"Connor, darling! It's time for breakfast!" Rarity called, warbling happily as a songbird.

As lively and convincing the unicorn sounded, the colt was in no mood. Especially at a time like this. He felt like he was already decomposing in his spot. He felt so tired and dead after what happened last night: finding a runaway filly, vending off vicious timberwolves, losing a good amount of blood from being bitten by one, and apologizing for his wrongs to Sweetie Belle. He shifted in his mattress, curling up tighter. The muscles in his back strained from being tight during his deep sleep, and his limbs were creaking like door hinges that had not been oiled. He felt like a slug. He did not feel like getting up.

Then again, he could not say no to Rarity's delicious fried eggs, which filled his nostrils with its toasty, salty, and buttery aroma. Hell, who needed an alarm clock?

He kicked the blanket off of him and craned his neck toward his rump, arching his back. He straightened all of his legs and reached far in from if him. A long, throaty, strained groan rung in his closed mouth as he stretched. He hummed contenly, feeling his muscles grow warm and loose. He slowly sat up, either he was reluctant to leave his heavenly mattress, or he was feeling really heavy this morning.

He gave his back a scratch or two before standing up.

Wait... Why was his foreleg feeling itchy? He looked down to see a bandage wrapped tightly around his leg.

Oh yeah, it was the bandage from last night when he got hurt from vending off the timberwolves.

A bandage applied on by Fluttershy...

Fluttershy...

The mare who he cheated on by kissing Lily behind her back...

...

He heaved a loud sigh. What a thing to look forward to doing on a day like this. He clicked his tongue.

He knew he had to tell her that they were officially off the hook. Even though he really wanted to ask her to take him back, he knew it was not going to be possible. He was unworthy to be with her. Not just Fluttershy, but Li--...

Oh, God... This day could not feel any more pleasant than it already seemed. He had to apologize to Lily, too. He had to let her know that they were going to be off the hook as well. He wondered how she was going to take it. Would she cry again? Would she be angry? Would she see him as Fluttershy saw him? It was such a shame. She seemed like such a nice mare, too. However, he knew he was unworthy for her, too. He felt it would be an insult to injury to break up with Fluttershy and then start dating Lily directly afterwards. He could not live with that. It would be best knowing that he did not deserve either of them.

"Darling, hurry please! Your eggs are getting cold!" Rarity called from the kitchen.

"Coming!"

Let the day begin...

"Well, here you are, Sweetie Belle," he said. His chest puffed out and his jaw clenched, stifling a loud yawn residing in his throat. "Have fun at school today..."

...

"Uhh, Sweetie Belle? You're here."

The filly sighed happily through her nostrils. Her cheek was pressed onto his side. A tiny squeak chirped from behind her closed lips as she felt his fur comb through hers. She lifted herself up onto the tips on her hooves as she nuzzled deeper into the colt's hide, elated to be this close to him again.

The colt smiled. At least he would have one pony to still appreciate him after he consorts with Lily and Fluttershy for a final time. With her attitude around him, it would get him out of this funk quicker than he could imagine. He hoped so.

The colt slung his forearm around the filly's neck and reeled her in for an appreciative hug. Sweetie Belle's forelegs instantly wrapped around his neck, more than willing to join in. Connor rested his cheek on top of her mane, nuzzling the top of her head lightly. He could feel the filly's eyelashes brush against his neck, giving him a single, slight butterfly kiss. She looked up to him with her eyes twinkling with glee and smitten love. Her smile was as always adorably innocent and irresistible to ignore. Connor chuckled through his nose, smiling warmly. Sweetie Belle frowned at the sight of his expression. Sure, there was a smile, but not a very happy one. His eyebrows were tilted and relaxed.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asked.

"I'll be fine, Sweetie Belle. Don't worry about me," he replied with a consoling grin. "Now, get going. You don't want to be late for school. I'll be right here to pick you up."

"Really? The Crusaders and I were going to be meeting at the clubhouse right after school. So, you don't really have to pick me up."

"Oh! Okay," he nodded.

"But I'll see you again today, right?" she smiled in hope.

"Of course. I'm always here."

They pulled each other back in for a final hug before Sweetie Belle skipped happily toward the school.

However, she was not looking on where she was going.

"Hey! Watch it, Sweat--!"

"Oh! Hey, Diamond Tiara! How are you?" the white unicorn smiled.

"Fine. Now, watch where you're going next ti--."

"That's good, that's good! Great! Hey, can I talk to you for a quick moment?"

The rich, pink filly sputtered for an answer, but the unicorn didn't let her answer.

"Great! So about my secret you told to Miss Cheerilee..." Sweetie Belle started.

Diamond Tiara snorted in humor. So, the white filly was going to blubber while asking why the tiara-wearing pony spilled the beans. Well, she was not blubbering now, but she would eventually. Diamond Tiara could wait for that. It would be worth it.

