I groaned as I became aware of the sun flooding in through my windows. Ugh, I hate mornings. I especially hate ones that disturb wonderful dreams of flying with my team by shining obnoxious sunlight on my face.
I was sprawled on my stomach in a most unladylike manner, blankets kicked to the bottom of the bed, sheets askew and tail splayed everywhere; though fortunately still keeping me decent. Not that it would have mattered, even if it hadn't, what with nopony else around.
Groaning in protest against the morning sun, I turned away and curled up with my back to the window, feeling the warmth against me. I dozed on my bed, enjoying the pleasant memories of last night and the faint scent of my...activities, before I'd fallen asleep. One eye drifted lazily open to look at my clock. Good, only twenty minutes until Lily said she'd be here to pick up her stuff.
Oh mother of...! Twenty minutes?!
I scrambled out of bed and dashed into the bathroom. Stupid! How could I sleep in so late?! Idiot!
Choice words were uttered as cold water from the shower cascaded over me, banishing all remnants of sleep and doing more to wake me up than any coffee could. Although I tried to keep them dry, some water managed to seep into the bandages on my wing, dampening them.
I finished up in the bathroom and started gathering Lily's things up from around the house. After about ten minutes of frantic careening around my house, trying to grab everything of hers I could see, I realised how silly I was being. Still trying to please her, even in breaking up.
Mentally chastising myself, I stopped and caught my breath. I'll be damned if I'm going to race around my house to clean up her freaking mess! She wants her stuff packed? She can damn well help pack it herself! My stomach growled; whether in assent of my thoughts, or rebellion at not having been full since dinner yesterday, I couldn't tell.
Fine, breakfast time. A salad would be good about now.
As I opened a cupboard to get a bowl to put the ingredients in, I spied a box of muffins on the shelf above them. Huh. I reached up with my good wing and pulled them down, turning over the box to read the front label. Chocolate chip, one of Derpy's favourites, according to our conversation last night. I smiled at the thought of the grey mare, her face all alight as she talked about her favourite food, lights from the dance-floor playing across her face.
Oh, sod it, one muffin wasn't going to destroy my training regimen. I opened the box, greeted by the smell of bread and chocolate; and slipped a muffin out, placing it on the side. I then put the box back and went about making my breakfast.
Shortly thereafter, as I was busy munching away, I heard a knock at the door. Sighing, I got down off my stool and made my way into the hall. I didn't want to deal with this, but at the same time, I just wanted it over with. Better to get it done now, than keep postponing it.
I reached the door and made sure my mane was in order. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and opened it, what I hoped was a stern expression on my face. On the other side, Lily Thread stood, gorgeous as ever. I suppose I ought to describe her.
Standing as tall as any other unicorn, though perhaps a little slimmer; her coat was a colour she called “greyish gamboge”, but I just called grey-beige. Her mane and tail were both a dark grey, with lighter highlights and her cutie-mark was a pair of drama masks; the ones that everypony knows, the happy and sad ones. Her eyes, the feature that initially caught my attention all those months ago, were a strong emerald. They almost seemed to glow with their own inner light, offering the illusion that they were perpetually shining out of her face. Of course, being a unicorn, she most likely had cast a spell to make them do exactly that. It would be just like her.
She also loved her clothes and today was no exception. Aside from the thin band of green metal she always wore around her neck, she was wearing some sort of pale-pink shirt, with lacy cuffs. Hanging from her ears were a pair of diamond ear-rings, the precious stones glinting in the morning sun.
Lily was normally loud, with an “in-your-face” attitude and would usually make sure everypony around knew of her arrival, long before they actually saw her. To be quite honest, I was surprised I hadn't heard her outside the door before now. Instead, today, she was simply stood quietly on the other side of the door; her green eyes not meeting mine. I'd never seen her like this before and my first instinct was to ask what was wrong. I suppressed it before it betrayed me. Instead, I simply gave a slight upward flick of my head.

“Hello,” I said. “I'm not finished packing yet. You can come in to help, but then you leave with your stuff.”

“I...” she started.

“Don't want to hear it, Lily. Start upstairs, I'll bring some boxes.” My wing rustled against my side, belying my irritation.

“O...ok.”

I stepped to one side, allowing her to move past me, her head hanging down slightly. What was with her today? I expected her to arrive all self-righteous, trying to cow me into taking her back or at least yell at me for not packing her things in time. Instead, she seemed...well, kinda normal. Like a completely different pony. Did she realise that she'd screwed up big this time, maybe? Or was she trying to guilt-trip me? Doesn't matter. She wasn't going to get her way this time. I went and fetched the boxes from under the stairs, where I'd tidied them away after Lily had moved in.
The next hour was spent with us silently moving around the house, packing things into boxes and avoiding each other's glances. When it was all done, I escorted Lily to the door, the boxes floating around her in her white magic. She turned as she stepped outside, seemingly about to say something, but she just stood there.

“What?” I asked tersely.

“I...I wanted to say...I...I'm sorry,” she said.

Apologising was extremely out of character for Lily. Woe be unto whomever suggested she was ever in the wrong! I knew it just had to be some sort of trick, probably a last ditch attempt to get me to relent. I snorted.

“Too late for that Lily, you're not getting me back that way. Hell, you're not getting me back at all. Not after what you accused me of.”

“I know, but it was wrong of me. It's not your fault.”

“Fault?” I asked, incredulity making its way into my voice. I raised an eyebrow to accompany my expression of annoyed surprise. What the hell was she playing at?

“Yeah,” she continued. “You can't help being the way you are. But...but I think I know somepony who can help. He-”

“Help?!” I shouted.

“Speesha, plea-”

“You don't call me that! Not now! Not ever! What do you mean, help?! You think I'm sick? Is that it?!” I was leaning forward now, my wing brushing the wall from being fully extended and I was practically nose to nose with Lily. All instinctual displays of anger, none of it conscious. For the first time ever since I knew her, I saw a glimmer of fear and concern in her eyes.

“You are sick, Fire, it's not normal! You need help!” She took a step forward, the fear in her eyes dissolving into defiance. Her hoof crossed the threshold of the door. I didn't back down, though she managed to counter-act my forward lean. We ended up in each other’s faces, one staring furiously into the other’s eyes.

“How dare you say that!” I yelled back, voice nearly cracking from both volume and the slivers of hurt her words were delivering to my heart. How could she, she, of all ponies, be saying such things?! Regular filly-fooling unicorns found it hard enough to get by on a day-to-day basis, let alone ones with her fame!

“How dare I?!” Lily shrieked, the sudden anger erasing her Canterlot accent. “How dare I?! You're the one who hid your damn diseased mind from me! You're the one who was sneaking around behind my back! You-”

“I was not! Not once!”

“Don't lie to me! All those times you left to “train” with Blaze and Soarin!”

