This chapter would have made for an effective Valentines Day event, though it is a shame that I got it out too late.

On a side note, I went into this chapter knowing some of the events within would be controversial. But much like Mortal Chaos before it, sometimes it is necessary to take risks to spice things up. Some may like it, some may hate it. Regardless of what you may think, I hope this chapter pleases you all like all the others.

As always, please consider supporting my Patreon.

This might come to a surprise to some, but I am writing about yesterday's events rather than those of today. Quite simply because I did not have the means to write about it until after I got home. Just... Wow. What a night that was.

The morning was typical for a Saturday. Scootaloo and I slept in and Fluttershy started on breakfast a little later than usual to accommodate. After a quick morning shower and getting dressed for work, I headed on downstairs and joined my family around the table. Fluttershy had all the good stuff out. Hash browns, waffles, scrambled eggs. Nothing was not delicious.

It did not take long before Fluttershy spoke to Scootaloo across the table. "Scootaloo. Did you and Sweetie Belle work out a sleepover schedule?"

That caught my ear. I listened closely while Scootaloo paused in her eating to offer a reply. "Oh, yeah! Her mom and dad are all OK with me staying the night. I've already got my stuff packed and ready to go."

"What's all this? I never heard anything about a sleepover." I then said more out of curiosity than accusation. Sleepovers with the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders is not uncommon for her, but I had no recollection of discussing it with anyone.

Fluttershy looked at me with a calm smile and said, "Did you forget, dear? We won't be home tonight. We'll be staying overnight at Rainbow Dash's house. Remember?"

It took me a moment to recall that discussion. Apparently Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been planning something for a while. Some sort of private party for the three of us? "Oh, right. It's coming back to me now. We agreed to head out after I get off work, didn't we?"

"Mmhm. And don't worry if you don't know where she lives. I can guide you there." Fluttershy replied with a nod. For as long as I have been in Equestria, I have never actually seen Rainbow Dash's house. I was hoping she did not live too far from us. I was not in the mood for a long hike in the dead of winter.

Of course, Scootaloo could not help gushing about her role model. "Hey! Maybe she'll show you all her trophies! And maybe all of the pictures I've drawn of her! And maybe she's even got a stash of Wonderbolt merchandise!"

I almost snickered. Scootaloo sure does adore our friend. "We'll see, Scoot. I have no idea what to expect, honestly."

A short while later, Scootaloo was giving me a lift to work by pulling me along on our toboggan while she piloted her scooter sled. I still cannot believe Apple Bloom had the idea to swap out those wheels for a snowboard. Scootaloo probably has more fun gliding over the fields of snow than rolling along on the roads. Almost makes me jealous that I cannot possibly replicate such a thing.

Hair-raising as that ride always is, I have steadily gotten used to it and have figured out ways to help me avoid tipping over during the ride. I still get some of the craziest looks while being towed around at high speed on that sled by my daughter. I will not deny that it is always pretty fun! Still, I managed to get there without any mishaps and gave Scootaloo a hug goodbye since a kiss was out of the question due to the scarf I was wearing to keep out the wind-chill. She then took off buzzing while dragging the empty sled behind her through Ponyville.

Being a Saturday, I was due at the spa. I then stepped through the door and said my greetings to Lotus before waddling through the spa and clocking in before waddling over to my workstation and removing my layers of heavy winter clothing and tucking them in a corner. I took a seat by the massage tables and looked around. A number of the locals had stopped by and were partaking in a soak in the hot tub. The spa tends to get a big boost in business during winter, especially for those wanting to get out of the cold and warm up in the hot tub and sauna. Consequentially, I tend to find myself rather bored since it means I do not find myself giving as many massages as usual. However, I always end up giving a massage to dear Rarity every week as part of her usual weekly visit. Fluttershy always tags along too, though her growing middle makes massages impossible since she can no longer lie on her belly evenly. Except for when it comes to massaging her wings. She certainly needs it with flying becoming increasingly more difficult for her.

For the first hour, I really did not have anything to do. Aloe and Lotus kept tabs on catering to our customers and even Quake would occasionally mind the front desk. I was stuck reading magazines for the most part. My favorites have become some of the nature magazines that discuss wildlife and outdoor hobbies in many parts of Equestria. I think Fluttershy has a subscription to one too. When I finally got bored of reading, I went around and checked on the various supplies around the spa and went to get more of anything we seemed to be low on. Although I did get myself a snack by eating a bit of the seaweed that is used to wrap up customers for that treatment. Not sure if that stuff is safe to eat, but I feel fine more than a day afterward.

I eventually went back to reading some more of the magazines to pass the time. During that time, I did not even really pay much mind to the customers who were chatting and laughing in the hot tub right across from me even though I still kind of eavesdropped on their conversations since I had nothing else to listen to. When it finally became quiet with their eventual departure, I did not even pay much mind to the sound of someone else getting in the tub. I did not finally look up until I happened to notice something move beyond the edges of my magazine right in front of me. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but are you available?"

It was quite a surprise. None other than the Princess of the Night was standing before me with her mane wrapped up in a towel and her body being devoid of her usual black accessories. I promptly put my magazine down and pulled myself up from my seat. "Hey, Luna! You're my first customer of the day. Hop on up."

My royal friend wasted no time in climbing atop one of the massage tables while I reached into the cabinet I had been sitting on. I always check my list of previous customers to confirm who have sensitive cutie marks. There is no way I can know beforehand until I actually grasp them, so I can get away with it the first time. "Let's see... Yep. No cutie mark massage for you."

"Really? Why no... Oh. Right." Luna replied in disappointment before she rolled her eyes with a bit of a snicker escaping her lips. She knew why.

I started with Luna's wings so I would not have to climb on and off the table multiple times. She extended her left wing once she was lying upon the massage table and I began to tenderly knead the thin flesh around the few joints through the feathers. "Has anyone told you that you and your sisters have just the prettiest wings?"

"Oh, now and then. And I do appreciate it." Luna replied with a calm smile. She then asked, "How have you been since last week? That was quite the dream experience, was it not?"

"Yep and I still remember it quite vividly. I wonder what's next... Maybe we'll go up against the Subspace Emissary. Or maybe even cross blades with the Lingering Will?" I replied while thinking back to some of the more memorable and difficult opponents and enemies I have seen in video games I have played.

"I wish I knew what it is you are speaking of, James. They do sound formidable, whatever it is they are." Luna retorted while smirking a bit. She seemed amused yet annoyed that she could not read my mind.

We just engaged in idle chitchat from that point up until near the end of the massage, not really bringing up anything worth mentioning here. But when I finished and climbed down from the table, Luna then asked as she stretched gratefully, "Mmm... That's more like it... Now, all that's left is the sauna..."

There were a few customers left in the spa with Lotus and Quake tending to them. Aloe was stuck minding the front desk. "Hm... You need someone to steam the place up. Mind if I join you?"

"By all means, please." Luna said with a smile. I almost never get to relax in the sauna, so this would be a rare chance to help out a customer while also partaking in the experience myself.

We both sat in the wooden room past the swinging door that led in. With a ladle, I poured water from a bucket over a heated rock pile on the far side of the room as Luna sat beside me. I had taken the liberty of taking my shirt off to better enjoy the steam. It was lovely, just basking in the heat and humidity in contrast to the cold dry air of winter. I let out a sigh as I muttered, "Now I know why the sauna is the biggest attraction in the spa during winter. I'm amazed we're the only ones using it right now."

I started sweating in no time, my pores being worked hard by the steam. Luna remained silent for a short while as her coat began to glisten in moisture. Still, while I eyed the Princess of the Night, her billowing blue tail brought to mind that of Nightmare Moon. And that thought led to another thought of what she was possibly doing with the royal guard at that time. I know she could not speak of that issue with me until after it was resolved, but perhaps Luna knew a bit about it. "Hey, uh... Luna? Just wondering, but... Do you know anything about a certain...operation Nightmare Moon is working on with the royal guard? Something involving multiple missing person reports?"

That question caused Luna to give me an immediate cautionary stare. "I can't say I know all that much about it, James. As of right now, that is highly classified information. I'm not permitted to speak to anypony about it."

"Not even me?" I asked in return. I suppose my curiosity was getting the better of me, but I was still very intrigued by all the information that Nightmare Moon had revealed to me the last time she visited me in my dreams. But considering my close connections to the royal family, I thought I could squeeze a bit of information out of the Princess of the Night.

Luna frowned just slightly before glancing at the door that led back out into the spa's main chamber. "Well, it does sound like Nightmare Moon has already confided in you quite a bit..."

I waited patiently for her to come to a decision while just leaning back against the wall and enjoying the purifying steam in the air. I finally got a response from her when I noticed her horn become engulfed in her wavering blue magic aura. The bucket next to me was also covered in it before it floated into the air while I took the ladle out of it. She then tipped it forward and began to pour a steady stream of water onto the scalding hot rocks beside it. A hiss filled the air as the water was rapidly evaporated into steam. Luna then leaned closer to me and spoke in barely more than a whisper, "I suppose I can tell you what I know. What little there is."

I was initially puzzled as to why she was doing this, but I quickly figured it out. The steam cloud that filled the room was becoming increasingly thick and the hiss was drowning out her voice. In less than a minute, I could no longer see the way out of the room. Luna then spoke quietly to me as her voice was likely masked by the hissing steam from greater distances. "I know little about the operation to free the missing citizens of Equestria. But I do know of the exact date the raid will be carried out. At the stroke of midnight under the first full moon of spring, my sister will lead the night guardsmen in a raid to free our people and arrest their captor. That is all I know. Please speak of this to nopony. Absolutely nopony."

It was no small wonder why Luna was being so quiet about this and setting up a literal smokescreen to prevent someone from watching and reading her lips. Then again, it is incredibly farfetched that a nobody like that Starlight Glimmer woman would have a spy network to scope things out for her when Nightmare Moon and her entourage were able to get anywhere near her hideout. With a town that tiny, I cannot see her having the resources for it. Still, probably better to be safe than sorry. I had best hide this entry when I finish until that problem has been resolved.

Luna did not cease pouring water onto the rocks until every last drop had dripped out and been turned into steam. It was almost absurd how thick that cloud of steam had become. And several minutes later, we got quite a surprise when a new voice spoke up loudly from right across the room while hurling a rubber chicken at me. "Peek-a-boo!"

Both of us jumped in shock while I fumbled the rubber chicken in failure. Luna then spoke up, "What the... When'd you get there?!"

Someone then trotted forward and got close enough so we could see who had decided to join us. With her mane wrapped up in a towel, Pinkie Pie had decided to join us. "Oh, just now! Things are a little slow at Sugarcube Corner today, so the Cakes gave me the day off. That almost NEVER happens on a Saturday!"

"Yeah, those are the busiest days of the week. I guess there just aren't enough people getting out today. Snow tends to be bad for business, so we must be having a lot of it lately." I replied while watching my goofy pink friend sit across from me on the other side of the rock pile. I then tossed her rubber chicken at her. "By the way, you dropped this."

Pinkie Pie caught the chicken in her mouth and then stashed it somewhere behind her. "Thanks! Just thought I'd say hi in a different way today. Oh, and do you know what the best part of the sauna is?"

Luna cocked her head to one side and replied, "I cannot say I do... What is it?"

My friend's response was roughly what I was expecting. She held out a thin stick between her hooves with a marshmallow on the tip. She then explained while keeping the marshmallow right above the steaming hot pile of rocks, "You can roast marshmallows whenever you want! And you don't have to worry about them catching fire."

"I don't think the heat coming from that thing is... Oh, forget it. Knock yourself out." I snickered while deciding to let Pinkie Pie indulge her sweet tooth. Never once heard of someone roasting marshmallows that way before. Chances are it was going to take a long time for that thing to get soft and warm though.

A moment later, Luna hopped down from her seat. She then released her mane from the towel that was wrapped around it, causing it to unfurl like a billowing sparkling flag. She then cast a thankful smile towards me and said, "Well, as much as I would love to stay longer, I really must be going. I am due at the town hall in ten minutes and really should not tarry. Still, it is always a pleasure to spend time with you, my friend. Do keep up the good work."

"No problem, Luna. You come again and take care." I said in reply while waving goodbye along with Pinkie Pie. With our goodbyes said, the Princess of the Night disappeared into the steam and was gone. Lucky for her that the town hall is right in front of the spa in the middle of the town square, so all that moisture in her coat will not have time to freeze.

Since Pinkie Pie was a customer, I still had to remain in the sauna to supervise her. Not that I was expecting her to get herself in trouble, but it is just policy to not leave customers unattended in there. We were out of water though, but the steam was still staying thick. Pinkie Pie soon poked at her marshmallow to check if it was done before lowering it back into place over the rocks. "Boy, it sure does take a long time to roast a marshmallow like this. Do you think we could turn up the heat?"

"I don't think that thing has a switch for that, Pinkie. It's not designed to cook anything to begin with." I retorted while finding some mild amusement in Pinkie Pie's silly antics.

"OK... But taking this long will just make the result more tasty." She then said with a patient smile. However, she then asked, "So, you gonna have some fun with Dashie tonight?"

I lifted an eyebrow when I heard that. "You know? Well, yeah. Fluttershy and I are going to spend the night there. Not sure what it's for. Maybe just a fun night to break out of the winter doldrums or something?"

Pinkie Pie nodded and said, "Yeah, sounds about right. Everypony needs to do something to keep themselves busy in winter. Poor Tank gets so bored with being cooped up indoors that he has to hibernate every year."

"Huh, he does...? Oh, right. Forgot that turtles hibernate in winter." OK, so he is technically a tortoise. Same difference. "Anyway, do you know anything about it? I got invited to this thing only a week ago."

