving her front paws, but I couldn’t understand a single thing that she was trying to tell me. Assuming that she was hungry, I picked her up and placed her on my shoulder. Tundra continued to squeak, the noise a little more grating with her being closer to my ear, and I glanced curiously at her. Her attention wasn’t directed at me, but towards my room.

Confused, I glanced harmlessly at my room. I immediately froze in place, holding my breath and hoping that I wouldn’t be spotted by the one standing in front of my door. Spitfire was sitting on her rear, mouth agape as she covered her nose. I observed her for a moment and it seemed that she didn’t know I was lurking about. Stealth was my only option. I silently made my way towards the door, only to freeze when I saw Blaze pop out of Spitfire’s mane. The little ferret saw me instantly and squawked loudly into Spitfire’s ear, ruining my attempt at sneaking past her and evading the earful I was going to receive. That little traitor.

A split second passed as she zoomed in front of my face, a plethora of emotions on her face. Her expression ranged from raging fury, to confusion, to astonishment, and strangely: hurt. I couldn’t quite interpret the last one since it only showed for a second before she composed herself. I could feel her warm breath on my face as she lowered herself to the ground, her wings folding to her sides as her hooves touched the wood floor. I felt a paw smack the side of my neck, and I scowled at Tundra, who only shook her little head. I had honestly given up understanding many of the animals in Equestria, since they never really held any consistency in their actions.

Tundra slid down my shirt, letting go after reaching my waist. Blaze quickly joined her and the two scurried down the stairs, leaving me helplessly alone with a volatile Spitfire. I kept my mouth shut, watching as Spitfire shuddered in place as she continued to breathe deeply. It wasn’t long before Fleetfoot lazily floated out of the bathroom, her smile still present. It quickly fell when she noticed me and Spitfire having a classic Mexican standoff. Landing, she carefully trotted closer to us, keeping her eyes on Spitfire.

I slowly allowed myself to breathe, watching as Spitfire’s nostrils flared every few seconds. I had high hopes that she wouldn’t catch the scent of last night’s activities, but if her expression was any indication, she already knew exactly what went down. Feeling something brush up against my leg, I peered down at Fleetfoot, who sat on her haunches, joining me on waiting for Spitfire to do something else other than stare at us. Almost as if she was ready to spit… fire. I was prepared to try and make a run for it if she tried to jump me, but part of me kept me planted in my spot.

“You… did, didn’t you?” Spitfire asked, quickly rubbing her eye. It seemed like she was wiping something away, but I couldn’t tell for certain.

“Did what, exactly?” I asked, smiling innocently. I immediately began chastising myself for asking such a stupid question.
Spitfire glared violently at me, raising a hoof in preparation to raise hell, but was stopped when Fleetfoot spoke up.

“Yes, we had sex last night,” Fleetfoot said, her expression neutral.

Spitfire’s mouth went agape again, her eyes looking between the two of us. I honestly couldn’t tell what she was feeling at the moment, but it seemed like hitting me was nowhere on that list. A tense silence filled the air as Spitfire’s expression calmed down a little, turning into one of neutrality, or rather indifference. She trotted past me, heading down the stairs while her wings twitched sharply.

“I’ll see you both at the office,” Spitfire said, her voice almost monotone, before walking out and shutting the door.

“Uh…” I couldn’t find anything else to say. My brain was still trying to process what transpired.

“Come on. We should get going as well,” Fleetfoot said, trotting down the stairs, but not before smacking me on my rear with her tail.

“What about Spitfire?” I asked, quickly following in step beside her as we exited the building. “She just left without really saying anything,” I said, closing and locking the door behind us.

“It’s probably best that way,” Fleetfoot said, earning a raised brow from me. “She most likely would have given you an earful, but she seems to have gone off somewhere to relax a little before talking with you,” She explained, her wings expanding and taking her off the ground.

