Took a while to write this one guys. I'm not the best with love stories and stuff but I hope you enjoy it.

Asta and the girls spent the rest of the day cleaning up the town. Asta went to the lumber yard and made plans with Wood Worker to start rebuilding the town. He put a down payment with some of the bits he had saved up from his jobs and sent a few letters off to the Crystal Empire asking for a few orders of other supplies to help rebuild the town’s homes and buildings that were destroyed or damaged in the fight in between the vampires and the Balrog.

The group was lucky in the fact that they were able to finish the clean-up before the last train for Dodge Junction departed the station. Unfortunately, Asta and his friends had to catch the long passengers’ train. This was a slower moving train and was used mainly by tourists as a tour and sightseeing vessel instead of the fast travel train that ran first thing in the morning. The fact that it was a tourists’ commodity actually worked in the groups favor this time around as it gave them all places to rest from the days earlier events. Asta, in particular, needs a lot more recuperation due to him physically and mentally pushing and draining himself to the point of near collapse. Once he and Fluttershy were in their room he passed out once he hit the bed.

Due to the train being a public one pets weren’t allowed in the main area which meant Nero would either have to fly herself to the next station or ride in the cargo area. She chose to fly. Ymir, on the other hand, was another story as she was too big to fit in the cargo area and she still couldn’t fly long distances as of yet. Twilight came up with a plan for the Sky Dragon as a comprise, for a while at least. Using a matter compacting spell Twilight reduced Ymir’s body size to that of when she was a hatchling. She could now ride the train but the downside was that all that was reduced was her size and not her weight. So, when anyone tries to pick up the pint-size obsidian dragoness they were immediately met with a massive weight issue and being a girl meant that Ymir was still sensitive about this. Let’s just say there’s a certain overly bulked up pegasus that won’t be sitting down for this train ride. Ymir still couldn’t breathe fire but she still has a lot of sharp teeth.

Asta went ahead and asked Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity if they would like to come with him and the others to Savanna but they flat out turned him down saying that they were needed here in town. Asta understood why Dash and Pinkie needed to stay but he didn’t understand why Rarity was staying other than to watch over Sweetie Belle, of course, but she’d often stay with either Scootaloo and Dash or at the Apple’s with Applebloom. Still, Asta didn’t question it as the girl were grown women and capable of making their choices. He learned that you really shouldn’t pry when it came to a woman’s reason and left it at that.

Everyone tucked themselves into their cabins for the night. Fluttershy and Asta were in one. Spike and Twilight were in another while Aj was by herself in another. Ymir didn’t want to see Applejack alone so she slept in the farm girl’s room to give her some company.

“Look here Ymir, Ah know ya can understand me and Ah need to talk with ya about how to talk with Asta about mah feelins. If ya can, just nod up and down for ‘yes’ and shake it side to side for ‘no’ that would good enough, k,” The farm girl spoke sternly but nervously with the little dragoness sitting on her bed.

Ymir nodded in agreement.

Applejack knew enough about Ymir from what Asta had told her and from being around the dragon when she was still a hatchling that she was incredibly intelligent and understood every word that was spoken to her, even if she couldn’t actually speak using her mouth. Applejack also knew that she could communicate with Asta via some form of mind link which she was going to address now.

“Ya better not go and tell him what we’re talkin about while we’re doin it either,” Applejack eyed the reptile hard.

Ymir quickly placed her head in her claws and started making snoring noises. Applejack took as she was saying Asta was already asleep.

“So he’s already asleep,” The dragon nodded. “Figures,” Applejack rolled her eyes with a smirk as she shook her head. “Ah’m not surprised. Especially after the way, he wore himself out in the fight against Rick and then again fightin that fire monster. Then we spent the rest of the day helpin cleanup Ponyville and rushed to get on this train.”

Ymir nodded swiftly completely with the farm-girl.

“Let me start off by sayin that what ya already ready know,” Applejack’s face started to flush in front of the little dragon. “Ah like Asta and Ah mean that from the bottom of my heart.” She placed a hand on her chest.

Ymir slightly tilted her the little dragoness was very taken with how to open Applejack was being with her. She had read some love stories and fairytales when she would stay at the library and when Granny Smith was teaching her how to understand and learn the languages of Equestria. She still had no real concept of the meaning of love or what it is to like someone beyond that of just liking someone as a friend or family member. This why she was here in Applejack’s room in the first place. Ymir didn’t want her to be alone. Ymir also felt she needed someone that was close to her, someone she considered family other than Asta, Fluttershy, or Nero.

