I yawn into the quiet room surrounding me. Another day in Ponyville has passed and I feel…surprisingly well-rested for once. I briefly wonder why that is before I feel something soft rubbing against me underneath the blanket covering my body. Taking a quick survey of the area, I find that I’m in Twilight’s bedroom as opposed to the guest room I’ve been staying in.

I vaguely recall ending up in bed with the apologetic mare after I found her in tears, not out of pity, but due to sheer relief of seeing that she was okay. True, it might have been an odd request to sleep together, but I feel that it was a nice gesture at the very least. Assuming that the soft feeling is Twilight sleeping soundly next to me, I turn to my side and see a light lavender horn poking through.

Gently, I lift the blanket just enough to spot Twilight Sparkle’s cute face as she sleeps curled up with her hooves bending like paws. I can’t help but chuckle to myself as I put the blanket back down and nudge her awake in a sing-song tone.

“Twilight, rise and shine.”

“Nnn…huh?”

Twilight’s eyes briefly flicker open before they rest their gaze on me and widen. Backing away in surprise, she stammers while questioning me.

“W- Wha!? Marcus, why are you in my bed!?”

“I recall you asking me to sleep with you, Twilight.”

Her face takes on a dumbfounded expression for just a few moments until she remembers and wildly blushes.

“Oh…right. Well, I guess I didn’t think you’d sleep this close to me.”

Once again correcting her, I chuckle and casually remark to her.

“Actually, you were the one that slept closer to me. I was already in the bed last night.”

Twilight’s face only reddens more as she doesn’t even bother trying to own up to her oddly affectionate behavior. Instead, she changes the topic in an effort to ignore it as if it didn’t happen.

“Uhh…So who’s hungry? I sure could use some breakfast. Let me just go to the kitchen and see what we have lying around, huh?”

Quickly hopping out of the bed, Twilight manages to escape the topic of conversation rather easily as I give up my attempts at teasing her. I successfully got a blush out of her, and that was good enough for me. I rise from the bed as well, following after her as she trots over to the stairs and begins her casual descent. Remembering last night, I genuinely inquire to her.

“So, how are you feeling, Twilight? Are you okay after…what happened?”

“I’m fine. I remember some things. At least…I remember what I did to you.”

She ends up at the bottom of the stairs and continues towards the kitchen, wearing a serious face all the while as she explains.

“Princess Celestia told me that I was under a spell she placed on me, but I can’t remember what happened after she summoned me to the Palace. It was really jarring.”

“You were acting pretty crazy before, heh.”

A swift glare from Twilight in response is all I need to shut my mouth before I say anything else. Turning back, she reaches the kitchen and effortlessly begins to levitate a few objects out of the fridge and various cupboards while taking a seat at the nearby table. Not only is she good at magic, she’s practically a natural born polymath.

I try to follow after her, but I hear a knocking sound emanate from the front door. Man, this place must really be convenient for guests if there are ponies who knock right as I wake up. I decide not to worry about it too much and answer the door while Twilight utilizes her amazing magical abilities to set the table.

Reaching for the door and nudging the top half open, I look out to find a very familiar face staring back at me. Her hoof held high as if she’s going to knock again, Derpy Hooves looks at me with somewhat downtrodden eyes before slowly lowering her outstretched limb. The ditzy gray pegasus drops her gaze, choosing to avoid my eyes and look to the ground instead as she half-heartedly greets me.

“Hey, Marcus.”

“Hi, Derpy. What’s going on?”

“I’m…sorry for what happened yesterday at Fluttershy’s cottage.”

She came to apologize for her behavior? Heh, she really is quite the kind and sweet pony, regardless of her ferocity when it comes to her friends. I can forgive her easily, no problem. After all, I know she only had her friend’s best interests in mind and was looking out for her. Seeing Derpy clearly down in the dumps after thinking about what she did, I quickly respond to keep her from feeling any worse.

“It’s fine, Derpy. No broken bones, no harm done.”

She seems to perk up a bit and smile back at me in response. However, as she speaks, I can’t help but feel she’s not entirely satisfied with my instant forgiveness.

“Oh. Well, thanks…”

It takes a few moments of silence before I decide to speak up again, asking her while she restlessly fiddles with her hoof on the ground.

“Is there something else you wanted?”

I don’t mean to sound impatient, it’s just that I don’t like being in silent, awkward conversations when someone, or in this case, “somepony,” obviously has something on their mind. Derpy, while shy at first, quickly responds with a leap forward and pulling my head into a tight lock, hugging me with more effort than ever. I figured that was what she was looking for.

Releasing me soon after, she smiles wide and remarks to me in apology.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I chuckle, naturally, as I’m quite used to Derpy’s generous nature when it comes to hugging. If anything, I find it rather endearing, considering how affectionate she is to her friends. Deciding to not leave her hanging, I push open the bottom half of the door and invite the ditzy pegasus inside.

“Come on in, we were just about to have some breakfast. Speaking of…”

I call back to Twilight in the kitchen as Derpy takes up my offer to enter.

“What are you making in there, Twilight?”

“Just some oatmeal!”

Oats…How did I not guess that? Ah well, it’s certainly more edible than something like hay. Before I walk back to the kitchen, I hear Derpy exclaim aloud.

“Oh, Marcus! I just remembered something!”

As usual, Derpy gasps and presses her hoof into my chest to emphasize her amazing discovery.

“Well, let’s hear it.”

“Pinkie’s holding a party for Applejack tomorrow. The season’s over so we’re gonna encourage her to celebrate!”

Well, AJ is a farmer after all. I suppose a celebration for all her hard work is much-deserved, even if she’d be too modest to accept it. Derpy leans in to add something and I listen in, even though she whispers fairly loudly.

