There is something distinctly magical about the slow dawn of light filtering through the gaps of a curtain ruffled by the wind. A distinct sense of ‘right’ that surges up in one's chest. That is the feeling I got as I slowly roused myself from my sleep. With gentle motions I extricated myself from Pinkie’s grasp, a quick peck on the lips bringing a smile back to her face. In just a few short strides I was standing before the curtains, the flashing glimpses of the wide open skies prompting the corners of my mouth to rise. In a single sweeping gesture I pulled open the curtains, revelling in the veritable bath of sunlight. Not a cloud was in sight, and it was with pleasure that I stepped out onto the balcony, my eyes roaming skyward.

A pair of arms soon wrapped about my waist, and then I felt Pinkie pull herself against my back. I put one of my hands atop hers, gently intertwining my fingers with hers. For a few minutes we just stood like that, enjoying the tranquility of the new and beautiful morning. When, at last, Pinkie broke the embrace I turned around immediately, hugging Pinkie back, and earning a delighted sigh from her. I broke the hug with a gentle kiss, earning an adorable blush on her cheeks. After that she went back inside, leaving me alone for just a moment before I, too, returned indoors.

I watched as Pinkie vanished into my bathroom, and then I tossed myself once more onto my bed, content to wait until she was done to go in there myself. Not that I was opposed to the idea of showering with her. I just wanted to be a bit more productive that day, and I knew that if I did go in there, I’d probably end up wasting most of the morning. As I gently dozed on the bed, only half aware of my surroundings, I let my mind wander to the events of last night, and the promise I had made to not only Pinkie and Dash, but to myself as well. Simply stopping myself from being defensive was a start, but I needed to take the initiative.

At the thought of Dash I rolled off the bed, my destination set. My notepad was still just where I had tossed it earlier, the pages slightly folded due to my carelessness. With a bit of hesitation I picked up the pad, slowly fixing the pages without turning it over just yet. I let out the breath I was unconsciously holding, flipping over the pad at the same time. Written there, in the middle of the page, was just a short message from Dash:

I felt my cheeks grow warmer at the proposition, and I grabbed my pencil, a smile coming to my face as I rested the point on the page.

As I finished my note, the door to my bathroom came open, a small cloud of steam billowing forth. I watched the cloud with rapt attention, waiting for Pinkie to emerge. When she did emerge her appearance certainly didn’t disappoint. The towel that she had wrapped around her body clung to her curves, concealing just enough to give her that casual sexy look she could pull off with such a degree of ease that Rarity often grew jealous. Her hair was wrapped in that magically attractive look that only the women of the world could really pull off. Without a thought I stood and walked over to her, my eyes drinking in her wonderful appearance.

“With a look like that, Icarus, you better be ready to act on it.” She flashed a quick seductive smile before she laughed. “But not now, since I just finished cleaning up, and getting all sweaty wouldn’t do much to help my cleanliness.” I kept up my approach before I stopped just in front of her, my hands settling on her waist. She blushed at my touch, and it only grew as I gave her a quick kiss. She tried to prolong the act, but I broke away, a quick hop taking me out of her reach, and putting me a step away from the bathroom. “I’ll be sure to repay that kiss, Icarus. And I’ll make sure it’s just as... steamy.”

“By the Creator, Pinkie, puns? Don’t you think it’s a bit early?” She only laughed at her own joke, making her way over to the bed. “Go and get changed. I’ll head on downstairs once I’m ready.” Before she could reply with anything more than a nod, I closed the door to the bathroom, sealing myself in the room until I finished what I had set about doing. About twenty minutes after I had started, I finished my shower and shave. The image that gazed back at me when I looked into the mirror seemed far removed from the reflection that had stared back at me just a few days ago. Unlike before, there was that long since vanished spark of happiness present once again.

A genuine smile spread across my face, and soon I was back in my room happily striding about as I gathered and put on my clothing. Once I was dressed I made for my door, the spring in my step quickly bringing me to the door, and then down the hallway. As I reached the living room I saw that I was the last to arrive from upstairs, and I got a small wave from Twilight, who had looked up from her book upon my arrival. Applejack gave me a quick smile before she went back to her discussion with Dash on the finer points of distance running. I made my way to the kitchen as I returned Twilight’s wave.

The scene in the kitchen was much more chaotic than the one in the living room, since Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were all trying to work in a space that could’ve easily fit them all, had they not all been trying to work on the same thing. I approached slowly, trying to see what it was that they were making without making my presence known to them. I fought off the urge to laugh when I saw them fighting over a bowl of batter. “Girls, it works best if just one person makes the batter.”

Rarity just turned to glare at me, a smear of pancake batter marring her cheek. “Yes, but we want to make sure that it’s done right.”

I chuckled softly as I wiped the batter off Rarity’s face, her cheeks flushing just a bit at the touch. “Eggs, flour, milk, and a few other things. Really, it’s probably the easiest recipe I know. Aside from boiling water, but that’s hardly a recipe.” Both Pinkie and Fluttershy turned to look at me as I spoke, and they both had some of the ingredients splattered about themselves. I raised an eyebrow before I pushed them all aside so that I could get at the bowl. “Girls, please. If you wanted me to cook breakfast, you should’ve just said so.”

“We didn’t want you to cook breakfast.” Fluttershy stepped up beside me as she spoke, her hands wiping some of the flour off her clothing. “We wanted to make it without your help, since you’ve been making it for us, and we wanted to repay you.”

I laughed for a moment before I took a quick taste of the batter. “Repay me for what? Making too much food for myself? I cook for me. You are all just lucky that I always make way too much. And that I don’t mind sharing.” After a few more jokes, and a quick fix to the batter, I had the pancakes started. “Seriously, girls, we need to get some more stuff for breakfast. This is getting really old, really fast.”

“Maybe we can pick something up this evening.” I turned to look at Twilight as she walked in, a map clutched in her hands. “I found some interesting stuff on the map that we might want to go and take a look at.” She unfolded it and laid it out on the island, but I turned back to my cooking as she did so. “There’s the cave, here, and a small secluded cove over here that’s supposed to be... Romantic. Especially at night. When the fireflies come out.”

I chuckled as I flipped the pancake in the pan. “Your subtlety is commendable, Twi. I almost didn’t pick up on that little hint.”

I could hear the smile in her words. “Who said anything about getting you involved?” I glanced over my shoulder. “Maybe I’m just interested in the entomological aspects of the location.”

“Yeah, that may be. But I don’t really think that you’d be blushing quite so much if that was the only reason.” She kept silent after that remark, and within about fifteen minutes I had finished all the food, and we were seated at the table, ready to eat the meal I had helped to prepare. Most of the meal passed in quietude, only short bursts of meaningless chatter passing between all of us. Despite the conversation that had passed between myself, Pinkie, and Dash, there was still quite a bit of tension in the air. Finally, as I finished the last of my pancakes, I cleared my throat to garner the attention of the girls. “Ladies, last night, as you probably know, I spoke with Dash and Pinkie. I’ve come to a conclusion, and I figured that I’d share it with you all.” I looked at each of them in turn before I continued. “Each day, from here on out, I’ll answer one question that you, collectively, have. No matter what it is, short of something self-incriminating, I’ll answer to the best of my --”

“When are you going to tell the others about the anniversary?” Every head turned to look at Fluttershy, and I let a frown come to my face. “They all want to know, even if they didn’t know it.”

