“Beautiful moon out tonight,” Max said awkwardly, gazing up at the winter night sky as he walked through the town square of Bloodstock.

“Y-Yeah... it is,” the pale-yellow earth mare with a curly, orange mane replied timidly as she followed next to him.

Max turned his head away from the sky and looked towards his date that he was escorting home. She kept her head straight and her sights glued to the road, keeping to herself as much as she could.

The young mare that Max was currently trying to court was named Junebug. She had recently moved to Bloodstock to study a certain type of rare insect that he couldn't begin to pronounce the name of. He met her at his blacksmithing job when she came in to get fitted for a new set of horseshoes, something that he helped her with personally. They chatted for a little while and he was able to get her to laugh a few times, which was definitely good. She was cute and easy to talk to, so throwing caution to the wind, he took a chance and asked her out. After a long pause, Junebug timidly agreed. But it was easy to tell from her body language that the night had gone poorly.

They both continued to walk through the eerily quiet town in awkward silence until they reached Junebug’s apartment.

Junebug walked up to the front door, then stopped before turning around to face Max. “Well... This is me...”

Max groaned internally at that line, having heard it so many times before. He wasn’t even sure why so many mares said it at the end of every date. It didn't even make sense if he really thought about it. She should be saying, ‘this is my place’, not ‘this is me’... So stupid.

“I, ehh, had a really nice time tonight,” Junebug said shyly, if a bit insincerely, breaking Max out of his thoughts. She kept smiling at him, but soon started to frown, then looked away as she fidgeted with her forehooves. “But, I umm...”

Max rolled his eyes, knowing she was trying to muster up her courage to reject him. He had been through this whole song and dance many times before, and he knew she was going to give him the whole ‘let's just be friends’ speech. He wanted to just say his goodbye’s and head home, but instead, he put his hands into his coat pockets and waited for her to finish. He supposed he owed her that much.

“I just... u-umm,” Junebug tried to say, but continued to stutter and fidget with her hooves.

Max sighed softly, knowing that Junebug was a very timid mare. It was unlikely that she had to let somepony, or rather, someone down before. He figured he would help her out. “It’s alright, June. I know what you’re trying to say.”

“I-I’m really sorry,” Junebug said sadly, looking up to Max with an apologetic expression. “You’re a really sweet stallion and I had a lot of fun tonight. I really did, but...”

“You’re just not interested, right?” Max finished for her.

“I’m so sorry, Max,” Junebug said again. “I just don’t think we work together... like that.”

“Right...” Max said with a hint of annoyance. He knew that things weren't going well from the start of the date, but he felt like Junebug didn't even give him a fair chance. She was quiet most of the time and would only give him simple responses when he tried to spark up a conversation. It was like she turned into a completely different mare from when he met her at the smithy, but none of that mattered now. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable with him and she probably only agreed to the date to be nice.

“But, umm... I’d really like it if we were... friends,” Junebug added, putting on a warm smile.

‘And there it is,’ Max thought to himself, groaning internally as he fought the urge to just walk away in frustration. He knew that he shouldn't let something like this upset him so much, but he couldn't help it, knowing how often he had been rejected before. He had to remind himself that it wasn't Junebug’s fault that all his previous dates ended in the same way, but it didn't sting any less.

“Yeah sure,” Max said with a shrug of his shoulder. “You know where to find me.”

Junebug’s smile widened briefly before she placed her hoof on the front door to her apartment. “Well, good night, and thanks for the dinner. It was very sweet of you to take me.”

Max nodded, then watched as Junebug opened the door and started to walk inside. He would have just let her go, but there was something on his mind that bothered him.

“June, wait,” Max said, causing her to stop as she was about to step into her apartment, then look up at him curiously. “Is it because of what I am?”

“O-oh... umm...” Junebug started to say, quickly looking away from him as she started to fidget with her hooves again. “N-no... It’s nothing like that, I just don’t think we work... together... you know?”

“Right,” Max said flatly, having a hard time believing her. “Well, I’ll see you around, alright? And good luck trying to find that, ehh... Thera-fose-eh―”

“Theraphosidae afratos,” Junebug finished for him.

“Right, the white, fluffy spider thing,” Max said awkwardly. “Well, anyways... have a goodnight.”