My friend just shrugged her shoulders. "Not a whole lot, really. It's just that sometimes whenever Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy come into Sugarcube Corner for a chat & snack, I sometimes hear them talking about you and having a little something at Rainbow Dash's house. And the weird thing is they've kept bringing it up in conversation as far back as October! Whatever it is, they've been planning it for a good while now."

I was starting to get the impression that whatever it was Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were planning for the three of us was something important. Something they have put a lot of thought and preparation into. Some sort of surprise party? No, that is more like something Pinkie Pie would have a hoof in doing. Still, that did get me thinking. "Say... Do you even know where Rainbow Dash lives? For as long as I've been here, I've never actually seen her house."

Pinkie Pie was all too eager to give me an answer. "Oh, her place? It's just past the park down south and over the hills. You just can't see it from here because she keeps it on such a low altitude."

There was something weird about some of the words she used to describe that house. "I beg your pardon... Altitude? What, is her house on stilts?"

That got a laugh out of her. Or more like a giggling snort. "No, silly! Her house is made out of clouds, so it's always in the air! She IS from Cloudsdale, you know."

Of all the... It honestly surprised me that she would have a house made of that stuff. And yet, I was not all that surprised. I am sure I might have assumed that at some point in the past, but I must have forgotten entirely by that point. "Huh... Makes sense, I guess. Considering how often I find her airborne, I shouldn't be surprised that she can't keep her head out of the clouds... Wait! How am I even going to get in there if it's made of clouds?! I'm not gonna have to go get my armor up in Canterlot, am I?"

Pinkie Pie was hardly fazed by my question and did not even look away from her marshmallow at first. "Well, if you're only gonna go up to her front door, I'd just borrow a hot air balloon. But if you're gonna be there for a while, I say you should visit Twilight. She's got something for that. She used it when we went to Cloudsdale for the Best Young Flyer... Wait a minute! Didn't somepony already tell you that back in summer?"

I stared at her in momentary silence while trying to think back to that day a little while ago. I think I even chronicled the events of that day. "Best Young... Back in summer when I spent the day with Der... Oh yeah. That did happen, didn't it? She had to have used that for you girls to actually visit the place. How'd I forget?"

"You silly filly! Well, that was a while ago. Maybe you'll remember it better after you experience it for yourself. It's pretty fun walking on clouds! They're even bouncy if you jump on them just right!" Pinkie retorted with a giggle. Hard to believe I forgot that day. And clouds are bouncy for pegasi, huh? I never really had the chance to try that while wearing my armor.

After a moment longer, Pinkie Pie finally chomped on her marshmallow and gulped it down. "Hmmm... You're right. It takes way too long for that thing to roast marshmallows. All it really did was soften it up... Anyway! Are you excited about the Winter Wrap Up? Maybe I'll be on the ice cutting team again!"

Heh... Winter Wrap Up. That event. "Uh... To be honest, not really."

Pinkie Pie looked at me in utter disbelief as if she was not certain if she heard me right. She then tapped on her head as if trying to knock something loose out of her ear. "Sorry, sorry... I must've had some confetti in my ear just now. I mean it sounded like you don't really like the Winter Wrap Up."

I crossed my arms and turned my gaze to the sauna's very low ceiling. "I don't. Never did, to be honest."

I then looked on as Pinkie Pie's jaw hit the floor. She then quickly lifted it back into place and said, "Are you serious?! But that's one of the most... No! THE most important tradition in Ponyville! What's not to love about it?! The activities. The teamwork... The song! What's not to love?"

I think she might have been exaggerating when she claimed that the Winter Wrap Up event is the single most important tradition in Ponyville. It is no secret that it is an event shared by many other towns and cities and there even seems to be some sort of annual competition about it. Still, I gave Pinkie Pie the most honest answer I could without fussing about it. "I don't know about you, but I've never been comfortable working in large groups. Always feels like I don't know where to start. I'd much rather work in smaller groups with people I know well or even just work alone. Why do you think I stuck with Fluttershy last year? But since this whole event is built around an entire town working together, it's no wonder I'm not too big on it. Sorry."

Pinkie Pie just looked at me in contemplative silence for maybe ten seconds. I thought she was starting to resent me for not being all that interested in such an important event. But she surprised me. She gave me a very apologetic smile and said, "Hey, don't apologize. I get it. Fluttershy's the same way, so I totally know where you're coming from. You can't like everything, right?"

For as childish as Pinkie Pie can be, it really does my heart good to see her try so hard to be understanding. With a smile of my own spread between my lips, I reached out and patted her on the head. "Thanks, Pinkie. I'll still be showing up this year, but I'll just be off to the sidelines with Fluttershy again."

"Oki doki loki! Sounds like a plan." Pinkie Pie retorted before stashing that stick of hers somewhere and hopping down from her spot. "Anyway, I think I've steamed in here long enough. I'm gonna go grab some lunch. We'll chat later, all right?"

"Sure thing, Pinkie. See ya." I waved goodbye before Pinkie Pie disappeared into the steam. With no one else for me to supervise, I pulled my shirt back on and left the sauna to return to my workstation. With how comfortable I had gotten in there, I really did not want to have to put my shirt back on.

With how cold it was outside today, the spa decided to send out for pizza for lunch. Yes, Ponyville has a pizza parlor somewhere in town and they do deliveries. Throughout the day, the hot tub and sauna continued to get the most attendance while I only had to massage... What, two or three other customers? Definitely one of the most boring workdays I have had in a while... Actually, a lot of my workdays in winter are like that. At least I get paid in full regardless and Luna even left a very generous tip when she departed.

When the time came to punch out for the day, I could not leave soon enough. But I did get a surprise right when I entered the lobby and started to bundle up. Fluttershy walked in wearing her favorite scarf. "Hm? Hey there, honey! We're just closing up now, but I can give you a massage later."

My lover just shook her head and smiled. "No, not today. I just came here to check on you. Ready to go to Rainbow's place?"

"Cool! Sure, we can head out... Wait, we should visit Twilight first. Right? So I can stand on clouds?" I then asked while securing my scarf around my face.

Fluttershy let out a quiet gasp after a few seconds of thought. "Oh my, I almost forgot! Yes, we'll head over there right now. We can't really visit until you can actually get into her house."

I then said my goodbyes to my employers and headed on out with Fluttershy by my side. Twilight's house was not far. "So... I hear you and Rainbow Dash have been planning this out for quite a while now?"

My lover and fiancée looked a bit nervous as she worded a response. "Oh yes... We've been planning this carefully since very shortly after you got out of the hospital a few months back. I'm kind of excited myself."

"Well, I won't ask for any spoilers. Sounds like it'll be a good time." I replied while also finding myself to be smiling under my scarf. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash go back a long way. It was probably going to be something only they could do together.

We reached the library without incident as a light snow flurry began to blow across town. The sun had already set, so night had fallen over the town as streetlamps glowed here and there along the streets. I was unsure if the library was even open after nightfall even with night coming early, so I gave the door a knock. I could already see Twilight sorting some books through the window, but she came to the door without much delay. "Evening, James! Hello, Fluttershy. Can I help you?"

We quickly got in out of the cold. It was very warm and cozy inside the wooden chamber. I think the fact that the tree the library is carved out of is still alive may help it stay warm in winter. Fluttershy wasted no time in getting down to business. "Well, James and I have plans at Rainbow Dash's place tonight, so we were hoping you could help him actually get there without falling through her floor."

"Ooh, I get it. Yeah, I've got the spell you need. Just give me a minute. I don't use it often enough to have it internalized." Our bookworm friend replied before trotting over to some of the bookshelves. "I think I've got it here... Here we go! Advanced Magic for Intermediate Studies."

A book slid out from the line of other books while coated in Twilight's pink magic aura. It then flipped open while Twilight walked towards me as she looked through it. "I think it was on page 72... Here we go... OK, just stay still for a moment, James."

"OK, Twi." I replied while standing before her. The aura around Twilight's horn began to glow brightly as she tightened her focus. In a sudden flash, a beam of magic struck me and...that was it. Nothing really seemed to happen. "Uh... Was that all?"

"Yep! I know it didn't look like much, but you can now physically interact with clouds for the next 24 hours. Just make sure you're back on solid ground by this time tomorrow. I can't be held responsible for anything that happens after it wears off." Twilight then explained while she returned the book to its resting place.

"No worries. I don't think we'll be staying that long past noon tomorrow." I retorted while looking myself over. Along with nothing looking out of place, I sincerely felt no different either. That spell must have been exceptionally passive.

"No problem! Anything else I can help you with?" Twilight then asked while sorting the few remaining books on the floor.

"No, I think that's it. Thank you, Twilight." Fluttershy replied while she started making her way to the door. "Would you like to meet up for dinner tomorrow?"

Twilight seemed to like the idea and waved goodbye. "Sounds good! You two have fun tonight, all right?"

Fluttershy and I then left the library and began heading south. By the time we entered the largely deserted park, a beautiful crescent moon had come out from behind the clouds and was bathing the shimmer white landscape with a modest amount of light. Thankfully, the highly reflective snow caused the area to appear much more illuminated than usual. And it was quiet. Delightfully and magically quiet. It is amazing how snow absorbs sound. All I could really hear was myself and Fluttershy.

We did not talk much during the trek. I suppose even Fluttershy was enjoying the winter silence around us. However, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Something was beginning to peak over the horizon while we started to walk up a shallow incline. I saw what was an unmistakable curved rainbow before seeing the bluish white tint of a cloud. At least until I got a little closer and discovered that cloud was actually a domed rooftop. "Hello? Is that it?"

"Mmhm. Looks like we're here." Fluttershy replied quietly. It was almost as if she was afraid of disturbing someone with how quiet things were around us.

As we got closer, more and more of Rainbow Dash's house came into view. And I was genuinely left gazing in awe at what I was seeing. The house itself blended in well with the rest of the cloud it was set into, yet looked so solid that it was hard to believe it was made of clouds. The house itself was a largely cylindrical design with a few pillars placed here and there that strongly reminded me of designs from a bygone era. Judging by the placement of the window arches, it seemed to consist of three floors and maybe an attic. Above the front door was a decoration that appeared to be a highly stylized version of Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. Probably just to let visitors know who lives there. Even more surprising was that there seemed to be a couple of liquid rainbow ponds that spilled out of holes in the cloud landscape into small waterfalls. After falling a short ways, the liquid would seem to vaporize. A curving walkway could be seen carved out of the cloudy foundation the house was set upon. Truly, it was an impressive sight. "And that's all made of cloud... Did Rainbow Dash build it herself?"

Fluttershy looked up at me and winked. "Yep. She's actually pretty good at sculpting clouds just the way she wants them. The only hard part is setting the interior. It used to be smaller and looked differently a few years back, but she redesigned it into what it is today."

"Dang... Nicely done, Rainbow." I muttered in reply while marching up the snow-covered hill that stood below it. Right under the house by maybe a hundred feet was a mailbox consisting of Rainbow Dash's coat color and the flag consisting of her cutie mark. The lightning bolt segment is probably supposed to stick straight up when there is outgoing mail inside. I then looked straight up at the house's foundation. From below, it really does look like an ordinary cloud aside from the liquid rainbows spilling over the sides. "So, how am I getting up there?"

"Leave it to me. I'll let her know we're here." Fluttershy replied before she started to flutter up and out of sight. Even with her pregnancy having just barely reached the halfway point, she has no trouble carrying herself through the air. Then again, she has pulled heavier loads through the air before.

I just stood there for a minute while glancing around at the snowy landscape. Rainbow Dash sure picked a quiet place to live. Considering how laidback she is when not preoccupied with something, a quiet location like that away from the activity of a town would certainly suit her style. When I just happened to glance up, I saw a rushing light blue blur leaving a rainbow vapor trail in its wake rush out from behind the cloud and swoop down to me before coming to a stop. Rainbow Dash was hovering before me with such a delighted smile on her face. "Hey there, big guy! Ready for a good time?"

All too happy to see her, I pulled my scarf down to reveal the rest of my face and held her in a cuddling embrace. "Yep. Not sure what to expect, but I know you won't disappoint."

"Heh, you know it. Rainbow Dash never disappoints." She replied while nuzzling her cheek against mine. However, she then pushed away and began to hover before me again. "Just need to check one thing before you head on up. I know you're probably smart enough to know to stop by Twilight's place before coming out here, but I just gotta be sure of something first."

I looked up while Rainbow Dash flew back up to the side of her house's foundation. Or maybe that entire stretch of cloud served as her yard. Regardless, she then ripped off a chunk of cloud and rolled it between her hooves until it was as round and large as a basketball. She then swooped back down in front of me and pushed the ball of cloud towards me. "Hey, James! Catch!"

I expected the thing to come flying at me quickly. Instead, it just lazily drifted through the air. When it finally came into my hands after maybe five seconds, I looked at it in surprise. I was literally grasping the cloud in my hands. Intrigued, I pulled off my gloves and stuffed them in my coat pockets before grabbing and squeezing the cloud in my bare hands. How do I describe the feeling... It felt like a constant soft breeze without the cooling effect. I guess you could say I felt as if I was grasping air given solid form. "So... This is what it's like to touch a cloud... Nothing softer."

"Isn't it awesome?! And yep, looks like you check out! Give me a minute and I'll get you up there." Rainbow Dash added before taking the cloud and putting it back where she found it. She then disappeared out of sight above her house's foundation. I silently watched in curiosity. Was she going to lower a rope or a chair for me to sit in? Instead, I could swear that the cloud above me was getting bigger. Or was it getting...closer?

"Huh? Is that... Hey! Gimme a second!" I yelled upon realizing that Rainbow Dash's house was starting to descend towards me. I shambled through the surprisingly deep snow to get out of the way and watched as the floating house descended right in front of me while the foundation engulfed her mailbox. Sure enough, there they were. Rainbow Dash was flapping her wings and pushing straight down on her lawn while Fluttershy was waiting at the front door. Even considering how light clouds are, I still could not believe Rainbow Dash could even move something that large so easily. "OK, how're you doing that?! You can seriously move your house whenever you want?"