“What?! That's ridiculous! Blaze is my sister for Celestia's sake! And Soarin's...Soarin...” I trailed off uncertainly. My wing curled, half-folding.

“What about Soarin?” she asked with a sneer.

“He...never mind about Soarin! This isn't about him!” My wing extended again, making a “flumpf” noise.

“Aha! I knew it! I knew something was going on!”

“No! You know I don't-”

“Don't lie to me!”

Before I could react, she punctuated “lie” with a backwards slap across my face with her hoof. Completely unprepared, I staggered back and tripped over the rug. I fell back on my haunches, hoof going to my cheek where she had struck me.

“You...you hit me...” I said, barely more than a whisper. I stared up at her, eyes wide with shock. Lily stood in the door, self-righteous anger contorting her features as she looked down at me.

“You're broken, Spitfire, and you need fixed. If you don't want my help doing that, then fine. But don't, ever, lie to me.”

Burning anger...no, rage, built up inside me.

“You hit me!” I half-screamed, half-hissed at her. My eyes narrowed, piercing her with the white-hot fury building inside me. She blanched at that, but realised her mistake too late. An angry Pegasus is not one to be messed with.

“Fire, wait, I'm sor-”

In one smooth movement, I planted my forehooves, braced my hind legs under me and launched myself towards her; using my wing to keep myself steady in the air. She squeaked in terror as I shot across the tiny gap, trying to back herself out of the door.
I only meant to scare her, to get her out the door and slam it in her face. Really, I did. Even when I'm seething with fury, I remain clear headed; analytical almost. Throughout my life; it's this ability that’s kept me from doing something awful if I get really angry.
But I was forced to watch as if in slow motion as Lily's hooves slipped on the door-jamb, preventing her from getting out of the way in time. My hoof connected squarely with her nose, eliciting a terrible crunching sound as it broke. I clearly felt the cartilage around her muzzle snap and shift under my hoof.
Lily screamed in pain and staggered back under the force of the unintentional punch, hoof flying to her muzzle. I could see blood leaking from under her hoof, running down her leg to drip onto the stone path running from my gate to my door; though at that moment, I didn't care much.

“AND DON'T YOU DARE COME BACK!” I bellowed out at her, finally slamming the door.

I turned and fell back against the door, tears rising unbidden and my hoof going to my mouth to stifle something that was a cross between a gasp and a sob.
Oh sweet Celestia! I broke her nose! I've never hit somepony like that before! Ohshi- Ohshi- Ohshi- What...was I going to be arrested by the city guard? No, no! My career would be destroyed! Nononononono, that's not going to happen, get it together Firrii!
Vaguely, I was aware of a wail on the other side of the door, presumably Lily discovering the extent of the damage done to her face.
It's her word against yours and even if they side with her you'll just get a fine and maybe a few weeks of bad press but the team will understand right at least Soarin will and Blaze is your sister so she'll stand by you and nothing too bad will come of it maybe you'll even get a reputation for taking no crap and that's always a boon for PR and popularity but what are you gonna do what are you gonna do what are you gonna do whatareyougonnadowhatareyougonnadowhatareyougonnadooooo...
I sank to the floor, resting on my chin with my eyes screwed shut and forehooves wrapped over the top of my head. I let out a small wail of my own, choked off by a single sob. I don't know how long I laid there, desperately trying to calm my racing thoughts; before they suddenly crystallised of their own accord: Derpy.
Get to Derpy. She'll listen. Get to Derpy. She'll understand. Get to Derpy. She'll be safe. Get to Derpy. She'll make the hurt stop. Get to Derpy.
I have no idea where this idea came from, or how I even thought a mare I'd just met the night before would even care about my problems, but it seemed the only clear choice. A strange calm descended over me.
I got to my hooves and raced through the kitchen, my wing catching on my salad bowl and nearly knocking it off the side. Bursting through the door of the small utility room I used as an office; I started rifling through the mess, looking for a clean piece of paper and a quill. Upon finding them, I dipped the quill in the inkwell and started writing:

“Derpy,

I know we only met last night and we barely know each other, but you made an offer for me to come visit you any time and I want to take you up on that. Right now. I hate to impose on you so soon, but I need this. Something's happened and I feel that you're the only one I can turn to right now. I promise I'll tell you everything when I get there, but for now, please, as soon as you get this, wait for me at Ponyville station; I'll be on the next train.

Spitfire.”

I folded the letter up and dashed back into the hall, grabbing my purse and hanging it around my neck. There was only one way to get this thing to Ponyville in time; I would have to find Soarin. Hopefully he was at his house, not far from here.
After quickly checking that Lily wasn't still around outside, I slipped out the door and raced up the street.

The sun was warm and high in the sky as I approached Soarin's place. It was probably noon, or thereabout, not that I was in any condition to check. I felt cold, despite the heat of the day; as if I was wrapped in a sheet of ice. The fight with Lily had affected me more than I realised. I was shivering all over from fear and an adrenaline crash, not something I experience often.
As I walked up to the door, I was suddenly gripped by the unshakable fear that Soarin wasn't in and I would be stuck in Canterlot. I really didn't want to be in the city at that moment. What if Lily came back? What if she brought the guard with her? What if it wasn't the guard and instead, she brought some of those thugs she called bodyguards? What if...what if...what if...
Soarin's door opened suddenly, startling me. I hadn't even realised I'd knocked.

“Hey, Firrii,” said Soarin, the sun making his light-blue coat sparkle. “How's...Firrii? What's wrong? You look awful!”

“Foarfin!” I tried to say around the letter in my mouth. I took it out with my hoof and tried again. “Soarin! I need a really big favour of you, like, right now.”

“Right now, right now?” he asked.

“Yes, right now, right now.”

“What is it? You know I'm good for anything.”

“I need you to take this letter to Ponyville and deliver it to somepony.”

“You realise Canterlot has a postal service, yeah?” he said, grinning. My haggard expression was his only answer. “Firrii, you sure you're ok? I've never seen you like this before and...what happened to your face?!”

“No,” I answered, gritting my teeth. I didn't want to break down in front of him, or he'd never let me go and I had to find Derpy; but he deserved the truth. “No I'm not alright. I...she...things went bad with Lily this morning and...”

“She did this to you?!”

“Soarin, please, not so loud! I don't want another spectacle.” I glanced around uneasily, but nopony seemed to be around.

“Firrii, listen...”

“No, Soarin, please. Just get this letter to Ponyville for me. Please? I just need you to do that. Find a grey mare with a yellow mane and strange eyes and give her the letter. Her name's Derpy and I met her last night in Angelico's. Please, Soarin, please?” I proffered the letter to Soarin, who just looked at it. For one horrible moment, I thought he would refuse, but eventually he took it and stuffed it into his mane.

“A mare, Firrii? What's going on?” he demanded.