“And it’s a- uhm…smaller party, too; just between us, so you don’t have to worry about you-know-what happening again.”

I genuinely laugh at the pegasus’ post-note and remind myself that I think things will be a little less stressful than last time.

“Thanks for the heads-up, Derpy.”

Turning and heading back to the kitchen, I ask her a question as she follows me happily, carefully letting the door close behind her.

“So, what’re you going to do today?”

“Me? Well, I was gonna go home and relax before I have to go to work later today.”

I have a seat at the nearby table and Derpy follows soon after. Twilight, noticing the new arrival, greets her guest as openly as I did.

“Oh, hi Derpy! Would you like some oatmeal?”

The bubbly pegasus dismissively shakes her head.

“No, thanks. I ate earlier.”

Twilight simply nods and continues her preparation while I decide to pose another question to Derpy as a nice gesture.

“Well, where do you live? I can walk you home.”

For the first time in a few days, Derpy laughs whole-heartedly at my words. I honestly don’t see what’s so funny, until she stops laughing long enough to respond.

“Walk? I live up in Cloudsdale, and I don’t think you can fly me home.”

Oh, right. Pegasus. Clouds. I guess I kind of forgot about that. Seeing fit to take focus off of my dumbfounded face, Twilight perks up and presents an idea.

“Wait! You can still show Marcus around Cloudsdale, Derpy!”

“I can?”

Derpy looks at Twilight, as confused as ever with her mouth scrunched in an oddly cute manner, while the intelligent unicorn explains.

“I can place a cloudwalking spell so he technically can walk you home.”

Eh? A spell that lets me walk on clouds? I’m not too sure that’s a good-

“Go for it!”

I’m interrupted by Derpy, who goes very wide-eyed and curious at the concept. Honestly, how can I say no after seeing her like that? It’s two against one, now.

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“Hmhm. No, not at all.”

Twilight’s giggle, while reassuring, is also somewhat disheartening. I’m sure she’s done this before, right? Then again, just because she may have read a book on it doesn’t mean she can actually…Oh, who am I kidding? This is Twilight Sparkle I’m talking about, here. Am I supposed to be some kind of great wizard to think Twilight isn’t capable of what’s probably a simple spell? Still, considering that she was just about to make breakfast, I speak up for a moment.

“Are you okay with me heading out then, Twilight?”

“Sure, if you remember to get changed, first.”

She jokingly remarks to me and I instantly recall the fact that I’m still wearing the same pair of clothes from last night. Feeling a tinge of embarrassment, I excuse myself from the two mares.

“Right. Uhh, pardon me for a minute.”

I close the door to the library behind me and find myself once again face-to-face with Derpy. She unfortunately assumes the best way of expressing her excitement is to stand outside the door and stare forward, almost giving me a heart attack when I spot her. I jump back and take a moment to catch my breath as Derpy attempts to contain herself after witnessing my reaction.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

I simply nod to assure her that I’m fine as I take a few steps past the pegasus and into the fresh air of Ponyville. Remembering the name ‘Cloudsdale,’ I look straight up and glance around at the sky filled with unmoving clouds. Among all these, where could this place be? And how do I get there, exactly?

“So, are you ready, Marcus?”

Derpy calls my attention back to her and I see her eager smile showing through all the while.

“Ready for what?”

Looking at Derpy with her wings flared out, ready to take off at any moment, I start to wonder just how she intends for me to get there. I may supposedly be able to walk on clouds now, but that doesn’t mean I can just suddenly fly like she can.

“Hehe, remember? I’m gonna fly you to Cloudsdale.”

“What? Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah, just hop on my back. I’m stronger than I look!”

She speaks rather confidently, which I have kind of come to expect from Derpy. Even when she’s not sure about something, she’s still enthusiastic about the idea. Deciding, unfortunately, to go along with her plan, I walk over to Derpy as she stares forward. I see her body stiffen as she braces herself for the incoming weight that my body entails.

Unsure of how to approach her as I stand by her side, I carefully lift my right leg up and over her side, avoiding her wings before I slowly rest myself on her back. The pegasus immediately lowers herself a little, feeling the brunt of my hips descend on her as she struggles to regain her strong posture. I feel like I should get off of her for a moment, but she quickly regains her determined look and glances back at me while I ask her in a noticeably concerned voice.

“Whoah, are you okay?”

“Y- Yeah. I’m fine. I’ve carried way heavier packages and stuff before. Just lift your legs and hold on tight.”

Well, as long as I don’t fall, what’s the worst that can happen?...Wait. That is the worst that can happen.

“Haha! That was so fun! We’re here, Marcus, come on.”

“Mmph hm-mmph!”

I try to speak as the large tuft of cloud stuffs my mouth and muffles my words. Unfortunately, our landing in Cloudsdale wasn’t exactly the smoothest. My head remains plowed into the cirrus material while Ditzy had landed just fine, regardless of her reckless flying earlier. At one point she even flipped upside down by accident! The last thing I need right now is to develop a fear of heights.

Derpy reaches her hoof out and pokes my shoulder, prompting me to press against the soft, yet surprisingly sturdy, pillowy surface and literally pull my head out of the clouds. I manage the feat relatively easy and grope the puffs below me. I’m kneeling on a cloud of all things!

Turning behind me to see Derpy giggling at my less-than-favorable landing, I stand up and manage to hold my footing with no problems whatsoever. It feels just like I’m standing on solid ground. Even though I can peer to my sides and see nothing but sky blue everywhere, I don’t even have any feeling of vertigo from being up so high.

The wall-eyed pegasus ignores my attempt at analyzing this new experience and instead happily starts walking off along the path ahead. I follow after her, now eyeing the magnificent sight before me.