My frown vanished, and was replaced with a sad smile. “Yeah, but I was hoping we could start with something a bit... Easier.”

Applejack looked from Fluttershy to me, and back again. “Fluttershy, what are you talking about? What anniversary?”

“The anniversary date for when I lost my wings.” Comprehension slowly dawned on all their faces, and I shrugged. “I don’t really know when I’d have told them, Fluttershy. Today, tomorrow, a week from now... I don’t know. I never really set a date in my head.”

“Why not now, then?” Pinkie set her hand on mine, and I looked at her for just a moment. “None of us are going to think any different of you, Icarus. Besides, maybe we can make it something worth celebrating, rather than something grim.”

“For all I know, we might just be able to do that. Not tomorrow, but the day after that.” I let out a humorless chuckle as I shook my head. “That’s the date.” All the girls averted their eyes from mine, and I just frowned, looking between all of them. “What is it? It’s a day just like any other, there’s no need for this kind of behavior.”

“You don’t remember, do you?” I looked at Applejack, waiting for a bit more information to be forthcoming. “That’s been the date of the Grand Galloping Gala for the past few years. You know, that massive party that we go to?”

“I know what you’re talking about, AJ. I still don’t see the importance.”

“We’ve been off having a grand time at the Gala while you were sitting back in Ponyville reliving painful memories, that’s the problem.” Rarity had risen to her feet while she spoke, and she leveled her gaze with mine. “We’ve been promenading about preaching the values of friendship while, all along, you’ve been there suffering silently.”

“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far. I mean, suffering? Really? It’s more like being bored senseless.”

“That’s hardly the point, Icarus.” Twilight leveled her gaze with mine. “We, all of us, have been at the Gala the past two years while you’ve been back in Ponyville stuck alone with your thoughts and memories.”

All the girls started trying to get a word in, but before they could get any more involved I held up a hand, quickly silencing them. “Please, stop. It was my decision not to tell any of you, so you can’t hold this against your reputations. I’m the only one responsible for keeping this a secret.” Silence answered me as the girls looked away from me. “If you all want to do something on that day, that’s okay by me. Maybe we can go on a picnic, or something. Just... Don’t feel bad about what happened. I’m going to get over it, you all can too.” I smiled at them for a moment, but when none of them reciprocated I huffed in irritation. “I just said not to feel bad. And what do you all do? Feel bad.”

Dash glanced at me for a moment, her eyes flitting from the girls to me and back again. “It’s not that easy, Icarus.”

My smile only widened, and I leaned on both hands, matching gazes with each of the girls. “Why isn’t it that easy? Are you saying that it’s hard to change something like that in your head just because one little detail has changed? Welcome, ladies, to my world. It’s nice here, and I know most of the people.” They all looked back at me, oblivious to the small joke, and I remained silent. “But, my world is one that is changing. A dynamic place where the problem is always something new, and the solution is never easy. But, it’s a place I know and love.” I pushed off the table, taking a few steps back. “But, this is a grim topic, and so I suggest we do something better. This is a vacation, after all. Maybe a trip to some notable landmark, or something? Twi, you’ve been looking at those books you’ve got, where can we go?”

All eyes shifted to the bookworm, and she just blushed under the attention. “Oh, well, the books I’ve read have mentioned some interesting places around the island. There’s a big cave on the far side of the island, famed for it’s underground lakes.” I motion for her to continue, and she just blushed a bit more. “There’s not really more to it, Icarus. I mean, at least, nothing that any of you would find that interesting. Just some stuff about the geology, and rock makeup.”

I finally let out a short laugh, the tension of the room seeming to vanish with my outburst. “By the Creator, I thought I could add tension to a room. But, man, you girls have me beat six ways to Sunday. I’m going to fix myself, so I’ll leave all of you to fix this little problem of yours.” I gestured at the table. “And you can fix this, too, since I made breakfast.”

Without waiting for a response I turned in place, quickly heading to my room so that I could change into clothing more befitting an underground foray. By the time I came back down everything was cleaned, and all the girls were ready to go. After checking a map, and gathering some supplies for a picnic later, we set out for the cave on the far side of Firefly Island. The first few minutes of the walk passed in a tense silence as all the girls seemed lost in their thoughts. For, probably, the first time since getting to the island, I found myself wanting to have some conversation, rather than having time to think.

The silence was finally shattered when Twilight let out a sharp gasp, her hand pointing at a plant growing on the side of the road. We all looked on in amazement as she proceeded to very closely examine what looked like all the other trees we could see. I took a few steps closer, but it was Applejack who finally spoke up. “Twi, is there some reason that you’re looking so closely at that tree?”

“It’s not the tree, it’s the bug on the tree.” As I got closer I saw what it was that had garnered her attention. Sitting there, just where Twilight had pointed, was a butterfly with an immense wingspan, nearly a foot across. “Papilio libitina. I’ve only ever seen pictures of them.” Her voice was a hushed whisper as she simply admired the insect. “In some old urban legends they’re supposed to only show up when there’s love in the air. Although some other legends say that they portend immense disasters. So I doubt that they mean anything more than a miracle of nature.”

Dash walked over, and she looked at the butterfly for a moment. She looked between the butterfly and Twilight a few times before she shrugged, and turned away. Fluttershy, on the other hand, got much closer than Twilight or I had, and her eyes went wide at the marvelous creature. She didn’t say a word as she slowly reached out a hand, gently offering it as a perch for the insect. Slowly, the insect climbed onto her hand, and her smile grew just a bit. With its removal from the tree, Fluttershy held it out to us, so that we could see it better. “Papilio ingentem. Third rarest butterfly in the region. Famed not only for it’s wings, but its lifespan as well. Under the right conditions one of these can last almost two years after metamorphosis.” With a gentleness that only Fluttershy could manage, she put the butterfly back on the tree, a whispered thanks escaping her before she turned back to look at us. “And Twilight, they only predict happy events in the old stories. Papilio libitina, a close relative of Papilio ingentem is the one that predicts sadness.”

Twilight blushed as she averted her gaze, one of her feet idly kicking at one of the rocks on the ground. Fluttershy must have noticed, because she quickly approached Twilight, a frown on her face. “Don’t worry, Twilight. It’s a common mistake to make. The visual differences between the two are nearly impossible to spot unless you know to look for them. I mean, I wasn’t sure until I picked it up.”