“It's...Soarin, I'll tell you everything later, ok? I can't...I mean, it's complicated...and I really don't want to go into it just now.”

“Alright, alright. Fine. I'll do this, but you owe me one, you damned silly fool.” He hugged me close with a hoof. “You sure you don't need anything else? That's a nasty looking bruise showing through your fur.”

“No. Thanks though Soar, you're a good friend.” I returned the hug briefly, though that strange calm that had descended on me in my house was preventing me from feeling anything other than the strange urge to find Derpy.

“Right, I'd better go tell Tint I'll be gone for a few hours, since he's here,” Soarin said. “How are you getting to Ponyville?”

“Train and I'd better hurry, I don't know when the next one is.”

“Then you'd best go. Go on, I'll make sure this “Derpy” gets your letter before you get there. Go, go!”

I nodded and with another “thank you”, I galloped away, heading for the train-station.

The station was a lot further from Soarin's house than I thought. By the time I got there, I was completely out of breath and starting to sweat in the day's heat. I stood outside for a moment, chest burning as I gasped down giant lungfuls of air. My legs hurt from galloping on the hard surface of the streets, but once I'd recovered enough to move, I forced myself inside.
The interior of the train-station was a massive cacophony of announcements, ponies talking, food merchants peddling their wares for passengers to take on-board and the sounds of the engines themselves filtering in from the many platforms. A train's whistle sounded and the distinct “whump-whump-whump” of the wheels slipping could be heard over the rest of the din. Celestia, I hoped that wasn't the next train to Ponyville.
Hanging over the middle of the concourse was a board displaying all the arrival and departure times for the trains. A pair of unicorns were underneath it, manipulating the magical text and talking to the constant stream of porters telling them which trains had arrived and left.
I scanned the departures side of the board as the text flowed across its many rows:

Appleloosa X – 12:42 – Platform A – delayed.
Appleloosa (via Ponyville) – 12:45 – Platform F – departed. (Ponyfeathers!)
Baltimare – 12:40 – Platform E – departed.
Crystal Mtns. Junction – 12:56 – Platform D
Dodge City X – 12:39 – Platform B – departed.
Dodge City (via Ponyville) – 12:49 – departed. (Yatch'na!)
Fillydelphia – 13:13 – Platform C – cancelled. Please wait for more information.
Los Pegasus X – 12:52 – Platform H
Los Pegasus (via Ponyville) – 12:55 – Platform G

There! I could catch the train going to Los Pegasus! What was the time? I cast a glance around and spied a clock hanging over the ticket booths: 12:51. It would be leaving in a few minutes! I had to move quickly.
It seemed fortune decided to smile on me at that moment, as one of the closed ticket booths opened. I dashed over to it, startling the young stallion on the other side. I stated where I was going, asked for First Class and dropped a couple of bits into the rotating tray. He eyed me for a moment, but quickly set about tearing a ticket off a roll and stamping it with the proper information. After he dropped the ticket in the tray and spun it round, I grabbed it with my hoof, stuck it in my mane and cantered off to find the platform.
I made it just in time. The station was huge and no sooner had I gotten onto the right platform, than the last boarding call sounded. I darted onto the carriage just as the porters started closing the doors further down. I found an empty cabin and almost fell into my seat from exhaustion. Put me in the air and I can go for hours, but that really doesn't translate into running endurance.
The train's whistle went off and I felt the carriage jerk momentarily as the chain between it and the carriage in front went taut. Then the station started sliding past the window, slowly at first, but rapidly picking up speed. Soon, we'd left the station entirely and lower Canterlot was whispering past on the other side of the glass.
I relaxed momentarily. I was on my way. I'd done it. Lily was behind me and couldn't get to me.
An unsteady sigh escaped my lips, once again reminding me that I was still shaking like a leaf. I held a hoof up to my face and concentrated. Try as I might, I couldn't get it to keep still. I was just about to give up when everything went black. What...?
It took me almost a minute to realise that I hadn't gone blind, but that the train had passed inside Witherspeak, the tracks leading inside the mountain in order to descend down to the level of its destination. I could detect a slight lean as the train followed the curved tracks. How long had I been staring at my hoof like that? Was I losing time? There was no way the train was going that fast! Get it together, Spitfire! You were in a fight, not a freaking warzone!
A light appeared on the other side of the blind covering the door to the cabin and a knock came.

“Yes?” I asked, voice deadpan. I must be more drained than I realise. The door opened and a unicorn conductor stood, brandishing a small candle lamp in his magic, the purple glow shifting around it steadily.

“Just coming to turn on the lamp, miss,” he said, entering the cabin and turning to the gas fitting next to the door. His magic grew slightly brighter as he simultaneously lifted the lamp to the gas light and turned the valve to open the gas. The gas light instantly sprung to life, yellow flame quietly hissing. Bright light flooded the cabin, almost blinding me.

“As I'm here, miss, I might as well check your ticket.” He turned back to me, magic lifting a hole puncher from a pocket on his uniform. I fished my ticket out of my mane and handed it to him. He took it in his magic and examined it. While he did so, I asked him how long we'd be in the tunnel.

“Oh, another hour or so, I'd expect. The tracks run in a spiral inside the mountain, so we can't go too fast.” Apparently satisfied with the ticket, he punched a hole in it and handed it back to me. I took it and replaced it in my mane.

“Have a nice trip,” he said and left, closing the door behind him.

I curled up on the seat, facing toward the window, which offered nothing save a reflection of the cabin. The blackness outside it was absolute. Perhaps I should just close my eyes for a moment, I feel so tired and...
I yawned.
We're going to be in this tunnel for a while, so...
My eyes slipped closed.

