Luna and Honey had the most constrictive schedules, meaning they would be the focal points that the others had to plan around. For these casual outings, a disguised Luna would have her usual cadre of guard ponies masquerading as civilians. That part went over with little fuss, as all present understood the necessity of keeping the Princess safe. If nothing else, it would save the Lt. from getting an ulcer if Luna went unguarded. The more controversial element, however, was in regards to Thomas’ guard.

“I think you made a mistake,” Moonlight said, pointing to the calendar they were using to plan their outings. “This has Honey and I going to the arcade, but you and Thomas are going to the public pool at the same time.”

“Indeed,” Luna confirmed sagely. “That was the intent.”

“But…” Moonlight struggled to fine the words. The problem seemed so obvious that it actually felt a bit wrong to point it out.

“That was my idea,” Thomas admitted hesitantly. Moonlight looked shocked, and perhaps even a little hurt, which was exactly what he’d been quietly fretting about. “Like Silver said, we act differently depending on who we’re around.”

The bat mare made a ‘don’t try and pin this on me’ expression.

“I just thought it might be a good idea to try and shake up our dynamic.” Above all else, Thomas dreaded Moonlight asking if he was getting tired of her. He’d run that exact scenario in his head more than a dozen times since they started reviewing the schedule, and each iteration was more unbearable than the last. This was precisely the kind of conflict he hated the most, and it made his stomach tie itself in knots.

Then, as was the human’s fashion, he started overthinking things. Would her asking be a sign of insecurity? If so, did that mean she was being clingy, or did the fault somehow rest with him? Herd dynamics made the prospect of jealousy a tangle of thorns he’d yet to explore. Was this the sort of hurdle that only made relationships stronger? No wonder writers could make a living writing about relationships, be they fictional or advisory. Just thinking about this stuff made him feel like a great weight had manifested atop his back.

Moonlight clucked her tongue thoughtfully as she considered her response. The tells were subtle, but she was fairly certain that Thomas was overthinking things again, and not in the good way. As his mare, she owed it to herself and him to ease his worries as swiftly and honestly as possible. “I guess that makes sense.”

Thomas allowed himself to breathe, though not by much. The weight also diminished just a little, granting him the hope of relief.

“I assume he’ll be granted covert guards as well.”

Luna, who had been quietly observing, nodded. “There will.”

Moonlight heaved a sigh. “Then, so long as he’s properly protected, I guess I’m fine with it.”

Are you really? Thomas wondered. That sigh didn’t exactly sound fine. Then again, is my presumption making me biased? He looked to the other mares to gauge their reactions. Based on the direction of their ears, Honey and Silver were only half paying attention. Surprise was rolling on her back with her arms and legs tucked in in an imitation of a cat batting at an invisible piece of string. If there was tension in the room, they didn’t seem aware of it. Certain that he’d be unable to speak up on his own, Thomas quietly hoped Moonlight might break this (imagined) tension by elaborating further.

“Will Thomas go in disguise?” Surprise asked, still playing the cat.

“Why?” Thomas replied, although he already had a few ideas forming.

“Like that thing at the zoo where that dumb butt tried to say you were an animal,” Surprise elaborated. “Stuff like that keeps happening when there’s no Princess or visible guard around. It’s no wonder you almost never go out.”

Thomas reluctantly nodded, finding no fault in her logic.

“But nothing like that has happened recently, has it?” Silver inquired. “Surely Canterlot must be used to seeing you by now.”

“If they ain’t, they never will be if ya keep goin’ out in disguise,” Honey added. “Plus some ponies jus’ got manure fer brains ‘n’ manners. Best ta jus’ get use’ t’ ‘em while ya can.”

“I think you should decide,” Luna said to Thomas. “It is your life, after all.”

Thomas nodded and mulled it over. As uncomfortable as those encounters were, they weren’t nearly as bad as the quiet crisis he’d just endured. His breathing had already eased with its passing. Not to mention that it really had been a while since the last time; not counting that uptight con snob, which only proved looking like a pony wasn’t a perfect shield against the judgement of others. Thinking more on the matter, between this and his newfound freedom to share the future, he wondered if this was part of some test on Luna’s part to better himself. Oddly, thinking of it as a sort of obligation, and one that really seemed to be for his own good, made the decision just a little easier to make.