“Y-You too,” Junebug said softly before stepping into her apartment, then gently shut the door behind her.

Max stood there, staring forlornly at Junebug’s apartment as he contemplated how pathetic he had become. After a while of hating himself and wondering what he was doing wrong, he sighed deeply, then turned to head home. He walked into the town square as the winds picked up, causing him to pull his hood over his head. He looked around the peaceful town while dark clouds blocked out the light of the moon and a gentle snow started to fall from the sky.

Everypony in Bloodstock seemed to be inside with their loved ones where it was warm, laughing and enjoying home made meals together. It only helped to remind Max of how lonely he truly was in this equine-ruled world. He had been living in this town for almost a full year with a stable job and a nice place to call home, but there was still something missing in his life. Something that made him feel empty without, and he just couldn't ignore it any longer.

Looking into the windows of several home he passed by, Max saw a few families eating around their dinner tables, smiling and genuinely having a good time. He even saw a couple snuggling close on a couch as they shared a bowl of popcorn and watched a movie, only adding to his gloomy mood.

Max had never felt so alone before, and it only got worse with every failed attempt he made to get closer with somepony. It seemed like he’d asked every available mare in town out, having been rejected right away, or told it just wouldn't work by the end of the date. He just wanted somepony to eventually share his life with, somepony to grow old and laugh with. Somepony that could... complete him.

It seemed like he was doomed to live the bachelor life, having experienced the same troubles when he was living in Ponyville. He had hoped that his luck would have changed at least a little when he settled in a new town, but such wasn't the case.

Although, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Max had made plenty of friends while living in Bloodstock and even had a best friend that he cared for deeply.

There was also his job as a blacksmith to look forward to. It was hard, challenging work and his boss could be a real hardass at times, but at the end of the day, he enjoyed it. Although, he wasn't really looking forward to tomorrow, knowing it was going to be a long day of making nothing but horseshoes and leg armor for Princess Celestia’s royal guard. If he remembered correctly, Flint told him that this order was due within a week, which meant he would be working his ass off. This news might have bummed him out, but with how his date ended, he welcomed the distraction.

With that in mind, Max made his way home, then tiredly collapsed into his half-made bed. After the emotionally draining day and knowing that he would have to get up early for work, he was ready to call it a night and quickly passed out.

Max awoke the next morning feeling slightly less pathetic than he did yesterday; that was some form of improvement in his mind. He skipped breakfast and threw his coat on before grabbing his leather apron, then walked out of his apartment. He arrived at work right on time like he always did, right before the sun started to peek out from behind the mountain tops.

Wasting little time, Max made his way into the supply room to hang his coat up, then put his apron on before heading down the hall that lead into the smithy. He opened the door and strolled into the stuffy room, spotting his boss standing next to his desk with a small pair of reading glasses resting on the bridge of his muzzle. It looked like he was reviewing a large list, no doubt the order from the Princess they had to fulfill.

“Morning, Flint,” Max said as he shut the door behind him.

“Morning,” Flint replied flatly, peering over his glasses at him. “I hope you’re ready to get shit done today. We got that big order to start working on.”

“Oh, trust me, I know,” Max said almost happily, going up to the large window in the back of the room, unlocking and opening it slightly to let in some fresh air. “I'm more than ready to get started.”

“Eager, huh?” Flint said with a knowing smirk, taking his glasses off before setting them down on his desk. “So, I take it your little date last night didn't work out?”

“That obvious?” Max said tiredly as he made his way to the wall covered with hanging tools, picking up one of the good hammers he liked to use.

“You always seem to work the hardest right after your dates reject you,” Flint pointed out as he walked up to Max.

“Yeah?” Max replied sadly, opening a workbench drawer filled with metal picks and chisels. “Well, there's a reason for that.”

Flint frowned in concern―or frowned more than he already did normally―then put on a soft smile. “Wanna talk about it, champ?”

“I just don't get it, Flint...” Max said tiredly, his posture slouching as he stared into the drawer of metal sculpting tools. “I've asked almost every mare in town out, and they all end up rejecting me before they even get to know me.”

“Well, can't say I blame them,” Flint said jokingly with a wide smirk. “I mean, that mug of your’s is pretty hard to look at. I’m not even sure how I manage to see it almost every day.”