While it’s a little bit like Ponyville with all the houses and buildings strewn around, the fact that they’re somehow constructed atop these clouds is a little unbelievable. As I follow closely behind Derpy, I notice that she walks rather tiredly with her wings hugging her sides after a thorough workout. I feel bad that she had to endure that to get me up here, but it really is quite a sight to behold. Even though the dozens of pegasi send a few looks of confused disbelief at the sight of me walking around, I still manage to ask Derpy a question.

“Cloudsdale sure is a big place. Do you know the sights around here, Derpy?”

She looks back to me and smiles as she answers with the utmost assurance.

“Sure do! I was born and raised in Cloudsdale. Ponyville is just kinda my home away from home, but I still live up here. Oh! See that over there?”

Her hoof quickly aims slightly to the left of a large roman colosseum-esque building hovering away on its own large platform in the sky. While she had the right idea, she just barely misses the mark due to her eyes as she explains to me.

“That’s the Cloudsdale Colosseum, we hold lots of plays and music shows there. Sometimes, they even hold flying competitions for all the really athletic pegasi. Although, I can’t really participate since I’m not that good at flying…”

Her face, while still perky, shows a hint of sadness as she admits to not having the flying skills that she’d like to. I almost want to reach out to her but hold back as she points to another building off in the distance and speaks up, regaining her voice after the slight trailing off.

“That’s the Rainbow Factory over there.”

“Rainbow…Factory? I always thought Rainbows were just refractions of light in the sky.”

“No, rainbows are lovingly hoof crafted each and every day here at the factory. They don’t just show up in the sky, Marcus. Pfft.”

She rejects my previous knowledge of how I thought rainbows worked and substituted it with entirely new information that made little sense to me. If rainbows are made artificially, then what are they made from? How do they feel?...How do they taste?

My questions are left unanswered as Derpy stops in her tracks at what appears to be a small cottage similar to the one Fluttershy owns (minus the extensions for livable pet conditions) floating atop a cloud just in front of us. Hesitantly, she allows her wings to pick herself up and carry her over to the door just a few feet away. As I can’t make the jump, I only watch as she lands in front of the stable door and looks back to me.

“Well, this is my house. Thanks for, you know, walking me home.”

“Heh, no problem at all. I appreciated the ride up and seeing just how unique this place is, even if I won’t get to see it too often.”

“What?”

Ditzy looks at me with another one of her adorable pouts and flails her forelegs, disapproving of my comment.

“I can take you up here anytime! It’ll be fun!”

“I don’t doubt that, Derpy. But…there’s still something on my mind. Now that I’m up here and dropped you off, how do I get back down?”

Unwilling to look over the side of the cloud I’m standing on, I simply let Derpy glance around as she thinks. The bubbly pegasus brightens up considerably and opens the door behind her, gleefully answering my question in as quick a manner as possible.

“You can just ask somepony else for another ride! Okay, bye!”

Slam! The door shuts behind her. Well, that’s just great. Now I have to bum a ride from two pegasi within the same hour.

“Okay, we’re here.”

“Right, sorry.”

Immediately, I respond to Cloudkicker’s discomfort by lifting my leg over and dismounting her, allowing her wings to fully extend as she stretches her back. While the ride was much smoother than when I was with Derpy, it was by far one of the more awkward experiences I’ve had to endure so far. This is probably due to the fact that I had to ride a strange pegasus I’ve never even met before just to get back down on land. In any case, I thank the mare for her efforts as she prepares to take off once more.

“Uhh, thanks…Cloudkicker, was it?”

“Yeah, and don’t mention it. Also…don’t ask me to do that again.”

Adding a slight annoyed tone, she practically glares at me as she finishes her sentence and turns to fly off, essentially back where she came from. Yeah, I’m pretty sure pegasi aren’t really a fan of being ridden by someone twice their size. To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t want that either.

Looking around, I find myself back in the Ponyville Park where Spike and I passed through on our way to Fluttershy’s cottage yesterday. Being a relatively peaceful place, I can see why so many ponies would opt to spend time here. Right now, however, there seemed to be only two figures off in the distance. I easily identified them as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, but before I can make a move, they seem to notice me at the same time.

“Marcus!”

I hear Pinkie call out before she starts barreling toward me in a full gallop. Half expecting her to tackle me to the ground, I close my eyes and brace for the impact that…surprisingly never comes. I hear a short, skidding sound and feel only the fresh air on my skin before I open my eyes and find an unusually wide smile staring back at me. Of course, it belongs to the most pink of the ponies I know.

“Hi, Marcus!”

“Heh, doing well, Pinkie?”

She hops up and down around me and answers in a sing-song tone of voice.

“Yeah! I’m always feeling super when Gummy and I go out to play!”

Gummy? I follow Pinkie around with my eyes and spot something I can’t believe I missed before. Hanging from her tail is a rather tiny alligator, biting onto the poofy attachment as if it was teething. However, when I look closer, I notice that there are no teeth in its mouth in the first place! An alligator with all gums named “Gummy”…only Pinkie Pie.

“Oh, hey Marcus!”

Staring forward again to find the source of the greeting, I see Rainbow Dash hovering over to us with her wings. Another small form clashes with her light blue coat. What looks at first to be a dark green blob comes into focus and appears to be the shell of a…tortoise, I think? Why would she be carrying one of those? As if mentally aware of my question, Dash explains to me.

“Me and Pinkie were just hanging out with our pets.”

“Pets? But you’re…ehh, nevermind.”

If ponies are the equivalent of humans here, than having pets still makes sense, I guess. Rainbow Dash lands next to us and thrusts her back out a little, lightly tossing the shell to her left and letting it land softly on the grass beside her.

