As I came into full awareness, pulled somewhat abruptly from the half sleep I had been in moments ago, I noticed with moderate curiosity that something was draped across my torso, and another something across my face. Both were warm and fleshy, giving me enough evidence to figure out what the objects were, but not enough to figure out who was who. I inhaled deeply, a prelude to a yawn, and the scent that filled my nose told me quite clearly that it was Pinkie across my face. With a level of mental athleticism that surprised me, given my level of wakefulness, I pressed my mouth firmly across what I was certain was Pinkie’s belly, and blew my yawn into it, creating the most satisfying of juvenile sounds. The sound seemed to linger in the air for several moments, and woefully I was unable to contain my idiotic giggling at the sound. The simple act of trying to contain my laughter only made it worse, and before long I was only immobile due to the two beautiful women atop me.

Pinkie, roused from both my action and the consequence, looked down at me with a heavy blush on her face. Given her position over me when she moved, I felt a blush come to my own face as I realized just where my head had been. Rarity rolled over slightly, and she looked at me for only a moment before she closed her eyes again, a small yawn escaping her. “Icarus, love, it’s too early for that.” She let out another yawn. “The sun is just barely rising, so just go back to sleep and we can start doing stuff later.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Rarity let out a gentle hum as she wrapped her arms around my torso, squeezing me softly before settling herself more comfortably across me. Pinkie, though, moved over to my side, so that she was lying beside me rather than atop me. She pulled herself as close to me as she could before she settled down, an adorable yawn escaping her before I lapsed back into the wondrous realm of sleep.

Just over an hour later and I was sliding out of the grasp of the two women in my bed, the urge to use the bathroom overwhelming my desire to remain in their comfortable embrace. Once I finished my date with the porcelain throne I trudged over to my drawers, rummaging through what I had to find something suitable to wear for the morning. It only took a few moments to find attire suitable, and shortly afterwards I was making my way down the hallway to the stairs. As I walked down a familiar scent assaulted my nose, and when I made it to the kitchen I was surprised, slightly, to see Applejack already there and working. She was quite involved in her motions, and I took a seat on one of the stools at the island so I could watch her as she worked.

A tune soon escaped from her, changing between humming, singing, and whistling as she moved smoothly from one task to the next. I felt myself sinking into her tune, but not losing my ability to keep track of what was happening. Each time she sang I could hear the words before she actually sang them, and I was sorely tempted to join in a few times, only resisting with all my willpower. For the better part of twenty minutes I just watched and sang silently alone with her until, finally, she twirled in place, her eyes locking with mine as she spun. As she looked at me her cheeks flushed immediately, her grace and elegance lost instantly to the nerves that suddenly overwhelmed her.

“Please, AJ, continue. It’s quite nice to hear music that comes from the heart that I can remember.” I gave a small shrug. “That magical harmony stuff never sticks in my mind. That, and it makes up for the fact that you ruined my chance at making waffles with ice cream this morning.” She only looked at me for a moment before she turned back to her cooking, the blush in her cheeks only growing as she worked.

It only took a moment before she finally turned and looked at me. “I can’t do it, Icarus. Not knowing that you’re watching. I’m no Sweetie Belle. I can’t just sing whenever.”

I offered a small smile in return. “Someday, Applejack, you’ll find that’s just not true. Maybe it won’t be me that you sing for, but you’ll find someone.” Before she could say anything in response, I stood, stretching for a moment. “I’ll be back in a little while. A nice morning walk will do wonders for my mind. And, perhaps, you’ll appreciate the solitude of cooking.” I walked from the kitchen quickly, well aware of Applejack’s eyes on me as I left the house, and stepped out into the already warming morning air. I had no real goal in mind, so I just wandered aimlessly about the house for several minutes before I started off along the road towards town. I had no intention of going down that far, but the walk was pleasant just for the simple sensation of motion and activity.

As I stopped to turn back towards the house I looked out over what I could see of the island, the small rise I had crested offering me a nice vista of the island. I couldn’t see the whole thing, but I could see the large mountain that made up a large portion of the side of the island, and I knew, then, that I wanted to go to the top. I recalled a section in some of the books I had read about the now dormant volcano, and it seemed like a trip that was worth taking. Not only would the view be nice, it would also allow me a chance at some more exercise. With a goal for the day in mind, I turned in place, ready to head back to the house, only to find myself face to face with Dash. Or, at least, I could see her a short distance away, heading towards me.

She visibly flushed when I looked at her, and her pace towards me seemed to falter as she noted my gaze. I ignored the stumble, knowing that pointing it out would accomplish nothing at all in a positive direction. I waited patiently atop the rise as Dash approached, and when she was finally beside me I gave her a small smile. “Good morning, Rainbow.”

“Morning, Icarus.” Her tone was different from normal, but I didn’t comment on it, certain that it’d spark a reaction I didn’t want in the pegasus. She opened her mouth to speak, but when no words seemed forthcoming she quickly closed her mouth, instead averting her gaze away from mine. “Sorry about... You know, what I said.” She looked back up at me, her eyes misty. “I didn’t mean what I said about your dad. I just wanted to impress the Wonderbolts, and I didn’t even think about how it might’ve made you feel.” A tear made its way down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, hoping that I’d missed it.

“Dash, I know that you didn’t mean it, and you’ve already apologized for it. Besides, it’s not like you said anything offensive. You just brought up a topic I’d rather keep a bit more discreet.” I stepped forward, pulling Dash into a quick hug. “Give it some time, Dash, and then we’ll have our real first time. A chance to... Creator above, this is so cliched. You know where I’m going with this, right?” She quickly nodded, her cheeks flushing. “Good. I don’t much want to get into this mushy crap, and I know you don’t either. I’m much better, it seems, when the mood makes itself, not when I try to make the mood. That said, shall we head back to the house? I’m interested to see if AJ’s cooking measures up to Granny Smith’s.”

The rainbow haired pegasus just stared at me for a moment before she began walking, her cheeks flushed even more deeply than before. After just a few steps, she looked back at me. “Thanks, Icarus.” She quickly looked away, and resumed walking. I followed behind her moments later, ready for breakfast and whatever else the day might be waiting to throw at me.

“Admit it, Icarus.”

“No. I won’t, and you can’t make me.”

“Say it. You know it’s true, and so do I.”

“No, it’s... I haven’t even tried yet! You don’t know that’s true.”

Applejack planted both her hands on the table, her knowing smile already telling me the outcome of our little debate. The looks from the other girls around the table was further proof that I was woefully outmatched. Regardless of the inevitable, I was going to go down swinging. “Granny Smith’s are better. And even she compliments my cooking.”

A flicker of surprise crossed her face. “When did... When did you cook something for Granny?”