"It's all cloud, James! They're not exactly heavy! Well, there is the interior, but that's another story!" Rainbow Dash retorted as she stopped pushing. Her house did not immediately stop as if there was a surprising amount of weight behind it. The path's edge finally came up to my knees, allowing me to step up onto it with a little effort. Once I had taken a few steps away from the edge, Rainbow Dash swooped under the cloud with what little space there was left between it and the ground and started pushing it back up to its proper altitude while I could only watch from the edge in awe.

Fluttershy soon trotted over to me even as we rose higher into the air. "Rainbow Dash is something else, isn't she?"

I nodded while beholding our view as it only got better and better as the seconds ticked by. By the time the house started to slow to a stop, we could see all of Ponyville in the distance with the many windows lit up for the night. "She sure is... Man, you just can't beat this view."

A moment later, Rainbow Dash swooped back up into view. "There we go! Just the right altitude. You two having fun yet?"

"Well, I'm already impressed! Can't wait to see what else there is to see up here." I said in return while watching Rainbow hover past us. I swear, that mare just cannot remember to keep her hooves on the ground half the time.

Rainbow Dash just flapped past us and held the front door open while looking just so happy to hear I was already enjoying myself. "Awesome! Well, get in here! It's cold out there!"

I walked along the cloud path, surprised by just how soft it was beneath my shoes. And I was only barely sinking into it. But I was in for quite a surprise once I was indoors. Fluttershy looked around a bit, probably having not been inside Rainbow's house since before she renovated. "Wow... I love what you've done with the place, Rainbow Dash. It reminds me of home."

"Yeah, I always liked the natural Cloudsdale look... What about you, James? You like my place yet?" Rainbow Dash asked in reply while I walked to the center of the foyer and looked around. It was not at all what I was expecting from that daredevil. The interior... It strangely brought to mind ancient Greece, although I doubt anyone reading this knows what it is. The pillars standing beside the double doors we had just passed through along with the yellow lightning bolt decorations above it to how open the room was with two walkways lining the walls higher up and the spiraling designs of the floor even to a Wonderbolt statue just to the door's right... It was just such an impressive and unorthodox display of interior design that I would expect from some bigwig from Canterlot. Rainbow Dash seemed a bit worried due to my prolonged silence and said, "Uh oh. Delayed response. That's never a good sign."

Finally, I regained my composure and gave my friend a smile. "Far from it, Rainbow. I'm just that impressed that you of all people could have such an amazing sense of grandness and flair when it comes to interior design. This is a kind of house Rarity would like to live in."

Rainbow Dash flinched at my praise, but in a good way. "Whoa, seriously?! I guess I just never saw it like that. This kind of setup's pretty much the standard in Cloudsdale. You haven't been there yet, right?"

"No, not yet... Wait a minute." I replied before happening to notice something about the floor. It was too solid and hard. Much too solid to be made from cloud. It seemed to be polished granite with a jade-green finish. "Hey... This floor isn't made of cloud, is it?"

That got a quick chuckle out of Rainbow Dash. "What, you thought the entire house was made of it?! Nah, that's just for the foundation, walls, and framing. Everything else is all solid material infused with magic that keeps it from falling through the clouds and reinforces its integrity to bad weather. You have no idea how much easier it is on your budget when you can just sculpt your house however you want. Cloudsdale's even got the cheapest housing in the world."

"Then...what was even the point of me having to go to Twilight to have her use that spell on me so I could walk on clouds if the interior is already solid?" I asked in a louder voice than usual as I found myself mildly annoyed.

Rainbow Dash was surprisingly direct in her response while she rolled her eyes dismissively. "Well, I dunno about you, but when I have guests over, the last thing I'd want to happen is for them to forget they can't walk on clouds, go outside, and fall through my lawn a hundred feet to the ground below. It's just for precautions. I mean how easy do you think it'd be for you to step outside and forget you're on a cloud?"

Fluttershy just giggled a bit while I brought my hand to my chin as I pondered her words. "Uh... Guess that's a good point. I mean the snow might absorb the force of the impact, but I'd still hate to experience that."

"Glad to see we're on the same page. Anyway, lemme show you around! Come on!" Rainbow Dash then said before trotting up the stairs to the first walkway. I guess she was refraining from flying so the two of us would not get left behind. The first room we entered seemed to be something of a personal room for Rainbow Dash with the outer wall curving along with the exterior of the house. Along with a few large arched windows lining the wall ahead, there was also a flight of stairs leading up past the door on the left with spiraling white wires forming a fence on one side. "This is where I like to hang out. Pretty sweet, huh?"

Just looking at the room gave me the impression that Rainbow Dash is someone who fluctuates between tidy and disorganized. Below a Wonderbolts poster was a low sofa with a yellow frame and red cushions. A pink blanket was strewn across it with a pillow on one end while a pair of magazines and empty cider bottles were placed next to it. At one end on the floor was a dark magenta bouncy ball covered in stars and a Daring Do novel. It is probably where she likes to take naps and was probably in the middle of one when Fluttershy came knocking several minutes earlier. Aside from that, the rest of the room was pretty organized. An electric guitar with the base covered in rainbow colors was propped up against the wall with an older model of electronic speaker box next to it while a red banner bearing Celestia's cutie mark hung above it. I then happened to noticed a closet to the left of them with the door ajar. I quickly recognized Rainbow Dash's Winter Wrap Up team jacket hanging inside. And next to that was her rainbow-striped Grand Galloping Gala dress. There was a ceiling lamp too with a wide and flat glass shade hanging from the bottom. A very fancy design. I also noticed that the large windows seemed empty, but did have panels of glass in place that could probably be opened outwards. I guess Rainbow Dash has them that big so she can exit her house whenever she wants. At least there are no shortages of fire exits... Wait, can a cloud house even catch fire?

Regardless, I liked what I was seeing. However, I then noticed a greenish brown section of wall just before the stairs. It seemed to be a wall rack for hanging clothes, so I removed my heavy winter clothing and hung them up while Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy chatted nearby. However, I then noticed on two of the wooden studs a white jacket and an equally white hard hat. I could not even begin to suspect what they were for, so I asked the person who owns the house. "Hey, Rainbow? What's this stuff for?"

While Fluttershy's attention was drawn to one of the magazines on the floor, Rainbow Dash looked towards me. "Huh? Oh, that's just my uniform for when I worked in the weather factory for a year. I just never got around to returning it when I quit. And they still haven't gotten around to reminding me to send it back."

"Heh, sounds just like you." I replied with an amused smirk. It was then that I stepped back out from behind the stairs. There was a type of statue on display. And... Well, while it was clearly trying to vaguely resemble a pony's head, I thought it looked more like a duck. And resting atop it was a golden winged circlet. "This looks fancy. Where'd you get it?"

Rainbow Dash trotted up alongside me and took the circlet in her hooves and placed it atop her head. "This is the trophy I got for winning the Best Young Flyers Competition a few years back. Looks good on me, right?"

It certainly looked fitting for such an adventurous mare. I nodded and flashed her a smirk. "Sure does. It suits you well. Anyway, what's upstairs?"

She replied while placing the circlet back on its display, "That's just my bedroom. We'll be sleeping there tonight. Unless one of you would like to use the sofa right there."

Fluttershy seemed to be examining the electric guitar. She then asked, "You play in a band, Rainbow?"

"Kind of. At least I did back in high school. I just strum on that old thing now and then for fun." Rainbow Dash explained before glancing up at me with a bit of a smirk. "Want me to jam for you guys?"

"Sure, why not?" I retorted wile Fluttershy walked over to me. Rainbow Dash then went over to the speaker box and pushed a button on top to turn it on. However, I then noticed a distinct hum coming from it. The kind of hum you hear when a sound system's volume is turned up high.

"Wait a minute..." I strained my eyes to try and see what the volume knob was set to. While Rainbow Dash picked up the guitar in her arms, I could see the tiny white spot on the knob set to the far right instead of the left. The volume was maxed out. I quickly tapped on Fluttershy's head to get her attention. "Plug your ears."

"Oh, don't be such a wuss. I know what I'm doing!" Rainbow Dash replied as if she already knew that the volume was set to the highest setting. But then she caught me by surprise. "Besides, I've got the volume set way down low!"

Either she really thought that the loudest setting was quiet, or she thought the knob works backwards. For all I knew from that distance, the markings on the speaker could have been rubbed off with wear and tear over time. Once she had the guitar properly gripped in her hooves, I covered my ears with both hands while Fluttershy did the same with her chin on the floor. This was going to be interesting.

With a quick strum on a single string, we got the answer I was expecting. Or maybe more than I expected. The instant that string was flicked, a bellowing burst of noise ruptured out of the speaker and blew away everything tiny nearby that was not tied down. A gust of wind even blew out from it and forced my hair and Fluttershy's mane to stick straight back. Rainbow Dash... Boy, she really did not see that coming. She stood there frozen in place with her mane and tail sticking straight out as if she had the worst buildup of static electricity in her body, eyes wide open without blinking once. And just to top off all that absurdity, that sudden shockwave even blew the wall out behind her! As the winter cold started to seep in, Rainbow Dash let out an exasperated groan and just dropped her guitar. "Dang it! I keep forgetting which way the knob goes to turn it down! No wonder they kicked me outta the band..."

I could not help snickering at the sight of the gaping hole in Rainbow Dash's wall and neither could Fluttershy. Rainbow scowled at the hole before looking back at us. "I'll get this fixed up in a second! Be right back!"

We watched as Rainbow Dash dove through the gaping improvised window and out of sight for a few seconds. A moment later, she came back up while pushing along a large cloud from somewhere else and started taking chunks out of it and using said chunks of cloud to patch up her wall. Bit by bit, the damage started to disappear. She even left room for the windows. Once the wall had been fixed, she dove out of sight before coming back up with one of the two windowpanes that had fallen. It must have been some tough glass if that shockwave had not shattered them. She put the first one back in from the outside before diving down again and flying back in through the remaining empty window arch and propping the second one back into place. "Good thing that snow was down there to catch these. I swear I lose more windows this way."

"Maybe it's time you hang up your guitar, Rainbow. I don't think you're really cut out for rock music anyway." Fluttershy said while the two of us tried to fix our hair back up. Thank goodness we had our ears covered when she hit that first note.

Rainbow Dash gave Fluttershy the weirdest stare while she turned the volume knob back down until that noticeable hum faded away and turned the speaker off. "Bang up my sister?! Why would I ever do that?! I don't even have a sister!"

At first, neither of us had any idea why she thought Fluttershy said that. But then it started to come to me. "Uh... Rainbow? Are your ears ringing?"

She then gave me an even more cockeyed stare. "Uh... No, my beers aren't stinging. Why do you ask?"

God, I was trying so hard not to laugh. That ear-bleeding burst of noise hit Rainbow Dash at full blast with her ears uncovered. Her ears must have been ringing like a school bell. I then decided to try a little trick with her. "Uh... No reason. Anyway... Quick question. What's updog?"

"Oh, not much. What's up with you... Hey! All that ringing in my ears' gone. Didn't notice until it stopped." Rainbow Dash replied while sticking her hoof in one ear as Fluttershy giggled quite a bit at my wordplay and her response. What a time for her ears to start working again properly.

"Anyway... Man, it's cold out there. How about we head upstairs until it warms up in here?" Rainbow Dash then asked while she went airborne and swooped up the stairwell behind me. Indeed, the temperature in the room had dropped to near freezing while the wall was out. Fluttershy and I were in no hurry to stay behind and rushed up the stairs to Rainbow's bedroom. Who would guess that clouds make for such good insulation? They must function like an igloo when used for housing. And they are easier on the lungs than asbestos.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, I watched as Rainbow Dash flew backwards and landed upon her bed. "So, how's my pad? You like it?"

The way she was lying back on that bed... I cracked a smirk and said, "Hey, I've seen that bed before."

Fluttershy only proceeded to hold her face in her hoof and giggle lightly. "Oh my goodness, I know why. Does it involve a certain magazine you got for your birthday, honey?"

Rainbow Dash's expression became one of mild horror. "Whoa, Fluttershy! That wasn't for you to see!"

I could only laugh at the smug smirk Fluttershy was giving Rainbow Dash while our brazen friend could only squirm in embarrassment. While they bantered, I glanced around at my surroundings. For the most part, Rainbow Dash's room looked pretty good. The bed itself looked like the front and back were made of clouds... Wait, did I describe its appearance several months back? I am very sure it was no different then than it was right then. Whatever, moving on. The bed itself was set upon a raised and softly carpeted cornflower floor while the segment of floor I was on was still varying shades of sea-green checkerboard. The two windows bordering the bed with of different shapes than those I had seen so far, curving outward halfway up and looking much more elegant as a result. They were blocked by indigo curtains that had swirl cloudy designs. The only light in the room was coming from a small lamp on an end table to the right of the bed, an almost identical table on the other side that held a small picture frame. To the left of the bed was a door that probably led into a closet and further to the left of that was a simple vanity. I guess even the most tomboyish of mares like to have one on standby. To my right on the checkerboard floor was a modest bookcase filled with all but one of the Daring Do novels that have been released at this time of writing, the only one missing being the one downstairs. And to the right of that were a variety of trophies set in a trophy case. Most were gold with a few silvers and only one bronze. Rainbow Dash really is someone who strives to be the best in everything she tries in.

One of the trophies actually caught my eye since it seemed to be the only one there not associated with sports. It seemed to feature the form of a...ballerina. A golden stylized mare holding the fifth position of ballet. Take a wild guess who I learned that from. I looked over the plaque and sure enough, it was first place for a ballet performance in Cloudsdale. Never even knew they gave out trophies for that field. I looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was still chatting with Fluttershy in a more casual discussion than how it started out. "So... Rainbow. I see you took ballet lessons at one point?"