Bright light splashed across my face. What in the name of...?! I bolted awake, lifting myself up on my forehooves. The window was no longer black, Equestria's countryside speeding by, bright sunshine shining down on everything and through my window. I relaxed, realising I'd merely fallen asleep on the train and we'd emerged from out of the mountain.
At first, I was surprised that I'd managed to do so, given the morning's events; then I was surprised that I was feeling surprised. That nap must've done me some good. My emotions were calmer, though I was still shaken up; and the shaking had stopped...mostly. I reached behind me and turned off the gas lamp, extinguishing the small but bright flame.
I returned to looking out of the window and yawned. The plains around Witherspeak and Canterlot were quite picturesque. I could see why somepony would want to live out here. By now, the train had picked up some serious speed. Low bushes lined the track, cascading past the window in a single blur of dark green. Out in the fields, I could see expansive meadows, animals grazing and the occasional farm with fields of wheat and corn. At one point, even a river rolled by underneath.
I sat staring out of the window for quite some time, watching Equestria roll by; my tail twitching in agitation as my thoughts rattled around in my head.
How was I going to explain all this to Derpy? How would she react? Would she sympathise? Would she care? Had Soarin even made it to Ponyville yet? Was Derpy reading the letter right this moment? Did she remember what happened last night? Was she worried? Disinterested? Oh Celestia, what if she took it all as a prank? What if...what if she wasn't there when I arrived? These worries and more buzzed in my head like angry flies, refusing to leave me alone, driving me nuts.
Even though the train was travelling at a phenomenal speed, it was still a couple of hours before I became aware of something emerging from behind the forest that had been dominant in the view out of the window for some time now. I saw a small town with a tall clock tower on the outskirts and a large cylindrical structure could be seen rising above all the other buildings at its base, though I had no idea what it could be at this distance. The angle the train was on allowed me to see the tracks curving gently around towards the town. That must be Ponyville!
Suddenly, in the skies over the town, a massive flat rainbow bloomed out of nowhere. It spread rapidly across the sky, pushing any clouds it encountered ahead of it. Racing out of the centre and climbing was a rainbow streak, going impossibly fast. That could be none other than Ponyville's resident aspiring Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash. I hoped that she hadn't seen Soarin in the town and was showing off for him, as it could lead back to me and I wasn't in any state to deal with her. If the rainbow trail was indeed Rainbow Dash, then judging by her now downward curve, she was going to end up on the far side of town, away from me. Ugh, I sound like such a snob.
Ponyville was half hidden by the now slowing train, when the conductor came down the carriage, calling:

“Fifteen minutes to Ponyville! All passengers for Ponyville, disembark at the next stop!”

I waited as the train seemed to make the next fifteen minutes as excruciatingly slow as possible. It slowed to a crawl just outside the town and apparently inched its way to the platform; though in all reality it was probably no slower than it would normally be pulling into a station. Like in Canterlot, there was a sudden jerk, only this time it heralded the complete stop of the vehicle, rather than the departure. I got up and made my way into the corridor of the carriage and out to the door. I stepped out into the billowing steam.
The first thing that hit me as the steam cleared, was, compared to Canterlot, how Ponyville station seemed practically deserted; if you could call a single, covered platform attached to small hall a station. A few ponies were disembarking from the train, but not many and even fewer were waiting to board. Stepping out of one of the further carriages, a purple unicorn with a strange, star-shaped cutie-mark and odd violet and rose streaks through her deep blue mane caught my eye; but I didn't linger over her. I was looking for a completely different pony.
I scanned the platform, hoping for a pair of familiar yellow eyes to be staring back at me. What I got instead was the back of a pale yellow mane and next to it...Soarin? What was he still doing here? My fellow Wonderbolt had a pair of flight goggles on top of his head. He spotted me and waved me over.

“Firrii! Over here!”

Derpy's head snapped around at his voice and she beamed from ear to ear when she saw me, dancing on the spot and wings popping up in excitement. My heart skipped a beat at that, all my fears melting away as if they'd never existed in the first place. Similarly, the odd, cold calm that had me in its grip since that morning just disappeared. I tried to stop myself from breaking into a full on gallop to meet her and instead, calmly walk towards her; I managed a half-trot, half-canter instead. As I reached them, Derpy lunged forward and wrapped her hooves around me, wings fluttering back into place. I gratefully returned the hug.

“There you are!” she cried, letting go. “I got your letter. Soarin practically bowled me over when he found me. You take all the time you need and...oh! Your face! What did she do to you?”

“I'm fine, really. I've taken worse licks in training. You told her, I presume?” I said, turning to Soarin.

“She er...she made me,” he offered, grinning sheepishly. “Wouldn't let me leave otherwise.”

“I see. Wait, why are you waiting for me in the first place? Why aren't you on your way back to Canterlot?”

“I gave myself wing-sprain on the way over. Flying back now would probably put me out of action for a week.”

I nodded and turned back to Derpy, who was staring at me with some concern.

“That really is a nasty bruise,” she said. “At least let me get you home and put some ice on it?”

“Alright. I should explain everything to you anyway.”

We made our goodbyes to Soarin and left the platform, walking through the empty station. As we came out the other side, Ponyville was laid out before me. I stopped dead in my tracks. It was beautiful!
Thatched, two-storey cottages lined the stone streets, white walls shining bright in the afternoon sun. Every house had a wooden half door, all of which stood open in some fashion or other. Ponies went about their business, stood chatting in groups or just led around enjoying the sun. Fillies and colts could occasionally be seen darting about, playing and laughing. The street we were on ran straight to the tall building I'd seen from the train, which, now that I was closer, appeared to be some sort of civic building; banners and pennants hanging from its various tiers.

“It's the town hall,” Derpy said.

“Huh?”

“That,” she pointed with a hoof. “You were staring at it. It's our town hall. New ponies are quite often impressed with it.” She smiled and draped a wing over me, curling the tip to my shoulder; a protective gesture. I wanted to return it, but she was on the side with my broken wing.

“Now come on, let's get some ice on that jaw of yours.”

We walked a for a while, Derpy leading me down the streets like I had for her in Canterlot the night before. In fact, the entire situation was almost exactly mirrored, as I was now the one to stare about myself in fascination. The architecture was quaint, but solid; functional, yet aesthetically pleasing.

“It wasn't wing-sprain, by the way,” Derpy suddenly piped up.

“I'm sorry?” I asked.

“Soarin,” she replied. “He said he had wing-sprain, but he was telling a bit of a fib. He really just wanted to make sure you were ok. I think he likes you.”

“Oh. Ha, no. Soarin and I go a long way back, that's all. We're practically brother and sister. He cares about me, but not like that.”

“He seems a good friend.”

“He is.”

Derpy stopped walking and took her wing off my back. We'd stopped in one of the back streets of Ponyville, outside a cottage that looked much the same as any of the others, except for a picture of some bubbles right above the door.

“Here we are,” said Derpy. She smiled at me. “Come on in.”

As she walked past me to the door, I realised the picture above the door was an exact replica of her cutie-mark. I tried not to stare, having seen neither it, or anything like it before. I followed her into her house.
The first thing that hit me was the strong and wonderful smell of fresh baking. I inhaled the scent deeply, finding the lovely hint of cinnamon in amongst it. I found the tension flowing out of my muscles almost straight away, leaving me with the most delightful feeling of relaxation. It felt amazing after the day's events.
The room itself was open-plan, spacious and primarily made of wood; the floors, the supports and walls, the ceiling. To my left was an empty fireplace with a simple yellow rug in front of it and surrounded by cushions, a bookcase was propped against the wall to the left of that, filled with a modest collection. To my right was a rectangular dinner table with half a dozen chairs around it and a grandfather clock sat nearby; while in front of me a short space led to a door on the left, presumably the kitchen. Stairs lined the far wall, disappearing into the ceiling. Derpy appeared out of the door, carrying an ice-pack on a wing.

“Well don't just stand in the door, silly filly, sit down,” She said, gesturing to the cushions in front of the fireplace.