“Not too long before we left for here, actually. It wasn’t apple pancakes, but it was still amazing. Not a direct quote, mind you, but she was still surprised that a... Oh, she phrased it so well. ‘Well butter my butt, and call me a biscuit! You sure can whip up a mean apple pie for a city slicker! And you even got the lattice on without it breaking or crumbling!’” I smiled at Applejack a moment longer before I returned my gaze to the apple pancakes on the plate before me. My glare would’ve turned sand to glass, but the breakfast confections seemed immune to my loathing.

“Icarus, really, AJ made some great pancakes. Just try them.” I looked up at Pinkie, my glare bringing a blush to her face. “Not that yours are bad, I mean. Just, well, hers are good too.”

“Icarus, all joking aside, they’re not bad at all. Granted, when it comes to working with apples, you’ll be hard pressed to find someone better than AJ.” Twilight’s voice broke my funk, and I grabbed a fork, reluctantly jabbing it into the fluffy pancake. “I swear, Icarus, you’re a child.”

I muttered under my breath as I ate my food, silently stewing in my growing dislike for the delicious food. After the, thankfully, brief meal, I finally put down my fork. I looked up from my empty plate to see Applejack with a grin on her face. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, you know, if you like good pancakes.”

“Glad you came around, Icarus.” She settled into her seat, the grin on her face blossoming into a full smile. “Now that we’ve cleared up that little matter, what are we going to do today? I’d like to spend another day on the beach, but I don’t want to be the only one to make a suggestion.”

Silence was the immediate response, so I took it upon myself to propose what I, at least, was going to do today. “I was actually thinking that I wanted to climb up the dormant volcano on the island. Get a nice view of the island, and enjoy the exercise that comes with it. But I don’t think we all need to go somewhere together. If any of you want to come with me, that’s cool.”

“Personally, I was hoping to make another trip into the town. Perhaps peruse some of the wares offered.”

“Well, I guess I know that I’m going to the beach, now.” Applejack smiled at Rarity. “I’m not going to be your pack mule again, Rarity.”

After a bit more dickering, we finally concluded that we’d be going out in three goups. Dash, Twilight, and I were going to scale the volcano, while Rarity and Fluttershy headed to town, and Applejack and Pinkie took to the beach. After the cleanup for breakfast, we each took to our rooms to prepare for the day. I took a much abbreviated shower, and within just ten minutes of heading up to my room I was waiting in the living room for Dash and Twi. Dash was the second down, after me, and she threw herself onto the couch beside me as we waited. Another ten minutes saw the rest of the girls down, and shortly after that we all headed out for our respective destinations.

Having spent some time looking at the various maps for the island, I took the lead as we wound through the jungle, sticking mostly to the paths. A decision which seemed to do wonders for Twi’s nerves. Not that she admitted it. Dash, on the other hand, seemed all too eager to get going at a rapid pace, and a few times she took to the skies in order to burn off her pent up energy and excitement.

It was during one of Dash’s flights that Twi took my hand in hers, squeezing it just enough for me to notice. When I looked over at her, she just gave me a warm smile and a quick peck on the cheek. “Why did you --”

“Even if you don’t say a word, Icarus, you sometimes make it incredibly clear when you’re upset. She’s not doing it to bother you, she just can’t help being who she is. Asking her not to fly would be like asking me not to use magic.”

“Yeah.” Silence overtook the two of us once again, and a few minutes later Twilight released my hand, choosing to go and look at some of the flowers that dotted the bushes along the path. Dash met up with us a few dozen yards later, her brow shining with just a bit of sweat. She said nothing when we met up, and soon the three of us were walking along the path in silence. After half an hour more of walking, we finally came to the base of the volcano, the gradual shift in landscape occurring as the ground got rockier.

We quickly found the right trail when it forked, and soon after reaching the base of the volcano we were scaling it as we wound along the many twists and turns. “So, girls, what do you think of the volcano so far? I mean, sure, it just looks like any other mountain, but if you know what to look for you can see all sorts of little details that make it clear that it was an active volcano not too long ago. Geologically speaking, at least.”

Dash looked around for a moment before she shrugged. “It’s cool, I guess.”

I looked at her for a moment before her dismissive comment clicked in my head, and a huge grin came to my face. “It’s only cool because it’s dormant, Dash!” I contained my laughter for only a moment before I had to stop I was laughing so hard. Dash just tilted her head as she looked at me, and Twi face-palmed.

“Icarus that was horrible.” Twi’s grin said otherwise, and I only laughed harder because of it. “Really, Icarus, that was so bad, it hurt. Please, never tell that joke again.”

“Was... Was it too hot to handle, Twi?” My second attempt only increased the volume and intensity of my laughter, and the girls both sat on conveniently located rocks as I weathered the storm of laughter. Several more terrible puns escaped me as I tried to get over how funny I was, and less than ten minutes after I started my bout, I finally drew myself up, the jokes having abated.

“Done, Icarus?” I nodded, and the two girls took the lead as we resumed our trek up the volcano. “Anyway, while you were busy enjoying the fruits of your comedy, Dash and I were talking some. We figure that now is as good a time as any for you to share some details about what you get up to while the rest of us are doing stuff. Like, for instance, just a short while ago when we headed up to the Crystal Empire to stop King Sombra.”

I hopped over a crack in the ground before I looked at the two girls. They were still walking up along the path, but they had slowed down enough to let me get between the two of them. “Oh, well, nothing really. Despite all the excitement you had up North, not much happened back in Ponyville.”

“That’s not quite what I heard.” Dash had a smirk on her face. “I heard that you were quite productive when we went North.”

Twi raised an eyebrow, and then her eyes widened. “Yeah, I heard the same thing. From multiple people, too. Bon Bon, the Cakes... There was someone else, too.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose if you count that little bit I did around town, yeah. I did help the Cakes, but I don’t recall doing anything for... Oh, no. No, I know what you’re talking about, now, and that didn’t happen.”

Dash’s smirk grew into a full smile, and she moved closer to me. “It didn’t happen? What do you think Lyra would say if she heard that?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you head back to Ponyville and ask her?” I gave a sharp kick to one of the rocks on the ground, a grin coming to my face as it arced through the air. “That wasn’t anything, Dash.”

“I’ve only heard some really silly rumors about it, Icarus.” I looked at Twi, and she had a smile on her face. “Could you just explain what happened?”

“Fine. The first day you were gone nothing happened. I swear. The second day, though...

“Alright, Mr. Cake, just don’t mess with these two knobs, and you won’t have to worry about another gas leak.” I stood up, wiping a bit of grease off my hands and onto my jeans. “Also, for your sake, keep the twins out of the kitchen until that epoxy sets, and I have a chance to double check the seams. You do not want them getting it on their hands, since that will require a trip to the hospital. This stuff does nasty things to untreated skin.”