"Yes?" she insisted the unicorn to finish her statement with a conceited and predictable smirk on her face.

"Remind me again, why did you tell her? Just why?"

"Oh, you don't know?" she smiled slyly.

"Is it because you want to be friends with me?"

"Uhh, yaa--!" She froze, petrified in sudden surprise. "Wait... What??"

"With the help of the class and Miss Cheerilee, you wanted to let me know that there was nothing wrong with falling in love with a colt who is older than me, because you wanted to be my friend?"

"Wh--! No, I--!"

"Oh, Diamond Tiara! If you wanted to be my friend, then why didn't you say so? All you had to do was ask, instead of being so unsubtle, nasty, and mean about it," Sweetie Belle smiled.

Diamond Tiara's mind was tangled in a mixture of surprise and the self-agrument of whether this was real or not. No words escaped from her mouth, except for "Uh--! Bluh! D'er!"

What set her off the most was feeling Sweetie Belle's forelegs wrapping around her as she reeled her in for a hug.

"It's okay, Diamond... I forgive you," she said, not letting go. "I should apologize, too. I'm sorry for saying all of those things about you in that letter. To think... All this time, we just seemed to be on the wrong track. We never really got to know each other like fate wanted us to. Oh, Celestia's mane, that was so sweet of you to do something so considerate for me!"

"I... I..." the pink pony stuttered. Her voice sounded gradually calmer than before.

"Here," Sweetie Belle said, breaking the hug without letting her hooves off of Diamond's shoulders. "After school, come over to the clubhouse with us. Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and me... We could do fun things together, play games, forget about all the things that happened in the past, and focus on rebuilding our friendship for the sake of the future. Are you in?"

"Er..."

"Great! Oh, thank you, Diamond Tiara! You won't regret this! I'll see you later!"

With that, Sweetie Belle skipped happily away and into the school building, leaving a flabbergasted pink pony standing in front of the doorway.

"Ugh, what a weirdo..." she rolled her eyes.

She fixed her mane and straightened her shining tiara. Regaining her posture, she trotted in like a royal mare would approach a banquet.

However, as prissy and snobby as she tried to look on the outside, nothing seemed to hide the blushing dimples of her long-lost, heartfelt smile. Sweetie Belle, sitting on the other side of the room, giggled warmly.

Lie or not, you're going to get what you wished for, Diamond Tiara. You'll thank me later, she smiled, snuggling her rump into her desk seat, which was warmed by the sunlight.

Connor let out a huge yawn just after he freshly sat upon the park bench. His head nodded, feeling heavy and unsupported like a bowling ball placed on top of a podium made of jelly. He arched back forward, trying to stretch out the remaining muscles that he failed to reach the first time he stretched. Celestia's bright sun made his tired eyes cringe and twitch. He wanted to spared from the bright rays and the reflecting light coming off of the ground. He shut his eyes and kept them closed for only a few seconds. Wow, did it feel nice to look into the darkness. He could stay in there for hours.

Suddenly, his head tipped quickly to one side, startling him awake. A breathy sigh of disappointment escaped his throat.

Tired, depressed, and feeling feeble... What a day so far...

"Hello, Connor! Fancy seeing you again!" said a cheerful voice right next to him, which made him jump.

"Oh! Lily, uhh... Hi," he said nervously, shy to look into her bright, gleaming, yellow eyes of newfound love.

"It's such a lovely morning, don't you think? The perfect day for blooming." She bit her lip, waiting excitedly for him to notice her subtlety.

"Uhh, yeah..."

She frowned at the sound of his low level of enthusiasm. "Is something wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

He sighed. "To be blunt, no."

Lily gasped. "Oh, you're not? I'm sorry about that! Maybe..." she said, scooting closer to him. "This will help?"

The pink mare slithered her forelegs around his shoulders and his back and placed her cheek in the crook between his neck and shoulder, nuzzling warmly. Emerging from the small breeze she was making from shaking her head was the scent of lilac perfume. He felt her head roll back, looking up at him.

"Feeling better?"

"Hmmm..." he shrugged pessimistically.

"Aww..." Her ears folded behind her scalp in hurt. Then, her ears snapped back up, and her half-open eyes stared into his. A clever smile formed on her lips. "Well, how about this?" She closed her eyes, puckered her lips, and leaned slowly toward him. An eager moan sounded in her mouth as she neared him.

Connor lifted his hoof and pressed it against her lips, stopping her halfway. Her eyes opened, shifting from his hoof to his eyes in confusion and surprise.

"Lily," he said, not taking his hoof off her moist lips. "We need to talk."

She released her lips from his hoof with a kiss. "Sure, honey! I'm all ears. What do you want to talk about?"

