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It has been a few days since my prior entry. And things have balanced out in terms of routine and progress. The militia is making some solid strides. The infantry have even started running some drills to prepare themselves for a live-fire incident. But just when I was finally getting comfortable with how things were, I was thrown a very unexpected curveball the instant I woke up in the morning.

I had been allowed to sleep without being disturbed. It was just a normal morning for me out there in the command center on the Empty Plains. But as I started to stir, I felt something unusual. Something under the covers was draped across my chest. And it was holding me in a way. Not entirely awake, I lifted the covers and stared in confusion. A wing. An orange dragon wing was draped over me.

It took a second, but I recognized that orange hue. And with a new tension in the air, I looked to my right. Between me and the window was a sleeping dragon girl. One I knew all too well. Smolder...

She... What...? Smolder? She was there. Sleeping soundly beside me. Her hand grasping mine. But why in the world was she out here on the Empty Plains with me? The window was just slightly ajar... Had she snuck in last night without anyone detecting her?

I looked around, wondering if not one person knew she was there. But when I did, I noticed a satchel resting against the wall. It was not mine and it had not been there at any point before. It only then dawned on me. Smolder really had packed up some supplies to use during the trek out east. And now she was right in front of me.

I felt a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. She should not have been there. Even if no longer truly a child, the battlefield was no place for someone her age. I knew I would have to send her home. But at the same time... I felt relieved. I had been forced to push my thoughts of Smolder out of my mind for the most part. But now that she was here before me, I felt quite pleased to see her. I did miss her... And I knew I loved her.

In a moment of silence, I debated what I should do. Should I leave the room and tell someone that an unauthorized civilian was in the command center? Should I just stay by her side and awaken her? I barely had time to consider anything before I noticed her beginning to stir. And soon, those beautiful blue eyes opened slowly. We shared a silent stare, neither of us speaking. But Smolder did speak first as she smiled at me while I felt the grasp of her fingers tighten around my hand. "Hey..."

"Hey..." I retorted in kind while being at a loss for words. She was awake and we were seeing each other for the first time in at least two weeks. Very quietly, I asked, "Why are you here...?"

"Because I missed you..." Smolder whispered as she pushed herself up with her wing releasing me from its embrace. Once on her knees, she groaned while stretching hard as her wings spread beautifully before me. She looked...so radiant with the rays of the morning sun shining behind her as they were dimmed by the curtains. She then sharply hunched forward once that stretch had finished and said with a drowsy gaze of worry, "I couldn't wait anymore... I had to find you. You never even said goodbye..."

"I'm sorry... I wish I could have, but...circumstances prevented me from doing so." I replied while not sure if I could explain everything that happened. I knew that if Smolder had known I was heading out to face a danger I potentially may not have been able to handle on my own, I dread to imagine how she would have handled it. And I absolutely would not have been able to find the will to depart if she begged me to stay. Even so, I could not ignore the reality of the situation. "You really shouldn't be here... Everything going on out here... It's no place for someone like you."

Smolder gave me a look of concern while she remained kneeled before me, her wings tightly folded on her back. "Are you...mad at me?"

"No, no, I'm not mad at all. I'm...actually really glad to see you. It's just... We're all..." I started to say before stopping. As I gazed at that precious little lady, I was reminded of just how much I loved her. And how much I had found myself longing for her at times. I did not want to start this reunion off on a bad note. I held out a hand to her and said, "Actually... Never mind. Can I...hold you for a little while?"

Smolder's blue reptilian eyes opened wide as a quiet smile formed on her lips. She held out her hands to me and whispered, "Yeah... Please."

She fell into my arms as I embraced her tightly. I brought myself back down to the bed and rested with her atop me. I needed this. I knew I could not say it to her yet, but that was not going to stop me from cherishing Smolder regardless. I stroked my fingers down her smooth scaled back and right between her wings. Then down her tail before sliding a finger over the stiff fibers of her tail spade. I could hear Smolder inhale deeply with each breath before she whispered to me. "I missed your touch... Your voice... Your smell... Everything's all right now..."

I cradled her little body in my arms. That precious little dragon girl, untainted by the barbarism of her homeland. Now that I had the opportunity to see just how unpleasant the people of her homeland generally are, it made me so glad for her that she managed to leave that behind and find a better life in Ponyville. It only made me appreciate her more. "I missed you too... So much..."

"Je t'aime... Je t'aime toujours..." I heard her whisper to me. I still did not understand the meaning of that term. Definitely foreign. But I could sense a precious and tender meaning in them. Whatever it was she was saying to me, it carried a most loving purpose. I froze as I felt Smolder's long tongue slide up my jaw before she asked quietly, "Please... Until we get back home... Let me stay?"

I sighed in thought without releasing her from my embrace. I was unsure of what everyone else would say to a noncombatant staying in the camp with the rest of us. But now that she was with me again, I could not bear the thought of seeing her leave. Not after all the trouble she must have gone through just to find me. And so I whispered, "We'll see... It's not really my call, but I'd be happy for you to stay here if you stay out of trouble."

"I'll be good... I know dragons don't have a good reputation in Equestria... I had to sneak in last night when the moon was covered by clouds so no one would notice me. I was sure you were in this building. And you were..." Smolder cooed before we turned our heads so we could see each other from just an inch away. I could smell the faint hint of sulfur on her breath. "Those big flying boats made it easy to find this place. All I had to do was follow them."

"Flying...boats? Oh, you mean the airships. Yeah, they're serving as a supply line for the most part." I replied while amused that Smolder was not familiar with the actual term for those vehicles.

"Airships? That's what you call them? Huh... The more you know." Smolder mumbled while showing a crooked smile. But she then looked at me and said, "And before I forget... Autumn Blaze says she's rooting for you."

"Autumn... Oh, Autumn! You met her on your way out here? Yeah, she and the rest of the kirin are really good people... They were good to me when I found their home." I was not expecting to hear that name from Smolder at all. She was lucky to stumble upon the kirin when considering how isolated they are out there. Most people would probably pass right by the Grove of Silence.

"She was nice. And it was sweet of her to say hello out of nowhere like that. I'm more used to people throwing stuff at me and yelling for me to beat it when I get caught by surprise like that." Smolder replied almost sarcastically while I was sure she was not exaggerating. I hope such a routine does not come back into her life again. "It sounded like you made some good friends out there... Maybe I should've stayed for a bit to see where she lived."

"It sounds like you came very close to the Grove of Silence. I'm sure they would've been more than happy to have you visit them if Autumn Blaze was fine with you. I'll see if I can introduce you to them on our way back." I said while thinking back to my one visit to that place. Such a good time that was. Excellent food and wonderful company. For being so isolated from civilization, the kirin of the Grove of Silence are very well off. "I'd especially like to introduce you to Rain Shine. She's absolutely wonderful and a good host."

"Sounds like it." Smolder whispered as she looked down at me, her finger tracing along my jaw. Such a familiar look of utter relaxation settled in her eyes as she smiled calmly. "I missed that look in your eyes... And before I forget, Fluttershy wanted me to give you this."

Before I could respond, Smolder turned my head as she leaned down to me. I froze as she placed a kiss upon my cheek, though she grinned sheepishly immediately afterward. "There you go... A little something from Fluttershy. She really misses you, just so you know."

"I'm sure she does... I got her message and sent one back. And I still have the photo you all took together. That was really sweet of you to have it done for me." I replied while my thoughts went back to my wife and my two precious daughters. And with a turn of my head, I could still see that photo propped up on top of my dresser nearby.

Smolder turned her head to see where I was looking and saw the photo as well. "That...? Oh, that's why we all got together like that? I was wondering what that was about... That's a picture, right?"

"A photo, yeah. Camera's are used to take them, though a printing facility is needed to put them on a sheet of paper like that. You almost never see those on Earth anymore..." I replied as I turned my gaze back up to the precious little dragon lady atop me. "Anyway... How about we get up? Have you been roughing it out here? Would you like a morning shower?"

While I did not notice much of an odor on Smolder, or anything that did not smell like a natural reptilian scent, she seemed to like that suggestion now that she was much more familiar with the practice of proper hygiene. "Yeah, sounds good. It beats soaking in a cold river."

I held her hand while helping her down from my bed. But once she was on the floor, Smolder's gaze fell upon the Lunar Shield while it remained against the wall by the dresser. "Wait a minute... What's this? It's huge..."

"That? It's the Lunar Shield. It's been my primary defense for a while." I explained while Smolder seemed to be reaching for the sword hilt that was sticking up behind it. "And that's the Celestial Sword. I don't recommend drawing it if you don't know anything about how to handle a sword... Super sharp."

"Hang on... If you have a sword and shield..." Smolder muttered in contemplation before suddenly glancing over at me with a look of surprise. "Are you some kinda knight?"

"No, I am not. Never have been. I'm just one guy in the war machine that's out here trying to put an end to an incoming invasion." I replied while trying to not give her any indication that I was there because I wanted to be. I was more than ready to turn around and go right back home if I was given the option.

"You're not? But...these are yours, right?" Smolder asked with increasing curiosity. "You're not a knight, but...you still have a sword and shield? You're a fighter?"

"I wish I wasn't... But yes. They're mine. Doesn't mean I actually enjoy getting into a fight..." I replied while gazing at the ceiling as a twinge of bitterness filled my heart. I was starting to wonder how much longer it would be before the next wave arrived. "No one out here even really wants to be. Mostly. We're here to save Equestria. Not for the thrill of battle."

"I gotta say... You really never felt like the fighting type to me. You're too sweet to be like that..." Smolder said softly as she looked back at me with such a gaze of worry in her eyes. "I just can't picture you in a sword fight."

"If you can't, don't worry. You'll be seeing me in action soon enough." I said in resignation. I then pushed myself up as Smolder's gaze rose to look up at the helmet that was atop my dresser. "Anyway, why don't you go and wash up? We can't stay up here all day."

"Yeah, sure. I'll just... Um..." Smolder retorted before stepping towards the door leading into my bathroom, but her eyes then fell upon the tub that was next to my typewriter. She crossed her arms and leaned over it, looking down at the swirling colors of the liquid form of my armor. "What's this stuff? It's liquid, but it's always moving or changing color..."

"That's... Um... Actually, that's my armor. At least when it's not in use." I replied while not expecting Smolder to take what I was saying at face value quite yet.

"Seriously? I thought armor is made of metal. And metal ain't like this stuff." Smolder said while giving me a rather perplexed stare.

"Some metals can be a liquid. Like mercury. Others melt down when they get hot enough. As for that... Um..." I mumbled before standing up. "Maybe it would be best if I just showed you."

"OK then..." Smolder retorted quietly before her eyes opened wide while I put my foot in the tub. The liquid quickly crawled up my mostly bare body and solidified into a familiar hardened and winged form. I was unsure of what to say as Smolder stood there while looking quite slack-jawed. But she did eventually provide a response. "You're...gorgeous..."

"You OK there?" I asked as I stepped into the tub to prepare to have my armor melt back off of me. I was not in the mood to wear it first thing in the morning.

"Uh huh... It's just... How can you look so pretty and so awesome at the same type?" Smolder muttered as she began to blush profusely. I think she noticed and looked away before hurrying into the bathroom. "Anyway, thanks for showing me! You look awesome!"

"Um... Thanks?" With Smolder out of the room for the moment, I took the time to sit down at my typewriter to get a few pages out of the way. Smolder having very suddenly arrived into my life after maybe two weeks apart is definitely something to write home about and I felt more awake and focused having not had breakfast yet. As if focusing on writing was going to help me build an appetite. I did not really have anything to do until I got a quick morning shower done.

I did pause for a minute to take a look through Smolder's satchel now that I had a minute. Just out of curiosity to see what she could have brought with her. What surprised me most was that there was a stack of paper inside and a pencil. Had she been keeping a journal of sorts too? I felt uneasy in reading through what she had written since that would have been an invasion of privacy and everyone knows how young girls are with their diaries. But I did skim some of them a little just out of wondering how long it took for her to reach me.

Her handwriting was definitely not perfect, but still neater than someone like Scootaloo. I was quite impressed with how many words Smolder knew how to write by then, though her inexperience in phonics left some of her writings lacking in nuance with a bit of repetition and redundancy here and there. Not that I fault her for that. It is natural for someone who is only learning how to read and write for the first time to be a bit slow on learning how to make a written narrative flow. The only real problem I saw with her writings was Smolder's difficulty in understanding phonetics. Certain words were misspelled to look more literally closer to how they actually sound and many misused homophones were everywhere. She even spelled 'kirin' wrong.

That was about as much as I was going to reveal to myself without her consent. If my skimming started to delve into something that was beginning to sound a bit too emotional or contemplative, I would skip a page. But even with how unrefined her writings were, I was feeling very proud of Smolder. For someone who went from being entirely illiterate to spending maybe a month in total time learning how to read and write, she had come a long way. Smolder really is a lot smarter than one would expect for a wild dragon and has proven herself to be a fast learner. I looked towards the bathroom as I heard the shower running and smiled. I was so proud of her.

I took the time to at least get some of Smolder's essentials out of the satchel before getting back to my typewriter. She had managed to stuff her air mattress into the satchel along with its air pump and some bed sheets to wrap it in and a blanket with a small pillow. Rather impressive that she fit all that in there, but it did leave no room for food. But when considering that she spent two years beforehand as a self-taught survivalist, I suppose bringing food supplies would not be necessary when knowing how to live off the fat of the land. Especially when considering the extreme omnivorous appetite of dragons. She could probably live off of rocks and dirt if she had to.

I did not want to leave a mess that would give anyone the idea that I had been snooping for its own sake, so I returned to my seat and continued typing away on this entry. After maybe fifteen minutes alone with my writing, I heard the shower go quiet. And just a couple of minutes later, I saw Smolder step out of the bathroom in a big light blue towel that might have been a little too large for her. But it did keep her thoroughly wrapped up in it. "Wow, I almost forgot how nice these hot showers feel. And that you've got these things so far from home."

"That's the magic of modern conveniences." I said before noticing something tucked under the towel. A book? At least until I remembered what had been in there. "Is that my Project H comic book?"

"Uh huh. Is this the newest one? I've been trying to keep up with this stuff thanks to Spike, but I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks. But this looks like it's gonna be good." Smolder replied while taking a seat on my bed with book in hand. "Do you mind if I take a look through this? I can read well enough to follow this stuff by now."

"Help yourself. Luna gave it some high praise after she looked through it." I said while noticing Smolder starting to give me a more confused gaze. As if the name baffled her. "Yeah. Luna? Princess Luna? The Princess of the Night?"

"Princess? Oh, you mean those namby pam... Um... I mean..." Smolder muttered before quickly silencing herself with a look of utter embarrassment on her face. I snickered as I watched her catch herself. I seem to recall the less enlightened dragons of her homeland do not have a particularly knowledgeable view of Equestria's rulers.

"Heh! Just don't go saying that to their faces. There's a reason why the Dragon Lords have long done their best to not let their people give the princesses reason to declare war on them." I said with an amused smirk. I can still remember how easily Nightmare Moon intimidated that swarm of dragons into running for the hills. "You don't really think that way about them, do you? I mean yes, their soft pastel colorations don't give the impression that they're bombastic or dangerous, but I assure you the Equestrian royal family has ruled Equestria for this long for very good reasons."

"Pastel? Um... The truth is I...don't even know what they look like." Smolder muttered while looking understandably embarrassed. But it was then that her eyes went wide as she suddenly processed what I had said before. "Wait... Does that mean...they're here? Right now?"

"Yeah. All three of the royal sisters are right downstairs. They're leading the war effort out here." I explained as a look of dread and fear started to settle on Smolder's face. As if she was sure she had just made a reckless mistake. And only then did I realize that someone of her age had absolutely no business being out here. If someone who is a minor was discovered out here, they would most certainly be sent back home aboard the next flight out. I had no desire to see her leave so soon, especially after going so far out of her way just to find me. "Hey, it'll be OK. I'll talk to them. I swear they won't think you're any trouble."

"I hope so..." Smolder muttered as she looked down at the comic book in her hands. She looked like she really needed a distraction.

"Say, why don't you go ahead and look through that for now? I still need to take a morning shower anyway." I spoke while making certain the door leading downstairs was locked. It would not do for someone to walk in while I was not with her and assume she was an intruder.

"Yeah, sure... I'm not going anywhere." Smolder replied as she kept her eyes focused on me. I then entered the bathroom and locked the door, just to be safe. Not that I assumed Smolder would get too curious for her own good, but it was just a necessary precaution.

I was not in there for any longer than twenty minutes. And by the time I stepped out in a towel, I found Smolder seated at the back of my bed with her face buried in the book. She did not even notice me come out. "Having a good read?"

"Uh huh. This is getting good. Can't wait to see where they go with this next." Smolder said while closing the book before setting it aside. "Only thing I don't like about this stuff is that they always make you wait for the next one."

"That's the only real downside of any art medium. It takes time to make more." I explained while stepping over to my dresser with a towel around my shoulders while clad in just my boxers. But as I stepped past the bed, I noticed Smolder reach out to me with one hand. Her eyes looked up at me, beckoning me for something. And I quickly saw what it was she wanted. I brought my hand to hers, curling my fingers around hers while her little hand did the same to mind. I so very rarely get to hold hands with anyone. Largely because so few people I know and love have any. And Smolder was the first woman in Equestria I met who had a hand I could hold. "I missed this..."

"Me too." She said softly without once looking away. Smolder then began to pull me towards the bed with her other arm reaching up. "Hold me?"

"I'd love to." I whispered before reaching down and scooping the little lady up into my arms. Her wings spread wide before reaching around me in an embrace while her arms and legs did the same. The sensation of her smooth scales, especially those that lined her chest and underside, just felt so pleasant against my bare skin. I whispered into the little ear hole on the side of her head, "I'll do what I can to make sure they won't try to send you home, if you want..."

"Please don't let them... I came out here because I just missed you so bad..." Smolder whispered back to me while I concurred all too much with her sentiments. I had forgotten just how much I had missed her until our eyes met for the first time in weeks. The temptation was so strong. I wanted to whisper those three sacred words to her right there. And it hurt to know I should not. As if she could detect that, Smolder asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Like you wouldn't believe..." I whispered back to her without loosening my grip on the precious little lady. We clung to each other, our hearts no doubt whispering sweet wordless things to each other. I then whispered, "Is there...something you want to say to me too?"

Smolder let out a long sigh before she whispered into my ear, "There's a lot of things I wanna say to you... So many things... Things that...I don't think I can yet."

"I get it..." It was all a paper thin facade. I knew it by then. And it hurt. We had tried to tell each other to wait and see. But our hearts already knew the real answer. And instead of the passage of time making things more clear to each other, it was only serving to frustrate the two of us. "Waiting is hard, right...?"

"I've never been so ready to just go ahead with something..." Smolder wheezed at me during another sigh. "Gotta just...be patient... It just sucks when you know the answer to something, but something's just getting in the way that you just can't do anything about."

As if the timing could not be worse, there was a knock at the door. We both froze in place. We did not move. We did not breathe. Did I remember to lock the door? What would someone think if they walked in and found us like this? Thankfully, the door's handle failed to turn. I did remember to lock it. Instead, the voice of Shining Armor was heard beyond it. "James? You up yet?"