Pinkie comes to a stop next to me and stares at the shell while Gummy releases its hold on her tail and slowly crawls over to the other pet. All the while, it wears the most absent-minded look on its face that I have ever seen. Rainbow leans down slightly and smiles at her withdrawn companion as she introduces him.

“This is Tank. He’s a little shy.”

I grow more curious by the second as I sit in silence waiting for the tortoise to come out of his shell, and decide to ask the crouching pegasus.

“So, why do you have a tortoise for a pet, anyway?”

She chuckles in that slightly raspy voice of hers before looking up and answering me with complete sincerity.

“What can I say? The little guy keeps me grounded.”

Wow. I wouldn’t have expected that from someone as over-the-top as Rainbow Dash. She owns a pet that’s practically the complete opposite of her personality.

“Oh! Here, I know.”

Rainbow stretches out her wing and waves it a little in front of what looks to be the neck hole of her pet. Is she enticing it to come out or something? Sure enough, the tortoise’s head pops out and it almost latches onto Dash’s wing with his mouth. She manages to move her wing out of the way in time and Pinkie giggles at the tortoise’s attempt to bite its owner; non-threateningly, I assume.

Gummy walks up to the shell as the reptile fully extends its limbs and stands up on its own four legs. The two pets stare at each other, unmoving outside of blinking once or twice. Pinkie, being the ever-happy mare she is, joyfully announces to us,

“Aww, they get along so well. They look like old friends!”

Looking at the two pets, I can certainly see that they have one very noticeable similarity…neither of them do very much. Rainbow Dash hops up with a look of realization on her face and glances over to me as she speaks.

“Hey, Marcus, I got something for ya.”

“Huh? For me?”

Pinkie Pie perks up beside me and turns around, showing me her behind for some reason. I look at Rainbow Dash and then back to Pinkie, briefly wondering what the big idea is before Pinkie starts shaking her tail about. It makes a cartoonish rattling noise as a bunch of miscellaneous objects start flying out of it in random directions. I see some leaves, a banana, a crystal ball, a fedora...why does she have all this stuff?

Finally, she eventually stops shaking when her tail releases what looks to be a ticket that lands right on the ground in front of me. I lean down to pick it up, assuming this is what she was trying to give me, and ask the pair.

“What’s this?”

Rainbow Dash happily exclaims, broadly answering me with excitement I don’t often see from her.

“Only the single greatest opportunity of your life!”

Turning it over, I read the bold lettering at the top which lists ‘The Wonderbolts’ along with the information sprawled below. A ticket to a Wonderbolts show, huh?

“Why give this to me? Couldn’t you just go?”

“I already have my own ticket. That one was supposed to be Pinkie Pie’s but she kinda got grounded for the next two weeks.”

Pinkie giggles nervously and speaks up to specify for us.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cake don’t really like my style of taste-testing.”

Knowing Pinkie Pie, she probably ‘taste-tested’ an entire catering order to get grounded. I let out a hearty laugh, enjoying hearing about the earth pony’s antics.

“Haha, well thank you. I appreciate-…”

I trail off a bit as I look back down at the ticket and read the scheduled date. It’s for next weekend, after I’m supposed to be out of Equestria. She had already assumed I was set on staying and I…guess I did, too. Unsure if I should bring it up, my eyes remain focused on the ticket.

“Uhh, Marcus? You okay?”

Huh? I look up and see the two mares throwing me confused glances, obviously worried at my lack of response. Stammering for a moment, I quickly regain my composure enough to answer Rainbow Dash.

“I-…I can’t wait.”

She shrugs it off and holds a smile at me as I carefully stuff the ticket in my pocket.

“I, uhh, I gotta go though. So, it was nice seeing you two again!”

I start walking in the opposite direction from the two and wave goodbye as they go back to their pets in much the same manner.

“See ya!” “Bye bye!”

I turn and keep on walking, deep in thought as I think I know just where to go. If now’s the best time, then I need to go talk to a certain shy pegasus for a little chat.

In the distance, I see the same cottage that brings back so many memories of the events that took place inside its cozy interior. It seems like, every time I arrive here, I usually end up having caused some major dilemma. Thankfully, I think I finally have the chance to just talk to Fluttershy for once; man-to-mare. As usual, I plan on being as straightforward and honest with her as possible.

Okay, here we go. I reach forward with my clenched hand to rap my knuckles on her stable door. Suddenly, it flies open and knocks my hand away painfully before a purple and green blur flies past me. What the hell was that?

Rubbing my slightly injured hand, I peer into the house and see Fluttershy extending a hoof out and appearing as if she was calling out to her hasty departer. Noticing my presence, her eyes flicker in surprise for a moment before she speaks up.

“Oh, uhm, hi Marcus. What are you doing here?”

I take a step inside as the shy mare greets me openly, despite my surprise visit. Wondering about the previous occurrence, I decide to ask as my eyes scan the room.

“I think the better question would be: who was that and what were they running fro-“

My eyes practically pop out of my skull at the sight that invades my vision with its abrupt abstractness. There’s…a live bear resting on the very same couch that I was on just a few days ago. Although, with the amount of weight the creature must have, I assume that the couch could break any second.

Fluttershy gives me a confused glance and curiously tilts her head. She follows my gaze to the unusual guest before giggling slightly and turning back to me.

“Oh, that’s PJ. He’s been a bit of a bad bear and tried to eat honey straight out of his bee friends’ nest but that didn’t work out so well for him.”

“Yeesh. He got stung?”

“Yes. He’s okay, though. Spike was trying to help me apply the proper ointment for the stings, but he ran off after we finished and PJ accidentally scared him a little. He’s really a sweetie though, isn’t he?”

Fluttershy motioned her hoof at the sleeping bear, but even as she explains, I find it hard to believe that the large mammal is a “sweetie.” Quickly changing the topic, I keep my eyes focused on the pegasus, attempting to ignore the huge distraction just a few feet away.