“I honestly thought she was going to annihilate me,” I said, watching as Fleetfoot flew behind me and wrapped her forelegs around my neck.

“She probably would have, but since you both agreed to a new slate, she’s going to give you a chance to explain what happened,” Fleetfoot said. Her head popped up next to mine, nuzzling me before resting on my shoulder.

Her hind legs wrapped around my stomach, her tail swishing and creating a pleasant air current on my arms. I scratched behind her ear and she cooed at me as we approached the castle. The two guards at the front gate waved at me, but seemed to have broken their expressionless code as they eyed me curiously. They seemed to have caught their mistake as they shook their heads and stood back at attention. I didn’t know what caused the stumble in their line of duty, but if I had to take a guess, I’d say it was either Fleetfoot or the necklace with her feather. The playful mare couldn’t help but give me several small nuzzles whenever she thought she could get away with it, and the feather was quite the fashion statement to say the least.

Either way, I just nodded slightly before walking past them and entering the castle. The castle seemed a little dead this morning, actually making me glad for once because I wanted time to think a little without being distracted by greeting the ponies. I felt Fleetfoot unwrap herself from my body, her hooves landing on the ground and creating a singular clop sound.

“I’m going to head off for the office. You going to be okay?” Fleetfoot asked, a little worry showing in her eyes.

“Still a little jarred from this morning, but I’ll be fine in a few minutes,” I said, smiling to assure her I would be fine.

“Then I’ll see you later, big guy.” Fleetfoot smiled as she floated up to my face and kissed me on the cheek before turning around and heading down the hallway.

Watching Fleetfoot leave, I waited until she was out of sight before turning to the opposite hallway and walking to my first stop. I hummed a little to myself, not really trying to recreate any particular tune or song, but just something to pass the time. I was so lost to my own little tune that I didn’t hear a certain somepony come up behind me. Feeling something tap my shoulder, I stopped and turned around. I stopped my turn midway through, when I was staring into a pair of magenta eyes that were burning with irritation and slight embarrassment.

“How much did you see?” Rainbow Dash asked, keeping her face far closer than I would have liked.

“I’ve seen lots of things,” I smirked, carefully taking a few steps away so I could see all of Rainbow Dash.

“You know what I mean,” Rainbow continued, her hoof pointing at me accusingly.

“I honestly don’t,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. I knew what she was referring to, but I wanted to hear her admit it first.

“Rarity saw you at the restaurant. Evening Rose even told us that you bought us that bouquet of roses,” Rainbow said, a small scowl on her face. “And that’s not all. Rarity said that Fleetfoot was with you!” she exclaimed, her hooves raised in the air.

“Well, you’re not wrong about either of those accusations.” I chuckled, scratching at the back of my neck.

“What were you two doing?” Rainbow asked, lowering her hooves as she tilted her head to the side.

“Isn’t it obvious, darling?” Rarity asked, who suddenly appeared out of thin air beside me, causing me to jump.

“No, it’s not,” Rainbow said, looking down at Rarity before looking back at me.

“Mark and Fleetfoot were there on a date!” Rarity said excitedly, smiling widely at me.

I really wished Rarity hadn’t said that. Dash finding out that I was dating someone was one thing, but then her finding out that I was dating one of her idols was a shit storm waiting to happen. I was a tad bit worried about my sanity. Rainbow stared slack-jawed at me, her eyes unblinking as they shifted from Rarity to myself. It wasn’t long before Dash’s eyes finally landed on the necklace that I was wearing, a hoof pointing at it. Rarity looked in the direction Dash was pointing and gasped.

“Oh my! Darling, I had no idea that she was going to go that far,” Rarity said, her eyes locked on the feather.

“What else is going on between you and…” Rainbow Dash started, but she trailed off as she sniffed a few times.