“Yeah, yeah, really funny, prick,” Max scoffed, turning around to face his boss. “Have you looked into a mirror lately?”

“Oh, come on now. What mare could resist this?” Flint rebutted sarcastically, turning to his side. He flicked his dirty white mane out of his eyes and attempted to strike a majestic pose by sticking his chest out while trying to put on a charming smile, but could only manage a menacing and almost creepy-looking grin that could frighten small foals.

“You're beautiful, Flint,” Max said jokingly, letting a small smirk spread across his lips. “I bet you have to beat the mares off with a stick walking around with a wicked grin like that.”

Flint laughed at that remark. “Perhaps in my younger days, but not so much anymore,” he said, relaxing his poor attempt at a sexy pose, then let a sad sigh escape his lips. “I can't believe how long it's been...”

“Losing your game, gramps?” Max teased.

“It's been a while... decades even,” Flint admitted with a soft smile and a chuckle. He let another sigh escape his lips before pressing a hoof over his chest, looking off into the distance as he lost himself in his thoughts. “The last mare to ever give me the time of day was... Lightning’s...” He started to say, but trailed off, letting his happy expression slowly melt into a more pained one as he stared off into space.

Max waited a short moment for Flint to continue, but it soon became clear to him that the stallion’s mind was now elsewhere. “Uhh... Flint?”

Flint stayed silent, pressing his hoof into his chest a little tighter as he continued to stare blankly into the room, looking at nothing in particular.

“Hey, Flint!” Max shouted, waving a hand in front of the stallion's face.

“Huh... what?” Flint asked in confusion, blinking a few times before looking towards Max, snapping out of his stupor. “What do you want?”

“You okay?” Max asked in concern. “You kind of drifted off there.”

Flint frowned slightly, then cleared his throat before setting his hoof back down on the floor. “Yes, I'm fine. Just lost myself in some thoughts.”

Max knew he was going to bring up something about Lightning’s mother before he trailed off. Neither Flint nor Lightning ever talked about her and whenever she was mentioned, the conversations quickly ended. This seemed like a good opportunity to try and learn more about this mystery mare, so Max took the chance. “What were you going to say?”

“About what?” Flint asked, acting oblivious as he turned and walked back to his desk.

“Uhh... about Lightning's mother?” Max reminded him as he watched Flint put his glasses back before reviewing the order form they needed to work on again. “You were going to say something about her, then you just... stopped.”

“I don't remember,” Flint said, obviously lying with a hint of anger in his voice as he tried to seem busy with the order form. “Besides, we got work to do.”

Something inside Max’s mind told him that he should just drop the subject, but he wanted to know more about his ex-wife, or marefriend, or whatever she was. Besides, he and Flint were practically best friends at this point, so he didn't see how pushing it a little more would be an issue. Flint might even like to get a few things off his chest about his past lover.

“How come you never want to talk about Lightning's mother?” Max asked curiously, leaning back against a workbench behind him, getting more comfortable and ready for a deep talk with his boss that was long overdue.

Flint grumbled something under his breath, but stayed silent, still trying to seem busy with papers on his desk.

“It just seems that whenever she comes up you―”

“You know what I don't get?” Flint shouted, slamming a hoof on his desk, causing Max to jump as the sound of metal clanging together echoed into the room. His brow furrowed further as he jerked his head towards the surprised human. “You have all this time to fuck around and date every mare that looks your way when you could be in the forge getting shit done! If you did that more, then maybe we wouldn't have to keep cutting it so close with all these damn deadlines!”

Max was taken back by Flint's sudden outburst. He knew his boss had a short fuse at times, but even this seemed like a little much. He just wasn't expecting him to snap like he did. “Hey, I didn't mean to―”

“Just get to work, colt!” Flint spat, sounding only slightly less upset than before as he angrily tossed his glasses on the desk, then made his way towards the forge. “We’ll never get this shit done if we don't start soon!”

“Right...” Max said flatly, not sure what else to say. He turned back to the open drawer behind him so he could continue to look for the pick tool he needed. He started to fish around in the unorganized mess before Flint spoke up again, interrupting him.