“Yeah, well, uhh…I came to talk to you about something. Can we go somewhere more private? You know, without a bear in the room?”

“Uhm, sure.”

She chooses to walk off slowly instead of utilizing her wings, which remain cozily folded at her sides. Compared to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy seems quite acclimated to the ground. Dash is the type to go out of her way to get what she wants and fly high in the sky, but this mare only desires to live peacefully in her cottage with her many pets. The difference really is astounding.

After I follow her into the bedroom, I sit myself down on her comfortable bed and take a deep breath. The last thing I want is for me to mess up my wording and sound like a jackass. As my head hangs low, I hear the rosy pink-maned pony approach me and calmly question me, noticeably concerned for my well-being.

“Marcus? Are you okay?”

I look up to meet her gaze and decidedly place my hands on her shoulders. Even as she jolts under my touch, I don’t want her to see me as threatening. I just want to be as honest and open with her whenever I can.

“Fluttershy, I want to truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you’ve done for me. You’ve been too kind, even when I’ve made huge, practically irreparable mistakes. I just want you to know that.”

Fluttershy blushes wildly and I remove my gentle grasp from her. I notice her wings flap once, possibly without her really noticing as she responds with her usual amount of modesty.

“Well, that’s...nice. I’m happy to help.”

“I know, and that’s why I came to ask for your advice again.”

The blush on the mare’s face fades as she, once again, becomes confused as to what I thought was a direct approach. Questioning my words, she replies with an odd look.

“Advice? From me?”

“Yes, and this is really important to me.”

I let out a deep breath as I try to keep my words from being too biased or sounding just plain rude. Unfortunately, this is harder than I thought it would be.

“Fluttershy...would you ever desert your friends for your own personal gain?”

Crap. It still came out wrong. That’s really how it sounds in my head, though. The pegasus in front of me, previously listening intently, now stands utterly stunned by my blunt question. Trying to formulate a response, she has trouble even making eye contact while she answers.

“Uhh...no?”

Naturally, she says that like it’s the obvious answer, because it pretty much is. I’m not surprised in the slightest, of course, but she quickly follows up with a question of her own.

“Why do you ask?”

I said I would be open and honest with Fluttershy, so I’m not going to start making up lies now. Taking another breath, I answer her with as much openness as I can muster.

“I’m thinking of leaving Ponyville tomorrow.”

“Oh? Where are you going?”

“...Back to where I came from. I won’t be back, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy simply nods even though I doubt she really understands what I mean. She’s possibly more naive than Pinkie Pie, even though she’s less childish. From each encounter with her, however, she’s revealed herself to be a lot wiser and more mature than I had thought. I’ll admit, that was the reason I came to her above all other ponies. I expect a strong response from this otherwise weak-willed mare.

“It’s not really up to me, though I’d really like it if you stayed. I’m sure everypony else would, too. Uhm...you don’t sound like you really, uhh, want to leave, either.”

It figures. She can read me like a book, too. I explain to her calmly and carefully, trying my best to think rationally.

“I was only really supposed to be here for seven days. After that, I was told by Celestia that I’m supposed to go, but it’s not just that. I can’t-... I can’t remember my life before coming here and I’d feel guilty just ignoring my curiosity. Wouldn’t you?”

“Uhm...not really. I’d just be happy with what I have. Are you happy, Marcus?”

I almost want to tear up right here and now. Without even realizing it, Fluttershy asks the toughest of all questions. Am I...happy?

“...Yeah, I am. I’m happy here, Fluttershy.”

Surprising even myself, I kneel forward and wrap my arms around the neck of the soft pony in front of me, pulling her into a hug. For once, however, she gratefully accepts the friendly embrace and pats my back with the utmost gentleness.

“That’s good, then.”

Realizing that this might still be a little embarrassing for the shy pony, I release her and let out a nervous cough before laughing slightly. I really do appreciate her outright kindness, especially in confusing times like these.

After taking a moment to stare back into her bright, relieved eyes, I stand and walk back to the doorway, intending to leave with a newfound purpose. Without turning back to see her, I call back to the warm-hearted pegasus in a declarative tone.

“I know what I need to do now. Thanks for the advice, Fluttershy.”

All I hear is that damn thumping noise. The sound from the nearby town fades away to make room for the deafening sound of my beating heart. The door to Carousel Boutique has never looked so intimidating. I’m not afraid of facing Rarity, it’s quite the opposite; I’m afraid of her not even being here and feeling like I missed my chance.

Come on, Marcus. You’ve been through far worse than this. Just hope that Rarity is back and go for it. If she’s not there, it’s not like you will do any harm.

Leaving the pep talk as it is, I knock particularly softly on the door.

...Silence. No sound of hooves on floor, or any sewing machine coming to a stop, just...nothing. I breathe out a deep sigh before turning and starting on my way back into Ponyville. I knew it was stupid to get my hopes up.

“Who is it?”

That voice! Whirling back around, I rush back to the door immediately after hearing that familiar voice beckon from within. Rarity! She’s back! Struggling to answer, I gulp nervously before weakly speaking up.

“Marcus...Marcus Rook.”

At first, I hear nothing again. Unfortunately for me, this silence is doing nothing to ease my paranoid state of mind. What if she doesn’t want to see me? What if she gave it some thought and still holds some kind of grudge against me? I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look her in the eyes again if that happened.

Lucky for me, however, I end up locking eyes with the unicorn sooner than I had thought. The door creaks open barely enough for me to catch a glimpse of her deep azure eyes staring back at me as well as the slightest smile on her face while she speaks softly.

“You really came back for me, hmm?"

I smile back as genuinely as I can to express my true joy.

“I could say the same about you.”