As I laid down on one of the cushions, she closed the front door before sitting on her haunches next to me. She proffered the ice-pack and I took it, pressing it against my jaw. It felt like bliss against my face, cooling down the area where Lily had hit me. I didn't realise just how much it had actually been hurting until then. I sighed.

“Now,” said Derpy, pulling a cushion closer and lying down on it herself. “Tell me what happened.”

So I did.

An hour later, I'd finished. I told Derpy about me and Lily breaking up, how I'd been feeling for the past two weeks, how my decision to let it go coincided with our meeting in Angelico's, the fight just that morning and how my mind had latched onto her for some reason. As I'd relayed what Lily had said, I'd been unable to keep the tears from flowing and had ended up crying into Derpy's shoulder for a while. My face and her shoulder were now damp, though she didn't seem to mind. I discarded the now melted ice-pack while she looked at me for a minute, her face unreadable. She spoke.

“So...you weren't cheating on her?”

“No,” I replied. “Not once. I'd never go behind somepony's back.”

“I don't understand. Why would she think you were? Is she just always that suspicious?”

“I don't think her ego would let her contemplate it, normally.”

“Then what?”

“Derpy, I didn't tell you why she and I broke up. I...” Firrii, what are you doing? Stop it now, before you make an even bigger mess.

“Take your time. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to.”

I contemplated for a moment. On the one hoof, this is what had started all the trouble with Lily in the first place; on the other, here was this beautiful, sweet mare offering me a place to stay while all this blew over and I couldn't even bring myself to be completely honest with her.
Look at her, Firrii, look. Laid there, completely open and honest with you. Tail curled round herself and over her legs while she takes time out of her day to listen to your troubles. The least you can do is tell her the truth!
But...
Tell her!

“Derpy, I...”

“Hm?”

Tell her, damn you!

“I...the reason...the reason Lily and I broke up? Why she thought I was cheating on her? It's because...because...”

Don't you chicken out now!

“Because...?” she prompted.

“I...I fall in love with other ponies. I mean, more than one pony at a time.”

There, was that so hard?

'Shut up,' I directed at my conscience. It remained smugly silent. I hung my head in shame, waiting for the inevitable disgusted rebuttal from Derpy. Instead, I heard giggling. What?! I looked up and saw her covering her mouth with a hoof, mirth at her eyes.

“Oh,” she said through her giggling. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't find any of this funny, but that's it? That's why she dumped you? What an idiot! Oh sweetie, come here!” She got up and hugged me tight.
I was stunned. I mean, absolutely, completely and utterly stunned. I tried to think of something to say, but no words would come. None. Derpy stepped back.

“What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?” she asked, grinning.

“I...” I managed. “You...you're the first pony to not start yelling at me when I said that, or treat me as if I had some horrible disease.”

“What, really? So what if you're poly-amorous? It's not that big of a deal.”

“Poly...what now?”

“Poly-amorous. It just means you love more than one pony. Heh, I should know.”

“Huh? Why?” I asked. Her next few words blew me away and I shall never forget them as long as I live.

“Because I'm one too, silly filly.”

I said I was stunned before. What I felt now was something orders of magnitude above that. That moment is like a snapshot in my mind. The smell of cinnamon, the sound of the big clock by the table, Derpy's mane falling across her face, the feel of the air rushing down my throat as I inhaled...
Time seemed to snap back to its normal speed as relief hit me like a tidal wave. Relief, coupled with gratitude and a whole lot of...something I had to examine before I could say for sure. I crumpled down onto my cushion, fresh tears welling up. I covered my muzzle with my hooves and wept softly.

“Hey, oh hey, Spitfire!” I felt Derpy lay down next to me and lay her wing over me. “C'mere, I didn't mean to make you cry again.” I snuggled into her as I tried to get my crying under control. I smiled up at her through the tears, grateful to finally have somepony who understood.

“Tha...thank you, Derpy,” I managed through my hitching breaths.

“For what?”

“For this,” I said, finally getting my emotions back under control and vaguely waving my hoof in the air. “All my life I've been labelled a freak, or sick, or a monster; called names you wouldn't believe...you name it. Do you have any idea what it's like to go through life like that, then just have somepony say 'It's ok'?”

By way of reply, she stuck a hoof between her eyes. “Duh,” she uttered, but with a smile.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” I immediately felt bad for forgetting about her eyes. You idiot, Firrii.

“Don't worry about it. Yes, I know a bit about how it feels, I went through similar when I was younger. Some kids can be so cruel. But it is ok, you're perfectly normal and there's nothing wrong with being the way you are.” I felt her lips on my cheek as she kissed it, much like she had back in Canterlot. My heart almost gave out on the spot from the sudden, if not entirely unwelcome, contact.

“Why'd you do that?” I asked.

“You looked like you needed it.” She winked and stood up. “I've got to go check on my muffins. Feel free to use the bathroom upstairs if you want to freshen up. Oh! I've also got some make-up in my room, the one at the far end, but I don't know how good it'll be for that bruise. If, you know, you want to try and cover it up.”

I thanked her and stood up myself, drying what was left of my tears. A quick wash would do wonders. As Derpy turned, I flexed my good wing to stretch and I heard something hit the floor. I looked down, surprised.
Sitting on the floor, looking very squashed, was a chocolate chip muffin. It must have been the one I meant to have with my breakfast that morning. I reached down with my wing to pick it up.

“Where'd that come from?” asked Derpy.

“Er...I think it was part of my breakfast. I must have picked it up without realising it before I left.” I blushed, vaguely embarrassed.

“Good breakfast choice,” she giggled. “Here, let me have it. I'll get rid of it for you.” I passed it to her and headed for the stairs.

I headed up and quickly found the bathroom. Inside, I relieved myself and afterward, began to clean up a bit; first concentrating on the underside of my wing, where bits of muffin were caught in the feathers. I examined my jaw in the mirror over the sink. The bruise was visible under my fur quite obviously, stretching from my chin and curving up to my cheek, though there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it. No amount of make-up was going to cover that up. I splashed water over my face, being careful to avoid my bruise and called it a day. Heading downstairs, I followed the sounds of Derpy clattering about in her kitchen.
Inside, the grey mare was busy tidying away some baking trays into one of her cupboards. She closed the door and turned around. Upon seeing me, she gave a start before breaking into a warm smile.

“Oh! You made me jump,” she said. “Feel any better? I see you couldn't do much about the bruise.”

“A little,” I answered. I sniffed the air. “Mmm, those muffins smell great.” I eyed the still steaming treats, my stomach growling its appreciation. I remembered I hadn't eaten since breakfast.

“Hey, hooves off! Those are for after dinner,” Derpy laughed. “Here, let me get you something to tide you over until then.”

I sat at a stool and watched as she started busying herself with preparing me a snack. After a minute, she slid a plate of lettuce and apple slices in front of me, which I gladly tucked into.