The instant I said that, Fluttershy looked at me and then at Rainbow Dash in shock. Rainbow even froze in place as her face began to gradually turn a bright pink. She just looked at me with a gaze of horror, as if I just discovered her dirtiest secret. But after glancing at the trophy in the case I had just observed, she took a deep breath and looked at me with a very annoyed stare and spoke in an equally dry tone of voice. "You know what? You're the first visitor I've ever had who bothered to read the plaques."

Fluttershy then turned to her old friend and asked, "But... You? Doing ballet? I never would've guessed!"

Very clearly embarrassed as if it was the biggest mistake of her life, Rainbow Dash flustered a bit while squirming on her bed. "I swear it was just to improve my sense of balance and control over my movement! The only reason I started doing that stuff was because I was sick of being call 'Rainbow Crash' in flight school! I did drop out way back then, you know. I was always fast, but my ability to really control myself during flight totally sucked! I got a lot better after I took up ballet."

Rather than mock her in any way, I actually became increasingly curious. "Sounds like you really had to work to improve yourself. But how does ballet help with that? I thought ballet requires you to keep your feet on the ground most of the time except during leaps and jumps."

The more she talked about it, the less nervous Rainbow Dash sounded about the subject. Rather than being an old shame, it quickly became clear that her past lessons in ballet was really a display of hidden depths in my brash friend I would have never expected to see. "Well, yeah. That's how normal ballet is. Pegasus ballet requires the dancers to spend just as much time up in the air as they do on the floor. It requires almost perfect control over your movements with your wings and how you balance yourself. It really helped me get better. Why do you think I can pull off lots of 90 degree turns in rapid succession like I do?"

Fluttershy seemed to have some knowledge of the subject as well. She then spoke up with a smile and said, "Oh, it really is that much more impressive than the normal way. The way the ballerinas twirl and prance around the stage and then spiral up into the air and drift along with more spirals... It's more like they're being held up on wires than using their wings to perform those moves."

Rainbow Dash finally started to stop sweating and even started to smile. "Yeah, you'd be amazed what they can do. Using just enough wing power to perform the necessary stunts. I just took all I learned and turned it up to eleven to go with my own style of flying."

"You surprise me, Rainbow. Never would've guessed your wild speed and skill in subsonic flight would come from such an elegant background. No wonder you've got such class with your house's interior design." I replied while smiling with my arms crossed. Truly, I was impressed with her.

Rainbow seemed utterly tickled by my praise while she sat up in bed. "Heh, thanks. I gotta admit I kinda enjoyed it, but just make sure you keep that bit under wraps, all right? I just don't know how the Wonderbolts would react if they found out about that, you know?"

I rolled my eyes at that thought. She really is obsessed with her public image at times. "I don't think you have to worry about that, Rainbow. White Wing told me she once took up ballet too, but that didn't stop her from getting into the Wonderbolts."

The two pegasi before me gave me some funny looks. Rainbow Dash then replied, "Uh... White Wing? I know the names of all the Wonderbolts and I'm pretty sure there's no White Wing in them."

It was only then that I realized my error. "White Wi... Oh, dang it! I meant Fleetfoot! I don't know why I think 'White Wing' half the time when I think of her!"

Fluttershy just held a hoof to her lips while she giggled lightly. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, gave me a very dry look and responded with an equally dry tone of voice once again. "James. Fleetfoot doesn't even have white wings. She only has a white mane."

I snickered to myself while holding my face in my hand. It truly is embarrassing that I keep getting her name wrong half the time and I do not even know why. "OK, moving on... Where to next, Rainbow?"

She let out a sigh and hopped off the bed before trotting over to the door on the room's left. "Yeah... Anyway, we've got the bathroom over here. There's another door in there that leads out to the main hall, so you can get in there from the third floor too."

That got me thinking. "Hang on... Where do the toilets go in this kind of housing?"

Rainbow Dash's response was quick and precise while she headed back over to the stairs that led downstairs. "Septic tank. They come by once a week to empty it out. Same with the drains in the house. Anything solid goes in the tank while liquid is aired out as vapor out the side somewhere. Never found that spot."

We followed Rainbow Dash back downstairs and out into the main hall before walking around the wall's edge and into the next room. There only seemed to be three rooms on the second floor and two up on the top floor plus a hall closet due to the reduced space. All in all, Rainbow Dash's house is not terribly big.

The next room was the kitchen. It was a bit on the simple side and was even a bit small with there being a stove, refrigerator, and all the basics. She even had a row of little potted flowers on the windowsill and in the middle of the kitchen table. It maintained the usual color scheme of the rest of the house with light blues and whites, although the refrigerator stuck out in a kitschy green. "So, this is where we'll go for some grub. When I finish giving you guys the tour of the house, how about I grill up some good stuff? I make a mean veggie wrap!"

Fluttershy licked her lips at those words. "Are they the same ones you've brought to picnics sometimes? Mmmm, yes please!"

I had never tried one of those wraps before, but they certainly sounded delicious. With nothing else to really point out in there, we moved on to the next room. The doorway was right in front of the stairs that led up to the third floor's walkway. Thank goodness that the railing was high enough even for me. It seemed to be something of an entertainment lounge that also doubled as a personal gym. "And here's the fun room! You wanna work out? I've got weights and a crunch machine over there. Wanna play some games? Just power on the console and have a blast!"

I was really surprised to see that Rainbow Dash had a television along with a video game console. It strongly brought to mind the Super NES from back home. I suppose I should not have been that surprised since I have caught her having fun at the local arcade at times. However, there was one thing in particular that baffled me. In the far corner... "Uh... Rainbow Dash... Is that..."

"Huh? What? That?" She replied while pointing over yonder at the large device set against the wall. It seemed to be a container one actually gets inside of with a translucent plastic space for the occupant. And at the front seemed to be a large fan.

Fluttershy seemed just as shocked too and pointed at it. "Is that...a wind tunnel?"

Rainbow Dash just took it in stride and said, "What? For feet, you've got treadmills. For wings, you've got wind tunnels. How else do you think I stay as fast as I am without a little practice?"

The two of us could not help shaking our heads. How did we not see that coming? Especially for Fluttershy, who is a Cloudsdale native? Still, I then happened to notice a phonograph over in the corner with a shelf for vinyl records set up next to it. It was a bit on the quiet side in the house, especially since we were literally floating in the air. "Hey, mind if we put some music on?"

"Sure thing! I try to keep music on all the time when I'm home. Feels way too quiet and empty in here most of the time without it." She retorted before swooping over to it, winding up the crank, and putting the needle at the edge of the current record as that timeless gravelly sound began to pour out of the phonograph's funnel. She then walked back towards us and asked, "So, that's everything! How about I get started on... Ack!"

The instant the music started playing, Fluttershy and I looked towards the phonograph. I was expecting maybe a rock ballad or some jazz. Instead, we were getting some beautiful classical music. And it sounded so familiar too. Rainbow Dash must have forgotten to check the label before resetting the needle. I asked, "Is that...Swan Lake?"

Rainbow Dash groaned in embarrassment. "Not really. It's actually called 'Phoenix Lake' and it's one of the biggest names in ballet composition. I guess I forgot to swap it out after my last practice session..."

Fluttershy then looked up at me with an inquisitive glance. I had a hunch I knew what she was thinking and nodded. She then looked back towards Rainbow Dash and asked, "Actually... Before we have dinner, may we see you dance first?"

That question made Rainbow Dash's mane and tail stick up on end. "WHAT?! HERE AND NOW?!"

I liked the sound of that myself. I was very interested in seeing just what levels of hidden grace my bold and brash friend had up her sleeve. "Yeah, it'd make the night special. It'll be cool to see you dance."

I could tell she REALLY did not want us to see her embrace something that was about as much of a polar opposite to the image everyone else in the world knows her by as it could possibly get. She was really just looking out for her image, even if there was no danger in it. After a moment of tense silence from her, I tried to help calm my friend. I stepped forward and got down on one knee so we would be a bit closer. I then tenderly cupped Rainbow Dash's face in my hand and spoke softly to her. "Rainbow, it's OK. I promise we won't think any less of you."

That seemed to get through to her. Her rosy eyes looked up at me for a moment before she sighed and leaned a little harder into my hand. She then replied just as softly, "OK... Only for you guys."

We followed Rainbow Dash back into her personal room and watched while she went into the closet. Was something in there that was just out of sight? The music from the phonograph was reaching our location loud and clear. She even closed the door behind her, although there was probably a small wall lamp in there somewhere to light things up. After maybe two or three minutes, I saw the door swing open just enough for Rainbow to stick her head out. She seemed incredibly nervous, but was at least pushing herself forward for us. "OK, I'm set... You two ready?"

"Yes, Rainbow. Come on out. I promise we won't laugh." Fluttershy replied while I just nodded. With a deep breath, Rainbow Dash burst out of the closet with surprising aplomb. As in she exhibited literal aplomb while performing a quick spin on one hoof while coming out of the closet. She stopped while maintaining the fourth position of ballet, one arm held high with the other curved low towards her hip, one hoof in front of the other. But what caught me by surprise the most was what she was wearing. She was clad in a complete pink tutu while each hoof was clad in an equally pink ballet shoe. It really looked quite nice against her natural light blue coat. And yet, in spite of her appearance and surprising grace, Rainbow Dash was blushing and sweating profusely. She was not comfortable with this at all.

"Oh my lord, you look adorable." I said while showing her my best smile. Rainbow Dash said nothing while continuing to perform in sync with the music that was coming into the room. She stepped, she twirled, she leaped. And at times, she even floated with her wings. However, barely thirty seconds into her dance, Rainbow Dash came to a stop while maintaining the fifth position and just...froze. She would not move from that spot while looking incredibly uncomfortable. "Uh... You OK there, Rainbow?"

My goodness, the face she made. She almost looked like she was going to be sick from sheer stress overload. "Guys, I'm sorry... I just... This is so hard for me to do when my friends are watching..."

"Oh, Rainbow... I swear we're really enjoying it. You don't need to be ashamed..." Fluttershy said reassuringly in an attempt to calm our friend. It did not seem to be working. She really was overwhelmed.

I did the only thing I could think of that might calm her down. I stepped forward and reached out, taking her left hoof into my hand. "Hey... If it helps, we can share this dance."

While I did see some of the stress fade from her, Rainbow Dash seemed reluctant to oblige for a new reason. "Uh... Ballet doesn't really work like that, James. Not unless you're doing a duet while ice skating and I've never trained for that..."

I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Fluttershy. She smiled excitedly and nodded, knowing where I was going with that. I then looked down at Rainbow Dash and said, "Then forget the ballet and just dance. You can slow dance, right?"

"Uh... I guess..." She still muttered nervously before stepping away and turning towards me, my hand never leaving her hoof. In no time at all, she slipped out of her ballet composure and began to just dance in an improvised fashion. Really, we were both just improvising. I would lift my arm and allow her to twirl beneath me without letting go. We would release our grasps upon each other and step around the other with backs turned before rejoining hand and hoof. We would step closer to each other with one pair raised high and the other low on each other's hip. I could see that Rainbow Dash was rapidly calming down and even began to smile. As the song began to draw to a close, she regained some of her ballerina composure and ended our dance with a move that absolutely required my aid. One leg sticking straight out, she lifted her arms high and leaned back while I scooped my hand under her. While maintaining a body position with a pose that gave her a vague resemblance to a T, Rainbow Dash was suspended below me while smiling up at me sweetly. I could only return the smile while she whispered, "You're pretty good, James."

"Not as good as you. But that's normal, right?" I replied with a hint of wit to play with Rainbow's ego. That got a snicker out of her, but I then glanced at Fluttershy out of the corner of my eye again. She noticed my gaze and winked at me while playfully sticking out her tongue. I had a strong hunch that she was telling me to do something to surprise our friend. And so I did. Right when she least expected it, I smirked and leaned forward before planting my lips upon Rainbow Dash's for a kiss.

Mere seconds went by before we both really got carried away. I soon felt her tongue upon mine while she reached up and wrapped her limbs around me until the elegant pegasus was clinging to my body. I adjusted my posture so I was standing straight up and wrapped my arms around her even as our kiss ever deepened. Fluttershy must have found our displays of affection to be adorable since she just giggled cutely nearby. Rainbow Dash finally broke the kiss and gazed at me lovingly. "Man, you're always so good at making out..."

"I guess that's one thing I surpass you at." I retorted while getting a chuckle out of my friend.

"Heh, yeah. I won't deny that... Oh, hey. Would you mind putting me down? My tutu's getting crumpled against you." Rainbow then said while glancing down. I promptly did as she requested, allowing her to set her hind hooves on the floor and using her front hooves to brush and tend to the front of her tutu. It only took a moment for her to get it straightened out. "Well, that was fun! Lemme go put this up and I'll be right out."

I watched with Fluttershy while Rainbow Dash danced her way back over to the closet and ducked back inside. I think she was really enjoying the attention by that point. She just needed a little boost in confidence. Fluttershy then winked at me and said, "She really is good at that. I never would've guessed she had it in her."

I crossed my arms and smirked a bit myself. "If the Wonderbolts think she's not good enough to make the cut, she can always consider signing up for professional ballet dancing. She definitely has the talent for it."

Barely a minute later, Rainbow Dash trotted out of the closet and closed it behind her with a quick kick from her hind leg. "All right then! Am I forgetting anything? Does that cover everything in the house?"

Fluttershy and I paused in thought for a few seconds. Was there anything I had a question for? Eventually, it finally hit me. Someone was absent who should have been there. "Now that I think about it... Where's Tank? Do you not keep him in your house?"