“I think I’ll try going out as me.”

Moonlight reached over and gripped his shoulder. Her smile was proud.

Thomas returned a grateful grin of his own, now fully certain that Moonlight wasn’t bothered about them splitting up on occasion.

**********

Following the creation of the schedule and submitting it to Smokey’s office, the harem decided to give this exercise a test run. They’d go out, but they didn’t really have any destinations in mind. They just figured they’d split up, take in the sights, and see what happened.

Thomas and Silver headed roughly west, choosing to walk and take in the city like proper citizens. Thomas wore blue jeans and a white t-shirt while Silver, not wanting to be outclassed, went butt naked.

“I still don’t see how that’s classier than actually wearing something,” Thomas remarked as they walked along.

“It’s a matter of how one presents themselves,” Silver lectured. “By going out like this, with no fancy ware, baubles, or my uniform to draw attention, I’m saying to the world that I am comfortable as I am and that there is nothing significant happening in my life at this time. My figurative voice is quiet and polite, so as to not disturb others. By contrast,” she gestured at Thomas with a grimace. “Wearing that in public is like denouncing public opinion entirely. You prioritize personal comfort, have no concern for fashion trends, and you want everypony to know.”

Thomas nodded as he listened. “But… that’s true. I don’t care. And how is that different from you,” he gestured back, “saying you don’t care?”

“It’s a matter of tone, darling. I am quietly and politely saying that all is well, while you might as well be shouting for all to hear how little you care about their opinions. Which in itself is a little hypocritical, since you want them to know, and therefore do care.”

Befuddled, Thomas looked around the street. Given that this was Canterlot, it was little surprise to see how many pedestrians were wearing fancy clothing or jewelry. Most were naked, or very nearly so with only bits of jewelry or small articles of clothing to cover themselves. Those on the job were distinguished by their work uniforms, which mostly consisted of shirts or neckwear to indicate their place of employment. Still, it wasn’t too hard for Thomas to spy at least a few ponies in similar casual dress. He pointed them out.

“That only proves my point,” Silver argued. “Take that one there. Her mane looks like it hasn’t seen a comb in weeks. And those pants are awfully wrinkled. I hesitate to go near, lest we see how deeply its stained,” she added with a shudder.

“That sounds kind of stereotypical,” he noted. Although he wasn’t 100% on if this was an actual stereotype or not. “Maybe she’s into punk rock and that’s her concert outfit? Then those piercings would probably make sense.”

Silver looked at Thomas like he’d just pissed on her ancestor’s grave. “And that’s… better?”

Thomas laughed. He wasn’t familiar enough with local stereotypes about fans of different music genres to argue one way or the other, so he figured he’d change the subject. “Okay, but what about him? Casual shirt, laid back posture, and… possibly stoned expression. That’s just a guy going about his business without a care.”

“Well he should care,” Silver countered. “What you call ‘laid back’, I call impending back problems and a permanent slump.”

At her accusatory stare, Thomas rolled his shoulders back and straightened his own posture just a bit, playing it off as if he hadn’t just given in to peer pressure. “But that just proves my point that he doesn’t care. He’s not doing this for any kind of special attention. He’s just having a night to himself, probably planning on meeting up with friends or-”

Thomas’ rationalization stalled when a couple mares approached the stallion. They were giggling and one was acting a little bashful. It seemed likely that this was not a planned meeting between old friends. The human looked to Silver, hoping her superior hearing might lend some insight into what was being said. However, the man tensed when he beheld the mare’s smug grin. It didn’t take a genius to guess what she’d heard, but she explained anyway.

“They like his style,” she said in a whispering boast. “They think he’s cool,” she said in air quotes, “for not caring what others think, and hope he’ll join them for a meal.”

The stallion flipped his mane in that iconic ‘I don’t care’ manner, wrapped his arms around both mares’ shoulders, and allowed them to lead him off.

“He agreed,” Silver narrated patronizingly, “and looks rather pleased with himself. One might even think that was his intent all along.”

Fearing that he was on the verge of losing the argument, Thomas quickly changed the subject. “That’s not going to happen to me, is it? I mean, I’m not going to get propositioned like that, am I?”