I could see Rarity give a few sniffs as well before she smirked knowingly at me. I wasn’t worried about Rarity doing anything rash, her love for the romance and dramatics probably being my saving grace. Rainbow was another story, because she was a pegasus, she understood the symbolic gesture a little more than any of us here. Dash floated down to the ground, landing next to Rarity and whispering to her. Rarity seemed to intently listen to whatever Dash was telling her before both were looking at me.

“Do you understand what that means?” Rainbow asked, her expression neutral. I nodded in response. Rarity stood next to Dash, giving me a worried look. I could only assume she understood what the feather meant as her eyes glanced between me and the necklace.

“Are you going to put everything you have into trying to get your relationship to work?” Rarity asked, her brow raised. Again, I nodded. I was beginning to feel like I was being interrogated like last time.

“Then make sure you do right by her, Mark. I know you’ve probably heard it a million times already, but that feather holds more meaning than you could possibly understand,” Rainbow said, giving me a confident smile.

“She’s right, though. Just like pegasi, unicorns have their own special way of showing their love to another. It’s easier to understand these traditions if you’re raised by them, but seeing as neither of us have really lived under the same traditions, we have to try our best to at least understand what we’re getting into,” Rarity offered, her smile comforting as she patted my leg.

“Thanks, you guys,” I said, smiling to each of them.

“I wish I could chat with you more, but I best be off. I have orders to fill, and I would like to get them finished early,” Rarity said, giving a small curtsy to me before her attention turned towards Dash. “I expect you’ll be by later tonight after you finish your business here, Dash?” Rarity asked, a small grin barely noticeable from where I was standing.

“You know it, Rares,” Rainbow said confidently, placing a hoof on her chest as she straightened out.

I caught a glimpse of Rarity’s sly smirk, her horn started glowing blue and then her aura suddenly appeared around Rainbow. Dash yelped in surprise as she was pulled from the air, a yelp that was silenced when her lips connected with Rarity’s. Dash’s body tensed up and her eyes went wide as Rarity kissed her, but after the momentary surprise she soon relaxed and lost herself in the kiss before they broke away. After a quick flutter of her eyes, Rarity ceased her magic hold and sauntered away from us. I looked at Rainbow and took in the small smile that touched her features as she watched Rarity leave, her eyes glued upon Rarity’s Flank. Once she was gone Dash quickly recollected herself and turned back to me.

“You tell nopony about what you saw, understand?” Rainbow said with a small growl.

“Fine, but to throw in my two cents,” I started, putting my hands up defensively. “You two make a cute couple,” I said, smiling at Dash.

“Good. I don’t need my awesomeness ruined because you blabbed about this to everypony,” Dash said, folding her legs together as her attention went back to where Rarity left.

“Is it you that you’re worried about, or are you more worried about Rarity?” I asked, getting Rainbow to turn towards me.

“Dash, I’m your friend. True that I hang around Canterlot more than anything else, but we’re tight,” I said, getting Rainbow to raise a brow at me. “So I’d like to think that I can see when you’re acting strangely because you’re worried for someone else,” I said, giving a small shrug.

“Can I show you something?” Rainbow asked, moving closer to me.

“What is it?” I asked, looking around to see if there were any ponies around. It seemed like Dash wanted to keep this private if she moved this close to me, so I wanted to make sure it stayed that way.

“Rarity gave this to me on our anniversary,” Rainbow said.

I watched as she reached behind her ear, pulling out a small glass jar that was filled with something. She presented the jar to me, a huge smile on her face as she took extra care to make sure she didn’t lose her grip.

“What is it? Also, you said this was for your one year anniversary. How long have you been seeing each other?” I asked, keeping my eyes on the jar.

“Rarity and I have been seeing each other for three years now, and before you ask, I wasn’t the one that asked her out,” Rainbow said, causing me to stare at her with an arched brow. “A very long and embarrassing story made short, I could never work up the courage to ask her out. After probably my failed hundredth attempt, she seemed to understand what I was trying to do and beat me to it,” Rainbow explained, her eyes closed as she remembered that day.