"Um... Yeah, I'm up. Someone need me?" I asked while Smolder remained deathly still and silent while being held in my arms. It was still quiet outside, so it did not seem like there was a situation in the camp at the time.

"No, not really. I was just going to let you know that breakfast is ready. Come on down soon, all right?" I heard Shining Armor say before the sound of his hooves descended the stairs. That was close.

Only once the sound of Shining Armor's hooves became distant enough for me to confirm that he was back on the ground floor, I relaxed and set Smolder down on my bed. "Well, sounds like breakfast is ready. Wanna head down?"

"I guess I don't really have a choice, huh?" Smolder asked while still looking uneasy about revealing her presence. "Just...don't let them send me away. I only just got here..."

"I'll do what I can. Just stay behind me, all right?" I said before I finally started to get dressed. Once I was clad in a comfy blue polo and a pair of shorts, I opted to keep my socks and shoes off for the moment. I then led Smolder to the door and began to lead her down the stairs.

The main chamber of the command center was bustling with activity. Guardsmen in armor were going about their duties while a delicious breakfast buffet was set out near the kitchen. Smolder peeked past me once the aroma reached us, her appetite betraying her desire to stay hidden. "Whoa, that smells awesome. What's on the menu?"

Almost immediately, some of the guardsmen looked in our direction. That look they were given us were ones of puzzlement, having definitely not expecting to see a dragon so young out there. Shining Armor then stepped out from behind a table while clad in all but his helmet ad asked, "Huh? Wait... I don't remember any dragons being enlisted out here..."

"It's OK, Armor. She's...a guest." I said while Smolder promptly ducked behind me. It was good that no one was responding to her presence with hostility, but the situation was still a delicate one.

"A guest?" I heard another familiar voice speak as Nightmare Moon stepped over to us. I noticed Smolder gaze up at the Princess of Dreams with eyes wide in what seemed to be a strange combination of fear and enthrallment. My royal friend then cocked her head to one side and asked, "You seem rather young to be out here... How did you even get here, child?"

Luna and Celestia also began to approach, but Celestia's gaze was more inquisitive than that of her sister. And I knew why. I had spoken of Smolder to her before, so the gears in her head were likely turning as she began to put the pieces together. And she did. "I'm grasping at straws here, but...I think I know of you. What is your name, dear?"

"My name? It's...Smolder..." The apprehensive little dragon replied as she began to cower even harder behind me. I rested my hand upon her head to try and indicate that this was not a dangerous situation. She had nothing to fear from those three royal sisters.

Celestia's response was a calm smile. "Ah, and I assume you are the one James has spoken so fondly about? He's had some lovely things to say about you, Smolder. Did you come all the way out here just to find him?"

"Uh huh... I missed him... So I went looking for him..." Smolder said softly as she began to step out from behind me. Celestia's gentle tone must have helped soothed her nerves. She then gazed up at the three royal sisters and asked, "And...are you three the princesses of Equestria?"

"We are." Luna replied before glancing at her sisters. "We are Celestia...Nightmare Moon...and Luna. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, child."

Smolder went silent as her eyes scanned the beautiful mares before us. She then muttered, "I don't get why everyone where I come from have nothing nice to say about you ladies. You're all gorgeous."

That little compliment coaxed chuckles of surprise from the three sisters. Probably the first time they ever heard such praise from someone right out of the dragon lands. Nightmare Moon then held her wrist to her lips as she cleared her throat. "Very kind of you to say, child. However..."

The Princess of Dreams then looked at her sisters and said, "Pleasant as she is, I must insist that we put this child's well-being into consideration. She should not be here. Shall I request that one of our departing transports return her home?"

"What?! But I... I just got here!" Smolder suddenly spoke with a rise in volume to her voice. She immediately grabbed my hand, my own nerves set alight as I knew it would be rather cruel to send her away so soon after her arrival. I did not want to see her leave either.

Luna then spoke firmly as she said, "Child, we are at war. This is no place for you to be. The horrors that will surely occur out here are not meant for the eyes of the young. You must return home and wait for us to return."

"But I... I..." Smolder stuttered before looking up at me. Her eyes pleaded silently, begging me to say something. Luna absolutely had a point, but neither of us wanted to see the other depart. If anyone was going to convince them otherwise, it would have to be me.

"Are you sure there isn't some sort of role she could fill?" I asked as I tried to think quickly and concisely. Surely Smolder had some sort of skill to utilize for our sakes. "Perhaps a noncombatant role that doesn't involve engaging the enemy?"

The three royal sisters began to look at each other, very quiet whispers being exchanged between them. Smolder continued to clutch at my hand. Celestia's eyes even glanced at our hands, the sight of our grasp surely being noticed. Shining Armor, who had been standing by and listening, stepped forward. "Should I have my men escort her to the airship docks for departure?"

After a few seconds of silence, Nightmare Moon turned to the captain and said, "No, not yet. Carry on, captain."

Shining Armor bowed his head and stepped away. Nightmare Moon then looked down at the silent dragon girl and said, "Come with us. There are some things we wish to discuss with you."

"Am I in trouble?" Smolder asked in unease as we were led into the war room nearby. The door was locked behind us as we all took seats around the long table. Smolder stayed seated by me while the three royal sisters sat across from us. "I swear I'm not here to mess with anyone..."

"Yes, we understand that." Luna replied as she spoke first. "If you truly wish to stay, then we will have to consider a role for you to fill."

"You mean I can stay?" Smolder asked with a much more hopeful tone in her voice. She was not quite relaxed, but she sounded like she knew things were starting to go in her favor.

"That depends. We absolutely can't put you in harm's way out here, but if there's anything you can offer..." Celestia began to say before she trailed off in thought. "Now that I think about it... How did you even infiltrate the camp? The night watch never mentioned anything about an intruder. And most importantly... How did you even find us in the first place?"

I too had wondered about that. Just what did she do to get into the very command center itself without being detected? Smolder understandably looked uncomfortable with providing an answer, but she could not avoid it. "I... I followed those flying boats. And when I got here, I waited until nightfall. And then only when the moon was being blocked out by clouds, I got in here as quick as I could while flying high. I only thought about checking this place first on a hunch."

"Observant, resourceful, and cunning... Very good traits to have." Nightmare Moon muttered in contemplation. "It sounds like you ventured out here entirely on your own power. How did you manage this journey?"

"Well...let's just say we dragons don't need a whole lot to keep going. And I had to learn how to take care of myself two years ago. I was just wandering everywhere, just trying to stay alive. And I did spend a lot of time out here before I eventually wound up in Ponyville. So...yeah." Smolder explained with complete sincerity. She was much more relaxed by then and it showed with how she spoke. It was just a back and forth exchange of questions and answers.

"That's a sad thing to say, child..." Luna muttered softly with a much more sympathetic gaze set into her eyes. Although she then said, "But if you are familiar with life out in the wilds and know how to keep a low profile... Perhaps we do have a role to assign to you. If you prove yourself capable of it, you are permitted to stay."

Smolder's eyes lit up as her wings suddenly spread wide in delighted surprise. "Really?! Nice! What do you have for me? I'll do my best!"

"Calm yourself, Smolder. It's not terribly complicated, but I'm sure you can manage. Now then, come with us. That includes you, James." Celestia retorted with a bit of a chuckle in response to Smolder's eagerness to earn the right to stay. I too found myself smiling as the two of us shared a glance. Smolder gave me an especially grateful smile. Maybe this would turn out fine after all.

When we stepped out of the war room, Smolder and I were led over to the section of the command center where those crystal panels were affixed to the upper walls. Only one of them seemed to be displaying any sort of information at the time, which seemed to consist of a type of map. One of the guardsmen stationed there turned to face us as Nightmare Moon stepped forward. She then asked, "Are they ready?"

"Yes, your highness. Right here." He said while lifting his hoof towards a box resting on the nearest desk. And when it was opened, I tilted my head to one side. Light blue crystal orbs that were similar in size to a baseball rested inside with each affixed to a blunt metal spike on one side. "We are preparing more at this time and will make them ready as soon as they are available."

"Thank you. As your were." Nightmare Moon replied while her subordinate bowed his head and returned to tending to his duties. She then used a levitation spell to lift one crystal orb from the box and asked, "Do you know what these are?"

"A diamond lollipop? Looks tasty." Smolder said while licking her lips with her long tongue. I had all but forgotten about her unusual diet and almost let out a laugh.

"What?! No, no, it's most certainly not for you to eat!" Nightmare Moon yelped as she jerked the device away from Smolder when the dragon girl reached for it. "These are not rations for you. These are for you to deploy out to the east. They are meant to serve as sensors to detect and track enemy movement when they come within range."

"You mean...these things function like a radar system?" I asked in realization. I had wondered what those crystal panels were meant to be used for. I never would have guessed their true purpose.

"Yes. We already have a system in place right here, but the range of our sensors in the command center can only reach a mile in diameter. These will extend the range of our radar array by a full mile each." Celestia explained while Smolder more closely examined the first sensor when it was handed to her. "All you have to do is drop them from a high altitude and the device will activate once the spike on the underside embeds itself in the ground. And I recommend setting them no less than two miles apart for the best effect. You can judge distance well enough, right?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at tell how far away something is... But what's this stuff for anyway" Smolder asked while likely hearing words she had never heard before. Even I was not expecting something as sophisticated as a radar system to be used in this war.

"They will be used to detect and track the approach of enemy units. Make certain they do not catch us unprepared when we are encamped like this and insure we have enough time to prepare a response." Luna said before she suddenly flinched in realization. "Which brings us to the most important point... If you happen to see enemy units out in the field, you are absolutely forbidden from engaging them. Retreat immediately if you happen to see them."

Smolder stared with mouth agape as she seemed to struggle to understand some of these more difficult words Luna was saying. I decided to try and be more direct with her and set my hand on her head to get the little lady's attention. "If you see anything out there that doesn't look right, and that there are a lot of them, stay away from them and make sure they don't see you. Fly high if you must."

"Huh? Oh, sure. I can do that. Just stay outta trouble? No problem, I've always been good at that." Smolder replied while even giving us a confident wink of her eye. I smiled right back at her, knowing that she did have a penchant for staying out of sight when she did not want to be found. "So, uh... When do I start?"

"Right this minute, if you are able." Nightmare Moon replied before setting the box of sensor crystals on the floor before Smolder. "Take as many as you can and be on your way. I recommend waiting until you are at most two miles away before you begin dropping them."

"Uh... All of these?" Smolder asked while sounding understandably intimidated by the sheer volume of them. I assume there was at least a few dozen in there. But she then look up at us and said, "Ooh, wait! I've got just the thing! I'll be right back."

We watched as Smolder ran back up the stairs to my room. And a moment later, she came running right back down with her satchel hanging off her side. "I bet I can carry a bunch of them in this thing."

"Wise choice, Smolder. Just take as many as you can. And please refrain from eating them if you can help it." Luna retorted while looking quite pleased at Smolder displaying some resourcefulness.

"Speaking of which..." Smolder said before taking one crystal in hand and suddenly licking it like a lollipop. But before she could be scolded, Smolder let out a gag as she cringed at the taste. "Whoa, too salty! No thanks."

"Oh? Then I suppose we have nothing to worry about. Let me help you with that." Celestia said as she levitated the crystals from the box. They were all set down on their sides to let the spikes lay flat and preserve space. By the time the flap on the satchel was secured, Smolder was starting to lean a bit to her side from the weight imbalance. "Is it too heavy?"

"Um... Nah, not really. I can still fly." Smolder retorted while hefting the satchel over her rather underdeveloped shoulder. "I just set these things like...two miles apart and drop them from high up, right?"

"Yes, though make certain the spike is what hits the ground." Celestia said while the three royal sisters stepped aside to let Smolder reach the door. "Hurry on back once you've deployed every last one."

"Right, got it. Guess I'm outta here then." Smolder replied before she started to make her way to the door. I followed along after her as the three sisters watched. It was a simple enough task, but Smolder did look eager to get started. Once we were both outside, she turned and looked up at me. "You think they'll really let me stay?"

"I'd say the fact that they're trusting you with this task is enough of a sign that they do trust you to contribute to the war effort." I spoke while placing my hand on her head. "Just be careful out there. We don't know when or where the next wave will be coming from. Stay at a high altitude if you can help it. Stay out of range of any archers that might be there and..."

"Hey, hey, it's all right. I know how to stay out of trouble." Smolder said with a chuckle as she pushed my hand off her head. But she then looked up at me with a softer gaze while her voice also became much softer. "I'll hurry back as soon as I can. Wait for me, all right?"

I was disappointed that Smolder had to head out so soon after she had arrived, but I understood she had an important task to carry out. I brought myself down to one knee and put my arms around her while Smolder did the same to me. "Be careful out there. I'll be here when you get back."

"You better be. I didn't come this far just to lose track of you." Smolder hissed with an almost mischievous tone. Once I released her from my embrace, Smolder spread her wings and shot up into the air. I looked up and watched as she rapidly ascended. She went much higher than I had ever seen her go, becoming a little orange speck in the sky before she began to head east. I found myself smiling at this impressive display of flying prowess. With nothing else to do and no one else to talk to, I turned and made my way back inside the command center.

"Has she set out?" Nightmare Moon asked when I closed the door behind me. "Do you really believe she is capable of handling this task?"

"Smolder's not some absentminded kid. She's extremely capable and independent for her age. She won't let you down." I said with hardly any doubt in my mind. While it was her first time carrying out such a task, I trusted Smolder would adapt to the situation quickly enough.

"You certainly sound confident in her abilities. Where did you even find her? She came out here to find you, did she not?" Luna then asked while we began to make our way back to the buffet table to help ourselves to some more breakfast.

I saw no reason to hide Smolder's origins as I loaded up a plate with potatoes. "I didn't find her. She found me. Literally came outside one morning to find her sleeping in my chicken coop. She says she's from the wild sectors of the dragon lands. The outlying regions that don't fall under the Dragon Lord's jurisdiction?"

"That is...most unfortunate. Judging by her age, I would say she is right around the age where most young adolescents are forced to fend for themselves." Nightmare Moon said softly with a more sympathetic tone than before.

"Uh huh... She was really bitter and despondent when we first met. But that changed pretty quickly when we got to know each other. She really is a lovely young lady, especially after all that she's been through. I hope she'll be happier staying in Ponyville with everyone else I know." I explained as I suddenly realized that being out here meant Smolder had returned to a part of her life that she would not want to return to. I was hoping that being out on the Empty Plains would not reopen any old wounds.

Celestia smiled most graciously at me as she said, "No wonder she came this far just to find you. It sounds like you did a good thing for her."

I could not find a retort for that. I would certainly be lying if I said I would prefer it if Smolder was not there. I missed that precious little lady. Although Celestia then brought up an important question. "There's just one more thing though. Assuming she proves herself capable for the task we have given her, where will she be staying while with us?"

That was a very good question indeed. While Smolder is by no means a stereotypical child, I was hesitant to let her be bunked with just anyone. And I certainly did not want her to be kept anywhere that would be cramped or uncomfortable for her. But that was when I said, "Why not let her bunk with me?"

"With you? In your own private chambers?" Nightmare Moon asked with an eyebrow visibly raised.

It was probably the significant differences in our ages that left the royal sisters a bit wary over allowing someone who is technically a minor to share a room with me, but I know Smolder better than they do. "Yes, I swear she would be comfortable with me. She already lives in my house back home. And she even brought along an air mattress and all the other necessities for sleeping on the move. She can just bunk in the corner."

"I suppose I see no harm in you having a roommate for the duration of the war... Hm?" Luna said before being distracted by a sound at the far end of the room. Her eyes were focused on the crystal panels serving as radar maps. I too noticed a slight change on one of the previously blank panels. "I wonder..."

We all stood up from the table and approached the corner. Indeed, there had been a change on one panel. At the left edge, a circular reading was being displayed that showed a type of display that one might see on certain types of maps. I could see what seemed to be a forest and there was even some differences in elevation. A type of geography display. I pointed up at it and asked, "Is that coming from one of those sensors?"

"It must be... Let us wait and see." Nightmare Moon said while we all watched and waited. As the minutes went by, another circular section of the panel displayed a map of sorts with an equally large reading. There was a little overlap with e first one, but not too much distance was lost. "Ah, very good. The signal is coming in clear."

I felt myself smile. Smolder was already at work to get our sensor array up and running out in the field. As time went by, the crystal panels on the walls became filled with geographical information while some of the guards jotted down some of their findings. It took roughly an hour, but soon the panels were filled with information with only a few blank spots due to the circular range of each sensor not exactly coming together like a jigsaw puzzle. But those were minor nitpicks. There was no way an approaching mass of enemy units could slip by them without being detected. "Clever girl, Smolder. Clever girl."

"She surely must have deployed them all by now. And it looks like there's nothing out there yet." Celestia remarked while the newly settled maps surely must have been covering at least fifty miles of space out east. More than enough time for us to prepare if movement was detected. "She's probably on her way back right now. Do you all think she'll be fine serving out her with us?"

"If this is the only task we require of her, I do believe the child will do well enough. So long as she is kept away from any battles on the fields." Luna said before turning to Shining Armor nearby. "Captain. Send word to your men that should a small orange dragon be found entering the local airspace, they are to let her come and go as she pleases."

"Will do, your highness. I'll send out the notice right away." He replied before trotting out the front door. All we could do then was wait.

After brewing myself some tea and waiting another ten minutes, there was a knock at the front door. Since everyone knows knocking is not necessary when wanting to enter the command center, I quickly guessed who was out there. A moment of silence passed before the door slowly creaked open as Smolder stuck her head in. "Hello...? How's everything back here?"

"Splendid work, child. The readings are coming in clear." Nightmare Moon said with a smile as she beckoned the dragon girl over to the radar corner. Smolder did as she was told and approached the Princess of Dreams and looked up at the crystal panels in awe. "Placement is a little too close in some areas, but it's giving us a clear enough picture to work with."

"Whoa... That stuff actually works, huh?" Smolder muttered before looking at Nightmare Moon and her sisters. "So...uh...am I in? Can I stay?"

"If you continue to carry out this little task of ours with the same efficiency as today, then yes. You are welcome to stay as our little reconnaissance scout." Luna replied while we all smiled in approval. Her words did a lot for my heart. It was good to know Smolder was staying after all.

"Nice!" Smolder chirped as she jumped up with fists raised in exhilaration. It was one of the few times where I have seen her genuinely act her age. But she did quickly regain her composure and asked, "Ahem... Well, now that I can stay... Um..."

She then looked at me while I looked back. I knew where the topic was going and nodded. Smolder then looked tot he royal sisters and asked, "If I'm gonna stay anywhere... Would it be all right if I bunk with James?"

"He suggested the same thing, now that you mention it..." Celestia retorted before she and her sisters shared a glance. They all seemed to show approval before the Princess of the Dawn looked down at Smolder and said, "Yes, you may choose to reside in his chambers for the remainder of this war."

"Thanks. I promise I won't get in the way." Smolder said sincerely while not sounding too surprised either. But right as she took a step towards me, Nightmare Moon stepped in her way with a much more stern gaze set into her face. Smolder froze while looking up at the imposing Princess of Dreams and asked, "Um... Is there something else?"