Silver regarded him quizzically. “You mean you haven’t, already?”

Thomas shook his head. “Then again, I guess I’ve always been with an armored guard, a loudmouth griffon, or a Princess, so my frame of reference is probably a little skewed.”

Silver nodded absently. “I should say so. But with those things gone, I’d say it’s only a matter of time before some brave mare works up the nerve to ask you out.”

“You think so?”

Silver scoffed. “That had better be ignorance and not false modesty,” she warned. “A towering hunk like Big Plow is pretty universally desired. If a stallion is featured on the cover of a fashion magazine, four times out of five he has biceps bigger than either of our hips.” She gestured down for emphasis. “But that sort of body is untenable for most, making stallions like Captain Shining Armor far more approachable.” She paused a second to look her partner over. “You are more of the bookish, pretty colt type. It’s more of a niche appeal, but it really tingles at a mare’s instincts to protect and care for her stallion.”

Thomas laughed. He’d heard some of this before, but now he was having mixed feelings about his ‘appeal’ applying to strangers. “So if that happens, I just tell them I’m already in a herd?”

Silver nodded. “Yes, but don’t think that will be the end of it.”

“How so?”

“A follow up question you should expect will be who your lead mare is. Anypony who hasn’t been living under a rock for the last few months should know that you’re in Luna’s harem, but they’re less likely to know you’re already herded.”

Thomas opened his mouth to ask for further elaboration, but then he thought it over. “Because being part of a couple won’t be much of a turnoff.”

Silver grinned and nodded her satisfaction. “Quite the opposite. Mares tend to find herded stallions more attractive than single ones.”

“It’s the same with human women.”

Silver frowned her puzzlement. “But I thought you humans only did pairings.”

“We do, but I’ve heard about studies saying that knowing that a man is desired by one tends to make him more desirable to others.”

“Then, if the desired male is already in a relationship, that means outside females are driven to poach them?”

“If I’m understanding the terms, then yeah. Pretty much.”

Silver shook her head. “With all due respect, you humans are weird.”

“Preaching to the choir,” Thomas exhaled, wrapping an arm around Silver and pulling her close. “Or is this the case of the pot calling the kettle black?”

Silver straightened, her expression twisting to look especially snobbish and just a tiny bit scornful. “And what, pray tell, makes you call me a hypocrite?”

“For one thing, I don’t think I’ve ever used that idiom with you before, and yet you know it. Considering where I’m from, that’s pretty weird.”

Silver scoffed. “You can’t blame that on me, or anypony for that matter. That’s a peculiarity that spans both our wor-homes,” she corrected, her ears swiveling about anxiously, “but that doesn’t make my culture weird.”

“You guys put jewelry on your junk and brag about it,” Thomas countered confidently.

Silver pursed her lips. “Okay, that might be a little bit odd, but there’s a cultural context you’re ignoring.”

“And there’s a biological context with humans.”

“There’s a biological context for infidelity?” Silver asked skeptically.

Thomas shrugged. “Kinda. See, humans evolved from apes, most of which organize themselves to have one or a few alpha males taking all the ladies for themselves. The females go along with this to ensure that their offspring get the strongest genes-”

“Jeans?” Silver cut in, gesturing down to Thomas’ pants.

“Genetics,” he corrected, noticing how her ears had fully swiveled forward to listen. “The traits passed on from parent to child. Anyway, the female’s offspring get that advantage, but she gets left out having to share the one guy with, like, twenty others females. Over time, humans evolved to select for more than just the biggest and strongest males, but those with a willingness to look after both her and her kids. Eventually this proved to be the most successful strategy for the species, with two parents being fully invested in the upbringing and care of their shared children.”

Silver didn’t answer right away. “That’s… fascinating. It really is, and I’m surprised human records go back that far. But what does that have to do with poaching?”

“First of all, it’s not a record. Our scientists observe the behavior of other apes and use that as a basis to infer how humans developed. One famous example is an experiment where they gave a coin to a chimp.”

“What happened?”

Thomas smiled at how engrossed Silver was. A part of him wondered if she was just faking to be polite, but that part was tiny and easily ignored. “He gave it to a female in exchange for sex, effectively proving prostitution is, in fact, the world’s oldest profession.”