Her own smile shows through the doorway, even as she tries to hide a blush as it appears on her cheeks. A magical aura covers the door and it opens slowly, allowing me to step aside and enter her much neater establishment. She turns and moves away, which I quickly pick up on and follow her closely as I question her on her trip.

“So, how was Canterlot? I figure you must have enjoyed yourself up there with those high-society types.”

She lets out an honest-to-goodness laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Rarity laugh that openly and my heart almost flutters in my chest as I savor the all-too-brief occurrence.

“I spent some time in Canterlot around those snooty types before, and while they’re not all bad, per se, their superficial attitudes certainly made my last stay a lot less pleasant, mhmhm. No, it was mostly just for work this time, darling.”

I can see that. Rarity seems like the type to have her priorities straight, or at least it seems like she learned that lesson. She stops moving near her organized piles of clothes and turns to face me. I notice a light blush as she directly addresses me.

“Besides, I had something, or rather, a certain human to think about while I was there.”

I simply rub the back of my neck and nervously chuckle. I really made an impact on her, didn’t I?

Right, and that’s exactly why I’m here. I came here for a reason.

With a more purposeful look, I let my hands fall to my sides before I kneel down in front of Rarity and stare into her eyes. She’s taken aback by my sudden seriousness, but nonetheless listens intently as I speak in a calm and caring tone.

“Rarity, I know there’s nothing I can do or say to make up for the way I acted before, but I just want to thank you for everything. The clothes, your forgiveness, everything. So...if this is the last time we see each other, I just wanted you to-”

“Oh, shut up, Marcus.”

What!? Rarity leans forward and kisses me deeply with those incredibly soft lips of hers, quickly silencing me. It’s a brief kiss, but considering the fact that it pleasantly surprises me, I offer no resistance to her boldness. I can once again somehow feel our souls reaching out for each other as our lips seperate from one another.

“I’m sorry about that, darling, but...sometimes you talk a little too much.”

“Y- Yeah, I guess I kind of do, heh.”

She delicately places her hooves over my shoulder and questions me with as much concern as I would normally use.

“You don’t...really want to leave, do you? I sort of want you to stay here...with me.”
Having previously made up my mind before coming here, I simply chuckle at her embarrassed admittance of her desire for me to stay.

“You know I wouldn’t be able to resist an offer like that.”

“So then, don’t.”

The beautiful mare leans into another kiss, and I graciously accept her this time. My hands drift along part of her neck and down her back, causing her to shiver and moan ever-so-slightly under my touch. I have to admit, her reactions are as cute as ever. However, I break away with a thought still nagging at the back at my head all the while. Naturally, Rarity looks at me with worried eyes as if I was rejecting her, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“Is there something wrong, Marcus?”

“I just want to make sure of something. Rarity...do you still love me, even after all I put you through?”

A groan. Not what I was expecting, but I’m still listening.

“Of course I do! Marcus, I knew from the very start that you were a lovely fellow with the purest intentions. No matter what you’ve done, I can’t un-see that in you. All I wanted to do was make your time here memorable...even though I may have gone about doing that in the wrong manner.”

She adds a nervous chortle on the end of that statement, but the light-hearted jab at herself doesn’t even faze my overwhelming joy at her words. She...she really does care about me, huh?

A new look washes over her and I see the blush on her face deepen further. The mare’s eyes glance away from me as she slightly whispers.

“I’m sure you’ve enjoyed the clothes I made for you, darling, but...right now I’d like to see you out of them.”

Her breathy voice and the way she calls me ‘darling’ causes me to hop up and start eagerly undressing myself for her. She notices my speedy display of willingness to do as she says and giggles to herself softly as I pull my shirt over my head. After my pants are off and I’m left only in the briefs Rarity had sewn for me, she extends her hoof out and stares directly at me. With a somewhat wanting look in her eyes, she smiles and remarks aloud.

“Oh my! They seem to fit you, umm....rather nicely.”

Her hoof reaches my waist and softly presses into my thigh before exploratively rubbing across my crotch and gently brushing against my veiled erection. I wince a bit as she brings her hoof to it and prods it with more purpose, clearly enjoying this a little more than I thought.

“They seem a bit too tight now, don’t they? Lay down for a moment, would you, Marcus?”

I lie down with my head resting on a nearby pile of clothes. Rarity’s horn glows and her magic aura highlights my briefs, immediately clueing me in on what she’s trying to do. Closing my eyes and sighing contentedly, I feel the waistband being dragged down my legs slowly and carefully, as well as the surprisingly comfortable heat the magic emanates. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being manhandled by unicorn magic, but it’s not necessarily a bad feeling.

Gah! I risk opening my eyes to find Rarity’s hoof- scratch that, both of Rarity’s hooves fondling my clearly aroused member. Clearly, she wanted nothing more than to cut to the chase when it came to this. This doesn’t seem to be enough for her, however, as I spy her mouth hanging open as well as a bit of drool lining the corners while she looks at me.

Without another word, her eyes shift from me and back to the tool now throbbing in her hooves before she leans forward and gingerly touches her lips to the tip. I try to not give too much of a telling reaction as her mouth sinks onto my shaft while she continues to stroke the sides. Guh, and then she starts suckling...I can’t take all of this so suddenly.

Rarity, realizing just what she’s doing, pulls off of me in mid-slurp. Stammering slightly, she blushes as she attempts to compose herself while still embarrassingly holding my cock up against her cheek.

“I- I’m sorry about that, darling, I’m not usually so...unladylike.”

As she says that, she inhales my scent and her face quickly changes to show a knowing smirk. Almost like she’s entranced, her voice shakes as she nuzzles her cheek on me and smoothly transitions back into sucking with reckless abandon.

“Unn, Rarity, that’s-...”