“So I guess you both went on a lot of secret dates because it didn’t seem like you two were dating at all since I’ve been here,” I stated, looking back at the jar and taking a quick note of the blue aura pulsing around it.

“We did go on a lot of secret dates. My family on my mom’s side is very traditional. They believe in only dating and marrying other pegasi,” Rainbow explained, a frown touching her lips. “I don’t want Rarity to have to deal with any ridicule because of my family. She’s a great marefriend and I don’t want to lose her because of them,” Rainbow said, her voice tense as she looked strongly at the jar.

“So was meeting you at the restaurant the first time you two actually did anything public?” I asked.

“I guess you could say that. Our friends think we’re on a trip here for supplies, which we kinda are, but it would only take a few hours. We’ve been here for a few days enjoying our time together,” Rainbow explained, her expression softening as she put the jar back behind her ear.

“So what’s the jar, then?” I asked.

“Rarity just said that every race of pony has their own traditions with courting. Pegasi do the feathers while unicorns give a bit of their magic essence,” Rainbow explained, moving away from me as she smiled.

“So I take it that it’s just as personal as a feather?” I asked, pretty sure of the answer.

“Yep! Just as personal!” Rainbow confirmed with a sharp nod.

“Then I wish you the best in your relationship,” I said, giving a small salute. Rainbow returned it with one of her own as we turned to head our separate ways. Before I was even two steps away from her, a plan came to mind on how I could get back at Luna and Cadence. “Hey, Dash. Do you think you can do me a favor?” I asked, a mischievous smile spreading across my face.

“Maybe. What do you need?” Rainbow asked with a raised brow.

“I need your help pranking someone,” I said, chuckling to myself a little at what I had planned.

“Who are we pranking?” Rainbow asked, a grin spreading across her muzzle.

“Luna and Cadence,” I said without hesitation.

Rainbow gave me a wide-eyed look before smirking deviously. “I think I can help you with that. What do you need me to get?” she asked, rubbing her hooves together.

“I need you to get me Vinyl’s equipment,” I said.

“I can do that. She’s going to be here for a couple more days, so I’ll see her before finishing up here and heading back to Ponyville,” Rainbow said with a single nod.

I returned her nod as she turned around and flew down the corridors. As soon as I turned around, I heard a crash from far away, and Rainbow’s apology echoing down the hallways. Shaking my head, I headed for my appointment. The walk to the medical wing was pretty quiet, running into only a few ponies that stopped by for a quick check-up. I would think some of the ponies that I’ve seen before would be here more often, Rainbow Dash being a prime example. Then again, a lot of these ponies could take a lot of punishment before suffering any real harm.

“Hey, human. Can I speak with you for a minute?” a strange, but feminine, voice called out.

Turning around to see who was addressing me, I quickly realized it was two thestrals I haven’t seen before. The one on the left had a copper mane and her tail was a swirl of darker copper and cyan. She had gold eyes and her wings were a dark purple. Her coat was grey and her cutie mark was a syringe with a blue fluid inside of it. She had a very bright smile as she trotted with a slight spring in her step. The one to her right was a mare as well, her expression a little cheerful as she waved at me. The bat pony on the right had a pink mane and tail that each had a purple streak through it. Her wings were copper and her eyes were orange. Her coat was the same signature grey color and her cutie mark was three fluffy white clouds.

“Can I help you two?” I asked as the two bat ponies stopped in front of me.

“Hi there! My name is Amber Heart!” the thestral on the left said, a giddy grin on her muzzle

“I’m… Dreamer,” the thestral on the right said in a quiet voice, but at least it was louder than Fluttershy’s.

“Hello, Amber Heart, Dreamer. My name is Mark,” I greeted, extending my hand.

“Oh, we already knew that,” Amber Heart said, taking my hand and shaking it excitedly before Dreamer took it and gave it a gentle few shakes. After Dreamer released my hand, Amber Heart continued with what she was saying. “We actually wanted to introduce ourselves in a more familiar way,” she said, sitting on her haunches as she continued to smile up at me.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you two,” I said, smiling at both of them. “I assume I’ll be seeing you two around the castle more often?” I asked.