She almost seemed surprised that I would bring up the name of her pet tortoise. "Oh, Tank? The tough guy's hibernating at this time of year. He's snoozing in a den not too far from where you guys live. We'll be waking him up during the Winter Wrap Up in a while."

Fluttershy then smirked a bit at me and said, "You should've seen her when winter was getting close this time. She was all in a panic, asking me so many questions like if he would ever wake up again and exactly when he would wake up."

As brief as that revelation was, Rainbow Dash began to fluster in utter embarrassment. "Oh, shut up! You know why I was freaking out more than usual!"

I could not help but cross my arms while giving Rainbow Dash a skeptical stare. "Really, Rainbow? Didn't you have Tank for at least one winter before I showed up in Equestria? And besides that, you DO know that hibernation is a completely natural event in many creatures' lives, right? What made you think there was something wrong with it when it came to this winter?"

That look in her eyes... I could tell that something I said had either struck a nerve or awoken a very unpleasant memory in Rainbow Dash. I was quick to notice her ears droop while her eyes glanced every which way but at me. I have picked up on the fact that a pony's ears can serve as a mood reader. A frown is one thing, but that combined with their ears drooping that far means that they are very upset. Finally, she muttered quietly, "Because...someone important to me went through something similar a little while ago... Where they fell asleep and nopony knew when they would wake up..."

"Rainbow...?" I asked in concern while the music coming from the phonograph in the next room uncannily began to play a more somber tune fitting for the change in tone. Even Fluttershy seemed hesitant to speak as she too began to show a look of discomfort.

Without a word, Rainbow Dash climbed upon her sofa and lied down upon it. She looked at me with such an unhappy frown while patting the spot beside her. "Come here... I think you need to know exactly why you're here tonight."

I immediately became nervous. I thought this whole sleepover was just for fun. But it was starting to feel like the reason behind whatever she and Fluttershy had for planning that night was much grimmer than I could expect. While I took a seat beside her, Fluttershy followed and sat beside me while both of the lovely pegasi bordered me. Rainbow Dash then looked past me and asked, "Did you ever tell him anything?"

"No... I haven't said a thing about it yet." Fluttershy replied somberly while glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

I just remained silent and looked at Rainbow Dash while she placed her hoof over my hand. "OK... The thing is... A few months ago... Something awful happened and... We really screwed up, James... You got hurt and..."

I already had a strong hunch where this was going and spoke as soon as Rainbow Dash had a long pause. "Does it have something to do with what happened with Discord?"

Their expressions said it all. They were not expecting me to know much of anything that happened that day, but I knew enough. "Yes, I know I killed him and got hurt in the process. Celestia filled me in on a bit of what happened."

"Oh... OK then..." Rainbow muttered, not really sure of what to say to that. Still, I patted her on the back and nodded to coerce her into continuing. I was curious as to what she had to say. "Well... Yeah. That happened. But... You know you were out for at least a few weeks, right? And...I know you've seen that scar on your side..."

My hand reached for my waist. That scar... I had at times wondered how it got there. Fluttershy responded in kind by placing her hoof over my hand while it clutched at the left side of my waistline. Rainbow Dash then continued as I could see tears starting to form at the edges of her eyelids. "I was the first one out of the maze when the fight was over and I got my wings back... I was there by your side even as you were...bleeding to death and... You... You had just given up by that point and... And... And I really didn't want to have to remember that right now..."

She was looking away at nothing in particular as the tears just poured down the sides of her face. That look of trauma in her eyes. It was as if she just momentarily shut down. I reached out to her, placing my hand on her shoulder while Fluttershy waited in silence. Mere seconds after my hand rested upon her, Rainbow Dash let out a loud sobbing gasp and clung to me as she had a massive meltdown that genuinely startled me. "I felt you go limp in my arms! Oh my god, I thought you were dead! I thought I lost you!"

She just started sobbing uncontrollably as the most pitiful sounds escaped her throat. I could feel tears oozing off of Fluttershy's face while she embraced me and rested her face against my shoulder. My arms held Rainbow Dash to my chest, my fingers tenderly stroking her head in an attempt to comfort her while I tried to maintain my own emotional composure so as to listen clearly. "I couldn't do anything... I can't lose you... I can't... Oh god, I love you..."

"Shhh... It's gonna be OK, Rainbow..." I whispered while feeling tears of my own starting to betray my emotions. Try as I might to contain them, they would not stay and began to leak free with every few blinks of my eyes. I kissed her head softly and said, "It's OK... It's OK, baby... I'm not going anywhere..."

Very slowly, Rainbow Dash started to calm herself enough to at least not sob incoherently anymore. "I know... Oh man, I can't tell you how relieved I was when we got you to the hospital and found out you were still hanging on by a thread... I know it...wasn't really our fault that it... But it still feels like it sometimes when I...think too hard about it... Like we could've done more..."

I understood her lingering feelings of guilt. And good lord, it was indeed a horrifying thought of how I nearly died in her arms. Not just for me, but for her as well. Even so, she still managed to lift her head and dry her tears. "But you're OK now... Everything's finally back to normal... But... Well... That brings us to what's going on tonight. About how you just gave up back there..."

Rainbow Dash began to struggle to find the right words, so Fluttershy stepped in while gently nuzzling my shoulder. "We just want to make sure you... Well... We want to erase any doubts you may still be carrying in your heart. If you have even the tiniest hint of doubt about whether or not we love you, we'll prove to you tonight you have no reason to worry about that. That's why you're here tonight, honey."

It was a noble and heartfelt plan on their part. Although it may have been unnecessary by that point. I have no memory of having ever been wronged by them or any of my other friends in any way. At least in not any significant way. At least not as horribly as they were making it out to be. I had no doubts about them. Or did I have doubts in my heart and I just did not know it at the time?

Still, I cradled both of them in my arms. We all shared a long silent cuddle with the phonograph one room over being the only source of sound at that time. After what felt like a good long while, we all froze at the sound of a loud gurgle. Fluttershy glanced at Rainbow Dash and asked, "Was that you?"

Having regained her composure, Rainbow Dash showed a nervous grin. "Uh... Yep! Getting stressed out and crying makes me hungry. I guess I better go start on dinner. It's already getting pretty late anyway. You two make yourselves at home until then. I'll call you when dinner's ready."

Rainbow Dash then hopped down from the sofa and trotted toward the doorway, back to her confident old self. However, she suddenly stopped and spun around to look at me. "Oh yeah! James! You're not big on onions and peppers, right?"

"Nope. Leave them out of my stuff, please." I replied before Rainbow Dash nodded and trotted out of sight. I then looked down at Fluttershy while she looked back at me. "It's really sweet of you girls to be going out of your way to do all this for me. Whatever it is you've got in store, I really appreciate it."

Fluttershy blushed slightly while her smile became a bit more nervous. "I hope you will... We've been going back and forth over it for a good while now and we're both really nervous."

Nervous? It was just a sleepover. Or was there an event coming up that night they were especially excited about? What, were we going to watch porn together?

The first thing that came to mind on passing the time was playing video games. And so Fluttershy and I went back into the play room while the phonograph just continued to play some of that sweet classical music. Not wanting it to drown out whatever sound would come from the TV, I took the needle off and let the crank steadily wind itself down on its own. Fluttershy then set herself down on the sofa in front of the TV and asked, "You want to play something?"

"Sure! Just let me see what she's got." I replied while I kneeled before the TV and examined the shelves that were under it. The console itself had two controller ports and both were occupied. Rainbow Dash only had about half a dozen games at the time. "Let's see... A sports game? On a 16-bit console? Meh. What about..."

I had no idea what to expect. The only thing I had to go on were the titles and the cover art on the cartridges. "P-Type... Probably a sci-fi shmup. Equestrian Heroes? Is that a port of the arcade game? Probably not as good as that one. Hmmm..."

I finally settled on what looked like a platformer that supported co-op. Just right for us. "Ooh, 16-bit platformer, huh? These were kings of the genre market back in the day."

Fluttershy did not seem to mind what I chose and watched patiently while I set the console up. After ejecting the current game and popping the new one in, I flicked on the TV and pushed the console's power switch on before taking a seat with controller in hand. Although I was surprised by the button layout. I was expecting it to be one designed for hooves, but my hands and fingers could interface with it easily. Too easily to be designed for hooves.

"Huh... Almost feels like this was made for human use. But what sense does that make when ponies can't even..." I began to say before turning to look at Fluttershy. I abruptly stopped when I saw that she was holding her controller exactly the same way as me, but with her wings instead. I keep forgetting those things can double as hands. There must be controllers specifically designed for pegasus use and others for the two other types of ponies. "Uh... Never mind."

My fiancée took my confusion with an amused smile and looked at the screen. "Don't worry, honey. I'm sure we'll do fine."

The game started with... Actually, did I not already do something like this several months ago? Yeah, I think I wrote a journal that meticulously detailed a playthrough of Equestrian Heroes. I am not sure if I want to do that again for this one. Regardless, it quickly got fun. Fluttershy figured out the controls fairly quickly and we began to talk back and forth while dealing with onscreen obstacles and put together strategies on dealing with bosses and getting to difficult locations and items. It really was a kind of fun that you can never have by yourself.

Before long, I noticed a delightful aroma wafting into the room. "Mmm... Yep, smells like Rainbow's sautéing those veggies as we speak."

Fluttershy was quick to sniff the air and pick up on another scent. "Is she frying something too?"

"Hmm... Yep, I know that smell. She's frying some fries to go with the wraps. Gotta love the homemade kinds." I retorted while also breathing in the air.

We had just gotten to the third level when I heard a bell ring from somewhere outside the room. Immediately after that, Rainbow Dash's voice called out to us. "Hey, guys! Grub's ready! Come and get it!"

I immediately hit the pause button and looked at Fluttershy. She looked back at me and smiled, a faint gurgle in her belly revealing how hungry the smell of Rainbow Dash's cooking had gotten her. I decided to add to the atmosphere by swapping out the record on the phonograph and get it playing again. I mostly found rock records along with a few ballet records on the list, but I did finally manage to locate a record containing jazz music. The artist on the label actually got a chuckle out of me. "Duke Basie? Heh, doesn't roll off the tongue quite like Count Basie."

I placed the other record back in its sleeve and placed the new one in place and set the needle on the edge before winding the crank to get it going. The pleasant faint scratching sound began to rise from the funnel while Fluttershy and I headed to the kitchen before some smooth jazzy beats started filling the main hall. That central area in the house must make for great acoustics in getting that music all over the place.

Rainbow Dash was already seated at the table when we arrived and the goods were plain to see. There were three plates set out and each held the same contents. A heaping helping of homemade fries with the potato skins still on the tips and a big veggie wrap wrapped up in a green tortilla wrap. Each were cut in two to allow the contents to be seen. I could see mine since it lacked the red of peppers, but it was still loaded with sautéed zucchini, squash, mushrooms, broccoli... OK, I better stop going on about that before I make myself hungry. But I knew I was in for something good. "Man, it smells so good in here... And these look delicious..."

The wraps were oozing what was likely seasoned juices and oils while the plates were bordered by glasses of red fruit punch. Rainbow Dash definitely seemed proud and leaned on the table with her elbow while smirking at us. "You know it! Now sit down and dig in!"

Fluttershy beat me to my seat, that face showing ravenous hunger. Probably because she was eating for two. Before I could even reach for a fry, she took a big bite out of her wrap. "Oh my goodness... Do you think I could have the recipe?"

The fries were lightly salted, but they tasted so good that I did not even bother with the ketchup. And the wraps themselves... Man, that was tasty. Simple as they were, Rainbow Dash was not kidding when she said she makes a mean veggie wrap. I could tell she was reveling in our delight with her cooking while she helped herself to her own serving. I then tried to strike up a conversation while thinking back to the music that was playing. "So, Rainbow... Who's this Count Ba... I mean Duke Basie?"

She paused in her eating to give me a glance while raising an eyebrow. "Huh? I thought you like music! Don't know him? He's the Duke of Swing! Made a big name for himself up in Manehatten. Haven't you seen him sometimes? The minotaur who wears a fedora and shades?"

It was not hard for me to imagine that. A mental image came to me of a minotaur wearing a tuxedo, black fedora, and a pair of sunglasses while jamming on a saxophone. "Eh... Nope! But I can definitely imagine him!"

"Yeah, he's not hard to think of when... Ease up there, Fluttershy! It's not going anywhere!" Rainbow Dash then barked while looking at Fluttershy. She was scarfing all that down surprisingly fast. She paused upon being scolded and smiled sheepishly while some of the wrap's juices were smeared along her nose and chin.

"Wow, honey. You must be starving. Did you have lunch today?" I asked in turn while taking in just how messy her face had gotten.

Fluttershy still grinned in utter embarrassment while taking a napkin into her hooves and wiping her face clean. "Sorry... Just... Well, pregnancy tends to do that to your appetite. I'm eating for both me and Gladesong, so I guess...I'm just that hungry... Ooh!" She then glanced down as if she had suddenly felt a kick, but then smiled at Rainbow Dash. "I think that means she likes it. And she probably wants more."

Rainbow Dash let out a laugh before eating another fry. "Ha! The squirt's got good taste!" However, she then gave Fluttershy a more sly sort of gaze. "And she's gonna have a hot mom."

That look Fluttershy gave Rainbow Dash... She just froze in the middle of a bite. I too could only stare at Rainbow Dash while she started to laugh at Fluttershy's reaction. Finally, I smirked a bit myself and ask, "Hey, Rainbow... You don't happen to be bisexual, do you?"

Her laughter simmered down to chuckling before she looked back and forth at us. "Well... Maybe just a little. I can totally appreciate a hot mare if I'm in the right mood..." And then she leaned far to the right in her seat to the point of almost falling off before suddenly leaning just a little to her left upon righting herself. "But I lean waaaaay more towards the foot-longs than the carpets, if you know what I mean."