"Yes. Make no mistake. You are permitted to stay. But we must establish some guidelines due to the unusual nature of your presence here." Nightmare Moon declared while her sisters stepped closer. Smolder stood at attention, never looking away from the towering alicorn before her. "If you are to leave the command center to go anywhere in the camp, you are to be escorted at all times. This is no place for children. And lastly, in the event of an enemy attack or when we engage the enemy out in the field, you are to remain in the command center at all times until the conflict is resolved. This is not a negotiable policy. You will follow these guidelines or you will be sent back home at the first opportunity. Do I make myself clear?"

Smolder just nodded rigidly as if she was rather intimidated by Nightmare Moon's declaration. Which I think might have been the point. And I certainly understood where she was coming from. While definitely more mentally and emotionally developed than most girls her age, Smolder is still a minor. There is likely stuff happening in the camp among the members of the militia that she should not be exposed to. And she absolutely had no business being on a battlefield. These guidelines were for her own good, whether she knew it or not. At least Smolder knew not to disregard this order. Nightmare Moon then relaxed as she nodded with a smile. "Very good then. Now that you are welcome to stay, make yourself at home."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Smolder said briefly before walking at a brisk pace until she had come over to me for a hug. I picked her up into my arms while remaining seated before she quietly asked, "Is she supposed to be that scary?"

"I think she was just being stern to get a point across. Nightmare Moon is a very good soul. Trust me, she's a wonderful friend and a very reliable ruler." I explained while knowing that Smolder probably put a lot of value on first impressions. Guessing wrong with someone in a lawless land like the Empty Plains could be a fatal mistake and it was something she had to live by for at least two years. I pulled Smolder into a gentle yet secure hug while she sat on my lap to reinforce that she was safe with us. "You're in good hands out here. Just stay out of trouble and you'll be fine."

"Right... Right..." Smolder muttered as I felt her lean into me. I saw her close her eyes with her horn pressing into my chest, her head not quite able to turn sideways. "At least now...I'll be sticking with you out here from now on, right?"

"Sounds like it." I replied as I turned my gaze to the far corner. All of the crystal panels were displaying geographical data that the guards were analyzing. It was a step in the right direction. And all because Smolder decided to show up when she did. I rested my chin atop her head and whispered, "It's good to have you with us. Thanks for the help you're providing."

"Hey, I hate being deadweight. I'm glad I can be useful out here." I heard Smolder said with a bit of a playful bite in her tone. But I then froze as I felt her hand rest atop one of mine. "I missed you so bad... It's...nice feeling your arms around me again."

I let out a long sigh as I pondered her words along with my own feelings. Having to wait was difficult. Especially since Smolder's general mentality was not hat of someone her age. I truly could not see the girl in her. So young, so small, yet so mature in spite of everything she had been through. She was truly more woman than girl by then. And so I whispered, "I didn't know how much I missed you until I had you in my arms again."

"Je t'aime." She whispered to me while I felt Smolder snuggle up against me. I still do not know the meaning of that term, even if I know how to spell it. But as she said that, Celestia happened to step by. She suddenly and abruptly looked our way, eyes wider than usual as if she had just heard something surprising. I noticed her give us both a stare. I glanced down at Smolder, her closed eyes preventing her from noticing Celestia's presence, and then back to the Princess of the Dawn. After a brief moment, Celestia gave us both a knowing smile. As if she knew exactly what that term meant and wholly approved of it. She then extended her wing and curled the largest and longest feather at the tip like a finger, beckoning me to follow her as she stepped into her private quarters nearby.

I knew Smolder did not want to move, but I had been summoned. I glanced around and saw that the morning buffet was still set out, even if the contents of the heated trays were starting to look a bit meager. They would probably be taken away for cleaning any minute now. Seeing an opportunity to get away, I said, "There's still some food out if you want some breakfast."

Smolder's eyes popped open upon hearing that. As soon as she saw the buffet nearby, she hopped off my lap. "Oh man, thanks for reminding me."

While Smolder fetched a plate, I hurried down the little hall nearby and stepped into Celestia's room. The room suddenly closed behind me with the lock clicking shut. A veil of magical light briefly covered the walls and ceiling before fading. I looked at Celestia while she rested on her bed, her hoof patting the covers to coax me over to take a seat. I recognized the spell that had been cast. A soundproof veil for the sake of a private conversation. And I had a hunch of where this was going. "You wanted to see me?"

"Mmhm. Not about anything bad, honestly. Just something I want to talk to you about." Celestia said softly as I took a seat by her. She then asked, "You never mentioned her name at the time, but... The dragon girl you mentioned. The one you purchased those earrings for on Capricorn Island. She is Smolder, yes?"

"Yeah, that's her... It's not exactly hard to see why, huh?" I retorted while cracking an uneasy grimace. I knew Celestia was aware of my feelings for that little dragon lady and how...complicated such an attraction is.

"Oh, not at all. I could tell just by the things she said to you and the mere fact that she's out here. For her to come this far just to find you... She truly adores you." Celestia replied while a quiet chuckle trilled in her throat. But she then winked at me and said, "Especially that last one. My word, I wonder where she learned that? She's a clever one."

"You mean...je t'aime? You know what it means? It sounds French to me... What's the translation?" I asked now that I knew someone who was familiar with that type of dialect. Smolder must have picked that up from Rarity at some point.

Unfortunately, my quest for knowledge came to an abrupt halt right out of the gate. Celestia displayed a rather mischievous smirk as she said, "Oh, I really shouldn't be the one to tell you. That's for you to figure out."

"Oh, you tease." I snorted while crossing my arms. Celestia let out quite a laugh as I gave her my best annoyed glare. Now I was all the more curious of what Smolder was hinting at when she said that term.

"But honestly now..." Celestia said with a giggle before her tone became much more sincere and serious. "I know how you feel about her and I understand why. You say she's only fourteen, but that's certainly not the feeling I get from her. She seems more...weathered than most girls her age. Like she mostly gives off the presence of a young woman instead of a child."

"I know, right? But that's what makes her such a compelling person." I replied while glad to see that Smolder's rapidly developed emotional and mental maturity is so easily detectable most of the time. It is a good trait to have, even in someone so young.

"Yes, she is quite an interesting case. But with that said..." Celestia said as her tone darkened further, her beautiful eyes narrowing while gazing right at me. "What do you intend to do once the lights have gone out and she is the only other person in your room with you?"

"Celestia, you're not... You're not really assuming I would take advantage of her, are you?" I asked with a faint hint of alarm stirring in my mind.

Her response was brief, yet concise. "Would you?"

"No... God, no. I can't do that to her. I respect her too much for that. And it's not like I even would develop a lust for just anyone like that." I groaned at the uncomfortable thought of pulling someone as naive and impressionable as a child into bed for...what she was implying. "I only feel lust for those I truly love. I can't feel that way towards someone I can't see myself having a future with. I don't desire women I can't have in my life like that."

"Very good, I know. I'm well aware that's just not the way you are." Celestia said with a agreeable nod, a calm smile on her lips. But she then said, "But still...do you see yourself having a future with Smolder? Is that enough for you to...desire her?"

I cringed at the implications in those words. "When you put it like that... OK, yes. Smolder isn't like most girls her age and the fact that she acts older than she is at least half the time paints her in a very different light. But even with that in context, do you have any idea how terrible minors are for long-term relationships like that? Too fickle and unstable. I adore Smolder, but I really don't think she's ready for that kind of commitment, even if she's more woman than girl at this time. And quite frankly...I don't think she even knows what...intimacy is."

"That's true, most people that young can't really comprehend long-term commitment. Especially with romance. It's almost a shame how fickle the hearts of the youngest can be." Celestia muttered knowingly as she looked at me. But she then asked, "But when you refer to intimacy...do you mean...?"

"Yes. That... How do you even try to put the moves on someone who is completely ignorant to...that side of life? Although in Smolder's case, that's probably a good thing..." I said while turning my gaze up to the ceiling. "Smolder has... Well... She has been flirtatious on occasion. And...definitely romantic once in a while. But... No... No, I have absolutely no reason to believe she has any grasp of the concept of sexual activities. And it makes sense when you think about it. She spent the earliest days of her adolescence just trying to get by and survive in the wilderness. That doesn't leave much time for a girl to think about boys in a new light."

"She really did have it that hard until she found you, hm?" The Princess of the Dawn asked while showing a sympathetic frown. "All right, James. I am convinced you will not take advantage of Smolder out here. But just to be clear..."

Celestia lifted her head higher until it was just above my own. Almost like an instinctive attempt to establish some form of dominance. I sat where I was and listened without a word. "While the Empty Plains lie outside Equestria's jurisdiction for the moment, you are still in the company of Equestria's royal guard. If you do carry out anything that constitutes a serious crime in our company, I will see to it that you are dealt with appropriately. Do you understand?"

All I did was nod. I knew she was more than likely doing this out of protocol, but it was still disquieting to receive a warning like that. But once her point had been made, Celestia smiled and placed a kiss upon my cheek as if to reinforce that she held no ill will towards me. "Oh, don't frown like that. I know you would never do that to anyone. I'm sure that in time, you and Smolder will be very happy together. Just be patient until then, all right?"

"I hope so... She deserves to be happy after all she's gone through." I said with a relaxing sigh. Positive reinforcement can go a long way. But as I turned my gaze up to the ceiling, I asked, "Do you think she and I really have a future together though?"

"I do... I think that whatever circumstances brought the two of you together was a blessing in disguise. And the fact that she went this deep into uncharted territory..." Celestia said softly before draping a wing over me to pull me in for an embrace. "The more I think about it, the more profound her actions to get out here are. She came this far just to find you. What does that tell you?"

I bowed my head and closed my eyes. Processing those words filled with a warm giddy feeling. I felt most fortunate. And I did not want Smolder to think her efforts to find me were for nothing. "Excuse me... I want to find Smolder for a second. Unless there's anything else you want to discuss..."

"No, that was all I wanted to cover." Celestia replied before the invisible veil coating the room glowed briefly before collapsing into a flurry of fading shimmering particles. "I won't keep you. I know you two have some lost time to catch up on."

"Thank you... I'll be around, dear." I whispered before placing a kiss upon her cheek, prompting a delighted giggle from my beloved. I then promptly stood up and left the room. It was right then that the buffet trays were being carried away to the kitchen to be cleaned up. Smolder was sitting nearby and it looked like she had amassed a sizeable portion of leftover scraps from the trays. She really seemed to be enjoying herself as she feasted quite heartily on her meal. I took a seat by her and asked, "Good eating, huh?"

"Mmhm! I missed having some yummy home cooking instead of wild fruit and stuff like that." She huffed between bites. Smolder was scarfing down her meal rather quickly, so she must have been famished by then. Wild fruits will only fill you up so much. And I can only imagine how unappetizing rocks and dirt must be for a dragon when they have nothing else to subsist off of.

I watched and waited. Smolder was very happy to have a hearty meal by now. And once she finally polished off her plate and patted her belly in simple satisfaction, I tapped a finger on her arm. When she glanced at me, I held my arms out to her for an invitation for an embrace. And she all too happily accepted. Without a word, Smolder jumped from her seat to mine and sat on my lap as she put her arms around me. With that precious little lady in my arms, I whispered to her. "Let me know if you need anything, all right? I don't want you to have a hard time out here."

"As long as I have you... I'll be OK." She whispered most sincerely to me while her brow rested against my throat. And her voice... It did not have the subtle growl that it usually carries. It was that sweet nearly angelic voice that I had only heard once in a great while. And it tickled my heart.

For a short while, we just sat there. Holding each other. I wanted to whisper such sweet things to her. But others might hear me. And it was still too soon, even if I was sure that the sentiments were mutual. Or were they? Was I just trying to convince myself that maybe I was misjudging Smolder? That in spite of every shred of evidence I have seen so far, she was still undecided and uncertain on where she stood with me?

Before I could even think about this internal conflict of mine, Smolder looked up at me and asked, "Um... Mind if I take a look around the place? I didn't really scope it out that much before I snuck in here last night."

"You mean the whole camp? Um.. Yeah, sure. I'll show you around. You need an escort anyway, right?" I said as I felt glad to have an opportunity to get out of the house. I went upstairs and got my shoes on and even put her satchel back in the room. I was quick to notice that all of Smolder's stuff had been dumped out and set into a pile between my dresser and the desk that held my typewriter. I then made my way back down and stepping outside with Smolder. "You lead and I'll follow."

"Gotcha. OK then, um..." Smolder mumbled as she looked left and right down the rows of tents before us. For a second, she just froze. Especially when a few ponies suited up in armor came walking by. They gave Smolder a passing glance, but did not address her. I then heard her let out a long sigh of relief. As if she thought a threat had passed.

"Smolder... No one out here is going to give you trouble. I promise. They're not armed and armored to take on dragons. We're out here to face a different threat." I explained while patting her lightly on the head. Seeing too many ponies in one place that she was unfamiliar with more than likely had her on edge. I do believe Ponyville was the first place she visited that did not give her a hard time out of wariness.

"You sure...?" She asked when looking up at me. I nodded, though I wondered if it was a good idea to mention Ember at the time. Speaking of which, I do wonder how her efforts to round up some volunteers is going back in the dragon lands. I have not heard back from her in a number of days. Regardless, Smolder took a deep breath and turned to walk to our right. "OK... Just...please don't let them mess with me."

"Will do." I retorted as Smolder walked along. I kept up just fine and maintained a constant vigil on anyone we happened to pass. Smolder would always get some looks from the militiamen and her gait would always become much stiffer whenever someone drew near. The poor girl. I get that dragons have a deservedly lackluster reputation in Equestria, but Smolder certainly never deserved to be grouped in with the rest of them.

Smolder eventually came to a complete stop. Even when I walked past her, she did not budge from that spot. I turned back to her and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Could you..." Smolder muttered quietly before suddenly reaching up to me. "Could you carry me for a while? Just so I'll feel safe?"

The poor thing... She just did not feel safe in that place, even if she was not in any sort of danger at all. I let out a sigh, though out of sympathy and some amusement. "Sure. Come on up."

Smolder promptly smiled and propelled herself right up into my arms with a big flap of her wings. She swiftly clung to me with her arms and legs, even wrapping her wings around me for a better grip. I hardly even needed to cradle her in my arms by that point. Which was good since my arms would get tired quickly if I had to lug her around everywhere. "Thanks... I know I look like a big chicken being scared of all these ponies, but..."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize. I get what you've been through. Most dragons give nice girls like you a bad name, right?" I replied while patting her on the back. "You take all the time you need to get accustomed to this place. I swear everyone will get to like you."

"Really...? I hope so." Smolder mumbled with a sigh as I felt her very quickly relax in my embrace. I only kept one arm draped across her back as a precaution in case she lost her grip, but I otherwise just let her hold on with her own strength. Smolder was no trouble to lug around at all as I strode through the camp. She would frequently pull her head back to look around and take in the sights. Not that there was much in the way of variety. "There's a lot of tents out here... Anything else?"

"Yeah, most of the space out here is reserved for living quarters... But there are more specialized locations. Like the field hospital, the magic R&D lab, and there's a bunch of mess halls all over the place to feed everyone." I explained before remembering one spot that would be worth checking out. "Now that I think about it, the archery training grounds are nearby. Wanna go see how our new archers are coming along?"

"What's an archer? I've seen arches. Are they making stuff for arched gates or something?" Smolder asked with an unexpected display of ignorance.

That got a laugh out of me. I had to stop as I hunched forward in chuckle as Smolder clung tightly to me. "No, no, no, archery has nothing to do with arches! It's the art of using a bow and arrow. Long range infantry."

Smolder then gave me an even more confused stare. "In...fan... You mean its about putting bows on babies from a long distance?"

"Oooooh my god, Smolder... You know what? I'll just show you. Better you see it for yourself." I said while trying to reel in my laughter. Wild dragon ignorance... It really can be quite precious sometimes. Smolder did not seem to mind and even looked embarrassed over not knowing something that was probably common knowledge in more civilized circles.

Before long, we came to a wide open section of the camp that had a long row of a few dozen armored unicorns lined up. Ahead of them were an equal number of thick round targets that all had a number of arrows embedded in them. There were hardly any bull's-eyes to be seen, but I knew they were still learning. And the handful of hippogriffs standing behind them would let out a call as the unicorns used levitation to nock an arrow into the strings of their floating longbows before letting them fly. Smolder turned her head to watched, eyes going wide as she watched the long narrow projectiles fly with impress speed before slamming into the targets. "Oh... Those are bows and arrows?"

"Yep. That's how archery is done. And no, it doesn't involve infants." I retorted while I watched the archers in training deplete their quivers one arrow at a time. There were not many left by then. After only five more shots, the archers used levitation magic to pluck their arrows out of the targets and return them to their quivers without even having to move from where they were standing. One by one, they repeated the process with their arrows flying straight and sure. I noticed more bull's-eyes being scored with this second phase than the first and not one arrow missed the targets entirely. All the while, their hippogriff mentors called out with advice to help them shoot straighter. Although their words were wasted on someone like me. Archery is a skill not everyone has a talent for. "I guess using levitation to hold, aim, and shoot arrows from a bow does a lot to cut down on the time needed to perfect the art. Levitation magic is second nature to unicorns. They're making it look easy."

"Is archery really that hard to do?" Smolder asked as she watched the archers sharpening their skills with every arrow that left their bowstrings.

"You'd be surprised. When it comes to human archers, it would take a good chunk of their lifetime to master the art. Pulling those bowstrings back takes a lot of upper body strength and that's before you take into account the factors you must consider on how to effectively aim an arrow. It's probably one of the most difficult, yet devastating, methods of warfare there is to master." I explained while having nothing but respect for those who could master such a difficult art form. "And the hippogriffs are the finest archers in the world. They've got the strength to use the biggest longbows and the eyes for precise aiming. And they've been tasked with training our unicorn archers."

"Hippo what now?" Smolder asked while unsurprisingly being unfamiliar with the term. At least at first. "Wait a second... You kept mentioning something like that after you came back from that trip you took out to that island... You mean... Those guys out there? I thought they were just really big griffons."

"Nope, those aren't griffons at all. They're... Oh, wait. I think you're about to find out anyway." I said right as the archer's quivers were emptied yet again. This time, they slung their longbows on their armor and began to disperse now that it seemed the training session was over. But while the hippogriff instructors began to retrieve the arrows from the targets, one hippogriff stallion came trotting our way. "Here comes papa bird..."

"Hey there, James! And... Oh, who's this? Did the Dra... Wait... Aren't you a little young to be out here?" The familiar stallion asked as he came closer. Sky Beak cast a perplexed gaze at the dragon girl clinging to my torso. I expected Smolder to cower at being approached, but she seemed to be more intrigued than wary. "Friend of yours, James?"

"Yeah, this is Smolder. She'll be serving as a noncombatant from now on. They've tasked her with deploying those new radar sensors beyond the walls to detect enemy movement. And they're working great so far." I explained while trying to gently coax Smolder to let go and relax before the wonderful father standing before us. "Smolder, it's OK. Sky Beak is a great guy. Hippogriffs in general are some of the nicest and happiest people in the world."

"Uh... Yeah, you're no griffon. Way too fluffy and feathery... And way too big." Smolder retorted as she let go and dropped down to the ground. Sky Beak maintained a constant smile as he looked down at my companion. Smolder then cracked a smirk as she leaned towards me and said, "Wow, you weren't kidding. These hippogriffs really are a bunch of big beautiful bird horses."