Mr. Cake gave me a weak smile before he looked at the mess I had made of his kitchen. “I really appreciate this, Icarus. I didn’t even think they could move the oven, let alone snap the pipes. I guess Cup and I are going to have to restrict the kitchen again. Not that it stopped them before.”

I observed the mess as well, and I gave Carrot a friendly pat on the shoulder. “This mess won’t take too long, to clean. In fact, I’ll help out, free of charge.” Carrot’s smile grew quite a bit at that, and soon the two of us had gotten the kitchen back to how it looked before I got in there, and both Carrot and Cup were pleased to see all that I had done. “So, the repair was forty bits, plus thirty for labor, less twenty percent for friends and family discount... Call it fifty bits and we’re even.”

As Cup counted out the bits into a small pouch, I gathered up my tools, making sure that each one was still in proper order and condition. Once I had the last of my tools, I went out front to see the Cakes with a small bag of bits, a wrapped up box, and a small card. I took the box and bag, figuring that I already could guess the contents. The card, though, flummoxed me.

“I don’t really need a business card, Cup. I live in town, and there’s no way you’ll forget me. Not after how often I have to come in to help with the disasters your children cause.”

“Oh, it’s not a business card, Icarus. It’s a special discount card. We bakers across Equestria stick together in order to keep ourselves afloat. We trade all sorts of things, in order to keep business fair and thriving, and one thing we all agree upon is treating our customers right. That little card will let any bakery know that you’re a valued customer. In a nutshell, it’ll get you a discount nearly anywhere you go. And, if it’s ever a necessity, a possible place to spend the night.”

I looked at the small card again, this time in a new light. “All that because I fixed some pipes for you?”

Both bakers laughed for a moment, and then Carrot put the card in my hand before he started walking me towards the door. “You’ve done quite a bit more than help out with some repairs, Icarus. Although I can’t tell you quite what you’ve done, I’m sure it’ll be revealed to you before too long.” Just as we reached the door to the bakery, the portal burst open, revealing a distressed looking woman.

She seemed totally out of it before her gaze settled on me, and a flash of recognition passed over her face. “Icarus! Thank the Creator! I need your help, now!”

“Whoa, Bon Bon, what’s going on? Is the refrigerator acting up again? I told Lyra not to --”

“No! Worse!”

“Tell me she didn’t do something to the toaster... Not again.” All I got in response was a shaky nod. “Oh shit. Alright, it’s at your place?” Another nod. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Just... Just make sure that she doesn’t cast any more spells on it! The poor machine can’t take the kind of magical exposure she’s liable to give it.” Bon Bon didn’t respond, instead turning and running down the street, back to her house. After just a moment, I let out a huge sigh and I looked at the Cakes. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing. Bon Bon just tends to get overly dramatic really easily. Probably just a jammed spring, or something.” The two of them only smiled as I gave them a wave. After a rather brief walk, I arrived at Bon Bon’s house.

The building, designed in much the same style as all the other buildings in Ponyville, carried a distinct charm to it. I approached the door with a smile on my face, ready to face the coming challenge with the grace and patience of a saint. I could only knock once before the door was pulled open, revealing a frowning unicorn. Her visage brightened immediately when she looked at me, and I returned her smile with one of my own. “What happened this time?”

“Nothing at all. Just... Just come and see.” I followed Lyra through the house, and soon we stood in the kitchen where Bon Bon was staring at her toaster with an expression of fear most reserved for staring down a horde of angry minotaurs. “Bonnie, I brought Icarus in. Maybe now he can explain what the problem is.”

I approached the toaster casually, looking at it for a moment before I realized what the problem was. “It’s unplugged, Bon Bon.”

“What?”

I pulled the appliance off the counter, gesturing at the dangling cord. “It’s unplugged. Not broken, or possessed, or even a parasprite in disguise. It’s just unplugged.” I returned the brave little machine to its home, whispering a few encouraging words before plugging it back in. “Not the end of the world after all. Just make sure your appliances are plugged in, first.” I turned back to look at the flushed woman with a smile on my face. “And, please, Bonnie, for all of our sakes, cut back on the dramatics. Not everything is the end of the world. It’s been at least a week since the last disaster struck.”

“But what about --”

“No. Trust me. Unless there is a real chance of bodily harm, you don’t need to worry.”

She blushed even more as she walked over to Lyra. She spoke quickly to the unicorn before she left the room, muttering something about needing to rest some after all the excitement. “Did... Did I upset her with my comments?”

“No. More of the usual, really. I love her like a sister, Icarus, but sometimes I just can’t understand how she reacts like that to nearly everything.” I gave a shrug as I started for the door, my work already done. “You’re going already?”

I turned to look back at Lyra. “Well, yeah. Is there anything else that needs doing?”

“Well, no. But I was thinking that maybe we could hang out some.” Her cheeks flushed just a bit. “I mean, if you’re not busy. You’re coming by here often enough, and I see you all over town, but we’ve never really hung out. This is, what, the tenth time you’ve come by?”

“Eleven times in the past three months. Just two more times for a new three month record.”

“Exactly. And you never charge, either.”

“Because I never have to do anything.”

“Yeah, I know. I was thinking, though, that I could still pay you for what you do. Maybe go out for lunch, or something?” She looked down at the ground as she spoke, and I chuckled as I shifted my tool bag from one hand to the other. “But, I mean, if you’re busy we --”

“No, that’s fine. I don’t have any other jobs to do till this afternoon, so lunch, or something, sounds just fine.”

As I finished speaking we finally reached the rim of the volcano. The rather impressive looking depression sloped down sharply to a beautiful lake with an island at the center. The serenity of the moment was shattered by Dash’s voice. “What the hell, Icarus? You go out to lunch with her, but not with any of the rest of us? What gives?” I looked over at her with a frown, and she only seemed to grow more irritated. “I was dropping hints for weeks before that, and I never even got the time of day from you!”

“I went out with her because she asked, and every time we ever hung out, Bon Bon related or not, it was a totally innocent occasion, and she didn’t pry, or ask any questions. She just let me be who I was, without forcing me to try and change.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly shut it. Dash took advantage of the silence. “So she just let you keep on going down that long road to loneliness? What kind of friend is that?”

“One who respects personal space. I did share some with her, but I did it at my own pace, not one forced upon me.”

“Dash, she was able to put her concern aside to let Icarus reveal what he was comfortable with. We... Or, at least, I, was always trying to figure out what was wrong. Based upon what we’ve learned from Icarus, though, that wouldn’t work, since he wasn’t comfortable with what happened to him.” Twi looked at me for a moment, and I nodded for her to continue, since she was right so far. “He had enough interaction with us, though, that he was able to form a bond with each of us. Now that we’re finally giving him some space, and forcing some sharing of information, buried feelings are now free to surface, on both sides of each relationship.”