I almost laughed at that analogy while holding my face in my hand. Fluttershy could not help giggling like a fool and said, "You know... You're probably the only pony I know who would say it like that!"

We quickly changed the subject. But all in all, as simple as dinner was, it was all delicious. Perfect fare for a night of hanging out at a friend's house for fun. Despite her ravenous appetite, Fluttershy was pretty satisfied in the end. So was I. It really hit the spot. "Phew... I gotta take lessons on you for that recipe, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash leaned back in her seat and patted her belly. "Meh, it's no big deal. You just take a bit of oil, sauté your favorite veggies in it and spice it up however you want. It's that simple! Just make sure you've got a big spinach wrap to put it in when you're all done."

She was clearly no chef, not that it was a big deal. Rainbow Dash then asked, "Hey, I heard you two playing something the next room over. Want me to make some popcorn and join you two?"

Fluttershy and I gulped down the rest of our fruit punch before she replied, "Sounds good! Do you have butter flavored?"

"Only the best! You guys go ahead while I do the dishes. I'll be there in a bit." Rainbow Dash then said before trotting around the table and gathering up our plates and balancing them on one of her outstretched wings. She carried them over to the sink and got the water going while Fluttershy and I made our way out of the kitchen.

While we walked back into the play room, I took the opportunity to talk to Fluttershy while that smooth jazz drowned us out. "Are you just as surprised as I am that Rainbow Dash doesn't mind doing the dishes along with having a mostly tidy house?"

That question got quite a giggle out of her. "Oh, James... You'd be surprised what some ponies do when they live by themselves. You have to know how to take care of your house when living on your own. It's just little mundane things that need to be taken care of. Just don't invite her to bunk with you for a month. She has a bad habit of not pulling her weight when it comes to keeping someone else's house tidy."

"I'm not even going to ask where you got that information." I retorted while turning the phonograph off, a hilarious noise coming from the funnel as the record slowed to a stop. It really is one of the sillier perks of using vinyl records for music. Mere minutes after she and I picked up where we left off in the game, the smell of popcorn started to fill the air. And barely two minutes later, Rainbow Dash came trotting in with a big plastic bowl on her back being held in place by her raised wings. "Is there anything those wings can't be used for?"

"Yeah. Throwing a punch. They just can't reach far enough and it's like getting smacked with a pillow when you DO get punched." Rainbow replied with a snort. I wonder what happened that resulted in her making that discovery. She then set the bowl between me and Fluttershy before sprawling herself over the back of the sofa. "So, whatcha playing? Samba Sisters? Good choice. Tank's always too slow in his reflexes whenever we play."

It certainly lived up to its name. Musical references and aesthetics were all over the place in that game. Regardless, the three of us started munching on the popcorn at regular intervals. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash even started tagging out whenever one of them lost too many lives. Either from Fluttershy being too inexperienced with video games or Rainbow Dash being too hasty. I lost nowhere near as many lives and never had to tag out once, probably because I have been gaming most of my life and am generally just that good at platformers. In the end, it was a fun time. We even beat the game in the end right as we ran out of popcorn. If I had to rate that game, I would give it a solid 8 out of 10. Totally recommend it.

A quick glance at a clock ticking on the wall revealed it was well past 9 PM. We really lost track of time. "Sheesh, is it that late? Maybe we should start getting ready to turn in for the night. I don't wanna stay up too late."

Rainbow Dash also glanced at the clock and nodded quickly. "Huh... Guess it is that late. Good idea. I hate waking up too late even though I like to sleep in on Sundays."

Fluttershy then shared a quick look at Rainbow Dash before they both winked at each other. My lover then looked at me and asked, "Shall we?"

I knew what she meant. And so we turned the console and TV off before going out into the hall and walking up the stairs to the third floor. I opened the door leading to the bathroom and found it to be relatively small. There was the counter with a mirror over it along with the sink built into it along with the door at the other end leading back into Rainbow's bedroom. The toilet was right next to the door leading out into the hall and a shower stall with a blurred glass door stood in the corner. A bit cramped, but the shower stall itself was spacious enough for maybe four people at once. The whites and light blues fit the setting well. "Nice bathroom you got, Rainbow. Mind if Fluttershy and I wash up first? We'll try not to take too long."

"Oh, you two take your time. Cloud houses take forever to run outta hot water, so no biggie!" She replied before giving us a wink. What was she up to, if anything at all?

Rainbow Dash closed the door behind her and left us alone. While waiting for the water to get hot, I went ahead and undressed before joining Fluttershy in the shower while never once considering I was more or less walking into a very different kind of trap. A quick observation of the bottles of shampoo and conditioner Rainbow Dash had was hardly a surprise. They were almost exclusively labeled as for the more athletic types of people out there to the point of almost being marketed towards men. "Heh... I guess we're using something different tonight, honey."

Fluttershy took a closer look at the bottles and cracked a smirk. "Oh, Rainbow... Some things never change."

I took the time to lather up my hair while sitting down since the showerhead was on an elevation below my head. It could be set higher if needed, but I was relaxed enough to just sit down for once and partake in a good long soak. While rinsing my head of the shampoo, I felt Fluttershy starting to rub a shower gel-soaked body sponge or whatever you call those things you lather up with the stuff up and down my ribs. "Mmm... Can you get my back too, honey?"

"In a minute, dear. Just need to finish washing my mane." I heard Fluttershy reply from somewhere in front of me. I went right back to washing the shampoo out of my hair, but then noticed something about her location. She was already preoccupied with washing her mane, but whoever was scrubbing me felt more like they were right behind me to the point of even leaning on me. So if Fluttershy was not washing me, then who...

Just as I got the shampoo out of my hair enough to open my eyes without risk, I heard a familiar voice speak softly into my ear. "You said you wanted your backside scrubbed? I'm on it."

Rainbow Dash! When did she get in there?! Rather than freak out and possibly hurt myself by flailing in a hurry to stand up and smack my limbs against the walls, I instead asked in a very harsh tone, "Wha... When'd you get in here?! What're you doing?!"

Sure enough, she was right behind me. Rainbow was holding the sponge in her wing like a hand and rubbing it all over my back. While I looked over my shoulder at her, she just gave me only a barely discernable smirk. "Hey, I told you we're here to make sure you know you're loved, big guy. I can't really do that while standing outside the bathroom. Besides, I don't hear you complaining!"

"Well... Uh..." I was at a loss for words. Fluttershy, despite clearly hearing us, showed no signs of alarm and just continued to pull her hooves down over her mane to help rinse the shampoo out. Was this...all planned? "Um... Well, I guess I don't mind you scrubbing me where I can't reach, but..."

Rainbow Dash silenced me the only way she could. I felt her reach her arms under mine and crossed them over my chest in a surprisingly tender embrace. I felt her rest her chin on my shoulder before whispering into my ear. "It's OK, big guy. We're not gonna hurt you. And we're not gonna force you into anything you don't like."

It was then that Fluttershy opened her eyes after rinsing all the shampoo from her mane, that luxurious flowing pink sheet of hair hanging right down to the slick floor. I was worried she might snap at us now that one of her closest friends was embracing her fiancé while he was nude in the shower. But much to my surprise, she merely smiled kindly. "Oh? You finally decided to join us, Rainbow?"

I glanced at Rainbow Dash's face to my right while she too smiled calmly and responded with a relaxed tone of voice. "Yep. I think we're ready to get started on the main event."

"Uh... And what does this main event involve?" I asked nervously, unsure of what I had gotten myself into. Should I have been scared or excited?

I soon found myself sandwiched between the two lovely mares as Fluttershy embraced me from the front while resting her head on my other shoulder. "You know why you're here, honey. We're going to make sure you know you're loved tonight. We're going to soothe your soul and erase any horrible doubts you may still have, whether you know you have them or not."

They were being so gentle about the whole thing. Not forceful. Not sinful. They were truly doing what they thought I genuinely needed. What exactly happened in the past that had led up to this surprisingly sacred moment in the shower? And it was then that I was suddenly reminded of what was likely the only hint to the catalyst that brought us together for that moment. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to the scar on the left side of my waist and just said nothing.

By that point, my scar had healed very nicely. However, the severity of it caused it to be very conspicuous even after all this time. Something horrible had happened. Something I could not, and probably did not want to, remember. But they knew. And they could not forget. Perhaps I was still a more fragile mess than I knew. Perhaps my heart was still lined with countless cracks that would cause it to be shattered with just the right kind of trauma. Could they see something in me that I could not? Something so fragile that it required a very special kind of urgent care?

I suddenly became afraid. As if I had been walking on a glass bridge spanning two mountains and had only just then looked down to see the glass beneath me becoming more and more cracked with every step I took. I only became all the more fearful of just what sort of travesty I had survived during those days I simply could not remember. Memories erased or locked away by the fallen Discord as some sort of mercy before he departed this world forever. My god, what happened to me...

As I contemplated the possible events that gave rise to what was happening around me right then, I slowly lifted my hands and rested them on the sides of the two mares' heads. I was beginning to feel safe. Like nothing could go wrong as I was within their loving embrace while being constantly doused in soothing warm water. Finally relenting to their affections, I let out a long sigh. "OK... I don't know what happened, but I'm placing my faith in you girls. Just... Thank you for doing this all for me, whatever it might be."

The two of them turned their heads and applied a tender kiss to my cheeks. Fluttershy smiled gratefully at me and whispered, "Thank you, honey. We'll do all we can to make this a night worth remembering."

"Anyway, let's get back to washing up. Cloud houses have big hot water supplies, but it doesn't last forever." Rainbow Dash said jokingly before they reluctantly began to release their grips on me. However, I kept my hands over one of their hooves before they could slide off my body. I just wanted them to know that I wanted them to stay there, even though neither of us was close to being done yet. Rainbow Dash let out a short chuckle and said softly, "Love you too, big guy."

The shower largely continued without a hitch. The three of us took turns washing each other in places we would have a harder time reaching on our own. I even noticed a long-handled brush hanging on the wall just for that purpose, although my hands made for an effective substitute. I was initially a bit uncomfortable with Rainbow Dash being around me while I was nude, but then it occurred to me it would not be the first time she caught me in such a situation. She certainly did not seem to mind.

At one point, Rainbow Dash looked up at me with a bit of a sultry smirk and turned around. "Hey, James. Would you mind getting my tail?"

"Sure thing." I replied before pouring some shampoo into my palm, but then decided to add some more since her tail had more hair on it than my entire head. To be honest, she looked shockingly hot to me with her mane and tail soaked down like than. But I suppose the wet mane and tail look is something that makes any mare look more attractive.

Rainbow Dash seemed to notice my slight delay and glanced over her shoulder at me while I poured a glob of shampoo into my palm. Fluttershy was busy scrubbing some shower gel over her back while I was preoccupied and paid us no mind. Or did she? She was smiling whenever she glanced my way. Almost like a smile of encouragement. When I noticed Rainbow Dash looking at me, she gave me a very inviting smile before swaying her hips from side to side and even lifting her soaked tail. "What's wrong? You like what you see?"

After living in Equestria for as long as I have, I have reached the point where I have learned to simply not notice the exposed genitalia of the ponies I live among. But at that moment, I could not ignore what was right before my eyes. And strangely, it felt like I should not ignore what I was seeing. Rainbow Dash's marehood was on full display, no different from Fluttershy's aside from being bordered by a thin layer of light blue hair. And it was winking at me.

I was left speechless, truly. I had no idea what to say or do in response and Rainbow Dash seemed to notice this too since she let out a bit of a snicker. She then lifted her tail as high as she could, but only so I may grip it better. I took the tip of her rainbow-striped tail in one hand to hold it straight and began to scrub in the shampoo the best I could with the other. Rainbow Dash let out a bit of a groan when I accidentally tugged on her tail a bit too hard, but...it almost sounded like she enjoyed it. "Uh, sorry. I'll be more careful."

"Hey, it's cool... Really." Rainbow Dash retorted quietly while looking back at me. Every once in a while, I would glance back down and see her winking vulva between her curvy rump. The winking was a visual cue that she wanted me, something I long picked up on a while ago with Fluttershy. But I knew I had to resist that temptation. I am due to be wed to Fluttershy, so I could not breach that gap. Or did I?

Moments later, Rainbow's tail was coated in bubbly lather. I then adjusted the angle of the showerhead so it began to directly target her, my other hand helping scrub the shampoo from the many long hairs growing from the base of her tail. Before long, that colorful mess of hair was rinsed clean. Rainbow Dash then raised herself up on just her hind legs while I got down on my knees so I would not have to bend over. She then reached back and wrapped an arm behind my head and asked, "You wanna scrub down my chest, handsome?"

That was a term I could not remember the last time she called me. I felt myself slightly wince as Rainbow Dash became increasingly flirtatious. Still, I was finding myself becoming increasingly relaxed in this situation. "Sure thing, Rainbow."

I reached for the bottle of shampoo meant for scrubbing down a pony's coat and poured a fair bit into my palms. I then began to spread it all over Rainbow's chest and belly before using my fingertips to scrub it all over while she sighed and quietly moaned at my touch. She was really enjoying herself. But as the seconds went by, I began to feel increasingly bold. Like I should step things up. Right when she least expected it, I slid one hand lower and began to dig my fingertips into her weak spot. Her cutie mark.

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash let out a sudden gasp as I began to caress her most sensitive spot, knowing full well by then that she is one of the number of mares in Ponyville whose cutie mark doubles as a pleasure point. But instead of protesting or even becoming angry, she openly accepted my tender touch. "Oh man... James... Mmm... Oh baby, that's it..."

Much to my surprise, she pushed her rump back against me and even began to grind her hips against mine. It was incredibly tempting for me to take her up on her invitation and begin making love with her, but I felt it was too soon or at least a bad idea to do so. That, and her tail being in the way helped provide an extra deterrent, although the soaked flowing hair constantly brushing against my steadily hardening length certainly was not helping my gradually rising arousal.