Connor swung his hind legs that hung from the bench as he stared into the space in front of him. Not taking his eyes off of it, he heaved a depressed sigh through his nostrils. She swallowed the excess saliva he did not need in his mouth. His eyes slowly shut as he counted to three.

Here goes... he thought to himself before speaking. "Lily... I can tell that you're a really, really, nice mare. Really pretty, too, believe me."

"Mm-hmm?" she asked with a lovey-dovey smile on her face.

"But... I... We... We can't be together..."

The hiatus of her smooth breathing made him look her way again. Her eyes widened in hurt and surprise. "Wh... What?"

"We can't be together, Lily..."

"I..." she stammered, shaking her head. "What makes you say that? I don't understand!"

"That day when I kissed you..."

"Wh-wh-what about it?" she squeaked in worry. "What was wrong with it? Oh, Celestia! Did I forget to brush my teeth then? I'll make it up to you!"

Oh, God, here we go... Lily was in the state of panic already. Bargaining... Pleading for mercy... Connor could tell that she was not going to take this easily, especially when she believed that she had finally found true love.

"No, Lily," he tittered lightly in his breath. "It is not like that. Trust me. Your breath was fine. It's just... I was already in a relationship when I did it."

Lily's face widened in surprise. "Y... You were?? With who?"

"Fluttershy..." he sighed. "You know her, right?"

She was about to say "no", until a memory played in her mind, causing her to fall silent. She remembered being behind a bunch of ponies that were crowding around Connor in his new pony form.

"Since I'm a pony now, I can walk like you, talk like you, eat like you, and... I don't have to feel awkward in doing this," he said, raising a flirtatious eyebrow at the very end.

He slung his foreleg around Fluttershy's neck and yanked her in, having their muzzles meet in a long, deep kiss.

Fluttershy's surprised squeak was muffled in her mouth. Her cheeks burned like fire, acknowledging the kiss of her favored former human. Her eyes fluttered shut as she willfully allowed the colt to have this very special moment with her. She cupped his cheek with her hoof, pulling his head in against hers to deepen the kiss.

Everypony surrounding them cooed in delight.

"Oh, dear..." she gasped, cupping her cheeks with the hallows of her hooves. "I can't believe that I had completely forgotten about that! I... I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, Connor! I should've--."

"No, Lily... It was my fault. I meant for that kiss to be only for comfort, so that you would not feel so sad anymore. At least, that was what I told myself at first... Nonetheless, I was foolish for underestimating the power of a single kiss. It was wrong of me to have lead you down this path. I am truly sorry, Lily..."

"Did she find out about it?"

"Yes..."

Her eyes shifted left and right quickly. "So... That means you two are broken up?"

"Yes, mostly... I still need to talk to her."

Lily's head darted left and right, confused and lost on what to say next. Should she apologize? Should she try to comfort him?

"Just because she broke up with me doesn't mean that I am going to start dating you," Connor sighed, hanging his head. "You and Fluttershy have a lot more worth than I do... You two are better than I am. I'm not worthy to date either one of you. I'm weak. If I can't control myself, then what's the point? I'm not worth your time. I'm really sorry to say this, but I'm not your true love. You're going to have to find somepony else. I wish you the best of the best luck finding him. Godspeed."

His face cringed in shame when he saw tears leaving her eyes. However, her expression was calmer than he thought it would be. Her bottom lip quivered and her eyes shut tight, squeezing out the available tears that were coating her eyes. She sniffed as she wiped a tear away with her pink foreleg.

"Yes. I know what you're thinking," the colt nodded in shame. "I'm just like that coltfriend you had before. Well, I won't argue with you. I will let you have that one..."

"No..." her voice croaked. "You're not like him. Other than the breaking up part, you are not like him at all." She sniffed before continuing. "At least you are... (sniff!) being courteous about it, unlike him."

"I'm glad, I guess..." he said.

"Thank you for telling me," Lily said as she wiped another tear off her cheek. "You were really brave and humble to think that way... Are you going to tell her all of this, too?"

Connor shifted in his seat. "Well," he said as he stared out in front of him. "I might throw in one last apology. I doubt she will take me back, though."

"Of course... She was your original fillyfriend, after all. You should still try to ask her back. If she doesn't... Just don't forget about her as a friend. Don't forget me as a friend. That will be the worst."

"I won't," the tan colt pushed a weak smile.

He shifted his rear off of the bench, landing on all of his hooves with near unison sound of clops. He stood in front of Lily, who was still wiping her tears away.

"Good-bye, Lily," he said softly.

His head leaned toward her and he planted a small kiss on her soft, salty cheek. Her perfume filled his nostrils with an alluring and crisp scent.

He turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Lily stopped him.

"Yes?"

"I... I forgive you... I forgot to mention it earlier. I'm sorry. It just slipped my little mind. Silly me," she chuckled under her sad tears.