I looked between the two girls for a moment before I shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose that’s about it. You were all pushing for it too hard, and I didn’t want to have to talk about things I wasn’t ready to discuss yet. Now that the matters I was concerned about have been brought to bear, I’m more comfortable, since I don’t have to guard what I say. Now, we didn’t really come out here to discuss my dealings with Lyra, so how about we just enjoy the expansive vistas some more?”

I walked a few steps closer to the lip of the depression before I let out a small sigh.

It’s like clockwork. Dash asks a question, and we start to argue... I just wish I could figure out the root of the whole thing, and deal with that.

We enjoyed the view for a while before we started down a narrow winding staircase that led to the lake at the bottom of the crater. At least, Twilight and I did, while Dash took to the air and glided down to the small pier at the end of the staircase. The water in the crater was crystal clear, revealing the different types of lava flows that had been in place at the last eruption. Twilight quickly went to one of the information boards on the pier, and I quickly moved to the edge before leaping over, and onto the crunchy rock that formed the coast of the lake. The stone was remarkably brittle, and the many small stones crunched beneath my weight.

Before I was even aware of it, I looked back to see that I had actually walked nearly a quarter of the way around the lake. I shrugged it off, figuring that I’d continue my walk and finish a lap. The chance at some peace and tranquility was much appreciated, and I sank into my thoughts as I clambered over the large rocks, and around the ones too steep to scale. The challenges presented in a physical sense paled in comparison to the mental hurdles that I was facing myself with each step I took. Rarity and Pinkie had both been, in a sense, conquered. I would never think of them as prizes, but the subtle shift in our relationship had won me them in the most complete way.

Twilight was on the way, her demeanor around me showing every indication that she was interested in me in a far more than platonic way. Her past, much like mine to me, was something that was holding her back in a way that I was all too familiar with. I didn’t want to pressure her, though, so I was content to wait until she decided to reveal what she was hiding to me.

Then, though, there was Dash. She seems so sure of herself most of the time, but then there are those fleeting moments when she changes quite a bit. Moments when some other, different, Dash comes to the surface and has to fight to make herself heard over the normally boisterous front Dash uses. All of the girls, had, at one point or another, spoken to me about the polychromatic pegasus, and I was sure that they all had at least a part of the truth given to them. Potentially, the problem had to do with her constant desire to win, and be the best, but I’d have to do some more digging and probing to see if there was any truth to that matter.

I paused in my musings to take stock of where I was, and I was only slightly surprised to see that I was nearly two thirds of the way around the lake. From where I was I could see Dash flying about the pier, and Twi was there as well, although I couldn’t make out what she was doing, if anything. Just a moment later, and I leapt off the top of the boulder from whence I had made my observations. As I landed, I heard an unusually loud crunch, and when I looked down at my feet I found myself looking at a large opening in the rock into which my foot had partially fallen. After letting out a sigh of relief that I hadn’t broken anything, or some other terrible fate, I looked into the opening, curious as to what might be inside, if anything.

When I looked into the opening, there was a quick flash, and as the spots faded from my eyes I looked at a piece of parchment rolled up with an intricate looking seal on it. The mark wasn’t one of Celestia’s seals, nor one of Luna’s, so I was curious as to who would have the capacity to get this piece of parchment to arrive in such a specific place at such a specific time. I quickly pulled out the sheet, and with practised ease I opened the seal, and looked over the contents. The shopkeeper from the jewelry store had sent a simple missive, telling me that the other amulets were all prepared, and that I could come to pick them up when I was ready. The signature at the bottom was smudged heavily, and just below it was a rather wondrous string of expletives and explanation for the smudge. I only chuckled as I folded the parchment up before stuffing it into one of my pockets.

As I stood up from my distraction, I looked to the sky for a moment, relishing the clear blue beauty, before I started walking once again. It seemed to take far shorter to walk the last third than it had to walk the first two thirds, but I didn’t think much during that last bit, only enjoying the scenery, so I suppose that somehow it all balances out. Rainbow Dash and Twilight were both sitting on a bench talking as I approached, and the pegasus embraced the unicorn for a moment just before I could get close enough to hear what was being said. When I was finished climbing back up the pier, and walking over to them, they had both stood up.

“So, girls, are we ready to head to town and get something to eat? Or would you rather we head back to the house and get something?” Twilight glanced at Dash for a moment before the pegasus took to the skies, her prismatic trail acting as an indicator for just how fast she was going. “Was my question that offensive, or am I missing something?”

“You’re missing something. While you were walking, for nearly an hour, mind you, Dash and I spoke, and we decided to have a simple picnic here, rather than head back to town, or something similar. It’s nearly two, now, anyway. Dash won’t be long, so we’ll have ourselves a nice late lunch, and then head back home. Sound good to you?” I nodded, and true to what the unicorn said, Dash arrived not long after she left, a large basket in her hands.

After our meal, and a pleasant conversation to go with it, we were walking out of the crater, enjoying a companionable silence. I trailed behind the other two on the ascent, my gaze roaming across the landscape as the shadows shifted and lengthened, throwing the crater into an early dusk. As I crested the rim of the crater, I admired the view afforded. While not quite the highest point on the island, that was the far side of the rim, it was the second highest point. From up here the entire island, or, nearly all of it, could be seen. I only lingered for a moment before I noticed that the girls were already heading for the path that led back down to the jungle, and I put just a bit of energy into my pace to catch up to them. Our descent was no more notable than our ascent, and soon we were navigating the thick jungle, heading for the town, and then to home.

As with all things, it was easier said than done, and we were forced to cross a few unmarked streams before we encountered a main trail that could take us to where we were headed. We walked in near silence until we reached the trail, and it was only then that one of them decided to linger a moment to let me catch up. The warm smile on Twilight’s face as she looked back at me brought a smile of my own to my face, and soon the two of us were walking together just a few steps behind Dash.

“So, Icarus, what’s on the menu for tonight? Something exotic, and special, or something tried and true?”

I cast a quick glance at Twilight before a smile came to my face. “Well, since I was denied the chance to make breakfast, and I made a promise to Pinkie... Dinner tonight is breakfast. Waffles. With ice cream. Which reminds me, we really need to go by the market. Again. To get more stuff. I swear, if I didn’t already get a discount I’d consider asking for a preferred customer discount.”

“I still find it hard to believe that you, of all people, got in the way of the thief.” I looked away from Twilight to look at Dash who had dropped back to join in. “From what you’ve told us, or at least me, you’re the biggest softie I know. You don’t fight with anyone, like, ever.”