Before long, I felt someone lean against me from behind. I all but froze as I continued to very minutely rub my fingers over Rainbow's cutie mark. Was Fluttershy displeased with me? Instead, she whispered sweetly into my ear. "Are you two having fun? Mind if I join in?"

"Uh... Sure, honey." I replied briefly, almost surprised that Fluttershy did not seem to object to what Rainbow Dash and I were doing together. In fact, she even seemed to be encouraging it. Truly, they must have put a lot of thought and time into planning our time together. She must have been putting a vast amount of faith in her longtime friend. She then leaned forward a bit more while starting to embrace me from behind, the firm curve of her swollen belly pressing against my lower back, and spoke softly to Rainbow. "Is he doing a good job, Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash lightly panted while my fingers continued to scrub along her chest and hip of her hip. "Oh yeah... God, he's amazing, Fluttershy... He really knows how to use those fingers... I wanna ride him so bad right now..."

Fluttershy just giggled cutely while I too could not help grinning as Rainbow Dash practically submitted to my tender touch. To see someone so proud and confident just being reduced to mush in my grasp was a very different experience for me. I let out a faint gasp of my own as I felt Fluttershy fold her wings forward and began to tenderly fondle my hardening length and even my hanging balls. "Mmm... She really like it, honey. Keep it up."

She was really getting into this. It was a side of Fluttershy I had never seen before, but that is not to say I was not enjoying it. Still, I listened to her gentle encouragement and began to do everything I could to bring Rainbow Dash to new heights of pleasure. I leaned forward just a bit and began to tenderly nibble along Rainbow's neck even as the hand I was scrubbing her chest with slid down past her belly and began to tenderly squeeze the two soft teats between her legs. Not quite as large as Fluttershy's but still large enough for me to grope. Rainbow replied with a faint squeal of delight, whispering loudly, "Oh yeah... Yeah, baby... Squeeze my tits..."

My hand rubbed, groped, and squeezed Rainbow's soft teats, my fingers sometimes giving her nipples a pinch as if trying to coax milk from them. It only made her moan and beg me for more. And yet, it was soon proving to be too much for her. She soon started to gyrate against me almost as if in an attempt to take me into her, her breathing quickening while I responded by speeding up my rubbing and groping movements. "James... James, I'm... Oh god, I'm about to... Agh!!!"

She quivered powerfully in my grasp, head tilting back as I felt her being wracked by a potent orgasm. I held her tightly, supporting her so she would not suddenly collapse. The bold, yet beautiful pegasus all but slouched into my grasp, panting deeply and slowly as she basked in the afterglow. I smiled and whispered into her ear, "How was it, dear?"

My satisfied friend tried to look back at me and displayed a seemingly drunken smile. "That...was awesome... I never knew what it's like to...be held by a man until now... There's nothing else like it... Being held...and pleasured and sharing pleasure with someone you love... What have I been missing... Oh god, I love you..."

Feeling all inhibitions being washed away, I smiled at her and planted a soft kiss upon her cheek. "And I love you, Rainbow."

Fluttershy, having watched the whole thing over my shoulder, smiled at me with a bit of a seductive gleam in her eye. "It looks like you two had a good time. But don't relax, because we're not done yet."

"Heheh... Yep." Rainbow retorted with a weak chuckle as I gently lowered her upper body back down. She then turned around to face me, my eyes catching one quick glance of her vulva dripping in her juices. A noticeable musk was beginning to fill the steamy air that I recognized all to quickly. The smell of sex.

I rose to my feet since my knees were starting to feel a bit sore at that time. As my waistline left the cover of Fluttershy's wings, I noticed that I had become fully erect. Rainbow Dash glanced at my hardened length and then glanced up at me with a loving smirk. "Looks like someone's happy to see us. Guess I'll say hello back."

I said nothing, but soon let out a long sigh of enjoyment as Rainbow Dash look my length into her mouth. She let out quiet muffled moans while tenderly sucking me, eyes closed in delight. This did not go on for much longer before Fluttershy stepped out in front of me as well. She said nothing, only looking up at me with a loving smile. Rainbow Dash soon detected her presence and pulled her head back before they both looked up at me with simultaneous winks. I found this curious and asked, "OK, what're you girls up to?"

Their response was direct and wordless. Rather than speak, they surprised as the two of them began to lick me up and down my shaft. They were working together, giving me pleasure in a most special duet. I unwittingly pushed my hips forward every now and then in response to their loving coaxing, my hands tenderly caressing their soaked manes. They used their tongues expertly, sliding down to my base and back up to the tip to tease me with just the tips of their fluttering tongues. At times, it seemed like Rainbow Dash was tempted to kiss Fluttershy, but narrowly resisted the urge. I could tell who she truly wanted to save her lips for.

Minutes went by with the two lovely pegasi caressing my hardened shaft with their tongues. Eventually, they slowly pulled their heads away while their faces were both flushed with a faint pink hue around the cheeks. Rainbow Dash then looked up at me and smirked while she spoke softly. "OK, big guy. I think your baby mama needs you now."

By that point, I was too consumed by the warm passion that was swirling around us to care that Rainbow Dash was going to watch my fiancée and I make passionate love. If anything, I was starting to enjoy it. Fluttershy began to turn away from me without once losing that loving yet lustful smile of hers, rubbing her curvy hips and long flowing wet tail against my legs. My hand stroked down her back towards the base of her tail while she presented her needy winking marehood to me, all too eager for her beloved.

I got down on my knees to properly align myself, not used to having sex in the shower. Whenever we do that back home, I am always seated in the bathtub while Fluttershy is always on top. There was some risk in a shower stall, so I wanted to be certain neither of us would slip while low to the ground. Fluttershy lifted her hips high and her upper body low, presenting herself to me while her soaked wings spread wide in a lustful display while her beautiful pregnant belly hung below her. "I'm ready for you... Hm? Rainbow?"

Rainbow Dash had slunk in front of me and seemed to have her eyes on something that I barely overlooked. Fluttershy's swollen heavy teats between her legs. She gave the two of us a sly smirk before lowering herself to the floor. I was most surprised to see what she did next. With a quick movement, she took one of Fluttershy's darkened nipples into her mouth and began to suckle greedily. Fluttershy let out a sudden gasp of shock mixed with intense euphoria. "Rainbow! That's... Oh wow, that's... Feels...so good... So sensitive..."

"Heheh... You always had bigger teats than me, Fluttershy. But... Man, they're huge now! Guess that's one of the perks to being a hot mom." Rainbow Dash replied between brief pauses in her suckling. Indeed, Fluttershy's teats have swollen to the point where one fits perfectly in my hand's grasp. Fluttershy could barely respond coherently at all, her eyes rolling around in her head while panting and mewling in pleasure. Rainbow soon paused again and looked up at me with a smirk. "You gotta try this, James. Her milk's really creamy."

"Oh really?" I retorted with a smirk of my own, eager to please my lover more. I got down on my hands and knees before bringing my lips to Fluttershy's other teat as Rainbow and I suckled away. With barely any coaxing, steady streams of warm mare milk began spilling into my mouth. The flavor was very different from the milk I normal buy at market. It was as Rainbow said. Creamy. Very creamy. And I liked it. While propping myself up on one arm, I tried to add to Fluttershy's pleasure by digging my fingers into the three butterflies on her left flank, making her squirm and squeal in delight.

Finally, it became too much for her. Fluttershy pleaded desperately, "James, Rainbow... Please, stop. I'll...too soon if you... I want to finish with you, James... Please... Mount your mare... I want you inside me..."

"You heard her, big guy. Mama wants daddy now, so give her a good time." Rainbow Dash said with a wink, her tongue licking drops of milk from her lips before the falling water could wash it away. We had pleasured her enough. It was time for me to bring my future wife to passionate climax.

I pulled myself up while dragging my hands over her curvy hips in subtle admiration. Her hindquarters quivered in anticipation, her vulva winking as her scent filled the steamy air. She was so beautiful, my pregnant lover. My hand caressed the side of her full round belly, feeling the gentle shifting movements of our daughter within. Pregnancy had been most generous to her. Fluttershy's body was undergoing a subtle metamorphosis as a result of her pregnancy. Her teats were beautifully swollen. Her hips filling out with gorgeous motherly curves. She had always been beautiful before, but her journey to motherhood was only enhancing her already timid beauty. And the more I caressed her, the more I wanted her. "Mama's looking so beautiful tonight."

Fluttershy responded by lifting her hips even higher, her tail flicking to the side to remove all obstacles as I grasped the sides of her curvy flanks. "Mmm... Mama loves looking her best for daddy... And she needs him right now..."

I glanced at Rainbow Dash out of the corner of my eye. She was really enjoying the show while she even began to touch herself with her hoof. She flashed me a wink in silent encouragement. Wasting no further time, I plunged my hard shaft into Fluttershy's needy vulva as she shrieked in delight. "Oooh! James! Oh yes...!"

With steady thrusts, I pushed as deep as I could into the mother of my child. Slowly and steadily. Taking my time to savor our shared pleasure. My hands rubbed up and down her sides from her shoulders to the three butterflies on each flank. She panted and whimpered, urging me on. Before long, my hands stopped stroking the length of her body and focused on one location. The sides of her round firm belly.

I was so in love at that moment. Loving my wife's body, loving the feel of our child within her. Growing by the day. I could feel the U-shaped curve of a hoof press against my hand from within. Gladesong was restless, probably disturbed by our lovemaking. Or perhaps it was a sign of encouragement? Regardless, Fluttershy seemed to enjoy the movement of our foal within her. "I feel... I feel her moving, honey... She knows daddy is making mommy feel good..."

"Then she knows we love each other very much, baby." I replied sweetly while reaching forward and caressing my fingers over her cheek. She let out a delighted sigh, blushing deeply as I continued to thrust deep.

Before long, Rainbow Dash could not keep herself from pitching in as well. She slunk over to us and began to nuzzle and kissing Fluttershy's sensitive cutie marks, prompting shrill gasps from my lover. "Man, you've filled out in just the right places, Fluttershy. Having a foal is doing wonders for you."

Fluttershy could barely respond at all from receiving pleasure at two points on her body. Rainbow Dash then moved up and began to nuzzle her swelling belly. "I always knew you'd be a hot mama. I bet you like carrying your man's foal, don't you?"

I began to feel excitement building in my heart too as I listened to Rainbow's coaxing. She was playing upon Fluttershy's kinks. Fluttershy, panting as we made love, moaned her response. "Ye... Yes... I love...carrying James' baby... Feels...wonderful when I feel the...foal move in me..."

"I bet you want to have lots of foals with him. To feel him fill you over and over." Rainbow whispered lewdly to her longtime friend, getting really into the moment. And it was working. Even I began to thrust harder into my lover, all the more turned on by our friend's coaxing.

Fluttershy was all too eager to voice her agreement with Rainbow's words. "Yes! I... I wanna carry all his foals... Wanna be...a good mommy..."

I decided to take the reigns and leaned forward so I may whisper into her ear. "You want daddy to breed you, honey? To keep you full of foals?"

It was enough to make her plead. "Please! Oh, James... I want to be yours! I wanna be a mama mare to your foals! Please, fill me...!"

"You heard her, handsome. Give your wife what she needs!" Rainbow Dash then said enthusiastically as I began to thrust with renewed vigor. I could already feel my body eager to spill its seed into her.

Fluttershy could barely speak at all, her mind likely swimming with thoughts of motherhood and pleasurable breeding with me. I too could only think of such passionate situations, my lover and I locked in delightful copulation. Finally, I could not resist any longer. I reached out and embraced my lover around her chest and pushed as deep as I could. "Fluttershy...! Oh baby....!"

With simultaneous groans and moans, we climaxed together. My seed spilled into her with multiple spurts even as her moist passage clenched me for every drop it could milk from me. And in mere moments, it was over. Replaced by a wonderful afterglow. Rainbow Dash watched quietly as she smiled at us. "You two make such an adorable couple."

We could hardly pay any attention to her. Panting in pleasure overdose, Fluttershy looked at me over her shoulder at me with such a tender smile. "I hope...we can have more someday after...Gladesong is born... I...so do love carrying your foals in me, honey... I really do..."

"Heh... Sounds like paradise, honestly..." I retorted with a smile of my own before reaching out and sharing a tender kiss with her. Truly, we were simply caught up in the passion and heat of the moment. I do not even know yet how we will handle parenthood yet, but the thought of having more kids further down the line... It does sound good to me. We will just have to wait and see.

We spent the remainder of the shower washing up and relaxing after such a delightful time, resting and cleansing ourselves. Once we were all done, we stepped out of the shower and wrapped ourselves in towels. Only instead of doing so with their manes, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy quickly dried them and their tails out with the use of a brush and hairdryer. That would help keep knots from forming overnight.

Still, we were not quite ready to sleep yet. Once we stepped out of the bathroom and into Rainbow's bedroom, I eyed the bed before us. I know Rainbow Dash said she could sleep on the sofa just down the stairs, but I felt that after such a wonderful time in the shower, we could all share the bed. "Hey, Rainbow... Would you like to sleep with us tonight? In the same bed?"

That caught her by surprise. Our brash friend glanced up at me and asked, "Huh? Really?! But...it's a bit small for that. It'll only hold two of us, right?"

Fluttershy, in clear agreement with my suggestion, then asked, "Can't you just stretch it to make it bigger? You use clouds for mattresses, right?"

"Uh... Oh, right! Duh! I'll be just a minute!" Rainbow Dash retorted while smacking herself on the head with her hoof. She then swooped over to her bed and pulled the blanket down. She then began to tug and pull on the sides of the mattress through its sheets, seemingly stretching it out to make it wider and longer. Before long, it was easily a queen size. "There we go!"