“We’re going to need more coal,” Flint grumbled loudly from across the room as he worked on setting up the forge, placing what little coal they had left around the fire pit. “Why don't you make yourself useful and get some more. We don’t have enough for the day, let alone the whole week!”

Max sighed heavily as he put his hammer back onto the wall of tools, then untied his leather apron. He flung the apron over his shoulder, then walked towards the door.

“Max...” Flint called out softly, causing Max to stop right as he grabbed the door handle.

Max looked towards the forge where the now more somber looking Flint was staring back at him.

“I, uhh...” Flint started to say, but hesitated.

Max raised an eyebrow at Flint, keeping his hand on the door handle while he waited for his boss to finish what he wanted to say.

After a while of awkward silence, Flint sighed, then shook his head before turning back to continue setting up the forge. “Just hurry up, okay. We really don’t have much time to finish this.”

“Yes, sir,” Max said tiredly with a small eye roll before exiting the room. He shut the door behind him, then made his way into the supply closet to hang his apron up and put on his winter coat.

Max stormed out into the cold, grumbling angrily to himself as he made his way to the shed on top of a small hill where all their extra coal was stored.

“I can’t believe this shit,” Max muttered to himself, agitated that his date rejected him last night and now his boss was pissed at him for asking a simple question. “If talking about his ex-wife, or marefriend really bothers him that much then he should just... just...”

Max stopped halfway between the cabin and the shed, clenching his fist tightly while grunting angrily through clenched teeth. He stood there, letting his anger fume for a moment before relaxing his body, then took a deep breath. Feeling calmer, he could see that his anger was unjustified, but it wasn’t any less upsetting. Nothing seemed to be working out for him lately and he was getting sick of it.

“Whatever...” Max muttered to himself, walking towards the shed at a much calmer pace as he continued to think more about what just happened with Flint. He wasn’t sure why, but it seemed that both Flint and Lightning liked to keep secrets from him and it was starting to get a little annoying. It wasn’t like he was some stranger they couldn’t trust or something. He had known both of them for a good year now and considered them to be his closest friends, but at times it felt like they didn’t trust him at all.

Flint was definitely the worst of the two, though. It was like he was afraid to open up at all. At least Lightning was comfortable enough to share all her emotions and troubles with him... Kind of...

Much like her father, Lightning never really talked about her mother, nor what happened to her at the Wonderbolts Academy she attended years ago, which was another weird subject that he thought he’d never get an answer to. But, even with all the annoying secrets that she liked to keep from him, Max couldn’t help but smile as he thought more about his best friend. He could really use her company after all the stupid shit he’d had to go through recently. Just thinking about hearing her laugh and getting to see those beautiful amber eyes with that cocky smirk of hers was enough to help him start to feel better. He figured if more mares were like her, then perhaps he wouldn’t be as lonely as he was, but wishful thinking.

Max took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all negative thoughts before picking up the bucket that was laying next to the shed. He opened the door, then made his way to the very back where all their extra coal lay in a gigantic pile against the wall. They had enough of the stuff to last them for a good year, but it was still in large chunks. Flint always bought it like that, thinking it was cheaper than the stuff that was already broken up and ready to use. It only saved him a couple of bits at the end of the day, but Max didn’t mind the extra work. He found smashing stuff into small pieces rather relaxing.

After filling the bucket to the brim with as much coal as he could, Max walked out of the shed, but not before picking up the axe that hung on the wall. He might have used a sledge hammer for this task in the past, but he found the axe to be more useful. He could control it better and it wouldn’t shatter the coal into pieces that were way to small to use. It was a lesson that he had to learn the hard way, much like how most of his training to become a blacksmith went.

Max walked over to a large tree stump that was a short distance away from the shed, then leaned the axe against it before setting the bucket of coal down next to him. He was about to reach for the first piece of coal to break, but something in the back of his mind told him to stop. It was as if every fiber in his being was trying to warn him that he was being... watched. He slowly stood back up, letting his eyes scan his surroundings as he listened carefully.

All he could see was an endless horizon of snow-covered trees as he peered around the distant forest in front of him. The gentle sound of the wind blowing by filled his ears, followed by the occasional tweet of the local snow birds, singing their simple love songs early in the morning. It was peaceful and calm, but soon there was something else in the air, something that sounded like...