“This wasn’t really a fight, Dash. More like a brief intersection. And while I’ll admit that I’m a pacifist, it only goes so far. Ask Rarity. She saw me when we were at the beach after the volleyball game.” Dash visibly winced at the mention, and a hand rose to the wing she had injured. “Not my finest moment, really. I handled it like an ass.”

“I’m glad you did it. Assholes like that don’t deserve the way you deal with people.” I laughed loudly at that, ignoring the looks from the girls. “It’s not that funny, Icarus.”

“Dash, maybe some other time I’ll explain just why that’s as funny as it is. Suffice to say, the various bureaucracies of Manehattan came to dread the name Phaethon.”

“What did you do?”

I waved a hand at the pegasus, my smile growing. “Another time. It’s a long story, and I’d rather not start it now, only to have to interrupt it. Since, as you can see, we’re nearly at the edge of the town.” True to my words, the town came into sight when we rounded the latest bend, and I let out a silent sigh of relief, glad that I was right.

Thank you pegasus instinct, and a damn good sense of direction and distance...

Our walk through town was blessedly brief, and the time at the supermarket was even more brief than our walk. Quill gave me a smile as he saw me, and his smile faltered for just a moment as his gaze passed over the two women. I only shrugged quickly as the girls and I made our way to the back, where the freezers were. Dash and Twilight each picked out a flavor they liked, and I grabbed the two, as well as a carton for myself, and soon we were heading back up to the registers. Checkout was quick, and within five minutes of entering the supermarket, we were back out and heading for home.

Just as we were getting to the road I heard my name called, and I paused to look over my shoulder. There, walking at a brisk pace, was Rarity, laden with several bags of her purchases, and Fluttershy was just behind her, only one bag held in her hands. They quickly caught up, and Rarity immediately began going through the list of each and every item she had purchased. I humored her for the first couple minutes, but after that my responses were rote and automatic.

When our vacation home finally came into view, I stopped dead in my tracks, as did the others. Sitting there, on our front lawn, with Pinkie sitting atop it, was the biggest sea shell I, or anyone, had ever seen. Applejack was standing in front of the shell, looking up at Pinkie as she idly swung her legs over the edge. When she spotted us, though, Pinkie leapt from atop her prize, skipping down the road towards us.

“Is that...”

“Yeah, Twilight. I think it is.”

“Do you think there’s a...”

“I hope not. I don’t think they get quite that big.” I gave my head a quick shake, and then I started towards Pinkie and Applejack. Once Pinkie was close enough, I began speaking. “Hey, Pinkie... Nice find.”

“Isn’t it? AJ and I were messing around on the beach, making a sand castle, when we decided that we were done. AJ wanted to go swimming, but I wasn’t really in the mood to go swimming so I went for a walk. And I was just there, minding my own business, when all of a sudden this giant crab walks out of the ocean, and he starts talking to me! He was going on and on about Celestia, and some other guy, when he looked at me.” She paused for a moment to take in a breath. “And he asked me what I was doing, so I explained that I was going for a walk, looking for seashells, so he asks me if I wanted to find the biggest seashell ever. I was so amazed at his offer that I just said yes, and he told me where to look, and so I did and there it was! And now it’s here!”

I walked past Pinkie as she spoke, making my way towards Applejack. “Did you know anything about this, AJ?”

The farmer just turned to look at me before she looked back at the shell. “I didn’t... She wasn’t...” Applejack looked back at me, confusion apparent on her face. “Pinkie being Pinkie, Icarus. Pinkie being Pinkie.” I only nodded before I looked the shell once over, and then pushed it from my mind. “Are you going to make some dinner, Icarus?”

“Soon, yeah.” I looked over my shoulders at the other girls. “Come on, ladies. No need to stay out here in the hot, when we can go inside and be nice and cool.” All the others were still trying to get over the shock of the massive shell, but I had already decided that thinking about it, and how it got where it was, was an endeavor best taken on by those with far more patience than I could ever hope to have. I stuffed the ice cream into the freezer once I got to the kitchen, and right after that I went up to my room so that I could wash off the accumulated dirt and filth from our hike through the jungle and up the volcano.

When I emerged from my shower I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Pinkie sprawled out on my bed, a book in her hands. “Pinkie, not that I have a problem with you being in here, but I’m wondering why you’re here.”

Pinkie just glanced at me before she gave me a shrug. “I just figured that I’d read some, but I didn’t feel like doing it down in the living room, or in my room. Rarity definitely wouldn’t let me go to her room, and I didn’t want to bother the others. That left your room, and, well, here I am. Besides, your skylight is perfect for letting in just the right amount of light.”

“Oh. Well, that makes sense, I guess. I’m going to get dressed, and then head down to make some waffles. Care to join me?” I walked to my dresser as I spoke, and then stopped to look back at Pinkie. “Wait, what are you reading?” Her cheeks colored a bit, and then she held up the book to let me see the cover. “You’re sleeping with me, now, and you’re reading stuff like that?”

“Rarity gave it to me for my last birthday. She said that I’d probably appreciate the humor, and the more... mature... elements. She was, and still is, right. In fact, I’ve actually gotten some ideas from reading this. Ideas I’d like for us to try at some point.” This time it was my cheeks that flushed, and I made it a point not to look at her as I dropped the towel around my waist to the ground as I quickly dressed myself. Once I was fully clothed, and ready to make some victuals, I grabbed Pinkie off my bed, carrying her in my arms. I quickly made my way to the kitchen, and soon the two of us were taking stock of our ingredients, and setting out what we needed. In her typical fashion, the pink haired beauty was moving with a level of speed that amazed me.

When it came to cooking, few people could beat Pinkie, and even fewer could beat her when it came to showmanship in the kitchen. There was no such thing as simply adding an ingredient to the bowl for her. Everything was a show of dexterity and agility as the ingredients soared across the room, often seeming to pass through each other if the situation warranted. Pinkie hummed softly as she worked, often shifting from one tune to another with no rhyme or reason. I was only barely able to keep up with her, and just five minutes after we started preparing we had a sizable bowl of batter ready to be turned into waffles.

I glanced at the clock quickly, before letting out a quick sigh. “Well, Pinkie, we’ve got a little bit before we have to get started with the actual cooking, so what say we go take a look down in the wine cellar, and see what kind of good stuff Celestia’s got stashed away here?” Rather than say anything, Pinkie just nodded rapidly, dashing towards the door that led to the cellar. I followed behind her, at a more reasonable pace, and by the time I made it to the basement Pinkie was already zipping along the shelves, gawking at the hundreds of different labels that marked the different vintages and makers. I had a vague idea of what I was looking for, and as I looked at the shelves I came to realize that they were arranged alphabetically by year produced. I stifled a chuckle, thinking that this would be just how Twilight would do it, if she was as into liquor as Celestia clearly is.