That tickled Sky Beak so much that he let out a hearty guffaw in laughter. "Ahahaha, that we are! Although... You're a dragon, right? Does that mean the Dragon Lord has returned with reinforcements?"

Smolder cocked her head to one side while I decided to stay quiet for a moment. Any mention of someone from where Smolder had originally hailed from was bound to stir an unpleasant feeling in her gut. "Hold on... The Dragon Lord? She's helping you guys out? That Dragon Lord?"

"I don't know the full details myself, but... What about you, James? You know her, right? Did she give you any details?" Sky Beak asked now that his attention was turned to me. Smolder even gave me a look of alarm.

I was not sure how much I should say, so I tried to bend my words in a way to steer attention away from that subject. "No, Smolder is the only dragon in the camp right now. She's not affiliated with the dragon lands at all. She's just a friend who came looking for me and volunteered to help out so she could stay."

"Is that so? In that case, I hope you'll have a meaningful experience out here, Miss Smolder." Sky Beak said as he patted Smolder on the head. "Just make sure you leave the fighting to us, all right? You look like you're not really cut out for that anyway, if you don't mind me saying."

"Hey, it's cool. Staying out of trouble's something I had to get good at a while ago." Smolder retorted with a bit of a knowing smirk as she crossed her arms.

I then noticed the tufts of feathers at the side of Sky Beak's head where one might expect to see ears perk up. Someone was calling for him towards the edge of the archery field. One of his comrades, from what I could see. "Oh, that's Mick calling for me. Guess I've got a few things to deal with. In that case, I'll be seeing you around. You take care of yourself, my boy."

"You too. Have a good one, papa bird." I said before Sky Beak could trot away. But when I happened to look down at Smolder, I saw that she was giving me a most perplexed stare. "Um... What's with that look?"

"Papa bird...?" Smolder asked as I realized what I had addressed Sky Beak as. No wonder she looked confused.

Knowing I had never discussed in detail about the relationship between Sky Beak and myself, I felt now was a good time to tell her. "Oh, that... Well, I call him that because...he's the closest thing I have to a father in Equestria."

This only seemed to confuse her more as Smolder gave me even more of a cockeyed gaze. "Hold up... Your dad is a hippogriff? Where's all your feathers then?"

"What?! No, no, he's not actually my dad! He's just...like a father to me. Kinda like how Scootaloo isn't my own kid, but I've been trying to be a father to her. You understand?" I retorted while mildly flustered over Smolder missing my point. Maybe I could have worded that better.

"Oh, right! Sorry! I getcha now." Smolder yelped with her hands held up before her. But she then asked, "Wait... If he's being like a dad to you... What about your real dad?"

"For one, he's not in this world. He's still back where I came from. And...well..." I replied before I began to feel uncomfortable about going into deeper detail. I already did not enjoy having that discussion with Terramar and I was not in the mood to repeat myself. And so I simply said, "You're not the only one with daddy issues..."

For a moment, Smolder said nothing. No one else even approached us. I did not even look at her or anything else. But I glanced down once I felt her hand on my side. She looked up at me with a very concerned gaze as she asked, "Sorry... But has Sky Beak been a good dad to you?"

"Oh, he's been a wonderful father towards me in the time I've known him. And he's great to his kids back home. I think hippogriffs tend to be good parents by default anyway. Most wild birds are, now that I think about it..." I replied with a happy tone now that my thoughts were directed towards the wonderful stallion that had come into my life on that special day. But as I looked towards the edge of the archery field, I could see Sky Beak with his fellow hippogriff archers sorting arrows. I felt such a powerful compulsion to run over and give him a hug. I then looked down at Smolder and asked, "Could you wait here just a second? I need to take care of something real quick."

"Um... OK, sure. I'll wait right here." Smolder said with a bit of hesitation. I did not want to leave her alone for long, so I ran right across the field to try and keep this quick.

"Hm? Oh, James! You forget something?" Sky Beak asked as he saw me coming before I could even call out to him. His comrades stopped what they were doing and looked my way too. They likely assumed I had something important to tell the entire lot of them. But I could find no words. All I could do was hold my arms out to Sky Beak as I welcomed him into an embrace. The look n his face said it all. Sky Beak spoke softly as he said, "Aw... I forgot too."

That wonderful stallion stepped forward and put his arms around me while mine folded over him as well. Even that was not enough for him as Sky Beak spread his magnificent wings wide and draped them over me. I could hear his buddies chuckling quietly, but it sounded like it was done out of endearment than anything else. Wrapped in his warm feathery embrace, I closed my eyes and whispered to him. "Love you, papa bird."

"Love you too, my boy." He whispered back to me as I felt myself quiver at the sound of his soft fatherly tone. It was almost enough to make me forget everything that was happening out there. Unfortunately, we had duties to perform and places to me. We released our grasp on each other sooner than we liked, but Sky Beak then said, "Let's catch up at lunch, all right?"

"Right... See you soon." I replied quietly before we turned away from each other. Instead of running back over to Smolder, I could only walk. I really needed to plan another visit to Capricorn Island to spend time with my new extended family. I could only wonder what Ocean Flow was up to. Hopefully Terramar was making sure Silverstream was staying out of trouble. But when I finally approached Smolder, I noticed her hand wiping at her eyes. "You OK there?"

"Yeah... Just... I think something got in my eye when you two hugged." Smolder retorted while more than likely trying to dry some wayward tears. I cracked a smirk, knowing that watching that moment between the two of us might have stirred some emotions in her. Goodness knows I was tempted to cry while I held Sky Beak in my arms. Once her composure was collected, Smolder asked, "He does sound like a really nice guy... Are all hippogriffs such nice people?"

"If there is an unpleasant hippogriff out there, I've never heard of them. I really need to bring you with me next time I go to Capricorn Island. I know you'll love it there. And I bet you'd get along with Sky Beak's kids too." I said as I started wondering when would be a good time to go back. That island is much too far away to fly without something like an airship or a ferry unless one is very familiar with the layout of other islands on the way. But I digress.

"Sounds like a plan. Anyway, um... Where to next?" Smolder asked now that the archery field was completed deserted for the moment. There was nothing else to do there for the moment.

"It's a little early for lunch... How about the airship docks? You wanna see those?" I asked as I recalled that Smolder had been following our aerial supply line to locate the camp. I doubted she had seen one up close before yet.

"You mean those flying boats? Yeah, sure. I... Uh..." Smolder spoke before holding a hand to her brow as she scanned the horizon around us. When she looked to the west, she asked, "Those are them, right? Those balloons over there?"

"Yep. You can always find them thanks to those big gas sacks they hang from. Wanna head on over?" I replied before Smolder all too readily jumped up into my arms again. Once she was holding on tightly, we set off across the camp.

Smolder was not quite as tense that time, but she still clung to me as hard as she could whenever we passed someone. I really have to wonder what kind of trouble Equestria's citizens gave her whenever she tried to find shelter where she was not welcome. I knew better than to inquire about that aspect of her past, so I withheld my tongue for the moment.

We eventually came to the airship docks with roughly half a dozen airships floating idly nearby. Some were being loaded while others were being unloaded of their cargo. The elegant form of the Lavender Spirit and the quite festive form of the Zephyrus were plain to see. The rest appeared to be cargo airships with maybe one personnel transport among them. Once Smolder was back on the ground, she gazed up in awe at the floating vessels before us. "Whoa... This things are a lot bigger up close."

"They sure do look tiny when they're flying high, huh?" I retorted while seeing Mullet walking down the gangplank with a long box hoisted over his shoulder. And standing below the Zephyrus while speaking to one of the guards was Celaeno herself. And it did not take long for her to look my way. "Uh oh, here comes the captain."

"Captain? Who... Oh, you mean... What is that?" Smolder asked as the captain of the Zephyrus made her way towards me with a big smile on her beak. "That bird doesn't look like the rest I've seen..."

"Ahoy there, James! Just got back! Still holding down the fort? We've got our cannons loaded if you need some cover fire when the enemy gets here." Celaeno said in a hearty greeting. Before I could even provide a response, she was quick to notice the little dragon lady beside me. "Huh? Well, who's this? I've been hearing things about maybe getting some dragon mercs or something for backup, but I didn't think we'd be seeing them this soon."

"Um... What even are you?" Smolder asked in return with her arms crossed, leaning forward sharply while giving Celaeno a very analytical stare. "You're not a griffon... And you're not a hippogriff... You don't even have wings. What kinda bird are you?"

"Well, you're right on all of those. Me and my mates up there are harpies. You could say we're the flightless cousins of the other bird people of Equestria. And I'm the captain of good old Zephyrus right here. Captain Celaeno. Pleased to me you." Celaeno explained before holding out a hand for a friendly shake.

I do not believe Smolder was used to such open civility with strangers. She glanced back and forth between Celaeno's hand and her face. I suppose harpies really are just that festive and friendly a bunch. Even when they snatched me off that train a while back, they very quickly became much more hospitable once they dropped that whole pirate facade. After a moment of looking like she was unsure of what to do, Smolder showed an uneven smile before reaching out and taking hold of Celaeno's hand. "Um... Smolder. Nice to meet you."

Celaeno gave me a smirk of amusement once she released Smolder's hand. "She's a keeper. A little friend of yours?"

"Yeah, pretty much. She came all the way out here just to find me and is now in charge of deploying those new radar sensors they came up with. Thanks to Smolder, we've got an ear to the ground for any enemy movements from the east." I explained before noticing that Smolder was taking quite an interest in Celaeno's peg leg. "Um... What's wrong, Smolder?"

Smolder was squatting down to get a closer look at the solid hunk of green gemstone serving as a prosthetic leg. "What's up with your leg? It doesn't match the other one... And... Is that emerald?"

Celaeno crossed her arms while looking down at Smolder without looking too bothered by her observations. "That's what you call a peg leg. Me and my crew are all missing something, so we gotta replace what was lost with something to compensate. Just don't ask where my other leg is. I don't think you can stomach the story."

"You mean...something removed your leg here?" Smolder asked as she looked up at Celaeno. I too had never heard the story on exactly how each of her crew lost a piece of their bodies aside from Squabble. And even then, they only told me that one because of the ridiculous domino effect that resulted in the upper half of his beak getting blown off. Celaeno had quite a smirk on her beak, as if daring Smolder to ask for the full story to mess with her. Smolder backed down as she averted her gaze in unease. "Sorry for your loss..."

"It's fine. I've completely adapted by now. It's an occupational hazard for pirates anyway." Celaeno said with a light chuckle, almost as if she saw her rather valuable peg leg as a badge of honor.

"Pirates...?" Smolder asked as she looked back up at the captain. I am not sure she even knew what pirates are.

Wanting to prevent any misunderstandngs, I decided to put a stop to it right here. "Pirates in name only. They're just a bunch of enthusiastic treasure hunters who recently got recruited as aerial scouts."

"Oh, come on! Let us have some fun here! We be pirates here! Right, mates?!" Celaeno groaned before calling up to her ship. With Mullet already going back up the gangplank to retrieve another box of cargo, he turned to face us while Boyle, Lix Spittle, and Squabble stuck their heads out of a few portholes in the side of the hull and let out a simultaneous whoop of approval to their captain's call. She then looked back at us while her crew went about their business even as Smolder looked like she was trying to not laugh. "See? Pirates. And that's that."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say, captain." I retorted while thoroughly amused by their unrelenting use of their insisted terminology. Although as she and I started to chat, I noticed Smolder take one long lick of Celaeno's peg leg. I was not surprised that Celaeno did not detect that licking caress due to just not having any feeling in that prosthetic limb. And Smolder seemed to like what she was tasting. "Um... Smolder?"

Smolder suddenly grinned in hunger as she showed her tough dragon fangs. I very quickly saw where this was going. "Yep, that's emerald! Yum!"

"Hey hey hey, I need that!" Celaeno barked as she just narrowly lifted her leg in time and hopped away on her remaining natural bird foot when Smolder tried to take a chomp out of that peg leg. Seeing a little dragon trying to take a bite out of a leg made of solid emerald was so silly that I could not help letting out a laugh. "What's your beef with me, girl?! You're not seriously eyeing my goods like a snack, are you?!"

"Actually... Dragons can eat and digest just about anything. And gemstones are a favorite part of their diet." I explained while not surprised that someone who had been off the grid as long as her could have not had much knowledge about dragons. Smolder, probably only then realizing how much Celaeno needed that thing just to get around, backed down while looking very apologetic and embarrassed.

"They can...?" Celaeno asked while Smolder just nodded meekly. That look of bewilderment on Celaeno's face said it all. "Now they tell me..."

Too embarrassed to even speak, Smolder slunk away while looking afraid that Celaeno would lash out at her. Thankfully, she never did. Smolder then began to wander the airship docks while gazing up at the idling vessels. Celaeno crossed her arms as she watched the dragon girl amuse herself. "Are you sure she's supposed to be out here? My captain's intuition is telling me she's too young to even be up on deck without supervision."

"Yeah, Smolder's younger than she seems... She's only fourteen at the moment. The only reason she's allowed to participate in what's going on out here is that she has plenty of survivalist skills under her belt. And she has some history with the Empty Plains. She knows how to stay out of trouble." I explained while the two of us looked at each other. "She's really not a child anymore. Hang out with her long enough and you'll start thinking she's at least five years older than she really is."

"I'll take your word for it. Can't say I've met many dragons before... Actually, make that any dragons at all." Celaeno said with a chuckle at the end. I glanced over at Smolder and saw that she and squabble were now sharing a plate of...that weird slop that Lix Spittle has not made in some time. Maybe she still makes it just for that goofball since he seems to like it. And Smolder did not seem to mind the taste at all. I guess dragons really can eat anything.

Celaeno cracked a weird smirk as she saw Smolder getting along quite well with the most scatterbrained of her crew. But when I looked at Smolder a little longer, I was reminded of what she just did and looked down at Celaeno's peg leg. I was not about to ask what happened to the original mate to her other leg, but I still had to wonder how functional such a prosthetic could be. "Captain... Doesn't that thing give you any trouble?"

The harpy captain before me glanced over at me and showed her usual confident smile. "Nah, it's not really an issue. I've long since gotten used to it. And it even has some practical uses."

"I'm sure it does... You can probably use that to dish out a mean piercing kick." I retorted while still thinking harder about the situation regarding her leg. And even the rest of her crew. They were all missing something. Mullet lost an eye, Boyle lost an arm below the elbow, Lix Spittle lost the tip of her tail, and Squabble lost almost the entire top half of his beak when he used to go by the name Murdock.

Even so, they had long since adapted to their situation. Mullet functions just fine with one eye and the eye patch he wears does make him look quite dashing. Boyle's prosthetic attachment has all sorts of multifunctional uses depending on what he hooks up to it, Lix Spittle has lost no functionality in any sort of way, and Squabble's brass beak more than compensates for the real thing. But when it came to Celaeno... "Is there anything you could do with our real leg that you can't do with that?"

Without her even looking at me, I could see her confident facade fade. Celaeno began to frown almost in wistful longing as if my words had stirred some old memories in her. With a sigh, she looked my way again and said, "Well, when you put it like that... I haven't been able to run once since that day. I just can't get the kind of support my old foot would give me and I just can't...feel enough through that thing to not slip and fall."

"Right... I can see that." I muttered as I was not wrong with my suspicions that her peg leg would actually be a hindrance to some activities. Running with a peg leg must be about as practical as trying to run when on stilts. But I then asked, "Have you ever found a way to...um...restore your missing leg?"

"If there's some way out there to regrow a lost limb, I've never heard of it. And I'm not interested on embarking on a wild goose chase for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that probably doesn't exist." Celaeno retorted with a much more resigned tone of voice than I had ever heard her speak with. She put up a spunky front at most times, but there is no way the loss of her leg below the knee was not a harrowing experience. No way was I about to ask how it happened.

Despite all that... My mind began to brainstorm. Equestria is a world built on magic. A world where magic can make almost anything possible. I was not convinced there was a means out there to restore a lost limb. Perhaps a powerful potion recipe. And when the thought of potions came to mind, someone else came to the forefront of my mind too. A familiar zebra mare. One who was in the camp at that very minute. "What if I know someone who might have a means to do just that? Something that could give you a new leg to stand on? A real leg?"

The way Celaeno sharply turned her head to look at me when I said that and the look of disbelief in her eyes... I think she could tell I was not making stuff up right there. "You'd do that? And that there might be a way?"

"Let's just say I know someone who has a way of making miracles happen through the use of arcane knowledge when it comes to potions." I retorted while Celaeno almost looked like she was about to burst out into bitter laughter at any second. I was not entirely certain if such a means existed, but my gut was telling me to at least try.

"James... Come on, I still owe you for what you did for me and my mates. How will I ever repay you if you give me my righty back like that?" Celaeno asked as she started to giggle in an almost sarcastic manner. As if she did not want to even entertain the notion that there may be a way out there to get back something she thought for sure was gone for good.

I reached out and placed my hand on her left spaulder. "I'm not doing this so you owe me another favor. I'm offering to do this as a friend. All right?"

She let out a long sigh while her eyes wandered. Celaeno then gently took hold of my wrist and lowered my hand from her armored shoulder. "Well... Listen here, mate. I'm not getting my hopes up here. But if you really wanna do that for me... Just let me know if you've got any solid evidence that there's a way, all right? I don't want to get excited over nothing, you know."

"I get exactly where you're coming from. If I find a way, I'll let you know. But until then, I guess we can pretend this conversation never happened..." I said while understanding why she was being so cautious about the thing. To tease someone over such a desired thing would be just plain cruel.

Celaeno was about to say something, but was then distracted as Mullet lost his balance on his way down the gangplank and fell right on his back. The big guy just barely managed to grab onto the box he was holding to stop it from falling to he ground below, but did not quite have enough leverage to pull it back up. "Hey, captain! I could use an extra set of hands here!"

"Hold that thought! We'll talk later, James." Celaeno replied before she looked like she was about to take off running, but only instead took off at a brisk walk. She really just could not run with that false leg. And it gave me even more incentive to find a way to help her.

It was right around then that Smolder came my way. I then asked, "How was that slop anyway?"

"Eh, not as bad as it looked. I've had even blander stuff than that." Smolder replied before we both looked up. That buzzing sound... Airship propellers? Sure enough, when we both looked over yonder, we could see the elegant form of the Lavender Spirit beginning to rise away from the ground as the ballasts were freed from the mooring ropes. "Oh hey, that one's leaving?"

"Yep. I guess Fancy Pants finished his delivery and is heading home to pick up another shipment." I spoke while we both watched the most elegant airship rising into he sky. Once well beyond the other airships, the Lavender Spirit began to turn until it was facing west. It began to rise higher still while beginning to soar to the west. Smolder and I remained where we were while watching Fancy Pants drift towards the horizon aboard his vessel. "There's nothing else like an airship, huh?"

"Nope. Those airships are cool." Smolder replied while keeping her arms crossed as she watched the Lavender Spirit shrinking further and further until it was just a speck in the western sky. Now that there was nothing else to entertain ourselves with, Smolder looked up at me and asked, "So, what's next?"