Spinning on his heel, Max quickly turned around and threw his arms out as a large blue-green blur came crashing into his chest. He used the force of the impact to his advantage, letting himself fall back as he caught the object, rolling down the small hill with the soft bundle of fur and feathers held tightly in his arms. Once he came to a stop on his back he threw his assailant off of him, then quickly rolled into a crouching position, facing his attacker.

Lightning Dust caught herself in the air with her wings, then quickly spun around in mid-air, landing on her hooves several feet away from Max. Without any hesitations, she took an aggressive stance, panting softly as she stared him down with a determined grin. The dorky red scarf that she always wore in the winter gently waved in the light breeze as she flared her wings out, getting ready to rocket herself into another lunge attack.

“Cheater...” Lightning said between her soft pants, keeping her eyes locked with his.

“I could hear you coming from a mile away,” Max replied through a cocky grin. “You’re getting sloppy, little lightning bug.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Lightning muttered with a hint of playful anger, crouching her chest down as she raised her wings up even higher.

“Yeah?” Max questioned with an even wider grin. “And what are you going to do about―”

Lightning quickly lunged forward with one powerful flap of her wings, rocketing herself towards Max before he could even finish his sentence. She stretched her forehooves out, ready to grab him as soon as they collided.

Ready for what was coming, Max rolled out of the way at the very last second, causing Lightning to shoot past him, kicking up a thick cloud of snow in her wake.

Taking his chance, Max got to his feet and started to run down the hill. He knew he could never outrun her, but if he had a big enough lead, then he could escape into the forest to gain a slight advantage. He turned his head back as he ran, then shouted, “You’re getting slower, Dustbutt!”

Lightning skidded on the snow covered ground, drifting on her hooves as she tried to turn herself around. “You little shit!” she shouted angrily, using her wings to help slow herself down. As soon as she regained her traction, she jumped after Max with a hard flap of her wings, quickly launching herself towards him again with her forehooves stretched out in front of her. “I’ll make you eat those words, asshole!”

Max’s eyes widened as Lightning quickly closed the gap between them at an unbelievable speed. Thinking fast, he jumped into the air and spun around, letting her collide into his chest again. He held her tightly as they both fell into the snow, then slid down the hill. Once they reached the bottom, they continued to roll around, both of them trying to pin the other as they fought for dominance.

Having the much larger and stronger form, Max easily had the upper hand in this little skirmish and was able to get Lightning under him with little to no trouble. He managed to pin her down on her back, holding both of her forelegs down by the sides of her head.

Lightning grunted as she tried to squirm her way out of his grasp, using her hind legs to try and push him off of her, but he was much too large and far too heavy.

Seeing she wasn’t going to give up without a real fight, Max crossed her forelegs over her chest and held them in place with one hand while bringing the other up to his mouth. He used his teeth to pull off his glove, then brought his now naked hand over the still struggling pegasus, making a menacing claw motion with his fingers.

Lightning’s eyes widened in horror once she saw the threatening appendages above her, causing her to freeze instantly. “No... No, you wouldn’t!”

“It doesn't have to be this way,” Max said with an evil grin, flexing his fingers in and out in a threatening manner. “Just say it.”

“Never!” Lightning shouted, arching her back as hard as she could, trying desperately to break free of his grasp. “Let me go and fight me like a real stallion!”

Max brought his hand down onto Lightnings unprotected and sensitive belly, digging his fingers deep into her soft coat as he tickled her without mercy.

Lightning instantly burst into a fit of laughter, rolling herself left and right in a poor attempt to get away from Max’s hand and escape from his unbreakable hold. Her hind legs flailed wildly, trying to kick him off with no success.

“Say it!” Max shouted, holding back his own laughter as he continued his assault on her vulnerable tummy, making sure to tickle all the more sensitive spots he knew of. “Just say the words and end your suffering!”

“N-no... no fair!” Lightning grunted through clenched teeth, trying desperately to hold back her laughs as she attempted to scowl angrily at Max, to no avail. Her eyes started to water as she burst into another fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“Just say it!” Max commanded, not letting up on his assault for even a second.

“O-okay... Okay!” Lightning shouted between her laughing as she continued to squirm in his grasp. “Y-you’re the best at everything and... and I wish I could be just like you!”