“Thanks,” I said around a mouthful of leaves.

“No problem,” she replied, giggling.

I swallowed my mouthful before looking up at her again. “So, um...”

“Yeah?”

“Do...do you have a special somepony? Or more? If you don't mind my asking, that is,” I added quickly.

“After all you've told me today,” she answered, seating herself on the opposite side of the counter to me. “I think it would be pretty indecent of me to not answer a few of your questions.” Her wings gave a small twitch, subtly changing angle. She obviously liked my asking.

“Yes,” she started. “I do have a special somepony. Two, in fact. Both mares and I'm married to both of them, but due to outdated regional laws, only one is actually recognised by Ponyville law.”

“You're not governed by Canterlot?” I asked.

“Not as such, no. Obviously, we fall under the auspices of the Crown, but apart from the over-arching laws that every town and city in Equestria are expected to adhere to; we're pretty much allowed to do our own thing. The mayor sets most of the local laws,” She gave a quick flick of the hoof behind me, in what I assumed to be the direction of the town hall. “But only after extensive hearings and boring constituency meetings. As it stands, polygamous relationships aren't illegal, but the town will only recognise one actual marriage. Any others are just ignored.”

“That sounds...odd.”

“Eh, it's an inconvenience; but at the end of the day, I don't need the state to recognise whether or not I love somepony. I know I do, they know I do and that's all that matters to me.”

“That's the sanest thing I've heard all day,” I said, with a smirk.

“If only the rest of Equestria ran on such logic,” she commented with a nod.

“So tell me about these special someponies,” I said, pushing my now empty plate away. Now that I had reached her and had calmed down from the day's events, I was eager to learn more about this grey mare. “How did you meet each other?”

Derpy scooped up the plate in a wing and climbed down off her stool, walking over to her sink. She propped herself up on the side with her forelegs and used her wing to start running the water.

“Well,” she began. “First there's Rose. She and I met perhaps five years after I settled in Ponyville. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but...” She paused for a moment and, although she was at an angle to me, I could see her chewing her lip before she resumed speaking. “She was married to a stallion when we first met. He was an ass, to tell you the truth. He treated her pretty bad and not a week would go by without a new bruise showing up on her somewhere, or some excuse would be made for a sprained leg or broken tail.”

Almost reflexively, my hoof went to my jaw, feeling along the bruise there. Derpy’s wing-tip dipped into the water coming from the tap, before she grabbed the plug, inserting it into the bottom of the sink. She continued her story while waiting for sink to fill.

“For the longest time, we were just friends. I would give her support when his beatings got too bad, and take her someplace away from town when he got stinking drunk. Eventually, she started sleeping over here just to keep away from him.” Derpy sighed as she dumped some washing up liquid into the steaming water. “Then, about six months after she started using my spare room, he cornered her outside of town and...went berserk. She ended up in hospital and nearly died.”

“Oh, Celestia! That's horrible!” I cried.

“Yeah,” she answered, shutting off the tap with a wing and beginning to dump some plates that were stacked next to the sink, into the suds. “Tell me about it. I stayed with her every day she was there, keeping her company and looking after her. When she was well enough to leave, I took her home and nursed her the rest of the way back to health. It wasn't long after that, that we both realised we'd developed feelings for one another beyond our friendship.” Both wings disappeared into the suds now, as she began scrubbing the dishes with a cloth. “I'd never been particularly interested in stallions to begin with, but for Rose, it was quite a shock that she thought of another mare that way; it took her a lot of time to fully come to terms with it. We took it slow and a couple of years later, we'd gotten married. We've been happily so, ever since.”

Derpy turned her head to look at me, wings still in the sink, a concerned look on her face.

“Please don't tell her I said anything. She's still quite...delicate, mentally, when it comes to that subject. I think she might never get over it completely.”

It clearly meant a lot to her, so I nodded.

“Don't worry, my lips are sealed,” I assured her. “What happened to her husband?”

“Thank you,” she said, turning back to her dishes. “The way I hear it, word got back to Rose's brother in Canterlot about it. Before he came to see her in hospital, he paid a visit to the slime-ball and nopony's heard from the guy since. I've asked around and one or two ponies claim to have seen him running south as if all the creatures of Tartarus were after him, but that's about as much as I could ever find out. Whatever the case, he's not around anymore and that's all I care about.”

There was a gurgling sound as she pulled the plug from the sink, stepping back from it and wiping her wings dry on a towel hanging from the cupboard door underneath.
She sat down on the other side of the counter from me, silent for a moment. I almost wished I hadn't said anything, as she looked pretty upset and the mood was definitely uncomfortable. But then, without warning, she instantly brightened up; ears perking up once again and her wings making a shrugging motion.

“But enough about that,” she said. “There's still the matter of the other Mrs. Hooves.” She chuckled at that. Her ability to just break through a bad atmosphere amazed me; I really hadn't met anypony else like her.

“Do tell,” I pried, smiling and leaning my chin on my hooves. “Who is she?”

“Unlike Rose, she doesn't come from here in Ponyville. She was born in Baltimare, but her family moved to Canterlot when she was still a foal. She moved here about the same time Twilight Sparkle did.”

“Twilight Sparkle? Why do I know that name?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

“She's Princess Celestia's personal student, wouldn't you know? Lives right here in Ponyville, too. Helped stop a bunch of disasters over the years. She was at the reservoir when you came to oversee the tornado duty.”

I cast my mind back, back to dozens of Pegasi whipping through the air, stirring it into a frenzy. Winds lashed at me, loose debris flying around like razor sharp birds, ready to scratch and tear at a moments notice. But on the edge of the maelstrom, bravely clinging to the wind-speed scale, were a baby dragon and a lavender unicorn; her deep blue mane streaked with violet and rose. Suddenly, the unicorn was half-shrouded in steam as the train station forced its way to the front of my mind.

“Oh! I remember her!” I exclaimed. “Hey, she was on the same train as me today.”

“Oh goody! She's back!” Derpy exclaimed, almost bouncing in her seat, a happy grin across her face. Her wings flared outwards and flapped gently a couple of times, wafting the cinnamon scented air around.

“You seem happy,” I remarked, a sly grin slowly spreading across my face. “A potential future Mrs. Hooves, perhaps?”

Derpy's wings snapped shut and she stopped fidgeting on her stool. She looked down at the counter, cheeks flushing and a lop-sided, embarrassed grin of her own on her lips.

“Um...no. Yes. Maybe. I don't know. I haven't really decided if I should approach her about it or not. Anyway,” she continued, looking back up at me with a cute “matter-of-fact” look on her face. “It doesn't matter, we're not talking about Twilight, we were talking about my other wife.”

“Hmm, yes,” I smiled at her. “Please, continue.”