“Of course, but mainly during the night,” Amber said, her smile never faltering.

“We’re Luna’s… replacement guards… for Echo and Moon,” Dreamer explained, rubbing her left foreleg.

“Ah, I was wondering when I would possibly meet Luna’s new guards. I’ve already met Celestia’s, so it’s wonderful to meet you two,” I said, nodding at the both of them.

“It’s also wonderful to finally meet you. Do you mind if we continue walking and talking? We don’t wish to hold you up because it looked like you were heading somewhere,” Amber said, gesturing for me to continue.

“Sure, let’s go,” I said, turning back around and heading down for Redheart’s office.

“What did you think of Moon and Echo?” Amber asked as we walked down the hallway.

“They were very nice. Although they loved to tease me a lot, but overall they were very entertaining to be around. It’s kind of lonely now since they aren’t here,” I said.

“They were… very nice,” Dreamer agreed, surprisingly floating next to me.

“Did you two know them?” I asked.

“We did. They were our instructors for the last part of our training,” Amber answered, bouncing a little.

“What did the last part entail, if you don’t mind me asking?” I asked with a raised brow.

“The last part was on the best ways to deal with you,” Amber replied.

“I hope it wasn’t anything too far out there,” I joked, imagining what Echo and Moon could have possibly taught these two.

“Nothing much. They… just said it would… be best to be… friendly. They also taught us how to best get you flustered,” Dreamer said, and I glanced at her.

I could see the hidden smirk she was giving me. Obviously she intended for me to hear that last part of her sentence. She had that whole shy thing going for her, but it seemed to be just one face that is shown. I wasn’t sure exactly what I had in store for myself with the way she was looking at me, but I could only assume it wasn’t going to be good. Dreamer seemed to be friendly, so I don’t think any real harm would come to me, however it would be best if I stayed on guard. I was pulled from looking at Dreamer as I heard Amber laugh heartily.

“I see that you heard that last part,” Amber said, her laughter strong as she kept pace with me. “She may come off as shy, but believe me when I say that underneath that is a mare you want to be careful being around,” she warned, patting my leg.

“I swear, Luna and Celestia do this on purpose,” I said, grumbling a little to myself.

“They might,” Amber said with a casual shrug. “But we’re still good at our jobs and won’t do anything to ruin these positions,” she said confidently.

“Actually, Echo and Moon mentioned that you had a story about another human named ‘Jimmy’?” Dreamer asked, continuing to float by me.

“Ah, I know who you’re talking about. Would you like to hear that story?” I asked, seeing that we were nearing Redheart’s office.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Amber said, giving me big puppy eyes that pleaded for me to share the story.

“You ponies should not be allowed to do that. It makes all of you too cute to say no to,” I said with a small chuckle.

“Echo did say that it was the best way to get something out of you,” Dreamer said, giving a small giggle.

“Anyways, Jimmy was a soldier back in the military. He was transferred to the coldest outpost because there was suspicious activity going on there. He gets there, and everything seems fine on his end. Days go by before something strange happens,” I say, getting both Dreamer’s and Amber’s attention.

“What happened?” Amber asked, her ears perked in interest.

“Well, it was just the same routine patrol, but this time it went wrong. Jimmy and his squad were attacked.” This earned a gasp from Dreamer. “Jimmy finds many of his comrades on the ground, and the next thing he knows, his skull is ripped out of his head and he’s beaten to death with it,” I said, trying my hardest to keep myself from laughing out loud.

“Wait, that doesn’t make any sense,” Amber spoke up, her muzzle scrunched up in confusion. “How is that physically possible?” she asked.

“That’s what Jimmy said. He kept asking how it was physically possible, but we never found out,” I said, giving a small shrug.