Silver chuckled.

“As for the poaching thing, I guess it boils down to a conflict of old and new instincts and survival strategies. The woman wants the most capable man she can get, and knowing that another woman has claimed him tells the first woman that he’s worthy of at least some attention. At the same time, despite monogamy being the best strategy, humans still have those instincts to strive to be the alpha male and,” he hesitated, “spread our seed around to ensure our lineage is passed on.”

Silver clucked her tongue as she processed this. “Okay. I suppose I understand the context, but that doesn’t make your species any less weird. You should just pick a strategy and stick to it.”

“Old and new instincts. Old customs and new laws. Throw in recent technology trends that are proven to be detrimental to social relations, yet indispensable for economic growth, and you get a giant cluster ef that just gives everyone a headache.”

“Nothing you’ve said has proven ponies are even remotely as weird as humans.”

“No, but I did keep you distracted long enough for us to get away from the clothing stores. Now you can’t take me clothes shopping.”

Silver’s eyes snapped open and she spun around. The surrounding buildings were mostly hotels and restaurants. When she turned back to face Thomas, she gave him an approving grin. “Well played.”

“Actually, this kinda reminds me of something Moonlight said earlier. Is it really normal for mares to,” he looked around and lowered his volume, “well, like to watch during sex?”

Silver shrugged. “I suppose. Is it different for humans?”

“Well, outside of watching porn, or doing other things that are generally frowned upon, yeah. But what I was getting at was how ponies have instincts that inform social behavior, too.”

“True, but that’s hardly comparable. Mares watching their stallions with other mares in the herd is conducive to a more healthy relationship.”

“Probably why you guys don’t get jealous like humans would, either.”

“But then it’s as you said regarding your people finding the best strategy for survival. We’re different species from different environments, so of course our social dynamics would develop differently.”

“What about other species? Minotaurs, diamond dogs, dragons, and so on. What are they like?”

Silver smiled ponderously. “I never really thought about it before. Hmm. Let me see.”

Thomas waited patiently as she thought.

“Well, I suppose diamond dogs are more like how you described apes with alpha and beta males. The top dogs rule with the largest herds – or packs in this case – while the weaker males get few to no mates at all. Minotaurs, I think, don’t have as wide a gap between the numbers of males and females. It’s still there, but I think females outnumber males at less than two to one. Sorry if I get anything wrong,” she laughed. “I’m certain we went over this in school, but it’s been years.”

“No problem,” Thomas allowed amicably. “We can probably look it up when we get back to the castle.”

“Or perhaps ask the diamond dogs in Celestia’s harem,” Silver countered excitably. “I don’t think we’ve ever formally met, and it could be an excuse to go see Tali again.”

Recalling the second friend he’d made since coming to Equestria made Thomas’ guts sink. They’d waved to one another in the halls and spoke a little during shared meals, but it hadn’t been the same. Thomas always had issues speaking up in groups unless he had a single person to focus on. Usually one or more of the mares on Luna’s side of the table would demand his attention while another of Celestia’s concubines would take Talon’s. All these factors combined simply made it too hard for him to speak up and get her attention. They just weren’t making time for each other like they used to. “Yeah. I guess it’s been a while.”

“Dragons, though,” Silver continued, not noticing Thomas’ funk, “aren’t as well-known. Most live in the Badlands to the south, but I think there are a few enclaves here in Equestria where they’re allowed to settle.”

“Allowed?”

“Dragons and ponies aren’t exactly on the best of terms. A few too many misunderstandings and accidents have made us rather wary of one another, leading to a lot of self segregation. At least that’s how my teacher put it.”

Thomas nodded. “Manehatten.”

“What?”

“There’s a dragon neighborhood in Manehatten. I don’t think it was worn down like a ghetto, but ponies were definitely ready to start blaming dragons at the drop of a hat. Speaking of which,” Thomas shook his hand as he recalled, “Someone should really put in a call to… I guess pest control and tell them to be on the lookout for fire snails. Or maybe it was slugs?”

Silver blinked, taken aback. “Is this one of your…” she trailed off, her implications clear.