“Ah can’t really explain why I’m attracted to Asta but it started when I noticed his strength. He fought the guards in the park and did his best to keep that fight from even happening,” Applejack sighed. “Don't get me wrong, he’s a great looking guy but what nailed me the heart was the way he helps out and takes care of his friends. Ya understand stand what Ah’m sayin Ymir.”

Ymir stood up and placed her claw on her chest over her heart then thumped it a few times. Applejack smiled at the obsidian dragoness softly. She knew exactly what she was trying to say.

‘Asta has a good heart,’ Ymir said in her mind. She then pointed to her and shook it.

“Yea, he’s not exactly the smartest fella at times but he's still there for ya when it counts,” Aj giggled. “But he still knows how to handle a lot of things.” She took in a deep breath and then let it out. “So, Ah, think he and Ah need to get this stuff out there. Ah know he likes Shy but I still need to know his answer to mah feelins. Ah mean how am I supposed to do that?”

Ymir threw her claws up halfway as she sat on her hind legs in a shrugging motion.

“Look at me askin a small dragon for advice when she doesn’t even know how to comprehend the concept of what it’s like to have feelings for someone,” Applejack grabbed her head in a defeated sigh. “Thanks for stayin with me. I think it’s time for some much-needed rest.”

Ymir nodded and let out a yawn that she’d been desperately holding back.

Applejack turned off the lights and patted the dragon on the head then curled up in on her bed.

Ymir was curled up in a little dragon ball on the floor of Applejack’s room. She had decided to take residence at the foot of her bed. Suddenly Ymir’s eyes shot open and she raised her head. She’d noticed that her partner had woken up from his very deep sleep. Although he wasn’t completely recovered from his fatigue he had more than enough energy to get up without alerting Fluttershy and leave the room and walk towards the back of the train.

‘What’s he up to at this time of night,’ Ymir murmured in a very groggy grumble of a squawk. She got to her claws stretched and bit to loosen her muscles enough to move without much hindrance to herself and walked over to the door and watch the cracked underneath for passing shadows. ‘I know he sometimes goes out at night for some fresh air when we’re at home but why do it on a train? The air is hardly fresher outside than it is if he were to stay in the cabin,’ Ymir sat up and scratched the bottom of her head with her left hindfoot. She then heard the creaking of floorboards as someone made their way past the door. She pushed the door open ever so slightly and stuck her head out to see if it was Asta and not the conductor. She saw her ashen heard rider making his way to the caboose, which was the car after the one they were currently in.

Ymir gingerly slides her head back into the door and quickly made her way to the side Applejack’s bed that her head was on. The little dragon pushed off the floor with her front claws and propped herself close to Applejack’s face and began to ever so slightly paw at it with her right front claw. It wasn’t long before the farmer pony’s eyes started to drowsily flutter open. Applejack sat up in bed and sleepily looked around her cabin before her eyes came to rest on the barely visible form of obsidian mini-dragon that awoke her.

Applejack let a yawn and stretched slightly before speaking, “What is it Ymir?” She yawned again. “Need to go to the bathroom?”

Ymir quickly shook her head no and scrambled to the door to the room shoving it open and flooding the room partially with the lights of the outer corridor. The dragoness squawked and jumped in and out of the doorway before running to the bed and began to pull the blanket off the farm pony.

Applejack was stumped at her companion’s behavior. “Ya want mah to go out in the hallway?”

Ymir nodded vigorously up and down.

“Alright,” Applejack huffed in annoyance as she threw the rest of her blanket off and put on some slippers. She made her way to the doorway and look down at the mini-dragon still annoyed that Ymir had interrupted her sleep. “Ah don’t see anything out here,” She looked left and right before she saw the dragon walking down to the caboose. “Hey, get your scaley hide back here!” She whispers should as not to wake-up the other passengers.

Ymir had already made it to the door outside and was trying to open. She’s flown up and landed on a bark next to the handle that she’d grabbed with her hind claws while also wrapping her tail around for added stabilization. Applejack walked over to the door and dragon as quickly and quietly as she could. Once she got to Ymir she was through ticked off by the dragon’s action but still curious as to why she was doing what she was doing.

Once the little dragon had managed to unlock the door she forced it opened it allowing a powerful gust of wind to enter the cabin and then proceed to hop outside to the next car’s door. She dug her claws into the outside of the car and looked back at Applejack and motions for the farm girl to follower her by motioning her head to the door.

Applejack shook her head. “Ah don’t know what’s crazier, me for actually followin you or the fact that Ah’m taking directions from a flyin lizard.”

Ymir scowled at Applejack and then hissed at her to follow her as she forced open the door to the caboose and jumped inside it. Applejack hopped to the next car and started to smooth down her hair that had been stirred up due to the wind. Her gaze came to lay on the form of the dragon guide she’d been following for the past few minutes. Ymir was sitting eat the back of the cabin in front of the door patiently waiting for her friend.