Unless, of course, these are Luna’s reserves. Perhaps a joint royal effort?

I pulled out and inspected several bottles of wine before I found the year I was looking for. Six hundred years after Nightmare Moon was banished, there had been a sudden surge in the number of vintners around Equestria, and of the sudden surge, only a few really successful chains emerged. One chain that failed to make it only failed because they produced in such small quantities. The wine was supposedly the best wine ever to emerge from that year, and even the decades following, and the few bottles that still remained were valued upwards of a thousand bits a bottle.

As I pulled the softly luminescent bottle off the shelf, I couldn’t help but let my jaw drop. Not only did Celestia have a bottle of the wine, she had two. “Sinderion’s Root Wine, 626 ANM. One hundred bottles produced, of which only thirty seven remain. Four of which are currently in the vast kitchens of Canterlot, one of which sits in my fathers safe back in Manehattan, and two of which are here. The rest lay scattered about Equestria, and beyond, owned by various collectors.”

“You sure know a lot about wine, Icarus.” Pinkie had come up next to me as I had spoken, and she looked at the bottle in my hand with a smile.

“More my father than me. My mom happened to have been a huge fan of wine, and that bottle was a gift my father got her before I was born.” I frowned for a moment, as I thought about that. “Shame that they never got to enjoy it.”

Pinkie wrapped her arms around me from behind, and she planted a quick kiss on my cheek when I turned to look at her. “She’s not dead, Icarus. I don’t know how I know, but I know. They’ll get to have their wine together.” I didn’t respond, instead simply waiting for Pinkie to release me before I started for the stairs.

Before I could start up them, though, Rarity appeared at the top, her gaze roaming over me for a moment before settling on the bottle in my hands. “Wine with waffles, Icarus?”

I let out a quick scoff. “No. Wine with waffles and whipped cream. I enjoy some alliteration with my meals.”

“Then wouldn’t white wine be a better choice?”

I let out a weak chuckle as I walked into the kitchen, moving past Rarity and towards the fridge. I put the bottle into the small rack within the fridge, and then I turned to look at the counter where I had my cooking supplies laid out. “Yeah, probably white would be better. But, then again, the wine is for after dinner. Wine and waffles are less than ideal together.”

“True enough. I take it you’ll be starting up, now?”

“Yeah. It’s almost seven, now, and I figure if I start now we can eat right around seven.” I turned to look at her. “Unless you’d like to eat later?” She shook her head, and I turned to my cooking with a smile on my face. Both Pinkie and Rarity chipped in to aid me with the process, and the three of us managed to quickly get dinner prepared, and onto the table. During the last few minutes Rarity went up to gather the other girls, and as I was putting the last of the food on the table the girls all took their seats, looking to me with smiles all around. “I promised Pinkie that today, for breakfast, I was going to make waffles. Someone kept me from doing that. So, in response, I made waffles for dinner. With,” I started towards the freezer, “ice cream, since everyone likes ice cream. And, after all, life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”

I put the ice cream down on the table, along with three scoops, and soon the seven of us were enjoying our dessert-breakfast-dinner. Rarity and Fluttershy spoke, at length, about all the shopping they did, and all the different things they bought. Rarity gushed about a jewelry shop she and Fluttershy had visited, and when she described the owner I realized that I had yet to give either Pinkie or Rarity their necklaces. I grumbled about it for a moment before I jumped back into the conversation, helping Dash and Twilight to explain all that we had seen and done on our hike. Pinkie and Applejack took the shortest time to explain what they did, since the highlight of their day sat in the front yard.

By the time we finished nearly all the ice cream was gone, and not a single piece of waffle had survived the apocalypse that had descended upon their kind. “Now, girls, since it’s still relatively early, I figured that maybe we could all do something nice together. I picked out a rather fancy bottle of wine, and I was thinking that maybe we could all just sit in the living room and spend some time together just talking and enjoying the company.” The response was favorable, and after a quick clean up I had the bottle of wine in one hand, and several wine glasses in the other. It took me two trips to bring everything into the living room, but soon enough we each had a glass of wine. “I propose a toast.” The girls all raised their glasses. “To the seven of us. That we may all find what we wish most in life, and that we will all have someone that we can turn to.” Our glasses rang with a delicate chime as we knocked them together, and we quickly descended into friendly conversation.

Jokes flew freely, and we spent quite a bit of time reminiscing about the days come and gone, and the countless adventures that we had all experienced. The bottle of wine lasted quite some time, but it was not bottomless, and just an hour after starting the bottle it was empty. After finishing off the last of her wine, Dash looked around the group once, before she took the bottle off the table, and she began slowly rotating it in her hands. “I’ve got an idea, girls. We’re all adults, here, and I suggest we do something suitably immature.” We all looked at Dash as she held out the bottle like it was the answer to all our problems. “Truth or Dare. With a twist. If you chicken out, or fail the dare, you take a shot of whiskey. You get a point for each question you answer or each dare. First one to twenty points wins.”

I leaned back in my seat for a moment, shaking my head. “Only you, Dash, would take something like Truth or Dare and turn it into a competition.” She flushed, but said nothing in response, instead she started trying to convince us to play.

After a few moments of coercion, Dash managed to convince us all, and soon we were gathered around the coffee table, the wine bottle laying on its side in the middle. Dash reached out, and rested her hand on the bottle, gently giving it a few experimental twists. She gave it one final twist, and it whirled about, passing over each of us in turn before it finally began to slow. It passed over me, and Twilight beside me, before settling on the pink haired party girl. “Ooh, me! Um, dare. Give it your best shot, Dashie!”

The weather team captain smirked before she let her gaze roam over each of us. Her gaze lingered on me for several moments before settling on Twilight. “Alright, Pinkie, I dare you to give Twilight a massage.” Pinkie nodded quickly, but Dash raised a hand. “A horn massage. For one full minute. And you have to use both hands, and be totally thorough.”

“I... Dash, is this really necessary? You really shouldn’t drag me into Pinkie’s dare.”

Pinkie looked between Dash and Twilight for a moment, her face gaining a pained expression. “Twi, come on, it’s just a game. And we’re all friends, right? Would it bother you that much?”

Twilight looked pained for a moment before she lowered her gaze, and shook her head. “No, I guess not. Just... Nothing but your hands, okay?” Pinkie nodded, before stepping closer to Twilight. She leaned in close for a moment, before whispering into Twilight’s ear. I had thought her cheeks could grow no redder, but I was mistaken as her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of crimson at whatever Pinkie said. After speaking, Pinkie knelt in front of Twilight, one of her hands rising up to the magical protrusion on Twilight’s head.