“There,” Max said calmly, retracting his hand as he sat back in the snow, letting Lightning go. “Now was that so hard?”

Lightning quickly sat up and punched Max’s arm as hard as she could. “Dick!”

Max simply laughed as he rubbed the spot she hit.

“That’s... hardly fair!” Lightning argued angrily between her heavy breathing. “Your fingers give you a clear advantage... I can’t just start tickling you with my hooves! If it was a fair fight, then... then I would’ve kicked your ass!”

Max threw his head back and laughed even louder at that. “Oh come on, you love it!” he said with a wide smirk, still rubbing his sore arm. “In fact, if I didn’t know any better... I’d say you actually let me catch you, just so I can tickle you.”

“Oh, yeah...? You think so?” Lightning questioned between her pants, keeping her angry scowl as her cheeks started to flush slightly. “And what’s your proof? I’d love to hear it.”

“Gee, I don't know,” Max said somewhat sarcastically with a wide and knowing grin. “It just seems to get easier and easier to pin you down.”

Lightning scoffed at that remark, rolling her eyes as her cheeks flared up even more. “Yeah, I bet you’d like it if that was true, huh?” she teased playfully, looking back at him with a more sultry gaze. “You’d like to hold me down, wouldn’t you? Ya big perv.”

Now it was Max’s turn to blush, but he knew she was just messing with him, trying to get him flustered and embarrassed by acting all flirty. “No comment.”

Lightning giggled before slugging his arm a second time, but not as hard as before. “Pervert.”

“You say that like its a bad thing,” Max replied playfully, then got to his feet, dusting all the snow off him. “So, what are you even doing here?” he asked curiously as he put his glove back on his hand. “I thought you were taking that test for the Wonderbolts Academy today.”

“Already did!” Lightning replied excitedly, flapping her wings to help pick herself up, then shook all the snow off her coat and mane. “I aced that bitch with flying colors, so I figured I’d stop by and chill with you and Pops since I have the rest of the day off.”

“No shit?” Max questioned excitedly. “That's awesome! So, does that mean you're back in the academy now?”

“Ehh, not exactly,” Lightning admitted with a hint of sadness. “I still have one more test to take, then I can participate in the tryouts, so I still have a ways to go.”

“Still, that’s awesome!” Max said excitedly. “And I'm glad you're here, but, umm... I'm not sure how much fun you’re going to have hanging out with us...” He looked towards the top of the hill, then started to make his way to the tree stump where he should have been breaking up coal by now. “Your father's in a real pissy mood today.”

“Uh-oh,” Lightning said, taking to the sky so she could fly next to Max as he walked up the hill. “So, what did you do this time?”

“Nothing!” Max shouted defensively as he threw his arms in the air. “All I did was ask him a little question and he got all mad and angry!”

Lightning raised a curious eyebrow at Max as she floated next to him, giving him an odd look before shrugging her shoulder. “Well, that’s just Pops for ya...”

Max sighed, putting his hands into his coat pockets, knowing she was right. “Yeah, I should have just kept my mouth shut.”

Lightning crossed her forelegs over each other and nodded her head in agreement. “I think that would’ve been best. In fact, I think everypony would benefit from that.”

“Ha-ha,” Max said mockingly.

“Oh, don’t be a butt. You know I’m just teasing ya,” Lightning said cheerfully, flying in close so she could playfully bump Max’s shoulder with her elbow. “So, is that why you were all down in the dumps before? Or, is it because you can’t seem to get your dick wet?”

Max laughed loudly at that last remark, then shook his head. “More so the latter than the former,” he admitted with a bright smile and another chuckle.

“I figured as much, with you being all mopey and depressed, walking around the shed like some kind of zombie loser,” Lightning teased as she landed in the snow, then following next to him. “It’s a shame your date didn’t work out, though. That Junebug mare was a real cutie.”

“She had a nice personality, too,” Max added.

Lightning hummed to herself in thought for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. “I guess, but I wouldn’t really know. I never got a chance to talk to her, but I know she had a really nice nerdy look about her. Like that kind of dorky and innocent look that you just want to corrupt with a whole night of hot, sweaty debauchery.” She giggled to herself, hopping into the air, then used her wings to help her glide back down before continuing. “She might’ve been a freak in the sack, too. The shy ones usually are.”