“I’m not upset because I made a mistake identifying the species. I know that you’re better at that then I am. I’m just wondering how much truth there’ll be to the old stories.” Her eyes flitted in my direction for a moment and I only offered her a smile before I started off down the road once again. “Who knows, though, given our history with myths and urban legends we might just see if there’s any truth to what they’ve said.”

After our brief stop it didn’t really take us that much longer to reach the town. The girls took the lead when we entered the town, and soon we were standing in front of a quaint little inn. The architecture looked like early Canterlot influence which meant that it was probably an original building from the first settling of the island, or someone wanted to make it look that way. A decoratively painted sign hung from a set of hooks on the front, and it depicted a ship with full sails out. “The Swift Galleon.” I softly muttered the name a few more times to myself as I enjoyed looking at the old world style architecture. Sadly, while I had been admiring the design of the building the girls had moved inside. I quickly followed them in, noting with a frown that they weren’t in the vestibule. There were several different directions I could go from here, so I just picked one at random.

I walked down the short hall, and soon I emerged into a quiet little sitting room, complete with three leather armchairs and an impressive looking fireplace. I sighed as I came to the conclusion that I went the wrong way. With a quick change in direction, I made to start back to the entrance, thinking to start over. “Typical.”

“What’s typical?” I immediately stopped walking, and I turned to look around the room once more. The voice was distinctly male, but I couldn’t spot the source of it. “I asked you a question, boy.” I looked up towards the ceiling, scanning the tall room for someone perhaps perched on a ladder. My eyes widened when I realized that the room was actually twice as tall as a normal one, and that there was a balcony running along the second floor. A unicorn was leaning over the rail, his eyes twinkling with delight. “I do hope that you’re not always this swift. Otherwise you might have some trouble in your day to day.”

I smiled when I saw him, a quick shrug preceding my answer. “Not always. Sometimes I do far better than this. As for my earlier comment, it was in regards to my typical choice of paths leading me to this room, rather than the room my friends went to.”

“Ah, they went ahead of you, leaving you to play catch up?”

Again, I shrugged. “I don’t think it was something they did intentionally. These things just tend to happen, and I’ve learned to deal with it.”

“Well, I assume that you’re not here for a room, since you don’t seem to be in the right mindset for a traveler. Normally they gawk at just about everything, taking pictures of anything that moves.” He moved back from the railing as he spoke, his voice carrying in the room. “And the things that don’t move are subject to even more of their incessant photography. Still, what brings you by, then, if not a room?”

“I, honestly, don’t really know. They brought me here, and I was just along for the ride. Although we were headed for the caves, and we passed through town.” I heard the faint sounds of voices echoing down the halls and I turned to look before I continued. “Why are you here? You an owner, or a patron, or...”

“Patron. I’m here with some friends. You’ve probably heard of them, but not me.” He slowly made his way down the spiral staircase in the far corner of the room. “I do damn near all the hard work, and they lap up the fame.” He extended a hand to me when he stood before me. “Solar Flare, manager of the Wonderbolts, at your service.”

I took his hand in my own, his firm grip bringing a smile to my face. “Icarus Phaetheon, close friend of the Elements of Harmony. And I do recognize the name. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“So, you’re the one that Celestia asked us to perform for.” He released my hand as he motioned for me to follow. “I’ll admit, it was a bit of a shock for a personal show request to come in at this time of year. Normally we just get dozens of show requests that we have to sort through.”

“Funny, I thought personal show requests would be more common.”

“At the prices we charge for time and set-up and a half hundred other things? A single show, private or not, costs more than most people make in a decade. Hell, with my salary I couldn’t afford a show for less than two years worth of work. And that’s assuming I didn’t spend a bit on anything else.”

“And we’re getting a show for free?”

The unicorn just laughed as he stopped at a door. “Free? No. Creator, no. The Crown is picking up the tab on this one. To be fair, you got it at a discount. Miss Dash’s quick thinking, and quicker reflexes at the competition did make quite the impression on the ‘Bolts, and they wanted to show it.” He pushed it open, revealing the Wonderbolts relaxing on some couches while the girls sat with them. None of them noticed our arrival, and when the conversation finally died down Solar stepped forward, clearing his throat to get their attention. “Hey, everyone, just thought I’d come by to show Icarus where you all were. Seems that he got lost.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, thanks Solar.” He just flashed me a quick smile before he moved over to sit with the rest of the ‘Bolts. “So, girls, why did we come here, exactly? I mean, we’re going to the cave, aren’t we?”

Dash just waved a hand at me, her annoyance plain to see. Twilight rolled her eyes as she stood and moved next to me. “Yesterday, while you and Soarin were cooking we talked with Spitfire. She asked us to come by today to pick when we wanted to have our little show. Dash chose tomorrow.” I just nodded. “It’s not like we’ve got anything else planned.”

“True, but this seems like the kind of thing we’d talk about, rather than just make a decision on a whim.”

“Icarus, it’s the Wonderbolts. I’m amazed she hasn’t begged them for another set of personally addressed signed posters.” I chuckled softly, content to let Dash have her moment. And it wasn’t like the others weren’t enjoying themselves. With the addition of Solar the conversation began to veer away from the show, and more towards their lives on the road. We spent nearly an hour there before we finally managed to wrest Dash away from her idols. After departing from the inn we continued on our way towards the caves.

As we walked down the road all the girls found ways to keep the walk entertaining. Conversation seemed to flow more easily than it had before the stop at the inn, and it made me happy to see them enjoying themselves. Pinkie spent quite a bit of her time right at my side, her hand sometimes grabbing at mine for a moment before she’d skip away to examine something that caught her interest. Each time she seemed to vanish into the jungle she’d emerge with some oddity clutched in her hands.

A few of the things she came back with were interesting enough to keep. Probably the most interesting of that collection was a ten bit coin that was more than two hundred years old. After that discovery she increased her rate of exploration, figuring that where there is one coin, there are bound to be more. During that time Rarity moved over beside me, her gaze flitting across me as we walked. “So, Icarus, I gather that you, Pinkie, and Dash have settled some things?”

I let out a short snort as I looked over at her. “I suppose you could say it like that. We talked, and we covered some things. But Dash... She still needs to really apologize for what she said. I’m willing to forgive her, but she needs to see that she made a mistake. You all need to see that you made mistakes. Big mistakes. Even Pinkie needs to see it.”

I kept my silence for quite some time as we walked, and Rarity always kept my pace as we went. “Icarus... We... Well, I never really wanted to have the bet. I didn’t think that it was the right way to get you to say or do something you weren’t ready to do. Hence why I have yet to do much in regards to that little challenge, despite my interest.” I glanced over at her, my eyebrow raised. “Dear, even you can’t be that oblivious. I’ve been interested in you for quite some time.”

“I’m not that oblivious, I just...” I faded off, my mind fighting with itself to find the right way to phrase it. “I’m total shit with women, I guess. Still, you, just like the others, said nothing.”