She ran a finger along the length several times, a shiver running along Twilight’s frame in response. Pinkie’s other hand came up as well, circling the tip of Twilight’s horn in a pattern of fast and slow, with her other hand slowly wrapping around the base of the horn, massaging along the spiraled grooves. Her hands flowed in an all too familiar fashion along the horn, and Twilight’s face turned a shade of red I’d only seen in Dash’s hair. Twilight’s hands were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white, and her eyes were shut tightly. I could hear her breathing growing more ragged at Pinkie’s increasingly provocative motions, and I heard a low groan begin to sound from the Element of Magic. Twilight started to shake a bit at Pinkie’s ministrations, and I felt my own cheeks flush in response to what I was looking at.

“Time.” I looked at Dash quickly before looking back at Pinkie and Twilight. Pinkie’s hands were frozen in place, but the look on her face told me that she dearly wanted to finish what she had started. “Alright, Pinkie, that’s a minute, and a point for you. Your turn to spin.” Pinkie looked at the bottle for a moment before she looked back at Twilight, whose composure had only gotten worse since Pinkie moved her hands after Dash started speaking again.

I looked at Dash for a moment longer before I moved a bit closer to Twilight, my hand finding hers. At the contact, she shivered again, but her eyes opened so she could look at me. I motioned up at her horn with my eyes, and she gave a nearly imperceptible nod. I only hesitated for a moment before I brought my hand up to her horn, quickly wrapping my hand around it, and giving it a few gentle strokes, eliciting a shuddering groan from the unicorn as her horn shot off a few insubstantial sparks of energy.

“Geez, Icarus, I was going to tell her to go finish up in her bathroom, or something.” I looked at everyone for a moment, only to realize that they were all looking at me, and all of them were competing to see who could have the most intense blush.

“Whatever. Twi needed it, and I was happy to give it to her.” I looked at Pinkie. “Spin the bottle, Pinkie. And let’s at least try and keep things decent.” Pinkie nodded before grabbing the bottle, and giving it a sharp spin.

Pinkie smiled as the bottle span in place. “Round and round it goes, where it stops, nobody knows!” After several long seconds of spinning, the bottle finally began to show signs of slowing. After a few final rotations the bottle finally stopped, pointing squarely at the farmer. “Okay, AJ, truth or dare?”

“Truth. This’ll be easy for me, since I don’t lie anyway.”

Pinkie had a big smile on her face. “Have you and Big Mac ever done anything that brother and sister really shouldn’t do?”

I dropped my face into my hand, and the others all seemed to share my sentiment. I was the first to speak, though. “Pinkie, didn’t I ask you to try and keep things decent?”

“Yeah, but that’s not as much fun. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to share anyth --”

“Once, but I stopped him before he could do anything more than kiss me! I really wanted to know what it was like, but I didn’t know who else to turn to...” Applejack moved her hat to cover her face, but it didn’t muffle her voice. “I asked him if he could treat me like he does Cherilee, just for a couple minutes, and it took me almost an hour to convince him. Took him a couple of weeks before he could look me in the eye again without blushing.”

Several spins later, and I had my first challenge presented to me. It had been Applejack’s spin, and I looked at her with a confident smile. “Tru... No. Dare. Give me what you’ve got.”

Applejack smirked before she started speaking. “Alright, Icarus. I dare you to show us, each of us, one picture that you’ve drawn of us.”

“What the fuck is this? Dash, I thought I asked you not to tell them...”

Dash only shrugged, looking away. “It came out by accident, mostly. And after I told them...”

“It’s fine, Dash. I probably would’ve told them eventually. Like, before they died due to old age, or something.” I stood, quickly making my way up to my room. It only took me a moment to find the notebook in question, and I stomped my way back down the stairs to find all six girls looking at me. I threw the notebook onto the table, next to the bottle. “Open it to page forty two. They’re in alphabetical order. They’re nudes, so you know. For the record, I regret nothing.” As they each looked at their artistic counterpart, I turned to look away from all of them. I counted the page turns, and before they could turn the seventh page I whirled around and took back the notebook. “That’s enough of that, girls. You each got a look at yourself, in my eyes, and now you’re done. Not everything in here is meant to be shared.”

I ran upstairs to put away my notebook, and when I came back I sat myself in my seat before taking the bottle in my hand. “Now that we’re done with that, let’s continue, shall we?”

Before I continue recounting my tale, I’d just like to thank Twilight for her magical assistance with this. Were it not for her spell, I’d not be able to recall half of this as clearly as I can now.

Fluttershy and Rarity were both out. The alcohol did them in faster than we anticipated. Being the gentleman I am, I took the time to bring the two of them to their rooms, inelegantly putting them each in their bed so that they’d be at least somewhat comfortable. When I came back down I found that the bottle was already spinning, and they all looked at me expectantly. I took my seat once again, and I looked at each of the girls in turn, trying to figure out who gave the bottle its spin. I shrugged as I focused back on the bottle, my eyes following the tip as it made its journey. Finally, after going round and round almost a dozen times it started to slow, and I found myself looking along the length of the bottle as it pointed at me. “Well, fuck. Alright, who spun it?”

Twilight raised her hand, and her cheeks flushed a magnificent shade of red. “Alright, Icarus, truth or dare?”

I looked at her for a moment before I shook my head. “Knowing you, Twi, I’ll go with dare.”

A victorious smile flashed across her face, and her gaze moved from me to Dash. “Okay, Icarus. You’ve got to give our resident weather team captain a wing massage. And you’ve got to go until she’s done.”

I looked to Dash for a moment, and then back at Twi. “I’m good for more than just getting off, you know.”

“Yeah, you’re also good at drawing pictures of us naked.” I glared at Applejack for a moment, only to be rewarded with a wide smile. “What? It’s a compliment. You did a darn good job. Although I don’t shave down there in that pattern. It’s a good idea, though.”

“Yeah, I bet Big Mac’ll like it a lot.” The farmer quickly looked away, her hat coming down over her face once again. “Now, if you’re done, I’ve got a massage to give.” I turned my gaze from the farmer to the pegasus, and I was slightly surprised to see her already sprawled out on the couch, her wings outstretched and quivering slightly. I took a few steps closer before I stopped and took in several deep breaths. I pushed the presence of the others from my mind, knowing that thinking about them would only make things harder than they would already be. When I finally closed the distance to the supine pegasus, I knelt down beside her, taking in the full expanse of her wings.