“Her real name's Minuette, though she tells everypony to just call her Colgate. Apparently, there's some sort of toothpaste up there with similar colours to her coat and hair, so her friends started calling her that and the nickname sort of stuck.”

“I think I have that at home.”

“Ha! Well, don't make any jokes about it to her, she's heard 'em all,” she replied with a rueful smirk. “Anyway, all three of us met at the same time. Rose and I were at the local bakery, Sugarcube Corner; looking for a cake for her birthday when Colgate, who also happened to be there, struck up a conversation with us. If I remember rightly, her opening comment was about how she loved the treats there, but dreaded what it did to her teeth. Rose responded with how they always went straight to her backside and before any of us knew it, all three of us were in the park having a cake picnic.”

I raised an eyebrow, an amused look on my face.

“What?” Derpy asked, spreading her forelegs in consternation. “Hey, I'm not making this up, that's how it happened! It sounds corny, I know, but it's true.”

“Alright, alright,” I said, raising my hooves in mock-defence and smiling yet again that afternoon. “Go on.”

“Well, after that, we started seeing Colgate more and more. She would just appear, seemingly at random, wherever we were. At a party, at a show, going for a walk; you name it. Pretty soon, we started inviting her to things along with us. Rose in particular seemed to want her around and, well, she seemed a lot happier when she was, which made me happy.”

She shook her head wistfully.

“Looking back on it now, it was kind of obvious, but I didn't see at the time that Rose was becoming more and more taken with Colgate. She spent a lot of time talking to me about her and, as it turns out, she was spending an awful lot of time with her when she wasn't with me. Not like that,” she added quickly, catching my concerned look. “She wouldn't ever do something like that, but they spent a lot of time talking and getting to know each other.”

She glanced briefly at the clock above the window before continuing.

“A bit later down the road, maybe a year, Colgate turns up at our door; dead serious expression on her face, but clearly nervous as anything, asking to talk with me. By this point, both me and Rose were pretty close to her and she with us, so I let her in. Rose was laid down by the fire, and I remember this clearly; she looked up at Colgate as she walked in and nodded, a little smile dancing on her lips.”

“She knew something you didn’t?” I asked.

A smile appeared on her own lips, followed by a small giggle.

“Colgate was standing in between the cushions on the floor and turned around to face me as I followed her to the fire. As I reached her, she put a hoof to my chest and, I kid you not, planted this big kiss on my lips. Not off to the side, straight in the middle, right in front of Rose.”

“Really?!” I exclaimed in surprise, wings fluttering up briefly. “Just like that?”

“Just like that,” she continued. “I have never been so scared in my life! Surprise or shock just didn't even have any room to register. All I could think was 'What's Rose going to do?! I don't want to lose her!'. I'd never even looked at or thought of Colgate in that way before and here she was, kissing me in front of my wife!”

“What happened next?”

“After she broke the kiss, she stood there blushing furiously, nervous smile and all. I just gaped at her. Rose was actually the first to say something, something along the lines of 'Aren't you going to say thank you?', at which point, she burst out laughing. Turned out that the two of them had been planning this for awhile. The idea was that Colgate would kiss me, so their next announcement wouldn't send my emotions into a tail-spin.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” I said.

“Quite the opposite actually, as it turns out,” she replied, inclining her head slightly. “We all sat down and Rose explained to me that Colgate really liked her, but liked me too. Now, I didn't know this at the time, but apparently, a lot of couples out in Baltimare are pretty much in open relationships and this attitude had been passed down to Colgate. Or, more accurately, she just simply hadn't been conditioned to think it was anything other than normal, like a Canterlot pony might.”

“Huh, I’ve never heard that either,” I said. Derpy nodded.

“Baltimareans just don’t talk about it with outsiders. It’s a cultural thing, I think. Anyway, it came down to it that Colgate wanted to be with both of us and, being closer to Rose, had broached the subject to her first. Rose, being the smart cookie she is and unsure of her own feelings, had suggested that she come over and we all talk about it.”

Derpy got down off of her stool and started fetching plates out of a cupboard, arranging them out on the counter furthest from me. I became aware of a smell I hadn't noticed before, hidden under the cinnamon as it was. A sweet smell, one bespoke of summer evenings and open fields. My host continued chattering away as she worked.

“And that's what we did. We talked over our feelings for each other, the possibilities, how things might work, etc. The basics of the situation were Colgate fancied both of us, Rose obviously loved me and I her, but Rose wanted to explore if she had any feelings for her new friend. I held no feelings one way or the other for Colgate, but after the kiss and learning that she was interested, my mind had started to turn over the issue.” She turned to me, shaking her head again, but smiling. “At the end of the day, it pretty much boiled down to Rose saying she wanted to see where being with Colgate would take her, but not wanting to lose me. She was dreadfully torn and was basically asking me to allow her to explore her horizons.”

Derpy paused a moment, head cocked to the side slightly, as if thinking.

“I think what ultimately made me say yes, was Rose's laugh after Colgate kissed me. It was a genuine laugh, filled with good humour and happiness. I hadn't heard her laugh like that since before she was in hospital. She was actually starting to be happy again and I didn't want to take that away from her, so I said we should take everything at a pace everypony was comfortable with and see where it went.”

She chuckled at that, wings rising and settling back so slightly it almost looked like a twitch.

“I think it's fair to say it went well, very quickly,” she said. “Turns out I really liked Colgate and having more than one special somepony. Although we couldn't get officially married, Colgate presented us each with a bracelet after about six months. Rose wears hers every day, along with the one I gave her, while I reserve mine for special occasions.”

“Wow,” I said, flabbergasted at the amount she could talk. “That's quite the pair of stories.”

“Quite the pair of mares to talk about,” she responded, turning to her oven.

She flipped a dial with one wing-tip and opened the door the other. The delicious smell of baked apples and cinnamon poured out, making my mouth water and my stomach growl. Derpy slipped a pair of oven-gloves on her hooves, reached in, and pulled out the best looking apple pie I've ever seen.

“Oh, that looks gorgeous!” I exclaimed, licking my lips. “Is that your dinner?”

“Our dinner, yes,” she corrected. “You're eating too, you know.” She winked at me as she placed the pie down on the side. “This was going to be for three, but I think I can stretch it to four.”

“Did you make it?”

“Oh, hay no! This is straight from Sweet Apple Acres, on the outskirts of town. They sell just about anything apple related these days, since young Applebloom got involved in the business. I just buy the pie and bake it, they do everything else.”

“So what do Rose and Colgate do?” I asked, for want of continuing my education in the life and times of Derpy.

“Well, they'll be here in a minute,” she answered, gesturing to a clock over the window with a hoof while her wing carefully manipulated a knife, cutting up the pie. “Why don't you ask them yourself?”

I thought that sounded like an excellent idea. I went to wait by the fireplace.