“Well, that’s just horrible. That poor human. I hope they found the pony responsible for that,” Dreamer said with a slight glare.

“It took a few years and many side adventures, but we finally caught her,” I assured her.

As Amber and Dreamer whispered amongst themselves, I smiled internally at having got away with that story again. It was true that I missed technology, but it has become my greatest strength when trying to do something entertaining with my friends. Probably the only pony that would be able to spoil the jokes would be Twilight, but that was after using them on her and explaining their origins. I guess I could also call it my little comfort area since I was pretty much allowed to get some good laughs and memories out of it.

“Well, I’m glad they were able to capture her,” Dreamer said, giving me a small smile and gaining my attention.

“It has been fun, Mark, but Dreamer and I have to get going. We need to get in a quick nap if we want to be ready for our first night of duty,” Amber said, giving me a hoof-bump before turning to leave.

Looking at Dreamer, she seemed to hesitate a little. It wasn’t often I saw many shy ponies, my experience mainly lying with meeting Fluttershy, now also including Dreamer. Even with their shyness, they had some kind of outgoing attitude, and it shared the same interest that all the other ponies had. Chuckling a little to myself, I spread my arms open and gestured for her that it was okay. I already knew what she was asking for. She squeed excitedly, zooming into my open arms and wrapping her legs around my chest. I patted her mane a few times before she let go, her smile bright and shining as I got a good look at her fangs.

Waving a hoof, she flew after Amber, leaving me alone again. Taking a quick survey of my surroundings, I could tell I was only a couple of minutes away from Redheart’s office. Cringing a little at how the appointment would go, I took a deep breath before heading to either a fine day or my possible doom.

True to my assumption, I arrived at Redheart’s office, and her door was left ajar. Knocking on the door to let her know someone was at her door, I entered the spacious room. Same as all my visits before, the room still smelled of antiseptic. The medical bed was in the middle of the room, paper covering it so it could be ripped away after a patient was done with their visit. Sighing a little, I moved towards the bed, sitting on the edge as I kicked my feet back and forth, waiting for Redheart’s arrival.

“It seems somepony forgot when their appointment was,” Redheart teased, walking into the room from one of the side doors.

“I left my house early. There is no way I’m late this time,” I said defensively.

“Hm, then I guess the timer that I have set here must have been set wrong,” Redheart said casually, pulling out the timer from her nurse’s coat.

She showed me the timer, five minutes and twenty-three seconds having already gone by when my appointment was scheduled. Grumbling to myself, I handed her the bits that I owed her for my tardiness. Redheart wasn’t a horrible pony, but one that was actually fun to be around. Despite what some of the ponies would say about her, she’s actually a very talkative and kind mare that likes to get to know her patients. Granted, her cutie mark has her destined to be a nurse, but compared to a few of the Canterlot nurses and doctors I’ve seen around here, she would actually have a normal conversation with me or her other patients.

“I think you know the procedure by now. So I’ll just go ahead and get my things as you settle in,” Redheart said, smiling at me as she placed my bits on the counter by the sink.

The bet I had with her wasn’t anything too big. The bet itself happened more as an incentive to try and arrive on time so others wouldn’t be held up by me. This I found weird because there’s hardly any ponies that ever come here, so I think she just does it to just mess with me. Leaning back a bit as I let my feet sway freely, I waited for Redheart to come back with the supplies. It didn’t take her long before she came back with a small tray on her back. She deposited the tray and grabbed the syringe and arm band.

Redheart was probably the only medical professional that liked being anywhere near me, and since she was an earth pony, I kind of gave her a hand. Not literally. Grabbing the armband, I fastened it around my arm and tightened it so she could find a vein. Pressing against my arm with her soft hoof, she found a viable target and pushed the syringe inside. The vial at the end quickly filled with blood, and she removed the needle from my arm after it was full. I loosened the armband as she returned with some alcohol and a cotton ball for the small wound.