Connor smiled feebly, feeling a small spark of comfort within his conscience. What a patient and thoughtful girl...

"Thank you, Lily..."

"Well, whoodathunk it? Look who's back to bother Fluttershy even more! Haven't you learned anything?"

"You're wasting your breath. You already know what she is going to say to you."

"Preaching to the choir here! Hellooooo?"

"Good luck. You're gonna need it, all right."

"You're still going to be alone after this. Forever alone."

Connor swore to God that Fluttershy's cottage's windows were haunted. Their ethereal voices rung loud and clear in his head as if ghosts were shouting directly from behind them. His heart sank when he looked upon the cottage. Ever since Fluttershy found out about his act of disloyalty, the cottage looked sadder every day. The roof's edges were overlapping the walls of the cottage like melting ice cream. The wood has lost its chocolate-brown color, making the lonely abode look more grey and flavorless. The long, feathery blades of grass blew, subordinate to the direction the breeze was blowing toward.

He swore he heard Fluttershy's sniffling as the wind blew past his ears, passing through the empty canals. He did not bother to itch his ears. Of course it was his mind playing tricks on him. He knew the outcome was still going to be depressing. However, he admitted that the ghostly sniffling was pushing it a little too much.

His foreleg felt frozen and immovable like it was frozen in a thick shell of cement. HIs reluctant mind was rearing to go, but his legs stayed put. He had to do this. There was no turning back. He bared his teeth and expelled a strained grunt from his chest like he was trying to pull a cart carrying a twenty-four pack of one hundred pound dumbbells.

His foreleg finally lifted itself from the ground and landed two inches more in front of his other foreleg.

One step down... A lot more to go...

If he were racing a turtle with the current speed he was in now, the turtle would win.

Like the one that was walking directly next to him right now.

Wait, maybe it was a tortoise. Hell if he should know...

Connor grunted frustratedly as he picked up the pace, passing by it quickly. He looked pathetic enough. He did not want the shelled reptile to push it over the line.

Each step he took, the cottage grew and grew, looking more menacing and overwhelmingly depressing at the same time. The dark windows glared down at him like hungry, grisly condors. He could still hear their voices in his head.

"You just don't learn, do you?"

"Whatever... Do what you feel. It's not like you are wasting time or anything."

"A gambler, huh? I like your guts, but this isn't worth your effort."

"If you want to spare yourself from anymore pain, then by all means, turn around and go back where you came from."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up, shutupshutupshutupshutup..." the colt mumbled, shaking the voices out of his head. "No matter what you say, I'm still going to do it. She needs to know that it's official. I won't allow her to live without knowing it. So, screw you..."

...

"And I'm talking to lifeless windows..." he grumbled. "You're such a mental case, Connor."

He looked up from the ground and saw the front door within a foreleg's reach. He swallowed his nervousness, and steadily lifted his foreleg to knock.

Damn it. It was that encased-in-a-concrete-shell feeling again. His hoof trembled, trying to fight against his mind.

Knock...

Knock on the door...

Just knock on the door, damn it...

His jaw clenched.

Connor, you're making yourself look like a child! Knock on the goddamn door! Be a freakin' stallion! his conscience shouted.

His hoof flinched spasmodically, rhythmically knocking the wooden surface of the door. When it resided, he heard an ethereal echo whisper behind it. His innards tingled as they cringed in uneasiness. He briskly put his forehoof down. He rocked in his place slowly like a boat afloat in the ocean. He could feel a sea of excess saliva rise in his mouth. He swallowed it all, and it slithered down his throat. He found it pretty difficult, since he felt nauseous from nerves already.

Cloppa-cloppa-cloppa-cloppa...

His ears twitched violently at the sound of gentle hoofs landing on top of the hardwood floors inside. His eyes shut tightly. She sounded so graceful. How he will miss hearing such gracefulness whisper in his ears.

The door creaked open by a crack. His stomach flipped when he saw pink and yellow colors through it. As it widened, he could feel his eyes moisten bit by bit. This would be the very last time he would see her again as his fillyfriend.

The door was fully open. All of Fluttershy was in front him, except for her eyesight. Her front hoof was brushing over her eyes, wiping away the dampness from her face. The poor thing... She was crying before he even started talking. She lowered her foreleg and looked up to see Connor stand in her doorway. She inhaled through her nose, gasping in surprise. She stepped back slightly.

What the colt saw before him made his heart sink. Her eyes were shimmering from the coat of tears that still resided. Next to the mesmerizing color of her turquoise irises were growing shades of red. The fur on her cheeks were haggard and clung together with her tears. There were massive bags under her eyes, sin galling to the colt that she had done a good amount of crying before he got here.

The two ponies stood, still as statues. One did not move to immediately start talking, and the other did not bother to close the door in the other's face.