"How about one more stop before we grab some lunch? I need to see someone." I asked before Smolder once more leaped into my arms. Yet again I trekked across the entire camp with Smolder clinging to me. I think I was starting to get some funny looks from just about everyone I passed. No doubt because of the odd sight of me carrying around an orange dragon for seemingly no reason. Though we did eventually come to the infirmary. Still rather quiet around the place, no doubt due to a lack of action that could result in battlefield injuries. "This is the infirmary. If you're ever not feeling good or end up getting hurt somehow, you come out here and they'll fix you up."

"You think they'll mind that I'm a dragon?" Smolder asked with some unease. I think the lack of activity outside the large field tents was a bit unsettling for her. Too quiet. That was bound to change before long.

"I don't think they'll mind so long as they know you're serving with us. Anyway, we're not here for that." I said while setting Smolder down. I then stepped towards a much smaller tent nearby. "I need to see someone with a more...specialized set of skills."

"Like what? Someone who knows about patching up humans or...um..." Smolder began to say before we pushed our way through the doorway flaps leading indoors. A vibrant green haze hung high in the air while being a little low on natural lighting aside from many candles situated around the place. Not to mention the large tribal style masks situated around the walls. "Um... I get the feeling we shouldn't be here..."

"It's cool, Smolder. Just the workings of someone with knowledge about the more archaic sides of alchemy." I retorted while not surprised that a newcomer would find the workings of nomadic alchemical practices a little spooky. And sure enough, a familiar zebra mare was pouring a vial of power into the cauldron that sat in the center of her tent. The fumes coming from the faintly glowing green fluid that filled the pot was giving off the green haze that rose into the air. And in that haze... The scent of mint. "Hey there, Zecora. Whatcha got brewing?"

My exotic friend began to step around her cauldron after giving it a light stir with the tip of her hoof. "Good to see you, James. You Are just in time. How convenient that one ingredient was powdered lime. I have been tasked with concocting a salve to insure our warriors' risks of death are at least halved. Should their flesh suffer a blade that rends, applying this salve will see to it that the wound mends."

"Um... Are zebra's supposed to rhyme all the time?" Smolder asked as she peered from behind me. "And are their places supposed to look this...creepy?"

"Tribal practices and settings can look more than a bit wild to the outside, but I assure you the zebras are a benevolent people. Zecora's even helped me out of a jam on occasion." I explained before looking towards Zecora and extending my hand towards Smolder. "Zecora, this is Smolder. She'll be with us out here as a noncombatant."

"The pleasure is mine, dragon child. And yet... She seems...more than just a bit wild..." Zecora replied with a bow of her head and a smile, but her discerning eye began to give Smolder a more analytical gaze. As if there was something about Smolder that she could detect that others could not. "You have the eyes of one who is more weathered than most. One who has seen much and traveled far enough to boast."

"You're good... Yeah, I've spent a lot of time on the move... At least until I found Ponyville... Wait a second. Are you the same zebra I've seen in the Everfree Forest? The one in that weird tree with the masks outside it? I thought these things looked familiar..." Smolder replied before glancing around and eyeing the large decorative masks set about the place. With how much time Smolder must have spent out in that forest, I should not have been surprised that she would have at least seen Zecora at one point.

"You have seen me in my domain? Whatever kept you from saying hello? Do explain. No, wait... Your eyes are wary. Too cautious. I must seem scary. Were you alone for long, child? Perhaps out there while wandering the wilds?" Zecora asked while displaying quite a bit of insight. When considering how far she must have traveled from her home of the Sereneighti, no doubt on foot, she must have firsthand knowledge about the rigors of nomadic solitary travel.

Smolder almost looked unnerved with just how well this strange zebra was reading her. She averted her eyes, arms crossed almost as if in defense. "Yeah... For two years. Then I found James. And that's why I'm out here now. If I'm gonna stay, I gotta help out somehow. So I am. And that's all I wanna say about it."

"A sensitive topic? Then I will not pry. But you are welcome to visit and I will never ask why." Zecora replied with a show of mutual respect. I never asked Zecora her age, but I always assumed she is at least several years older than me solely on account of her impressively deep voice. And she surely knew how hard and harrowing such a solitary nomadic lifestyle could be on someone of Smolder's age.

This mutual understanding brought a smile to Smolder's face. She glanced up at me and said, "Your friend's a little...weird, but she's cool. I like her."

"Zecora admittedly is hard not to like." I retorted while Zecora rolled her eyes as she let out a deep and amused chuckle. I then set my hand on Smolder's head and said, "But anyway, I need to talk to her about something important. You think you can amuse yourself for a little bit?"

"Sure, I'll take a look around. And I promise I won't mess with anything." Smolder said before she walked away to examine many of the colorful vials and bottles Zecora had on display. She then looked back at us and called out, "I won't drink anything either! Promise!"

"Good idea! You don't know what's in that stuff!" I retorted while chuckling with Zecora. I then dropped to one knee so I could speak to Zecora more quietly. "Anyway... I have something important to ask you. It's for a friend. And you seem like the right person to talk to about it."

Zecora leaned closer to me now her I had her attention. "For a friend, you say? Then perhaps I can help, if I may."

"Thanks. Although, what I'm asking for might sound a bit...extreme." I said while not getting my hopes up. Even alchemy has limits, I am sure. "I know you have access to some recipes that can restore damaged or even missing bits of the body. Teeth and stuff like that. But...do you have anything for restoring a lost limb?"

Zecora's eyes widened the instant I mentioned such a grave injury. She even appeared to hesitate in providing a response. "A friend of yours paid an arm or a leg? How utterly dire... But fortunately for you, I may have what you desire."

Her tone was cautious. Almost lined with dread. And not because of the topic at hand. Zecora glanced around before motioning for me to follow her. And she was doubly certain to make certain Smolder was preoccupied before stepping over to her sleeping cot. She reached under and pulled out a small chest. It appeared to have a lock on it, but not the kind that had a keyhole. Instead, she whispered something to it. Something in her native tongue. And with a click, the lid popped open. And inside was a book. "I have done all I can to try and keep this tome's condition mint. Though it has not been easy as this version has long been out of print."

The title on the cover was one I had seen before. Super Naturals. I had even seen Zecora looking through that book on more than one occasion. But this was not the same book. Even if it shared the same title. It was old. Almost falling apart. But with them sharing the same name... "Is this the first edition?"

"It is. Though many would not know. The second edition exists because some recipes had to go." Zecora spoke with a most serious tone to her voice, its pitch dropping lower as if in warning. "This book contains a recipe for the results you seek. But the act of partaking in it is not for the meek."

"You say some recipes had to be removed... As in some of them don't work?" I asked in unease now that I felt like I had stumbled across something that just might be illegal. And for good reason. It would certainly explain the highly sophisticated lock on the chest.

Zecora's tone remained deep with warning. Trying to instill a sense of caution in me. "No, every concoction within these pages work as intended. But steps must be taken to insure the results are splendid. Powerful potions, ones that can slay if one is reckless. You must heed the warnings lest you take a grave risk."

"Failing to follow procedures can get you killed, huh? I can see why the first edition was phased out... I bet that stuff is even illegal for hospitals to carry." I retorted as I closed the box and pushed it back under her bed. "Anyway, now's not really a good time to try and whip something like that up. Put it on the backburner for now until the war is over. We'll discuss this when we get back home, all right?"

"Yes, it would be unwise to rush into pursuing an elixir that your life it could crush. I shall be waiting at home for the time when you choose to seek a means to reclaim what your friend did lose." Zecora retorted with her tone gaining a hint of levity. As curious as I was to look through that old tome, I still gave it back to her to put away where one would not stumble across it. This was no time to partake in a risky operation of any sort. We had a war to focus on. Any personal projects would have to wait until afterward. But at least now I knew there may be a way for Celaeno to regain her lost leg. I just hope the risks are not that great...

"Right. Anyway, thanks for clarifying that for me, Zecora. I'll get back to you on that when there's a better time for it." I replied before looking at Smolder closely examining some large vials that contained some form of potion. The way her face seemed to distort when observed through the rounded glass was fairly amusing. "Hey, Smolder. You ready to grab some lunch?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm ready for some good eating." She said before stepping over to the exit. The dragon girl then waved at Zecora, who bowed her head with a smile. "It was good to meet you, Zecora. I'll see you around."

"My doors are always open, child. Do take care out in the wild." Our zebra friend said in farewell. With our business there having concluded, Smolder and I set out. Once again, she clung to me like a baby bat holding onto its mother. "Let's get over to the nearest mess hall. Better to do so before they start getting busy."

"Mess hall? What's so messy about them?" Smolder asked while no doubt being unfamiliar with the term.

"Oh, it's not exactly messy. At least it's not meant to be. A mess hall is basically a makeshift kitchen or cafeteria out in the field. But they have some good variety and their stock has improved over the past few days. They're keeping everyone well fed." I explained while having spent most of my mealtimes in the command center. The chefs there always provide good meals, but it is nice to get out and socialize with my friends too now and then.

I eventually set Smolder down once we found the nearest mess hall. Now that there was a growing clamor of noise in the air as more and more personnel began to pile in to line up for their orders or grab a table to sit down. Smolder grabbed my hand as she looked very uneasy. The large number of total strangers around her, most of them ponies, no doubt triggered a sort of defense mechanism in her mind. "Hey, it'll be OK. Let's grab a table."

Smolder did not object as I led her over to a large table. Large enough for a small party. I was certain my friends would find me eventually. They really do like dining together out in the field. Helps keep morale high. A server soon trotted by and set a stack of menus on the table before rushing off to tend to another table. He barely batted an eye at Smolder. I glanced at her and said, "See? No one's gonna give you trouble here."

"I hope not..." She muttered before taking a menu in hand. "Um... I don't even know what half of this stuff is... But I'm guessing that's a good thing?"

"Perfect chance to try something new, huh?" I retorted before pointing at the lists. "Just to let you know, you're allowed one drink, one appetizer, and one entree. Water is the only thing you can freely help yourself to."

"Gotcha. Got a lot of mouths to feed out here, right?" Smolder mused while trying to read and understand the items on the menu. She definitely knows how to read, but I think her reading level is on the level of someone who is at least a few years younger than her. And she has not had much exposure to fancier foods or recipes. "Um... Got any recommendations?"

"Sure, I'll put something in for you. You're not too picky an eater, right?" I asked while Smolder shook her head. I suppose dragons cannot be picky eaters if they can eat just about anything. But before I could get an idea over what to pick for her, I noticed someone trotting our way. "Well, look who's here."

"James! And... Whoa, Smolder? When you'd get here?!" Rainbow Dash called out as she drew near while still clad in her camouflaged suit of brigandine. Speedy as always, it was no surprise that she was the first of my friends to arrive.

Smolder's eyes went wide with surprise upon seeing a familiar face. "Rainbow Dash...? You're here too?!"

"Yeah, I'm here! So are the rest of the girls! But what're you doing out here? You're way too young to be getting involved in this kinda stuff." Rainbow asked while knowledgeable enough about Smolder's age to know anything pertaining to combat was not acceptable for a minor.

I moved quickly to keep the topic from spiraling out of control. Rainbow Dash surely has to talk Scootaloo out of wild stunts now and then when I am not around, so she was probably seeing some familiar parallels between the orange and purple dragoness and that orange and purple filly. "Hey, it's cool. Smolder's been assigned to a strictly noncombatant role. And she's done a good job with it so far."

"Oh, nice... But why are you even out here? You know there's a war going on, right?" Rainbow Dash then asked while still not quite able to wrap her head around why someone of Smolder's age would ever volunteer for something so grim.

Smolder's eyes glanced back at forth, as if searching for an escape. She finally relented and replied with a rather sheepish gaze, "I...uh...don't even know what war is. Is it a bad thing?"

"It's...uh... Come to think of it, how many wars has Equestria had anyway? Because I don't know of any." Rainbow retorted as a look of renewed confusion settled onto her face. Even someone like Rainbow, who probably enjoyed reading novels about fictional armed conflicts, likely was not entirely certain of the nature of war. Even after that first battle.

"Probably enough to count on just one hand. At least I hope Equestria prioritizes peace enough to avoid conflict of that magnitude..." I said while momentarily letting my mind wander to my memories of Earth. And the countless wars waged over the course of centuries. A rather ugly juxtaposition to the ways of the world I now call home. "Let's just say war...is a terrible thing. Lots of fighting. And lots of people dying."

Rainbow's eyes went wide with dread as her wings drooped. As if she only then properly understood what she had signed up for. Though I was quick to reach out to her shoulder to reassure her. "Whoa, I don't mean that we're all gonna die. Quite frankly, I'm impressed with all the steps we're taking to insure we all survive through this thing. The army is prioritizing survival over everything else, so I'm confident none of us will die out here. I mean that's the entire point of you aerial units, right?"

"Oh... Oh yeah! Duh! Right, me and my wingmen are the ones making sure the boys on the ground make it if they take a hit. Yeah, we'll be fine... I hope." Rainbow Dash said with an uneasy chuckle beore taking a seat by me. "Anyway... I let the girls know where you are so they'll show up too."

"Girls...? Wait a minute. How many of you are here? Is this where you've been all this time? You...and everyone else I haven't seen in Ponyville for a while?" Smolder asked as only then that it dawned on her. I mean where else could she have wondered everyone could have gone?

As if to answer that question, I heard a shriek of delight as someone came galloping right over to us. And then grabbed Smolder in a tight hug. "When'd you get here?! How long has it been?! I'm sorry we didn't say goodbye, but it's been kinda crazy lately! You doing OK?"

"Ack... Pinkie Pie?! You're here too?" Smolder gasped as Pinkie really put the squeeze on our little friend. And sure enough, the rest of our friends came trotting over. "And you're all here too?!"

"Smolder? Well, howdy there! When'd you roll into camp?" Applejack asked as they all started to gather around the table, though I noticed Trixie and Maud were among them as well. They were all suited up in their armor aside from their helmets and Twilight was still wearing her lab coat.

"Just last night... And wow, that's some nice armor you've all got there." Smolder retorted before Rarity came right over to Smolder and gave her a hug as soon as Pinkie Pie let go of her. "Wow... Even you, Rarity?"

"Ooooh, how I've missed you, little Smolder. I do hope you're not up to no good out here." Rarity replied sweetly before placing a little kiss atop the little dragon's head, though this only made Smolder snicker in delight. Those two do seem to spend a fair bit of time together.

Smolder put her arms around Rarity too as she said, "No worries. I'm not going to be getting into trouble out here... Wow, I didn't know how much I missed all of you until I got o see you just now. I'm really happy to see all of you..."

"Aw, we're glad to see you too, Smolder. And we've got some introductions to make!" Twilight Sparkle said as she held her hoof out to the two outliers of the group. "Smolder, this is Trixie and Maud. Maud and Trixie, this is Smolder. She moved into Ponyville a little while ago."

Trixie tipped her big wizard hat in greeting. "Charmed. Any good friend of theirs is a friend of Trixie."

"I heard that you came from the dragon lands. Lots of volcanic types of igneous rock out there." Maud added while being unsurprisingly interested in the geographic properties of Smolder's homeland.

One by one, my friends took seats around the table. And I was amused to find Maud had seated herself directly across from Smolder followed quickly by the two of them engaging in a rather strange conversation about rocks. Especially since Smolder had a history of eating some out in the wilds. Maud's eyes kind of lit up when Smolder began to describe the flavor of certain types of rocks. She even started taking notes on a notepad that she stashed in her greave. From the sound of it, some types of rocks are actually pretty tasty to dragons. Although they still pale in comparison to the flavors of gemstones. I also overheard Twilight chatting with Pinkie Pie and Trixie in regards to how Trixie's tutoring was helping with Pinkie's improvised firecracker explosives. It sounded like they had come up with some stable results. And without blowing up their little lab. Trixie sure knows her craft if she can keep someone as wacky as Pinkie Pie from getting too crazy in that environment.

Before the server could even return to the table to take our orders, one other face decided to show up. I soon noticed a shadow looming over the table and some of my friends around the table even took note of the presence. A familiar voice then asked, "May I join you all?"

I quickly looked over my shoulder and was very happy to see who had showed up. "Sky Beak! Sure grab a seat."

Sky Beak made his way to Smolder's left while Rarity scooted down the table a bit to make room. he all too happily said, "I don't believe we've been properly acquainted yet. Are you all good friends of my boy here?"

"Sure are! We've known... Huh? Hang on a minute. Yer boy? James here is yer boy? And yer his pa?" Applejack asked in understandable confusion. And that was when I realized I had never really revealed to them the...unusual relationship I have with that wonderful stallion.

"Well, not technically! But during his stay on Capricorn Island a little while ago, I found that he was...lacking in warm fatherly guidance. And even longing for it, if I have to be honest." Sky Beak explained while I went silent in embarrassment. I mean I do love that stallion and the feeling is certainly mutual, but it was still flattering to speak so fondly of that bond. He then looked my way as he removed his helmet and set it on table, his beak showing a smile. "And I was more than happy to take him under my wing. No one should be without a patient father figure. Right, my boy?"

"Come on, papa bird... They don't need to know that." I grumbled while failing to hide a smile. Everyone at the table smiled or laughed in adoration. But I just nodded to confirm that he was not being dishonest.

Rarity then leaned our way and said with a whimsical gleam in her eye, "My my, James. You never once told us about your father. Or what a strappingly handsome bird of a stallion he is. No wonder you turned out such a gentleman."

"Rarity, come on! You know we're not actually related!" I yelped as literally everyone at the table burst into laughter. Everyone but Maud, at least. Although I did notice the tiniest smirk on her lips showing that she was finding the exchange to be amusing.

"Oh, you know it! But you should see his mother. He has her eyes." Sky Beak retorted while only piling onto the situation. I just held my face in my hand while groaning. It was embarrassing, but at the same time I was finding this whole thing to be quite funny. But Sky Beak then leaned hard to his right and reached out, wrapping his wing around me and pulling us together for a hug. "But really, Ocean Flow and I are happy to have you, James. Don't forget that, all right?"

"Right... I won't... Love you too, papa bird." I muttered as my friends let out sweet drawls of aw. I knew they all had good family lives. Mostly. And it felt good to know that I too had family in Equestria now. Although my thoughts were interrupted as I looked down and noticed that Smolder was sandwiched between the two of us. "Um... You OK there?"

"Oh, totally. Have you felt this guy's feathers? Sooo soft. I could use him as a pillow." Smolder chuckled as she leaned into Sky Beak's fluffy feathered chest. The big guy let out a snicker as just about everyone else laughed again.

It was only around then that the server returned and we all put in our orders. I asked for a tasty pasta dish in a cream sauce for Smolder. Once our orders were in, I started listening in to the conversations going around the table. Smolder and Maud continued to chat it up about rocks and their culinary properties for dragons, all while Maud continued to take notes. Twilight and Sky Beak were talking about Capricorn Island. Rarity was discussing how things were coming with those firecracker bombs Trixie and Pinkie Pie were putting together. And Applejack and Rainbow Dash were discussing tactics. I had nothing to really add and just enjoyed listening in on the conversations. The tone was optimistic and gave me hope for the coming clashes in the field.

Something began to feel off as the minutes went by. Not that there was anything wrong, but it felt like someone was missing. I started to scan the table and even the other tables and the line of hungry infantrymen lined up for a meal to take back to their quarters. Was someone not there? Just when I started to think I was worrying about nothing, I glanced at Sky Beak. Specifically his beak. And that was when it hit me.