She sighed, taking my hand in her own. “I’m far from perfect. Despite what Spike may tell you, I have my flaws, and one of them is that I hate to break from the standards established by romantic culture. The male is the one who is supposed to approach the female. Not the other way around.”

I glanced down at my hand held in hers. “Well, those standards are stupid and sexist. Societal norms shouldn’t decide who we want to express interest in.”

“I agree with you. Really, I do. But, at the same time, I have trouble making myself do it. Even now I’m avoiding what I want to say because I hope that you’ll pick up on it.”

I lifted our held hands for a moment. “Because this is so subtle. I get it Rarity. But you still have something to say before we can really go anywhere romantically.”

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but a certain pink haired attraction stole her place in our dialogue. “Hey, Rarity, what’re you talking about with Icarus?” Pinkie suddenly clutched at my other hand, her skipping slowing to a walk as she matched the pace set by Rarity and I. “Is it about something special?” Her eyes widened for a moment as she released my hand and started walking backwards in front of us, a hand rising to point at our clasped hands. “Is it about something extra special?”

“Yes, Pinkie, it’s about something ‘extra’ special.” Rarity’s voice had just the right amount of annoyance to it so that Pinkie would get the point. “Now, if you’d give us five more minutes, I’d appreciate it.”

She let out a quick giggle, her cheeks flushing just a bit. “Okie dokie loki! But just remember, Rarity, that there won’t be that special period with Icarus. We’re skipping the first step.” As she finished she darted in for a quick kiss, her lips brushing mine before she skipped off to go and chat with the rest of the girls.

“About that whole exclusivity period...” Rarity trailed off for a moment, her voice dying in her throat. “Do you think that, maybe, when we get back to Ponyville, we could... You know?”

“Let’s just take things one step at a time, Miss Belle.” She playfully swatted at my arm. “Before I make any promise like that, I want to see how things develop between you, me, and any of the others who are interested.”

Rarity just offered me a nod before she released my hand, a small blush coming to her cheeks. “I’m looking forward to it. And, for the hundredth time, just call me Rarity.”

“It’s actually the two hundred and thirty second time. Yes, I’ve been counting.” She quickly shut her mouth, the complaint dying before she could speak it. I only laughed as I jogged a bit to catch up to the others. Rarity caught up a few minutes later, and soon we were idly chatting away the minutes as we continued walking. Dash, during my conversation with Rarity, had started up some stupid competition with Applejack involving coconuts and lots of throwing.

As we arrived at the beach that would take us to the cave we paused for a bit to simply enjoy the scenery. Some shouting off in the distance drew my attention, and I quickly notified the others. After just a moment we started off down the beach, the interest aroused by the sounds enough to make us temporarily forget the destination we had in mind. As we crested yet another dune we spotted a net, along with a team on either side. The shouts of merriment and good cheer were audible even with our great distance, and it was with a smile that Dash turned to look at us.

“Rainbow, we were heading to the cave, remember?” Twilight sounded a bit nervous as she watched the game. “Besides, they seem to be having plenty of fun on their own.” The rainbow pegasus wouldn’t hear any of it, and soon she, and Applejack, were walking over to the group, calling out once they got a bit closer.

I sighed as I started following them. “Well, girls, I think our plans just go derailed a bit. I suggest we go and keep Dash from making a complete fool of herself.” As I reached the bottom of the dune I cast a quick glance over my shoulder to see the rest of the girls following me. In that short time Dash and Applejack had made it to the group, and they were apparently waiting for a lull in the gameplay to pose whatever questions they were going to ask.

Dash, in her usual boasting fashion, decided that she’d speak loud enough for everyone to be able to hear her. “So, you guys seem pretty good. But, I bet that me and my friends could beat the lot of you in a series of matches.” I fought off the urge to stop and scream my frustrations to the sky as I started to quicken my pace. “In fact, what say we make things a bit interesting?”

“Yeah, Dash, by leaving.” I had gotten close enough by this point to hear Applejack’s voice, and she sounded none too pleased with what Dash was saying and doing. “Look, my friend here got a bit ahead of herself. We don’t really want to play with you, we were actually heading somewhere.”

I stopped a few steps behind the two as the largest of the volleyball players approached Dash and Applejack. The guy was taller than even Big Mac, and he leaned down to get on the same level as Applejack before he spoke. “You going someplace, or are you just too afraid to play us?” Dash visibly bristled under the comment, but Applejack managed to keep her cool. “I mean, come on, what chance do you stand against us?” He looked up at the rest of our group, myself included, and he shook his head. “Wow. With a team like that I’m not surprised that you’re chicken.”

Applejack just turned to look at all of us before she smiled. The smile on her face wasn’t a particularly pleasant one, and she quickly turned to look at the man once more. “Oh, see, we’re not chicken. We just don’t want to beat you so bad in front of your little friends.” The man’s smile vanished. “But, I mean, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of, right?”

With an enraged snort the player rose to his full height before he waved all his friends over. “Well, these chumps just challenged us to a set of matches.” He looked back at us, smirking as he spoke. “Best of three. Winner gets bragging rights.”

I stepped between Dash and Applejack, moving right up in front of the admittedly imposing tower of a man. “May I have just a moment to speak to the rest of my team? I think that it’s quite vital that I speak to them, so, if you’ll excuse us. Oh, and to keep you busy while we’re gone, think about the word lebstronomous.” With that, I quickly turned in place, glaring at the two women as they looked at the now confused man. “The two of you aren’t excluded from this chat.” My tone brokered no argument, and they quickly followed me over to where the rest of the girls were standing. Once I was sure that we were out of earshot I rounded on the two girls. “What the hell are the two of you doing? I expected this kind of thing from Dash, but you, AJ?”

“There’s nothing wrong with a bit of competition, sugarcube. Besides, I’m sure that we can beat them.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Overconfidence is, again, what I expect from Dash, not you.”

Dash waved a hand at me before glancing at Applejack. “Icarus, normally you see AJ and I competing with each other. When you put us on a team together, we’re the best around. And with the rest of you to help out we’ll be unstoppable.” I turned to look at the girls behind me, and Dash put a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Icarus, we’ve got this.”

“Alright. Fine. Looks like we’re going to be playing some volleyball.” A small smile came to my face as I watched Dash’s smile grow. After a few minutes of preparing, we ventured back over to the team of players and I finally took the time to look them all over now that we’d be playing against them. There were eight of them, each one appearing to be at the peak of physical fitness. The meathead who we had been talking to was the largest of the group. His friends were made up of five women and two other guys. Several of them were pegasi, one was a unicorn, and the rest were just basic people. Once we got close enough to the net I called out to the leader who had a pained look on his face. “First off, we’re accepting... Well, we’re going to see through with the challenge. My team versus your team, seven on seven. Best of three matches, each one to two points. Pick one of yours to stand out, and we’ll go from there.”

The man just snorted as he looked over his shoulder, the once pained expression on his face vanishing as it was replaced with one of poorly concealed mirth. “Lug Nut! You’re reffing for the matches. These chumps think they got what it takes to beat us.” He looked back at our group, and his smile wavered for a moment. “We doing this Earth style, or full team make-up?”