Connor did not want to look into her eyes for too long. He did not want to look greedy, grabby, and desperate. His head tilted down, breaking the line of sight between him and his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend. However, he did not intend to not look at her at all. His eyes meekly shifted back up to look at Fluttershy.

"Hey..." he said.

A coo escaped her throat, meekly replying, "Hello". Her eyes shifted away briskly before returning to look in his.

"Wh... What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I... just want to talk to you..." he said, staring at the ground again.

He took a deep breath. Very polite of her to not shut the door on him before he began.

"I... I have been thinking. That goes without saying... I just think that... Well..."

He was fumbling with his choice of words. What was his problem? He was able to tell Lily all of this, but why couldn't he do so now to Fluttershy?

"I... Well, I know you've heard me say this before, but... I am really sorry about this. The pain I have caused onto you. You do not deserve this. I should be the one to suffer. None of this was your fault; it was mine. I have realized now that I do not deserve you. You do not deserve me. You're too good for me. I am not worthy to be with such a beautiful, graceful, kind, loving, and caring pony like you. I am nothing more than a disloyal, back-stabbing, cheating waste of space. It would be better for us both if we were apart. Oil and water cannot go together. I'm not saying this because I'm going to date Lily from now on. I don't deserve her either. She doesn't deserve a pony who played with her heart, just like I did with yours. I would be better off if I was out from your sight for good."

He shyly kicked around a loose stone on the ground with his hoof before he resumed.

"I won't beg to take me back. I'm going to let you decide. Only you and no pony else. This is your decision alone. If you take me back, then... well, you know. We're back. If you don't, then I completely understand. I will respect your decision. What'll it be?"

It felt as if all of nature around them silenced itself just for this moment. Connor looked into her eyes, which were filling up with tears. She bit her bottom lip, stifling its quivering. The colt's face remained blank. He did not want to smile, pout, or give her any puppy eyes. It would be rude to place more pressure onto a pony who was already battered with so much of it before.

Her head shook gently left and right, hardly visible to any pony standing ten feet away.

Connor sighed through his nostrils. He was surprised that he did not feel any hint of defeat emerged from his heart, but he did not make it obvious. His face remained blank, only a little bit sadder. He looked away, nodding.

"Okay... You... You made your decision. I will not argue. I will respect it..." he said calmly. "However, let me say one last thing. I will never forget you as a friend. I will never forget everything we did together. We may forget each other, but we will not forget the wonderful memories we share. That would be the worst thing we could do. I wish you good luck in the future. I hope your next colt will treat you well."

He took a step closer to her. He lifted his hoof and pushed a loose strand of her pink, silky mane back into the mass where it came from.

"I guess... This means 'goodbye'," he breathily said.

Fluttershy said nothing, but looked into his eyes.

Connor ran his hoof down from her mane and onto her cheek, gently stroking it with one, steady swipe.

"Goodbye, my little pony..." he whispered.

After two seconds of staring into her eyes, he pulled away. His hoof remained on her cheek. As he backed away, his reach began to diminish. He released her cheek from the hollow of his hoof and his back turned toward her.

As he walked, his breathing became smoother, free of nerves and stress. He did what he did. She made her decision. It was official.

No longer were they together.

However, he knew that they will be together forever in memory...

A tearful squeak sounded behind Connor.

Suddenly, he found himself sprawling on the ground. His teeth clenched, fighting the throbbing pain that resided on his side, where he landed.

Damn it... He tripped over. What a way to break the mood.

He tried to get back up, but he was immediately pinned back down again. Her felt a pair of forelegs lasso around his collarbones and something slender put its weight down against his body, holding him firmly to the ground. He could feel something wet travel through the furs of his coat around his neck. He could feel whatever was on top of him shake and tremble. He could not see anything because of the dust that kicked up from his sudden fall. Frightened and confused, his head turned toward whatever was holding him down to the ground. He squinted as he tried to get a good look at what tackled him.

The dust cleared. He could see a yellow, slender body with a pink mane and tail on top of his side. The image of the butterflies on its flank shone brightly in pink and turquoise. He could feel the silky surface of its mane press against his cheek like a pillow. Tearful, denying squeaks vibrated through its lungs, coursing through Connor's body as well.

"Fluttershy??" he stammered in surprise. "What're y--? I thought you said you didn't--."

"No! No, no, no!" she cried into his neck. "No! No! No, I don't want you to leave! I don't want you to go! Please don't go! Please!"

She trailed off in a mess of blubbering and crying as she hugged around the collar of his neck tighter.

"Shhh... It's okay. It's okay, Fluttershy. Just hush now. Shhh..." Connor hushed her gently. "I though you said you didn't want to take me back."

Her crying had diminished to spasmodic and random sobs. Her breaths became smoother than just a few seconds ago.