Gilda. Where was she? She had been a regular attendee for our meals together for a while, but I had not even seen her for a few days. Not since that night. I knew she was in the camp. I had watched her and Rainbow Dash perform in their drills whenever I happened to pass by at the right time, but she has not approached me at all and I still am not sure why she has not visited me once. I have even grown to miss her guitar strumming. Was she...avoiding me?

I knew just who to ask. I eyed Rainbow Dash out of the corner of my eye, waiting for the conversation with Applejack to stop. And as soon as Applejack began conversing with someone else, I leaned towards Rainbow Dash and whispered as loudly as I could so she could hear me over the mealtime clamor that was filling the air. "Hey, Rainbow. What's up with Gilda lately? Is she all right?"

"Huh? G? Yeah, she's been fine as far as I can tell. Why?" Rainbow Dash asked while not knowing where I was coming from. I could not imagine Gilda talking about sentimental matters. Not so soon after reuniting with her old friend.

"I'm just... I haven't really spoken to her for a few days. We used to meet up daily at some point or another, but...I haven't seen her in person for a few days." I explained while not wanting to reveal exactly what happened that night too readily. I would have to ease into that topic.

This was quick to catch her attention. Rainbow Dash tilted her head to one side slightly as she asked, "Huh? She hasn't? That don't sound like her. I thought you two were good buddies by now. Although... Now that you mention it, she'd ask about you sometimes. But she hasn't even mentioned your name for a few days. Did something happen recently? You two have a fight?"

"Whoa, not at all. We haven't been hostile to each other once. It's just... The last time we saw each other was a few nights ago when she stopped by for a jam session on a borrowed guitar." I explained while knowing that I was going to have to make that reveal soon. And I could only imagine how Rainbow Dash would take it.

"And...what else happened that night?" Rainbow asked while starting to look more and more curious.

I made certain everyone else was preoccupied before leaning close to her ear. I whispered as quietly as the noise around us would allow. "She...made out with me."

Sure enough, Rainbow Dash threw her head back and let out a laugh. I thought for sure this gesture would get everyone's attention, but they thankfully did not pay her much mind. And I was fortunate that she did not raise her voice too high when she pointed her hoof at me. "Really?! G's got the hots for you?! Wow, I never thought she'd ever go for a guy like you. I always thought she was into the wilder boys."

I grimaced at her assumptions. Even I was not entirely sure why she did that, even if there were some signs that could serve as clues. "If she does, I'm concerned over why she's been avoiding me since that night."

Rainbow Dash quickly lost that look of amusement on her face. "She.. Oh... Yeah, you'd think a girl would want to spend more time with her significant other... Huh... Now I'm not so sure of what's going on in G's head. I mean... Well, does she know about your...family?"

I nodded in silence. We did indeed have that talk atop the Alabaster's gas sack and Gilda was impressively understanding about it. The fact that she was initially so accusatory to me showed how much she values faithfulness. Rainbow Dash then glanced at nothing in particular as she said, "Then that can't be it... I mean now that you mention it, G hasn't been as chatty for a few days. I think she's had a lot on her mind lately. And she insisted that she wasn't hungry when I invited her for lunch just before I got here. What's your take on her?"

"I think...she's trying to stop and think her feelings over. That kiss was...pretty abrupt. More like it was on impulse than actual emotional attraction. Though she didn't start...acting like that until she read one of my journals." I explained while trying to piece things together. Gilda did tell me about her attraction towards Rainbow Dash, but I never expected her to take an interest in me.

This caught her ear. Rainbow Dash leaned towards me and asked, "Your journal, huh? What did you put in it that made her start rethinking things with you?"

"I distinctly remember her reading about... Well... When it comes to my writings, I don't hide my feelings for someone. I always say exactly what I think and feel about them. Especially...those I love." I retorted while knowing that the entry she read was the most recent one I made that mentioned my time with Novo after our reunion.

"Wait... Are you saying that when you write about the more romantic times in your life, your writing goes into full-on romance novel territory?" She asked with eyes wide with interest. All I could do was sheepishly nod my head. A knowing smirk crossed Rainbow's lips as she let out a snicker. "Oh man, G... She got to see just what a lover boy you are, huh? But I guess that doesn't really explain why she'd suddenly wanna smooch you."

"Has Gilda ever seemed like the lonely type to you? Someone who is looking for someone else to hold onto?" I asked while Rainbow did not immediately reply. "She did say that things got hard for her as soon as you two went your separate ways. And...well... You didn't hear this from me, all right?"

"Hear what? Gilda tell you something?" Rainbow Dash asked as I debated whether or not I should tell her. But I might as well. She would likely find out about it eventually regardless.

I leaned forward to whisper into her ear, knowing this was not something that the others at the table should hear. "She told me that she always had the hots for you and was always holding on to the hope that you two would become something more."

"She did, huh? That...makes some of the things she did and some of the stuff she gave me...make a weird kind of sense." Rainbow mumbled while not sounding as surprised as I expected her to be. But she then smiled somberly at me and spoke as her hoof rested on my hand. "Too bad I don't lean far enough that way for that to work. I mean yeah, G is hot and I can appreciate a hot mare, but I'm only interested in stallions in the long run."

I turned my hand over and gripped her hoof. I knew that already. And I knew who the stallion of her life is. While I smiled at her, Rainbow spoke to me. "But when you bring all that up... I'm guessing that for as tough as she acts, I think G is just looking for love. And it's hard not to see why she would see you as something special now that she knows how good you are to your mares."

"When you put it like that, you might be onto something... You think she's just keeping her distance to try and figure out her thoughts and feelings?" I asked in return while having also had that suspicion.

"Probably. I mean I know G likes you. You did a good thing for her. I don't think she and I would even be talking to each other if you never showed up." Rainbow Dash explained while pressing her hoof more firmly into my palm. "Give her a little time. Even I know you can't rush this stuff. But I gotta ask... What're your thoughts on her?"

Me? I had not really thought about that, but I still provided a response. "Uh... Well, if you have to ask... I won't deny it. Gilda is gorgeous. And once she opens up to you, she's confident yet sweet. Like...a tough and doting girlfriend vibe. She's the kind of woman who would be real good to her lover, probably even in an authoritative manner if needed."

"Heh, you got that right. I remember times late in our enrollment with the Junior Speedsters where if I sprang something and still thought I could fly, she'd order me to stay grounded and then give me a massage to help fix me up. G likes doing things for those she likes, I guess." Rainbow Dash said while rolling her eyes at her own excessive past bravado. "Kinda funny how she was the brains more than half the time. I guess for as much of a jerk she was in hindsight, G was always smart. She knew when I wasn't in the best of shape."

"A lot of birds do tend to be pretty smart. Glad she was looking out for you on bad days." I replied while seeing how fondly Rainbow was remembering the best days of their times together. It only made their renewed friendship all the more inspiring to see. But I then asked, "But about that... You think Gilda and I would be good for each other?"

Rainbow Dash then gave me a cockeyed glance as if she was confused over where that line even came from. "Really, James? Have you even seen how Gilda has been since you two started talking to each other? You've softened her up faster than I ever did. You better believe you two would be good for each other. If you really start to feel that way about her, tell her. I promise she'll be your wingman for life."

"That's...uh...wow. That's quite the statement." I stuttered while not expecting such an unflinching show of support. I suppose it helps that Rainbow Dash has known Gilda much longer than I have. "All right then. I still don't know on where she and I stand with each other right now, but we'll see."

"Right. And just give her a few days. She'll come say hello again when she's ready." Rainbow Dash said with a nod. And the timing could not be better since that was when all our orders showed up. And even more amusing was that Celaeno and her crew had set up shop in the middle of the mess hall and were playing on their instruments again to add a little atmosphere to the place. The tent ceiling's contours helped direct the music all over the place to try and compete with the noisy clamor in the air.

I kept a constant eye out for Gilda while we dined even as everyone continued to chat with each other. My meal was tasty and everyone else was enjoying their orders, but I was still concerned to never once see Gilda show up. And now that I knew she had likely been actively avoiding me, I felt compelled to seek her out myself and check on her. I could surely ask Rainbow Dash for the location of the tent she is bunking in, but I resisted that urge. The next time we talk would have to be on her terms and no sooner than that. As much as I did not want to, I tried to push her out of my mind for the moment and just enjoy this time with my friends.

My thoughts were eventually interrupted when Maud Pie pushed something across the table to me. I thought it was her notepad at first. But I was surprised to see a little cassette tape in its box. It had a cheap simple label on it that said 'An Ode to Stones: Volume 2'. When I glanced over at her, I saw the most subtle smile on her lips as she said, "I recorded another poetry session for you to listen to."

"You did? Wow, thanks. I'll be sure to give it a listen tonight." I replied while taking the tape and slipping it into my pocket. "Your poems are always the most relaxing thing when spoken in your consistently calm tone. They're the perfect thing to listen to when you want to take a nap."

"I'm glad I can help you relax. It must have been stressful out here before we caught up to you. Let me know how it is when you listen to it." Maud replied with her usual quiet voice, though she was admittedly hard to hear over the clamor in the mess hall by then. Not much later, we finally finished our lunch and all said our goodbyes before departing to deal with the rest of our rounds for the day. While everyone else made a beeline in various directions, Smolder stayed unfailingly close to me.

"Feeling better now that you have a full belly?" I asked now that Smolder was looking a lot more relaxed. She hardly even paid any mind to anyone who passed us by now that she just had a good meal.

"Uh huh. It was great to get some good cooking after days of just living off of wild fruit. And I didn't know everyone else was out here too... I was glad to see them." Smolder said while almost looking and sounding like she was in the mood for a nap. "Filling too..."

"You look tired. Wanna head back for a nap?" I asked again before taking out the cassette that Maud had given me and holding it up for Smolder to see. "There's a cassette player in my room. You can play this on it if you want something relaxing to listen to. Maud made this and her poems are a great sound to sleep to."

Smolder tilted her head to one side while looking at the little item in my hand. She had some knowledge of music through the use of phonographs, but cassette tapes were probably something she had not seen before. "You can play music on that?"

"Ehhh, it's in the middle of the medium of music playing devices. Vinyl records are about as retro as it gets, cassettes came after that, while the most modern medium are compact discs. Though where I come from, you could say that cassettes are largely out of favor with the masses by now since it lacks the modern advantages of the latter and the timeless charm of the former." I explained before noticing that Smolder probably did not get a word I was saying if that stare she was giving me was anything to go by. "I mean... Yes! Yes, these things play music and stuff. Wanna give it a listen? Maud's poems are always relaxing to hear."

As if to answer my question, Smolder let out what looked to be a reluctant yawn. After days of nonstop travel in the wilderness and a full belly of good cooking, she was definitely down for a nap. Come to think of it, so was I. "Yeah, I'd say we both could use a nap. Let's head on back."

Smolder made no objection. By the time we finally reached the command center, we could scarcely stop yawning. The two of us lazily made our way up to my private quarters where Smolder promptly sat down on my bed. "It's barely past lunchtime and I'm already beat... Guess I wore myself out more than I thought I did."

"Considering that you flew this far in only five days, I'd be surprised if you weren't tired by now." I retorted as I kicked my shoes off and went over to the little cassette player nearby. I promptly popped in the cassette Maud had given me and hit play. Sure enough, I soon heard Maud giving a brief introduction before getting right into her earthen poems. Smolder was glancing around, as if wondering if Maud was in the room. She was probably used to hearing music from audio devices, but not voices. "Oh, Maud's not here. That's just a recording of her voice on that cassette tape."

"You can do that? Put your voice on something so someone can hear a message from you? Weird..." Smolder muttered before again letting out a yawn. She then mumbled with her eyes looking very heavy, "Huh... All she's talking about is rocks and stuff, but it's really getting to me... I could sleep to this."

"Me too. Got room for one more?" I asked while Smolder pushed herself across the bed to make room for me. There was no need to pull the sheets down if we just needed a nap. I rested my head on the pillow while making sure the curtains were closed over the window. Just to dull the sunlight and to keep anyone from peeking in who might get the wrong idea from seeing Smolder and I sharing a bed. Smolder promptly snuggled up to me, her head resting on the pillow. Those beautiful blue eyes gazed at me while she whispered softly to me. "If you wake up first, can you wait for me too?"

"Sure. I won't be going anywhere. Sweet dreams, Smolder." I whispered back to her before I closed my eyes. A moment later, I felt Smolder's wing drape itself across me and hold me in an embrace. I did not even have to open my eyes to confirm it. I knew what that feeling was. The feeling of it draped across my body gave me an added sense of security that only helped me drift off to sleep faster even as Maud's calm voice lulled me into a gentle slumber.

I think I was only out for a couple of hours. When I finally rose from my sleep, the cassette player had already gone silent. Smolder's wing was still securely draped over my body while she quietly snored next to me. But had she scooted herself closer? I did not recall her face being quite that close to mine. I could make out the faint natural scent of sulfur with every exhale. Just faint enough to be an almost pleasant scent.

I felt a compulsion. She was so close. As if her face had been pushed closer to try and coax me into a kiss. Was she actually awake and faking it? No, she was much too unresponsive and the rhythm of her snores were too deep and relaxed to be that of someone trying to pass themselves off as asleep. Even though she would not hear it, I could not tell her what I wanted to. I could not risk it. But even so, I felt I could at least get away with one little thing. I leaned forward and kissed Smolder right upon her nose. Amusingly, she stirred in her sleep and brought a hand to her nose to scratch at it for a second as if she had felt an ant scurry across it. But she did not awaken.

That was a close call. If she was aware enough to detect a disturbance on her face, I could have awakened Smolder with that minor display of affection. And yet I suspect she would have been thrilled had she see me do it. I thought I was in the clear and carefully removed Smolder's wing from my body before pushing myself up to the side of the bed. But just when I was putting my feet on the ground for leverage, something grabbed my hand.

I froze. Did Smolder instinctively reach out for something to hold onto now that her wing was not clinging to me? As I wondered how I would loosen Smolder's grasp, I turned and stared in unease. Like I had been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Smolder was indeed holding my hand, but when I looked at her face... Her right eye was open, even if it still looked drowsy. And there was a knowing smirk on her lips. "Where you going, cuddle bear? You said you'd stay with me before I woke up."

"I... uh... I wasn't going to leave the room..." I muttered while not sure if I liked that look in her eye. And then she started to pull. Trying to bring me back down to the bed, but not in a forceful manner. Just enough force to get across what she wanted. All too happy to spend a little extra quality time with that lovely little lady, I relented and gave her a smile. "Oh, why not? Come here, you little vixen."

"Ooh, I like the way that word sounds." Smolder cooed to me as I fell back down and into her embrace. I was tempted to go right back to sleep, but I could not spend the entire afternoon in bed. Even with Smolder by my side. Although the mood shifted as she asked, "But...uh...what even is a vixen?"

I almost laughed. She more than likely knew what a fox is, but probably was unfamiliar with the terms of tod and vixen. So I then spoke softly to her while still in her embrace, "Oh, a vixen is a female fox. And a male is called a tod."

Smolder pulled her head back to look me in the eye as a most amused smirk formed on her lips. "Does that mean you're saying I'm foxy?"

Oh man, she got me good there. I flustered and snickered as she played with a word she could not have known the meaning to. "Uh... Um... Eh... You don't even know what that word means! But I would say you fall under each definition..."

Smolder just burst into laughter at my response. Foxy... Heh, I would say she qualifies for at least one of its meanings. As she still laughed, Smolder rolled me over until I was on my back and pushed herself up until she was practically straddling me. She had her head tilted back just slightly as if displaying a playful show of dominance. With arms crossed, she then asked with one beautiful blue eye looking down at me, "Well then... You wanna see this foxy dragon's wingspan again?"

Was she trying to court me? I certainly doubt it. Smolder is too naive in the field of romance to really try something like. But I was more than willing to behold those elegant wings fully spread. I answered with a nod, which prompted Smolder to...rather slowly and methodically open her beautiful orange wings wide. She then looked down at me with a smirk, arms still crossed, and asked, "How's the view?"

"Simply wonderful." I retorted as I reached up and ran my fingers along the membrane that spanned the bones of her wings. Smolder let out a quiet sigh, no doubt enjoying my caresses. For as tough as dragons can be, her wings seemed so fragile by comparison. "Are your wings delicate at all?"

"Well, I wouldn't wanna let them get hit with anything... If I get in trouble and flying away isn't an option, I always feel like it's a good idea to keep my wings folded." She replied quietly while looking like she was really enjoying my touch. I began to push myself up so i could reach the frames, sitting up before Smolder as I slid my fingers along the curves of her wings. Now just below my elevation, Smolder's eyes looked up at me while she asked, "You like my wingspan?"

"You have an utterly beautiful set of wings." I whispered while Smolder allowed me to do as I pleased. And I was always gentle. I only caressed her wings. I never took hold of them. Although Smolder eventually interrupted me. She took hold of one arm and pulled it down before her and then took hold of my hand. All she did was hold it between both of hers. As if...savoring the moment. And I could see why. Even I savored the sensation of feeling my hand being held by the hands of another. A rarity in a world like Equestria.

Her beautiful blue eyes looked up at me without a word. And I looked right back at her. What thoughts were happening behind that lovely gaze? What was she thinking? And what were my eyes telling her? But that gaze... So very endearing. And the words that came from her lips... "I like it when you look at me that way."

Those words only served to alert me to the feelings building in my heart. A powerful urge was growing. Things I wanted to do with her right there. Things I wanted to say. My heart was demanding that I stop stalling for time and just tell her what I truly wanted to say. And yet... All I did was gently push her back to free myself from Smolder's straddling and push myself up to sit at the edge of the bed. Smolder was quick to ask quietly, "Did I...say something wrong?"

"Sorry... You did nothing wrong. I just...have a lot on my mind." I retorted while doing everything I could to try and hide the feelings in my heart. And it hurt to do so. Never before have I been so close to someone my heart longed for, yet so far away from being able to reveal it.

"About...the war?" Smolder asked just as quietly while I felt the mattress under me shift. She was drawing near. When I did not give an immediate response, I froze as I felt her hand reach past me and cup my cheek. "Look at me."

Her voice was quiet, gentle, yet firm. I did not resist as Smolder turned my head to look at her, a gaze of worry in her eyes. And that gaze... Not at all a look a child would ever give. Like so many times before, I could only see the woman in her. And this time, there was not a shred of childlike naivety in those eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes seemed to scan my own eyes before she asked, "What are you not telling me?"

What a paradox we had found ourselves in. We knew what the other was feeling for each other, and yet we were simultaneously oblivious to it. Perhaps it was a willful ignorance. Telling ourselves that we were none the wiser half the time just to insure there was no risk of incurring any societal consequences should someone else discover it. My eyes wandered. I could scarcely look her in the eye. She knew. I knew. And yet we did not know. However the hell that is even possible.

"James... What are you not telling me?" She asked again, almost desperate to get an answer out of me. Her hand never left my face. Half restraining me, half comforting me.

For her to even ask that question... When she surely knew the answer already... I could only offer another question in retort. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Smolder's eyes went wide for just an instant before they narrowing into an annoyed scowl. Not towards me, but towards the sheer reality of the situation. Her eyes glanced away as if glaring at the invisible cause of the problem. "Yeah, yeah, touché..."