I just raised an eyebrow, but Dash stepped forward. “Give us a minute.” She turned to look at me, and she rolled her eyes. “Earth style means that we all play without wings or magic. Just what we’ve got in our bodies. Full team means that we can use whatever we’ve got at our disposal. There are more rules in full team, but I think that it’d be a more interesting match that way.”

“I’m all for an interesting match, but which one gives us better odds?”

“Full team, I’d say. We’ve got Twi and Rarity to act as interceptors, and Fluttershy and I can keep the skies under control. It’ll be up to you, AJ, and Pinkie to keep the ground, though.” At my blank expression Dash sighed. “Twilight and Rarity will be responsible for slowing and directing the enemy shots. Fluttershy and I will be making the actual play calls, and the three of you will have to get the ball up to ‘Shy and I after Twi and Rarity do their thing.”

I nodded as I stepped back from Dash. “Well, full team it is.” I held out my hand. “To a fair match? Name’s Icarus, by the way.”

He took my hand, trying to crush it in his vice like grip. “A fair match. And you can call me Iron Ingot.”

“That’s quite a grip you’ve got there, Iron. I assume that it’s from practice holding a certain object long into the night?”

Iron snorted as his eyes widened. “I think this is going to be fun. And no, it’s from working the forge. Doing real work, like a person should. Not that you’d know anything about that, shrimpy.”

I broke the handshake, wresting my hand from his grip. “Please, in the name of the creator, work on your smack talk. That was deplorable. Oh, and before we start, another word to ponder. Phlebotomist.” I chuckled at the sudden confusion that appeared on his face. “Come on, girls, let’s show these arschlochs how we do it.”

We convened on our side of the net and AJ and Dash quickly delved into proper strategy for the approaching match. I wasn’t the only one new to the game, since Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie joined me in asking far too many questions. Within just a few minutes, though, I had enough of an understanding of the rules to work the rest out myself. At the insistence of both AJ and Dash I was standing just before the net on the left hand side of the court, with Pinkie mirroring me on the right, and AJ holding the middle of the net. Twilight and Rarity each had a back corner from which they had to work their magic, and the two pegasi hovered just over our half of the court, the steady beat of their wings lulling my mind into a zen-like state.

The ref, Lug Nut, walked over to the ref stand, where he quickly clambered up to his seat. “Coin toss dictates first serve.” He looked over at my team. “Challengers call the toss.”

Before anyone else could respond, I called out my claim. “Whatever side starts up when you flip the coin.” I got a blank look from Lug Nut, and I just sighed. “Look at the coin, and tell me what side is facing up right now.”

“Tails is up now.” I let him know that I wanted tails, in that case, and then he flipped it through the air. He gave it plenty of spin, and as it arced through the air everyone watched with anticipation as it soared. When it landed it did so right at my feet, and I looked down to see that it had, miraculously, landed on its edge within the sand. Lug leapt from his perch to the ground, and he looked at it with a confused look on his face.

“We serve first, then!” Iron’s voice carried a hint of laughter to it, and I glared at him. “Hey, you wanted tails. It’s not tails, so we serve first.” I wanted to object, but I just waved a hand in his direction before plucking the coin from the sand, and tossing it to Lug Nut. “Hope you chumps are ready to lose.” He caught the ball that was tossed by Lug, and then he walked to the back of the pitch. When he got there he turned back to face us, and he threw the ball high into the air, watching as it slowly spun. Once it started its descent Iron leapt up, and gave the ball a mighty hit, sending it straight towards Rarity.

The familiar blue glow of Rarity’s magic encircled the ball, slowing it a bit and redirecting it towards Applejack. With a solid hit, Applejack sent the ball skywards, towards the waiting pegasi above. Fluttershy gave the volleyball a solid whack, sending it plummeting towards the other team’s side of the net. One of their pegasi swept in to intercept the ball, and with a light tap, they sent the ball up into a lazy arc, rather than it’s previous high velocity flight. One their unicorn then handled the ball towards their two front members, one of whom leapt to meet the ball. With a grunt of exertion he slammed the ball down towards the ground on our side, I lunged towards where the ball would land, and I only barely managed to get a hand beneath it before it met with the ground.

Without any additional energy from a hit, the ball just barely bounced off my hand. Applejack dove beneath it as well, and with a flick of her hand she sent the ball skyward. Dash returned their spike with one of her own, yet their unicorn managed to slow it just enough for one of their pegasi to intercept it. Their return, after getting the ball to one of their front players, was a lazy one, and I managed to give it a hearty lob up into the sky where Dash, once again, managed to spike the ball. With a burst of speed given by Twilight’s magic, the ball lanced right into the sand on their side of the net.

We let out a collective cheer at our minor victory. “First point to the challengers. Score is one to zero. Challenger serve.” He tossed the ball over to our team, and I caught it before lobbing it to Applejack. She caught it with ease before walking to the back line. She gave the ball a few quick spins before finally settling herself in position. With a small smirk, she lobbed the ball high into the air, watching it with rapt attention as it reached its peak and started its apparently slow descent. Applejack almost appeared disinterested as she leapt up to meet the ball as it came plummeting back down to the ground. The flash of fire in her eyes as she hit the ball made it clear just how serious she was about this.

The ball just barely cleared the net, and the other team scrambled to react to the projectile in their midst. One of their ground members got beneath the ball as it flew, and with a grunt of exertion she sent it skyward, allowing for one of their pegasi to redirect it towards our side. Just before it could clear the net, though, their unicorn redirected the ball, forcing Rarity to slow the ball’s destiny with the ground. Pinkie gave the sphere a solid hit, and Fluttershy swept in to deliver it promptly to the other team’s airborne members.

With frightening speed the ball shot down from their pegasi to their ground members. Iron lunged for the ball at the net, and with a surge of magic he spiked the ball onto our side.

Or, at least, he tried to. Applejack, during the brief moment of my distraction, had moved up right to the net. When Iron tried to spike the ball he wound up simply pushing the ball a few inches before it was met with Applejack’s hand forcing it back down and onto the sand on their side of the net. As she landed Iron just stared at her, his eyebrow raised and a hand coming to the back of his head.

“And that, Sugarcube, is how we do it back on Sweet Apple Acres.” My team let out a cheer as the ref went to grab the ball from its small crater on the ground. “Don’t look so glum, though. I’m sure that you’ll do better next time.”

Iron’s face turned beet red as he glared at the gloating farmer, and one of his teammates moved to grab his shoulder. “Just you wait, losers. This was just a fuckin’ warm up.”

Lug looked from me to Iron a couple times before he shrugged. “Two minute rest, then we start the second match.”

I nodded to him before I moved over to the girls who had all gathered around Applejack. “Girls.” They looked to me as I approached, and soon I was a part of the circle they had formed. “That was good, but I think that we need to have a bit of a plan for this whole fiasco. They’re probably less than thrilled with how things turned out, and I’d rather not have to deal with them without a plan.”