"That's... That's the problem..." she squeaked. "Even though I was mad at you, I still could not forget you. I couldn't see myself with other colts. I didn't want to be with other colts; I wanted to be with you! Only you! But you..." she broke down into tearful moaning once again.

"Yes, I know," Connor said as he brushed his hoof along her mane. "And, I'm really sorry. I felt so bad after doing it. I underestimated the power of a single kiss. It was wrong of me to do such a thing."

Fluttershy whimpered. "It was... And you are an idiot for doing it... But, I forgive you..."

"Y... You do?" Connor blinked.

"Yes," she sniffed. "Do you forgive yourself?"

"Y... Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then, it's settled!" she looked at him with a look of determination. "You'll never do that again! Put it behind you and never do it again!"

"I won't. Never again! You are my girl and will be forever," he proclaimed before hugging her tightly.

Fluttershy smiled, sqeaking in the process. Oh, God, did it feel so damn good to hear that adorable sound again!

The pegasus teared up and yanked Connor in for a reconciling hug. The colt followed suit, squeezing her tightly in his arms. They hummed in content as they embraced each other's touch.

"I love you..." Connor said with his voice muffled in her fur.

A small moan of glee was Fluttershy's only answer.

The two ponies separated, but never released each other from the hug. Their forelegs were still tightly wrapped around each other. Connor used one of his to wipe away the tears that resided in his sweetheart's eyes as he smiled warmly at her. She brushed the tears in her other eye away as she nuzzled her cheek on his chest. Now that her face was free from tears, the best part was about to commence. Connor thrusted his head toward Fluttershy's until his lips made contact with hers. The yellow pegasus' eyes fluttered shut and her forelegs slid further up around his neck, pulling him in for a more passionate kiss with much desire. She cracked her lips open against his, so her tongue would slide halfway out and frolic in his mouth. The colt noticed his love's desire and followed suit, sliding his tongue halfway out to meet hers. Finally, they could taste each other again, and it was much more enjoyable since they had been separated for some time.

They slowly released the kiss with a loud, wet slurp. They gasped hugely for air. Just how long did that kiss last? It felt like it only lasted for seven seconds, but judging how much air they were trying to breath in, it seemed like they were at it for about fifteen seconds.

Hell, who cared? Connor's heart felt as if it was fresh out of the shower, warm and refreshed. As for Fluttershy, she felt like she was flying without having to be in the sky.

As they panted, their half-open eyes stared deep into each other, disappointed to separated from their passionate lip lock. Fluttershy's smooth, heavy head nuzzled into his neck.

"I've missed you so much..." she whispered.

"Right back at you," the colt responded, nuzzling the top of her head. "I never knew why I had to do what I did in the first place, but I assure you, it will never happen again. Never."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise, Fluttershy. But, you know what I think?" he said as he craned his neck down to look at her. "I think that we have been too far apart from each other lately. We've always been really busy with what we were doing, working at the Guzzling Gallop, feeding your animals and such, that we hardly have any time together. Maybe, if we could just find some more times to do things together, then we wouldn't have to feel so separated. I really enjoy being with you."

"And I you, too, love," the animal lover grinned. "But, I don't want us to do things together so constantly. If that'd be so, then we'd grow tired of each other. Oh, dear, I don't want that to happen to us!"

"Hmm, yeah. You've got a point there," Connor stroked his chin in thought. "Well, not constantly, but just enough for us to not get tired of each other way too soon. Not like I want to be tired of you, baby. We'll have to be moderate."

"Right!"

"Well..." he gingerly stated. "As long as we're here together, what do you feel like doing?"

Suddenly, the pegasus' smile cracked even wider as an idea struck her mind like Applejack had bucked her upside the head. She turned her head slowly back toward Connor's. She stared into his soul with her shimmering, mesmerizing turquoise gems, coy and begging for some familiar intimacy.

"Well, I do have one idea," she cooed, shifting her eyes back to her cottage. "But, it's nap time for my little animal friends out here. We don't want to disturb them."

"Well, whatever we're doing now doesn't have to be noisy. Maybe something a little quieter. I mean, it's not like--..." The colt stopped after noticing the filly's half-open expression.

Her wings flapped gently, setting her afloat in front of her sweetheart's face. Her forelegs slithered from Connor's back and grabbed his foreleg, playfully escorting him inside her cottage and up the stairs.

Bump! Bump! Bump! Bump!

"Oh! Oh, Connor! Oh, my goodness! Sweet Celestia! Oh!" the yellow pegasus squealed from inside her room.

"Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, Fluttershy! Oh, my G--! Ohhh!" the colt moaned.

Bump! Bump! Bump! Bump!

"Oh, here it comes! I'm gonna... I'm gonna make it!" Fluttershy shrieked.

"Oh, God, here it comes!" he grunted. "Fluttershy, here it-- AH! G'AAAAHhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Oh... Oh, dear..."