I look down at her, clearly lost in her actions with her eyes closed, and I notice small sparks coming from her horn as he stifles a few cute moans. Feeling my curiosity grow stronger by the second, I think to myself about how I’ve never really touched a unicorn’s horn. I wonder how it feels...

“Mmph!?”

The indigo maned pony reacts strongly to my hand grasping her apparently very sensitive protrusion and rears back, audibly popping off of me. In a very stunned and embarrassed voice, she chides me with a deep blush on her face.

“Marcus! D- Don’t touch that.”

Feeling playful, my fingers roll over the dull horn and she begins to sigh happily, showing me just how much she enjoys it. I stroke it lightly and brush my hand along her glorious mane as I tease her like she does to me.

“So? How does it feel?”

Rarity doesn’t bother answering me, and instead chooses to stuff her mouth and suck even harder than she did before. Her effort keeps her from moaning aloud and she puts her tongue to good use to assault me with pleasure. I double my own efforts, manipulating her horn and keeping my eyes trained on her all the while.

Even as she acts so perverted in her desires, I still find her incredibly beautiful and just plain sexy when she’s this excited. She lets out a final, high-pitched moan before coming off of me and breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath before ekeing out.

“Can we take this somewhere more comfortable, darling?”

“Heh, afraid you’re going to make a mess on the floor, Rarity?”

Clearly, my joke doesn’t amuse her and her face shows it. I quickly oblige the lady’s needs but instead of sitting up and letting her follow after me, I reach forward and delicately grasp her sides. The unicorn almost jumps up in surprise, but allows me to hold onto her as I stand up straight and lift her into my arms.

“Bwa! Marcus, what are-...”

At first, the shocked reaction takes precedence before I start walking towards the bedroom with Rarity cradled gently as I carry her. The look in her eyes shifts from stunned to one of realizing adoration. I’m not sure what she sees in the gesture; perhaps I’m some kind of knight in shining armor for her, I don’t know.

I think she’s even tearing up a bit as she relaxes into my hold and seems very pleased by this turn of events. The sparkling look in her eyes tells me she’s enjoying this, but I also spy her hoof snaking between her hind legs. Sheesh, she gets off on this enough to start touching herself? That’s just adorably hot.

As I walk to the doorway, Rarity gives me a new look, one of burning need before she starts to squirm against me. I stop as she moans cutely and nudges my chest, trying to speak up in an unusually weak voice.

“Marcus...forget it, just...right here and now...”

Eh? What does she...oh.

Positioning herself slowly, she wraps her forelegs over my shoulders and her hind ones lock around my waist, forcing me to hold her up by her luscious rump. Rarity quickly follows it up by kissing me very deeply, causing me to rest on the door frame as her surprisingly light frame weighs on mine. My own arousal too excited to resist her immediate offer, I let her pull back a moment so I can gently guide myself into her.

Unfortunately, I can tell that Rarity intends to make the ride quite a bit rougher. As soon as the tip prods her moist folds, she screams out joyfully and slams her hips forward, shoving the entirety inside her in one go and causing me to grunt from the pleasure as well. The soft flesh clenching down on me feels too good to be true as the unicorn begins to rock her body against mine.

God, I’ve missed her so much. The irresistible look on her face, the way she clings to me so tightly, and now, as her kisses become more passionate, that amazing moan she has. I increase my pace as I kiss along her neck, occasionally letting my teeth graze her shoulder which results in yet another enjoyable yelp.

I endure her almost painfully tight squeezing and, in an effort to feel her shiver under my touch, my hands roam and clench her flanks. My fingers brush the fur and accompanying cutie mark, teasing her further as she draws herself off of me only to slam myself back inside her in a wild rhythm. I’d like to think that I can hold off much longer, but in this position...I could cum at any second!

Feeling myself throb within her, I attempt to warn her of the incoming orgasm.

“Rarity, I’m going to-”

I’m silenced by a hoof pressing onto my mouth before Rarity nuzzles herself into my neck and almost inaudibly whispers.

“You know what I want, darling.”

I chuckle nervously, catching her meaning as my own breathing becomes heavier. She clings to me tightly as I thrust into her even faster, feeling the wonderful sensation of our entwined bodies finally reach its peak. With a surprisingly not-so-modest squeal, Rarity convulses as I force myself all the way inside her and feel the sweet release we both craved.

I grunt and unload into her depths, causing more adoring sighs to emanate from her with each spurt. Her own slick juices trickle out of her opening as she rests on me in the doorway. Both of us pant in an attempt to catch our breath after now feeling thoroughly worn down.

Rarity pulls back from me slightly, just enough to allow me to see back into her deep azure eyes and watch as she leans in to kiss me once more. The moment of sheer bliss, when everything finally falls into place, only lasts for a few fleeting seconds before she draws back with a blush.

“Oh, umm, Marcus...you can put me down now.”

“R- Right, right.”

Kneeling down slowly, I allow Rarity to gracefully dismount from me and make her way over to her bed before she slumps her body over the edge to relax. Fortunately for me, this gives me an amazing view of her dripping sex, glistening in the light from above. I follow after her, eventually standing directly behind her as I jokingly remark.

“Feeling tired already?”

“Pardon me for wanting to take a breather. At least I’m not the one who fell asleep last time, Marcus.”

Heh, so now she thinks it’s about endurance, huh? Two can play at this game. I lean forward a little and prod her moist lips with the tip of my still-hard member, provoking an immediate gasp from her. Most likely, she’s still fairly sensitive, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take advantage of it.

“Then you’re up for more than one round?”

She lets out a soft giggle at my bold attitude before turning to me and biting her lip seductively. Wiggling her hips and batting her eyes at me, she urges me on with impressive effort.

“Only if you have the energy to spare, darling.”