“I read it in a comic,” Thomas answered, grinning at the absurdity of it all. “The comics are considered B-canon, which I guess makes them even less reliable than what I know about the show.”

“Do the Princesses know?”

“Hmm. Actually, no. I don’t think I remembered that part. Mostly just the big, cataclysmic stuff. But thanks for reminding me. Later I’ll give the Princesses the full details and they can send the letter.” His brow quirked when he noticed Silver laughing. “What?”

“Di-did I just accidentally save Manehatten by reminding you of a comic book?” she asked with incredulous mirth.

“Um, from a potential race riot, yeah.”

Silver shook her head, still chortling. “That’s… I’m not sure whether to feel proud for helping others, or roll my eyes at just how ridiculous the methods were. Er, no offense.”

“Hey, none taken. It’s nice to have someone else know how silly I feel sometimes.”

Silver made another thoughtful hum and pressed her shoulder to Thomas’ as they walked along. “This is nice.”

Thomas froze internally, suffering from a momentary critical failure of higher brain functions, commonly known as a brain fart. “Um, yeah.”

“I mean that it’s nice for us to spend some private time together like this. We almost never get the chance.”

“Is there even such a thing as ‘private’ in a harem?”

“You know what I mean,” Silver chided good-naturedly. “You and I almost never have any personal time and it made me worry that, perhaps, we weren’t as close as we could be.”

Thomas heard the vulnerability in Silver’s words and immediately wrapped his hand around her far shoulder. He said nothing, thinking the mare just wanted him to listen.

“I like talking to you. Your social awareness is lacking, but in every other way you’re a lot smarter than you seem to believe. As bad as it might sound, I feel like I can have more intelligent conversations with you than some of the others.”

“And Luna?”

Silver made a ‘don’t go there’ face. “With her, there’s hardly much comparison, nothing I can really say that she does not already know. Sometimes I even get the feeling she holds back to make the rest of us feel better.”

Thomas nodded. “I think I’ve noticed that, too.”

“With her it can sometimes feel like I’m being lectured, not that I mind, of course,” Silver amended quickly. “If I was ever to be lectured, it might as well be by the voice of a goddess. And do not mistake me for being snobbish. I know the others have their areas of expertise, but I had always felt you and I were, well, closer to the same level.”

“You mean besides height-wise,” Thomas added with a wry grin, followed by a pained huff when he was deservedly hip checked.

“You also have wit, even if you lack the wisdom to use it properly,” Silver countered with playful warning. Then her expression softened. “I would like to talk more with you, and on matters besides the intellectual.”

“Okay,” Thomas agreed. He liked talking with Silver, too, and the whole point of these dates was to try and see more sides of each other. “About what?”

Put on the spot, Silver had to pull back and think a moment. She thought and thought, and then hissed under her breath. “I’m thinking, but I keep going back to ideas that just seem too brainy.”

“That could also be fun,” Thomas suggested. “A genre that’s always really fascinated me was alternate history stories. You take a critical historical event, change things up, and then just build a world based on that change.”

Silver smiled appreciatively. “Okay, that does sound fun.” At Thomas’ gesturing, she realized he was putting the burden on her to choose the scenario. “Let’s see here. What… if… the Princesses never came to Equestria?”

“Okay, yeah!” Thomas beamed. “If I recall, the tribes had just agreed to start trying to cooperate to ward off the Wendigoes before settling this new land.”

Silver nodded. “Yes. Tensions were still high, though. Most of the weaker tribes died out or were absorbed because they couldn’t compete with the others.”

“But what if they didn’t?” Thomas argued. “While everyone else was grabbing for all the biggest pieces of real-estate, the smaller tribes all found more secluded spots where they could still thrive.”

“Exciting,” Silver tittered. “So then history goes on with unicorns still controlling the movements of the sun, moon, and stars.”

“Wasn’t there a problem with that, though? Like, moving the sun for a full day took a small group of unicorns, but left them permanently drained afterwards?”

Silver nodded. “True. Much knowledge and culture from the old world was lost in the migration. So, I suppose, are the unicorns destroyed?”

“That depends. How does the rest of the world cope with a stationary sun and moon?”