"...DAMMIT! I can't believe it! That soon?? Awww... You were so close! Just three more bounces and you would've reached one-hundred. Dang..."

Fluttershy scooped up the red ball with her wing and snapped it back under her wing, pressing it against her side for grip.

"Oh, well," she sighed. "Perhaps some other time, I guess. Maybe then I'll be lucky."

"Probably. Anyhoo, this was really fun! I never thought this would turn out to be so much fun. It's just one of those small things in life that you learn to enjoy."

"Oh, yes, of course! I play this with Angel all the time. He always gets in a bad mood if he doesn't make more than sixty."

"Well, he should learn to lighten up, I say. It's only a game."

"That's what I tell him."

"He should really listen to you. After all, you were the one who brought him into your home. It makes you the boss of him."

"Oh, no! I never see myself as their boss. I see them as my friends. My family. 'Boss' sounds a little too, um, violent and dominating."

"You're the boss," Connor winked. "So, now what? I mean, we already played ball, so what else should we do together?"

"You know, I don't really know at all," Fluttershy replied, staring quizzically at the ceiling. "Yet, I still think that there is something that we could do as a couple. Something, you know, um, intimate and exciting."

"You really think so? I was thinking the exact same thing. What a coincidence!" the colt exclaimed. "Do you have any slight ideas what it might be?"

"Well, um... It involves contact, which goes without saying. And, uhhh... bonding. Annnnnnnnd... lots of love?"

"Yeahhhh..." his eyes widened in thought. "This may sound weird, but I was thinking the exact same thing, too. Have we got so much in common..."

His voice trailed off in a hum of wonder and pleasure from what he saw on the young pegasus. He never saw this before, but he noticed a whole new light coming off of her. Her body... It just looked a lot more alluring than just a few seconds before. The supple, slender, and smooth curves along her back and flanks. Her neck was smooth and swerve as a swan's, which made his brain jump in sudden realization. Her mane looked more lustrous, silky, and plentiful. Her lips looked more kissable and glossy.

Fluttershy stared back at him. She noticed how angular and carved he looked. His chest seemed to bulge out, exposing some buffness. His mane looked more pampered and well stylized. His eyes looked hard as stone, but they were warm with affection and character. His lips looked more plump and kissable when he coincidentally licked them.

Their heads inched nearer and nearer toward each other. Their eyelids close bit-by-bit as they neared each other, and their breaths grew louder and more affectionate. When their lips were one inch apart from each other, they stopped, but never backed away.

"A-Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Fluttershy tittered bashfully.

"Yeah..." Connor whipsered. "Are you sure you want this? So soon? I mean, if can just wait, it--."

"Shhhhh..." the pegasus whispered as she friskily placed a hoof over his lips. "It's okay. I want this. It's perfectly all right. Plus, you and I both know that we can't wait any longer... that is, um, if you think so, too."

"You're right," her love grinned. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I can't wait, actually. Let's make this the best one we've ever done."

"Yes, my love. The best ever..."

...

"Up to two-hundred!" she squeaked as she threw the ball up into the air.

"Now, we're talking!" Connor cheered. "One... Two... Three... Four... Five..."

Sweetie Belle stood off in the distance, noticing Connor lying in his bed, happily strumming on his guitar like he was a new colt fresh out of the oven. A big smile cracked across his face and he was humming along with the tune he was playing on his instrument.

The little filly sighed as she turned and walked away towards Rarity's office.

So Fluttershy and Connor were back together. As happy and joyous as it sounded, Sweetie Belle knew that she had just ended right back where she was: alone, single, sad. She dreamed to be his fillyfriend, but that dream was officially impossible to be achieved. Look at her. She was too young for him, and he was too old for her. She wasted all of that energy trying to achieve an impossible dream. She climbed the tall staircase un to Rarity's office.

"Rarity? Can you help me with my homework? It's math again. We are doing something called, 'averages' and I don't get it at all. Can you he--?"

"Zzzzzzzzz..."

Just as the filly looked up from the floor, she noticed her older sister slumping against the mannequin she was tailoring her dress on, snoring loudly. A dark stain trailed from her mouth and down the skirt of the dress. Her mane was haggard and stringy like she went through a hurricane. Sweetie Belle tilted her head to look at her older sister's near complete work.

Wow... Rarity had gotten so much done ever since she cancelled her appointment at the spa scheduled for today. The diamonds stitched into the skirt of the dress were at perfect ninety degree angles. The overlapping gold stitches were perfectly perpendicular to each other, making a mesmerizing diamond pattern.

The little filly smiled. "You see what I mean, Rarity, you silly goose? You get so much done. It'll be fun for all of us. Even me."

She closed her eyes and imagined all of the fun things she had planned to do with her older sister: catching frogs, bike riding, playing chess, singing karaoke, board games...