I take that as the challenge Rarity intends it to be and gently ease myself into her from behind, grasping onto her shoulders while she offers a deep moan in turn. Immediately, her tight wetness as well as mass amount of lubrication allows me to glide in and out of her as I slowly pound her rear. Continuing my harmless teasing, I lean forward and rub my hands along her sides while kissing the back of her neck. Unable to keep up her modesty, she squeals a bit before biting the blanket under her, stifling more and more moans of pleasure.

I think she may enjoy taking me in like this more than I might have thought. Maybe this feels more natural to her, what with being a pony and all? Regardless, I couldn’t care less at this point. The only thing that mattered to me was bringing the one I love to orgasm, and as my fingers curled through her mane, I could sense she was getting close to it and fast.

The embarrassed blush on her face as she tries to hide from my knowing gaze only makes me want to thrust deeper into her, eventually filling her with my entire length. This causes her to shake uncontrollably, still biting harder on the blanket even as she releases a wave of pleasure on my member and meagerly attempts to resist the overwhelming sensations. Unfortunately for me, the extra feeling of her muscles tightening only caused me to feel my climax approaching as well.

Getting a crazy idea, however, I quickly manage to pull out and stroke myself a few times, leaving Rarity in a very dazed state as she turns her head to look at me. Instead of an answer, I only groan out as I feel myself throbbing and twitching behind her. Within seconds, I fire off a few hot ropes of cum and coat her rear and back.

The generous amount shocks both myself and her, only Rarity gasps and moans softly as she feels the no doubt sticky substance all over her behind. Even more surprising, however, is that I catch her mouth practically salivating as I squeeze out the last drops onto her and teasingly rub the tip into her one last time before backing up slightly.

“Oh my word, that feels amazing! Although…”

She reaches back with a hoof and scoops a bit of the material before bringing it to her mouth and licking some of it up with her tongue. Sucking her hoof to make sure she gets all of it before speaking, Rarity remarks to me after her having trailed off previously.

“…it’s going to be such a pain to clean.”

I chuckle at her entirely accurate statement. Feeling my legs begin to grow a bit weak, I relax on the bed next to her and bring her sweet lips to mine, kissing her as deep as I can. This is nice; this is what I needed. Even though some things might happen, I know Rarity is the one I want to be with. Even as she breaks away and mock-complains once more, I feel no ill will towards her.

“Staining my fur isn’t exactly my idea of romance, Marcus.”

“I love you, too.”

She smiles warm-heartedly before wrapping her hooves around my neck and drawing me into a kiss, allowing my tongue to roll over hers as I bring her body closer to mine once more.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose if- “

“Yes, I’m sure. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. For now, just get some sleep.”

Pecking my cheek with a light kiss, she lies down on the pillow next to me and nuzzles her body against mine. Finally feeling content, I decided that I could live without sleeping at Twilight’s place tonight, so long as it means I get to sleep with Rarity in her own bed. Although, instead of running out in harsh realization, I embrace the beautiful form next to me as I recall our particularly wild reunion. I may have lost count of how many times we went at it, exactly, but I can’t really complain. No matter what, I want her to feel secure; that’s what’s important.

Being able to rest easy with no worries on my mind is something I’ve really missed. Maybe I can finally get a good night’s rest for once before tomorrow.

“Marcus Rook. Rise from your slumber!”

Of course not. Hi Luna, how are you this fine evening?

“Dispense with the formalities, Marcus. We have come to bring a message of utmost importance, one that comes from Princess Celestia herself!”

Eh? What is it now? I’m kind of in the middle of trying to get some shuteye before the last day of my “trial stay” tomorrow.

“Princess Celestia has been watching you as closely as I have, Marcus.”

Well that certainly makes me feel better. Who else is watching me? All of your guards, too?

“We do not appreciate sarcasm when the concerned matter involves immediate action. My sister wishes for you to know that you did not, as agreed on upon your arrival, bond with all six of the Elements of Harmony as of today.”

Really? That’s what this is about? I want to make it clear right now that-

“You did not let us finish. Celestia has ruled that, unless you visit tomorrow afternoon and tell her all that you’ve learned in your stay, she will not give you the option to stay here in Equestria.”

Threatening me, huh? I wouldn’t put it past her. Look, Luna, I’ve found clarity now. These marks on my back? They mean absolutely nothing to me. They might be some sort of ridiculous importance to Celestia, but I could care less about-…

“As thou can see, since you have not succeeded in bonding with the elements, the cutie marks adorning your body are no longer there.”

They’re just…gone? Well, uhh, I don’t know what to say, except…thanks!

“Err, you are…welcome?”

Alright, Luna, I’ll go to Canterlot tomorrow and talk to her, but for now, can you take a message for me? I doubt there’s any parchment around to write a letter, and I’d prefer not to get out of bed here, heh.

“Not a problem, Marcus. We are at your beck and call.”

Dear Princess Celestia,

On the penultimate day of my stay in Ponyville, I got to spend some more time with the mares that truly matter to me. I know and love each and every one of them for who they are. I even got to hang out with the joyful Derpy Hooves, who, more than anyone, has taught me not to judge a book by its cover. Fluttershy once again stopped me from thinking so negatively and I finally had a great reunion with Rarity. I can finally see what’s most important to me, and that’s all the wonderful things this world has to offer me. I won’t give it up now; I refuse to. Now, having gotten Luna’s message of your threat to me based on this whole ‘bonding’ thing, I think I’ll take one last visit to Canterlot so we can talk. I’m perfectly content now, and that’s all I ever wanted.

Signed,

Marcus Rook

Author's Notes:

Original posting date: 10/8/2012

The semi-final day brings Marcus back to his roots and makes things a bit simpler for him as he explores what's most important to him.