“I’m not sure it can. Nature depends too much on the day-night cycle. Without it, the world would either cook or freeze.”

“So then that doesn’t happen,” Thomas concluded. “How about if the unicorns just remembered to bring along their notes on safely moving the sun?”

“But then we have to make a second changed. I thought the idea was to only have one change.”

“It’s a snowball effect,” Thomas explained. “One change leads to another, but there’s really no point in any of this if it doesn’t serve the story.”

Silver still looked puzzled.

“Stories are meant to be told. Writers make stories in the hopes of finding an audience that wants to hear them. If there is no audience, the story has failed and either needs to be reworked or thrown out. For example: we don’t have to fully rewrite history. We could do a small scale short story that focuses on one or a group of survivors in a post-unicorn world. The snow is deep and the cold is biting. The survivors scavenge for what they can, and sometimes fight with other groups over dwindling resources. Old niceties are forgotten when survival until tomorrow is no longer certain. All the while there’s this somber tone that it’s all pointless. One day the last can of preserved food is going to be eaten, the last blanket will be too worn to be of any use, and then it’s all over.”

Silver blinked and pulled away. “That… was dark.”

Thomas grinned. “Thank you.”

Silver’s gaze turned wary. “That was not intended as a compliment.”

“But it kept your attention, didn’t it? I saw.” He indicated how her ears were facing him. “You were picturing the scene in your head. Now the idea just needs to be fleshed out with some colorful descriptions. Biting cold,” he repeated proudly. “That’s a good one.”

Silver glanced down at his hips. “You really ought to stitch a book or something onto your pants. Give ponies some warning before you start doing,” she gestured generally at him, “that.”

Thomas’ look of smug satisfaction was almost slappable. “Heh. Probably. But that’s the process of making a story. Instead of saying ‘but’, you say ‘and then.’ There’s no solution to a lack of unicorns, and then what happens?”

Silver made a face. “I think I understand the concept, but can we make the story a happier one instead?”

“Happy or sad; what really matters in a story is whether or not it’s interesting,” Thomas asserted. “A story can even be good if it’s frustrating. Like, if there’s a character about to do something stupid or horrible. Others are explaining why they shouldn’t be doing this thing, but it’s just not clicking with them. Then they do the thing, and you’re left stunned, maybe a little angry. I’ve read stories like that that’ve stayed with me for days after. And I go back because, sometimes, you just get in the mood to have that kind of experience.”

“And this is the experience I get from talking to you in private,” Silver stated conclusively. “I guess I can see the appeal,” she allowed.

Thomas nodded gladly. “And so now, because my audience demands it, I try and reshape the story to something happier.”

“Yes, please!” Then she spied a café. “But first, perhaps a snack?”

They sat at one of the outdoor tables and placed their orders. Silver had tea and a cinnamon roll while Thomas got milk and a doughnut.

“He seemed nice,” Silver commented.

Thomas took a second look at the stallion who had just taken their orders. While a little surprised at first, he didn’t look in any other way upset at Thomas’ appearance. “Yeah. I guess.”

“What?” Silver asked at Thomas’ odd grin.

“I was just remembering times when I went out to eat with my parents. My mom would always let me know whenever she thought a waitress looked cute.”

Silver tapped her fingers on the table. “Because… she was trying to set you up?”

“Bingo!”

“I’m learning,” she lightly cheered and gave herself a small applause. “But is parental involvement a regular part of human courtship?”

“It’d probably be better described as nagging,” Thomas corrected. “That’s what happens when you’re pushing thirty without any romantic prospects, all while your parents are getting anxious for grandkids.”

“Ah. That would be a commonality between our cultures,” Silver laughed. She then thanked the waiter when he brought back their orders and sipped her tea. “It’s not like I’m avoiding trying to start my own heard. I just… have yet to meet the right ponies.”

“I was avoiding. Didn’t think I had anything to really offer a relationship. Not to mention I was pretty set in the bachelor life of paying rent to keep living with my parents.”

“To the single life.” Silver held out her cup.

Thomas returned the gesture and clinked the pieces of porcelain together in a toast. “You were great while you lasted.” And the pair downed their drinks.

Silver grinned mischievously. “You know, if we were both mares, this would be the part where one of us proposes we should team up to find a stallion together.”