"Man, never knew clouds could be this versatile. And the sheets don't fall through?" I asked while pressing my hand down on the sheets while holding my towel up with one hand. Finding it to be solid, I tried sitting down before lying down on it. It almost felt as if I was lying on air. So impossible soft, yet firm in ways I struggle to describe.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash soon joined me while Rainbow also brought up a couple more pillows so there would be enough to go around. However, I soon found Fluttershy beginning to kiss me softly while also starting to pull my towel off. Clearly in an attempt to gently seduce me. Having had enough time to relax, I felt I was rested enough for a second round and pulled my towel off entirely before she began to tenderly coax my manhood back to life with tender kisses along its length. Rainbow Dash took note and chuckled a bit. "Wow... You two have one hay of a healthy sex life."

I sat up in bed and stroked my lover's beautiful mane while Rainbow Dash watched in earnest. But once my shaft was once again fully erect, Fluttershy paused and looked up at me with a silent smile. And then... She turned to Rainbow Dash. "Ready for your turn, Rainbow?"

The two of us just stared at her in silence for a moment. I was not entirely certain of what she meant by that and neither was Rainbow Dash. Our friend finally asked after glancing left and right at nothing in particular, "Uh... What? You want me to suck him?"

I almost laughed at that question due to how blatant and straight-faced she was about the subject. But it was Fluttershy's response that caught us both by surprise. "No. I mean it's your turn, Rainbow. Your turn to show him your love, even if just this once."

Rainbow's eyes opened wide in disbelief even as her wings sprang open. I too looked down at Fluttershy, utterly speechless at the thought of what she was implying. Even though I knew Rainbow Dash would normally jump at an opportunity with me, she was still quick to show some caution and reasoning. "Seriously?! But...you two are gonna be married in a few months!"

Fluttershy gave our friend a cheeky and whimsical response to show just how loosened up she was at the time. Especially when she stuck out her tongue and winked at Rainbow Dash. "We're not married yet."

Finally, I found the will to speak and asked, "Honey... Are you sure about this? Even if it's a one-time deal?"

That look she gave me was sincere and very trusting. "Yes, James. I'm sure. Just this once. It's a special occasion, you know."

I looked at Rainbow Dash and she looked at me. With some reluctance and definite caution, we crawled towards each other. It was so borderline taboo, what we were about to do. But it was true. Rainbow Dash has truly loved me deeply for quite some time and we were there for a very special purpose. And I too love Rainbow Dash. Very much. I cannot imagine life without her anymore. We soon looked into each other's eyes while frequently glancing around in utter nervousness. Rainbow Dash broke the silence with a whisper, "I really hope we don't regret this..."

"You and me both." I replied with an equally quiet whisper, knowing that Fluttershy was watching from right behind me.

There was only one real way for us to break the tension. And that was with a kiss. We closed our eyes and leaned in to share a kiss like many times before. I felt her lips upon mine, touching briefly before pulling away for just an instant before touching again. Over and over, we repeated this process. Tender yet sweet little kisses before our eyes parted to look at each other. I was feeling warm. Relaxed, yet anxious. And I could see that Rainbow Dash was feeling the same. She was blushing furiously while her eyes were filled with such need. She panted deeply before leaning back towards me for a much deeper kiss.

I closed my eyes, arms wrapping around her while she did the same. Our lips parted, tongues touching and dancing with each other. I could taste the noticeable flavor of mint and fluoride from the toothpaste she had used just minutes earlier. I heard her whimper and moan in the kiss, pulling herself up to cling to me with even her hind legs wrapping around my waist the best they could. Our inhibitions were rapidly crumbling as we became increasingly focused on just each other. My hands stroked down over Rainbow's back and along the lengths of her wings, fingers dragging themselves through her wild colorful mane and tail.

Minutes passed before our kiss finally ended, Rainbow Dash gazing at me with such a haze in her eyes while I too felt slightly dazed myself. She whispered tenderly, "You know... I've dreamed of this sometimes... I'm still not entirely convinced this is really happening..."

"Me neither... But I'm sure we can convince ourselves." I replied while cracking a smile. Rainbow Dash smiled a bit too and just leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder while she breathed in deep and long sighs, never once letting go. It almost felt absurd as I held her in my arms. I never once dreamed that Rainbow Dash would ever be so submissive to anyone. And yet, there she was. In my arms as she put up no resistance. She was savoring the moment, clinging to me with nothing between us.

I gently stroked my hand down her back and over the base of her tail, feeling my dear friend put all her faith in me. My hand reached high, tracing my finger over her ears and through her mane to the point of dragging the tips along her scalp. Finally, I decided to move things along and touched her were I had never done so before. I caressed my fingers over the smooth curves of her flanks, even tracing my fingers along the edges of her cutie mark to trigger a pleasured shudder from the bold and beautiful pegasus. And finally, I traced my fingers under her tail as they slid along the tender moist flesh of her needy marehood.

Her response was sudden and clear. Rainbow Dash let out a loud gasp as she was touched for the first time in her most sacred location. Her head lifted up, practically wheezing right into my ear. But she did not protest. Her grip on me only tightened as if to urge me on. And much to my unexpected delight and arousal, I even felt her beginning to tenderly nibble and lick along my neck. My fingers traced over her winking lips, even sliding inside as a familiar tantalizing musk began to fill the air. After barely more than what I believe was two minutes, she finally whispered to me in a raspy desperate tone. "James... Stop... I... I need to feel you for real..."

"You sure about this? You ready?" I asked in return, once more feeling slightly apprehensive about this whole procedure. I knew Fluttershy was right behind us, watching every move we made. And she was probably enjoying every second of it.

Rainbow Dash pulled back and looked me in the eye, her light blue cheeks flushed with a rosy tint. "Yeah... I think I'm ready. Just...be gentle, OK? It's my first time... Really."

I felt a twinge of shock fill me. It was truly her first time? She had never once been in such a situation? I know she had probably told me that at least once before, but it was still something of a shock to hear it right then. Rainbow Dash turned around as she lowered her hooves back to the mattress, her wings still spread wide while she lifted her tail for me. I gently wrapped an arm around her to help hold her up, but she then placed a hoof over my hand. She was being so serious. So focused on this one moment. Finding myself relaxing once more and my body starting to ache for this beautiful mare, I whispered into her ear. "You ready for this, sweetheart?"

Rainbow nodded while she pushed her hips back and grinded them against me for a moment. "Yeah... I'm all yours, baby..."

I wrapped my other arm around her chest as I very tenderly began to push into her. She let out a wheezing gasp as she felt me enter her for the first time. But as I pushed myself in as deep as I could go, I felt Rainbow Dash shudder in a sudden burst of pain while she let out a yelp while groaning through her teeth. I held her close to me to give her any support I could as this new pain wracked her body. I whispered sweetly into her ear, "It's OK, sweetheart... It's gonna be OK..."

"Yeah... I know... It just...stings like nothing I've ever felt... Ugh?!" Rainbow Dash replied in pain before she suddenly let out a confused yelp. I glanced down over her shoulder and was in for a surprise. Fluttershy was suckling on one of Rainbow's teats. "What're you... Oh man, that feels good... I think it's helping..."

Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow during a brief pause and spoke with a smile. "I know it hurts, Rainbow. But just for this one time. It'll be gone soon and you'll never feel that pain again."

"She's right, you know. Now let's see if I can help too." I added before I resumed my slow and steady thrusting deep into Rainbow Dash. With both Fluttershy and I providing her with pleasure, it did not take long for the pain to be overwhelmed as Rainbow relaxed in my grasp. "There you go, baby. It's getting better."

"You...have no idea..." Rainbow groaned in bliss as Fluttershy finally released her oral grip on our friend's soft teats. I began to compensate for Fluttershy's retreat by tenderly kissing and nibbling on Rainbow's ear, occasionally moving my head as it flicked about in response to the stimulation. She was hardly moving her body at all. The bold and brash daredevil was melting like putty into my grasp. She was so...feminine.

Rainbow's breathing became erratic as I felt her moist inner walls quiver around mine. She was utterly enthralled with this pleasure, her head trying to lean against mine at all times. And soon, I felt Fluttershy embrace me from behind. Even then, she was doing her best to please me as well by slipping her tail between my legs and brushing its long flowing hair against my hanging balls. I was sandwiched between both of those beautiful mares and loving it. I felt so loved. So secure between them. If I had any doubts lingering in my heart about anything regarding them, I most certainly did not anymore at that time.

As much as I was enjoying this shared experience between the two mares, my body could only hold out for so long. I could feel it. A building pressure in my loins. Fluttershy must have known too since she soon whispered into my ear, "Go ahead, James. I know you both want it."

Such encouragement without a glimmer of doubt or worry. Truly, Fluttershy had only the highest faith in us. Knowing the end was getting close, I began to thrust harder into Rainbow's needy marehood. I then whispered to her, "Rainbow, I'm getting close..."

"Me... Me too, baby..." My beautiful friend whispered in return without even turning her head to look at me. As my arms held her to prepare for the impending orgasm, she then answered a question I was on the verge of asking. "Inside me, James... I want every last drop... I need to know what it's like...to be filled by a real man..."

"Oh, Rainbow..." I groaned as I could feel my length beginning to twitch and throb. I trusted harder. Faster. Doing all I could to bring the two of us to the height of ecstasy. And soon, I felt it. "Oh god, Rainbow...! I'm..."

She answered in kind, all but yelling as I felt her body tensing up. "Yes! Oh god, yes, baby! Fill me, James... Make me your mare... Make me your... Aaaagggh!!!"

It all just hit at once. I felt her just spasm in my grasp as what was likely the hardest orgasm she ever experienced in her life wracked her body even as I clung to her like a vice, my shaft pumping jets of my seed into her equine womb. It was over as quickly as it came, but we were both left panting and struggling to stay upright. Truly, bliss is fleeting. But the afterglow engulfed us in its wake.

"Oh man... Rainbow, you're amazing..." I muttered quietly towards my beloved friend. However, I soon felt her breathing turn into what felt like weak chuckles and even... Crying? "Hey... Rainbow? Are you OK?"

"Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you, baby... It's just..." She replied quietly before turning her head to look at me over her shoulder. Indeed, tears were streaming down her cheeks. But those eyes... There was no sorrow in them. And her lips... Curved up into a smile. "I'm just...so happy... God, Fluttershy. You found yourself such a good man..."

Fluttershy peeked over my shoulder so as to look at Rainbow Dash as well. She smiled sweetly and whispered, "It looks like you two had a good time. You think we'll sleep well tonight?"

"I'd definitely say so." I replied wile reaching out and placing a kiss upon Rainbow's nose. She chuckled and gently pulled her hips forward so as to dislodge my softening shaft from her satisfied marehood. However, she then spun around and threw her arms around me before pulling me in for a tender and sweet kiss upon the lips. She felt...different somehow. And not just by how she was holding me. She felt...at peace. Dare I say even...tamed.

We wasted no time in settling in for the night. I was in the middle of the bed with Fluttershy on my right and Rainbow Dash on my left. It felt wonderful being surrounded by those two beautiful and loving mares. Fluttershy then whispered to me in the dark, "So... Do you have any doubts left now?"

I thought long and hard on an answer, though maybe not that long at all. "If I did... I think it's a safe assumption that they're all gone now. I know I'm in good hands here. I know I have nothing to worry about when it comes to those I cherish most. Just... Thank you for this night, girls. I really mean it."

"You don't have to thank us, James. This was an awesome time for us too. And..." I heard Rainbow Dash speak from my left in the shadows. She then asked, "Fluttershy? I know I'm asking a lot after tonight, but... Do you think we could have an encore in the morning before you two head out?"

Fluttershy did not take long at all to provide a response. And I was hardly surprised. "That does sound like it would be a lovely start to our day. But for now... Sweet dreams, Rainbow Dash. Goodnight, James. Love you."

"Ditto. Good night, you two. And sweet dreams." Rainbow Dash replied softly before I felt the two of them place a kiss upon my cheek before snuggling up under my arms.

"Sweet dreams, girls... And thank you." I then added while tenderly holding them to my body, feeling more at peace than I have felt in quite some time.

Having already chronicled the events of an entire day, I would rather not go into much detail about the following day. However, I will explain in brief some of the events. I actually awoke to the tender feel of kisses to the side of my face. Much to my surprise, it was Rainbow Dash who awoke me and... Her tenderness and behavior. Never before have I seen her act so womanly. Fluttershy awoke soon after with a little coaxing and we soon took a morning shower together. Needless to say, we had our 'encore' while in there too and it was every bit as wonderful as it was the previous night.

Rainbow Dash cooked us up some breakfast afterwards. Omelets and hash browns with cold milk. She certainly knows her way around cooking eggs. Fluttershy and I left soon afterward, but when we stood at the door to leave... Rainbow Dash actually became somewhat distressed. And I think I know what had her upset.

She was afraid to lose me. She did not want to see me leave. I held her in my arms, promising that we would see each other again very soon. Just... My god, what sort of scars were inflicted upon her that day when I all but died in her arms? I cannot fault her for fearing losing me. And she even came along with us shortly after our departure to spend some time with us together at the spa for a bit of relaxation on a Sunday.

Even now, it feels so surreal knowing what happened that night as I write this. It was wonderful, to be sure. Just a shame it cannot happen again. No telling what may happen if word got out about that and the risk would only increase if it becomes routine. Rarity in particular would be jealous as hell. I think it may be wise if I put this entry away for a good long while. I probably have to do it anyway due to the discussion I had with Luna that morning regarding Nightmare Moon's impending raid on that outpost.

I think I will invite Rainbow Dash to dinner after work tomorrow, if I see her. It will be nice to have her over and I know Scootaloo will be thrilled to share a meal with her idol. But as for now, time to rest my fingers. Dinner is ready in the kitchen and Fluttershy is calling for me. Smells like pasta tonight.