Even so, the way she spoke to me like that... It was oozing confidence and security. In that brief moment, Smolder had complete control over the situation. And I just had to say something about it. "You've...gotten so strong. The way you hold me... What gives you that kind of strength?"

Smolder regained her sincere and focused gaze as she looked into my eyes. Her tone was calm, yet firm once more. As if trying to soothe any worries I may have. "When I'm with you, it feels like nothing could go wrong. I'm not afraid of the future. Not when I have you."

A long sigh hissed from my nostrils. Such a bold statement. Not the words of a child. As her hand cupped my cheek, I rested my hand on the side of her hip. Gently pulling her closer while our eyes never wandered. "You've grown up so fast... Just having you here makes me feel like everything will be fine... You're not some little kid... You're a wonderful young lady, Smolder..."

"Good... I'm done being a little kid anyway. And I wanna be here like you've been there for me." She whispered to me, her face inching closer with every passing second. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm not going home until this is over. I can't...leave you out here."

As the seconds ticked by, I noticed that Smolder's face was starting to get dangerously close. The faint and almost pleasant scent of sulfur on her breath reached my nostrils while I saw that her jaws did not entirely close once she ceased to speak. Her eyes were narrowing. And then I felt it. Her other hand pinning mine to her side. A thrill filled my heart. She was so close. And leaning closer. Her lips nearing mine. And just as she closed her eyes entirely...

A knock at the door. Of all times it could have happened. It snapped Smolder out of her stupor as her eyes shot open in shock. Her hands released me from her loving grasp as a muffled voice spoke from the other side. "Hey, James? I hope I'm not disturbing you, but we're pulling straws on what to decide on dinner tonight. What're you in the mood for eastern or western cuisine?"

I recognized the voice as that of Shining Armor. How late was it anyway? A quick glance at the clock on the wall revealed the time to be roughly 4 PM. At least in the current time zone. It would probably take time to prepare enough food for everyone in the command center. After a quiet internal debate, I provided a response. "I'm voting for eastern cuisine tonight. Hold the onions, if you can."

"I'll put a word in with the chefs. Thanks, and sorry to bother." He replied before the sound of his hooves trotting down the stairs could be heard through the door. Now that we were alone again, I turned my gaze to Smolder once more. But that look in her eyes...

"Smolder...? You all right?" I asked upon feeling that piercing gaze of hers. She looked utterly furious. Face frozen, but eyes burning with frustration. She quivered before me, looking like she wanted to angrily tell me something, but no words came. "Are you...mad at me?"

"I hate it..." She muttered with quiet rage. Her gaze turned down slightly with her eyes never blinking. "I hate it... I hate everything about it... I hate...having to wait..."

I lied to myself. Told myself that I did not know what she was so furious over. But I still tried to comfort her the only way I could. I embraced her in my arms and whispered to her. "Patience, Smolder... It'll all be worth it when the tie comes."

She said nothing. Smolder did nothing more than rest her brow against my chest. And for the first time in a while, I felt helpless. And before long, I felt Smolder weakly push herself out of my grasp and shamble over into the bathroom. The click I heard after the door closed indicated that she had locked it. And when I silently slunk over to try and listen in... The sound of quiet sobbing.

It hurt knowing that there was nothing I could do for her at that moment. And I knew I probably should not be out there when she emerged. Frustrated myself with a heavy heart, I slipped my shoes back on and went downstairs before going outside. Just to take a walk and be alone with my thoughts.

I wandered far across the camp. Never speaking to anyone or lingering in one place for too long. The warm breeze of a late summer afternoon provided some relaxation for me, though my heart still ached. I was legitimately grateful that I was not approached by anyone and that my closest circle of friends out there never saw me. It was one of those rare times where the presence of friends would not benefit me in any way.

It was not until I saw the sky turning orange ate onset of sunset to know that it was time to head back to the command center to grab a good bite. And when I did return and step inside, I was greeted by the delightful aroma of oriental cooking. A buffet line had been set out and had probably only be prepared minutes earlier. The royal sisters were already in line and loading up their trays.

What a smorgasbord. Fried rice, pot stickers, egg rolls. I felt my hunger spike just by looking at all was available. And I was not the only one who noticed. I heard the sound of footsteps coming from the stairwell leading up into my quarters and saw Smolder step into view. She did not look upset anymore. In fact, she looked famished. She sniffed the air and said, "Whoa, what's all that? Is there any left?"

"They just set it all out. Come and grab a tray." Luna said as she and her sisters sat around the nearest table while Shining Armor and a few of his men got in line before me. Before long, we were feasting like kings.

My appetite and that fantastic food being served was enough to distract me from the angst that still lingered between Smolder and I. I think even the royal sisters could tell something was not quite right between us and did not disturb us during dinner. I still listened in on their conversations though. It sounded like that radar system was running just fine with no disturbances to speak of and our infantry were just about ready for active duty. I could only hope it would not come too soon.

I wish I could say more, but the rest of the evening was quite uneventful. It did not help that Smolder and I did not have any interest in leaving the command center again that day. Our moods were still shot. Once we had our fill at the dinner table, I went back up to my quarters and started documenting that day on my typewriter. It was not until it was starting to get a bit too dark in the room that I decided to stop for a bit. It was well past 7 PM by then.

I took the pages I had already finished them and tidied up the stack. It was right then that Smolder pushed the door open to step inside. And in her arms was what seemed to be some fruit. "You brought up a snack?"

"No, I went scavenging to pass the time. Found some wild fruit trees out there." She replied rather coolly. In her arms were some very ripe oranges and pears. For all I knew, they were the results of the remnants of some orchards that were cultivated by the farmers that resided out here on the Empty Plains centuries ago. Although they would have to be refrigerated if we did not want them to spoil over the next week or so.

After Smolder set the fruit on my bed, she took note of the dimming natural light in the room and approached a little end table just to the left of the far window. It held a candlestick, but I had never taken the time to go looking for a box of matches. But Smolder did not need any. She took the candlestick holder in hand and blew a tiny gout of her blue fire breath at the wick. It promptly ignited, but the flame instead was a natural hot orange instead of that beautiful shade of blue. With a soft glow being cast over the room, I felt I had enough light to continue typing.

I was briefly distracted when I glanced to my left and saw Smolder starting to set up her air mattress. Making sure it was properly inflated, wrapping it in the bed sheets she brought along, and setting a pillow and a quilt over it. It honestly looked quite comfortable when she was done with it. But she was also very quiet while doing so. Easily the most silent she had ever been in my company. And not in a good way.

The compulsion to not disturb that precious little lady commanded me to leave her alone. I would not speak unless spoken to. Smolder then took that Project H comic book in hand and got comfortable on my bed again to read through it before stuffing an entire pear in her mouth and crunching away.

I was focused enough on my typing to completely ignore Smolder's presence. And I needed to in order to avoid the tension that hung in the air. It almost felt like some unseen force was trying to get us to address something with the other. I kept telling myself that nothing was wrong. That there was nothing to discuss at the time. At one point, Smolder even went into the bathroom to take a quick shower before bed. All without saying a word to me.

I finally stopped writing when even the glow of that candle was not quite enough to light up the room enough for me to easily see what was on the pages before me. And by then , Smolder had already emerged and dried herself off. It was past 9 PM. I should get ready for bed. When I stood up to get to the bathroom, Smolder did not even look at me. I knew something was wrong, but I knew in my heart that it was a subject that should not be touched. Not for a long while to come.

My time in the bathroom was not brief. I took my time. Almost as if I was afraid of confronting something that stood just beyond the door. I relieved myself on the toilet. I thoroughly washed myself in the shower. I even took the time to give myself a quick shave while I was at it. Doing everything I could to stall for time. But I could not stay in there forever. After at least an hour, I emerged in a pair of clean boxers and a towel around my waist. Thankfully, no unpleasantness awaited me. Smolder barely even batted an eye at me.

Minutes later, I blew out the candle by the bed. The room was flooded with darkness with only the very faint glow of a partially obscured moon shining through the curtains of the room's two windows. It was almost frightfully dark in that room, though I knew Smolder and I were not in danger. I could even see Smolder's reflective eyes gazing at me while she sat on her makeshift bed. I did not have much to say. I got myself in bed and looked her way. "Good night, Smolder."

"Yeah... Good night." She muttered halfheartedly. I did not look away under she was tucked under the quilt, her head turned away from me. It had been a long day. And she had a long trip just to get out here. I got comfortable myself before closing my eyes. Tomorrow was a new day.

But my night was not over yet.

After maybe only ten minutes of not quite falling asleep, I felt a disturbance. Soft footsteps drew near. And then... Pressure upon the covers to my left. Over my hand. I could not even try to sleep knowing that someone was looming over me. I cracked my left eye open to look at the edge of my bed. Even in the dark, I could see her. Smolder had left her bed and was now looking right at me. "Smolder...? What's wrong?"

She said nothing. Slowly and methodically, she climbed onto the bed and kneeled at my side. Smolder never once looked away. Something was wrong. Now more awake than before, I pushed myself up to a sitting position. "What's wrong...?"

For a moment longer, she gazed at me in the pale and dim moonlight while seldom blinking. I was about to give up and ask her if she wanted to share my bed with me if she was having trouble getting to sleep, but her words that followed... "Please... Can we just...stop lying to ourselves for a minute?"

"Wha... I don't know what you getting at here." I retorted as a faint sense of alarm came over me. What she was suggesting was dangerous. And the fact that she was aware of it... That she knew what I had been telling myself, subconsciously or otherwise...

"Stop... Please... Stop acting like you don't know what your heart's telling you. Like you don't know what your eyes are telling me..." Smolder said softly yet firmly as her hand once more cupped my cheek. That look of frustration in her eyes was still there, but there was...a quiet look of need in them as well. "And stop acting like you don't know what my heart has decided on."

Was she really going there with me? Was she aware of the risks of what she was suggesting? No matter how much more woman than girl she was at that moment, I forced myself to look at things on the surface and no further than that. "Smolder... No, you... You don't know what you're saying. We both agreed to wait and see where..."

"Shut up." She quietly demanded with a very stern tone of voice, both of her hands grasping my shoulders. And I listened. I did not say a thing upon hearing that venomous bite to my ears. "Just shut up for a minute. Shut up and stop lying to me... Stop lying to yourself..."

I could not speak. She looked so pained. So desperate. "We did say to wait... To see what happens... But come on... That was just a lie and you know it. You know what your answer was. And I know what mine is."

My nerves were on fire. My god, she really was going there. And the lies I had always told myself were starting to unravel. Everything I kept telling myself was falling apart in the face of everything Smolder was telling me. "I... I didn't... I swear I'm not sure if I even..."

"If you really mean that, tell me." Smolder hissed as her eyes looked to be halfway between a glare and a pleading gaze. "I asked you if you loved me. If you weren't so sure, why didn't you say no? Why didn't you say something?"

I was cornered. I could not provide an answer without admitting something I should not. I could barely even look her in the eye. And she read me like a book. "I know what your answer was. Your tears showed it. Your crying told me everything I needed to hear. That was just a way of saying yes without actually saying it, right?"

"You know I can't tell you, Smolder... Not yet." I muttered as the lies could no longer be kept alive. She really knew all along. "I couldn't tell you... There are some things in society you can't defy. Not without consequence. But you... I swear, I can't ever see the girl in you... I can't bring myself to feel that way towards a child. But you're not a child... Not anymore. You're a wonderful young lady. And I just can't help seeing you as..."

I had already said too much. If anyone overheard that, I would surely be in for hell. I had to keep my voice down. Someone could potentially hear me through the walls or the floor. I went silent. I could not say more. But Smolder did not relent. She leaned closer to me, gazing into my eyes. Her voice was softening. The faint growl she normally spoke with was fading. "You appreciate me like no one else does. You really think I couldn't see what your heart was telling me? Through those beautiful earthy eyes? You even asked me once if I loved you. And do you remember my answer?"

How could I forget? She did not give me an answer. All she did was weep. Just like I did. Her voice now speaking with such a lovely angelic tone, Smolder whispered to me. "I wanted to tell you. But something held me back. But I bet you knew what my answer was too. And now... I'm tired of the lies. I know what your answer is. And you know what mine is."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked with sincerity. She knew the risks she was taking in confronting me and forcing the two of us to acknowledge the reality of this situation. A reality that we had been forced to ignore.

"Because..." Smolder muttered before showing me such a gaze of longing in those beautiful blue eyes. Her hands rose to my jaw, cradling my face in her palms. "Je t'aime toujours, mi amor... Je t'aime toujours."

That phrase again... But with something else hiding in the middle. Something that she had never said before. As if waiting until the right time. And I knew what it was. The rest was still an enigma that I only knew a few same facts about. It was all in French. It carried a tender meaning to it. But that little bit that she had never said before... A term even the ignorant would know.

Mi amor. I knew that term. My love.

There was no pretending that I was oblivious to the meaning of what she was telling me now. Even if the rest of that phrase was a mystery to me, I could finally deduce it. Mi amor. Such a precious title to bestow upon someone. A means to tell me what she needed to while hiding in plain sight. Rarity, did you know? Did you teach her that just for this?

As I reeled from the realization of what I was hearing, Smolder brought her hands to my jaw once more. Cradling my face in her hands, she whispered those sacred words to me again. "Je t'aime toujours, mi amor."

"Smolder... Oh god, you shouldn't be telling me this..." I whispered as I felt a profound sense of joy and fear mixing in my heart. To finally hear her confirm what I had hoped to hear from her in due time, knowing that I would not lose her to someone else, gave me a sense of security. And yet... With tears on the verge of spilling forth, I could not say anymore. She had spoken the truth that we had tried to pretend was nothing more than a hypothesis. And it was my turn to tell her the same.

Try as I might, my addled mind could not. I could not tell her those three simple words put together to form a most beautiful statement. Not yet. Not with a dialect that everyone understands. And I could not think of a way to convey it through the disguise of a foreign language. And I felt compelled to not simply repeat what she had said. My heart was in agony. She told me what I had always hoped I would eventually hear in time. But now, I could not do the same. And she knew it.

"James... I know what you want to say. But if...you don't know how right now..." Smolder whispered to me with a knowing gaze that was full of hope. She had taken the first step forward. The girl in her mind had been pushed aside. Only the woman remained at that moment, and what a tender and understanding woman she was. Her right hand left my face, meaningfully reaching behind me to rest on the back of my neck. And then she spoke to me. "If you can't tell me... Then show me. Not later, but now."

The tension was painful. Just like that afternoon, Smolder's eyes narrowed, but did not close. Her jaws hung open just slightly. As if waiting for something. I could not turn away. To refuse her now... To deny our hearts what they knew we needed, it would be needlessly cruel to both of us. My resistance was crumbling. My right hand rested on her back just above the base of her tail. My face drew closer to hers as our eyes finally closed. And we... We kissed.

The touch of her lips upon mine. Her left hand holding my face just between my jaw and ear. How we held each other... It was... In that instant, any fears or uncertainty I had melted away. All that mattered at that moment was just her. Wonderful little Smolder. I was in love. So desperately in love. And so was she. And we were finally showing it the only way we could.

We sighed and hummed. Our hands held and caressed each other. Her touch was not that of a clumsy young girl messing around with her first crush. Smolder's touch was sincere and thoughtful. And...her taste... Before long, our lips parted and locked as our tongues reached out to each other for the first time. And on her breath and even in her saliva, the faintest hint of sulfur providing a type of subtle spiciness mixed with an inexplicable sweetness.

The first kiss one has with someone is always an important experience. When the walls of friendship break down to reveal something much more intimate. But of all the first kisses I have had with someone, I do not believe I have ever felt one that was so...succulently sweet. And as that kiss deepened and became nosier with our desperate voices humming in harmony, our hands roamed and grasped at each other as if afraid to let go. That moment... It was just...bliss.

The kiss ended briefly as we pulled away to try and take a moment to clear our heads and to fill our lungs with a full breath. A string of our saliva connected our tongues momentarily, the two of us gazing at each other in a haze. Smolder almost looked like she had been drugged. Her orange cheeks deepening into a vague vermilion hue. I was at a loss for words, but Smolder still found the will to speak through a whisper. "I... I didn't think it would...feel this good..."

We could not stand to wait any longer. Once more, we held each other as we resumed that wonderful kiss. I gasped and groaned. Smolder cooed and sang with her angelic voice contained in her throat. Our eyes closed. I was pushed onto my back as Smolder pinned me to the bed, her arms and hands embracing my head as she moaned shrilly with our lips locked. She was in ecstasy as much as I was in bliss.

Smolder finally relented and pushed herself up until she was straddling me. She still looked like she was in a daze, eyes partially lidded while her hands planted themselves onto my chest. She huffed with long deep breaths even as I did the same. And I must admit hat she...looked so beautiful in the pale glow of the moonlight. Her oranges and yellows complimenting her purple crest and blue eyes gorgeously. I gasped lightly, still reeling from the thrill of what had just transpired. "You've...grown up so fast... I can't believe you're only fourteen."

"I don't think I would've lived long enough to find you if I didn't..." Smolder muttered as her senses slowly returned to her. "If I have to stop being a kid...to be as happy as I can be with you...then I'm OK with that..."

"And you deserve to be happy. You're...such a wonderful young lady." I whispered back to her as my hands tenderly slid over the sides of her body. And in a much more intimate fashion than I probably should have been doing. "I just...can't see the girl in you anymore... You're not a girl anymore, dear... You're a woman now."

"Good... Because I want to be your woman." Smolder cooed to me as she once more began to bring herself closer to me, a beautiful smile and look of desire in her eyes as her hand since more held her head. Her lips found their way to mine, kissing me sweetly as I did the same in return. Her voice whispered to me every few moments, "Je t'aime toujours, mi amor... Je t'aime toujours, mi amor..."

My hands roamed over her back as we continued to kiss. Feeling those smooth scales with nothing to get in the way. And the way her hands caressed and held my head... Her own kind of embrace. And as she continued to chant those wonderful words to me, thinly veiled behind the curtain of foreign dialect, I felt compelled to return the favor. She knew I loved her, but I could not simply come out and say it. I had to enshroud my words the way she did. But with what? I could not simply repeat the same phrase back to her.

Then it hit me. The right words to say. Something from my own heritage. And at the first opportunity I had to catch my breath, I whispered them to her. "Ti amo tanto, mia poca draghessa..."

The way Smolder's eyes lit up... She pushed herself up to look down at me, those lovely blue eyes wide open. "Did you... Was that what I think it was?"

She knew. And I brought my hand to her face to cradle her jaw. Knowing exactly what my heart wanted, I whispered it to her again. "Ti amo tanto. Do you know what it means?"

"No... But... I think...my heart knows. It means...what I said, right?" Smolder whispered while bringing a hand to the side of her face. She wiped a tear away as such a joyous look formed on her face. "If you mean that... No more lies from now on, all right?"

"No more lies... No more beating around the bush..." I whispered back to her. And as soon as I pushed myself back up to be sitting in bed, Smolder was upon me once more. Such a wonderful kiss... We could not keep our hands off of each other. When she held me, I held her. We needed each other.