Dash flashed me a quick grin. “I got you, Icarus. I was paying attention to them as they played, and I think I’ve got them figured out. Here’s how we’re gonna do things...” Dash did not overcomplicate things, and by the time she finished her previous grin had turned to a smile. “Oh, and I thought up a play. I know it’ll be hard to pull off, but if they return the ball to Fluttershy, or me, I want to try it out.” She got several quick nods. “Great. Now, let’s show these guys how it’s done.”

As we broke up our ring I saw that they had assumed a different setup than they had before. They were more closely mirroring our own arrangement, and I quickly settled my gaze on the pegasus opposite me. She gazed at me with an impassive look on her face, but her eyes never left mine. Lug lobbed the ball over to Iron who caught it in a tight grip. While before there had been a slight spring in his step, there was, now, not even a bit of happiness to his frame. He glared at our entire team before he served the ball.

It just cleared the net as it flew, and Pinkie managed to just barely hit it up towards Fluttershy. She hit the ball back down towards me, and I gave it a sharp spike down towards the ground. One of their grounded pegasi managed to snap a wing under the ball, launching it skyward with a minimum of effort. As it soared skyward yet another pegasus got behind the ball, smashing it across the line towards Fluttershy. Dash was closer, though, and so she darted forward to return the play. My call of warning came too late, though, and the second airborne pegasi on their team swept in and crashed into Dash, sending her, and the ball, plummeting to the sand.

Despite her renowned speed and agility, not even Dash could respond in time to save herself from her swift descent. She managed to rotate herself during her brief trip to the sand, but it did little to alleviate the crushing impact. The ball was lying a couple feet from her prone form, and it stayed there, abandoned as I knelt down next to the whimpering form. The others all moved to her side, the game forgotten as we tended to Rainbow Dash. Twilight’s magic quickly enveloped her form, and she let out a gasp as she realized just what had happened. “Dash, there’s no way you can keep going. We need to get your wing looked at. It’s not broken, I think, but it’s definitely popped out of the joint.”

Dash just looked up at Twi before she nodded. I stood from my spot beside the prone woman, my gaze quickly finding the smug smirk on Iron’s face. Without a thought I began walking over, my fists clenching. He looked down at me when I stopped just before him. “You planned this. Just to win a fucking beach volleyball match you risked some serious physical injury to an innocent pegasus.”

His smug grin grew wider still, and he leaned down to get his face at my level. “Problem?”

“A bit, yeah. See, I don’t much care for that kind of shit. You see, there have been quite a few times in my life when I saw bullying, and did nothing about it. Times when I could’ve changed the way things went, for better or worse, simply by speaking up.” I looked back to the girls, smiling when I saw them moving Fluttershy off the pitch and back towards the road we had come down. Only Rarity was still there, her eyes locked on mine. I looked back at Iron, suddenly feeling braver than I had a moment ago. “This isn’t one of those times. I’m too late to stop the bullying from happening.” I clenched my hand once again. “But I’m not too late to retaliate.”

Before I even knew fully what I was doing, my fist smashed against Iron’s face, waves of pain lancing up my hand from the weight of the blow. Clearly he hadn’t seen the blow coming, since it succeeded in knocking him flat on his ass, but otherwise no worse for wear. It took a moment for comprehension to dawn on his face, and when it did I let out a faint, humorless, chuckle. “Oh my. Not only do you look like a refrigerator, you’re built like one too.” I turned in place, quickly bringing myself to a run. “Now’s not the time for gawking, Rarity, now is the time for running!”

Rarity only managed to keep pace with me for a couple of minutes before she started to lag behind, but it was enough time for us to escape from our pursuers, since, clearly, they didn’t want to follow us into the jungle. When we finally stopped, Rarity was gasping for breath, and I was a bit winded myself. “What... What possessed you to hit him, Icarus?” Her eyes carried an accusation in them, and I just shrugged. “What happened to being a pacifist?”

I shrugged again before stretching for a moment, eager to get the tension out of my legs. “Sometimes, Rarity, there is no easy solution. Sometimes a guy has to stand up and deliver, rather than stick by some silly moral code.”

“What if it had been me?”

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at Rarity. “What, that hurt Dash?” She shook her head, an irritated expression flashing across her visage. “Oh, that got hurt. I’d have done the same thing.” My breathing finally reached a normal pace, and I sat down on a convenient rock while I looked at Rarity. “This isn’t about you, or Dash, or anyone. It’s about doing what’s right. Hell, I’d have done the same for Tam Tam. Things like what Iron did aren’t okay. My reason would be different, but my actions would be the same.”

She stood from where she had sat down, and she sat next to me. For several long minutes she remained in silence, her breathing still a bit faster from the escape. “Did anything like that ever happen back in Manehattan?”

I was about to respond, but I quickly closed my mouth, preventing the quick response I was about to make. After a moment of thought I tried again. “Yeah, a few times. Although the setting was never quite as nice, and the girl never quite like Dash. In fact, I can’t recall a single time I ever had to stand up for a girl. Not that I wouldn’t, just that I never had the chance.” I paused for a moment as I looked at the small clearing we were in. I glanced over at Rarity as she sat beside me, and she looked at me as well. “Kinda glad about that, really. Saving the damsel in distress is just a wee bit too cliched, don’t you think?”

She smiled, and moved a bit closer to me. “It is, Icarus. And so are a lot of things that happen to us everyday. But one of those magical things about cliches? They’ll never go away, and they’ll never be any less horrendous.”

I chuckled for a moment. “Wow, Rarity, what a ray of sunshine you are.” She joined me in laughter, and after we finished I noticed that she had grown just a bit closer. Her eyes stared right into mine, and for just a moment I had to fight the urge to stand. I brought up one of my hands to her cheek, gently wiping away a drop of sweat. With a smile, I planted a quick kiss on her lips, feeling her surprise in her reciprocation of the motion. It only lasted a moment, but that was more than enough for both her, and me. When I broke the kiss I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. Not just because of the kiss, but because of the lone thought that had come to mind after the kiss. “You’re right, Rarity. They’ll never go away. But they aren’t always so horrendous.”

Rarity’s blush spoke volumes, but she made no move to add any more distance between the two of us. I stood from the rock, holding out a hand to the unicorn as she looked up at me. “Come on, Rarity. We need to go and see how Dash is doing. They’ll probably be wondering where we’ve gone.”

She took my hand, and used the motion to pull me into a hug. “Thank you. Maybe we can continue this later?”

I waited for the embrace to end before I offered Rarity a small smile. “We’ll see. But before we do anything there’s a few things that you need to say. Things I need to hear from Pinkie and Dash, and all the others too.” She opened her mouth, but before she could say a word I put my finger on her mouth. “No. It needs to happen without prompting. At a moment when it’s right.” She nodded, and I removed my finger. “Good. Now, if North is that way...” I trailed off as I slowly turned a circle.