“Yeah?” Max asked, not really sure if that statement was true or not. “Well, I guess I’ll never really know if she was or not. She gave me the whole ‘let's just be friends’ speech.” He stopped several feet before the tree stump, then sighed deeply. “It just gets frustrating, Dusty...”

Lightning stopped as well, then looked back at him curiously. “What? That you can’t get laid?”

Max chuckled at that and shook his head. “No, it's more than that,” he admitted, walking up to the stump where his axe and bucket of coal remained unchanged. “I know we joke about it a lot, but I don’t just want sex, you know...? And, I don’t want to sound all sentimental and lame, but I want a... partner. Like, somepony to share my life with, but nopony has been willing to give me a chance.”

“Yuck!” Lightning teased, scrunching up her nose in mock disgust while sticking her tongue out at him. “That's pretty sentimental and lame.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Max admitted with a soft smile as he gripped the axe. He picked up one of the larger chunks of coal from the bucket, then placed it on the tree stump before continuing. “I don’t know... maybe I’m just being weird about this whole thing and I should just accept it for what it is, but... after so long, it kind of gets to you, you know?”

Lightning frowned sadly as she watched Max lift the axe up over his head, getting ready to strike the chuck of coal, then smiled again. “You really are an idiot,” she said, just as he was about to bring the axe down, causing him to lose his focus and miss, sticking the axe into the tree stump instead.

“What?” Max asked, giving the axe a quick yank, only to discover that it was stuck, then looked towards Lightning in confusion. “Wait, why am I an idiot? What did I do now?”

“Nothing...” Lightning said innocently with a soft giggle.

“Dammit... this is really stuck now,” Max muttered under his breath as he tried a second time to free the axe. He placed one of his legs on the tree stump for support, then gripped the axe handle with both hands tightly.

“You know...” Lightning started to say as she watched Max pull with all his strength to get the axe out with no success, grunting loudly as he did so. “I think I can help you out.”

“You wh―” Just then, the axe broke free from the stump, causing Max to fall back. He landed hard on his ass before hitting the back of his head on a rock that was hidden underneath the snow.

“Ow, fuck!” Max shouted, quickly sitting up while holding the back of his head in pain. He groaned loudly, then remembered what Lightning had said, causing him to look at her in confusion. “Wait, what do you mean you can help?”

Lightning smiled as she walked up to him. “I think I can help find you a mare that would be willing to give you a chance.”

Max’s eyes widened at first, but he then realized how unrealistic something like that truly was. Even if she acted as his wing... ehh... mare, there was no doubt in his mind that who ever she helped him find would end up dumping him before the night was over.

“Oh, right,” Max said sarcastically, picking himself up before dusting the snow off his backside. “Yeah, I’m sure you can.”

“Alright smart ass...” Lightning mocked, giving Max a determined scowl. “How about we make it a little more interesting.”

“Interesting?” Max questioned, giving her an odd look. “Like how?”

“I’ll bet you that I can find a very sexy and amazing mare that’s interested and more than willing to give you a chance.”

“You’re being serious?” Max asked in disbelief, sounding unsure and a little confused about all this. “And you... want to put bits on it?”

“I’ll do you one better,” Lightning continued confidently. “I’ll bet I can find you a mare by tonight!”

“Tonight?!” Max half-shouted in surprise. Surely she was messing with him.

“What’s the matter?” Lightning said, taking flight so she could get into his face. She bumped her nose with his, staring directly into his eyes with a challenging glare. “Scared you’ll lose?”

“Alright fine...” Max replayed defensively, matching her hard glare with one of his own. “I’ll bet you fifty bits that you’re full of shit.”

“Double it and we got a deal!” Lightning countered, poking his chest with the edge of her hoof.

Max stepped back and took his glove off, then spit into his palm before holding it out. “If she doesn’t dump me by the end of the night, then you got a deal.”

Lightning spit into her hoof, then slapped it into Max’s wet palm. “Just be ready to pay me one hundred bits come tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Max said flatly, giving her hoof a firm shake. “Just remember, that’s only if she doesn’t dump me.”