As the minutes went by, we became increasingly bolder. Not just with our lips, but with our hands. At that moment, we were no longer afraid. No one could see us. No one could hear us. We could hold each other and show each other what we truly meant to each other. And Smolder was eager to explore the side of life that she had been missing out on. The kind she could only observe, but never partake in. Her hands slid over my bare chest as if just for its own sake. But when I began to caress my hands over her back, Smolder grabbed me by the wrists and brought my hands to her waist and chest. Her eyes gazed into mine, her voice whispering to me. "Hold me..."

And I did. But as I caressed and gripped Smolder wherever she guided my hands, she began to turn around. Smolder began to straddle my lap, her thick tail raised to rest against my chest with her tail tuft resting against my cheek in a type of almost playful caress. My hands slid up the smooth scales that lined her chest and belly, Smolder shrill gasps of delight voicing her approval. I was eager to share my love with her and brought my lips forward to plant little kisses along her modest shoulders. She gasped and quivered in my embrace, whispering to me again, "Hold me... Kiss me wherever you want, mi amor..."

I did exactly as she told me. Kissing along her neck and jaw. And even along...her wings as they began to spread. Slowly and almost involuntarily. It was not until they had been spread wide with Smolder holding my hands to her chest that I began to notice how her wings had spread for seemingly no reason. She did not ask if I wanted her to show me her wingspan again and she hardly seemed aware of it at all. Was it...a wingboner? Could dragons get them too?

As I contemplated this, I could feel Smolder guiding my hand up and down her belly. The incredibly smooth sensation of the lack of friction on her underside was pleasant to feel and she seemed to be deeply enjoying my caress. But with every downward stroke, I became more aware of what could happen if we got careless. I am not terribly familiar with reptilian anatomies, but even I knew that if my fingers drifted low enough and inspected the slit between two of those super smooth belly scales, I would make a very alarming discovery. And I had to avoid that at any cost for the time being.

I continued to place soft kisses along Smolder's neck and wings. And she gasped quietly at my affections. She knew how much I loved her by then and I was doing all i could to give her the love she had been so starved for. But my kisses began to slow as I began to notice something in the air. Something familiar...yet alien. I could not put my finger on it. It was very faint, but too distinct for me to not notice. Was it Smolder's breath? No, it did not quite smell like sulfur. It was...musky. Heady and in a very familiar way. Like the smell...of a very needy female.

I froze the instant that scent registered with me. That smell... No... It was coming from Smolder. Her very clingy grasp and control over the movement of my hands... The telltale involuntary spreading of her wings. Oh no... She was not simply in love. Her body was responding in kind. In much the same way her heart desired me, her body was beginning to desire the much more intimate physical kind of love from a male. And that was the one line we absolutely could not cross until the proper time. And that time was not now.

What should I say? What should I do? Smolder did not even seem to be aware of the scent that was starting to fill the air. But as I contemplated this, a rather...devious thought entered my head. We were so in love. And Smolder had absolute faith in me. I knew we should not, but...what if we did?

What if we did throw all caution to the wind? What if I did seduce her? She was young... Mature, yet still impressionable. She trusted me. If I made any suggestions, she would surely listen and believe me. If I so wanted to, I could start to mold her into whatever I wanted to and she would most likely not sense anything wrong. What if...

Why in the world was I even having those thoughts? Just the very concept of taking advantage of someone like her with such debauchery horrified me. I could never do that to Smolder! Overcome with shame over even thinking of such a thing, I tightened my embrace on her and just sat there. Holding her in my arms as I squinted my eyes shut. I could feel her become still in my arms, but she soon began to caress my arm. "Shhh... I'm not going anywhere, mi amor. I'm right here."

"I don't want anything awful to happen to you..." I whispered to her without budging. Smolder had already been through so much turmoil. The last thing she needed was having more thrust upon her from someone she loved wholeheartedly. I cherished what we had. I did not want to throw that all away over the whims of opportunistic debauchery. I could never...

"Nothing will happen... Nothing like that. Not as long as I have you." She whispered to me most sweetly as she wiggled out of my grasp to turn around. That gaze of utter adoration in her eyes... There was no doubt at all. She had more faith in me than I had in myself. Although she did glance at her sides and only then notice that her wings were spread wide. Smolder cracked an uneven smile as she forced her wings to close. But as she rested her head just under my chin with her hands upon my chest, she then asked, "I feel so...warm... So tingly... Is this what it's like to be in love?"

She did not know? Her scent was still lingering in the air, but Smolder did not seem to be aware of the symptoms she was experiencing despite actually feeling them. This filled me with a sense of relief. She truly was completely oblivious to the nature of sexual urges. And if she did not have the knowledge to know how to act upon them, I would not be tempted to do so with her. A silver lining.

Without a word, Smolder gently pushed me down to the bed and started to get comfortable under the covers. She draped her wing across my chest in an embrace while our heads rested upon the pillow. In spite of her body's urges, she seemed to be ready to fall asleep. "I've already kept you up for too long... I'm sorry. I just... I couldn't take it anymore..."

"Hey, don't apologize. I... I'm glad you convinced me to not keep lying to myself anymore... It feels...nice now that we're being openly honest here." I retorted while still conflicted over the whole thing. A part of me was still demanding that I exercise restraint, but now that we had finally shown and told each other what is in our hearts... It felt liberating. Just enough leeway to ease the frustration this situation had forced upon us. "We'll talk more in the morning, all right?"

"Right... Sweet dreams..." Smolder whispered before she once more placed a kiss on my cheek. She then smirked sweetly at me as her gentle voice spoke without the slightest hint of a growl to it. "Mi amor."

"Sweet dreams, love..." I whispered back to her before I closed my eyes, though I was tempted to not sleep just yet. Tucked under the covers, I was left wondering if Smolder would truly not act upon the carnal desires her body was only just starting to notice. Her faint scent still lingered in the air. But much to my relief, I soon heard her breathing become much heavier. Quiet snoring began to come from her. She really was asleep. Now knowing that there was no risk, I too allowed myself to relax. And I fell asleep much faster now that I was in the embrace of someone I most dearly adored.

My memory of that dream is quite vivid. And I noticed before long that things seemed too real and lucid. I was...on a little paddleboat out in the middle of a moonlit lake. Fireflies flitting about, the chirping of frogs in the air. A beautiful summer night. But why was I alone? This was the sort of scenario that would demand that someone be on a date with their beloved. At least I assumed I was alone until I looked to my left. A familiar voice then asked, "I don't suppose you come here often?"

"Nope. First time for me." I retorted with a bit of a chuckle. Luna was seated beside me, having paid my dreaming mind a visit for the night. "But what brings you here? We're not having another session in battle, are we?"

"No, not tonight. We must space those out so as to not exhaust you. Although I did not come here on my own whims." Luna replied as her tone became more serious. "I thought I detected something...unusual about he state of your dreaming mind. Not exactly a nightmare or even a stress dream, but something seemed...off. So here I am. Is something amiss? Did something happen with Smolder tonight? It was quiet enough in your room. I did not overhear any sort of commotion."

If I were to try and hide anything from her, I am sure Luna could force my dreaming mind to project my most recent memories. It would be a mistake to hide anything. And so I said, "Smolder, she... She... How do I put this... She...had a talk with me. And forced me to admit some things to myself..."

"Do explain." Luna asked without sounding pushy or accusatory. She knew enough about my feelings for Smolder, but I doubt she would expect what I was going to say.

"She...brought up a good point. How we were...lying to ourselves to avoid getting each other in trouble... All sorts of mental gymnastics to downplay the truth even when we both knew what we really felt about each other... We stopped lying to ourselves and...we...had our first kiss."

Luna's eyes opened just slightly wider than usual. Not horrified by any means, but still slightly alarmed. "I see... You did say she is unusually precocious for a girl of her age. And I could certainly see that in her myself. But...surely you did not...?"

"No... No, I didn't touch her like that. Even though...I could detect her scent in the air after a while. I think her body wanted me, but she didn't seem to have any idea what those kind of urges are. She even went to sleep just fine. Maybe spending the first few years of her adolescent with no time or reason to think about boys might've helped her stay oblivious..." I explained while very glad that for as mature as Smolder is, she is still quite ignorant to the topic of reproduction. Has anyone ever told her where babies come from? I wonder how they talk about that in the dragon lands, especially out in the wild sectors...

"Hm. Is that so? Having an itch that you don't even know you have... Although... I must ask. Were you tempted to do such a thing when you noticed...the signs?" Luna then asked with increasing scrutiny. I was actually glad to be having this talk with her. It was helping get some weight off my chest.

I was hesitant, but I knew I had to say it. "I have to admit that when I did notice her...scent, I felt a certain...urge to take advantage of it. The realization that I could capitalize on her ignorance and...well..."

Luna's eyes opened much wider, a look of shock on her face. "You... But... You don't surely gravitate towards those so young, do you?"

"No, of course not! People that young make for terrible long-term romantic partners! That would be a mistake...and would only lead to disappointment. But..." I replied in disgust at the thought, but I could not ignore that memory as I looked over the side of the little boat we were in and gazed at the murky water. "I don't desire anyone so young like that, but... The opportunity was there. Just...knowing I could and that she probably would not try to stop me."

"You saw an opportunity present itself, yet did not act upon it... That's good. I am certain it is only natural to have such dark or alarming thoughts from time to time, but our ability to choose not to act upon them is what separates people like us from feral beasts." Luna replied with an impressive display of wisdom.

"Yeah, I know... Happens a lot, really. Just...little instances where your mind reacts to something you see and just wonders 'what if' before you push it out of your mind." I muttered while knowing where she was coming from. But still, just thinking about what I did consider at the time... "But... I still wondered if I could do that to her... Is it just part of human nature to feel that desire? To...dominate what you have any degree of control over?"

Luna went silent for a minute. Her eyes wandered, contemplating my words. "There may be more truth to that than you know... Just take the emperor for example. you know what happened all those years ago. He saw what could have been and followed those urges to establish dominance over Equestria. Perhaps it is an urge that is inherently ingrained into all human minds. I cannot speak for them. I have never been human, so I cannot imagine such an urge. But please... Do not be too hard on yourself, my friend. It is our responsibility to resist such vile urges instead of impulsively following them. And you have succeeded in that responsibility, haven't you?"

I nodded in understanding. The guilt was still there, but she had a point. I needed to stop beating myself over being so disgusted with myself over wondering what I could have done had I not maintained any restraint. But now that I had been reminded of my own restraint, I turned to Luna and asked, "If you think so... Do you think you could reach over and bring Smolder into my dream? I think she'd appreciate us spending the night together."

That look in her eyes... Luna did not seem to mind the notion, but she appeared hesitant regardless. "I'm sorry, James. Unfortunately...it would be best if we do not tempt fate like that."

"Huh? But...you just said..." I stammered while wondering why she would change direction like that. She had faith in me, yet was not comfortable with me sharing a dream with Smolder?

"I suppose I should explain..." Luna mumbled as she gave me a most apologetic gaze. "I understand that the two of you...have a very unorthodox relationship and that you know were to draw the line for the time being, but... I simply cannot allow the two of you to be alone together in the realm of dreams. Yes, there are no consequences of any sort in a realm disconnected from reality, but in a dream as lucid as one as this... Well, to say that psychological and emotional consequences do not exist would be simply untrue. Forgive me, but until the day comes where she is of age, I cannot leave you two alone together in a realm where you may be tempted to take things too far. You understand, yes?"

I stared in stunned silence for a moment. She certainly had a point there... "Oh, dang... Yeah, that...um... That would be risky... Sorry for asking."

"No, do not apologize. I understand. You love her and she loves you. I have seen my own share of romantic fantasies while wandering the realm of dreams to understand how sincere such love is." Luna retorted with a rather supportive smile. "And to be honest, it's hard not to root for such devoted love. I have faith in the two of you. Just be patient, exercise restraint, and you two should have a very happy future together."

"Thanks... Really, it's nice to hear words of encouragement from those who do understand. I don't want to let anything awful happen to her. After all the hell she's been through, Smolder deserves to be happy." I muttered softly as my thoughts went to that precious little dragon lady. I was tempted to start lying to myself again. To wonder when or if Smolder would truly ever feel so much love for me. But I could not let that happen anymore. I knew the truth now. As did she. And I could not go back to telling those lies to myself. Not now.

The rest of my dream was rather uneventful, yet still relaxing. Luna used her magic to twist the environment from a lake into a shallow river lined by glowing reeds and flowers for us to paddle along. Such tranquility in my sleep was a necessary respite during wartime. Although it did not last forever. I eventfully felt the world ripple around us. The telltale sign that my dreaming mind was beginning to stir. Luna smiled at me as it was time to say goodbye. "Just remember, my friend. Have faith in yourself and be patient. That golden day will come eventually."

"Thanks, Luna. See you soon." I replied with sincerity as I was very glad we had the chat we did. Seconds later, white engulfed my vision before I found myself staring at the wooden ceiling of my room. Soft sunlight was shining through the curtains to my right. And to my right, still tucked under the covers and between me and the window, was dear little Smolder. She was smiling. Surely dreaming something wonderful.

I could still feel her wing holding me under the covers. We... My fingers rose to my lips. I could still remember that precious first kiss. The touch of her lips upon mine. Her tongue dancing with my own. Even her taste... That really happened. And there was no way we could conceivably pretend that did not happen. There was no going back now. We were in love and we both knew it.

A sense of caution came over me as I looked at my beloved. How much should I show? Should I treat her with e same mannerisms I show towards anyone else I am in a relationship with? Should I use tender pet names? How often should I kiss her or hold hands? My mind was awash with so many questions like a high school boy who just got asked out by his crush. Was I just overthinking things?

Before long, I was given an answer to a question I had not even asked. Smolder cracked an eye open before smiling at me in a way she had never done before. Without even moving, she whispered to me. "Good morning, mi amor."

Any doubts I had about what she would do or say were crushed right there. She remembered what happened last night and was not even trying to pretend everything was the same as before then. And it warmed my heart. I returned the favor as I whispered, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Am I beautiful?" She asked with an almost teasing tone of voice. A muffled giggle filled her throat as Smolder crawled atop me with her hands tucked between my neck and shoulders. I found myself smiling while she looked down at me. Eyes filled with such quiet tenderness, she whispered to my once more. "Je t'amie toujours."

"Ti amo tanto." I whispered back to her before she lowered her head to mine and placed a kiss upon my lips. With just that little touch, I knew everything was going to be all right. We were in love. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.

Smolder let out a sigh as she pushed herself back up to gaze down at me. That calm smile never left her face. She was not simply happy. She looked...so at peace for once. "I...feel so much better after last night. Like...I got a lot off my chest. Like it'll be easier to wait from now on."

"I feel that too... And...I'm sorry for not..." I began to say before stalling as I struggled to find the right words.

My beloved did not need to be told. She brought a hand to my brow and brushed my hair away from my face as she said, "No, don't apologize for anything. I get it, all right? This sorta thing... Gotta keep it undercover, right? Until my sweet sixteen?"

I nodded silently. With her hand on my head, I brought my fingers to her cheek and caressed her pretty face. "I want you to be happy, dear... I'll...try to get used to this. Never met a woman like you before, so...it'll take some adapting."

"I like it when you call me that. Those sweet little words that don't mean much, but just sound so nice... I see why Fluttershy likes it." Smolder cooed to me with her other hand holding my fingers to her cheek. But she then whispered, "I think...she knows too... I mean why else did she ask me to give you a kiss for her?"

"We'll have to talk to her about that... And to keep this a secret from anyone who doesn't need to know. No romantic stuff when we're in public, all right? And in private if there happens to be anyone else around. Be cautious, OK?" I explained in the hopes of getting her to understand just how taboo our situation would look to the uninformed.

Almost unsurprisingly, Smolder gave me a slight smirk. "Don't worry about that. I know how to keep out of trouble. I've gotten good at that. I won't blow our cover."

"Atta girl..." I muttered as I felt confident in her. But as we shared a moment of tender silence, I still had to consider that dark thought I had the night before. And so I whispered, "Smolder... Can I ask you an important favor?"

"Hm?" She mumbled with her hand still placed over my fingers.

"You know I only want the best for you. But... And this is a very unlikely if, but... If I ever do anything that scares you... Anything that ever gives you reason to doubt me..." I said with the utmost sincerity without ever looking away from those loving blue eyes. "If that ever happens... Please stop me. Don't ever let me take advantage of you."

Smolder gave me a slight frown as she let out a long sigh. "James... Really, don't ever say that. You won't do that to me. I know you won't. I've gotten good at second guessing myself. Whatever you're going on about, I know you don't have it in you."

For a moment, I thought she was not taking me seriously. That she really was more naive than I gave her credit for. But she then took hold of my hand and said, "But if you really do ever break my heart like that, or do anything to betray me harder than my parents ever did..."

My eyes went wide as she placed my hand in her mouth, her fangs firmly grasping my hand between her stone-crushing jaws. She then spoke as best she could without releasing me, her eyes showing a most devious gaze. "I'll bite this right off. All right?"

"Dear lord, Smolder... All right, all right, I swear I'll never give you a reason to do that." I muttered quickly while quite unnerved. I am not sure if she was bluffing for the sake of messing with me, but that was not a threat I was going to take lightly. Smolder dropped my hand from her mouth as she burst into laughter while I could only crack a crooked amused grimace.

Before I could do anything else, Smolder grabbed my hand again and held it before her in both of her little hands. She then began to softly kiss my fingers and held it to her face with such a pleasant smile on her lips. "I'm gonna be holding this as much as I can from now on... That's sweethearts do, right?"

"Yeah, they do... Feels nice, right?" I asked before closing my fingers around one hand. That look of utter gratitude in her eyes... She was savoring that sensation of our hands holding the other. To feel those smooth scales clinging to my palm... "I actually forgot how good this feels... To be held like this..."

"Me too... It's not like a hug. It's...something special." Smolder whispered before she bowed her head and let out a harsh sigh. "I can't wait to learn all I can about love with you... Teach me right, OK?"

"I'll do my best, dear..." I whispered before we once more found ourselves in an embrace, our lips upon each other for a long and soft kiss. We gazed into each other's eyes as she savored one more moment together in the privacy of my room. "Ti amo tanto, mia poca draghessa."

"I'll always be your little draghessa, mi amor." Smolder whispered lovingly to me as she no doubt was able to discern exactly what that term meant. And it just felt so wonderful to hear that from her.

The rest of the morning went by without a hitch. Breakfast was pleasant and the radar systems were still running smoothly. The guards stationed there even complimented Smolder on her placement of the sensors yesterday, which got a smile out of her.

So far, aside from Luna, no one has been the wiser about Smolder and I. We have managed to act like nothing unusual is happening between us. But once we were back up in my room after breakfast, we started cuddling on the bed again. Hugging and kissing and just savoring our time together now that we were no longer lying to ourselves. Not going too far, but easing the strain on the wait until the proper time.

I feel much more confident about how things are between the two of us. I was terrified that we could never make something like this work. But now that we have opened up to each other, it is actually much more manageable than I expected. But we must be cautious. There is one line that must not be crossed until that day finally arrives next year. We must be patient.

I think that is all for now. Smolder has been out of the room for a while, giving me enough time to finish this up without distractions. Maybe today will have something new come up. I doubt it will be much longer before we are ready to advance and I welcome it. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can all go home. Time to head downstairs and see what is happening out in the camp.