Covering the small puncture, Redheart trotted back to her tray and grabbed the clipboard off of it. Her eyes scanned over the papers, probably making sure everything was in order from my last appointment before inputting new changes, if any. Sadly, there were some new changes, and I don’t think she was going to be very happy about them.

“So, is there anything bothering you at the moment?” Redheart asked, flipping back and forth between pages as she glanced up every once in a while.

“Nope. My bones are still okay, and I haven’t really felt the onset of any sickness,” I answered, wondering the best way to tell her the news.

“That’s good to hear. I’ll take a look at your blood later and let you know if there’s anything you should know about. You seem to be in slightly better shape than before. Have you recently started exercising?” Redheart commented, taking a few notes before looking up at me.

“Yeah, Fleetfoot and Spitfire have been my exercise partners for the past while and helped to put me in better shape,” I answered.

“Excellent! Now I will need a sperm sample from you in the next two months, but I wouldn’t worry about us finding anything since you haven’t really been sexually active during your time here. It’s just procedure still,” Redheart said, setting a cup to the side for me. Sighing heavily, I prepared myself for her reaction.

“Actually… Redheart?” I started, giving a sheepish smile.

“Yes?” Redheart asked, looking at me with a raised brow.

“About me… not being sexually active,” I said, pausing at the end, hoping she would figure it out.

“It’s nothing to be worried about, Mark. You’ve stated before that you held no interest in dating. I would have thought after spending seven months here…” Redheart trailed off as she took notice of me scratching the back of my neck, a nervous smile on my face.

“Well, the thing is-” I started, but was interrupted by a gasp from Redheart. Her eyes were wide, and I could see them looking down at the feather, then up at me before going back down to the feather. This continued for several seconds before she added the pieces together and found her voice.

“No! You’re not going to sit there and tell me that you just recently did the bad deed!” Redheart exclaimed, giving me a slight glare.

This was what I was worried about. The main problem was that there was a lot of paperwork that had to be shuffled around to get proper medical sessions, since of views that I held before the events of last night. It was a nightmare of a process to go through, arguing with many ponies from different areas of the medical wing and companies to get this approved. Now because of last night, Redheart was going to have to order those forms that we spent so long trying to rid of, just so she can have everything on file and can keep a record in case something came up.

“Heh, guilty as charged. I did. Last night to be exact. Fleetfoot was the one I had sex with as well,” I said, getting straight to the point.

“Ugh, you have got to be joking!” Redheart exclaimed, throwing her clipboard against the wall. “We spent three weeks to get everything in order, and now you drop this on me. You couldn’t have at least given me a courtesy call a few days beforehand so I could get the forms?” Redheart asked, rubbing at her temple with her hooves.

A silence settled between us before Redheart spoke up again. “So is that really Fleetfoot’s feather on that necklace?” she asked, pointing a hoof at the aforementioned item.

“It is her feather. I know very well what I’m getting into, Redheart, or at least what I can comprehend,” I said. “I’m actually surprised that you took so long to say anything about it,” I commented with a raised brow.

“I had assumed that it was just something you were doing from your world. I remember you mentioning that your kind would collect feathers of various birds as a hobby,” Redheart said, waving a hoof around.

“Sorry,” I said, scratching my head a bit.

“It’s fine,” Redheart assured, laughing a little to herself. “You just cost me about five-hundred bits for that stunt, but I’m honestly happy for you,” she said with a small smile.

“Why?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Well, sometimes ponies can get very lonely and it can affect them in the long run. Ponies require companionship in some form, and I would guess the same could be said about humans, but even you said that wasn’t entirely true,” Redheart explained.

“True. Some humans are able to handle living a solitary lifestyle,” I said nodding my head. “So you were more worried that I would have some kind of mental breakdown if I didn’t find some kind of actual companionship, at least beyond the few friends I have?” I asked, trying to make sure I understood what she was getting at.