“Icarus, are we lost?”

She had trouble hiding her amusement, and I continued turning in place. “No, not at all. We’re simply not where we should be, and I don’t quite know how to get us where we want to be.”

“May I make a suggestion?” I glanced over at her before offering a shrug. “Twilight’s not the only one who can use the teleportation spell. I could move us to the town, if that’d help.”

My shoulders slumped as I sighed. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, you know, if you like cheating.” She just shook her head as she stood up and grabbed my hand. The familiar flash of vertigo passed through my mind as we shifted our position, and I groaned softly as my eyes tried to adjust to the new lighting. “Not only is that cheating, it’s incredibly dissatisfying. I mean, it’s about the trip, not the destination, Rarity.”

“Yes, but when you’ve got someplace to be, and there’s a sense of urgency, few means of travel can beat teleportation.” I rolled my eyes as Rarity started making her way through the town towards the same place I had visited not too long ago. I followed close behind her, keeping silent as my mind raced with thoughts of what I’d say and do with the girls.

Pinkie, Dash, Rarity... I’m pretty much positive about Twi, too. Pinkie will be happy with just about anything, but not just anything will do. Dash won’t admit it, but she likes girly stuff. Rarity’s obvious, and Twi is too, to a certain extent. I’m going to have to start making some plans, methinks.

Rarity pushed open the door to the medical facility, marching right up to the nurse at the desk before quickly, and concisely, explaining who we were, and why we had come here. The nurse offered a quick smile before she stood, asking the two of us to follow her. A minute later, and we were brought to the room where Dash and the others were.

Rarity immediately rushed over to Dash. She seemed to shirk a bit under the attention, but when she spotted me she perked up a bit. “Sorry we’re a bit late, girls. I had to have a chat with Iron, and things didn’t go as well as I’d have liked.”

“Icarus, you punched him in the face. You barely even tried to talk to him.”

I shot Rarity a glare as Dash burst into laughter. “You did what? Icarus, I thought you were a pacifist!”

“Yeah, well, sometimes assholes get what they deserve. Even if it’s from me.” I walked over to the bed, grimacing when I saw that Dash’s wing was still lying at a bad angle. “Any word from the doctors yet?”

“They took a couple X-rays just before you got here. We’re waiting for the results.” Twilight gestured at Dash’s wing before she continued. “I’m almost positive that it’s just dislocated, but the doctors wanted to make sure before they did anything drastic.”

“And, Miss Sparkle, drastic is something we can avoid.” All heads turned to look at the source of the new voice, and standing in the doorway was a doctor wearing the typical garmentry of a doctor. “As you suspected, the injury is little more than a dislocated wing. I can simply, albeit painfully, pop the two joints back in place. Now, Miss Dash, we can use an anaesthetic, if you like.”

“Nah, just get it over with. I’ve had worse injuries that I’ve taken care of on my own.” The doctor just shook his head as he walked over. “I mean, how much can it hurt?”

“Stronger pegasi than you have said things much the same. You’ll see just how it feels when we get this done.” He pointed at me. “Someone’s going to need to help out, since we’re a bit short staffed today. You can help. Hold her still while I work. The rest of you can help too.” After a few quick instructions Twilight and Fluttershy were holding Dash’s wing up, while Pinkie and Applejack held Dash’s legs. Rarity was sitting next to me while I held Dash’s hands. “Now, Miss Dash, we’re going to count to three, and then pop the joint in.”

I adjusted how I was holding Dash’s hands, and she gave me a small smile. “Don’t count. Just... Just do it.”

“Alright...” He trailed off, and I let go of Dash’s hands with one of mine, and I brought it to her cheek. A sudden motion from the doctor prompted a muffled scream from Dash, and a sudden popping sound followed. Both of her legs jerked out under the influence of the spasm, and she nearly crushed my hand in her grip. Her eyes were closed shut in pain, and a few tears trailed down her cheeks. With all the gentleness I could, I wiped the tears from her cheek, caressing her softly.

Dash let go of my hand with one of hers, quickly moving the now freed appendage up to meet mine on her cheek. “Now, we need to make sure that it’s set properly, so we’re going to go through the motions of a flap. Can you do that for me?” Despite the pain on her face, she nods, and slowly starts moving her wing. After a few minutes, during which she had clenched my hand a few more times, the doctor made a satisfactory noise. “Well, it seems that everything’s in order here. I’d suggest that you get some ice on it, and let it rest for several hours before trying to do anything strenuous. As per Miss Sparkle’s ‘request’ a bill will be sent to Canterlot for processing. I’ll get all the final paperwork started, and in a bit I’ll come back with the release forms.” After about an hour the doctor finally returned, a small stack of papers clutched in one hand. “You ladies have a nice day, now. And, please, try not to come back again.”

“Don’t worry, Doctor Greene, I’ve no intention of coming here again this vacation. Nor, for that matter, do I intend to let any of the girls come here either.” Doctor Greene offered me a smile as I led the girls out of the room. However, just before I could follow behind them, the good doctor grabbed my arm, pulling me back gently. I raised an eyebrow as he looked down the hall at the diminishing figures of the girls. “Is there something you want, doctor?”

“I wasn’t here for your last visit, but, um... Is it true? About your wings?” I heaved a sigh as I nodded. “And there’s no residual nerve damage? Nothing at all?”

“Look, Doc, I’ve got things to do. And, frankly, talking about my lack of wings isn’t high on my list. Send a letter to Doctor Gram in Manehattan. She can give you all the details you might be interested in. But, in the name of the Creator, don’t spread it around.” He just nodded, and I flashed a quick smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” With that said, I hopped out of the room, the momentum throwing me into a jog down the short hall. It only took a couple minutes for me to catch up to the girls, and when I did I slowed my pace to match theirs.

It only took a moment for Twilight to fill out all the paperwork for Dash’s release, and before I knew it we were walking out of the building. Dash was leaning on Applejack as she walked, the ordeal with her wing having taken a bit out of the normally dynamic peagsus. At my approach she pushed off of Applejack, throwing her weight onto my shoulder. Her cheeks flushed a bit at the contact, but I managed to keep my gaze level. As we neared the edge of town, I figured that someone needed to break the silence, so I drew in a breath. Sadly, the profound wisdom that was destined to escape my lips never made it to the world.

“So, Iggy, what are you gonna make for dinner today?” Pinkie’s bubbly voice came from right beside me, and I nearly lost my footing in my surprise. “Silly, that’s not how you’re supposed to walk. You just put one foot in front of the other!”

“Pinkie, did you just call me Iggy?” She offered an energetic nod, and I frowned at her. “Please, don’t. I can’t stand that name. It’s just awful. A horrendous mutilation of the wonderful appellation Icarus. And as for dinner? Well, I’ll just have to see what I can whip up with what we’ve still got. Maybe I’ll have to get creative.”

