By the time Kevin could make out the soft hues of navy and rose encroaching upon the northern rim of the sky above the trees, he felt like he had been walking through the same patch of the forest over and over for hours. But at least he was starting to be able to see in front of him. He'd had a few near misses with tree trunks and a branch that hit him smack in the face, nearly knocking him off his hooves.

"What time is it?" Kevin asked, hoping it had been long enough since the last time he asked to merit another inquiry. Evidently it had.

"Umm..." Flight looked down at the comlink on her foreleg. "About 0630. Looks like the sun's rising, too." In the faint light, Kevin could see the filly's eyes poking through her long locks of white hair, strands strewn about her face in all directions. She smiled as she caught sight of him looking at her, and Kevin couldn't help but notice the lovely way her marigold-yellow cheeks seemed to glow in the light of dawn.

"Oh, um, yeah, looks like it." Kevin jerked his head away quickly—he didn't want to look like he was staring. "Hopefully now I won't run into any more trees."

Flight giggled. "I dunno, Kev—sometimes you're such a klutz that you don't even need the dark's help."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, dorkus." And then, right on time, one of his forelegs landed wrong on an unexpected rock jutting up from the ground. Kevin tumbled forward onto his face.

"Hahaha—oh, Argent, I'm so sorry but—snrkt—the timing..." Flight continued to snicker as she reached a hoof down to where Kevin lay defeated in a pile on the ground.

"Urgh... thanks..." Kevin managed, brushing the dirt off his face. "Heh... I meant to do that."

"Suuure you did." Flight smirked. "I know I keep saying this and I hope it's not annoying, but... I'm so glad to have you back, Kevin—I really am." The filly quickly leaned in and, before Kevin could respond, nuzzled him ever so briefly on his cheek, her soft yellow coat brushing up against his... and then, as soon as it happened, it was over. Kevin could feel the spot where she had nuzzled him, as well as the rest of his face, growing warm. Deep breaths.

"Hello? Kevin? C'mon, let's go!" Flight had already made it a few metres in front of him in the grass and was looking at him expectantly.

"Oh, um, right. Coming!" Kevin cried, and he galloped forward to catch up with the filly, who had already resumed her walk. A few minutes passed as the sky became lighter and the only sounds within earshot were distant birds and the sounds of their hooves on the wet, dew-ridden grass. At least, that's all Kevin could hear.

"Can you hear that?" Flight asked, turning to him.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Um, hear what? The birds?"

"No, no... shh." She stopped. "Listen."

Kevin listened long and hard—a minute or two, maybe—but that was all he could hear. "Nope. I got nothing."

Flight sighed. "What I can hear is ponies, Kev. There's ponies talking out there, so we must be close. C'mon!"

So, once again, Kevin walked between and beneath the trees, trotting alongside Flight yet also following her in the direction of the voices she had heard. He let the fresh air inflate his chest before the it slowly, surely seeped straight out again and rejoined the environment. The crisp scent of grass lingered below. And Flight... he couldn't stop stealing glances of the filly out of the corner of his eye and he hoped she wouldn't be looking when he did.

For the first time in quite a long while, Kevin felt that life was good.