Thomas chuckled and decided a faux song was in order. “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do thaaat!”

Silver giggled back. “Fair enough.”

The pair ate in silence for a while. With nothing else to preoccupy his time, Thomas scarfed down his doughnut like it would expire any second. He thought on Silver’s words. He thought deeply on them. Then a question occurred, followed by a question on if it was even appropriate for him to ask her. After a bit more thinking, Thomas decided to see just how close he and Silver were. “This is purely hypothetical,” he prefaced after washing down the last of his doughnut. “I’m not proposing anything, so feel free to stop me if this gets… weird.”

Silver nodded, curious as to what would have gotten him so anxious.

“So, hypothetically speaking,” Thomas reminded, “why exactly can’t we be in a herd?”

Silver stopped chewing. She stared blankly across the table at Thomas for several long seconds. Then she swallowed.

“Dumb questions?” he asked, already fearing the worst had come to pass.
“No! Not at all,” she assured. “You just caught me off guard a little.”
“So there is some kind of-”

“Zip!” she instructed, making a zipping motion over her lips. “Let me finish. First of all, that’s very sweet of you to propose.”

Thomas’ insides were turning over themselves. He recognized that tone all too well from countless bad romances on TV and movies. Any minute now, she’d deliver a ‘but’ like a swift kick in the pants.

“A stallion making the proposal is a little uncommon, but there’s nothing wrong with it in principle. And if we were just two old friends looking to settle down, I might give it some serious thought. However-”

Here it comes, Thomas dreaded.

“-I think I just prefer you as a friend.”

Thomas continued staring stoically at the mare, waiting for the boot heel to step on his heart, or whatever cheesy metaphor might be used in this situation. None came. He just kept on feeling anxious worry that he’d messed up royal.

“I can tell you’re asking from a good place,” Silver continued. “Probably even the same kind of place if we were both mares. And as much as I love you, I’m afraid I just don’t see us as having that kind of relationship.”

The mention of the L word eased some of Thomas’ tension and he smiled gratefully, but there was more that needed to be said. “Do you think you could help talk me through this?”

Silver nodded and reached over to grab Thomas’ hand. “We’re in a harem together. We’ve been about as intimate as any creatures can hope to be with one another. As I said earlier, you are fun to talk to. However, if I try and imagine us sharing a grocery bill in addition to a bed, I’m afraid there’s just nothing there.”

Thomas nodded. On the scale of domestic living, he thought, bill sharing was at a substantially higher level than bed sharing. “I think I see what you mean.”

“I don’t want there to be any hard feelings between us,” Silver added urgently.

Thomas rubbed his thumb over her hand and gave her a contented smile. “There aren’t. I’m also happy with the way things are between us, even if I don’t fully get it sometimes.”

“You’re no longer avoiding it,” Silver observed. “You see a pretty mare, and you pop the question. That’s not something the old you would ever do, is it?”

Thomas blinked down at their conjoined hands. “Yeah. It’s kind of nice thinking about how much I’ve grown since coming here. It might not be much, but it’s something.”

“Have I grown any since we’ve met?”

Thomas twisted his face in a look of deep thought. He even stuck his tongue out the side of his mouth and hummed louder than he really needed to. “Well, I guess you’ve got less of a stick up your butt.”

Silver huffed and looked away.

“I mean it. You’re a lot more laid back than before. More confident, too. Compared to the old you, new you can actually go up to Luna, ask her any old question, and not stutter once.”

Silver allowed a faint smile to touch her lips. “Okay. That is something to be proud of.”

“Also, in living with a bunch of perverts, you can write home about how your sexual literacy has surpassed the rest of your family.”

Silver tittered, but the grin she turned back on him was unsettlingly wicked. “You think I haven’t already?”

Thomas grinned and nodded back. “Touché.”

In hindsight, I might have delivered the welcome party a bit too soon. I look back at Silver’s training and everything just seems so much better paced. Granted, there was a lot more going on there, and all of the characters have grown a bit since then, but I still can’t shake the feeling of Honey and Surprise being a little rushed. Additionally, these date stories provide a lot more opportunity to play around with the characters in these smaller groupings.