The pink haired girl just smiled as she began skipping ahead, her attention flitting about as randomly as she saw fit. Simple conversation passed amongst all of us as we walked onward towards home. When the house finally came into view Pinkie eagerly ran towards it after collecting the keys from me. Dash and I were the last to reach the house, and I quickly led her over to one of the couches in the living room so that she could rest some. Fluttershy appeared just after I got her comfortable, an ice pack in one hand, and a towel in the other. With a few deft moves Fluttershy wrapped the ice pack in the towel, and she proceeded to help Dash in placing it just where it needed to be. I traipsed to the kitchen after making sure Dash was comfortable, and it was then that I spotted our planned picnic basket.

“Girls, how about we settle for an early dinner now, in the form of our planned lunch, and later this evening we have ourselves something for a nice dessert?” My suggestion was met with approval, and soon I created a platter with a nice arrangement of all the possible fillings for the sandwiches. I also filled a few small cups with mustard, mayonnaise, and any other possible condiments I had on hand. By the time I finished my preparations I had created quite a nice display, despite my lack of available food.

I decided to warm up the bread that we had at the house, figuring that a nice warm baguette, cut into nice sizes, would make a marvelous platform onto which we could build our sandwiches. It took only a short time to warm up the bread, and after that I used a knife to cut it into easily managed slices. With my work complete, I balanced the bread basket on one hand, and the platter of meats, cheeses, and salad on the other.

“May I present to you, dinner du jour. A mix of all manner of toppings, along with a perfectly toasted baguette, cut to size.” I placed the platter and basket on the table in the living room before taking a small step back. “Enjoy.” As I looked up from the dinner I had made, I noted that there were few empty spaces on the couches. The first one I noticed was one that would put me directly between Dash and Pinkie. Rarity and Twilight were sitting on the couch for two, and Applejack and Fluttershy had a spot between the two of them. There was also the reclining chair available. With only a minimum of thought, I moved over to the spot between Dash and Pinkie.

Dinner was a rather short affair, and shortly after starting we had devolved into a conversation about the changelings. The food only seemed to act as a distraction, and by the time we had finished eating it was nearly eight in the evening, and we had somehow gotten to the topic of Oak trees and how they make for the best possible lumber when building a catapult. When a lull appeared in the conversation, I finally decided to take advantage of it to stand and take away the empty dishes and the platter.

With that brief task completed, I took a quick stock on what materials I had available for making a dessert of some sort. After several minutes, I let out a sigh. I silently trudged over to the freezer before removing a handful of ice cubes that I tossed into the blender. Several bananas followed the ice, and then some milk. I tossed in a few strawberries after that, and soon I was looking at my fruity concoction. With a small shrug I turned the blender on, and I started grabbing some glasses out of the cabinet. By the time I had all the glasses out, and the small umbrellas in place, the blender had stopped, the mixture possessing a pleasant pinkish coloration. I poured a small amount of rum into the blender, and I gave it another quick burst of mixing to ensure that it came out just right. Each glass was filled, and the umbrella placed in at a jaunty angle.

I placed the drinks onto a tray, and then I walked into the living room. “Well, girls, it’s nothing all that special, but I whipped up a fruity cocktail with bananas, strawberries, and a shot of rum to keep things interesting.” As I placed the tray down on the table, the girls all grabbed a glass, quickly returning to their seats as they started to imbibe the beverage I had crafted. Good cheer went around the room as we continued the conversation where we had left off, and we conversed well into the night about whatever topic happened to be up for discussion.

During a brief pause Dash put her empty glass on the table before she looked at me, a small smile flitting across her face. “Well, girls, we’re going to be seeing the Wonderbolts tomorrow, so I’m gonna hit the hay a bit early, so that I’ll be ready to go flying with them.” She slowly stood as she spoke, until finally she was fully upright. I glanced at the clock as Dash did a quick stretch and I was a bit surprised to see that it was well past midnight, nearing one in the morning. Twilight followed Dash’s example, and soon all the girls had gone upstairs, save for Pinkie and Rarity.

The two of them shared a quick look before Rarity stood as well, a dainty yawn escaping her as she headed towards the stairs. “Pinkie, Icarus, I’m going to head to bed as well. I do need my beauty sleep, and I’d hate to look anything less than my best for the Wonderbolts. Good night, both of you.”

I gave her a small wave as she ascended the stairs, and after a moment I heard the sound of her door shutting. With a small groan I stood up, quickly gathering up the empty glasses and putting them on the tray I had brought them out on. Pinkie remained seated while I worked, and her gaze seemed to follow me each step of the way. “So, Pinkie, you looking forward to seeing the Wonderbolts again?”

“Yeah, but not nearly as much as Dashie must be. I mean, yeah, they’re fun and all, but I’m no pegasus.” She stood as I made my way into the kitchen, and she hopped up onto the counter beside the sink as I started rinsing out the glasses. “What about you? Won’t it be hard for you to watch them?”

I chuckled softly as I put down the glass I was filling with water. “Pinkie, I live in the same town as Rainbow Dash. I’ve long since gotten over my lack of wings. Besides, it makes me happy to see her happy, and that’s part of why I’m looking forward to it.” As I finished rinsing the glasses I noticed that Pinkie kept opening her mouth and closing it just a moment later. “Is there something on your mind, Pinkie? If so, speak your mind.”

“What were you and Rarity talking about earlier? While we were walking down the road, towards the beach. I mean, I’m almost certain I know, but if it’s just about that, why didn’t she want me around?”

I sighed after I turned off the water, one of my hands coming to rest on Pinkie’s leg. “It’s got to do with you. Not just you, but you girls. That bet, specifically.” Pinkie looked down for a moment, her brow furrowing. That look vanished in a moment, and then she smiled again. “It’s not something to take lightly, Pinkie. What you did, what all of you did, it hurt. I can forgive you all, but you’ll need to take the initiative in earning that forgiveness.” I moved my other arm over to Pinkie as well, and I pulled her off the counter, and into a hug. “But love is a strange thing, and it makes us do strange things.” I loosened my embrace some, and Pinkie gave me a quick kiss. “Now, shall we retire for the evening?”

“Yeah, but this isn’t the most comfortable way you could carry me.” I nodded as I adjusted how I was holding her, and soon she had her head snuggled up against my chest as I carried her. “Much better. Now, let’s head to bed.”

Within just a few minutes I made it to my room, and I gently laid Pinkie down on the bed, taking just a moment to shed all my clothes, save for my boxers. In that short time Pinkie changed into her own sleeping attire, and I just chose to ignore it, rather than wonder how she did it. As I laid down in bed Pinkie pulled herself close to my side. I wrapped an arm around her as her breathing slowed to a calm measured pace. My own breathing matched hers, and soon enough I faded into the marvelous world of my dreams.

Author's Notes:

And so our tale continues. Plans have been set for the next day, so prepare for some description of a Wonderbolts show in the next chapter.