“Enough of this ya hear,” Applejack scolded the little dragon. “Let’s go back to the room already. It’s the middle of the night for Pete’s sake.”

Ymir only rolled her eyes and then motioned at the back door of the cabin. Applejack raised an eyebrow. Ymir jumped up on the handle next to the door as she’d done earlier and again motioned with her head but at the window this time.

Applejack hen noticed that there was somepony standing out on the balcony of the caboose. She then noticed the distinct spiky hair of Asta.

“What’s Asta doin out there?” Applejack looked at Ymir for some form of an answer. The little dragoness only shrugged in an ‘I don’t know’ fashion. “He wouldn’t be out there if he didn’t have a good reason?”

Asta suddenly jumped up on the support railing of the balcony and placed a hand on the support beam. After standing on the railing for a bit staring off into the distance he bent his knees and pushed off it while still holding on to the support beam. Doing this allowed Asta to fling himself up onto the roof of the caboose. Applejack quickly ducked out of sight of the knight still pondering, “what in the name of Celestia and Luna was he was doing?”

Applejack looked at Ymir still hoping for some type of answer or reach other than that of confusion. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and find out when he comes back in,” she took a seat in one of the open booths while Ymir jumped up next and curled up right at her side.

I woke up feeling much better. I was a little stiff from sleeping so deeply. I sat and noticed Shy sleeping soundly cuddled up next to me. She had the cutest expression on her face with a goofy little open mouth smile with just a bit of drool coming from the corner of it onto her pillow. I couldn't help but snicker a bit.

I slowly got out of bed doing my best not to disturb the sleeping pegasus next to me. I managed to scooch my pillow into my place as to not give her a reason to wake up. I stretched to loosen my muscles before thinking a bit.

‘There’s no way I’ll be able to fall back to sleep right now.’

I looked out the window to see the blurred silhouettes of the objects in the night as the train whizzed by them. This got me thinking about my fight with Rick. Before he dove underground I tried my hand at the Afterimage technique and successfully pulled it off for the most part but it was still slumped in my opinion. My body wasn’t used to move into in rapid stop and go motion like this. It wasn’t the stopping but the speed I had trouble with. So I decided I needed to get acclimated to high speeds and while not physically moving my own body. Luckily I was in just the right conditions for this. I could sit on top of the train while trying to meditate to get a feel of the mental and physical conditions.

I made sure that I had my Grimoire and grabbed my hairband to keep my hair out of my face. It had been a while since my arrival here in Equestria and I hadn’t really been paying attention to my appearance as far as my hair was concerned anyway. I had gotten rather shaggy but luckily most of it would stay out of my face with my headband. I was going to have to either get a haircut or start wearing a ponytail.

‘Hehe, ponytail.’

I walked to the door and quickly and quietly jumped out of the room doing my best not to disturb Fluttershy. I made my way to the last car of the train and stepped out onto the overhang and stood there thinking for a moment.

‘Man, what am I gonna say to Aj?’ I scratched the back of my head as I let out a long sigh. ‘Hey, I really like you but I don’t think I go through with the whole polygamy thing. Yea, just come out and break her heart why don’t ya, damn idiot. How the hell does the original Asta stay so devoted to Sister Lily while attracting every other female character’s affections and be completely oblivious to it.’

I then sensed that Ymir and Aj were behind with my ki sensing.

‘Mmmm. Must’ve been so lost in thought that they snuck up on me. Oh well. If they’re still there when I come back then we’ll talk.’

I jumped on the support railing and then flung myself on to the roof of the caboose. I quickly sat down and crossed my legs while making notes of the velocity of the wind as the train sped along. It was definitely moving along a similar speed to which I’d moved, maybe a little slower. I also to this opportunity to work on my Controlled Breathing techniques. Like most of my skill sets, I hadn’t fully mastered this ability and know I was seriously regretting it as my master could constantly use this ability while I had only mastered to the point of using it for short periods of time.

I focused on memorizing the feel of the wind blowing on my body while maintaining a constant breath. I did this for some time. I couldn’t say how long I did this for but after what felt like fours I decided to call it and headed back inside.

I turned my head to left slightly and saw Aj and Ymir sleeping soundly in the corner booth. I took in a deep breath and let out a quick sigh.

“She must’ve wanted to talk to me,” I Rubbed the back of my head then smiled as I walked over and pulled her on to my back and rested her head on my shoulder. “You lead her he didn’t you little Miss,” I smirked at Ymir as I picked her up. “Man you’re heavy. No more late-night snacks,” I grunted as I walked back to the sleeper car.

I opened the door and entered the car. The wind tattled Aj and she slowly started to choke up just a bit.