“Pretty much. I never saw a reason to really say anything because you didn’t show any symptoms, but I couldn’t help worrying. I’m glad that you were able to find somepony special for you,” Redheart said happily, moving closer to me and patting my leg. “Although, does Fleetfoot know about the princesses trying to find you a way home and what that could possibly do to your relationship with her?” Redheart asked, a small frown on her face.

“I would say we touched briefly on it. It was a wonderful night and I didn’t want to ruin it by saying that I could up and leave her at any moment if a portal to my world is found,” I said, patting her hoof as I looked at the door of the office.

“Well, you know what they say, don’t make a girl a promise, if you know you can’t keep it,” Redheart said, offering me a supportive smile.

“I’ll keep that in mind, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure to tell her later,” I said, scratching behind her ear.

“Good. Now then, we have everything in order so we should-” Redheart started, only to be cut-off by a loud voice that had a strong resemblance to a Scottish accent to it and was apparently female.

“Oi, what the buck do you think you’re doing?! Watch where you’re putting your bloody hooves! I’m still sensitive from last night!” the voice yelled.

“Luna diabhal é! Just hold still for a few seconds!” another voice yelled, also feminine, but the beginning of her yelling piquing my interest.

“I would if you would just stop touching me there!” the first voice yelled back

“Then maybe you shouldn’t masturbate with a swimsuit on! What?! Did your roommate seeing you in such scanty clothing get you so hot and bothered you had to release some tension?!” the second voice yelled in return.

“Hey! When you have a body this good-looking, especially with these flanks, then sometimes it’s hard to stop yourself!” the first voice quipped.

“I swear tú thestrals bhfuil nós aisteach de touching féin iomarca! Now just hold still so I can remove the bikini bottoms from your vagina!” the second voice commanded, the sounds of items hitting the floor clearly audible.

“I think we’re going to cut this session short today, Mark,” Redheart said, shaking her head a little.

“Sure. It seems like you know those two?” I said, continuing to stare in the direction of the voices.

“Sadly, I do. One of them is a very trusted guard of Luna’s. She is very foul-mouthed, but also dedicated to her duty. The other is a nurse that works here as well. Has the same temper, but none of us really understand what she says half the time,” Redheart said, moving over and grabbing the clipboard.

“I think it’s best that you don’t know what she says,” I said, hopping off the bed and heading over to the door.

“Wait, you can understand her?” Redheart asked with wide eyes.

“Yeah. Only took a few courses, but I can make out enough to know that you’re better off never knowing what she says,” I say.

“I’ll take your word for it. I’m pretty sure she’s going to be even more upset knowing that the sanguines and Imperials haven’t come for their supplies of blood and meat,” Redheart said offhandedly, causing me to raise my brow at her. “They’re two different species of thestrals, but you probably won’t meet any of them. They prefer the very late night shifts, and you’re usually asleep or out of the castle when they’re out and about,” she said.

“Very well, then. I guess I’ll see you at our next appointment?” I asked, hoping that she wasn’t as mad as before.

“Same place, same time. Just make sure to fill this cup and get it back to me in at least two months,” Redheart said, tossing me the cup.

“Sure thing. Take care, Redheart,” I said, catching the cup and leaving her office.

Looking around the hallway, I gave a final glance back at Redheart’s office. Overall, that situation could have gone a lot worse than it did. She wasn’t so much mad at me, but more so at the inconvenience I placed on her. I honestly didn’t think there would be any problems from any of those ponies that gave us trouble before, because Redheart can be pretty intimidating when she’s upset. Chuckling a little to myself at the poor soul who would try her patience, I headed for Silk’s workspace to thank her for her work on my clothes.

Author's Notes:

Thanks to these editors for their help. If I forget you, please PM so I can put you in the list. This list is subject to change as chapters come out, but people still deserve the recognition for helping in some form or another.

reprovedhawk
KG472
Jay The Stormtrooper
Word Worthy
Rumble
Scratchntavi