“Yeah, she won't,” Lightning proclaimed confidently. “Just be ready at seven o’clock. She’ll pick you up at your place.” With that, Lightning started to slowly float backwards, heading towards town. “Just make sure you look nice, and take a shower, and shave a little!”

Max blinked a few times at that remark, then brought his hand up to his chin, feeling a slight stubble starting to grow. He then looked back at Lightning to see that she was now flying back into town. “Hey, wait!”

“What?” Lightning asked, stopping in mid air to look back at him.

“Where are you going?” Max asked sadly. “I thought you wanted to chill with us today.”

“Sorry,” Lightning said, slowly flying backwards again. “I gotta get things ready for tonight, so I can take your bits.”

“So, you’re just going to leave me here with your pissed off father?”

“Hey, he’s pissed at you, not me. That’s your problem, buddy,” Lightning said before turning to head back into town. She started to fly towards town, but stopped as she remembered something, then looked back again. “Oh yeah, and make sure you wear that really nice suit you have!”

Max raised a curious eyebrow at her, having a good idea of the exact suit she was talking about. “Umm... you mean that navy blue one you like?”

“Yeah, that one! And wear it with one of your light blue ties!” Lightning said almost excitedly before continuing her flight into town while shouting back, “And be ready to pay up!”

Max wanted to ask her why she wanted him to wear that suit specifically, but she was already long gone and too far away to hear him.

“Weird...” Max said to himself as he put his glove back on, turning and picking up his axe again, pondering about what just happened. It was strange how confident Lightning seemed to be about finding him a date. It was perplexing, but at the same time, gave him some hope that she could really help with his love life. But in the end, he knew how dangerous it was to be hopeful and quickly doused those thoughts with the reality of the situation. He knew things were highly likely to go wrong like they always did and couldn’t let himself get too excited just to end up being heartbroken again. Besides, he knew most of Lightning’s friends and none of them ever showed any interest in him―or as far as he knew they didn’t―so who was this mystery mare going to be?

Max frowned in deep thought as he tried to remember all the females he was friends with that could be an option. A few came to mind, but he knew for a fact that most of them showed no interest in him whatsoever. Well... except for Moonshine the barmaid at The Blue Ribbon Inn. She might’ve been the only mare in town that he hadn’t asked out and they were good friends in his book, but he was pretty sure she was already spoken for. Or was it that she wasn’t looking for a coltfriend at all? The reason escaped him, but he was certain that there was something stopping him from asking her on a date. Maybe he already did ask her, but just couldn't remember.

“Well, if it's not Moonshine, then who...?” Max pondered, then chuckled when a certain rainbow colored pegasus entered his mind.

“Yeah, maybe Lightning went to Ponyville to convince Rainbow Dash to give me a second chance,” Max said to himself jokingly, shaking his head at the preposterous idea.

It was possible that it could be a mare that he didn’t know at all, or perhaps one of Lightning's new friends from the academy training she talked about, which worried him. He just hoped that Lightning was smart enough to tell them what he was and what he looked like so they wouldn’t freak out.

“Ehh, whatever,” Max said, shrugging his shoulder. He figured whoever Lightning was going to try and set him up with would just end up rejecting him anyways, causing him to think about how he was going to spend his cool hundred bits. There was a really nice liquor cabinet being sold in town that he had his eye on for a while now. Perhaps he would treat himself and get it for his apartment, then he would have a nice place to store all the ales and spirits he liked to collect.

‘Yeah... That’d be pretty awesome,’ Max though, smirking to himself. He lifted the axe above his head, then quickly brought it back down, splitting the chuck of coal into two even halves with a satisfying crack.

Author's Notes:

Hmmm... So, what do you guys think? Who's the mystery mare going to be? I'd love to see what you guys think!!

Anyways, I might not get to updating the next chapter for a while. I got some art things I need to work on now, so I'll be doing those for at least the next two weeks. So, if you guys are interested in seeing where this story goes, make sure to track it so you can get updates!

Also, if you guys want, you can check on chapter progression over here. I'll be updating this blog as often as I can so you guys can see where the chapter is at and how close the new one is to being done.

As always, don't be afraid to point out mistakes. I like to fix them for future readers! And let me know your thoughts! I love to hear from you guys!