After a few minutes, Derpy came through from the kitchen and joined me on the cushions, draping a wing over me. Since she was on my good side, I returned the gesture and pulled her a little closer. We sat in silence for a minute or two, just enjoying the contact and each other's body heat. After a moment, I felt her sit up and look at me.

“Firrii?” she asked. “I...I want to ask this before the others get here. I...”

“What is it?”

“Do...do you like me?”

“Yes, of course I do,” I answered.

“Good. I like you too. A lot. You made me feel special last night and well, uh, I think I want to get to know you more.”

“Yeah, same here.” I looked into Derpy's smiling face, her strange, yellow eyes shining out at me. Just then, a knock came at the door.

“Oh! That's them!” she exclaimed, hopping up onto her hooves; wings flaring up excitedly. I stood up and made sure I looked reasonably presentable. Derpy opened the door, revealing two mares on the other side.
One was a unicorn with a blue coat, bright blue eyes and a mane and tail that were dark blue on one side; grey on the other.
The other mare was an off-white earth pony with green eyes. Her mane and tail were also bi-coloured; dark pink, offset by a small, lighter streak. She broke into a big smile as the door opened.

“Hey hun!” she practically leapt at Derpy, forelegs wrapping around her neck. Now that she was inside, I could see a pair of bracelets around her left leg; one a plain silver band, the other a more ornate, almost floral affair in polished bronze. Her cutie-mark was a rose. No prizes for guessing who that was, then.

“Hey!” Derpy laughed, returning the hug and planting a solid kiss on Rose's lips. “You seem happy.”

“The flowers did extra well today. Summer always seems to boost sales. Oh,” she said, spotting me. “I didn't know we had a visitor today.”

“Collie, Rose, this is Spitfire,” Derpy said, gesturing my way. “She's from Canterlot and kind of a last minute visitation.”

The blue unicorn paused in the middle of using her magic to set down two small, wooden, heavy-looking boxes. I could just make out an hourglass cutie-mark on her flank.

“Wait,” she said in a strong Canterlottian accent. “Spitfire? The Spitfire?!”

Derpy nodded, grinning.

“Ditz, how in the hay did you meet her?!” she cried, dropping her boxes with an oddly metallic thump. One of them tipped open and spilled some bits over the floor. She was over to me in a flash, vigorously shaking my hoof.

“Collie...” Rose said, exasperatedly. She moved to pick up the bits.

“Colgate, pleased to meet'cha!” Colgate said, her mouth almost splitting her face in two, her smile was that wide.

“Oh yeah, I didn't mention,” Derpy piped up. “Collie's a pretty big fan of yours, too. I don't think she's missed a show for years.”

Colgate nodded, dancing excitedly on her hooves like a filly in a toyshop.

“My favourite was Canterlot '23,” she said. “That finale you did, where you all filtered around each other, getting closer and closer, then BOOM, broke apart as the fireworks started? Awesome!”

“Glad you liked it,” I said, smiling. “I don't think Misty Fly's too keen on doing it again though; one of the fireworks hit her wing and broke it.”

“Oh no!” Colgate gasped. “But she landed so perfectly!”

“Yeah, one of those strange things, I guess. She didn't even know it had happened until she tried to take her suit off afterwards.”

Rose walked over and offered a hoof, generous smile on her lips.

“How do you do, I'm Rose.” I shook her hoof.

“Pleased to meet you, Rose.”

“Right,” Derpy said. “Now that we've got the introductions out of the way; who's hungry?” Colgate let out a melodramatic groan.

“Ohhh, me! I haven't eaten since breakfast!”

“Get yourselves sat down then, girls, I'll get the food. You too, Spitfire.” Derpy headed back into the kitchen.

We all sat down at the table, Rose and Colgate opposite from me, while the chair at the end was left empty, presumably for Derpy. Said pony soon reappeared, with the pie from the oven on a plate, carried on her wing. She dished out a piece each and we all eagerly tucked into it, the only sounds audible in the room for the next few minutes being that of four ponies eating.
Afterwards, Derpy fetched the muffins and we all sat around the table, chatting and making small talk. I learned that Rose was a florist and sold flowers in Ponyville's main square; while Colgate was the town's resident dentist and a busy one at that.
Rose then asked what brought me to Ponyville. After a small pause and a glance between us, Derpy relayed the story of how we met the previous night and, looking to me briefly for permission, told how I came to be in Ponyville. Rose's face took on a slightly haunted expression when Derpy told them of my story of the fight, but she quickly covered it up. She offered her sympathies, saying she knew how I felt at the moment.

“Sooo...” Derpy started. “I said she could stay here as long as she needs. I hope neither of you will disagree?”

To my relief, and Derpy's, judging by her wing flutter, they both shook their heads.

“Nope,” said Colgate. “Even with her situation, it's still Spitfire! And she wants to stay at my place!” She let out a little squeal.

“Me neither,” this from Rose. “You know I'd never turn away somepony who needed help. Especially not one who's been treated like m...that.”

I caught the near slip, but chose to ignore it.

“Good,” nodded Derpy. “Erm, we only have two bedrooms, somepony's going to have to sleep downstairs.”

“That's fine,” I said. “I don't mind staying down here, I wouldn't want to put anypony out.”

“Nonsense,” she replied. “You're a guest and I'll not have any guest of mine sleeping out of a bed.”

“She can have my room,” Colgate said. “I'll sleep down here on the cushions.”

“Colgate, you don't have to...” I started. She held up a hoof.

“I insist. It's the least I can do.”

“I...if you're sure,” I said. “I don't want to inconvenience anypony.”

“It's fine, really. I mean, how often do I get a stunt-devil superstar asking to stay at my house?” She broke into an incredibly infectious grin.

“Not often enough, I bet,” I replied, grinning myself.

“Too right!” We all burst out laughing at that, giggles filling the room.

“Alright,” said Derpy, after we'd calmed down. “Thank you, Collie, that's settled that. So, who wants to try some of that Tall Tale vintage I bought awhile back?”

The three of us nodded in agreement and the rest of that evening was spent swapping tales, gossiping and getting pleasantly drunk on fragrant wine. By the time I climbed up to Colgate's bed, the day's earlier events seemed far away and I felt like a great weight had been taken from around my neck. I was safe from Lily and any potential retribution she might try to level my way; plus, I was in the company of three ponies who looked to be on the fast track to becoming three new friends.
As I curled up on the bed and sleep started to claim me, Derpy's words from earlier bubbled to the front of my mind; about liking me and getting to know me better.
Yes, the next few days were going to be interesting indeed.

I fell asleep with warm thoughts of a grey coat and yellow mane filling my mind; askance yellow eyes shining out, radiating hope and happiness.

Author's Notes:

Big, big, BIG thanks to Tchernobog again for helping me edit this. The dude's a star and deserves some Brony love, so go give it to him.