"Look, Fluttershy, the sun is setting." Toothless lay down at the far edge of the Everfree forest. They had made good time, managing to make it out of the forest in half a day. Now, empty, barren desert streched for miles.

The sun touched the surface of the sand, suddenly igniting the sky and the sand red. The clouds flared into pink, and the shadows were suddenly visible against the light sand.

The pair sat in silence, watching the sunset. As the stars began to take the sun's place, Toothless turned to Fluttershy.

"You don't need to come with me, you know. Once my wing's healed, I'll find a dragon to teach me. You can go back to your friends."

"No... I... I want to be with you..."

Toothless was quiet for a long time. "Come on. It'll be easier to cross the desert at night."

"The sun's rising again, Toothless! Do you see any shelter?"

"There's no shelter in the desert."

"So why did you say we were crossing?"

He lay on his belly on the flat top of a sand dune. "You'll have to trust me."

"I always did."

He tucked Fluttershy under his wing, in a little chamber of air. Shoving his nose and paws into the sand, he began to dig in, the still-cold sand running over his back. Soon, he was under a thick layer. Turning slowly, he pushed his muzzle out from under the sand, taking a few deep breaths. Fluttershy looked around the air pocket he had formed with his wing. She couldn't see anything, but the effort was there.

"Are we safe?"

"Yes."

Fluttershy was finding it had to sleep. She could feel the weight of the sand around her, and although the amount of air was more than needed, she felt like she was suffocating. There were a lot of reasons ponies didn't live in burrows, and felt eerie in places without windows or light. They were genetically claustrophobic.

The pale Pegasus took a few calming breaths. "Are you asleep?"

"No." His thought-speak reply came faster than she expected. "Night Furies can go weeks without sleeping. I'm staying awake."

"Why?"

'Because I need to feel your fur on my skin...' He snuffed the thought before he could speak it. "In case there's a sandstorm."

"Oh. Okay." She paused. "Is it okay if I sleep tonight when you're crossing the sand again?"

"Mm-hm. That's fine."

They were both in denial of loving each other. When Toothless carried Fluttershy across the sand, he savoured the feel of her soft, warm coat. She was enjoying the touch of his tough, cold scales. They both wanted what the other had.

"Fluttershy, I need to tell you something."

She sat up on his back, swaying gently as he walked. "What is it?"

"I..." 'think I love you...' "I..."

Fluttershy leaned over his head, her face innocently upside-down in front of his. "Yeah?"

"I..." 'I can do this. I can tell her...' "I l... love..." 'I'm so close! I can almost say it...' "I..."

In the absence of words, he opened his mind to hers, feeling her gentle presence enter his thoughts. He entered hers. In the few, quiet moments, they completely understood the others feelings. They shared every moment of their lives, spread them out like star charts, surveyed every moment in the others life and compared them to their own.

It was what seemed like years before Toothless withdrew his mind from Fluttershy's. She was on his shoulders, front hooves placed on his forehead.

"You... you feel the same way about me?"

Fluttershy nodded. "We both just couldn't say it, I guess."

"Do you have any coltfriends?"

"No..."

Toothess was still walking, but his legs trembled from the amount of strength keeping their minds connected had used. "I'll be able to talk more once I've rested."

"Toothless, your wing has sealed over the tarp." He hadn't realized that Fluttershy had moved over, checking on her stitches. "We might be able to fly today?"

"Why not now?"

"There aren't any thermals. We can't use your wing too much, or it will heal slower. And it'll be colder the higher we get."

"Have you slept enough tonight?"

"I'll close my eyes for a few more minutes." Fluttershy curled up between his wings. Seconds later, she was snoring.