But, what about Connor? She wanted him to do all those fun things with her as much as she wanted Rarity to.

Speaking of which...

She slowly crept down the stairs and back into the room containing the reclining colt. He was still playing his guitar like nothing had happened, which made her smile. As always, the strings he strummed were pitch perfect, sounding a smooth melody of notes and chords. Strings strummed by his hooves... His perfect hooves attached to his strong forelegs... Attached to the rest of his good looks...

She sighed deeply. Yet, there was a sad tone behind the love she was expressing to him. If only... Oh, if only, she were the appropriate size, age, and type of his liking. She wished he was all hers.

However, the last time she tried to make that wish come true, it only made him feel sad and frustrated. It was not really fun to see him go through that kind of emotion, and she was sure she did not want to see him go through it again.

She took a step closer to him and sat on her haunches like an obedient puppy, not making a peep so she would not interrupt him. She simply stared and grinned, smitten by him.

Suddenly, the colt stopped playing. He looked to his side to see Sweetie Belle staring at him.

"How long have you been sitting there?" he tittered with a grin.

"I lost count," she smiled bashfully.

The two ponies exchanged a moment of warm laughter before it got silent again.

"Connor?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Erm... Could you...?"

The colt raised his eyebrows, urging her to finish her question. "Hmm?"

"Could you... help me with my homework?"

"What do you need help with?"

"Math... Again," she rolled her eyes.

Connor extended a hoof toward her and placed his hoof on top of her head, tousling her mane.

"Hey! Watch the mane!" she squeaked. "I just combed it!"

The colt chuckled. "Okay, sorry. Of course, I'll help. What is it you need help with exactly?"

"Something called, 'averages'," the filly replied, fixing her mane.

"Pfft! That's easy! Here, let's find a place on the floor to lie down on before we get started."

Connor lifted his electric guitar up off his lap and over his head. He placed it gently on his bed. He leapt off his mattress and landed right beside Sweetie Belle. He walked a few steps forward from his bed to the smack middle of the floor and plopped onto the floor onto his stomach. He shuffled in his place to find a more comfortable spot. He noticed Sweetie Belle standing silently behind him, shyly brushing a hoof over the floor. With a convincing smile, he patted a patch of empty space directly next to him to notify her she was cleared for landing.

She did not budge. She continued to stand still, bashfully staring at the ground like a lamb.

"Well?" Connor asked. "Don't you need any help with your homework? Can't do much with you standing around like that."

"Um... Connor?" she squeaked.

"Yes?" he patiently asked.

"Um... C... Can I...? Um... Can I, you know, um... cuddle next to you?" she meekly smiled, her cheeks red as roses.

Connor's eyes grew wide in surprise, but then his whole face relaxed into a warm smile. She still loved him.

"Why not?" he smiled.

At first, Sweetie Belle knew she should be excited that she was going to be intimately close with her dreamboat, but something brewing at the back of her mind kept her quiet. She shuffled up next to Connor and sat down on her stomach gingerly. She did not dare to cuddle next to him... Yet.

"Connor?" she asked.

"Yes?" he replied.

"S-so... I heard that you're back with Fluttershy, right?"

"That's right."

"Well... I... I just want to say... Congratulations. It's really... Really good that you two are back together. I mean, you two are really meant for each other. I... I wish that I could be your favorite little filly and fillyfriend, but of course, you could see for yourself that that's going to be impossible. Well, nonetheless, if you are happy, then I am happy, too. I wish you two the best of luck..." she said, trying to push her chest proudly out to show humility. However, deep down, her dream was impossible to achieve.

The colt smiled. He wrapped his foreleg around her shoulders and pulled her in for a big hug. Sweetie Blle's breath sounded sharp in surprise as he hugged her so warmly.

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. Thank you for your consideration. But what do you mean by 'impossible'? You're already my favorite little filly, and you always will be. Sure, you made mistakes... Which were caused by me, but you get the idea... But that does not change the fact that I still care for you. You're like my little sister, and a big brother would not be a big brother if he continues to hate her for the rest of his life. I don't hate you. I love you, too, Sweetie Belle."

His cheek nuzzling into her mane sent a shock of delight coursing down her spine. She grabbed around his neck, hugging him back. She felt his breath pour onto her cheek as she felt his lips kiss her warmly on the cheek. Her heart did a flip.

However, she did not want to be selfish. Once Connor broke the hug, she immediately sprung onto all four hooves and kissed him back. The colt chuckled as he blushed a little. She hugged around his neck once more, nuzzling her into his.

"Now," he smiled. "Let's get on with this math homework, hmm?"

"On it!" she squeaked.

She landed on her belly and snuggled tightly next to him. The vibration in his chest caused by his talking made her hum in content.

It was good to have her iron shield back.

The End...