“Nahhh, Asta? What’s goin on? Where am I?” Aj asked sleepily as she aided her head.

“You passed out in the caboose waiting on me to finish up my training,” I said as we approached her room. “My guess is that Ymir are you aware that I was up and brought you back there to talk to me.”

She blushed as soon as she realized where she was. “Uh, yeah… Why are ya carrying me on your back?”

“As I said before, you were passed out waiting on me. So I decided to bring you back to your room,” I let her down.

“Ah, thanks for that,” Aj opened the door to her room and when inside ushering me in. “Ya can put Ymir on the foot of the bed.” I laid my partner down as lightly as I could manage and then turned to blush cowgirl.

I took another deep breath and then spoke as I looked out the window, “Applejack, I know you have strong feelings for me but… I can’t simply return them to you. I love Fluttershy very very much and... I can’t just up and start dating you at the same time as I’m seeing her. Even if it’s normal here in Equestria it isn’t normal where I’m from. Personally, this consent doesn't sit right with me morally either.”

I turned to look at her straight in the face. “I do like you a lot and if things between me and Shy don’t pan out then we can try going out but for right now I’m going to remain loyal to Fluttershy, completely.”

Aj had a soft smile on her face. “I understand your devotion to Fluttershy Sugarcube and that loyalty is one of the things that I fill for. I’ll accept that you’re just not a multiple mare type of guy but just remember,” She looked me in the eyes softly and kissed my cheek. “Ah’m always be here for you as your friend or more if you ever are willin to try it.”

“Thanks, Aj, I need to get back before Fluttershy realizes I’m gone,” I walked over to the door and opened it. I turned back and looked softly at her with a small smile. “I’m sorry, maybe someday and even if we’re never than good friends know that’ll I’ll always have your back. Good night Applejack.” I shut her door and turned towards mine and Fluttershy and walked on.

Aj turned off the light and crawled into bed. She. Snuggled up with a happy thought. Even though it was far off chance it was still there and that’s what she wanted for the time being. That Asta actually acknowledges her feelings and that there was still the possibility that they could be together. She fill into wonderful dreams of apples, friends, family, and Asta.

I made my way back to mine and Shy’s room and went in as quickly as I could. I found my girlfriend and sitting up on the edge of the bed staring at Luna’s moon. She was so beautiful with the moon’s light reflecting off her eyes. I couldn’t help but get a warm feeling in my heart.

“Oh, Asta,” she squeaked. “I didn’t hear you come back in. Where did you wander off to in the middle of the night?” She annoyed like annoyedly smirked at me.

“I just did a little bit of conditioning meditation,” I took off my shirt and tossed it on the floor. My scars were now in full view for Shy to see. She quickly turned her head when her gaze met the scar Sombra left on my lower right arm. I let out a sigh. “I know you don’t like the scars Shy but if it helps, think of them as badges of honor. I’ll proudly display these for the world to see. I got them by doing the job Ioved, the skills I needed to defend those I cared for, and protect my home, friends, and loved ones,” I walked over and lay a passionate kiss on her lips. “Now, let’s get some rest.”

“Mkay,” Fluttershy blushed as head her eye as I laid down and placed her head on my chest. “Asta-“

“Hmmmm…”

“What else were you doing? I know you and you didn’t finish what you were saying earlier,” Fluttershy looked at me with a bit of desperation in her eye.

I raised my hand and placed it on her head. “Aj followed me and waited until my training was finished to try talking to me. Unfortunately, she and Ymir passed out waiting on me to return.” I started to run my fingers through her hair. “So I brought them back to their room. Applejack woke up on the way so we had a little talk.”

“And…” she looked at me with a longing to know.

“Will, I told her that I’m yours and I …. I told her the truth,” I cringed as I felt a horrible sickening feeling of betrayal in the pit of my stomach as I looked down to my left hand. Then Shy took hold of my free hand and I looked to her face to see a warm smile that I return. “I told her that I couldn’t return her personal feelings right now. Maybe I can someday but right now I just can’t.”

“She accepted it with a smile, didn’t she,” She continued to smile.

“Yea, how did you know?” I raised an eyebrow wonderingly.

“Because you care for her deeply and don’t want to hurt her but at the same time you can’t just change who you are,” Shy said as she snuggled into me. “Your devotion is one of the things she likes about you and the fact you were open and honest with her help her to accept your feelings. You admitted you liked her and that she has a chance even if it is in the future and that’s all she needs for now. A chance and for you to accept her feelings.”

“I am so lucky to have you as my girlfriend and to have such great friends,” I kissed her forehead. “Now let’s get some rest.”

“Right!” She smiled as we drifted off.