“Now, if you want to get this done as quick as you can, you’ll need to start --”

“Whoa, Dash, who said anything about quick? You want to enjoy this, right?” She looked over her shoulder, at me, for what felt like a long time before she nodded. “Good. Than why don’t you let me do what I’ll do, and we’ll see how it goes?” She pressed her head into the couch cushion for a moment. “I’ve done this before, Dash, I know what it takes. And, in case you forgot, I know the sensitive spots. I am a pegasus, after all.” I prodded, gently, at a point just a few inches from where the wing joined her back, prompting a low moan from Dash, and forcing her wing to grow more rigid. I leaned in close to her ear. “Pretend, Dashie, that it’s just you and me. No one else.”

I brought myself up again before I put one hand on the base of each of her wings, gently kneading my fingers into the sensitive skin. I moved my hands in tandem, each one mirroring the other as I worked along the more receptive areas on her lower wings. Once I was far along enough that I couldn’t stretch far enough to do both wings at the same time, I shifted to do each one individually. My every move sent a shiver along the wing, and forced a moan from the pegasus. While I didn’t go fast, I didn’t linger too long on any given part of her wing, and after a few minutes on one wing I shifted my attention to the other, repeating my previous ministrations. Once I finished her second wing, I returned my attention to where her wings met her back, and I began working with the goal of giving her the orgasm the dare demanded. With my efforts concentrated where the nerves were most densely clustered, I quickly brought her to the edge, and then over it.

The athlete convulsed only a few times before her wings fell limply at her side, and her breathing began returning to a more normal rhythm. I stepped back from her after a moment, and then I just sat down beside her, waiting for her to fully recover. As she opened her eyes, and looked at me, she only smiled for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. She quickly closed it, though, and then looked away. I wanted her to say something, but I wasn’t going to press her. I stood, after a moment, and then moved back to my place in the circle, finally looking at the others. “I suppose, then, that it’s my turn, now?” I received no objections, so I reached out and gave the bottle a quick spin, watching as it danced its mindless dance on the table. Before the bottle stopped spinning, Dash sat up and just looked at the bottle, clearly avoiding meeting my gaze.

As the bottle finally began to slow, I found myself wondering who it would land on, and what I could possibly ask as a question, or pose as a challenge. I just let out a sigh as the bottle finally stopped, pointing at Dash. “Okay, Dash, truth or dare? I don’t know why I’m asking, though. Every single round you’ve gone with dare.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but as she processed what I said she narrowed her eyes. “Fine, then. Truth.”

“Sometimes, Dash, it’s just too easy.” She glared at me for a moment, but the look quickly softened, shifting into slight nervousness. “Alright. Dash, why was winning that wager you had with the other girls so important to you? What was it that was driving you so hard to win that you’d hand me your virginity, just like that?”

The nervousness on her face shifted, for a heartbeat, to anger, and then to sadness. “Can I answer this one in private, Icarus? I promise I’ll answer, but... Just, not now?” She looked up from the floor at me, her eyes watering slightly.

I was going to push her, but the look in her eyes kept me from doing so. “Okay. I’ll give you some time, but I will get an answer, understand?” She nodded quickly, a sigh of relief escaping her. “But just like my problems, Dash, hiding from it won’t make it any less painful when the truth does come out.” I nudged the bottle towards her. “Your spin, Dash.”

She didn’t hesitate to grab the bottle, but she did hesitate to give it a spin. She twisted it rapidly, and once again, it made its way through the probabilities, throwing each option an equal pull, waiting to see which would reciprocate and force the hands of fate to line up. After several tense moments, the bottle finally began to slow until it finally pointed towards Pinkie Pie. She looked at the bottle after it stopped spinning for a second before looking towards Dash, a smile on her face. “Alright, Dashie. Let’s do it again.”

And, so, we fell, once again, into the routine demanded by the simple game. We went well past the terms needed to ‘win’ the game, I won, incidentally. Each of us taking our turn, and enjoying the laughs and awkward silences that followed the questions posed. Sadly, I was forced to admit to more than one small kink I might have in the bedroom, and I learned more than I was interested in learning about the girls’ collective hygienic habits regarding... Well, it wasn’t all fun to hear and see.

As the grandfather clock struck three, I reached out and grabbed the bottle, nearly missing due to the alcohol clouding my vision. “Girls, it’s three in the morning. Let’s call it a night, okay?”

“Before we stop, Icarus, I have one final question for you.” I looked over at Twilight as she spoke, raising an eyebrow to prompt her to continue. “If you could do it all again, from just before the accident, knowing what would be waiting for you now, would you do it all the same?”

I looked at her for quite some time before I finally let my gaze drop to the floor. “Yes. Yes I would. If it meant that I could be as happy as I am with all of you, I would do it again. Maybe I’d change a few things, but for the most part I’d do it all the same way.” A smile flashed across Twilight’s face, and I knew that I had said the right thing, and possibly, had just won her heart more solidly than before. “There you go. One last answer for the road. Er... Walk to your bed. Beds. You all know what I mean.”

I took the bottle from the table, along with several of the glasses, and I made my way to the kitchen where I quickly put the glasses in the sink, and the bottle on the counter. I looked at the label on the bottle for several minutes before I spoke. “Maybe not with mom, but with me. Just three more years.”

“We’ll make it together, love.”

“You passed out, Rarity. Shouldn’t you still be in bed?” I heard her approach, and then a pair of arms wrapped around me. “Not that I object to your presence.”

“I didn’t think you would object. Also, I wasn’t nearly as drunk as you might’ve thought. I refuse to drink any amount that could ever bring me to the point of being drunk, so I used a simple spell to knock myself out. And I came down because Pinkie woke me when she came to bed, and you didn’t follow like she said you would. ”

“Was it that long?”

“Twenty minutes, yes.” She moved to my side, one of her arms letting go of me to touch the bottle. She turned it away from me, so I couldn’t see the label, and then she gently began easing me out of the kitchen. I let her walk me along, and just a couple minutes later we were in my bedroom. I quickly stripped out of what I was wearing, and I fell into my bed with not a trace of elegance.

I was able to claw my way up to my pillows, though, and once I was in a comfortable position both Pinkie and Rarity found their own positions atop and beside me. I wrapped an arm around each of them and then gave them a small squeeze, relishing the sighs that followed. “Good night, girls.” Sleep swiftly followed, but for the first night since getting to the island my sleep wasn’t dreamless.

Author's Notes:

Hi everyone! Another chapter done, and more of the tale revealed. Please be aware that this chapter isn't edited. Like, at all. Additionally, the next chapter for this will be delayed, some, as I get some work done on Faster than Light, and Imagined Parallels.

Now, I hate to ask, but if there's anyone around and available to aid me in editing this story, ON A REGULAR BASIS, I'd love to get some volunteers. Do not think of this as a chance to see the chapters early, since you'll get to witness my pathetic progress, as well as read the myriad of failures that I pump out before I find what I want to write.